Spotlight on Bridgend

BridgendSpring 2012

Spotlight on

Supporting Clubs for Young People Wales

Also in this edition...

More affordable homes for BridgendTackling worklessness

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Spotlight on Bridgend - Spring 2012

I do not need to say that we are all still facing very challenging economic conditions and now more than ever we recognise the importance of delivering excellent customer service, supporting innovation to meet demand and, quite simply, going the extra mile to help our residents and their communities to help themselves. We are committed to being green, to helping our residents deal with money-related problems, and to as many of them as possible up-and-running online. We’re also working with various partners to help people get into, or get back into work or training.

Then there are our latest developments within the business including news of our £101m Development programme, our

new RP strategy and how we’re approaching self-assessment. And we’re absolutely thrilled to be able to tell you that we’ve been recognised as the top not-for-profi t organisation in Wales in the Sunday Times Best Companies List 2012.

So I hope you will take fi ve minutes to read this newsletter and that it proves to be useful and informative.

Finally we always value your feedback so don’t hesitate to get in touch and tell us what you think, about Spotlight, the news within it, or any other aspect of our business.

Anne HincheyChief Executive

Welcome to the Spring 2012 edition of Spotlight on Bridgend

Lena Charles, second from left, receiving her WWHA Local Hero Award

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More affordable homes for Bridgend areaDeveloping more high quality, affordable, sustainable homes for people in Wales is a major priority for WWHA.

Our £101m fi ve year development programme includes innovative projects for residents with autism and learning diffi culties, together with general needs housing and extra care facilities. It is supported by £15m social housing grant funding from our partner local authorities and the Welsh Government.

Our developments currently on site, or shortly to go on site, in the Bridgend area are:

Coed Castell Phase 2 The project will eventually deliver 39 units in Brackla. 16 units comprise Phase 1, with 23 scheduled under Phase 2 which is due to start this month (March) thanks to additional funding from the Welsh Government.

Ffordd Maendy Working with BCBC and Barratt Homes South Wales, we have secured 16 properties for affordable rent or home ownership under a ‘Try Before You Buy’ initiative. Six two-bedroomed fl ats have been let and the remaining ten properties are due for

completion early 2012.

Coed ParkWe have acquired Coed Park from BCBC with a view to delivering a residential project consisting of 40 units in the heart of Bridgend Town centre.

Initial discussions have commenced with BCBC and it is anticipated that a planning application will be submitted early summer 2012.

Nikki Cole, Head of Development at WWHA, said: “While family housing is a major area of strength and expertise for WWHA, we are also working in partnership with some local authorities across Wales to meet the needs of local people with learning diffi culties and autism.

“We relish the opportunity to provide housing solutions to meet a wide variety of housing requirements.

“Grant funding to assist the development of new social housing is limited. However we have been successful in securing funding to help develop a range of housing opportunities across our area of operation.”

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Tackling worklessness

Two Bridgend people - who between them had been out of work for more than 15 years – have beaten the back-to-work bogeyman to secure full-time jobs with us.

Mark Evans and Donna Samuel, both of Maesteg, have secured permanent jobs with WWHA thanks to Jobmatch Bridgend.Mark, 49, is now a Site Superintendent for WWHA, while 43-year-old Donna is works in the company’s 24/7 customer service centre.

WWHA worked in partnership with JobMatch Bridgend to support

Mark and Donna on Employment Routes programmes. These support people who have been long-term unemployed to gain the skills and confidence necessary to help them get back into employment.

Previously Mark had been unable to work due to long-term sickness while Donna had been a full-time carer for 12 years after working on the checkout at Tesco.

On 8th February Donna (pictured above) was presented with certificates for her work with JobMatch by First Minister Carwyn Jones at a ‘New Year, New You’ event in Porthcawl Pavillion.

Donna Samuel receiving her certificates from First Minister Carwyn Jones

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WWHA Board donated £3,500 to Clubs for Young People Wales to support their work for young people nationwide.

