Tenants Talkback June 2008 – This is the June 2008 issue of Tenants Talkback, Rochdale Boroughwide Housing's newsletter for Rochdale Council tenants. Article 1 - Advanced dates for your diary - join our celebrations Article 2 - Review group meeting reminder Article 3 - TXT UR RENT Article 4 - Last chance to stand for RBH's Main Board Article 5 - Use your vote - not sure whether this applies to you Article 6 - Survey success Article 7 - Did you know? Article 8 - Creating Great Neighbourhoods Article 9 - Heywood Area Panel - your decisions Article 10 - RBH is "getting set for the digital" TV switchover Article 11 - Money Matters to RBH and You Article 12 - Affordable loans for Rochdale Council Tenants Article 13 - Having gas or electrical work done Article 14 - How to spot a cowboy? Article 15 - Rochdale Area Panel - your decisions Article 16 - Put your best foot forward Article 17 - Making moving home easier across Greater Manchester Article 18 - Free removal of bulky items Article 19 - RBH In-House Repairs Service - The Successful First Years Article 20 - You have to be in it to win it Article 21 - Pennines Area Panels - your decisions Article 22 - Rochdale Township Joins Pennines and Heywood in Race to Recycle Article 23 - Communities First News - Good Neighbour Awards 2008 Article 24 - Communities First News - Our tenants dig it for their communities Article 25 - Communities First News - Community Volunteer Awards 2008 Article 26 - Communities First News – “My Community” Photo competition Article 27 - Useful Telephone Numbers Article 1; Advanced dates for your diary - join our celebrations Rochdale Boroughwide Housing will be holding our annual Celebration and Information Day on Saturday 11th October, at Rochdale Town Hall from 10am till 3pm. The free event will be an opportunity for you to tell us what you think, find out more about a range of services and to have some fun. Last year, more than a hundred people joined in and told us they enjoyed the new style event. There will be activities for all ages including circus skills, hanging basket demonstrations, face painting, as well as stalls from different organisations. Everyone welcome! Please come along! Article 2; Review group meeting reminder This informal group meets to decide the format and content of the Celebration and Information Day. If you have any ideas or suggestions, please come along and have your say. Call Doug or Betty on 01706 273822 or email rbh.tpu@rbhousing.org.uk to book your place or tell us your ideas. The next meeting is on: Wednesday 23rd July, 10.30am - 12.30pm, 2nd Floor Conference Room, The Old Post Office, Rochdale. Article 3: TXT UR RENT For a fast, easy, no-hassle way to keep up with your rent payments, let your fingers do the talking! Simply log onto https://www.allpayments.net/textpay/login.aspx to register, then you can pay your rent whenever and wherever you want by texting from your mobile phone. You can use the majority of credit and debit cards to make your payment, including Switch, Visa, Maestro, Visa Electron, Mastercard and Solo. Ms.C.Hopwood of Middleton was the first tenant to pay by text and won £50!! Article 4: Last chance to stand for RBH's Main Board If you live in the Pennines or Rochdale North areas, it’s still not too late to have the opportunity to shape the future for the borough’s Council homes and housing service. As you will have seen widely advertised in the press, at community venues, tenant and residents associations and on the website, elections are being held in the above areas for two tenant Board members on the Main Board of Rochdale Boroughwide Housing; one position in each area. The final deadline for completed applications is 7th July and more information can be found on our website www.rbhousing.org.uk or by ringing Governance Manager, Moira Richardson on 01706 273811 or emailing moira.richardson@rbhousing.org.uk You don’t need qualifications to be a candidate – just enthusiasm, commitment and common sense with an ability to communicate well and read and understand detailed information. We welcome applications from all sectors of the community, particularly from younger applicants, but you must be at least 18 years of age to apply and live in the area for which you are seeking nomination. Article 5: Use your vote - not sure whether this applies to you? Tenants in Rochdale North and Pennines will be receiving ballot paper through their door when the election process begins on 4th August. We would urge each and every one of you to exercise your right to vote and ensure that your preferred candidate is elected to this important office. The postal balloting process is run by an independent company, Vision Twentyone, who specialise in involving the community and give help and advice to candidates. The election closes on 8th August and the results will be announced in the press shortly after this. The successful candidate will take up their position as a Board Member for RBH at the Annual General Meeting in September this year. The list below details the areas where the elections will be held. All secure and introductory tenants and leaseholders of Rochdale Council in these areas are eligible to stand as a candidate, and to vote. Rochdale North Wards are: Healey, Spotland and Falinge, Central Rochdale, Milkstone and Deeplish, Bamford and Norden. Our estates are: Brotherod, Hamer, Holstein Avenue, Joy Street, Nook, Shawclough, Clarkes Lane, College Bank, Falinge Hill, Freehold, Lower Falinge, Cutgate, Mansfield Road, Mayfield, Greave, Spotland, Wardleworth, Kilworth