Intouch issue 41 (web)

Issue 41 | Spring

g Tenants

The essential magazine for A1 Housin

Inside this issue:

P5 Community Awards | P7 Get Involved | P12 Money Matters

What’s in store Welcome to our latest issue and if you attended our Tenant Conference, you will have heard what has been happening at A1 Housing over the last 12 months, and what the next 12 months has in store.

I took this opportunity to highlight the regeneration work that we have been doing with our partners to develop new houses in Harworth, plans for a new state of the art Independent Living Centre in Worksop and continuing the good work of the former Decent Homes programme with our Major Improvements work.

I was also able to talk about the excellent work that our staff do to keep our communities clean and tidy, reduce anti-social behaviour and to help customers old and new with any housing related problems they may have.

However, the news was not all positive I’m afraid and as the Government continues to ask Local Authorities to make further cuts and tighten their belts, this inevitably affects us.

Bassetlaw District Council has to make further savings of £4.6 million over the next four years. Some of these savings will have to be made by A1 Housing and as part of this we are restructuring some of our services, but as A1 Housing tenants you should not see any major differences.

There are more details on the opposite page and we will of course tell you about any further changes as they arise.

Best wishes,

Times are a’changin This time of year is often one for new beginnings and as Bob Dylan sang in the swinging sixties ‘The times they are a changin’.

Back then I wanted to be a bit like Bob, so I left for London to be discovered as a guitar sensation. That didn’t quite work out and I came home to Carlton - a far cry from Chelsea - in the early 70’s and embarked on a tenancy with Worksop Borough Council.

Freedom was a buzz word in those days but the only real freedom as a tenant was gained by paying your rent on time. We were happy to be housed and in work but ‘tenant participation’ was never on the agenda.

Moving through the years Bassetlaw District Council took over and this was, in many ways, a golden age.

The Council had teams of joiners, painters, bricklayers, electricians, plumbers and inspectors. However, it would have been easier for me to have a number one record than any input as a tenant.

Then it came to modern days and as Arm’s Length Management Organisations were born, so was tenant participation. Since then sterling efforts from many enthusiastic tenants have helped to make lasting and effective changes in how A1 Housing goes about its daily business. However, there is still work to be done - and that is where you come in.

Tenant participation is real, effective, challenging and fun. My own personal sixties are almost over but Dylan’s mantra is as true now as it was back then.

We need you to be a part of that change and you can find out more on pages 7 and 8... now, where’s my guitar?

Don Spittlehouse A1 Housing Managing Director

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David Smith In Touch Tenant Editor

Shared Services are Way Forward

Over the next few weeks you might start to notice a few small changes in the way that you deal with A1 Housing and access some of our services.

Once everyone is trained up, you will be able to speak to any of the reception staff about both A1 Housing and Council services.

From the beginning of April, A1 Housing and Bassetlaw District Council will be working closer together and sharing some of its services, but you will still be able to access everything you have done before.

The second change is when you call our free phone number, our message will say that you are through to Bassetlaw District Council and A1 Housing, but you will still be able to do everything that you did before such as report a repair, pay your rent, or make an enquiry.

The reason for these changes is because both the Council and A1 Housing have been told by the Government that on top of the £10 million that has been withdrawn in funding over the last 10 years, we have to save a further £4.6 million over the next 4 years.

One way of making these savings is by sharing services like IT, Finance and Human Resources. However, we will also be making some small changes to what we call ‘front line’ services like Customer Services and Anti-Social Behaviour.

The first change that you might notice is when you deal with our reception staff in the Council offices in Worksop and Retford.

Finally, investigating serious anti-social behaviour will now be done by the Council’s ASB Team. However, you should still report any ASB to your Housing Officer or 0800 590 542 first and we will try to resolve the situation before escalating this to the dedicated ASB Team if needed.

As these changes take place, we will continue to monitor all the services provided to you by the new joint teams to ensure you continue to receive the high quality of service you have been used to.

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Tenants Meet the Team

Tenants from across Bassetlaw attended A1 Housing’s annual Meet the Team day and Tenants’ Conference in March.

The event at Retford Town Hall allowed tenants to learn more about some of the services available to them including Adaptations, Money Advice and Branching Out - A1 Housing’s gardening and home maintenance team.