Chief Executive Anne Hinchey and Ivor Gittens, Chair of the Board, spent time with teenagers and staff at CYP’s club house in Bettws, Bridgend, before presenting Chief Executive Joff Carroll with a cheque.

Clubs For Young People Wales is a registered charity, which offers help and support to youth clubs/groups/sports clubs, by offering constructive youth projects, numerous sporting opportunities, training and much more.

Anne Hinchey, Chief Executive, and Ivor Gittens, Chair of WWHA, with staff and young people at CYP’s club house in Bettws, Bridgend

Supporting Clubs for Young People Wales

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Latest awards

2011 was a successful year for awards at WWHA.

Bridgend-based scheme manager Lucy Clewlow was shortlisted for the Outstanding Academic Achievement Award at the 2011 Welsh Housing Awards.

Older residents from Danymynydd, WWHA’s retirement scheme in the Garw Valley, won the prestigious Val Feld Communication in Housing Award at the 2011 Tenant Participation Advisory Service Awards, for their ‘Growing Together’ digital storytelling project.

Residents aged between 80 and 92, worked closely with local young people to record their stories, incorporating spoken narratives, music and photographs.

Lena Charles, 93, was recently honoured by WWHA for a lifetime of community service.

Lena spent more than 40 years volunteering for the Women’s Royal Voluntary Service in the Garw Valley before becoming a stalwart fundraiser at Danymynydd where she now lives.

Danymynydd residents, including Lena Charles, second from right, with their awardat the WWHA Making a Difference Awards 2011

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The great-grandmother of six won the WWHA MAD 2011 David Taylor Local Hero Award as part of our annual Making A Difference (MAD) Awards.

Danymynydd retirement scheme also won a WWHA MAD 2011 Special Inspiration Award for two projects – fundraising for orphans in Belarus and the digital storytelling project mentioned above.

Jeff Bunce and Derek Rose, of Western Court Retirement Scheme, Bridgend, were also crowned WWHA MAD 2011 Eco Champions.

Pictured below are Jeff and Derek receiving their award and the result of their hard work in the communal gardens at Western Court.

Gardens at Western Court, Bridgend

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Continued investment in our propertiesWe are continuing to invest in our existing stock in the Bridgend area and during the last six months of 2011 we spent £5.7m on refurbishing our homes across Wales.

We are still well on course to achieve the Welsh Housing Quality Standard by the end of 2012. We use local labour and, where possible, locally produced materials helping to invest in the local economy.

Across Wales we’ve renewed the kitchens in over 400 homes (£1.3m). In Bridgend this includes £68,000 on works at Alexander Road, St Johns Street and Western Court retirement scheme.

We’ve also spent more than £600k refurbishing bathrooms, including £60k at Rhiw Las and Pen Onnen.

We’re also investing a further £1.2m in a major window renewal programme which should make our homes more comfortable, warmer, cheaper to heat and less likely to need expensive maintenance work in the near future.

Other properties benefitting from this local investment include Rhiw Cae Mawr, Rhiw Tremaen and Llys Hebron, which will receive new doors and/or windows. We are also carrying out other general repair works including paving upgrades, car park extensions, chimney repairs and fencing renewals.

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WWHA properties for sale in the Bridgend areaWe offer a variety of tenancy options for older people who wish to rent or buy their own home. We manages 22 Retirement for Sale (RFS) and Leasehold Schemes for the Elderly (LSE) across Wales offering a range of prices and localities for those who wish to buy.

In Bridgend we currently have the following properties for sale atRestway Gardens, Bridgend:

• No. 2 - one bedroom first floor apartment - contact Watts & Morgan Estate Agents

• No. 8 - a two bedroom house - contact Peter Morgan



The scheme consists of a mixture of apartments and houses in

their own grounds. There are 23 properties in total - 2 one bedroom flats, 4 two bedroom flats and 17 houses.

