Riverhill sheltered housing scheme in Corbridge was delighted to welcome the Chair of Homes England, Pat Ritchie CBE, for a visit on Thursday 12th March.
Pat has chaired the government’s housing and regeneration agency since April 2025 and lives locally. Her visit commenced with a tour of the building, during which she took the opportunity to hear first-hand from resident Renee about the benefits of Alertacall, a self-service platform installed in each resident’s room that delivers short messages, key updates and important reminders.
The Alertacall system, which was introduced last year across ALS’ housing schemes, has yielded overwhelmingly positive results. Feedback from both residents and staff has praised its efficiency, ease of use, and the way in which it has streamlined and simplified communication between ALS and its residents. The installation has been possible because of the flexibility provided by Homes England in utilising recycled grant funding in existing homes, that is helping sustain tenancies and improve resident independence.
Following the tour, Pat was invited to join a celebration event to mark Abbeyfield’s 70th anniversary, including a cake-cutting ceremony with ALS CEO, Paul Tennant, and resident Rodney; a short quiz, for which Pat played the role of quizmaster; and a coffee morning, providing the opportunity for Pat and the residents to get to know one another.
The final part of the visit was a more formal affair, with a discussion for which Pat and Paul were joined by ALS Head of Development and Growth, Abdul A. Ravat, who is also Chair of the National Housing Federation’s (NHF) Older Persons Housing Group; ALS Finance Director, Tom Nisbet; and Assistant Director of Affordable Housing at Homes England, Dilys Jones.
The discussion focused on a wider range of topics covering current delivery, potential opportunities and challenges when it comes to increasing the supply of older people’s housing in the UK. The group explored the potential for partnership working and the impact of the Social and Affordable Homes Programme (SAHP) launched by the government in November 2025 – a ten-year plan to provide grant funding to support the delivery of new social and affordable homes.
Homes England has a pivotal role to play in the delivery of the SAHP, which will help to meet the government’s target to build 1.5 million new homes. Part of the discussion at Riverhill also centred around the importance of regenerating and retaining the existing stock of social housing, which must take place alongside the construction of new homes – an issue on which ALS has campaigned extensively, and the subject of a 2024 Abbeyfield-sponsored inquiry by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Housing and Care for Older People.
Pat Ritchie CBE, Chair of Homes England said: “It was a pleasure to visit Riverhill as part of Abbeyfield’s 70th anniversary celebrations. Hearing directly from residents about their experience of living there and seeing the difference it has made to their daily lives was genuinely inspiring. Riverhill is a clear example of the positive role older people’s housing can play in creating a strong and supportive community.”
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