It also helped to highlight some of the groups that are available for tenants to join, for example, the Tenant Scrutiny Panel, A1 Hundred Club and local Tenants and Residents Groups.

As well as meeting the team, tenants were given an update on how the organisation has performed over the last 12 months as part of the Tenants’ Conference.

During this, Managing Director, Don Spittlehouse spoke about how certain departments are currently performing, how the Major Improvement

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Programme is building on the success of Decent Homes, and the proposed development of a new state of the art Independent Living Centre at Abbey Grove.

Director of Housing, Joice Rennie, also explained some of the changes that will happen as some of A1 Housing’s services are transferred back to Bassetlaw District Council. More information on this can be found on Page 3.

From left to right, Joan Smythe, Barbara Hopkinson and Carol West.

Community Awards Out in our communities live generous, selfless and dedicated people who help their neighbours in times of need, donate their time to make their communities better and make sure that their fellow tenants have a voice.

Our Community Awards are a time to highlight the acts of these people, and this year’s winners are:

Community Champion • Carol West Carol was named Community Champion because she simply never says ‘no’ to any request. She has arranged Macmillan Coffee Mornings which raised over £1,000; she chairs a Knitter and Natter group; visits people when they are ill; bakes cakes and arranges a birthday lunch for people in her community who have special birthdays ending in a five or a zero.

She arranges raffles with proceeds going to charity and she is also the Chair of the bowls club! In short she is just a great person.

Tenants’ Champion • Barbara Hopkinson Barbara is a tenacious Tenant Champion. She makes sure that tenants get a good service from A1 Housing and regularly challenges managers on performance and service delivery. She is also passionate about her community and when her local TRA folded, put herself forward for the role of Tenant Voice to ensure that her community has a voice to raise issues on its behalf.

Good Neighbour • Joan Smythe Joan is the sort of neighbour everybody wants.

Despite having a busy schedule at home where she is a carer for her son, she also keeps an eye out for her neighbours and makes sure that they are all ok.

She visits them if they are not well, makes sure they take their medication and, if necessary, pops out to the shops so they have everything they need. Joan is simply a selfless and generous person.

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Dig a Little Deeper If you are a tenant who would like to dig a little deeper and really poke your nose into A1 Housing’s business, why not join the Tenant Scrutiny Panel?

This is a little bit more involved than the A1 Hundred Club and is made up of two groups - Tenant Inspectors and the Quality and Impact Panel.

Ultimately, the two groups work as a team and look into how A1 Housing provides certain services. They also have the ability to challenge service managers should they think a service could be improved for the benefit of tenants.

If the group finds something that is not working as well as it could, they can make a recommendation to the Board of Directors, which it considers and tries to resolve.

It’s worth noting that the Tenant Scrutiny Panel is completely independent and tenant led and scrutinises all aspects of A1 Housing and guidelines set by the Government.

If you’d like to know more about being part of either group, please call 0800 590 542 and ask for Anita Fairweather, or you can email anita.fairweather@a1housing.co.uk

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A1 Hundred Club Would you like to be a sounding board for future A1 Housing plans and be kept upto-date with all the latest developments?

Well, the A1 Hundred Club is in need of new members and would like to hear from you.

The A1 Hundred Club was set up in 2007 (we originally had 100 tenants in the group if you’re wondering about the name) and 10 years later it still acts as a great way of consulting with tenants on the latest changes at A1 Housing.

The group meets four times a year and as well as hearing about how we are performing, you’ll also be able to share your views with senior managers and your fellow tenants.

To make it easy for you to come, we’ll cover your bus fare or mileage costs, fill you with tea and biscuits and also give you a £25 Love2Shop vouch if you come to all four meetings.

Up for the Challenge

Getting tenants to be involved with A1 Housing is not always an easy task, but one that our new Tenant Engagement Officer, Anita Fairweather (pictured) is relishing the prospect of.

Anita has worked for A1 Housing since 2010 and has spent the majority of her career working in the housing teams of Sheffield City Council and Sheffield Housing.

However, she took on her current role in January after her predecessor Nicola Perkins left the organisation.

“I’ve worked in housing for 29 years and have had lots of different jobs in different areas but they have all involved working with tenants and helping them in one way or another,” said Anita.

“It’s going to be a big challenge and I don’t have all the answers, so I’m really looking forward to working with young tenants who are already involved with us and coming up with some new ways of working. I also want to work more with the Polish community and look forward to setting something up in the near future.”

