Meres News Summer 2012

Fuel Bill Savings Page 3

Handyperson Service Page 5

TARCA UpdatePage 14

Tel: 0300 303 1190 Email: [email protected] Web: www.shropshirehousing.org.uk

Meres NewsCelebrating 5 successful years

For all the local news about your community | Issue 21 – Summer 2012

If you require this document in audio, braille, large print, or if English is not your first language, then please contact us.

Si vous avez besoin de ce document en audio, braille, gros caractères, ou si l’anglais n’est pas votre langue première veuillez nous contacter. French

Jeśli wymagasz tego dokumentu w audio, Braille’a, duże wydruku, lub jeśli angielski jest nie pierwszy język prosimy kontakt. Polish

Если вам требуется этот документ в аудио, Брайля, крупных печатных, или если английский является не ваш первый язык напишите нам. Russian

Os oes angen y dogfen hon mewn ffurf wahannol, er enghraifft Braille, llythrennau mawr, tâp audio neu iaith wahanol, gadewch i ni wybod os gwelwch yn dda. Welsh

Se ha bisogno di questo documento in audio, Braille, grande stampa, o se inglese è la prima lingua contattaci. Italian

How to contact us

anYonE FoR tEnnIs?

There are tennis courts available to book at Whixhall School, available after 5pm during the week, during school holidays and at weekends.

To book a slot, contact Jackie Higgs on 01948 880330.

Tenant Involvement and Empowerment

standard

13 45 6

213 45 6

2Neighbourhoods

and Communities standard

13 45 6

2

7Rents standard

13 4

5 6

2

Value for Money standard

13 45 6

2Tenancy standard

13 4

5 6

2

Governance and Financial Viability

standard

13 45 6

2Home standard

Our regulator, The Homes & Communities Agency, has asked all social landlords to produce local offers through seven standards that cover the services we provide. Our current offers are set out in the Tenants Report 2011, available on our website.

All updates on the local offers will be marked with the appropriate sticker (see below) for the standard it applies to.

ouR sERVIcEs to You

2 Anyone for tennis?/Our Services to You

3 Family Saving £450 a Year/Meres and Mosses Birthday

4 Charter Court Coffee Morning

5 Group News

13 Reviive Furniture Recycling/TRL Handyperson

14 TARCA Update

15 TARCA Update/Competition Winners

16 Competitions Page

contEnts

2 | Meres News Summer 2012 | Tel: 0300 303 1190

The Clark family is delighted with their recent efforts which are now saving them £260 on their electricity bill and £190 on their gas, and they are still living very comfortably. Over the last year Mrs Debbie Clark and her family from Shawbury have been taking part in a year long energy saving trial run by MMHA. She said ‘We’ve seen our pre-payment meter costs for electric going from £10 a week to £10 a fortnight. We’ve worked together as a family to achieve this. Being involved in the project has made us think about what we were doing and how we were using energy. Not everything that we have tried has worked, but by trial and error we’ve halved our electricity use and reduced our gas use. It’s helping us save money and reducing our impact on the Planet, both of which are important to us’.

The project provided an initial assessment of current energy use and an action plan of changes that could be made. It also

provided some tools to help the family make a start, including an energy monitor showing live electricity use in the home. The family have also fitted radiator panels to reflect heat back into rooms, and have been monitoring energy use online showing changes graphically, which the kids have got involved with.

Sheila Standley, Resident Involvement Officer at MMHA said ‘This has been a fantastic achievement by the Clark family who have shown that if you work together real reductions in fuel bills can be made. We really hope other families will be inspired by their example and gradually be able to achieve similar savings’.

cElEbRatIng MMHa’s 5tH bIRtHdaY

Family saving £450 a year on Fuel bills – and it cost one light bulb

MMHA would like to invite you to an afternoon of fun and entertainment for all.