Residents enjoy the benefits of our 24/7 Emergency Alarm Centre and all properties are fitted with emergency pull cords in every room and personal alarm pendants are provided to all residents.

The scheme is located in well maintained grounds, with a large variety of rare trees and shrubs.

Restway Gardens

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Brackla Compact

Fuel poverty

Reducing fuel poverty is a major priority for us and we have been really busy trying to help as many residents as possible to save energy.

Locally we have given away more than 100 energy saving to residents on qualifying benefits so far at events in Merthyr Tydfil, Brecon, Brackla and Bettws.

“The packs include an energy monitor to enable residents to make

informed judgements on how to reduce their electricity bills” said Bridget Garrod, Neighbourhood Team Manager. “They also had an extension lead which powers down anything linked to their TVs such as a DVD recorder or Sky box when the TV is switched off.”

In addition 100s of ‘Helping You Manage Your Energy Bills’ booklets which produced with EDF Energy Trust were given out.

This Compact is between the Association, Linc Cymru HA and our residents in Brackla.

Meetings are open to all residents and are held quarterly, and members provide up to date information as requested by residents, including statistics on:

• repair satisfaction levels• the time it takes to do the repair • if the repair stay fixed • number of lettings in the previous

quarter • anti-social behaviour incidents

Residents are also informed of any planned maintenance projects due in Brackla and given updates on ones

already started.

During our February 2012 compact meeting we updated residents on progress made towards the Bridgend Common Housing Register (see page 12 for more info), and on Feb 16th we held an event in Brackla Community Centre with the Dogs Trust, offering £30 micro chipping and neutering to residents on eligible benefits. Their Education Officer came along to talk to children about the responsibilities of owning a dog.

Sarah Richards, from Bark Avenue Professional Dog Grooming, also gave advice on pet care including grooming and clipping of nails.

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Supporting Communities First in BracklaAs a member of the Brackla Communities First Partnership board we have supported many activities run by the Events Committee.

These include a Money and Energy Advice Event on Brackla Meadows where we were joined by local police, MoneyLine Cymru, Bridgend Lifesavers Credit Union and Communities 2.0.

Tropical Inc brought various exotic animals along to help entertain the youngsters. And John, Gail and Steve from Brackla Communities First also arranged a BBQ and refreshments, with the proceeds

given to their fund to install a new lamp post on the footpath into town near Heol Bryn Glas. Residents raised 50% of the cost whilst WWHA joined forces with Linc Cymru HA to contribute the rest.

We have also supported Halloween and Santa’s Grotto fundraising events and, during the 2012 February half term holiday, we funded a minibus to take children from Brackla to Maesteg Comprehensive School for Communities First Partnerships football challenge event in Bridgend.

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Bridgend Common Housing Register Together with Hafod, Linc Cymru and Valleys to Coast , we are working with BCBC to develop a common housing register (CHR).

A CHR aims to make applying for social housing simpler and fairer for people as applicants will only have to complete one housing application form, and they will be placed on one list, rather than having to apply individually to all the landlords. The common housing register will be placed within Bridgend County Borough Council’s offi ces. This process will also apply to existing residents with housing need wishing to transfer to another scheme within WWHA.

The CHR will bring benefi ts to both applicants and landlords

by simplifying the process and maximising access to housing for those in greatest housing need.

Furthermore the CHR will bring great benefi ts for residents of Bridgend, and will be a similar scheme to the one adopted by WWHA in 2009. We know that what is really important is to those applying to live in the area is being able to access up-to-date housing advice, and not just being added to a waiting list.

The proposed “go live” date is August 2012, however if in the meantime you have any queries regarding the CHR, please do not hesitate to contact Maria Edwards, Housing Offi cer on 07929 201316 or freephone 0800 052 2526.

Brackla LiveAimed at children between 8 - 13 years of age, Brackla Live provides a closed structured play session once a week in Brackla.