Getting involved is an informal process, just a chat and sharing of ideas Anita Fairweather, Tenant Engagement Officer

“I just like working with communities and getting to meet people of all ages from different backgrounds.”

“There are many ways of getting involved with A1 Housing and I‘d welcome the chance to have a chat with tenants who have a little free time and can commit some of that time to benefit their community.

So far Anita has worked with local tenants and residents associations, is visible out in our communities, has organised events and works with A1 Housing consultation groups, like the A1 Hundred Club.

“Getting involved is an informal process, just a chat and sharing of ideas and suggestions. It helps me to get more of our tenants’ opinions heard so that we can make A1 Housing work better for them.”

She said: “The main purpose of my job is to promote tenant engagement and participation with all tenants and all age groups. But I particularly want to encourage more young people to get involved with A1 Housing.

If you would like to have a chat with Anita about tenant engagement, you can contact her on 0800 590 542, on her mobile 07725 768 474 or email anita.fairweather@a1housing.co.uk

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Tenants Evicted After ASB Crack-down A1 Housing’s Anti-Social Behaviour Officers have recently secured two evictions in the Prospect and Larwood areas of Worksop after tenants breached the terms of their tenancies on multiple occasions.

In February, Elle Smithyman was evicted from Lancastrian Way following complaints of threats of violence towards local residents, in addition to drug use, shouting, swearing and loud music at the property.

A1 Housing’s Managing Director, Don Spittlehouse, said: “We ask our tenants to respect their neighbours and live in a way that doesn’t cause distress or anguish.

“This is the least we expect and when selfish individuals make the lives of fellow residents hell, we will not hesitate to use the powers available to us to ensure that people abide by their tenancy conditions.

And, in March, Lorri-Ann Morris was evicted from Carnoustie after terrorising residents with frequent arguments and fights, which took place between the tenant and her numerous visitors.

“As you can see, should tenants act in an unlawful way that persistently breaches the conditions of their tenancy, they could be taken through the courts and become the subject of an Anti-Social Behaviour Injunction or even lose their home.

Police were regularly in attendance as known drug users visited the property and neighbours were often disturbed at unsociable hours by slamming doors, swearing and shouting.

“If any tenants are currently suffering the effects of anti-social behaviour in your neighbourhoods, please contact your Housing Officer.”

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ASB Action in Your Community

Carl Millington

Danielle Pryor

In October 2016, David Ellis was evicted from a property on Coventry Drive, Worksop following numerous complaints from residents that related to drug abuse, drug dealing, fights, shouting, swearing and disturbances.

The catalogue of events also included armed police attending a firearms incident at the property, a machete being recovered from a vehicle in the street and an escaped prisoner being found and arrested at the property.

Julia Pressley, 38, was forced to surrender the keys to 147 Cavendish Road, Manton after pleading guilty to two counts of tenancy fraud in August 2016.

At the same hearing at Mansfield Magistrates Court, Peter Moore, 47, also pleaded guilty to one charge of committing fraud.

The pair had used false information to secure Pressley a council house after she claimed that she was being made homeless through eviction from her privately rented property in Lincolnshire.

In December 2016, Carl Millington of Rushey Close, was banned from his home and later received a suspended prison sentence for breaching the conditions of his Anti-Social Behaviour Injunction.

Millington was originally handed the Injunction in November, 2016 after tenants complained about loud music being played and obscenities being shouted late at night and into the early hours of the morning.

Steven Hobson

Gregory Simmonite

Danielle Pryor, 31, and Steven Hobson, 41, are the subject of Anti-Social Behaviour Injunctions which prevents them from entering Buttermarket House in Retford.

The pair intimidated and took advantage of a vulnerable tenant living in the town centre flats by moving in and treating the property as their own for a prolonged period.

Local residents and businesses also complained to A1 Housing about Pryor and Hobson’s anti-social behaviour. The injunctions will remain in force until 25th November 2017.

Gregory Simmonite, 39, an abusive, threatening and disruptive tenant was evicted from 31 Lancastrian Way, Worksop, in December 2016 following a string of complaints from local residents.

Just some of the complaints about Simmonite included intoxicated visitors calling at all hours, verbal and racist abuse, a strong smell of cannabis coming from the flat, and drug paraphernalia being found at the property. Simmonite had also made threats to kill a neighbour.

