A resident at a sheltered housing scheme in Newham, London has been reunited with her daughter – and discovered she is a grandmother - thanks to the help of dedicated support staff.
Fifty-five year old Noi Eyre, originally from Thailand, has lived in England for six years. She moved to Tej Bhavan, a scheme on Clarence Road run by ASRA Greater London Housing Association, in 2007.
She had completely lost contact with her family, and knew nobody in London.
ASRA scheme manager, Rasul Motala said: “When Noi arrived at Tej Bhavan she was very isolated and lonely. She speaks limited English, so found it difficult to communicate with others and make friends.
“She has four children in Thailand and really missed them, but the one phone number she had no longer worked. Noi suffers from ill health and she worried that should anything ever happen to her, they would never know.”
The ASRA team at Tej Bhavan with Pecan Trust began a programme of extensive support work with Noi, arranging for her to go to support groups and community centres to increase her confidence and encourage her to be more independent.
Rasul worked closely with her and was keen to help Noi re-establish links with her family. Together, after much searching, they made a breakthrough and found an old letter from her daughter Orawan, which included an address.
“Noi was very apprehensive about making contact again. She had never written a letter before in her life, and believed the family had moved, so she didn’t have much hope of a response,” explained Rasul.
“I persuaded her that she had nothing to lose and everything to gain. I encouraged Noi to write and helped her with the letter, which I posted out to Thailand about a month ago.”
Finally, this week, an envelope arrived containing a Happy New Year card from Orawan and pictures of a young granddaughter Noi never knew she had.
“I am thrilled to see Noi so happy. She was overjoyed to receive this lovely letter after six years. It has given her a real sense of hope and happiness again, and I am so pleased I was able to help rekindle this relationship for her,” continued Rasul.
Noi now wishes to go out to Thailand to visit her family, and ASRA is working closely with her and external agencies to help achieve this goal.
Manna Santokhee, Head of Care at ASRA added: “ASRA is committed to delivering a first class service to all our residents and making sure they feel at home here by identifying individual support needs.
“This is wonderful news for Noi and another example of our dedicated staff going the extra mile to ensure residents lead a happy, full and active life.”
Tej Bhavan provides 26 self-contained flats for older people with support needs, with communal room and gardens. It offers security and peace of mind, allowing residents to live actively and independently, but with the option of companionship and the support of the scheme manager when needed.
Residents are encouraged to participate in discussions and consultations about the scheme and ASRA’s services. Activities, workshops and social functions are also organised throughout the year, with a fortnightly advice surgery and exercise classes every week.
ASRA is part of the LHA-ASRA housing and regeneration group.