The Key Winter 2014

KEY

12 / What does FatherChristmas really look like?

The Key investigates

6 / Look at what we got!Two tenants group shared

£3800 for their projects

GOFYNNWCH OS YDYCH CHI'N EISAU FERSIWN GYMRAEG O'R CYHOEDDIAD YMA

THE

WINTER 2014 THE NEWSLETTER OF PEMBROKESHIRE HOUSING

9 / ...and relax! Ladies fromKensington Court get the

full pamper treatment

Seasons greetings!

Tenants’ Panel News

Recruited our Tenant Involvement andCommunity Investment OfficerHeld our third and most successful Big Day Out in Milford HavenWe have re-launched PembrokeshireHousing Disability Group

We are working with neighbouring landlords to update our Tenant Participation/ “Your Home, Your Say” strategyPlus our tenants Quality Assurance Assessors Grouphave completed their first audit

2 / The Key Winter 2014

DON’T FORGET: TENANTS’ PANEL MEETINGS ARE OPEN TO EVERY TENANT

It’s not all work, we had funand opportunities to networkand socialise as well!

People decide to join theTenants’ Panel and get involved fora variety of reasons - you may havesome skills you can offer, you maywish to develop your CV by doingvoluntary work, you may wish torepresent and support yourneighbours and community. Whynot make it your New Year’sresolution to get more involved inyour community and come along to

our Tenants’ Panel meetings tolearn more about the ways you canhelp. In January we will startplanning our fourth Big Day Out - aFREE day for all tenants, all ideasare welcome.

Enjoy the festive season and formore information contact RobinAshton, Tenant Involvement andCommunity Investment Officer on:01437 763688 or email:[email protected]

Best wishes, Maggie Kirby

Welcome to the Winter Edition of The Key...2014 has been a busy year for PembrokeshireHousing and the Tenants’ Panel. Maggie Kirby,Chair of Tenants’ Panel, reports. We have...

The Key Winter 2014 / 3

Tenants’ Panelmeetings areheld at 6pm inthe Board Room,

Meyler House, St Thomas Green,Haverfordwest (free parking available)

Tea and coffee served and alltenants are welcome!Monday 12th JanuaryMonday 9th FebruaryMonday 9th MarchMonday 13th April

Make a New Year’s Resolution to join ourTenants’ Panel in 2015

You are invited to ourChristmasSocial

Pembrokeshire Housing Disability GroupThursday 18th December 2 – 4pm

Conference Room, Kensington Court, Warrior Way, Milford HavenOur Disability Group meet once a month to network, share good practice

and support current and future disabled tenants. Experience a taste of what the group is all about at our Christmas Social!

For details of future meetings: [email protected]

Christmas Social

Welcome to the Winter Edition of The Key...

As this year ends, here is chanceto look back over some of theachievements and highlights overthe last 12 months.


Improving your homesOver the course of the year, ourin-house team has fitted 71 newkitchens and replaced 72 boilersplus 14 new full central heatingsystems; delivering good servicewith good value.

New housing startsWe have started work on another93 much needed new affordablehomes this year using localbuilders and employing localpeople.

New tenants, newhomesA very warm welcome tothe 395 households whochose PembrokeshireHousing for their newhome this year, 91 ofwhich were brand newhomes in Nolton,Johnston, Roch, St Florence and Milford Haven.

2014 – another busyyear for all of us

A review of the year

BUILDING

WELCOMING

IMPROVING


It’s you that’s helpingmake a differenceA big thank you to everyone whovolunteered and participated incommunity events from clean-upsand local improvement projects toorganising fundraising events,bringing benefit to both local andnational charities.Yourfeedbackhelps usplanThanks toeveryone whotook part in ourcustomer surveysthis year and shared your viewsand ideas helped us plan, prioritiseand improve services to you. Tenants having their sayA very well done to the‘Quality AssuranceTeam’ who carriedout their firstassessment, makingrecommendations forcoming improvementsto Meyler House reception.

And the winner is...Congratulations to our winners ofall ages of the GardenCompetition, Christmas HamperDraw and the many other prizedraws and competitions. Season’s Greetings from allof us to all of you!Finally, the madam Chairman,Chief Executive, Board ofManagement and members of staffwish to extend Seasons Greetingsto all residents of PembrokeshireHousing, Merry Christmas and aHappy New year.

VOLUNTEERING

WINNING

CHECKINGWELCOMING


Tenants group news

Congratulations to theMilford Hanovarians and theCroft Court Social Club whohave been awarded a grantof £3,800 for their“Independent LivingProject”.

With thehelp of theirTenantInvolvementandCommunityInvestmentOfficer, thesetwo tenants groups have obtainedmoney for a project which willbenefit their local community.

Both groups are currentlydeciding how to spend their moneyto improve the independent lifeskills of the residents where theylive and to bring their communities

together. Ideasinclude a gardeningproject, local historyworkshops and craftworkshops.