Ann-Marie Thompson was evicted from Strawberry Road, Retford, in December 2016 despite months of tenancy support from A1 Housing officers.

Complaints from fellow tenants included arguing, fighting and foul language as well as cannabis use at the property.

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Local Hero Honoured

A new council housing development in Harworth has paid tribute to one of the town’s former sporting superstars, Tom Simpson, by naming a new road after the legendary cyclist.

In honour of his achievements, a street on the new development has been named ‘Simpson Walk’ and Chris Sidwells, the nephew of Simpson, helped with the official unveiling earlier this year.

Simpson grew up in Harworth and went on to become one of Britain’s most successful cyclists with numerous track and road victories including Olympic Bronze and Commonwealth Silver medals, as well as being the first British rider to wear the Yellow Jersey in the Tour de France.

He said: “It’s wonderful for Tom to be remembered this way in the town where he grew up, and where his parents and sister lived. Although he later made a home in Belgium, he always regarded Harworth and Bircotes as his English home.”

And Our Survey Said...

Thank you to everyone who took part in our Community Centre survey at the beginning of the year and congratulations to Emma Gowshall who won £25 worth of Love2Shop vouchers that were also up for grabs.

The survey asked all Bassetlaw residents questions such as, if they use our community centres, how they use them and also for views on how much they would like to pay in the future.

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All of your responses and comments are now being looked at and this information will help us to make decisions on how to manage all our community centres and hopefully get more people to use them. All of the information we collected will also be included in a report that will be presented to Bassetlaw District Council.

Grand Plans Unveiled for Abbey Grove Flats A major project to build 51 modern apartments specifically designed for the needs of elderly residents has been unveiled for Worksop.

funding from the District Council, the Homes and Communities Agency and Nottinghamshire County Council to provide additional extra care facilities.

A partnership between A1 Housing, Bassetlaw District Council and Nottinghamshire County Council is proposing to develop an apartment complex on the site of the current Abbey Grove Independent Living Centre in Lowtown.

Don Spittlehouse, Managing Director for A1 Housing, said: “We are proposing to develop high quality accommodation that will enhance A1 Housing’s offer for older tenants. It will also provide a greater amount of ‘Extra Care’ facilities for the County, which will help elderly residents to maintain their independence with the peace of mind that help is always at hand.”

We are proposing to develop high quality accommodation that will enhance our offer Don Spittlehouse, Managing Director of A1 Housing

The building, which is owned by the District Council and managed by A1 Housing, has been earmarked for demolition to make way for the improved accommodation. It currently consists of 32 bedsits, of which 25 support ‘Extra Care’ facilities provided by the County Council.

A planning application for the new scheme was submitted in February following the confirmation of

The Abbey Grove redevelopment proposes to feature 51 comfortable, self-contained one and two bedroomed apartments, including 37 extra care places that allow older people to live as independently as possible in their own home, with the reassurance that care staff are on-site 24 hours a day.

The apartments will be wheelchair friendly and feature accessible kitchens and bathrooms, purpose-built to meet the needs of older adults. In addition, the building will feature communal lounges and activity rooms.

To find out more about A1 Housing’s Independent Living Centres, please call 0800 590 542.

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Book in for Your Free Financial Health Check A1 Housing’s Money Advisors Adam Mills (pictured) and Darrell Berridge carry out more than 550 Financial Health Checks each year and have helped tenants to save thousands of pounds along the way.

This is by providing help with budgeting and ensuring that tenants are claiming for all of the benefits they are entitled to. One of the most recent success stories saw Adam help a Harworth pensioner save a staggering £180 a week.

The tenant, who wished to remain anonymous, had been struggling to pay all her bills on the money she had coming in so contacted A1 Housing. Adam arranged a visit and quickly established that she should make a claim for Attendance Allowance (a benefit for people with long-term health problems) and Pension Credit - Guarantee Credit (a means-tested top up benefit) both of which our tenant had been unaware of.

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Over the course of three meetings, Adam made all the necessary phone calls and completed all the relevant forms on behalf of the tenant and, within weeks of their first meeting, had increased her income by more than £160 per week.

In addition, as a result of being entitled to Pension Credit - Guarantee Credit, the tenant receives full Housing Benefit and is also eligible for Council Tax Reduction, saving her a further £20 per week.