Funding has been secured from Communities First and Brackla Community Council to pay for professional play workers to

deliver the sessions and local people are being trained to help deliver the sessions.

Together with Linc Cymru HA we fund two mini buses to pick up and drop off children from around Brackla each Friday night to enable them to attend Brackla Live.

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Self-assessment and planning for the futureLike many other housing associations we conduct rigorous self-assessment exercises to look at how well we are performing and to help us plan for the future.

We always welcome constructive feedback about any aspect of our business, our properties, or the

Wi-fi broadband access for older residentsWe are committed to providing broadband WiFi access at all our 100 older persons schemes across Wales within the next two years, investing £1m in the project.

We are already working on a pilot scheme at Ty Pontrhun, one of our retirement schemes in Merthyr Tydfil, in partnership with Welsh provider Boynes. Four lines, routers and boosters will be up and running at the scheme from March 2012 providing 1MG download capacity for each resident.

The cost to residents will be an affordable £1 per household per week.

services we deliver.

To find out more about our plans and self assessment process please go to:

www.wwha.net/AboutUs/CorporateInformation/Performance/InspectionInformation

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Eco-friendly initiatives

We are committed to being green across our organisation, as well as supporting our residents to be able to enjoy the many benefi ts of being environmentally friendly. and we have just passed our annual Green Dragon audit, reaching Level 2.

We are undertaking a wide range of projects, led by Owen Jones, our Environment & Sustainability Offi cer.

We have been installing Ground Source Heat Pumps at Clos Pontganol, Llangynidr, together with additional sites at Crickhowell, Llanfair Cereinion and Flint. These literally groundbreaking projects are going to have a huge impact in helping residents to save money on their energy bills.

Some residents in Maes Yr Onnen, Crickhowell are currently

paying £150 to £200 per month on their electricity bills, and they are now going to benefi t from new windows, improved insulation and Ground Source Heat Pumps. Further measures such as removing their electric showers and replacing them with mixer showers will also help to reduce their bills.

Ground Source Heat Pumps are amongst the most sustainable space and domestic hot water heating systems currently available and residents will gain from having greater control of their heating and in most cases it will be cheaper to run.

Picured is the fi rst bore hole being started at Clos Pontganol for the installation of the ground source heat pumps.

One of the 10 bore holes will go nearly 200 meters (aproximately 600 feet) down.

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Other projects include:

• Fuel switching

• Continuing to trial voltage optimisation devices

• Working with the Environment Agency to develop fl ood plans for our properties which may be affected.

We’ve also invested more than £15,000 from our Environment Fund in 29 projects across Wales. These are all resident-led projects which have applied to us for grassroots funding.

Projects include developing biodiversity gardens, installation of raised beds for accessible planting,

to purchase of seeds, tools, greenhouses and other equipment.

We are continually working hard to make sure that, where possible, we use and incorporate environmentally friendly technologies into every aspect of our new developments as well as in our refurbishment programmes.

However, uncertainty around funding has unfortunately resulted in us having to put on hold our plans to install solar PV panels on the roofs of our suitable properties. This was due to factors beyond our control and we are among many other social housing providers across the UK in this position.

Picured is the former bin store at Western Court, Bridgend, which has now been transformed by the residents into a greenhouse, thanks to a £200 contribution from the WWHA Environment Fund.

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Awards round-upSince our last edition of Spotlight we’ve gained the following recognition:

• 2012 Sunday Times Best Companies. In 2012 WWHA has been named the top not-for-profi t organisation in Wales and ranked 8th, up from 14th in 2011.

We are also the only Welsh housing association to be awarded the coveted three stars award by Best Companies.

“I’m absolutely thrilled that we’ve been recognised as the top not-for-profi t organisation in Wales, and, that we’ve made the top ten NFP organisations to work for in the UK. And to have been awarded the highest rating of three stars is fantastic,” says Anne Hinchey.

“We pride ourselves on being a values-driven company – to be fair, open, supportive, effi cient and responsible – to our staff as well as everyone with whom, and for whom, we work.

