December 2015
MERRY CHRISTMAS
John’s Briefing CHRISTMAS Films WINTER FESTIVAL CHRISTMAS PARTY PICS LLAMAU SLEEP OUT AND MUCH MORE!
REMEMBER
(As Seen on TV)
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 In House, 01495 761104 or email: louise.davies@ monmouthshirehousing. co.uk We look forward to hearing from you and hope you enjoy this edition.
John’s Briefing Introductions
Autumn Statement
John introduced Gemma, Housing Management Trainee and Ryan, Research Analyst for Capsel and Elana who will be supporting the Dads Can Team.
The Chancellor wants to promote home ownership, although there’s no definite indication as to how this will happen. The downside to this is that grants – used to build social housing – could be diverted into schemes for home ownership.
Board Away Day Board Members and SMT discussed our future direction from the offers that we made at transfer. Our new future objectives involved thinking about how we reinvent ourselves and differentiate MHA from other providers and what risks we want to take to achieve this. We need to base our services on what people want and need: a prime example being our sheltered homes: we’re finding that fewer people want to live in sheltered schemes, so we need to consider providing more general purpose homes. We’re looking at other housing providers to see how their schemes are performing. We are considering other forms of older person accommodation and also for sale properties that will be required to cross subsidise other stock to be used as social rented accommodation. 2
Other big news affects working families as the Chancellor decided on a u-turn regarding Working Tax Credits, but this is not as it seems. The initial plans to transfer claimants onto Universal Credit (UC) would have seen working families lose on average £3,600 per year. A number of MHA tenants working in Monmouthshire would have been affected by this and well paid, full time work is in short supply in the county. Although the reinstatement of this benefit is better news, the precise impact of how this will be funded by Government will come to light in the coming days.
Building Developments
Rent Arrears
Part of our offer is to provide great quality builds that are better in comparison to other developers such as Barratt. We want to create better homes that people will want to live in and also to produce quality using better materials that will last. This will create better value for money in reducing maintenance and repair costs in the longer term. But there is a place for homes built to the same spec as private developers, particularly homes for sale as we will not retain them and the sensitivity to price is strong so we have to use materials that will deliver the property at a price attractive to home-owners.
Cheryl’s team have been working hard on the Direct Payment Pilot Scheme and is currently keeping arrears down. These are at 3% but rising, but this is still lower than other housing associations that are running at 16 – 18%. Reducing our tenancy turnover, repairs and arrears will reduce our risks and make us a better prospect to lenders in the future.
We’re currently working on a number of sites: we are in the process of demolishing St Cadocs Court ready for redevelopment, we’re working to dispose of a number of small sites that will cost too much for us to renovate and develop: The Old Vicarage in Monmouth and Green Lane in Caldicot will be put up for sale.
Voids Voids & Gold Standard voids – we need to decide whether the Gold Standard project is worthwhile and during Board we discussed setting a standard and cost for voids. We spend £3,200 per Gold Standard void versus £1,800 per regular void, although this figure is creeping up. Other housing associations spend on average £4,000. Our tenancy turnover is reducing to its lowest point at 8% but may end up close to 7.8%. It will bottom out at around 7% at best, but all credit goes out to the DLO for undertaking the works and the Neighbourhoods Team for making this happen. Feedback from Lauren in Neighbourhoods: “It’s made it much easier to show the flats – the tenant can move in and they don’t need to do anything. People are proud of where they live and are looking after their homes.” We need to turn our focus to the communal areas and making these match the quality of the properties. We’re hoping that if we can raise standards of our homes, our tenants will become self-governing and will aim to keep them in good condition. A report to SMT with how we will deal with externals on voids and a further report is due on whether we should develop a cleaning service.
The Big Chat Rob Carey updated us about the Big Chat that happened in October. There is a high level of goodwill for MHA and tenants are generally happy about their homes and communities. Through our survey they told us that they prioritised helping people back to work most and this directly translates into our Work Wise and Skills Wise services. We’ll need to research more about how we can help people reach their aspirations. We also learned that our tenants do a lot to help each other and we want to acknowledge this and let tenants know what they do. The Big Chat was definitely an eye-opener and changed perceptions of what our tenants think of us.
The Inclusion Service Cath Murray filled us in on how the Inclusion Service is doing, so far we’ve helped 177 tenants this year. We’re on target to help 20 tenants into work, having already helped 13 people find employment. We’re also helping others with their CVs and helping others who aren’t fully able to work to improve their skills and self-esteem so that they can access work later.