If your existingtenants groupwould like somesupport to obtain

funding OR if you would like todiscuss launching a tenants andresidents group locally [email protected]

Could YOUR group benefit from funding?

“We thought our group would benefit and look, we

received a grant!”

Don’t fall prey to unlicensed money lenders Report them in confidence

Bite back at the loansharks

Don’t be fooled, loan sharks are not your friends, theywant you under their control. To make sure you pay theywill use threats, intimidation and violence against you andyour loved ones.

But you can fight back. If you know of a loan shark in yourarea you can report them today in confidence - they willnever know who reported them.

Don’t worry if you or someone you know hasborrowed money from a loan shark, you have not brokenany law but the loanshark has... unlicensed moneylending is illegal.

Trust me... I’m your friendBut you CAN’T trust a loanshark


Contact STOP LOAN SHARKS by calling 0800 074 0878 or text 600003For more information visit www.stoploansharks.org.uk


Save energy – save money!

Most households can save up to £300 a year by using lessenergy or using energy in a more efficient way, and youcan make these savings within your home at little or no cost. Try out these tips and see what a difference they make to your energy costs.

Dryclothes onthe lineand not inthe tumbledryer

Cook foodwith panlids on andonly boilthe amountof wateryou need in the kettle

Choseenergyefficientelectricalproducts

Loftinsulation

keeps heatin your

home –don’t

squash itwith stuff

you put inyour loft

Use lesswater in

the bath ortake a

showerinstead

Energy efficiency and money saving tips

Washclothes

and disheson a full

load and choose a

lowtemperature

setting

That million dollar feeling!

More than twenty ladiesenjoyed treatments thatranged from Reflexology toReiki at a recent event heldat Kensington Court.All therapists gave their timefor free and tickets were sold

which included refreshments. It was a wonderfullyrelaxed social gathering with £100 raised towards The Gardening Club that will start in the Spring.


All we had to do was lie back and bepampered!

Energy efficiency and money saving tips


A place to relax at St Oswald’s

Following the removal of some old, leggyshrubs, a central ornamental garden was setwithin decorative stone. A garden seat with apergola and additional planters now providesan attractive and restful place to sit and relax.

How dowe go aboutarranging a swap /exchange withanother tenant tofind a home of theright size andavoid ‘BedroomTax’?

Produced an informationleaflet fortenants, givingadvice andinformation abouthow to find a‘swap’ and arrangean exchange.

IT’S ALL ABOUT US LISTENING TO YOU AND THEN ACTING UPON IT!

Tenants at St Oswald’s House,Pembroke, got together todesign and set to work on anew seating area which couldbe enjoyed by all residents.


Safety around the home


1. Smoke Alarms Push the button, not your luck - workingsmoke alarms save lives. Install a smoke alarm on every floor ofyour home and test them every week

2. Cooking Never leave cooking unattended or putfood in a chip pan. If oil begins to smoke, turn off the

heat and leave to cool. Clean cooking surfaces regularly toprevent grease build-up which can ignite.

3. Candles and matches Never leave candles unattended, ensure that candles are extinguished properly and NOT with water.

4. Smoking To prevent a cigarette fire, you have tobe alert and you won’t be if you are sleepy, have been drinking or

taken medicine. Extinguish smoking materials properly.

5. Open Fires All open fires must have a guard andwhen drying clothes they should not be too close to the fire.

6. Electrical Electric blankets should be testedannually, the fire service offers free testing.

Replace worn or damaged leads and use correct fuses forhousehold appliances. Do not overload sockets.

7. Escape Plan Plan together as a family, ensuringthat any children or elderly person in the household know theplan and what to do in the unlikely event of a fire. Close all doorsat night and switch off any electrical appliances at the plug.

Fortunately fires are a rare event but you can reduce the chancestill further by following these simple guidelines:

easy-to-follow tips that can help reduce the chances of a fire71

23

45

67

Call FREEPHONE 0800 169 1234 to get advice onfree smoke alarms for your property and for more saftey tips and guidance visit:

www.facebook.com/mawwfire or follow us on Twitter @mawwfire

Children’s competition


1 Which reindeer had the red nose?A CometB DancerC Rudolph

2 How many pulled Santa’s sleigh?A OneB SixC Nine

3 What precious gift did one of thethree wise men carry?

A GoldB SilverC Diamonds

Name: Age:Address:

Post code: Tel no.:

What do you know about Christmas?It will soon be Christmas but how much do you know about theFestive Season? Answer the following questions correctly andand you could be one of our 25 lucky Merry Christmas winners!We have 25 £5 vouchers to give away to 25 lucky children. Just tick thebox next to the correct answer and return the reply slip to Meyler House (fulladdress on back page) by Friday 9th January 2015. The Tenants’ Panelwill draw the names of the winners out of the hat on Monday 12 January 2015. Rules of entry – The competition is open to children who on Friday 9th January2015 are under the age of 13 years and have a parent or guardian who is acurrent tenant of Pembrokeshire Housing. Only 1 entry per child please.