Street. Sheltered schemes are: Ashfield House, Falinge Mews, Ravendale Close, Moss Row, Mountside View, Jack McCann Court, Yew Court. Pennines Wards are: Littleborough Lakeside, Wardle and West Littleborough, Smallbridge and Firgrove and Milnrow and Newhey Our estates are: Calderbrook, Hollingworth Lake, Shore, Smithybridge, Stansfield, Westview, Bentgate, Bramhall Close, The Cray, Firgrove, Haugh, Holt, Weston Street, Ashbrook Hey, Birch Road, Birch View, Bellshill, Bishop Street, Cloverhall, Pennine View, Smallbridge, St Anns, Wardle. Sheltered schemes are: Low Bank, Ryefield, Thistleyfield, Sheriff Street, Olive Standring House, Saxon House, Hare Hill Court. Article 6: Survey success Mandinda Kasase is celebrating after winning our prize draw for returned surveys from Easter’s Tenants Talkback. Mandinda, known as Mandy, has lived in Kirkholt for the past two years with her daughters Mwashi, 7years, baby Mwiza and her son Bwalya, 2. She never thought she would win when she answered our questions about what she thought of the newsletter. So she was thrilled when she got a call from Communications Manager, Jane Howard, to tell her she was popping round to present her with her prize of £50 High Street Gift Vouchers. “It was a really pleasant surprise. I like receiving the newsletter and said in the survey that I wanted to see more information on community events and any new plans for our estates. I filled in the form, purely because I had a quiet moment when Mwiza was sleeping and then never thought further of it. Mwashi would love some new party shoes, so that will be first on my shopping list and maybe some treats for me and the rest of the family.” Mandy was one of nearly 250 tenants who returned our survey forms, which are now being analysed. Initial feedback seems to indicate that a lot of you find the large A3 size difficult to manage and so we thought we would try something different this time with a more compact version. We would be interested to hear your views on the new style, so please give Jane Howard a call on 01706 273835 or email her on jane.howard@ rbhousing.org.uk or write to Jane Howard, Communications Manager, Floor 2, The Old Post Office, The Esplanade, Rochdale OL16 1AE Article 7: Did you know? You are responsible for repairing or replacing door locks, lost or broken keys, door numbers and letterboxes. These are just a few of the items that tenants are responsible for replacing under the terms of the Tenancy Agreement. This is not a new rule and has always been part of your Tenancy Agreement, but we know sometimes it’s easy to forget, so this is just a gentle reminder. If you want to know more or check on the things you are obliged to pay for, have a look at the Repairs section in your Tenancy Agreement for more information. If you find you are responsible for something that needs repairing, then you can have the work carried out by our staff and the cost charged back to you when the job is done. Before the work can begin, we will ask you to sign a recharge agreement form in this case. If you need any help or advice on this issue, please contact your housing office and don’t forget not to carry out any work yourself, or get someone else to do it for you, until you have checked with your housing office. Article 8: Creating Great Neighbourhoods Rochdale Council and Rochdale Boroughwide Housing are investing up to £9,500,000 over the next four years on improving the environment of its estates. In order to make them safer, more secure, more attractive and better places to live, we will be looking at a variety of small and large scale projects. These will provide better quality fencing, lighting, landscaping, pathways, gardens, courtyards, play facilities and lobby areas – to name but a few. We will be doing this in two ways: • “Quick Wins” Schemes – Each Township Area has a designated budget to carry out some smaller scale environmental schemes. These probably wouldn’t cost very much but would be designed to make a big impact. Examples might be fencing a small group of homes, improving lighting in a specific location, landscaping a small unused piece of land, upgrading a path or replacing some play equipment. Your local housing team will be compiling lists of such possible schemes and they will be presented to the quarterly Area Panels for approval. These Quick Win Schemes usually don’t go over a maximum value of £30,000 • “Priority Estates” – A short while ago, RBH and the Council produced a report looking at all aspects of the external environment of all of its estates. This “Environmental Audit” led to a number of estates being termed, “Priority Estates”, where it was felt additional investment would be required to carry out some larger scale projects. Each Township has a number of these “Priority Estates” as below: Rochdale North – Falinge Hill, Lower Falinge, Holstein and Spotland and Hamer Rochdale South – Kirklee, Long Hill, Channing Street and Chesham Pennines – Pennine View, Bramhall Close, Bishop Street and Ashbrook Hey Heywood – Heap Bridge, Heady Hill, Hopwood and Pot Hall Middleton – Hollin, Baytree, Middleton Junction and Brookside Here, further detailed studies of the estates have begun to see what type of work is needed to improve them. Over the next four years, we will put projects in place after consultation with tenants, residents and councillors. All of these potential schemes are brought before a Steering Group made up of RBH tenants, who look at them thoroughly to make sure we end up with the best design at the