Rent Setting from Welsh Government Welsh Government will announce its Rent proposals on 8 December. It’s anticipated that very little will be announced this side of the election but if there is no immediate increase, Welsh Government will likely raise rents by double in the year following the election. We have undertaken modelling scenarios to test the threats to our income if rents are decreased. We will be able to cope with most scenarios, however our Board will still be looking for us to deliver value for money. Continued overleaf 3
Safeguarding Reports Process Chris York advised us that the Safeguarding Reports process is available on In-House and details what to do if you need to make a referral about anti-social behavior. He reminded us that it’s important to report anything that we witness in our communities to avoid disruption to other tenants and to help vulnerable individuals become a benefit to their community.
Management Accounts Management accounts were also discussed at Board and Members are aware that there is an underspend at the moment. Members wanted assurance that our spending is balanced and that there won’t be a rush on spending at the end of the financial year. We need to get better at forecasting our expenditure and planning forward so that we are spending funds steadily and wisely.
Tenant Insight Claudia Blair talked us through Tenant Insight and asked that all staff update tenant insight information – it’s important to the organization as we’ve used our data to demonstrate what our tenants can and can’t afford and it’s a powerful tool for us to be able to use to get our tenants a fair deal in new developments that we’re negotiating on. We have around 1000 missing National Insurance numbers in Capita and we need these in order to deal with upcoming Universal Credit claimants. Although there is a lot of data held in Capita, it’s stored in note format and not against the specific fields which means that we’re unable to extract and analyse the information. See page 28 for more information and how you can help with Tenant Insight.
Presentation of Qualifications At John’s Briefing David Morton - Multi Skilled Operative Level 2 NVQ in Performing Engineering Operations – Self-funded Emma Gallo - Neighbourhood Officer Level 3 Award in Leadership and Management Kate Bradbrook - Corporate Services Manager Level 5 Award in Leadership and Management Liz Jones - Capsel Commercial Manager Postgraduate Certificate in Sustainable Leadership & CMI Level 7 Certificate in Strategic Management and Leadership
Absent colleagues Dean Phillips - Neighbourhood Officer CIH Certificate for the Housing Profession (Level 4) Lauren Lewis - Neighbourhood Officer Level 3 Award in Leadership and Management Pete Stephens - Finance Systems Officer BSc in Applied Accounting
Staff Survey We had a great response to the Staff Survey – details to be released soon!
Kath Deakin - Community Services Manager Level 5 Award in Leadership and Management Sarah Jones - Income & Energy Adviser Certificate in Money Advice Practice
Congratulations to you all! 4
News In Brief Halloween Fancy Dress Competition The monstrous winners of this year’s Halloween Fancy Dress competition is Maria Williams! Her gang of ghouls are: Joesph, age 5: boneshaking good as The Skeleton; Evia, 3 the spellbinding Witch; and bringing the Zombie apocalypse is 12 year old Benedict! Well done – a tub of treats is yours! Also, a big thank you to runner-up Holly Daniel, 7, who looked frighteningly good as a Halloween witch!
HR Policy Updates Recruitment Policy Updates include changes to the procedure following the introduction of Networx, MHA’s new electronic recruitment system.
Attendance Policy Now mentions the government’s new Fit for Work service. Employers or GP’s can refer employees who have been off work for 4 weeks or more (with their permission) for an overthe-phone or face-to-face assessment with a medical adviser, which results in a return to work plan.
Flexi Policy Introduced an annual cap of 12 days.
Policies can be found on
First Christmas at Trevor Bowen House Kerris Winter (pictured) helped the residents of Trevor Bowen House get in the mood for Christmas by putting up it’s first Christmas Tree.
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8 Films For Christmas It's A Wonderful Life
Frank Capra - 1946 After George Bailey (James Stewart) wishes he had never been born, an angel (Henry Travers) is sent to earth to make George’s wish come true. George starts to realize how many lives he has changed and impacted, and how they would be different if he was never there.
Scroodged
Richard Donner - 1988 In this modern take on Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” Frank Cross (Bill Murray) is a wildly successful television executive whose cold ambition and curmudgeonly nature has driven away the love of his life, Claire Phillips (Karen Allen). But after firing a staff member, Eliot Loudermilk (Bobcat Goldthwait), on Christmas Eve, Frank is visited by a series of ghosts who give him a chance to re-evaluate his actions and right the wrongs of his past.
