During this difficult period, David, Sallie and their daughter reached out to Swale Council, who handed them the keys to their new Southern Housing home in Doddington in March 1997.
It's safe to say their lives were rebuilt in Doddington. When their daughter was looking for a Saturday job, an advert caught David's eye. It was a coordinator role for a borough-wide In Bloom initiative. Jumping at the opportunity, David applied for a job share with himself and Sallie, which they successfully secured.
The influence the gardening duo have had in Doddington has been a blossoming affair. From setting up Doddington in Bloom to helping improve the village's appearance. This included front garden competitions in 2005, entering the community into county-wide ‘In Bloom’ competitions which they helped judge, working with the Kent Wildlife Trust and judging the "It's Your Neighbourhood" contests with Britain in Bloom.
David said:
“We’ve felt supported and seen during our time with Southern Housing.
We’ve had kitchen and bathroom upgrades to help modernise our home.
I’m proud to live in social housing and to have been involved in Southern Housing’s resident involvement group.”
The real jewel in their gardening crown came just after their retirement in 2013, when they won Gold at the Kent County Show for a garden they designed with other social housing residents. The goal was to try to help change some people's perception of what the garden of a social housing home could look like after spending just a small amount of money. David and Sallie had a great experience working with residents to achieve the top prize.
David and Sallie's own garden hosts an array of sprawling plants and vegetation, which runs from their back door right to the fence boundary overlooking rolling fields. When they first moved in it was full of soil and weeds, but it is now transformed. A brick path (made using old bricks from a neighbour's wall) weaves you through various sights and smells and brings a calm atmosphere for visitors to enjoy the area's rich wildlife.
Sallie added:
“I love watching the lambs in the nearby fields jumping around in their own worlds, and I love being part of this local community”
Another real source of pride for David and Sallie is their local pub, The Chequers Inn, a historic 14th-century coaching inn which has hosted many a social occasion for the family, including their golden wedding anniversary, and where you can find David performing in local shows for the community.
As we celebrate 125 years of Southern Housing, experiences like that of David and Sallie’s form an important part of our shared history. Their story shows how a stable home can be the foundation to changing lives in a positive way.