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Community Involvement
Ladies do it for themselves in Tonbridge

On 24th February 2010 ladies rolled up their sleeves and learned how to do it for themselves during a free DIY workshop run by Russet Homes and sponsored by Lakehouse, its strategic maintenance partner.

The all women group tried their hand at painting and decorating as well as everyday jobs around the kitchen at an empty property in Tonbridge. They also learned how to isolate valves and stopcocks in plumbing emergency plus lots of health and safety tips, including the importance of wearing the correct protective equipment and reading instructions before starting any work.

Most of the ladies had little experience of DIY but Russet Homes tenant Selina Boyd, said "Even though it's unusual for a lady I am a real DIY enthusiast and I'm always keen to learn more. I'm one of those people who enjoy taking something all apart if it doesn't work to try and fix it."

Jacqueline Wilkinson, Russet Homes Operations Director - Housing Services, said: "We asked our residents what type of training they would find most useful and one of the top requests was DIY, covering simple day to day maintenance and repairs. Whilst all our properties are quickly prepared once a tenant leaves for the next occupant, we had one that had just become vacant. It provided the perfect place to hold the workshop allowing everyone to get really hands on and practice what they had been shown in a real life setting."

The course is one of a series that Lakehouse sponsors to provide residents with the confidence and skills to tackle some DIY jobs themselves.