best price. Your tenant representatives are Joan Turner (Rochdale North), Debbie Lord (Rochdale South), Keith Barker (Pennines), Roy Thompson (Middleton) and Mary Diedo-Rayner (Heywood). Recently, a number of the smaller scale “Quick Wins” schemes have been carried out and we wanted to feature a selection of them here for you to see the type of work that is taking place. An update on schemes in Heywood and Middleton will follow in the next Tenants’ Talkback in September. Article 9: Area Panels - your decisions Heywood Area Panel The May meeting of the Heywood Area Panel approved environmental improvement schemes for Heywood Township with estimated costs totalling £70,000. The panel had to reject some schemes, but these decisions were unanimous. Schemes approved included works at Regent Street (garage site), Marlor Court (resurfacing), Springfield Close, South Avenue, Crown Road, Angel Meadow, Ormerod Street (fencing). All the decisions were made by the ten tenants and residents who attended the panel. Councillor Colin Lambert also attended the meeting. The next meeting of the panel will be looking at issues arising from the first rounds of Estate Inspections. Doreen Travers, Chair of the Panel raised several concerns (particularly play facilities) expressed by colleagues from Plum Mill. Tenants and residents from Plum Mill are encouraged to attend the next meeting. The next meeting of Heywood Area Panel is 10.00am – 12.00 noon Thursday 4th September, Heywood Magic Market. Middleton Area Panel The next meeting of Middleton Area Panel is Monday 8th September, Middleton Civic Centre, Carroll Suite 6.00 – 8.00pm. Information about decisions made by the June meeting of the panel will be in the next edition of Tenants Talkback. The meeting was attended by 7 tenants and residents and Councillor Donna Martin. Article 10: RBH is "getting set for the digital" TV switchover Continuing our regular feature about the digital TV switchover happening in the Granada region at the end of 2009, updating you with news and information to ensure you are ready. RBH will start upgrading existing communal reception equipment this `summer, starting with the sheltered housing flats and moving on to the other maisonettes and flats that have communal equipment and are over two storeys. We have now selected an installer and they will soon start to survey all these before they carry out the upgrade installations. This month we thought it would be useful to bring you information on the Government’s Digital Switchover Help Scheme designed to help those who have not already converted to digital TV and need extra assistance. HELP SCHEME: Who is eligible? You are eligible if: • You or your partner are aged 75 years or over OR • You, your partner or a dependant child receive the following social security benefits: Disability Living Allowance (including where the qualifying person is a child), Attendance Allowance, Constant Attendance Allowance (CAA) under the industrial injuries disablement benefit scheme and CAA and war pensioners mobility supplement under the pre-2005 war pensions scheme OR • You, your partner or a dependant child are registered as being blind or partially sighted If you are eligible and you have a dependant child or partner who is also eligible then you will only get help to convert one set between the two of you. However if there is another adult or you have a child who lives in the same household that is over 18 and both you and the child / other adult is eligible you will both be counted as a separate unit and will each receive the help to convert one set. HELP SCHEME: What help is on offer? The Help Scheme will provide practical support to help people select, install and use digital TV equipment. In some cases this may include the provision of a set top aerial or a rooftop aerial upgrade. Those eligible households that apply for the scheme will be provided with equipment to convert one set. HELP SCHEME: How much will this cost? The scheme will cost eligible households a subsidised amount of £40 for the basic equipment and help, unless you are on Pension Credit, Income Support or income-based Jobseekers Allowance in which case it’s free. If you aren’t eligible, standard Freeview boxes can be found in supermarkets at around £20 which would allow you to receive digital TV signals and around 40 digital channels. HELP SCHEME: What equipment will I get? If you want to take part in the scheme and you are eligible you will receive help to convert one TV set. There is a choice of equipment for those who may require features such as audio description (subtitles). You can get: • A Freeview digital box provided by the scheme, and if required, help to install and use it. You may also get help if your aerial needs replacing to enable you to receive a digital signal • Or for an extra cost you can choose to get a digital television recorder or a digital TV from the scheme. • Alternatively you can get money off a subscription for Sky TV, freesat from Sky or Virgin Media. HELP SCHEME: I live in a block of flats – will my communal aerial be adapted as part of the help I will receive? The scheme does not provide help to upgrade communal aerial systems but don’t worry, because RBH will be carrying out this work for you. HELP SCHEME: When will people get the help? If you are eligible, you will be able to apply for the scheme up to 8 months in advance of switchover. Eligible individuals will be contacted around this time. HELP SCHEME: How will you guard against fraudsters targeting vulnerable people? Every