NRHA helps couples stay in their Village

Great grandparents Keith and Jill Rogers are looking forward to a new lease of life in the village they have lived in for 25 years, thanks to Northamptonshire Rural Housing Association.

The couple, who have three daughters, seven grandchildren and a great grandchild in the village of Welford, say they couldn’t imagine life anywhere else.

But they were desperate to move to a bungalow as Jill, who is disabled, was struggling to manage the stairs in their three-bedroom house.

Now the couple are looking forward to a happy future in a two-bedroom bungalow on the same estate as two of their daughters.

Lorry driver Keith says: “The stairs at our old house were becoming increasing difficult for Jill to manage and it was becoming a real worry.  I work nights and I was terrified she would get up at night and be unable to get downstairs safely on her own.

“One of my daughters is in a NRHA property so it was her idea to apply for a bungalow when one became available.  We were absolutely delighted when we were told we were being offered the property.”

Keith says that since they moved in, the bungalow has been further adapted to make life easier for Jill, who drives a mobility scooter.

The couple now have a new kitchen and wet room, along with improvements including a new path to the front door and a ramp from the back gate, making the property ideal for the two of them.

Keith says: “Jill can drive straight into the house in her mobility scooter now which is absolutely wonderful.

“We are close to all our family which is really important to us and although it has taken a bit of effort to downsize, it really has been worth it.

“The bungalow is ideal for us and we have no intention of moving again!”