Page 4 - link magazine

The Link Magazine . October 1998
4
Minister takes to National Health Service trail
JhW79 e .9 } Swindon's contribution to the
health of the nation was recog-
Specialists in PVCU, nised on the Civic Trust's Herit-
age Open Day on 12 September.
windows, doors and
Health Secretary Frank Dobson
conservatories, paid a rapid visit to the town and
also carpentry, fencing, called into some key buildings
which had played a role in im-
patios, floor tiling.
proving the health of Great West-
22 Ravens Walk ern Railway workers and their
Wootton Bassett families.
During his four hour tour, the
Telephone: Minister visited the old Medical
01793 848177 Fund Hospital in the railway vil-
or 01793 770596 lage, the Health Hydro and the
Princess Margaret Hospital.
Regal encounter: Frank Dobson and Swindon South MP Julia Drown meets
Swindon's own Queen Victoria, Mary Ratcliffe, and Swindon Health Promo-
tion Service manager Gerry Hannon dressed as Stuart Kieth Rea, the first
doctor of the GWR Medical Fund Society

Empty homes could be used
LANDLORDS According to the most recent figures, there are nearly 2,000 unoccu-
pied private properties in Swindon.
Do you have a property to let? Apart from the loss of potential If you know of an empty house
rental income averaging £5,000 a or flat, including accommodation
We offer the most complete and only year to the owner, an empty house above a shop, telephone Sadhu
guaranteed management service in the region. can be a target for vandals. Chahal, Empty Homes Officer, on
We have tenants waiting for With more than 3,000 homeless 464412.
cases last year, the Borough Coun- If you own an empty or under-
quality residential properties
cil and local housing associations used property, you can also call
For further information or advice, are trying to make the most of local the Empty Homes Officer or write
please contact 01793 431725 housing resources. to him at Housing Services, Swin-
Advice and, in some cases reno- don Borough Council, Civic Of-
vation and repair grants, are avail- fices, Swindon SN1 2JH for more
able to owners of empty property. information.

Community services under review
Swindon Council's community and youth services, crime strategy
and race relations are coming under the spotlight from a new boss.
Alan Dalton, Assistant Chief Of-
ficer in charge of the Community
LOOK and LISTEN before you commit yourself to any Services Department took up his
post in August and will be review-
major home improvement. New windows, doors and ing its operation over the next 6 to
especially a new conservatory 9 months.
can transform your home... This will involve consulting with
but it's worth using this CHECKLIST councillors, staff and service users
and arriving at recommendations
simpre checklist:
o CHO/CNe for change. "The division is going
they offering a good
range of des,gns and various through a period of major change
locking options? and we ask our customers to be
patient with us," said Alan, who
O REPLJ7qr/o.,5. we/I
known lives in Toothill. 'We will be in-
LOCAL ffr well estabhshed
with a reputation topfote? volving them in the process and
will continue with all our services
during this time." Alan Dalton
0 QUALITy.Are
the pro du they With the heavy budget cuts perience of working with a range
install SUPPb*ed by a major
made in the last three years, Alan of local authority departments and
national manupc
like
Coastal? believes the next few years will be voluntary sector organisations in
critical to the future direction of both organisational and 'on the
Q GUAR4JJp.15 my investment community services. ground' posts.
Propefly protected?
As well as managing his divi- In his last position with Wolver-
sion and carrying out the review, hampton's Leisure Services De-
Alan has responsibility for imple- partment he was involved in the
menting a crime reduction strat- latter stages of managing change.
ERMIN WINDOWS egy with the police by April 1999 What attracted him to his new role
under the new Crime and Disor- was the opportunity to start and
Telephone 824419 der Act. He will also be develop- follow through the process of
ing a Race Coalition. change, a chance he sees as 'a privi-
A supplier and installer 01 rallaw Windows, doors and conseroatones
Alan's background includes ex- lege'.