digital television installer employed by the scheme will be properly trained and vetted (including criminal record checks) and will carry the appropriate ID. Rest assured, a digital installer will not arrive at your home without an appointment. We are working closely with Help the Aged, Age Concern and other consumer groups to develop the arrangements. HELP SCHEME: How many people/ households will get help? It is estimated that around 7 million UK households will qualify for assistance from the Digital Switchover Help Scheme between 2008 and 2012. For further help and information on the Help Scheme, please call us on 0800 519 20 21 or visit www.digitaluk.co.uk/ helpscheme. For general enquiries about the switchover, see www. itvdigital/switchover or call Digital UK on 0845 6 50 50 50 RBH staff are working with Digital UK and soon our frontline staff will also be able to help with your general concerns and enquiries. Look in the next edition for further information. Article 11: Money Matters to RBH and you How many of you reading this do not have a bank account, don’t have a savings account, don’t have any household contents insurance or borrow money from doorstep lenders? Recent survey figures show that nearly one in six social rented tenants have no bank account, a figure that’s twice as high as the rest of the population, 81% have no savings account and 91% have no insurance cover. Many of RBH’s tenants pay very high loan charges and are underclaiming benefits. This means less money is circulating in our communities and it’s more likely local shops, services and businesses will fail to thrive. It also increases the risk of tenants getting into financial difficulties that can affect them for a long time. RBH wants to help its communities tackle the problems outlined above and is committed to working with them to improve the financial health of our tenants and their families. We know that: • Rent arrears are often associated with a household having wider debts • Tenancy abandonment is often associated with financial problems • Many of our tenants are borrowing money at very high interest rates • Court actions and evictions for rent arrears are very expensive for us to carry out. • Benefit take up can be improved for many of our tenants. • Having a bank account helps you manage your finances much more successfully. • Acting early to prevent rent arrears and other financial difficulties stops bigger problems arising. How are we going to address these issues? We’re drafting up a plan to set out our “Financial Inclusion” strategy, because we recognise that as Rochdale’s affordable housing provider, we have a role to play in preventing debt and hardship and promoting services that help peoples’ financial position. This will include: • More preventative work with new tenants and those who need help paying their rent • Maximising benefit take-up • Promoting access to basic bank accounts • Giving access to affordable credit • Helping tenants get opportunities for saving • Joined up working with agencies already providing advice and guidance, on budgeting and money management • Increasing the take up of our value for money insurance scheme with Royal and Sun Alliance • More dedicated staff working with tenants on financial matters In future Tenant Talkbacks there will be more information about our work around Financial Inclusion – in the meantime if you want more information or advice about money matters, you can contact the following: The Council’s Money Advice Service on tel: 01706 764132. Citizens Advice Bureau, 104-106 Drake Street, Rochdale tel: 0844 499 1191, or for an appointment in a CAB outreach centre, call Middleton on 0161 284 0334, or Heywood on 0161 284 4668. Article 12; Affordable loans for Rochdale Council Tenants There are times when you might need a little extra money for a specific purchase or to get you through a difficult period. For instance, to buy a new washing machine or to finance some essential home improvements. Tackling financial exclusion is very important to RBH. We are doing all we can to enable our tenants to manage their financial affairs better and get credit from an affordable supplier. As a result, we have teamed up with Moneyline Greater Manchester to help provide you with affordable personal loans. We want you to be able to afford your repayments and with the Moneyline schemes, the interest rate is fixed when you sign up and your payments will not change throughout the period of the loan. For example, a £300 loan repayable over one year for a replacement cooker will only cost you £35 in interest, with a typical APR of just 28.3%. This can mean that you are saving as much as £133 in interest compared to some less reputable doorstep lenders. Moneyline Greater Manchester also differs in that they can offer loans for many different purposes to people who might find it difficult to get credit elsewhere. Just tell Moneyline what you need the money for and they will consider it. All tenants are eligible to apply for a loan. However, there is no automatic right to a loan and every applicant will be assessed individually. You can apply to borrow up to a maximum of £1000 from Moneyline, which must be repaid within a maximum period of two years. Loans are available directly from Moneyline’s office within Ashiana Housing Association in Rochdale Town Centre at 3-11 Drake Street or you can call Moneyline on 0161 736 6500, email loans@moneylinegm.co.uk or visit the website at www.moneylinegm.co.uk Article 13: Having gas or electrical work done