4 What is usually left for Santa?A Steak and kidney pieB MincepieC Mud pie

5 How many 'Days of Christmas'are there in the song?

A. 10B. 12C. 146 What was given on the fifth day?A An iPadB Gold ringsC Turtle doves

Ancient traditions

Call him what you will,Santa Claus, St Nicholas,Father Christmas, he hasbeen around for thousandsof years, but what does hereally look like?

The earliestdescription mentionedhim wearing a greencloak and a hollywreath and he wasinvited into homes atmid winter to get warmand given something toeat and drink – soundsfamiliar? In return,people would get amilder winter.

Other legendsinclude Saint Nicholas, a kindmonk who gave gifts to the poor

and children, the NorseJultid (where we get

Yuletide) andBabushka in

Russia.The best

knowndescription of

FatherChristmasis in thepoem

called The Night Before Christmaswritten in 1822 by Clement ClarkeMore. He tells of an elf ‘dressed allin fur’, his cheeks ‘like roses, hisnose like a cherry’, with a white

beard and ‘a littleround belly’. There wasan illustration that wentwith the poem and thisis shown below left. Helooks a bit like themodern portly and jollySanta Claus wearingred with a white fur trimthat came from a1930’s Coca Colaadvertising campaign.

So, what does hereally look like… tall,

short, slender, round, in red or in green? Nobodyreally knowsand nobodyreallycares,we justlove itwhenFatherChristmascomes to visit us!

Who is Father Christmas?


Christmas lunch countdown


Christmas Eve• If you’ve bought a frozen turkey

put it into the fridge to defrost. Ifit is a very large turkey this willtake longer.

• Prepare vegetables and coverwith water.

• Make stuffing, ‘Pigs in blankets’

Three to five hours beforelunch (depending on the size ofyour turkey or choice of meat) • Take turkey and stuffing from

fridge to come up to roomtemperature.

• Preheat oven for 20 minutesbefore placing turkey in it.

• Infuse milk for bread sauce.• Put white wine in fridge to chill

Two hours before lunch• Put Christmas pudding on to

steam.• Open red wine, set the table.One hour before lunch• Par-boil potatoes, add to hot fat

in roasting tin and put into oven.• Warm a platter for the turkey.

45 minutes before lunch• When turkey is done, transfer to

a warm plate and cover with foil. • Turn oven up to crisp roast

potatoes and put chipolatas,bacon rolls and any dishes ofstuffing in oven to cook.

• Make gravy using meat juices• Cook vegetables to your liking.• Warm plates and serving dishes.• Make bread sauce.• Serve and enjoy!

After DinnerPut your feetup while therest of thefamily wash upand tidy away!Yeah, right!

Cooking a stress free Christmas lunch We all want to enjoy a perfect Christmas lunch but witheverything going on in the house on Christmas Day it canbe a stressful time for the cook! It can be madeeasier with planning ahead...

Children help in clean up


Cooking a stress free Christmas lunch Cooking the perfect Christmas turkeyThe turkey MUST be fully defrosted. Please note this can takeup to two days in a fridge depending on the size of the turkey.

Place turkey in alarge roasting tin

on top of theonions andcovercompletelywith foil,

tucking underthe tin to create a

foil tent. Cooking times

Include in the weight of the turkeyany stuffing.Less than 4kg weight:Cook for 20mins per kg plus another70mins cooking time at the end.More than 4kg weight: Cook for 20mins per kg plus another90 minutes cooking time at the end.

Ingredients125g butter, 1lemon, 1 garlicclove, olive oil,salt, 3 slicedonions Preheat ovento 190Cº (or180Cº if a fanoven), 375Fº or gasmark 5.Mix butter with lemon zest andgarlic. Pat dry the turkey and pushyour fingers under the turkey's skinfrom the neck end to loosen skinfrom the meat and spread the lemonbutter in between. Rub olive oil overthe turkey and sprinkle with salt andseasoning. Quarter lemon and putinside turkey.

30 minutes before the end ofthe total cooking time take out theturkey and turn up the oven to220ºC (fan 200ºC), 420ºF or gasmark 7. Remove the foil andreturn to the oven for a further30mins until golden. To test theturkey is cooked, pierce thefattest part of the thigh with a

skewer and the juices shouldrun clear, if the juices arepink return the turkey to theoven. Once cooked rest the turkeyand loosely cover with foil for atleast 30mins and up to an hourbefore serving (strain the cookingjuices and keep the onions to usein the gravy).