• WWHA were delighted to be named in the Top 30 Family Friendly Firms in the UK by Working Families, an organisation which campaigns for work-life balance. We were one of only two Welsh organisations to make the list which is dominated by blue chip fi rms.

• Our Stoneleigh Manor More Options Homelessness Project in partnership with Powys County Council won the Cymorth Cymru Promoting Independence

2011 Good Commissioning Award. This project was also shortlisted for a CIH Welsh Housing Award ‘Making Best Use of Stock.”

• North Wales Financial Inclusion Forum, of which we are a member organisation, won the 2011 Promoting Independence Award 2011 Service User Involvement Award for it’s ‘My Home… Making Every Penny Count’ DVD. The DVD has since won a second award – the MoneyActionNet Award 2011 by social action information provider Lemos & Crane.

• WWHA residents have scooped two TPAS Cymru awards. The groups from the Garw Valley, Bridgend, and Barracksfi eld estate in Wrexham, beat off stiff competition from other social landlords’ groups in Wales.

• Our Powell Road Eco-Friendly Regeneration Project in Flintshire was shortlisted for an Outstanding Achievement in Wales CIH UK Housing Award.

• Our retirement scheme Sydney Hall Court in Connah’s Quay, run by scheme manager Rob Holmes, was shortlisted for The Cinnamon Trust’s Pet Friendly Care Home of the Year Award.

• We’ve achieved the Gold Standard in RSPCA Housing Footprint.

8th, up from 14th in 2011.

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Employment and training opportunitiesWe are continuing to work in partnership with our contractors and others to provide work and training to people within many of the communities where we work.

Donna Samuel is one of two returners to work who have secured permanent jobs with WWHA thanks to JobMatch, Bridgend. Donna recently met First Minister Carwyn Jones (picture below) at a local Health and Wellbeing event, and she took the opportunity to explain how fi nding a full-time job had transformed her life.

Many of our contractors have taken on apprentices as a result of the work we commission them to do. Some other example of how we are supporting people to get back into work, include:

• Working with JobMatch to train two dedicated Energy Advisers who will spread the word among residents as to how to get the best fuel deals and how best to cut costs.

• Supporting our contractors and suppliers to create apprenticeships in electrics and window fi tting.

• Creating work placements through JobCentre Plus and the Department of Work and Pensions’Work Programme.

• And we’re exploring what job opportunities we may be able to create through recycling.

New Resident Participation Strategy

We’ve updated our resident Participation strategy. If you’d like to fi nd out more please go to: www.wwha.net/NR/rdonlyres/6C6733C0-FA83-4302-912C-F846D2D3C68F/0/InTouchWinter20112.pdf

Or you can read the strategy in full at: www.wwha.net/NR/rdonlyres/10FD0DC5-E4DD-4B9C-9FC0-EF0F5A83AA1B/0/WHALTPS2011.pdf

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Development update

Throughout Wales our £101m fi ve-year development programme is going from strength to strength.

We are now on site, or about to go on site, to start work on more than 250 units in fi ve different local authority areas. These units include general needs housing, extra care, special needs and dementia care accommodation.

We have also recently completed a total of 47 units across Wales including general needs houses and apartments as well as specialist supported housing units.

We’re also piloting our fi rst Try Before You Buy’ initiative with 16 units for affordable rent with the option of purchasing the property, after a year’s successful tenureship.For more information about our development plans please go to:www.wwha.net/ourservices/development

Upskilling with Communities 2.0 and Take CtrlWe’re also working with a number of partners to upskill any of our residents, regardless of age or previous experience, to be able to enjoy the benefi ts of digital technology.

In Merthyr Tydfi l we’re working with Communities 2.0 on the Connect Merthyr Project. This is supporting older people to learn how to use a variety of platforms on the internet inclusing email, Skype, search engines, Twitter and YouTube. It is also helping them to use a variety of other digital equipment including mobile phones, cameras and video cameras.