Recently we have had some situations where RBH staff and tenants have put their lives at risk by sorting out badly installed equipment. Of course, you all know that you need to contact your housing office in writing before carrying out any electrical or gas work or you would be in breach of your tenancy agreement. But if you get the go-ahead to have this work done privately, we thought it might be useful to give you some tips so you can make sure you get the result you wanted. Don’t forget to keep your housing office informed all along the way. Electrical work You may wish to consider the following when choosing an electrician. • First, write to your local housing office to check it is ok to get the work done; • When an electrician calls, be clear about the work you want done and get at least three quotes, unless it is a small job. • Check that they are approved by a reputable organisation • Ask for references • Check all work meets BS 7671 standards and that you will be given a certificate after the job is completed to say so. Ten tell-tale rogue electrician warning signs to look out for. The dodgy electrician: 1. Avoids giving references 2. Only supplies a mobile number and has no address on their card letterhead 3. Will do the job “cheaper for cash” on the grounds that the customer avoids paying VAT 4. Says they can start tomorrow – registered electricians are usually booked up well in advance 5. Will not confirm anything in writing 6. Tells the customer they are approved by an organisation, when they are not. 7. Tells the customer not to worry about the details of the job 8. Confuses the customer with jargon and complicated explanations 9. Cannot give you an actual cost for materials or labour, but asks for money upfront. 10. Provides an amazingly low quote – if something is too good to be true, it usually is! Gas work Installing a gas cooker is the sort of gas installation project that must be carried out by a CORGI registered installer, so again some handy tips. • Again, first write to your local housing officer to check it is ok to get the work done; • Only use a CORGI-registered installer and ask to see their ID card which they are required by CORGI to carry with them. This has their business’s registration number, their unique ID and an orange shield on it. If you don’t see it, don’t let the in and if you want to check their card is authentic, call CORGI on freephone 0800 915 0485 • Make sure you are offered and get a Declaration of Safety Certificate or Building Regulations Compliance Certificate for anything they install. Article 14: How to spot a cowboy? 1. Unmatching photo on the CORGI card 2. Out of date CORGI card 3. Doesn’t know the latest regulations, which would mean they might be unsafe working with gas. 4. Genuine CORGI registered workers who carry out “private” jobs for friends and family, but don’t offer the relevant certificates meaning you won’t be insured. 5. Gives a very low quote, but ends up costing more in the long run. As before, if something is too good to be true….beware! In summary, using a cowboy gas fitter may mean dangerous errors which could lead to fatal accidents like carbon monoxide poisoning. If in doubt at all, call CORGI on 0800 915 0485. A genuine gas fitter will be happy for you to do so. Article 15: Rochdale Area Panel - your decisions The May panel was another well attended meeting with 10 tenants in attendance. The meeting approved a one off tenant participation grant of £300 for Derrick Walker Court and over £200,000 of environmental improvement schemes at 25 locations around Rochdale Township. The next meeting of Rochdale Area Panel is 6.00 – 8.00pm Thursday 11th September Reception Room, Rochdale Town Hall. The panel still has a more than £100,000 left in its Quick Wins budget. Article 16: Put your best foot forward Don’t forget to join RBH’s estate walkabouts and improve the look of your neighbourhood. You can find details of the one nearest to you on your Easter Tenants Talkback wallplanner or from your nearest housing office. These walkabouts are designed to give our tenants a say about their estates. They offer you the chance to discuss your ideas with housing officers and representatives from other agencies including the Council and the Police for example. Nigel Allan, RBH’s Quality Assurance Manager explained: “Walkabouts take place on a regular basis throughout the year and give local people the chance to identify issues that affect the area where they live. They are your chance to meet some of the other partners who provide services on your estate and to let them know what you really think about the quality of service provided. The success of the walkabouts is dependent on as many people as possible turning up so we would encourage anyone who has not yet been to one to give it a go.” To find out more about joining your local walkabout contact your local Housing Officer. You can also look at a full calendar on our website. Article 17: Making moving home easier across Greater Manchester A new name in housing is nearly with us: Pinpoint will make it much easier for you to move from one of the ten local authority areas in Greater Manchester to another, for whatever reason – whether it is to be nearer family or work or simply to live in a different type of home. Like our HomeChoice system and the similar choice-based lettings schemes currently operated by the other neighbouring areas, Pinpoint will give those people registered to be rehoused, with any of the participating landlords, more choice of home. There