Sandhurst is the perfect 'Community on your doorstep' for one homeowner

When Jenny Chaplin (80) made the decision to move from her two bedroom bungalow in Sidmouth, Devon to be closer to her daughter, it was our Renaissance community in Sandhurst that stood out to her. 

Jenny explained: “I had lived in Devon for 25 years after moving there from Windsor. My husband died almost 10 years ago. I faced some ill health in recent years which necessitated my daughter coming to visit me almost every weekend because I needed help at that time. It was then I decided that while I was fit and able to make my own decisions I would make the move to be closer to her." 

She viewed a number of different independent living communities, but it was the high quality finish of the Renaissance homes that really impressed her: "This community wasn't actually built when I first heard about Renaissance but I'd seen the billboards up outside. I went and visited Renaissance Paignton with a friend and walked in and thought 'Wow'. It was like walking into a five star hotel. It was spacious, had nice wide corridors, and was nicely carpeted. In other independent living communities I'd been to, the corridors seemed to be much narrower and darker whereas this was spacious and light.” 

Jenny reserved a one-bed apartment in our Renaissance Sandhurst community and was one of the first homeowners to move in, in September 2019. "When I first moved in there were only about eight of us altogether that first week, so we got to know each other quite well quickly." 

"The community here is, I suppose, really and truly similar to how I was brought up, in that we would look out for our neighbours. This is going back about 70 years, when if you didn't see your neighbour for a few days you would go and knock on their door and ask if they were alright. Well, I think we have that same sort of feeling here now. We look out for each other. A real community feel, where everybody looks after everybody else.” 

"A little group of us worked as a team for the Macmillan coffee morning this year where we raised nearly £300 and most residents participated in some way. A Festive Get Together is planned for December at a local hotel to which everyone is invited." 

The weekly events held in the shared living area of the community have also made a nice addition to Jenny's lifestyle: "We meet up for a coffee morning every Wednesday which is very popular. A group of us, under the guidance of a resident who had worked as a translator, are trying to resurrect the French that we learnt at school and on Thursday evenings we have now started having a film night. In the past we have had pizza or fish and chip evenings also. What's nice is that nothing is set in stone, you can join the events if you want to but there is no obligation to do so. That's what I enjoy most about the community; there is always company if I want it." 

Jenny also likes to make sure new residents are welcomed into the community: “When anybody moves in, I try to make a point of going and knocking on their door to say hello. I just like to introduce myself because I know how I'd like to be treated and welcomed." 

Jenny enjoys life at Renaissance Sandhurst and is happy to have made the decision to move when she did: “It was definitely the right decision to make. Life is what you make it. It really is down to you to look forward, not back, and make the most of it.” 

Renaissance Sandhurst comprises 42 spacious apartments set in beautifully landscaped grounds. The development is ideally located on Yorktown Road, within walking distance of local shops, services, and transport links, and there is on-site parking for 37 cars.

For more information about the homes available, or to book an appointment, contact the team on 01344 238 138 or [email protected].