Please find your invitation enclosed. There will be lots of fun activities including:• Bouncy Castle • Face Painting

• Refreshments • Games

• Tea Dance • Competitions

...and loads more

www.shropshirehousing.org.uk | Meres News Summer 2012 | 3

Top from left to right: Nicholas and JohnVera Davies and Mary FarnellBrian Minter and Sheila Blackwell

Bottom from left to right:Brian and Vi ThreadgoldConnie Hughes and Pauline Taylor

cHaRtER couRt HEld an EastER coFFEE MoRnIng wHERE tHEY EnjoYEd a RaFFlE, REFREsHMEnts and a nattER.

cHaRtER couRt coFFEE MoRnIng


OLYMPIC TORCHVISITS LUDLOW & CLEE HILLThe Olympic torch visitedLudlow and Clee Hill in its firstvisit to Shropshire. SSHA tenant,Matt Clarke was the first torchbearer on Ludlow, while SSHAtenant, Tom Cox posed with thetorch whilst being a volunteermarshal for the day.

Matt on his way to meet the torch

Matt running with the torch

Ludlow crowds gathering

Clee Hill comes out to see the torch

Tom Cox with the torch bearer

Lighting the torch ready to run

Group News

Group News Summer 2012 | Tel: 0300 303 1190

Matt's proud parents

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2

MiniMuM nuMber of bedrooMs required May 2012

4+ bedrooMs 2713 bedrooMs 760

1 bedrooM 4,038

2 bedrooMs 2,345

The majority of Shropshire’s social housingproviders use Shropshire HomePoint to advertisetheir vacant properties. You can apply to joinShropshire HomePoint by completing anapplication form.

Your housing need will be assessed and put into one of the following bandings:

Priority For those with urgent housing need.

GoldYou have an urgent need to move because of high overcrowding or a medical need.

silver You need to move because of overcrowding or a medical need, but not urgently.

bronzeAny other applicants.

Properties are advertised on a weekly listingand you can bid on a property that is suitablefor you. There is no fixed waiting list. Whetheryou are successful or not depends on who elsehas applied for the same property as you. To help judge how long it might be before youare rehoused, Shropshire HomePoint publishesthe results of the successful applications ontheir website.

For more information go to

nuMber on WaitinG list May 2012

Priority 206

Gold 902

silver 3,846

bronze 2,460

shroPshire hoMePoint is a county WidescheMe that Gives tenants More choiceabout Where they Want to live.

www.shropshirehomepoint.co.uk


the reMoval PackaGe includes:• Adviceandassistance• Packingandtransportationoffurnitureandhelp with unpacking• Reconnectionofutilityservices

The total cost of the removals package will be deductedfrom the £2000 grant and any remaining money will be paidwhen you move.

If you owe any rent to us, this will be deducted from yourgrant. There is a limited amount of money available for thescheme, so payments will be made on a first come, firstserved basis.

If you find your current home too large to cope with,we can help you move to smaller more suitableaccommodation. We are currently running a downsizingscheme that will help you move to a smaller property.

oPtion 1 – cash Grant A no strings attached cash grant of £2000 which is paid to you when you move. You make all the arrangementsconnected to the removal yourself, and you can spend themoney as you wish.

oPtion 2 – reMoval PackaGe A named officer will help arrange the move, with a smallercash grant.

13 45 6

2

www.shropshirehousing.org.uk | Group News Summer 2012

MMha do you like the layout?

yes 93%

no 7%

yes 93%

no 7%

MMha do you like the coMPetitions?

yes 86%

no 14%

MMha does it have the riGht balance of neWs/info?

yes 95%

no 5%

ssha does it have the riGht balance of neWs/info?

yes 95%

no 5%

ssha do you like the coMPetitions?

yes 92%

no 8%

ssha do you like the layout?

In the spring edition of the Newsletters you may have noticed we enclosed a Newsletter Feedback Form. On the formwe asked you to tell us what you think about your Newsletters; are they interesting, do you read them, what you likeand don’t like about them. We are keen to get your feedback to ensure the publication is relevant and useful to you. We had a great response, thank you to all those that took the time to give us your views. The results are below as well as details of what we will do next.


MMha Which Part do you like best?

all of it 21%

inforMation 31%

local neWs 11%front cover 7%

coMPetitions 30%

ssha Which Part do you like best?

all of it 15%

inforMation 30%

local neWs 15%Money savinG 2%

coMPetitions 38%

In the next few issues we will implement some changes to the content including recipes, gardening tips anda letters page. To contribute to the newsletters you can write to Vicki Coleman, Communications Officer, The Gateway, The Auction Yard, Craven Arms SY7 9BW or email [email protected]

Our tenant had received a phone call from a contractor informing them of the time and date they would be visiting to carry out works to their property. The contractor had been employed by us to carry out the works but did not inform the tenant of this, subsequently we had also not previously notified the tenant of the impending work. The tenant was worried that the company was a false one.