Method:


Competition winners

Childrens’ CompetitionWell done to the 22 children who have each received a £5 Tesco

voucher as reward for their excellent competition entries.

Senior Citizens’ Christmas Hamper Draw

Congratulations to the five Christmas Hamper winners, onefrom each of our five areas, whose names were drawn ‘out ofthe hat’ by members of the Tenants Panel in November. The

hampers will be delivered in plenty of time before Christmas!Area 1 Mrs Smedley, Pembroke Dock Area 2 Janet Skone, PembrokeArea 3 Iris O'Rourke, Haverfordwest Area 4 Anita Wheeler, Milford HavenArea 5 Mrs Rouse, Merlins Bridge

What do snowmen wear on their heads?

Ice caps! How do snowmen

get around?They ride an icicle!

How does Good KingWenceslas like his pizzas?

One that's deep pan, crisp and even! What does Miley Cyrus

have at Christmas? Twerky!

Your news round-up

Have you thought about how the introduction of UniversalCredit will affect you? Universal Credit will be rolled out across the UK in February 2015 for newclaims from single jobseekers. Visit www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk to find out how it will affectyou and what you can do to prepare.Or you can contact our Benefitsand Money Advisors Team whowill be able to provide advice andassistance on 01437 763688 or0800 854568.


Domestic abuse is when a partnertries to control you and makes you feelscared or frightened.

Domestic abuse often gets worse over timeand can affect anyone although it is mostcommonly suffered by women.

Any type of abuse is wrong and the person itis happening to is not to blame. But there ishelp, if you are worried about a friend, amember of your family or you feel scared andunsafe at home, call the All Wales Domestic

Abuse Helpline on 0808 810800 incomplete confidence.

Pembrokeshire Women’sRefuge is available 24 hours on01437 769564.

In an emergency, call 999 and askfor the Police.

DO YOUFEEL

UNSAFEIN YOURHOME?

Universal Credit is coming......and will affect everyone on benefits

Your news round-up

Our Community Alarm Servicehelps keep you independent AND safe

+The equipment is compact

and easy to install, you just need to have a BTlandline already set up at your property.

If you are prone to falls or have a medicalcondition that means you need help quickly inan emergency, a community alarm could be ofreal benefit to you.

You will be able to access help 24 hours aday, 7 days a week with the communityalarm.

For further information, contact AmyWilliams on 01437 762478 or [email protected]

=If you are atenant ofPembrokeshireHousing andare elderly orhave adisability, youmay benefitfrom having acommunityalarminstalled inyour home.

Why does Santa have three gardens?

So he can 'ho ho ho'! What do vampires sing on

New Year's Eve? Auld Fang Syne

Who delivers presents to baby sharks at Christmas?

Santa Jaws! What do Santa's little

helpers learn at school? The elf-abet!



Christmas office opening times

Meyler House opening times and emergency

repair service over Christmas and the New Year

Friday 19th December 2014Open 9.00am to 12.30pm Closed from 12.30pm

Wednesday 24th December 2014 Open 9.00am to 12.30pm Closed from 12.30pm

Thursday 25th December 2014 until Thursday 1st January 2015Closed

Friday 2nd January 2015 Open – normal office hours and service resumes

The normal repairs service is closed from: Wednesday 24th December2014 until and including Thursday 1st January 2015.There will be an Emergency Service availabledealing only with:

• Burst pipes • Total loss of electricity • No heating

• Blocked drains • After a house fire • Serious storm damage

If you need the Emergency Service please phone 07717 438 843.

Please report all other repairs when the office re-opens on Friday 2nd January 2015or use our website: www.pembs-ha.co.uk

In 2015 I’m going to...


By post or in person: Meyler House, St Thomas Green, Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, SA61 1QPBy phone: 01437 763688 or 01437 774703Freephone: 0800 854568Minicom: 01437 774768email: [email protected] Housing Online: Open all hours on www.pembs-ha.co.uk forinformation, ordering repairs or to pay rent.

Your quarterly rent statement is enclosed, if you have any problems with rent issues pleasecontact your Area Officer who will be pleased to assist.

Keeping in touch with Pembrokeshire Housing

...keep to my New Year resolutions!

I want to eat more healthilywww.nhsdirect.wales.nhs.uk/LifestyleWellbeing/

Change4Life www.c4l.co.ukwww.netmum.com

I want to get fit and improve my healthwww.nhs.uk/Livewell/fitness

I want to improve myfinanceswww.pembrokeshirecab.orgwww.moneyadviceservice.org.ukwww.moneysavingexpert.com

I want to help others by volunteeringwww.pavs.org.uk

I want to learn something newwww.pembrokeshire.ac.ukwww.open.ac.uk

I want a new jobwww.jobcentreplus.co.uk

I want to stop smokingwww.stopsmokingwales.com0800 085 2219

And to keep them there’s plenty of help and advice

Documents

The Key Winter 2014