Die Hard
Len Wiseman - 1988 As the nation prepares to celebrate Independence Day, veteran cop John McClane (Bruce Willis) carries out another routine assignment: bringing in a computer hacker (Justin Long) for questioning. Meanwhile, a tech-savvy villain named Thomas Gabriel (Timothy Olyphant) launches an attack on America’s computer infrastructure. As chaos descends around him, McClane must use old-fashioned methods to fight the high-tech threat.
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation Jeremiah S. Chechik - 1989
As the holidays approach, Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) wants to have a perfect family Christmas, so he pesters his wife, Ellen (Beverly D’Angelo), and children, as he tries to make sure everything is in line, including the tree and house decorations. However, things go awry quickly. His hick cousin, Eddie (Randy Quaid), and his family show up unplanned and start living in their camper on the Griswold property. Even worse, Clark’s employers renege on the holiday bonus he needs.
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Home Alone
Chris Columbus - 1990 When bratty 8-year-old Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) acts out the night before a family trip to Paris, his mother (Catherine O’Hara) makes him sleep in the attic. After the McCallisters mistakenly leave for the airport without Kevin, he awakens to an empty house and assumes his wish to have no family has come true. But his excitement sours when he realizes that two con men (Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern) plan to rob the McCallister residence, and that he alone must protect the family home.
The Nightmare Before Christmas Henry Selick - 1993
The film follows the misadventures of Jack Skellington, Halloweentown’s beloved pumpkin king, who has become bored with the same annual routine of frightening people in the “real world.” When Jack accidentally stumbles on Christmastown, all bright colors and warm spirits, he gets a new lease on life -- he plots to bring Christmas under his control by kidnapping Santa Claus and taking over the role. But Jack soon discovers even the best-laid plans of mice and skeleton men can go seriously awry.
Elf
Jon Favreau - 2003 Buddy (Will Ferrell) was accidentally transported to the North Pole as a toddler and raised to adulthood among Santa’s elves. Unable to shake the feeling that he doesn’t fit in, the adult Buddy travels to New York, in full elf uniform, in search of his real father. As it happens, this is Walter Hobbs (James Caan), a cynical businessman. After a DNA test proves this, Walter reluctantly attempts to start a relationship with the childlike Buddy with increasingly chaotic results.
Fred Claus
David Dobkin - 2007 Of the two Claus brothers, Fred (Vince Vaughn) is the troublemaker and polar opposite of his saintly sibling, Nicholas (Paul Giamatti). When Fred’s criminal ways finally land him in big trouble, Nicholas bails him out and brings him to the North Pole to work off the debt by making toys. The headaches mount for St. Nick, who not only must deal with his troublemaking brother, but also an efficiency expert who has come to evaluate Santa’s operation.
How Convenient! Rachal Collins’ son, Keri releases his first film, ‘Convenience’ to critical acclaim Award-winning Director, Keri Collins saw his debut feature film released in October. Keri, son of proud mum, Rachal Collins won a Bafta Cymru breakthrough award last year for the film. Starring former Eastenders actor, Ray Panthaki, Adeel Akhtar and ‘This Is England’ star, Vicky McClure was filmed in 2012. The farcical comedy tells the story of two wouldbe criminals who attempt to rob a petrol station to clear a debt, but end up working the night shift! The 37 year old former Newport film school student said that the low-budget film was shot on location in Gorseinon, Swansea in four weeks with a cast of twenty including cameo appearances from Anthony Head (Buffy the Vampire Slayer – and depending on your age, the Nescafe adverts!) and Verne Troyer (Mini-Me – Austin Powers). Mentored by Kenneth Brannagh, he directed his second film My Romantic History earlier in the year.
Convenience is available for download from iTunes and Amazon. Extracts taken from article published in the Western Mail on 2 October 2015 and from Wales Online: Top 50 Coolest Men.
www.kericollins.co.uk
And as if that wasn’t enough to make mum proud, Keri also made it onto Wales’ Coolest 50 Men list in 2015! 7
Katie Knill Environmental Support Officer Hi I’m Katie! I have recently graduated from Aberystwyth University and spent this summer working on a ranch in Canada which was amazing. When I came back I worked with MHA as part of the Big Chat project. I loved working with a range of people and I learnt a lot so when I was given the opportunity to do this role, I jumped at the chance. I am really enjoying this role as it links to my University degree and have found that all the staff at MHA are so positive and friendly. I enjoy horse riding, clay pigeon shooting and travelling (Africa was one of my best experiences as I love the animals, getting involved in conservation work and going on safari)!
