Area Panels are run by customers and work to improve the wider community with support from Coastline Housing.

There are two groups working with Coastline. The South Kerrier Area Panel (SKAP) covers Helston, The Lizard, and surrounding places. Trevithick and Murdoch Area Panel (TAP and MAP) is for customers in and around Redruth and Camborne.

The difference they make

The panels are attended by members of the Neighbourhood and Involvement Team so you can ask questions about the services provided by Coastline. Members also ask for staff from other departments to attend if there are queries about our services which need detailed answers.

Area Panels are also a great chance for you to discuss experiences with people from around our communities who you otherwise might not meet. Members of Residents’ Associations bring along information from their meetings so ideas can be discussed.

Other organisations like Cornwall Council or the Police are often invited along as well to talk about their services.

The time you need to give

Meetings are held every six weeks and last for around two hours. You can attend as often as you like, so they should not take up too much of your time.

How you can join

Simply contact one of the Neighbourhood and Involvement Team by e-mailing getinvolved@coastlinehousing.co.uk or call 08082 027728 and we will put you in touch with a member of your local panel. Help for transport and carer costs is available, details of which can be found on our training and support page.

You can read more information about Area Panels below, or continue to navigate a course through our pages to find out about the many ways to Get Involved with Coastline.

South Kerrier Area Panel

SKAP is made up of Coastline customers, and we meet every 6 weeks, on a Wednesday evening between 6pm and 8pm, in Helston.

So far we have achieved funding to enable purchasing and installation of outside seating and tables for the residents of Charles Bassett Close in Helston, and seating for Hens Horn Court in Helston - a total of £600.

The panel works hard in that we support all customers with any issues they may have. We also deal with customer issues that have been unsuccessful first time around, to come to a conclusion.

Several times a year we have Coastline staff attend to tell us about their respective roles with the company. We also invite the Police, members of Cornwall Council and local Councilors to talk to us..

We are, of course, always looking for new members to come and join us. We have light hearted moments and laughter, whilst still setting about the serious business of helping to solve problems experienced by customers.

Please come and pay us a visit and gauge for yourself whether it is for you. You will be made to feel most welcome. Tea, coffee and biscuits are laid on too!

Kelvin Lightfoot (Chair person) and Pam Maude (Secretary).

For all the latest details on SKAP please download the minutes in the highlighted section at the top right hand side of the page.

Trevithick and Murdoch Area Panel

The Trevithick and Murdoch Area Panel is made up from customers and other members of the community in Camborne and Redruth areas.

The panel meets every 6 weeks with its main focus being to identify projects and solve issues within these communities.

One of the panel's biggest achievements is improving and raising the profile of the King George V Memorial in Camborne.

Jilly Wright, a panel member said, "this local landmark is clearly important to residents and we wanted to make sure that it is cared for and respected, and that people understand just what the memorial stands for."

By working with other groups and obtaining funding from Coastline the panel arranged for a plaque to be fitted to the memorial and plants now surround it. To celebrate their achievements, Camborne's Mayor John Beare joined local residents at an opening ceremony.

In another project the group designed handy wallet size 'Community Cards' featuring telephone numbers for Coastline, the emergency services, and local taxi companies. These were distributed to all customers in the May 2011 issue of CoastLines magazine. To get your own 'Community Card' take a look at pages 7 and 8 of that issue.

More recently, the panel obtained pick pocket bells which were given to people in the local area. This was so successful they are now looking for funding to buy more bells to meet demand.

There is no stopping this Area Panel - we look forward to hearing from you soon!

For all the latest details on TAP and MAP activities please download the minutes shown below.

If you would like to know more about becoming an involved customer, please contact any member of the Neighbourhood and Involvement Team. You can e-mail getinvolved@coastlinehousing.co.uk, download the application form, call freephone 08082 027728 or our local number 01209 200200.