Pictured: Four generations; Grandad, his three children, 6 out of 7 grandchildren and his 5 great-grandchildren. Grandad’s 90th Birthday, 2017.
I moved to Hampshire in 2012 having spent most of my life living in a small Welsh village. Ten years on, I now feel as though I have two homes – one in Hampshire and the other in Wales. I love walking in the South Downs and New Forest National Parks, eating out in Winchester and travelling to the cities for days out, but it’s great to get back home to see my family too.
My parents and all my grandparents grew up in the same cluster of villages in Wales. Our ties to this area go back generations. House prices are much lower than in Hampshire, so my family have been able to remain living in the area. Both sets of grandparents lived a stone’s throw away from us when we were growing up and often looked after me and my sister when my parents were at work. We went to my Gran and Taid’s house after school where my Taid made us jam sandwiches, cutting off the crusts. My gran always made us stew, bread, and butter when we stopped around for tea.
My late gran at my sister’s wedding in 2017
My late Grandfather (photo below) lived in the village up until his death in 2020. He was in relatively good health for his age, often making the short walk up to the local social club to see friends and play dominoes. The main reason why he was able to continue living independently was because my mother lived close by and supported him, including walking his beloved dog, Ben.
High house prices in Hampshire mean many people with close ties to their community can no longer afford to live there, and this means many of the informal support networks like my Grandad had, are lost.
‘HHH’s role is to ensure there is a good supply of affordable homes for local people in Hampshire’s rural communities. I have spoken to many Hampshire families who are desperate for some affordable homes to be built in their community to enable them to stay living close to relatives, and I know from my own experience the difference this makes. I am proud of what I have helped achieve in my 10 years working for Action Hampshire.’
If you are interested in finding out how you can help deliver affordable homes for local people in your village, please do get in touch. We at the Hampshire Homes Hub help parish, town councils and community groups deliver homes needed in your community. We can provide detailed technical advice as well as wide ranging support to help deliver much needed housing in your community.