Who would you like to be stuck in a lift with and why? This is a tricky one because the logical answer would be a lift engineer, but if I was going to be stuck for hours I would probably choose Channing Tatum because he is a good looking guy or Michael McIntyre because he makes me laugh especially when he wobbles his head and hair on stage – It literally makes me cry with laughter!
Ceri Melhuish-Thomas Dads Can Development Worker Hi, I’m Ceri and I am the new Development Worker with the Dads Can project. I have worked for many years in different settings from schools, residential units for young people and secure units before developing my knowledge and experience working within family intervention teams. I found a real passion for working with a family as a whole. I joined MHA and the Dads Can project so that I can use my experience to work and support the dads of Monmouthshire and Newport in order from them to realise their full potential as a father figure within the family home.
Who would you like to be stuck in a lift with and why? I’m torn between many people but my choice would be the late British Lions, Wales and Llanelli mega star, Ray Gravell. His massive stature and presence on and off the rugby field will entertain me until the lift engineer arrives.
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Why not say hello to all the new starters on
Anna Phythian Performance Admin Assistant Hi I’m Anna Phythian and I’ve recently started as the Performance Admin Assistant. I was previously working as a yacht rigger in Penarth so am very grateful to be out of the chilly weather at this time of year! I’ve recently moved to Usk from Cardiff and am really enjoying living in such a lovely area. I’m looking forward to learning all about Housing and getting to know you lovely lot.
Who would you like to be stuck in a lift with and why? I’d most like to be stuck in a lift with Eddie Izzard as I imagine he’d keep me entertained, and I could equally do with the make-up tips!
Neil Price Bricklayer
Staff Changes Mandy Davies – Community Safety Officer Jessie Sibthorpe – Engagement Officer 9
Mark Lowe Painter/Decorator Supervisor My name is Mark Lowe and I am a keen amateur historian since childhood as I have a deep interest in history. Contrary to this my other hobby is a love of football supporting Liverpool FC which I have a membership for and often travel with friends to Anfield to support the team.
Who would you like to be stuck in a lift with and why? If I were stuck in a lift with anyone then it would have to be my favourite author Bernard Cornwell. As a child I was not an avid reader and it was due to his historical books that inspired my own love of history. As a result he would be the person I feel I could have hours of conversation with.
Ryan Wiggam Research Analyst I started as a volunteer for Capsel, doing research into future opportunities for the waste management business and have since been brought on until the beginning of December. I graduated in July with a master’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Bath and am aiming to find a graduate chemical engineering role within the next three to six months. Outside of work, I love to read and enjoy hiking, skiing and playing tennis. I have been playing the bagpipes since I was eight and practice as regularly as I can.
Who would you like to be stuck in a lift with and why? Andy Green. For those who don’t know of him, he is a Wing Commander and fighter pilot in the RAF who also happens to hold the current land speed record (763mph in Thrust SSC) and aims to break 1000mph next year driving Bloodhound SSC. I would love to ask him about his career, what it felt like to be strapped to two enormous jet engines and fired across a salt flat at the speed of sound and all about the amazing British engineering going into the new car.
Matthew Bradley Waste Operative
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Why not say hello to all the new starters on
We wish them the best for the future. Claire Griffin Web Wise Support Advisor
Amy Jones Ziggies Co-ordinator
Julia Rice Work & Skills Wise Project Officer
David Hood Maintenance Officer
James Perry DSO Administrator
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Afternoon Tea at Trevor Bowen House By Aileen Wallen
On the 21st October, a “Get to know your Neighbourhood Team” afternoon tea was organised by Claire Brian at Trevor Bowen House, Monmouth. Cheryl Tracy, Aileen Wallen, Kerris Winter, Claire Brian and Joe Worgan attended. We got there nice and early to set up the buffet in the lounge area and we bumped into Tony Bowen, Consultant Clerk of Works who gave us a guided tour of the new development including some of the tenant’s homes. The welcome that we and Tony received from the tenants was amazing: in addition to being struck by how proud they all were of their new homes and their obvious delight in showing them off to us was their reaction to Tony, you would have thought he was a close relative (he does often say he is the son of Trevor Bowen)! We were joined on our tour by members of the Customer Services Team who then went on to attend the afternoon tea. Cheryl Tracy opened the afternoon by introducing staff to the tenants and explaining their roles within the team, music was then played and the tea commenced. 12
A great time was had by all with families of tenants also attending nibbling away at the delicious sandwiches, cakes, coffee and tea being served by the Neighbourhood and Customer Services Teams, but we were aware that many of our residents found it difficult to attend due to their health. We knocked on every door, introduced ourselves and took sandwiches and cake to those who were less able. Apart from the residents and their families having a lovely afternoon, relationships have been forged between staff, tenants and their families which is hoped will lead to “happy tenants and successful tenancies”.
