Ebuzz - December 2014 by Monmouthshire Housing Association

December 2014

JOHN’S BRIEFING FESTIVE COCKTAILS BUDAPEST TRIP EBUZZ SURVEY RESULTS AND MUCH MORE!

John’s Briefing Board Meeting The Board meeting was held on 26th November 2014. 3 new Board members have been appointed: • Mr Pip Williams – Tenant Member • Mr Gary Witcombe – Tenant Member • Mr Andy Jones – Independent Member

Audit, Finance and Governance Sub Group Meetings

REMEMBER Ebuzz is put together following John’s briefings every other month. This is your newsletter and it would be great to hear some of your stories! If you have anything you want to share, please get in touch with Louise Davies via InHouse, 01495 761104 or email: louise.davies@ monmouthshirehousing.co.uk We look forward to hearing from you and hope you enjoy this edition. 2

The Audit Sub Group meeting was held on 22nd October 2014 – the Audit sub group carries out assessments, reviews reports from our internal auditors, ensures we are taking mitigation against risks identified on our risk map questions how we are doing within the organisation. At this meeting the Auditors were present from Service Matters The Finance & Governance Sub Group meeting was held on 22nd October 2014 – the F&G group look at the financial rules and accounting information, including lessons learnt from reports such as the Cosmopolitan report. Members were looking for proof that a similar situation could not arise in MHA and were reassured by the report prepared by officers outlining the differences in our two situations. Also, members sought reassurance that MHA’s reporting procedures were delivered with clarity so that

problems could be identified at an early stage. John outlined the risks involved in developing properties for sale. The 12 new build properties at Trevor Bowen Court are valued at in excess of £1 million so a high risk to the business until they are sold, currently 2 have a deposit secured against them with another 5 of the properties having a significant interest. The presentation home has recently opened for viewing.

Customer Care Policy A Customer Care Policy was presented to the Board, for Approval. The policy is a new policy which encompasses all of the Customer Care procedures which are in place; The Customer Excellence Assessment which is currently being undertaken highlighted a need for a policy.

Regulatory Outcomes 3 And 4 John explained that both regulatory outcomes have been to Board. Regulatory Outcome 3 is about ensuring MHA undertakes and partakes in partnership working, including the submission of joint funding bids to bring opportunities to the area. Regulatory Outcome 4 ensures the Governance and the Finance of the business is reviewed regularly including the area of risk management and the levels of risk. Both regulatory outcomes were approved by Board.

John added the Corporate Business planning cycle is starting now, with both the tenant survey and staff survey being critical to the plan. The response rate is about 63% for the staff survey, John reiterated how important it is for staff to participate as the Board and directors need to know if things need changing. The Corporate Business plan ensures we are fulfilling the objectives, out of which a 5 year business plan is developed or altered. One thing that will be looked at will be the IT systems to ensure continuity throughout the business for now and as the business evolves further. It has been estimated the implementation will take 5.5 people up to 18 months to set up and implement a new IT system. Thus a significant resource requirement.

Development Approvals Presently, there are a number of sites that works are being carried out on. • Trevor Bowen Court • St Davids Road with an anticipated completion of May 2015 • Majors Barn - the building is demolished, the new building will contain 4 x 1 bedroom and 2 x 2 bedroom apartments. • St Cadocs – 1 resident is left in the building, who is due to move out soon; with the short term plan being to demolish the building and grass over the site for a few years, until Grant becomes available to develop it. • Thornwell Road – is progressing well with 16 units at varying stages.

• 4 garage sites have also been approved by the Board to go to planning.

Training Plan 3.5 days of training has been given to each employee within the last year, with the Customer Care training being rolled out to everyone, before the training there was 16 complaints however after the training this has reduced to 2.

The Big Chat The Big Chat Tenant offer project recently commissioned Miller Research to undertake research with a sample group of tenants to help identify the key themes about expectation, aspiration and service delivery. The results are quite varied and a full briefing will be done to staff after it has been delivered to Board. John reminded us that we are in a competitive market against other HAs and private landlords; although generally we do a brilliant service. Through Welfare Reform and the need for digital inclusion it is hoped we can look at telephone demand and the implementation of more on line demand. It is important our tenants get the communication they want such as social media, whatsapp etc , this also highlights the need for an excellent Customer Relations Management (CRM) system.

Board Membership Policy The policy has been amended to include the recent rule changes and to include the update on shareholder details. John added the Board may also be looking to reduce the number of Councillors on the Board plus ensure new Councillors to the Board meet with the required skill set. This is part of the normal progression of LSVT’s. We expect to meet MCC in January of February to discuss further.

Repairs Report The number of repairs have been looked at, including the make up of the repairs. Some schedule of rates have been altered which made the data look as if there are more repairs such as glazing and repairs – the gathering of information is important to determine accurate results. Some of the repairs from last winter have been carried through in to this financial year to resolve; making up some of the 21% increase in repairs to last year. 97% of repairs by appointment and 95% right first time, which is a huge improvement since transfer. Other improvements are at point of transfer on average each trades person completed 6.5 repairs per trade per week this has now increased to 10.5 repairs per week. A very necessary increase as the service was inefficient and now is operating much better with significantly higher levels of satisfaction.

John’s Briefing Continued...

News In Brief

Management Accounts

Engagement!

