This spring, our newly set up Raglan Resident Action Group completed their communal garden improvement project.
Raglan Court is a small block of 15 flats near Ashford, which West Kent took over management of in 2020.
The community was recovering from a traumatic police flat closure and years of anti-social behaviour. Residents were keen to improve their local spaces and help rebuild their community. With support from Sky, our Community Development Officer, they came together to transform their communal garden into a space they could be proud of. Along the way, they started to rebuild something even more important; a sense of community. 
Social value contributions made the project possible, with some of our partners coming together to support residents to make their communal garden look like new.
- The Bell Group, (our provider of fire doors) provided new fencing and gates to create an enclosed garden area
- The AD Group (one of our construction partners) provided planters to add interest and colour
- West Kent Community Chest provided an eight seater picnic table.
A little bit extra from our community development team who provided plants, watering cans and a few refreshments to keep residents working energised!
The garden is now a safe space where residents can meet up and spend some time together and chat over coffee and cake. As a result of these catch ups:
- Residents met with their neighbourhood housing officer to find out about them and ask questions about things concerning them.
- They met the resident involvement team to find out about different ways to have their voice heard in how West Kent delivers services.
- Two neighbours who lived in flats above and below each other for three years and had never spoken, finally got to know each other at a coffee meet up.
- Information was shared about our financial inclusions support available. One resident is now in receipt of PIP following a referral to us. Another had their first experience of running their pre-payment meter ‘in the black’ for the first time in years.
Sky, Community Development Officer for Raglan Court said: “The journey has mattered just as much as the final outcome. For some residents, we are the third landlord for their flat and have been experiencing some of the physical and social challenges in the block long before West Kent. It was vital that we supported residents to rebuild a positive community and showed that we really do want to support healthy,
happy neighbourhoods.”
One Raglan Court resident added: “This is helping us start to believe that West Kent actually do what they say they are going to do!”
The success at Raglan Court shows how small changes can lead to stronger, more connected communities.