Hyde Life October 2012.indd - Hyde Housing Association

Keeping it in the
At a special lunch event
organised by Hyde,
Caroline Benford, from
the Hyde Village estate in
Islington was congratulated
on winning the Tenant
Participation Advisory
Service Tenant of the Year
award..
Caroline began
volunteering at the local
Goodinge Community
Centre when she was just 16
years old, influenced by her
mother Doris Hester, whom
she describes as ‘the best
teacher.’
Caroline’s eldest of her four
children, Chloe Hester, aged
20, is continuing the tradition
in helping the community
by assisting her mum at the
weekly pensioners’ bingo
club and with special
events.
Caroline dedicated
the prestigious
award to her mother,
who herself is a
community stalwart,
single handedly setting up
a drama group for young
people from the family’s
back garden, then in the local
school hall and eventually,
pushing for a community
centre which has now been
running for around 30 years.
Described as ‘one of a kind’
by Hyde, Caroline continues
Doris’s good work by running
a number of groups from the
centre, and works to improve
the lives of her neighbours.
Over the years, she has set
up and continues to run a
parent and toddler group;
organised clean up days at
the area’s memorial garden
with local children, Christmas
lunches for elderly residents
and street parties; runs a
local youth drama group, a
pensioners’ bingo night and
has even set up a floristry
course to help elderly
residents learn a new skill.
She recently helped raise
£3,000 for the family of a
Hyde resident, who died
following a brain tumour,
enabling them to go to
Disneyland.
As well as being on the
PTA of her children’s school,
and Treasurer of the Hyde
Village Community and
Social Association, Caroline is
a member of Hyde’s Resident
Assurance Committee in
Islington and works with
other residents to scrutinise
4 If you have any queries, call our Customer Services Centre on freephone 0800 389 3576 or email customerservices@hyde-housing.co.uk
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