Winter Festivals Bring Festive Cheer to Residents of Monmouthshire We would like to invite you to join us at our
Winter Festival for older people
The Reddings, Bulwark
Two new winter festivals for older people living in Monmouthshire attracted over 80 attendees and staff from a range of organisations at events held in Abergavenny and Chepstow.
MHA Housing Support Manager Neil Binnell said: “MHA puts on a range of health and wellbeing events throughout the year in our sheltered schemes around Monmouthshire. These events are aimed at all older people living in the communities in which we work, not just MHA tenants. “We are happy that local people get the maximum benefits from the use of our communal facilities in our sheltered accommodation.”
Wednesday 18th November 2015 10:30am until 1:30pm
MHA’s free Winter Festivals offered FREE ENTRY • OPEN TO OVER 55s attendees the chance to find out about the range of support available in Monmouthshire, including Age Cymru Gwent, the British Red Cross, Wiltshire Farm Foods, Mon Leisure, Monmouthshire Library Service, Community Connections, Care and Repair Monmouthshire and the South East Wales Energy Agency. MHA0379 Winter Festival Invites.indd 1
22/10/2015 08:08:23
A Christmas craft workshop proved very popular, with people able to make their own festive decoration to take home. The Stroke Association were on hand to offer blood pressure checks, while the band Kozmic Drive performed a number of seasonal songs.
MHA tenant John Wilson is pictured at the Winter Festival held in Abergavenny.
Wiltshire Farm Foods generously donated two festive hampers as raffle prizes and the event was capped by a special general knowledge quiz run by Bernard Pearson – star of the BBC quiz show Eggheads. John Wilson, 86, of Abergavenny said: “The festival offers a splendid way of accessing information about local services in one place. It also gives people the chance to talk to professionals about subjects they may not feel comfortable talking about with friends or family.” Chepstow resident Gwendolyn Williams, 93, said: “I find it harder to get into town as I get older, especially in the bad weather. So the events MHA put on such as the Winter Festival give me chance to get out and meet people.”
Toni Nurse (left) from Monmouthshire County Council’s Exercise Referral Team is pictured with MHA tenant Janie McCarthy at the Winter Festival. 13
COMPLIMENTS Mrs Howells would like to thank the DSO Team for... “All of the repairs and works attended to since being at the property, I cannot believe how good the service is. After living in private rents for 20 years I’m very grateful for everything you do.”
Mr Lock would like to thank Lauren Lewis for... “The professional way Lauren dealt with him at the 9 month starter tenant visit. Lauren was kind, sociable, approachable and concerned to listen to his needs.”
Mr Wheelock would like to thank Dean Lannen for... “The kind, patient and efficient manner in which he helped me re: my traumatic infected foot when I was unable to walk. Very painful indeed. Full marks to Mr Lannen!”
Mrs Wilson would like to thank Joe Worgan for... “Arranging for the installation of a handrail at Priory Court. Residents are more than grateful.”
Ms Ellis would like to thank Lorraine Denley for... “Ringing and reassuring me. I’m so relieved, really appreciate your support and help. It’s just sinking in since putting the phone down. I can’t tell you how much this means to all of us. Thank you so much!”