Currently there is a surplus of £300k although there should be a £600k deficit at this point in the year; this will be rectified over the coming months as some significant pieces of work have yet to be completed. As it stands the proposed planned programme works will be smaller next year so there will be a smaller deficit, with savings in interest charges amongst others.

Board Member Renumeration The Board were asked to provide feedback to the regulators on the payment of Board members. In England about half the HAs pay the Board or some members of the Board such as the chair etc. The ability to pay members could be useful when recruiting the right person for a certain skill sets. It was agreed that MHA Board will seek to have the authority in the future to approve payment without the regulators input. Although the Board feel that right now it was not appropriate.

Capsel Waste

Congratulations to Scott Howells and his fiancé Alecia who got engaged on Bonfire Night in Porthcawl.

Mha Choir At Christmas

Rob Morgan has been appointed as the new Capsel Waste Manager and is now in post. Capsel waste will undertake all elements of waste from collection to disposal and recycle if possible, currently MHA spend £60k per annum on waste and waste disposal. Capsel waste have secured the lease on a unit in the Johnseys site.

Rising Star Cymru Many congratulations to Chris York who has been shortlisted for the Rising Stars Cymru Award, good luck for the final.

Listen out for the MHA Choir performing in the Staff Forum in the week leading up to Christmas… come along and join in with a few carols and help celebrate the festive season.

Social Events Jim Davidson – No Further Action Tuesday 27 Jan 2015 Controversial comic, Jim Davidson brings his latest show to the Savoy. He’ll be telling the story of his arrest and the nightmare 12 months that followed, the clearing of his name and winning Big Brother. Tickets: £22.50 direct from the theatre, by phone 01600 772467 or book online: www.monmouth-savoy. co.uk 7:30pm Tickets: £22.50 direct from the theatre, by phone 01600 772467 or book online: www. monmouth-savoy.co.uk Savoy Theatre Church Street, Monmouth, Monmouthshire NP25 3BU

Monthly Craft Fair

Pottery Exhibition

Monmouthshire Shire Hall Community Room

Monmouth Museum

Saturday 31st January, 10am – 4pm Craft fair showcasing local work by crafters, from jewellery to cards, wood to quilts, cards to glass and much much more. Free entry.

Friday 2nd January 2015, 11am 1pm and 2pm - 4pm, Monday to Saturday Exhibition of work by South Wales Potters who are in their 50th year.

Treasure Island – Earlswood Hall Thursday 22nd, - Saturday 24th January, 7:30pm For tickets call the box office on 01291 641739 or contact us via our Facebook page.

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www.trekfest.org.uk • info@trekfest.org.uk • Tel: 0800 0461 297

54 miles - 24 hours 29 miles - 12 hours 13 miles - 6 hours The Route

Choose your distance, choose your charity! Taking on TrekFest is no mean feat, but the challenge is simple – every trekker aims to complete the 54 mile route within 24 hours, the 29 mile route within 12 hours or the 13 mile route within 6 hours. TrekFest is tough…there’s no getting away from that fact – but it is achievable, as thousands of trekkers over the last two years will testify to. Yes, it hurts; yes, it will push you; yes, there are moments when you will doubt yourself – BUT, you can and will succeed with the right physical training and mental preparation. Whether you’re a rst timer or a hardened TrekFester; whatever your reasons for signing up; whatever you hope to achieve, TrekFest will push you to your limits but prove that anything is possible.

New R oute fo r

2015!

The Brecon Beacons are the beautiful and stunning hills that run through the centre of South Wales. As you can imagine, ‘The Beacons’ will provide you with an extreme physical workout and a psychologically taxing challenge. We cross the highest peaks in the Beacons and South Wales including Pen y Fan (886m), Corn Du (873m), Cribyn (795m) and Fan y Big (719m) – we can guarantee a spectacular charity challenge! All three routes - 54, 29 and 13 miles - will start and nish at ‘The TrekFest Village’ where we have loads of facilities available for participants - showers, camping plots and a free hot breakfast for all trekkers. Come along and camp on Friday night; tents, caravans and camper vans are all welcome. Bring the family and make a weekend of it!

Taking part You can register as a team made up of work colleagues, family or friends to support each other (all team members must attempt the same course distance – either 54, 29 or 13 miles) – fundraise for the team’s preferred charity or your own individual choice. You can register as an individual – there will be groups of other individual walkers taking part to meet and share the experience with along the route. Either way, the TrekFest Crew will be there to support you.

www.trekfest.org.uk • info@trekfest.org.uk • Tel: 0800 0461 297

Y T I HEROES N U M M O C A new Community Heroes project is being launched to enable all staff at MHA to get involved and give something back to the local community. Building on the success of the recent Give and Gain day, Community Heroes aims to bring all staff together with the opportunity to volunteer and do something different for the day. To help us ensure that everyone gets the best possible experience and enjoys their day within the community, we are trying to gain a picture of the different skill sets and interests of all members of staff. This will help us to seek a wide variety of

projects suitable for all abilities and skills. We’re very aware that previous opportunities have centred largely around DIY and gardening and we’re keen to expand on this as part of Community Heroes. If you haven’t yet filled in a Community Heroes skills sheet, they are available by the Community Heroes display board in the staff forum, so please let us know your skills and passions! For more information on the Community Heroes project please contact Cheryl Tracy or watch out for us at your team meetings!