The elderly tenant told us: “Adam provided a wonderful service, I’m just glad I picked up the phone and made that call! Adam did literally everything for me, I just had to sign my name a couple of times. He even found a private pension that I’d forgotten about.

“I would encourage all A1 Housing tenants to take advantage of this free service.”

Claiming Universal Credit

Universal Credit is a relatively new benefit which has merged Housing Benefit, Working Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, Income Support, Employment and Support Allowance and Jobseekers Allowance into one single monthly payment.

New Universal Credit claimants have a six-week wait before receiving their first payment and some people have struggled to adapt to monthly payments.

A lot of people have also found themselves in debt

right from the start, so it’s very important that if you have to make a Universal Credit claim, tell us straight away. If you do, we can provide help and support with your monthly budget, sort out your rent payments and other bills to avoid getting into serious debt.

You can find out more about Universal Credit at: www.gov.uk/universal-credit or call our Money Advisors on 0800 590 532.

Are Your Belongings Insured?

A1 Housing does not insure the contents of your home and if anything went wrong, could you afford to replace any items that were either damaged or stolen?

To protect the contents in your home, Crystal Insurance can provide you with an affordable Contents Insurance plan with a range of flexible payment options.

They can even provide cover if your door keys are stolen or lost, as it’s a tenant’s responsibility to pay for any locks that need to be changed.

There are no long-term commitments and premiums can be paid fortnightly or monthly by cash, or monthly or annually by Direct Debit.

Contact Crystal Insurance on 0345 450 7286 or visit www.crystal-insurance.co.uk

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‘Money Wise’ students from Tuxford Academy.

Students ‘Money Wise’ Thanks to Campaign Young people across Bassetlaw have learnt how to be ‘Money Wise’ and avoid debt thanks to a Children’s Safety Education Foundation campaign, which was sponsored locally by A1 Housing.

The campaign worked with schools to raise awareness of how to manage money wisely, the pitfalls of borrowing money, overspending and the dangers of illegal lenders before students reach an age where they might experience these situations for themselves.

This year the project has taken place at Tuxford Academy; Outwood Academy Portland, Worksop; Elizabethan Academy, Retford; Serlby Park Academy, Harworth and has so far reached more than 5,800 young people in Bassetlaw over the last five years.

Michael Fitzgerald, Schools Liaison Officer for the CSEF said: “In this ever changing world, financial literacy is a vital component for young peoples’ development.”

A1 Housing’s Don Spittlehouse, added: “By teaching some basic budget and money management skills in our schools, we may be able to stop more people falling into debt and financial difficulties later in life.”

For more information visit csef.net

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Get Smart Smart meters are the new generation of gas and electricity meters that are being rolled out across Great Britain.

They measure how much gas and electricity you’re using, as well as what it’s costing you, and displays this on a handy in-home display.

Every household in Britain can get a smart meter as part of the national rollout. Your energy supplier will install them in your home at no extra cost. If you’re the account holder who pays the energy bills, you are automatically entitled to one and you don’t even have to tell A1 Housing that you’re getting one.

You can even get a smart meter if you prepay for your gas and electric, making it even easier to budget. Contact your energy provider or visit www.smartenergygb.org for more information.

Contributions are Revised Bassetlaw residents who are eligible for Council Tax Reduction will have to make a slightly bigger contribution towards their bill after further cuts to the revenue support grant the Council receives from Government.

The new scheme, formerly known as Council Tax Benefit, was introduced on April 1st and means that eligible working age claimants will receive a maximum reduction of 88% of their Council Tax bill as opposed to the previous 90%. Working age vulnerable claimants will receive a maximum reduction of 95% of their Council Tax bill as opposed to the previous 100%.

This means that for a typical Band A property, an eligible working age claimant will have to pay a minimum of approximately £2.67 a week in Council Tax, whilst a working age claimant classed as vulnerable will have to pay a minimum £1.11 a week in Council Tax. Neil Taylor, Chief Executive at Bassetlaw District Council, said: “Due to the continuous reduction in Government funding, the Council is faced with a shortfall of up to £450,000 in our Council Tax Reduction scheme over the next three years.

“Following a public consultation, we are introducing a new scheme that is as fair and transparent as possible and we have been realistic in what we can ask residents to contribute.”