The tenant was advised that if the contractors should arrive, not to answer the door. The contractors did arrive as they stated, unfortunately they were not carrying any identification and their vehicle was unmarked. The police arrived to make enquiries but were satisfied that the contractors were legitimately working for us.

The association upheld the complaint and apologised to the tenant for the worry that had been caused and as a gesture of goodwill gave the tenant a shopping voucher.

Following the complaint the Head of Asset Management has met with the contractor concerned to reiterate the association’s procedure, he has also met with officers of the association to ascertain why the tenant was not notified of the impending works.

We agreed that a poor level of service had been received on this occasion, that this is not the normal service the association provides and is not the level of service we aspire to provide in the future.

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2


1

Live for less is a free programme for

tenants on how to save money, including

budgeting, saving money on bills, food and

travel. It also outlines how to increase your

income and lower your outgoings, how to

deal with debt problems and much more.

For more information, please contact us.

learninG ProGraMMe

Free Online Training for all tenants from boosting your

CV, saving money, or even learning about the internet.

We have teamed up with Housing e-Academy to offer

all of our tenants free online training in a wide range

of subjects. Courses can be completed in a couple

of hours, and you will receive a certificate for each

module you complete. The modules are designed

to be flexible, and can be done in stages, whenever

suits you.

For further details email:

[email protected]

or call her on 0300 303 1190. Register today

and get your log-on details.

do We have your nuMber?We are constantly updating our records and need accurate information to help us plan the best services for you. If you have not yet completed a Resident Census Form, please email

[email protected] giving you name, address and contact number or call us on 0300 303 1190 and we will call you back to take your details.

are you satisfied?

Now that we are offering appointments for

repairs, we have renewed our programme of

RepairSatisfactionTelephoneCalls.Eachweek

we will be calling a sample of tenants who

have recently had a repair, to find out what you

thought of the repairs service. Your feedback will

help improve the repairs service to all tenants.


As a tenant, it is your responsibility to make sure that your rent gets paid on time.

If you have a joint tenancy, then each of you is equally responsible for making sure

the rent is paid.

PayinG WeeklyIf you pay weekly, pay your rent each Monday in

advance.

PayinG MonthlyIf you pay monthly, you must pay at the start of the

month for the rest of the month. If you don’t, you will

be in arrears.

The amount of rent due is shown on your rent

statement. This is made up of your weekly rent and,

where they apply, service charges.

We have recently adjusted Direct Debit and Standing

Order payments to ensure these rent accounts are

always in credit. We will shortly be doing this for other

payment types.

If you are unsure how much you should pay, please

contact the Neighbourhoods Team.

aMount of arrears oWed by current tenants

ssha £281,054 MMha £264,842

aMount of arrears oWed by forMer tenants

MMha £114,924ssha £160,832

13 4

5 6

2

7


Build a future with us...Seddon Property Services Limited is a Painting, Decorating and Maintenance company working in conjunction with Shropshire Housing Group. As a company we annually recruit 30 new apprentices with a view to securing suitable role on successful completion.

Seddons’ currently have 2 apprenticeships available, one in North Shropshire and one in South Shropshire, both for painters and decorators placements and are offered on a site/college basis. Successful achievement will depend on satisfactory attendance to both. The minimum criteria is 3 GCSE’s grade C or above.

The offer is open to all age groups, male or female. No previous experience is required. Shortlisted candidates will be required to join Seddons’ on a residential selection week in York commencing the 6th August 2012.

Closing date for applications is 5pm Tuesday 31st July 2012. To apply, please visit http://apprentices.seddon.co.uk/

teMP staff WantedWould you be interested in some additional money in your pocket?

Shropshire Housing Group are looking to build a bank of staff to provide administrative duties across the Group on a ‘zero hours’ contract. This means that you will be called upon when needed to cover temporary posts, and not have a set number of hours of work.