will be no need to register separately with each landlord. This new service goes live in July. Available properties will be advertised on a dedicated website that has links to all participating landlords’ own websites. It is also planned to advertise private rented accommodation and Homebuy properties, which is the new name for what was previously known as “shared ownership properties” where you buy a certain percentage share of the value of the house and pay a subsidised rent on the remaining part. Pinpoint has been funded by money from Communities and Local Government and the 10 Greater Manchester authorities and the Registered Social Landlords involved in the scheme. So if you are interested in moving in Greater Manchester visit the website www.pinpoint.org.uk in July to see what’s on offer. Article 18: Free removal of bulky items Good news! There’s no longer a charge for the removal of bulky household items from domestic properties. This also includes all electrical items such as fridges and freezers. What will be collected free… Household items, Bedroom Furniture, Christmas Tree, Bed, Mattress, Carpet, Cooker, Washer Chairs, Suites, TV’s, Microwaves, Hi Fi’s, Fridges, Freezers. Any household item that you would take if you moved house. What will still be charged… Garden Refuse £20 (up to 12 bags) 0.75p per bag thereafter Aga £26 Piano £57 (minimum cost) If you are in any doubt, or want to book a collection in, give Environmental Management a call on 0845 226 1800. Up to five items can be collected at any one time and these must be mentioned when you call. Items should be left outside on the day of collection so that they are easy to see and get to. Don’t just chuck that old sofa away and spoil the look of your estate – one quick call is all it takes and it will be taken off your hands free of charge. Article 19: RBH In-House Repairs Service - The Successful First Years Following a rigorous and challenging competitive selection process, the RBH in-house team was selected as preferred bidder for the Response Repairs and Maintenance contract at November 2006. This arrangement involved the development of “Client” and “Contractor” roles within RBH to enable fair monitoring of the inhouse “Contractor” performance, to make sure that the service delivered met those standards in the tender specification. RBH Client and Contractor teams finalised the terms of the service agreement to allow a formal start of the ‘contract’ from 1st April 2007. Since then, the RBH in-house contractor team has worked hard to deliver the service to the required high standards and keep costs within the available budget. In addition to this a number of agreed service enhancements have been implemented to further improve the service tenants receive. The final service agreement included a provision for performance to be assessed against selected Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). These KPIs reflect the key areas of service delivery and have been closely monitored throughout this initial year. Overall performance has been very good, with five of six indicators exceeding the agreed target. Performance achieved for the first year, from 1 April 2007 to 31 March 2008, is shown below:- The in-house Contractor has been required to account for the costs of delivering the service it provides via a trading account. This provides an indication as to how cost effectively the service is being delivered, and whether it is being delivered within the rates provided as part of the tender process. During the first year the provisional trading account indicates a moderate operating surplus in the region of £25,000, reflecting sound financial management and providing a reassurance that the delivery of the service is viable within the in-house Contractor rates. As part of the service agreement a Post Tender Action Plan was jointly developed to ensure continuous improvement of the service. A number of service enhancements were agreed, and of the 35 service improvements in the Action Plan all are currently on target and 16 have already been successfully implemented. Two notable service enhancements that have been implemented are the “Welcome Pack” provided to new tenants and the use of SMS text messaging to remind tenants of appointments and to seek feedback on the service received during a repair visit. At the recent Main board, the RBH Client report said “The performance for the initial year on the Response Repairs and Maintenance service agreement is very encouraging. The in-house contractor has delivered a service that has demonstrably met the key elements of quality and cost effectiveness whilst making good progress on implementing service improvements”. Article 20: You have to be in it to win it Well done to the following tenants who won our Prize Draw for having a clear rent account at the end of the 2007 financial year. £1,000 – a tenant from Heywood £1,000 – a tenant from Castleton, Rochdale £500 – Mr Murray from Heywood £500 – a tenant from the flats in Rochdale town centre £250 – Mr and Mrs Pilkington from Rooley Moor, Rochdale £250 – a tenant from Balderstone, Rochdale £100 – Miss Burton from Boarshaw, Middleton £100 – Mr Salisbury from Heywood £100 – a tenant from Baytree, Middleton £100 – Mrs Hutton from Milnrow, Pennines £100 – Miss Sweatman from Heywood Everyone who has no rent arrears at the end of the financial year, usually April 4th, is automatically entered into a prize draw. Prizes range from £1000 to £100, so it is well worth thinking about when you go to pay your rent. Keeping