If you think you may have problems paying your Council Tax or need any support or advice, you can speak to a Council Tax advisor on 01909 533 440.

4p a Week Increase in Council Tax Bassetlaw District Council has approved proposals to increase Council Tax by 1.9% for 2017/18, meaning a rise of 4p per week for the majority of A1 Housing tenants.

Bassetlaw residents will be asked to pay, on average, an additional £3.05 per year, or 6 pence per week, based on a Band D property. However, with around 51% of properties in Bassetlaw falling into Band A, this equates to an increase of £2.03 per year, or 4 pence per week.

We continue to work hard to save money... but an increase in Council Tax is unfortunately unaviodable Neil Taylor, Chief Executive, Bassetlaw Council

Neil Taylor, Chief Executive at Bassetlaw District Council, said: “The Council is operating in a prolonged period of austerity and continuous Government cuts in funding, which has resulted in a reduction of more than £10m to the amount the Council has received since 2010.

“We continue to work hard to save money in all areas, however, an increase in Council Tax is unfortunately unavoidable.

“While we have been forced to ask Bassetlaw residents to dig deeper into their pockets for the year ahead, I am pleased to say that in the wake of further Government cuts, we will again deliver a balanced budget for 2017/18 without any loss to frontline services.”

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Community Centre Gets Lifesaving Equipment Generous residents, community groups, businesses and local councillors have come together to buy and install a defibrillator for a Retford community centre.

Ordsall Tenants’ and Residents’ Association was the driving force behind the fundraising which has seen a potentially lifesaving defibrillator fitted at West Hill Community Centre.

Marilyn Button, treasurer of Ordsall TRA said: “The response has been brilliant. We started campaigning in September and approached some local companies and user groups who have been extremely generous.”

“Because the centre is used by a wide range of community groups, which vary in age, it is an essential

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It is an essential piece of equipment and in a great location Marilyn Button, Ordsall TRA

piece of equipment and in a great location, especially as we have a lot of elderly people living close by.”

In total, £1,230 was raised to pay for the defibrillator and donations and contributions were made by: Ordsall TRA, Persimmon, T. Balfe Construction, Rope and Rigging Ltd, Retford Lions, Retford Men’s Probus Club, Ordsall Art Group, Oasis Church, Councillors from Bassetlaw District Council, and A1 Housing who installed the defibrillator.

Seconds Out for Gym Harworth TRA members with Henry Wharton.

It was ‘seconds out’ for boxing fans in January as a new Boxing Club in Harworth and Bircotes was finally opened to the public.

The new gym has been two-and-a-half years in the making and after receiving around £85k worth of grant funding, support and donations of materials and equipment, the club held its official unveiling in front of a packed audience of boxers, parents, councillors, supporters and members of the local community.

In addition to a £25k Club Changer grant from Bassetlaw District Council, the club also received donations from Bassetlaw Association of Tenants and Residents Associations (BATRA), who contributed almost £3,000, as well as a donation from Harworth TRA. The event was made even more special when former British, European and Commonwealth title-holder Henry Wharton gave boxing fans the chance to wear his belts, oversaw a training session and presented awards to some of the club’s most impressive boxers.

Going Live If you’re a regular visitor to our website you might have noticed the new ‘Live Chat’ button that pops up on our homepage.

You can use this to ask questions about certain sections of the website and navigate your way to the information you need or ask about some of the online services that we offer, such as paying your rent, booking a community centre or reporting anti-social behaviour.

Live chat can, at times, be easier and quicker than calling our contact centre, so why not give it a try?

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Legion Offers Support and Advice Days The Royal British Legion (RBL) is now running an advice and support session for former Armed Forces personnel and their families at Queen’s Buildings, Worksop on the first Thursday of each month.

All Change for Retford Toilet A brand new Changing Places toilet for Retford is now only a matter of weeks away from completion following almost two years of campaigning.

Changing Places toilets are more spacious than standard disabled toilets and have extra facilities to accommodate people with a wide range of disabilities and learning difficulties, who often need extra support to allow them to use the toilets comfortably.

The £70k facility, which will be located next to the existing public toilets on Chancery Lane, has been made possible thanks to £46k of funding from Bassetlaw District Council, in addition to contributions of £12k each from the Nottinghamshire Learning, Disability and Autism Partnership Board, and Nottinghamshire County Council.

