River City star helps launch new Stay Safe campaign

A star of Scotland’s favourite soap is helping launch a new campaign to encourage tenants to stay safe at home.
Wheatley Group fire safety officer Lynsey Sneddon
with Magdalena Kaleta-Dukalska and 
Brian hughes from Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.Wheatley Group fire safety officer Lynsey Sneddon
with Magdalena Kaleta-Dukalska and 
Brian hughes from Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.
Wheatley Group fire safety officer Lynsey Sneddon with Magdalena Kaleta-Dukalska and Brian hughes from Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

Magdalena Kaleta-Dukalska, a GHA tenant, played nurse Tatiana – or Tattie – in River City from 2011 until 2015.

Now Magdalena is helping GHA, part of Wheatley Group, launch its Stay Safe campaign to help tenants protect themselves from the risk of fire.

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Stay Safe, which began in 2017, has already led to an 81 per cent increase in the number of home fire safety visits among tenants in Wheatley communities - which has contributed to a sharp reduction in fatal fires in GHA homes in particular.

The campaign for 2020 will encourage all tenants to set up a home fire safety visit with Scottish Fire and Rescue. It will also concentrate on kitchen safety – where more fires start than anywhere else in the house – as well as encouraging tenants not to smoke in bed.

Other advice will include switching off electrical appliances when people go out, making sure smoke alarms are working, never putting anything hot down bin chutes, and much more.

Advice and information will feature in all tenant magazines, websites and social media pages, as well as posters and leaflets, throughout the year.

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Magdalena, 44, who lives in Pollok with husband Piotr and their two children, knows how vital it is to stay safe.

She said: “Fire safety is so important – especially if you have kids. GHA takes the safety of its customers seriously.

“They check the electrics and gas regularly, and there are always important messages in the Key magazine and the website.

“The Stay Safe campaign is a very good way of giving people the information they need to avoid the risk of fire and what to do if it does happen. I will definitely book a home fire safety visit – and I hope as many tenants as possible get one too.”

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As well as GHA, Wheatley includes: Cube Housing Association, Loretto Housing, Dunedin Canmore, West Lothian Housing Partnership and its newest partner Dumfries and Galloway Housing Partnership.

Alex Adrain, Managing Director of Wheatley 360, which brings together a range of services to support tenants and communities, said: “The safety of our customers is always a top priority at Wheatley.

“We already have an outstanding track record of fire prevention and Stay Safe will give customers the best advice on protecting themselves from the risk of fire in short, simple messages.”

Tenants who want to set up a home fire safety visit should call 0800 0731 999 or talk to their housing officer.

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