Welsh Finance minister Jane Hutt visited the project recently to see for herself the incredibly positive impact it is having on its older participants.And in North Wales we are hosting Jen Bailey, co-ordinator of the Take Ctrl Project. This is a partnership between seven housing associations including WWHA. For more details go to: www.takectrl.org

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Making a Difference Awards 2012Our fi fth annual Making a Difference Awards will take place on October 19th at The Village Hotel, Coryton, Cardiff.

We welcome nominations from anyone for community-spirited individuals or groups at any time.Our only criteria is that nominees must either be WWHA residents, or working together with WWHA residents, and the nomination process itself is quick and easy.

Those who make the shortlist are invited to our red carpet gala evening where community spirit is recognised with a series of awards.

The categories are: Fresh Start, Local Hero, Good Neighbour, Eco Champion, Green Fingers, Community Champion.

For more details and to make a nomination call Sharon Buckley on 029 20 415363 or email [email protected]

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Mortgage rescueOur mortgage rescue scheme is continuing to have a positive impact on the lives of many householders at risk of repossession.

We are one of the few associations to operate a self-funded scheme now that the grant funding from the Welsh Government has stopped.

We are still experiencing considerable demand and are committed to continuing the mortgage rescue scheme in order to help reduce homelessness.

So far we’ve invested more than £2m in the scheme. To date we have:

• Purchased 31 properties outright – where the residents have now become our tenants. This includes 3 properties which have been purchased without grant as part of the Associations self funded scheme. A further 4 households have accepted offers of assistance as part of this scheme.

• Completed 26 loans to enable the occupiers to remain in their properties as owners

To fi nd out more our mortgage rescue scheme call freephone 0800 052 2526Or go to: www.wwha.net/OurServicesMortgageRescue/

The Association has just closed another strong year of fi nancial performance.

Firstly, as part of the new WG regulatory framework, we received a pass for fi nancial viability judgement which is the highest rating awarded and demonstrates that we are adequately resourced to meet current and future business and fi nancial commitments.

Secondly, our results for the year show both a surplus and a positive free cash fl ow. This has allowed us to invest over £30m in the last three years in our existing properties to improve the quality

of our homes.

With a further £10m investment planned this year, we are well on track to meeting the Welsh Housing Quality Standard (WHQS) by the target date of 2012.

We already have £35m of funding in place to fund future development. Having brought into management 165 newly developed properties this year alone, we have plans to bring in a further 600 over the next 5 years. To do this will require further funding and we are well placed to do this, with low gearing and a large portfolio of unsecured high quality properties on our books.

Strong fi nancial performance for WWHA

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Wales & West Housing Association is registered as a charitableassociation under the Industrial and Provident Societies Act 1965 No. 21114R

Key

Contacts

Lynnette Glover, Head of Housing029 2041 5365

[email protected]

Jackie Bloxham, Housing Manager (Retirement/Supported Housing)029 2041 4083

[email protected]

Jenny Williams, Housing Manager (Gen. Needs) 029 2041 [email protected]

Nikki Cole, Head of Development029 2041 4093

[email protected]

Steve Porter, Head of Property Services029 2041 [email protected]

D E V E LO P M E N T P R O P E RT Y S E R V I C E S

Head Office 3 Alexandra Gate, Ffordd Pengam,

Tremorfa, Cardiff CF24 2UD

Tel: 0800 052 2526Fax: 029 2041 5380

Email: [email protected]: 0800 052 5205

Website: www.wwha.net Follow us on @WWHA

Flint OfficeUnit 2 Acorn Business Park Aber Road, Flint, Flintshire CH6 5YN

Anne Hinchey, Chief Executive029 2041 5335

[email protected]

Tony Wilson, Finance Director029 2041 [email protected]

Shayne Hembrow, Operations Director029 2041 5362

[email protected]

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Spotlight on Bridgend