Direct Payment Pilot Project MHA is launching a Direct Payment Pilot (DPP) project with MCC’s Housing Benefit Department to help prepare our tenants for the introduction of Universal Credit. Universal Credit will see a single household payment of means tested benefits paid to tenants monthly in arrears. This will include Housing Benefit payments meaning tenants will need to pay their rent directly to MHA. This change will be significant to the way most benefits are currently paid. Our DPP project will not only give us the opportunity to see how the Universal Credit process will work in practice but will also help us to assess what assistance our tenants need. From January 2015 all tenants on the DPP project will receive their Housing Benefit payments directly to a bank account and they will need to arrange payment of their rent

to MHA. 50 existing tenants have been identified and contacted to take part in the project and we will also be including all new tenants in the project who would be eligible for Universal Credit and move into one of our homes through Monmouthshire Homesearch. All of these tenants will need to pay their rent themselves to MHA, unless they qualify for alternative payment arrangements. Tenants on the DPP project will be able to access support with budgeting and money management and will be supported through the process by MHA’s Welfare Reform Neighbourhood Officer, Cally McCarthy. If you want to know more about the DPP project speak to Cally McCarthy or Lucy Rogers. 7

s t r o Sp Multi Sports and Games at Chepstow Leisure Centre

s t n e v E

For children aged 3 – 6 years old Sports include tennis, hockey, parachute games and fun activities £3.10 per session For more information and to book, contact Chepstow Leisure Centre on 01291 635745

Dates: Monday 5th January - 16:30 to 17:30 Monday 12th January - 16:30 to 17:30 Monday 19th January - 16:30 to 17:30 Monday 26th January - 16:30 to 17:30 Monday 2nd February - 16:30 to 17:30 Monday 9th February - 16:30 to 17:30

Walks

Saturday 3rd January 2015 “Mill, Totem pole and views over the Severn” 11.00am (Approx. 4 hours) A 7.5 mile (12km) walk starting from Caldicot Castle Country Park passing the site of the original Caldicot Castle, over the Motorway, past a quarry and off into the woods! Then descending with views over the Severn Estuary to an old mill and eventually passing a Totem pole, heading back to town. A number of stiles and probably some mud. Bring a packed lunch and a drink. Assistance dogs only please. There is no charge for this activity. Meet at the car park in front of Caldicot Castle (ST 486 884). Postcode NP26 4HR. Caldicot can be reached by bus. Contact www. traveline.org.uk for more information. Tel 08712 002233 daily between 7.00am and 9.00pm. Text 84268.

Monday 23rd February - 16:30 to 17:30

40 Years Service Congratulations to Lester Parry DLO Team Leader and Chris Lynch Site Services Operator who have recently reached 40 years of Service. The last 6 years with Monmouthshire Housing and previously with Monmouthshire County Council. Thank you for your loyal and dedicated years of service.

Way Into Work Josh Newington I’m Josh, I’ve been on a work placement within the marketing department for two weeks through the Way into Work project as I hope to start a career within the music industry in A&R. This experience has been invaluable to me, as Ceri has showed me so many different sides to this side of a business and I’ve picked up some very useful skills and knowledge that I will be sure to take forward with me. I have thoroughly enjoyed my short time here at MHA, everyone has been very friendly and tried to help me wherever they could! I’d like to say a huge thank you to Cath Murray for getting me this placement and for being so supportive throughout my Way into Work journey.

Matts Money Saving Tips Every Friday Matt Taylor will be posting a Money Saving Tip onto the homepage of In house. Keep your eye out and see how you could be saving!! Prices are stable, but winter’s on its way, so compare now and you get a true level playing field. Plus, perversely, there’s real competition to be the cheapest fixed deal. So unusually, it’s currently often cheaper to get a price where no rises are guaranteed. Visit the link to see if you could save ££s by switching providers. www.moneysavingexpert.com/ cheapenergyclub

In House Upgrade

Lee Matthew I’m Lee, I’ve been on work experience in the Corporate Services department for few days a week for the past three weeks. I hope to start a career in graphic design and this experience has been very useful to me. I have learned so much, Graham has showed me the ups and downs of being a graphic designer but I love art and designing things no matter if it’s sketching on paper or working on a computer. I really enjoyed my time here at MHA, everyone has been friendly and treated me like a co-worker. I’d like to say thank you to Graham Harvey for showing me how a Graphic Designer works and to Cath Murray who got me the work experience.

We are currently working towards improving In House and making it more interactive for staff. We will be looking to launch the new site in February. If you have any suggestions or would like to be on the project group, please contact Louise Davies on 2104.

Pickles Are your colleagues going above and beyond to deliver excellent customer service internally and externally? Don’t forget you can award them a pickle via In House.

This and much, MUCH more can be found on 9

James Burton DLO Cost Surveyor I have worked within the construction industry for over 10 years, seven years as a quantity surveyor. I have worked for three of the largest contractors in the country W S Atkins, Lovell and Vinci as well as Pembrokeshire County Council. My career has slowly moved me across Wales from the West coast to now the East borders. I currently live in the South Wales area with my fiancé Jessica and our little boy Jack who just turned eight weeks old.

Who would you like to be stuck in a lift with and why? If I could be stuck in a lift with someone it would have to be Kelly Brook, and it wouldn’t be for her witty personality!