If you are interested, please send your CV to the HR Department, Shropshire Housing Group, The Gateway, The Auction Yard, Craven Arms SY7 9BW or telephone 01588 676255/257.

oPtion 1: custoMer servicesFor all general or tenancy enquiries

oPtion 2: Planned Maintenance enquiriesSelect this option if you have any queries relating to planned fitting of doors, kitchens, bathrooms etc.

oPtion 3: rePairsSelect this option if you have a repair to report or you would like to know the progress of a repair that has already been reported.

contactinG usour contact telePhone nuMber is

0300 303 1190there are 3 oPtions to choose froM:

Did you have a party in your

area for the Queen’s Jubilee?

Send us your photos for next time’s

Newsletter. Email your photos to

[email protected]

stating where your party was held

and what activities you had.

There’s a new window of opportunity

Your right to buyFind out whether you’re eligible, how to get further advice

and what steps you should take to own your home.

Contact your landlord and visitwww.direct.gov.uk/righttobuy


Replacing tap washersDecorating Gardening

Rubbish clearance General DIY work

A HandypersonService from

• Decorating

• Replacing tap washers

• Gardening

• Rubbish clearance

• General DIY work

Our rates are £15.00 per hour*(inc.VAT)

*Plus MaterialsTERMS AND CONDITIONS APPLY

To book our Handyperson call

0300 303 1190

A friendly, efficient, and cost-effective

handyperson will do all those small jobs

you don’t have time for, including:


tel: 01630 652953 mobile: 07530 002771 email: [email protected] www.tarca.org.uk

TARCA UpdATe


FUTURe pRojeCTsTARCA have successfully recommended several projects to the Board of MMHA. Tenants at Bartons Road Flats in Market Drayton, got together and decided to make over their shared garden. They asked for funding for fence paint, compost, plants, etc and are clubbing together to get the work done. When it is finished it will be a lovely area for them to enjoy relaxing in and a great improvement to what it was.

Fairfields Together, are a group of young mums who want to teach their children how to grow vegetables. They asked for a grant to put some fencing on a piece of unused land belonging to MMHA to create a communal garden for the estate. They have been on several visits to Fordhall Farm to get some tips.

TARCA have again got a budget of £30,000 for recommendations to the MMHA Board to spend on Community and Environmental projects this year. If you have a project that needs funding please get in touch with TARCA and we will do our best to help.

WATeRbUTTsWe have had a brilliant response from tenants for the free Waterbutts, nearly 100 have been delivered so far, if you are a keen gardener and would like a Waterbutt for your garden please call Graham on 07530 002 771 or e-mail [email protected] to add your name

to the list for the next consignment.

TARCA UpdATe

LEFT: The winner of the children’s spot the difference competition was K Edwards who won a £30 toy voucher.

RIGHT: The winner of last time’s Shropshire Towns wordsearch was Mrs Temple from Ellesmere who won £30 love to shop vouchers.

coMPEtItIon wInnERs


LAsT ChAnCe To enTeRThe deadline for entering the TARCA gardening Competition is the 30th June so don’t forget to ring 07530002771 to speak to Graham and enter your garden. The entry form in the last issue missed out Best Communal Garden.

AGM RepoRT TARCA have recently held its AGM, and there are some new faces.

From top to bottom:

Chair – Phillip Parker Treasurer – Graham Stockton Secretary – Lesley Ashcroft

John Higginson (TARCA) with tenants from Bartons Road Flats

61634: 05/2012

a d u l t s c o m P e t i t i o n

Find the olymPic torches!Find the olymPic torches* throughout the newsletter and write your answer For a chance to win a £30 toy/games voucher.*do not include any olymPic torches that aPPear in PhotograPhs

answer:Name

Parent/Guardian Name

Address

Postcode

Telephone No

olymPic word Jumble Find the answer For your chance to win a £30 love to shoP voucher

Name

Address

Postcode

Telephone No

Closing date for all competitions: monday 16th July

Send all entries to:

vicki coleman, communications oFFicer, the gateway, the auction yard, craven arms sy7 9bw

TISONOGH9

MINGYCTSSA3 7

CYLGINC2 13

SIIGNMWM4

LLALBELYVO1 11

LIAJEVN10

HIHGJUPM5

NIDIVG8

BONGIX6

RAETAK12 14

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

k i d s c o m P e t i t i o n

Documents

Meres News Summer 2012