A further £3,514 was raised by a campaign led by Bassetlaw resident Alison Beevers (pictured), whose son Mylor has the condition cerebral palsy. She said: “We are delighted that this facility is almost ready to open. The need for a Changing Places facility in Retford is very real and a vital addition to our town centre.”

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This is thanks to a new partnership with Bassetlaw District Council, as part of nationwide changes by the RBL to make its Information, Advice and Support Services more readily available across the East Midlands.

The sessions run between 10:00am and 12:30pm where a knowledgeable and dedicated support worker will be able to provide help and advice to those who need it from the Armed Forces, past and present, and their families.

If you require help or support outside of these times, please call 0808 802 8080 from 8am to 8pm, 7 days a week (calls are free from UK landlines and main mobile networks).

Residents Get Recycling More than 4,500 people in Bassetlaw have started to recycle their garden waste thanks to the Council’s new district-wide collections.

The collection of Brown Bins started at the end of February and Liz Prime, Head of Neighbourhoods for Bassetlaw District Council, who has also signed up for her garden waste to be collected, said:“It’s fantastic that so many people have signed up for this scheme at such an early stage.

We have already more than doubled our initial target, but it would be amazing to get past the 6,000 mark in the first year.

“A lot of hard work has gone on behind the scenes to allow Bassetlaw residents to have their garden waste collected from outside their home.

So it’s great to see collections finally start and for everyone to be recycling more.”

It is possible to sign up for the scheme at any time and for an annual fee of just £30, the Council will make fortnightly collections for nine months of the year between March and November.

It’s great to see collections finally start and for everyone to be recycling more Liz Prime, Head of Neighbourhoods, Bassetlaw District Council

The fee includes an additional 240 litre wheelie bin, in which you’ll be able to place grass cuttings, hedge trimmings, leaves, small branches and twigs, dead plants, weeds and cut flowers.

Please DO NOT place any plastic bags or bin liners into your brown bin as these cannot be recycled and your bin may not be emptied.

Residents who wish to be part of the Council’s Garden Waste Collection scheme, or those who would like further information, can visit www.bassetlaw.gov.uk/gardenwaste

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Top Tips for Smoke Alarms A working smoke alarm can save lives and give you those vital few seconds needed to escape a fire in the home.

But, despite the majority of homes having at least one working smoke alarm in their home, smoke alarms alerted householders to a fire in England in only a third of cases. The most common reason a smoke alarm failed to activate was because the fire was outside its range.

For this reason, the Fire Kills campaign and Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service are encouraging people in Bassetlaw to have a think about the smoke alarms in their home and have offered these five top tips:

• Install at least one smoke alarm on every level of your home.

• The ideal position is on the ceiling, in the middle of a room or on a hallway or landing.

• Consider fitting additional alarms in other rooms where there are electrical appliances and near sleeping areas.

• Don’t put alarms in or near kitchens and bathrooms where smoke or steam can set them off by accident.

• Replace your smoke alarms every 10 years.

For more information, visit Fire Kills on Facebook, www.facebook.com/firekills

Easy Ways to Avoid Legionella Preventing Legionella bacteria from forming in your hot and cold water systems can be really easy if you regularly follow this advice.

It’s important that you do this because if you inhale small droplets of water that contain Legionella bacteria, it can cause Legionnaires’ Disease, which is a potentially fatal form of pneumonia. An easy way to avoid this is by:

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• Making sure that your boiler heats water up to 60 degrees Celsius.

• If you don’t regularly use your shower, run it through for at least two minutes each week.

• Clean, descale and disinfect the shower head every six months.

• Let us know if there is any debris or discoloration in your water.

Set Your Home up for Spring If you’re planning to give your home a lick of paint or even keep on top of a few jobs this spring and summer, here are a few hints and tips that might make those jobs a little easier.

Advice: • Make sure that the room is free from dust or anything else that might settle on the wet paint.

• Cover all furniture and carpets to protect them from the dust and paint.

Keep on Top of Those Little Jobs

• Try to keep children and pets out of the room.

• Wear old clothes or overalls and rubber gloves to stop yourself from getting covered in paint.

• Open windows to let paint fumes escape.

• If you want wallpaper it is a good idea to plan carefully and make sure you have the right tools.

Some materials you may need: • Sandpaper - rub down plaster and wood with sandpaper to loosen any previous paint that is flaking and to make the surface even, especially if you have done any filling.