Cally McCarthy Neighbourhood Officer Welfare Reform Hello! I’m Cally I’ve joined MHA recently as a Neighbourhood Officer on the Welfare Reform Project. I have previously worked for Newport City Council on the Work Programme helping the long term unemployed find work. This is quite a change for me but I am thoroughly enjoying it.

Who would you like to be stuck in a lift with and why? If I had to be stuck in a lift I’d like it to be with Charlotte Crosby from Geordie Shore, trash telly is my guilty pleasure and I think she’s hilarious so she would keep me amused!

Rudi Lewis Painter Hi I’m Rudi, I am a very easy going bloke who tries to live life to the full. I play rugby for Abergavenny and I also do a lot of running. I am very passionate about fitness and I relish all challenges! If you ever fancy a chat pull me to one side as I love a good ol’chinwag!

Who would you like to be stuck in a lift with and why? If I got stuck in lift I would like to be stuck with Russell Brand, possibly the maddest and most interesting person going!

Why not say hello to all the new starters on

Andrew Mahoney Painter / Decorator Supervisor I’m Andrew, I am a sports fanatic and I love to watch any sport! My passions are walking my border collie named Jim, and furthering my never ending knowledge of pointless things! I played rugby until I was 40 now I coach Wales from my arm chair!

Who would you like to be stuck in a lift with and why? I would like to be stuck in a lift with Alex Ferguson as I would love to pick his brains on his football knowledge and find out what makes him tick.

Rob Morgan Waste Manager I recently joined CAPSEL, specifically to drive forward the Waste Management arm. My background is quite varied, I have worked with BMW Group, Rolls Royce Motor Company, British Airways, SA Brain & Co, M&S & GE Aviation Wales just to name a few. I live just outside Pontypridd with my partner Kerry. We have five children and four Grand children between us. Kerry and I tend to chill over the weekend or I watch my son play rugby for his local club – Gilfach Goch RFC.

Who would you like to be stuck in a lift with and why? If I had to be stuck in a lift with anyone, it would have to be the lift engineer. Really not good in lifts and at least I wouldn’t be stuck long.

We wish them the best for the future. Julie McKim Neighbourhood Officer

Employee Changes Andrew Nash has decided to leave Monmouthshire Housing Association through early retirement on 31 December 2014. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Andrew for his contribution and wish him all the best for the future.

David Morris, Director of Housing & Communities will be working three days a week, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 19 January 2015 for 12 months. Michele Morgan has been appointed to the post of Temporary Assistant Director of Housing & Communities from 19 January 2015 for 12 months. Congratulations to you Michele.

Christmas Drinks

Consumed responsibly, alcohol can be enjoyed as part of a healthy balanced lifestyle however, alcohol misuse is harmful and dangerous. Do not drink and drive.

Cocktails Winter Pimms Punch: • 500ml Pimms • 500ml brandy • 1½ ltr apple juice • Ice • 2 cinnamon sticks • Apple, sliced • Orange, sliced

Santa’s Tipple Over: • 1 part (tablespoon) ginger syrup • Good dash of grenadine • 2 parts (tablespoon) brandy • 1 part (tablespoon) Cointreau, or cherry brandy • 1-2 teaspoon lime juice • Maraschino cherry

Christmas Snowball: • 100ml golden caster sugar • A handful of sliced ginger • 100ml advocaat • 100ml ginger syrup • Babycham First make a ginger syrup. Combine 100ml water with the golden caster sugar and a handful of sliced ginger in a pan and bring to the boil. Cool the mixture and strain through a sieve. Fill a highball glass with ice and pour the advocaat and ginger syrup into a cocktail shaker. Shake well, pour into the glasses, top with Babysham and serve. 12

Mince Pie Martini:

• 100g golden caster sugar • 50g mincemeat • 4 tablespoon caster sugar • 4 teaspoon mixed spice • 4 teaspoon mincemeat • 100ml gin • 100ml sweet red vermouth • 20ml dark rum To make a mincemeat syrup, put 100ml water, the golden caster sugar and mincemeat in a pan and bring to the boil. Cool and strain though muslin into a sieve. Separately, mix the caster sugar and mixed spice, then dampen the rims of 4 Martini glasses and dip in the sugar and spice mixture. Mix the mincemeat in a cocktail shaker (you may need to make in 2 batches), then add the gin, sweet red vermouth, dark rum, 80ml mincemeat syrup and ice. Shake well and strain into your prepared glass.

Chocolate Orange Cocktail: • 100g golden caster sugar • Zest of 1 orange or clementine • grated dark chocolate, to decorate • 100ml vodka • 100ml crème de cacao • 60ml orange syrup • 40ml orange juice • Ice First make an orange syrup. Combine 100ml water with the golden caster sugar and the orange or clementine zest in a pan and bring to the boil. Cool and strain the syrup. Chill 4 coupé glasses, then dampen the rims with a little water and dip in the grated dark chocolate. In a cocktail shaker, shake the vodka, crème de cacao, orange syrup and orange juice with ice (you may need to make in 2 batches). Pour into the glasses.