on top of your payments could net you a cash windfall. Article 21: Pennines Area Panels - your decisions The most recent Pennines Area Panel meeting was attended by seven tenants and Councillor Ashley Dearnley. The panel spent £62,000, around half of the Quick Wins budget for 2008/9, which means the next meeting will be considering more schemes. Schemes that were approved included Cornmill Close, Thistleyfield (security lighting), Ashbrook Hey Lane, Whalley Avenue, Homestead Gardens, Park Road, Great Bent Close, Olive Standring House, Crowther Court (fencing), Steps Meadow (bollards), Hebble Butt Close and Saxon House (parking). The panel is still seeking somebody to fill the position of Chair. Any volunteers would be welcome. The next meeting of Pennines Area Panel is Tuesday 2nd September, Butterworth Hall, Milnrow from 6.00-8.00pm. Article 22: Rochdale Township Joins Pennines and Heywood in Race to Recycle Earlier this year homes in Rochdale started a new system of Alternate Weekly Collection (AWC) for recyclable and non-recyclable waste, just like the one already in place in the Heywood and Pennines Townships. Already, we are managing to recycle almost a quarter of our waste on average across the borough, which is great for us and great for the planet! But How Does it All Work?’ Into your Light-Green Bin with a Blue lid goes... Glass, Cans and Plastic Bottles Glass (means bottles and jars of any colour), Cans (means food and drink cans including both steel and aluminium), Plastic Bottles (Plastic bottles only please, for example- Pop bottles, washing up liquid and plastic milk bottles. Not plastic yoghurt pots, carrier bags, margarine tubs or plastic trays, these should continue to be placed into your ordinary ‘refuse’ bin) These should be put directly into your Light-Green bin. You can mix them up, it doesn’t matter, but please no plastic bags. Into your Blue Bag goes…Paper and Card Paper and Card (including paper, magazines, old telephone directories, envelopes and shredded paper along with card and cardboard of any type. Please try to put shredded paper in a cardboard box so it doesn’t blow everywhere if the bag accidentally gets knocked over). All other types of waste should continue to be thrown away in your ordinary ‘refuse’ bin. Or alternatively, you can take it to one of the many Household Waste and Recycling Sites which can be found at- Peel Lane, Heywood OL10 4PR, Chichester St, Rochdale OL16 2AU and Springvale, Middleton M24 2HQ. The Council also offers a bulky item collection. For further advice on composting, waste and recycling, to order a replacement blue bag or to arrange a bulky item collection, call The Environmental Management team on 0845 226 1800. Your local Tenants and Residents Association will also have replacement blue bags if you need one. Recycling arrangements may differ for those in flats such as at Falinge, Freehold or College Bank, so please contact your Housing Office or Environmental Management if you are unsure how it is going to work for you. Article 23: Communities First News - Good Neighbour Awards 2008 Nominate your neighbour Last year’s award winners show us that it only takes a little bit of thoughtfulness and consideration to be a good neighbour. Neighbours really appreciate the little acts of kindness that we could all do for each other. Why not tell us what makes your neighbour special by nominating them for one of our awards this year? These awards are your chance to pay tribute to someone special, an adult or young person, whose kindness has made a real difference to either you or another neighbour. Winners will receive a certificate and a choice of gift worth £10 – flowers, wine, chocolates, or shopping voucher. There’s no closing date - you can nominate your neighbour at any time and we’ll present awards every three months. Our only requirement is that either the neighbour in question or the person nominating them is a Rochdale Council tenant. Contact the RBH Tenant Participation Unit on 01706 273820 to tell us about your good neighbour or fill in a nomination form at www.rbhousing.org.uk/information/goodneighbour This is the second year RBH has joined the Council’s Townships in Bloom competition, having introduced the new category of ’best garden by a council tenant’ last year. If you enjoy tending your garden and are proud of what you have achieved, then why not enter your garden? The RBH category is only open to individual Council tenants and there is a trophy up for grabs in each Township area. The closing date for entries into our category is extended to Wednesday 16th July to allow us to promote the competition in this newsletter. Please note: The closing date is not extended for any other categories in the competition. A judging panel made up of tenants will visit the gardens in late July to decide on the winners. To enter please contact the Tenant Participation Unit on 01706 273820. Article 24: Communities First News - Our tenants dig it for their communities Twenty seven community groups working on Council estates have received RBH’s Dig It grants. The grants will fund community led planting schemes that include adding planters to communal areas, creating flower beds and planting shrubs to make garden areas more accessible and enjoyable. Syke Tenants and Residents Association have started an imaginative project with their children’s art and craft group. They are using bamboo to build animal sculptures of a dragon, deer, a pouncing cat and a rabbit. They will also be planting a herb garden and brightening