Maintaining your home on a regular basis can prevent little jobs turning into big ones and now is the perfect time to give your home a bit of a spring clean, inside and out.

Below is a checklist of some simple and easy jobs that if done on a regular basis, could save time and money later in the year.

1. Wipe down windowsills and frames to remove condensation and prevent mould.

• Masking tape - use the tape around edges of glass panes, carpets, flooring light switches, sockets and handles to protect from paint.

2. Clean through your sink, bath and shower wastepipes with a clearing solution.

• Cloths and sugar soap - this will help to remove dust and grease from surfaces.

3. Clear out any leaves or rubbish from gullies and covers.

4. Use a lubricating oil like WD40 to keep your hinges and locks moving freely.

5. Check that your stop-taps and gatevalves can also be turned off easily.

6. Check your roof to see if there are tiles or slates loose or missing?

7. Look for any leaking, broken or blocked gutters and downpipes - and tell us if there are.

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Collecting Your Rent Everyone has to pay their rent in one way or another and there are loads of ways that A1 Housing is able to collect your rent.

Some people are eligible for Housing Benefit and some people pay their own rent. This can be collected by Direct Debit, a standing order through your bank, by phone, over the internet or by using a Rent Payment Card.

There are also people working behind the scenes at A1 Housing to make sure that all the rent is collected and helping people to pay their rent if they get into financial trouble.

Below are just a few statistics on how much rent you pay each year and how it is collected

by A1 Housing.

Last Year

43%

567 Money Advice sessions

of tenants recieve

were run helping tenants to manage their finances and reduce rent arrears

Housing Benefit to help them pay rent

40%

6,810

At the end of 2016, rent arrears owed to A1 Housing was

and this year has to collect

£270,000

A1 Housing has

of tenants pay their rent using a payment card through Paypoint or the Post Office

properties

£26,840,207 in rent

This has been reduced by

£119,378 since 2006

It costs

A1 Housing

£24 a year per tenant to collect rent this way.

Compared to

24p a year per tenant to collect rent via Direct Debit

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If everyone switched to Direct Debit it would save

£59,000 which could be spent on other services

Competitions If you can solve our crossword, you could win a £20 Love2Shop voucher. Work out the country from the capital city clue and fill it in on the grid.

Kids Club If you can solve both our Kids Club puzzles, you could win a £20 Love2Shop voucher and a goody bag.

Once you have the answers for each puzzle, mark them on the pictures, then tell us your name, age, where you live and a phone number, and send your entry to the address below.

1 2 3 4

Breakfast Unscramble

5

6

Below are five foods you might have for breakfast, but they’ve been scrambled up.

Can you unscramble the breakfast items?

7 8

GSEG

9

EABSN

10

CABON Across:

Down: 1: Rome 2: London 4: Paris

6: Madrid 7: Bucharest 8: Oslo

3: Helsinki 5: Vienna

9: Athens 10: Dublin

Fill in your details and send to the address below:

MOOATT AUSESGA

Name:

Odd One Out

Address:

The fish on the left has lost his twin. Can you find which one on the right he is?

Telephone: Please send competition entries to: A1 Housing Customer Services, Carlton Forest House, Hundred Acre Lane, Worksop S81 0TS

A

B

C

D

Or email a photo or scan of the entry to: customer.services@a1housing.co.uk Closing date for all entries is Friday, 1st September 2017

Winners Congratulations to Mrs Florence Paine from Tuxford and Keira Sinclair from Worksop who were our lucky winners from Issue 40.

Name:

Age:

Where you live: Telephone:

www.a1housing.co.uk | 23

Contact us

0800 590 542

www.a1housing.co.uk customer.services@a1housing.co.uk

Text us on 07860 021 511

Visit us at:

Retford Property Shop Town Hall, 17B The Square, Retford DN22 6DB

Worksop Property Shop Queen’s Buildings, Potter Street, Worksop S80 2AH

Head Office - Carlton Forest House Hundred Acre Lane, Worksop S81 0TS

All offices are open Monday to Friday 9:00am to 5:00pm

If you need any help communicating with us or understanding any of our documents, please contact us on 0800 590 542.

We can arrange for a copy of this document in large print, audiotape, Braille or for a Language Line interpreter to help you.

Providing Quality Homes & Neighbourhoods