Mocktails Chocolate Cocktail:

• 150g milk chocolate bar • 210ml (just over 7fl oz) milk • 75ml (2 1/4fl oz) vanilla syrup • 3 squares of milk chocolate • Ice • 3 martini glasses Place the milk in a non-stick saucepan and heat on a gentle simmer. Break half of the chocolate bar into squares and add into the milk. Stir the milk and chocolate gently and continuously to create a liquid chocolate mixture. Allow to cool for one hour at room temperature and then store in fridge. Pour the cool milk mixture into a cocktail shaker and add the vanilla syrup. Shake over ice for 1 min and double-strain into martini glass.

Cinnamon Drummer: • 2-3 tablespoons of boiling water • 5cm piece cinnamon stick • 1 clove • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon powder • 3 heaped teaspoons of honey • some ice cubes • 100ml innocent orange juice (smooth or with bits) • 130ml blood orange juice Add the boiling hot water to a pot with the clove and cinnamon stick to infuse together for about 10 minutes. Whilst the water is still hot add the cinnamon powder and stir it all together before adding the honey and stirring again. Put some ice cubes into a blender. Pour in the innocent orange juice, blood orange juice and the cinnamon and honey mixture and blend together until smooth. Pour into a serving glass through a sieve and decorate the glass with a cinnamon stick and a slice of orange.

Make an insertion in the back of the chocolate squares and place one at an angle on the edge of each martini glass.

Pomegranate Mojito: • 3 tablespoons pomegranate seeds • Big bunch mint • 2 limes, quartered, plus slices to garnish • 1l pomegranate juice • 500ml lemonade A day ahead, divide the pomegranate seeds between the holes in an ice cube tray, top up with water and freeze. Reserve half the mint for serving, and tear the rest into a large jug with the lime quarters. Using a rolling pin, bash the mint and lime to release the flavours. Add the pomegranate juice and lemonade. Put ice cubes in each glass, then strain over the pomegranate mix through a small sieve. Garnish with lime slices and more mint.

COMPLIMENTS Mr Nelson would like to thank Matthew Taylor for... ”The help and advice he has received from Matt on several occasions regarding financial help and assistance. Matt has always been pro-active in his response and efficient as in helping me through difficult situations and always courteous”

Mrs Gizzie would like to thank all of the staff at MHA for... ”Being wonderful, all the work she has had done has been brilliant. She said she has lived in various council houses around England and this is by far the best. Also, she said Usk was beautiful.”

Colonel Purvis would like to thank Brian Woodward and Simon Jones for... ”Acting promptly in the renewal of the shower”. Colonel Purvis took the time to call in to say how impressed he was with the service.

Mrs Danter would like to thank Amanda Davies for... ”Being very helpful and referring her to Money Wise which really helped her situation. She was very kind and professional.”

Mrs Tag would like to thank Kelvin Mustow for... ”The efficiency of his work, what a lovely man. He explained about the repair he was carrying out, he did not make any mess when carrying out the repair and she could not praise him enough.”

s t l u s e R y Surve Thank you for taking the time to complete the Ebuzz Satisfaction Survey. The winner selected at random was Karen Doyle, Senior Maintenance Officer who won £50 worth of High Street Vouchers. • 92% said the stories in Ebuzz were interesting • 82% said the quality of Ebuzz has improved in the last 6 months

Do you agree or disagree that these Aims and Objectives are met?

Have you got any further comments or suggestions about Ebuzz?

• Excluded staff would not necessarily feel excluded by reading a magazine. Often the issues raised in Ebuzz are highlighted after an event has happened. • Not 100% sure that everyone has (easy) access to the publication or reads (has time to read)

• I think Ebuzz has changed significantly in the last 12 months, it is now a much more interesting read striking the right balance between corporate information and personal things. I do think the day in the life of is quite boring (sorry). I would however say that there have been spelling and grammatical errors as well as text being covered by photographs and the such like. (sorry)

• I don’t feel I really know what individual’s roles within the organisation are. It would be great to pick out 2 or 3 people at random to give a brief overview of their roles.

• Really enjoyed the recent article about festivals - be good if there were more things like this that are more like articles you’d find in a high street magazine

• Not sure who does what

• Agony aunt section! What about spotlights on people and their lives when they have milestone birthdays?

• It’s mostly all about office staff

• It only seems to be about office staff • It tends to be the same old people in every issue

Are there any types of articles you would like to see included in future editions of Ebuzz? • Group discount vouchers • Be good to see items about peoples interesting hobbies/skills etc. • No, enjoy the ones that are in there currently. • Not really - I think it has a pretty good spread of articles and interests • No I think the balance is really good • Where to get voucher off coupons from or latest deals that kind of thing. Health eating information, such as nutrient benefits for different fruit and veg. Some ideas for kids packed lunches for school or perhaps the mums at MHA could share their tips on packed lunches. • I can’t think of any other types of articles, I think that Ebuzz already has a mixture of social and work related news and updates! • I would like to see comments/article about MHA top performing KPI’s, or Directorate top performing KPI’s and then the lowest performing KPI’s so we can all see where we need to improve. • More on DLO issues, operatives etc.