up the community base garden area with summer flowering plants. Shay Reynolds, age 7, said: “We like having fun in the garden and we are all helping to build the fantastic willow sculptures. It is a lot of hard work and I am called Mrs String because I am in charge of helping fasten the willow. We have also learnt the names of lots of flowers”. If you are green fingered, why not volunteer to help your local community group with their planting scheme. You can contact your local Tenants and Residents’ Association direct or get in touch with the Tenant Participation Unit on 01706 273820. Sue Kershaw, Communities First Co-ordinator, said: “We are delighted to be able to offer these grants. However, it is the commitment and hard work of tenants and residents who carry out the planting and maintenance, that will result in more colourful and pleasant surroundings and encourage everyone to respect their estates a little bit more. We wish all the groups good luck and good weather!” The grants are supported by Gordon Rigg and All in One Garden Centres. Article 25: Communities First News - Community Volunteer Awards 2008 If you know someone whose voluntary work makes a real difference to your community, why not show them you appreciate their hard work and achievements by nominating them for a Volunteer or Young Volunteer Award? We launched the 2008 Awards at the beginning of June to mark the national celebration of Volunteers’ Week. Gareth Swarbrick (RBH’s Acting Managing Director) said, “By nominating someone you can help us to highlight and celebrate the amazing work carried out by volunteers. Maybe you know someone who plays an active role in a Tenants and Residents’ Association, organizes activities for children or provides support to help others?” One adult and one young person under 18 years old in each Township area will receive a trophy and £50. All nominees receive a certificate. You can nominate anyone who lives on a local Council estate and is currently doing unpaid work that shows their commitment to the community. The closing date is 12th September. The awards will be presented at the RBH Celebration and Information Day on 11th October. To find out more and fill in a nomination form, visit www.rbhousing.org.uk/communitiesfirst or contact the Tenant Participation Unit on tel: 01706 273820 Article 26: Communities First News – “My Community” Photo competition Get snapping and show us what your community means to you. Certificates and prizes of £75, £50 and £25 will be awarded for both adults and children up to 16 years old. Winning photographs will be displayed at our Celebration and Information Day on 11th October and featured in our 2009 calendar. Send in your photographs by 14th September. Entries will be judged by Paul Herrmann, photographer and director of redeye, the photography network (www.redeye.org.uk). Anyone who lives on a local Council estate can enter. Send a standard size print or a digital file with your name, address, phone number (and age if you are under 17), to the Tenant Participation Unit, RBH, Floor 2, The Old Post Office, Rochdale OL16 1AE e:rbh.tpu@rbhousing.org.uk Article 27: Useful Telephone Numbers Rochdale Boroughwide Housing............... 0845 070 5170 24hr Repairs Call Centre ...................0845 076 3636 Programmed Repairs Helpline.................0845 123 5627 Telephone Rent Payments ...........................866180 HomeChoice freephone .......................0800 091 2248 RBH Legal Team (ASBOs, nuisance) ..................273972 RBH Formal Complaints ......................0845 123 5628 HOUSING OFFICES Cedar Avenue (Heywood) .............................................364124 Bellshill ..........................................................643719 Freehold ...........................................................924063 Hollin ......................................................0161 655 3922 Kirkholt ...........................................................354222 Littleborough ......................................................378221 Lower Falinge ......................................................642220 Middleton ..........................................................927120 Milnrow ............................................................342559 Newbold ............................................................714460 Smallbridge ........................................................924068 For opening times please ring the office or check our website http://www.rbhousing.org.uk/contact_us/ area_offices.htm HELPFUL CONTACTS Council Tax.........................................................0845 121 2970 Municipal Offices (Council Switchboard)....................................647474 Refuse Collection and Recycling ....................................0845 226 1800 Street Lighting/Highways ...........................................0845 121 2979 Street Cleansing ...................................................0845 226 1800 Grounds Maintenance ................................................0845 226 1800 Environmental Health eg Drains, Noise, Graffiti, Pollution............45 121 2975 Social Services (office hours) ............................................647474 (the Council switchboard will help you find the right Social services section you need) Social Services (5pm-8.30pm+weekends).................. ............0845 121 2975 Forced Marriage Helpline............................................0800 5999 247 (9.30am - 9pm - 7 days a week) WEB ADDRESSES www.rbhousing.org.uk www.rochdalehomechoice.org.uk