New Aspire Housing In Ryde Officially Opened By Lord Lieutenant

Aspire has officially opened its new High Street community housing in Ryde, providing vital support for women experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

The Lord Lieutenant of the Isle of Wight, Susie Sheldon, cut the ribbon at the opening on Friday (29 August).

The development includes seven flats, three of which will be reserved for women with veteran connections.

Residents will receive support to help them gain independence and move on to longer-term accommodation in the future.

The scheme was part-funded by the Isle of Wight Council’s Community Housing Fund, with additional backing from Charity Bank, the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust, and the B&Q Foundation.

Aspire CEO Trevor Nicholas said:

“This accommodation is the culmination of four years of hard work to provide homes for people who are most at risk.

"We know this is a drop in the ocean compared to the overall need, but we hope this scheme will be a catalyst for many others in the future.”

Before the opening, the Lord Lieutenant toured Aspire’s Dover Street base to learn more about the charity’s community work, before joining Aspire Chair Bob White for the official ceremony.

Local representatives and project partners, including ARID Design and DN Associates, attended the event, alongside Isle of Wight East MP Joe Robertson and Ryde Mayor Diana Conyers.

Bob White added:

“It was great to welcome people to this new accommodation and to hear so many positive comments about the quality of the provision.

"We are grateful to the Lord Lieutenant and so many others for attending and we are looking forward to showing people around their new homes in the next few weeks.”