• I used to skim through it, now I read it from cover to cover. Well done :) • It’s difficult to think of anything more interesting and useful articles than we already have, as not many people want to discuss their social lives in work... I think using email to send Ebuzz will make it more cost effective as the cost of printing and posting isn’t value for money. • I always take time out in my lunch break to read the Ebuzz article as I find it very interesting and informative. • Keep it going as long as possible, it is really nice to have a read about what other members of staff do in their own time and some of the recipes have been a hit at home • I think it is of great interest and importance keep up to date with issues and colleagues you don’t come into contact with very often • I do particularly like that the newsletter is seasonal and has a theme to each and every newsletter, this makes it more interactive and festive. • No it’s fantastic! • I really like the layout of Ebuzz, in particular the travel section as that’s what I’m interested in anyway. • Keep up the good work, I look forward to them :)

n a M y r Mer

! m e h a nor M

Walking to and from Work 1,696 Followers

Following 311

1,254 Tweets

Tweet (@Newbington) Massive thanks to everyone at @Mon_Housing for the last two weeks, it’s been incredible! #wayintowork @Mon_Youth Tweet (@Mon_Housing) Homesearch celebrates its 100th bidding cycle @ MonmouthshireCC @charterhousing @UnitedWelsh @melinhomes @DerwenCymru Tweet (@CHCymru) @Mon_Housing won the Internal Communication award for their staff magazine #chcpr Tweet (@matt_chilcott) Get #Monmouthshire Online launch tomorrow. Digital Inclusion support from @MonAdultEd @ MelinHomes @CharterHousing @Mon_Housing @ iCountyMon Tweet (@Vintage_Vision) It’s #HousingDay ! Let’s thank @Ctracy861 @ Mon_Housing @bronlloyd @CharterHousing and @ MelinHomes for being great supporters of what we do. Tweet (@McCtrainer) Really enjoyed first meet with board of @DadsCan @Mon_Housing please RT and follow @DadsCan we need more followers-cheers

On Twitter? Why not follow us @mon_housing 18

Carol Thompson and Jill Morgan have been walking to work along the canal in a bid to improve their fitness. They regularly trek the 3.5 miles each way which works out as 11,000 steps and are trying to beat their 16 minute mile at the moment. Carol and Jill are not just fine weather walkers they walk in all weathers and with the dark nights carry torches to complete their walk. Jill also walks her dog and when not walking to work cycles to work. The canal has the most wonderful scenery and they regularly see a heron on the banks along with meeting other walkers, dogs and cyclists. They walk the route between Mamhilad and Griffithstown, starting at 7.30am and after leaving work at 5pm arrive home at about 5.50pm. Both ladies have set themselves extreme challenges for 2015 - Jill is hoping to reach the summit of Kilimanjaro raising funds for The Hibbs Lupus Trust and Cancer Research in February. Carol and her family are hoping to complete the Race to the Stones challenge which is a 100km ultra marathon walk between Aylebury and Avebury (just south of Marlborough). Jill would also like to say a massive THANK YOU to everyone who very generously gave to the massage and cake sale on Monday 1st December. You helped raise a staggering £165. Her total to date with other charity events so far is £2005. Watch out for another date in January for massage session and more cakes.

Alcohol Awareness Can you stay off the booze for 31 days? Feel better. Save money. Make a difference. Your chance to ditch the hangover, reduce the waistline, and save the pennies. By taking on the challenge you’re sure to lose a few pounds while saving a few quid! With no hangovers you’ll find time and energy you never knew you had and your skin will look nicer too. So go on, take time out, get thinking about your drinking and prove to yourself that you can say no to a tipple or two. Download the new Dry January 2015 booklet here www.dryjanuary.org.uk

Make a real difference to the lives of those harmed through alcohol misuse and get family and friends to sponsor you and raise money for Alcohol Concern www.alcoholconcern.org.uk.

Here are a selection of “Pickles” that you have awarded to your colleagues recently: Cath Murray has ‘pickled’ Kerris Winter for... ‘identifying the needs of a tenant who is volunteering and contributing to her community. Then signposting that tenant to a department that can support her with this.’ Helen Carter has ‘pickled’ Dean Lannen and Helen Screen for... working together to ensure a vulnerable tenant’s living conditions were much improved.’ Domini Barnes has ‘pickled’ Andrew Young for... ‘taking on board a job which was not his trade so we did not have to reschedule and disappoint the tenant. Andrew in my opinion is a credit to MHA for his determination and flexibility.’ Cheryl Tracy has ‘pickled’ Sarah Jones for… ‘instigating & coordinating the advent calendar appeal for Monmouthshire food banks – Making a difference to children over Christmas.’ Louise Davies has ‘pickled’ Sian Hughes, Graham Harvey, Nathan Cook, Michael Harper, Lorna Wheater and Katie Needham for... ‘their help with the preparations for the Staff Conference. A lot of work went in to the preparations for the day and the DVD.’ Do you think your colleagues should be recognised for their additional work efforts? Going above and beyond customer expectation and showing a good service. Then award them a pickle via InHouse. A prize will be awarded to the employee with the most pickles during the quarter. 19

Budapest by Aileen Wallen

top of the hill to start your tour. Once at the top the views are amazing. The castle was decimated in the last war and rather than being rebuilt with the original type of stone, it’s all been done with concrete – apart from the parts made of polystyrene! One area of the castle was being renovated, as the work men were drilling bits of polystyrene were flying off the facades into the air, we assumed they were doing this for filming.

