IT is acknowledged poor housing has a detrimental effect on people's health and those people affected the most -- the elderly and low income families -- are the people who can afford to do little about it.

Richard Newton looks at a Hyndburn charity that helps them...

MAVIS Dugdale is 67 and lives on her own in Oswaldtwistle. She is proudly independent despite being registered disabled after catching polio at a very young age.

She can look after herself at home and get about town on her scooter. But her independence was threatened because she was having difficulty getting into and out of her bath.

Mavis got a £2,000 grant from the National Polio Fellowship for a walk-in shower, but the estimates she got were too expensive.

"That's when Homewise took over," she said. "They said leave it with us."

Homewise rang around on Mavis' behalf and sorted out funding to help her meet the costs. All Mavis had to pay was £300.

"The shower's great and it's much better than I thought it would be," she said.

Mavis had previously contacted Homewise when her washing machine broke down and they recommended a reputable company to fix it for her. She said she knew about the good work they did because she had worked in the voluntary sector before she had retired.

"I'd recommend them to anyone, they're brilliant. I have a friend in a wheelchair who is having her house modified and they've been marvellous acting as a go-between for her."

Homewise, of Whalley Road, Accrington, is a charitable organisation that offers impartial advice for people wanting to improve, maintain or adapt their home. Their aim is to encourage and support people who want to live in their own home by giving them the confidence, security and safety that improves their quality of life.

Sue Sinclair, manager, said: "Our service gives people freedom to carry on with their life and stops them worrying about things going wrong. The fear of cowboy builders puts a lot of people off doing anything and a lot of homes need work doing to them."

According to Homewise more than 53 per cent of all housing in Hyndburn is either unfit or in need of renovation. And 75 per cent of people on the lowest income and living in the worst housing are pensioners.

Sue said they aim to help these people by giving them what help is required. But they can run things completely to take away the stress.

"We can't promise to help but we promise to try, that's our motto."

Homewise can talk with people to see what work they need, offer a full maintenance survey, help get reputable tradesmen, let people know what money they can get, arrange for tradesmen to provide quotes and make sure people are happy before handing money over.

But the group also offers a number of other schemes where they can carry out work themselves in people's homes.

They include free labour on small DIY type repairs, where the client only has to provide the materials, providing accident prevention checks and free labour for repairs to prevent accidents happening. Free home energy surveys and free low energy light bulbs and energy saving kettles are also provided.

The organisation was originally set up under the name of Neighbourhood Renewal Services in 1987 when it got its funding from the London based National Home Improvement Council.

After the government changed the funding so it had to come through local councils in April 1991 it became independent and changed its name to Homewise.

The Home Improvement Agency is not part of a wider organisation but there are around 235 other similar agencies around the country. It employs ten people from administration to repair officers, it has an annual income of £250,000 with around £115,000 from the government and Hyndburn and Borough Council.

For details call Homewise on 01254 232249.