Budapest lies on the banks of the Danube, the town of Buda lies on the hilly side of the river opposite lies Pest. Although it’s a good 20 years since the fall of communism, Budapest is still in the midst of great change. Flying to Budapest is cheap and easy with flights from Bristol. A taxi was booked via the internet and our driver was waiting for us when we hit arrivals and he spoke perfect English, telling us proudly about his city all the way in! As you drive into the main town you can’t help but be struck by the huge communist style tower blocks scattered everywhere, which looked very depressing. Then suddenly you hit the main city, stunning buildings in fantastic repair lying next to old mansion houses crying out for love and attention. Amazing bridges stretching over the Danube with the Hungarian Parliament looking over the river from one side and the Castle high on the hill opposite. We stayed in a hotel in the Buda side of the river just below the castle and the beautiful Castle District. On our first full day we decided to tour the Castle District, you can take the funicular railway to the

The Castle District is riddled with miles and miles of labyrinths carved into the hillside. One section you can look around is a military hospital/nuclear bunker which was mothballed at the end of the last world war; it’s hard to imagine a hospital operating in caves so far underground. Under the communist regime two housekeepers lived permanently underground maintaining the generators and equipment, completely in secret. To see the hospital unaltered with all the drugs, bandages as they would have been in the last war was startling. Fantastic experience. Food and drink is plentiful, of a fantastic quality and everyone speaks English so you can’t make any mistakes. Not only that it’s cheap, you can choose to eat and drink in the nice weather in ruined houses or eat somewhere more palatial with chandeliers’ and art deco surroundings. You can see from the photo below that apart from the fact I obviously enjoy my food, from the menu on the board it’s reasonably priced. This was in the expensive Castle District. You can’t possibly do justice to Budapest visiting for a few days, it’s famous for it’s thermal baths, trips down the Danube, architecture, culture, shopping and much, much more. Somewhere I definitely want to return to.

Hope for a new start David Morris All the Band Aid versions start with the words “It’s Christmas time there’s no need to be afraid”. The proceeds of this song are going towards alleviating fears and bringing hope to the areas of West Africa blighted by the Ebola crisis. Christmas for us has itself a magic quality that fills us with feelings of joy, fun, laughter and hope. But the Christmas season does not change our circumstances, we still have to deal with the difficult issues in our lives even if Christmas gives us a temporary respite. The coming of Jesus at Christmas offers us a lasting, solid and reliable hope. His birth marked several new beginnings including a move from measuring our time as BC to AD, the end of the Old Testament in the Bible to starting the New Testament and his eventual death and resurrection gives each of us the opportunity of a new start. If you are afraid this Christmas or just struggling with the weight of everyday life, then why not take time to come to the giver of hope, the one who can give you a fresh start in life, Jesus. Band Aid also sings “We let in light and we banish shade” and Jesus is known as the light of the world. From experience I know what a difference He can make in your life if you’ll let him. In the Psalms we are encouraged to “Taste and see that the Lord is good”. My prayer this Christmas is that you will take a step and let the light of the world shine his love, peace and hope into your lives at this special time of the year. 22

Why not take a picture of your Christmas Tree and be in with a chance of winning a prize for the best decorated one! If you are putting your Christmas Tree up this Christmas, take a picture and send it through to Sian Hughes in Corporate Services by January 6th 2015.

CuIsine Corner Restaurant Review Mamma Mia, Chepstow

By Josh Newington All across the country, it’s becoming easier and easier to find a huge variety of restaurants. Even in my small hometown of Chepstow, you can find everything from tapas bars to Greek meze restaurants. We opted to go to Mamma Mia, an Italian restaurant on the high street.

Welcome to Cuisine Corner! We all love food and it’s always good to get some inspiration from others about what to cook and where to go. Each edition, we want some tantalisingly tasty, tried and tested recipes and reviews to feature in Cuisine Corner. Even on a weeknight, it can get very busy. This isn’t helped by the cramped nature of the restaurant, but don’t let this put you off, as there’s a great atmosphere and the food is well worth it. The menu is very comprehensive and offers the usual dishes you’d expect as well as a few you probably won’t have seen before. After an obvious starter of garlic bread, I chose to have the Filetto Romanza – Fillet steak with gnocchi and red wine jus. The dish looked spectacular but tasted even better. The steak was cooked to perfection, while the rocket in white wine sauce was a refreshing compliment to the rest of the dish. To finish, I had the trio of desserts, which features smaller versions of their Panna Cotta, raspberry cheesecake and tiramisu. I cannot recommend this enough, as they were all so good and were very filling even in their smaller portions. Overall, I would highly recommend paying a visit to Mamma Mia; the food is fantastic, there’s a nice atmosphere and three courses for two people, plus drinks, came to what I would call a very reasonable price given the high standard.

RECIPE Christmas Pudding Rice Krispie Cakes • 50g rice pops (we used Rice Krispies) • 30g raisins, chopped • 50g butter • 100g milk chocolate, broken into pieces • 2 tablespoon crunchy peanut butter • 30g mini marshmallows • 80g white chocolate Ready-made icing holly leaves (we used Sainsbury’s Christmas cake decorations) Put the rice pops and raisins into a bowl. Put the butter, milk chocolate, peanut butter and marshmallows into a small saucepan. Place on a medium to low heat and stir until the chocolate and butter have melted but the marshmallows are just beginning to melt. Pour onto the rice pops and stir until well coated. Line an egg cup with cling film. Press about a tablespoon of the mixture into the egg cup. Press firmly and then remove, peel off the cling film and place the pudding into a cake case, flat-side down. Repeat with the remaining mixture. Chill until firm. Melt the white chocolate in the microwave or in a bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water. Spoon a little chocolate over the top of each pudding. Top with icing holly leaves.

If you would like to share your ideas with us, then please get in touch with the Corporate Services Team. 23

MY TYPICAL DAY 07.30:

My alarm goes off, I jump in the shower, eat breakfast and watch a bit of Good Morning Britain whilst getting ready for work.

08.40:

I leave the house and drive to work.

09.00:

I’m addicted to tea so I make a cuppa and catch up on my emails. I go through my planned visits for the day and send reminder texts to tenants to confirm our visits.

09.30: I leave the office to start my visits. I aim to do five visits a day, they take around an hour each and involve explaining the project and signing people up. 12.30:

Lunch at the moment tends to be sat in a white van in Tesco or Waitrose car park with Luke from Torfaen County Council. I am enjoying a seasonal sandwich at the moment and like to read out articles from Closer magazine to Luke which I’m sure he enjoys.

13.00:

Start more visits and hope they’re in! Unfortunately I have had to do a bit of chasing of tenants and I am knocking more windows than doors!

16.30: Back to the office. I follow up any urgent issues from the day and prepare for the next day’s visits.

HELLO! I’m Cally McCarthy, MHA’s Neighbourhood Officer Welfare Reform SAY HELLO TO CALLY... via

17.30:

On my way home I pop into Waitrose and pick up some food for tea. My friends usually come round for a cup of tea before I get dinner ready. In the evening I’m addicted to trash TV. My favourite at the moment is I’m a Celeb and I want Kendra to win as she’s a favourite of mine from old trash TV programmes. I also love a bit of Geordie Shore!

22.00:

I go to bed and watch a bit of Family Guy before I go to sleep.

Crafty Christmas Make Your Own If you’re feeling particularly creative this Christmas, why not try your hand at making your own decorations. Here is a set of simple instructions below and if you need templates please feel free to ask:

You’ll need: • Two pieces of brown felt (6 inches x 4 inches depending on your template) • Template of a gingerbread man (you could use a cookie cutter, internet, free hand or copy my template) • Black embroidery thread • Needle • Ribbon • Ric Rac • Toy stuffing • Embellishments – could include; buttons, bows, bells etc

Instructions: 1. Cut out two gingerbread man shapes using your template 2. Sew two buttons to the front of one of your templates and as part of the gingerbread man’s ‘body’ (see picture). 3. Cut four pieces of Ric Rac and sew one piece at the end of each of the gingerbread man’s limbs. 4. Use two strands of black embroidery thread to create the facial features of your gingerbread man – eyes & a mouth (as an alternative you could use buttons for the eyes and pink felt for cheeks). 5. Once you’re happy with the embellishments, use blanket stitch to sew your gingerbread men together leaving a small opening for stuffing – whilst doing this you’ll also need to attach a piece of ribbon to the top of your gingerbread man to be able to hang them from your tree. 6. Once you have stitched your two pieces of felt together, you’ll need to use your toy stuffing to fill in the shape. Once this has been completed, finish stitching your gingerbread man with blanket stitch. 7. Add a scarf if you wish – If not, he’s ready to decorate your tree!! 25

PRESS RELEASES

Suggestion Action The GEMS suggestion scheme is a chance for staff to put forward suggestions on how services can be improved for staff or tenants. The winning suggestion gets decided at the Staff Communications Group every quarter. Unfortunately there were no winners decided at the last meeting, but here are some of the suggestions that were put forward. If you have a suggestion and to be in with a chance of winning £50, please complete a GEMS form via In house or using the cards and GEMS post boxes allocated around building. Radstock Court - could be used in conjunction with Nevill Hall Hospital. Either as a recuperation centre or accommodation for overseas Doctors and Nurses as this is within walking distance to the hospital. Or use as a charity base centre for mental health issues for soldiers leaving the forces. Their training camps are only a stones throw away at Brecon and Hereford. John Keegan thinks it is an

excellent idea and will take to SMT. Staff Communications Group voted this as Winner – Louise Grady. All future DSO shirts purchased to have the Capsel logo on the sleeves. This will allow any MHA operative to be chosen to carry out Capsel work and avoid any confusion when a MHA operative turns up at a private address. Not to be implemented owing to legality, CAPSEL and MHA to be kept separate. Vans could place a card in their window showing the house number where they are working. Vans often block in cars, especially in sheltered schemes and tenants have to go and find the driver. DLO comments: Vans should not double park to prevent access to a vehicle, however there are a few complexes that have limited space and double parking maybe necessary, if this occurs then a courtesy card can be used. Retirement card to be sent out automatically when an employee finishes work. Not to be implemented, John

Keegan already sends a personal letter. When training is being held in Boardroom, delegates to use Staff Forum facilities. Boardroom kitchen too small, when employees want to use it at lunch times. This has already been suggested and implemented. Instead of considering outsourcing the collection of very old former tenant arrears, why not offer either an existing staff member a percentage of whatever is collected or employ someone on a part time basis to blitz them for say, 6 months. The preference is that the debt is passed to a reputable collection company which would then result in MHA receiving a % of any collections made without having to invest any of our limited staff resource time. I do acknowledge the desire to reduce our outgoings to third parties but the current FTA’s sap a length of time which we can manage but to concentrate more fully our staff resource onto this work would have a detrimental effect on other aspects of their work. 27

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