A Big Thank You To the DLO for raising lots of concern cards in the last few months. Each and every one has been dealt with by Neighbourhood staff making a massive difference to our customers. Even if we are already aware of the problems a tenant or community are having, all information builds a picture enabling us to deal with the situation more effectively. Some concerns raised have led to simple remedies for example rubbish being removed, but others have either assisted or led directly to greater partnership working with other agencies. A few successful examples: one lady had not been engaging with her Neighbourhood Officer over rent arrears she had accrued, but decided to speak to a member of the DLO. Due to the concern card being raised we were then able to engage the tenant in a meaningful conversation, the outcome of which is that she has not lost her home and is feeling more confident about the future. Another case reported via a concern card has led to increased support from Social Services and additional evidence which allows us to work in partnership with relevant agencies. This case will not be resolved overnight and improvements will take some time, but the support needed is now in place. We know how important to our tenants their relationship with the DLO is, how fantastic is it that they feel they can talk to you about other concerns apart from repairs. Please keep the concern cards coming in, we will always endeavour to deal with matters raised sensitively in order to maintain the special relationship you have. Sometimes sadly we may all come across safeguarding issues where it is our duty to report to Social Services or the Police but where possible we will look to protect the special relationship the DLO have.
Neighbourhood Team 14
e t a Upd Capsel processes 50 tonnes of waste in one month Capsel’s Waste Management facility is celebrating after achieving a key strategic aim – the processing of 50 tonnes of waste in just one month, or the equivalent of 30 medium sized cars!
work of people like George. By giving staff and volunteers the chance to develop their skills, and by offering the right training, we benefit from a more efficient work force. This is key to making Capsel Waste a sustainable business.”
Meet Mark and Matt
With Capsel now taking waste from a number of local businesses, charities and housing associations, including MHA, the facility is capable of processing increased volumes of recycling.
Capsel has appointed two new members of staff – Mark Lowe, who has started as a Supervisor with the Painting and Decorating team and Matt Bradley, who is working at Capsel’s Waste Management facility.
100% of the waste that enters the facility is recycled in a number of ways. This includes processing rigid plastic which is compacted and sent to China; timber which is shredded and sold as Grade B wood product to biomass plants; and soft plastics which are processed and shipped to Holland.
Mark said: “I’m really enjoying working with the Capsel team and with Evan and Rudi. For me, one of the most rewarding parts of the job is when tenants are pleased with our work and when we get positive feedback.”
With the increased volume of recycling going through the facility comes the need for more staff and Capsel have taken on a new fulltime Waste Operative, as well as a number of volunteers. MHA tenant George Lock is now volunteering four days a week and is about to start formal training as part of the job, boosting his skills and CV. Waste Manager James Parry said: “We’re pleased with how things are going and we are growing steadily. It’s great we’ve now achieved one of the key targets for the facility – processing 50 tonnes of waste in a month – and we’ll aim to build on that. “Key to the achievement is the hard
Matt has joined Capsel full time after working at the Waste Management facility for six months through an agency. Matt said: “It’s great to join Capsel full time. After working at the waste yard for last few months I’ve seen it change dramatically in that time and we’re busier than ever. The main thing I enjoy is working with the range of different people that come in and out of the yard and particularly helping new volunteers develop their skills and confidence.”
Are you ready for winter? MHA staff can benefit from Capsel’s great value gas and heating services to get your home heating system ready for winter. Our Ready for Winter Health Check is just £40 including VAT. This includes: • Boiler safety check • Radiator and pipework check • Radiator bleeding Capsel’s one-off boiler service is just £55 including VAT and we offer gas and heating repair service for just £30 per hour including VAT. Don’t take the risk! Get your gas and heating system ready for winter with Capsel.
Refer a friend – and both get a £5 voucher! If you think a friend or family member could benefit from Capsel’s wide range of home services, contact us and you could both get a £5 high street voucher. All you have to do is contact us on 0333 207 9000 or email info@capsel.co.uk with you and your friends details, and when your friend signs up to use Capsel’s services, you’ll both receive a £5 voucher.
FREE VOUCH WORTH ERS £1 YOU RE 0 WHEN FE FRIEND R A ! 15
Cancun by Emma Gallo
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This October myself and a group of friends decided we were fed up of the usual European holidays and wanted to go on a biggie... After hearing lots of great things about Cancun from family and friends, we decided to book it! It seemed to have everything there from beautiful beaches, action packed adventure days and an awesome party scene. It sounded like the perfect trip - and it was. We are an active lot so really wanted to do as much as possible: on out first trip, we hired speedboats and a guide took us to the coral reef where we snorkelled. There were so many fish that came in all sorts of colours and sizes, I was surprised about the coral itself as although it was very beautiful, I thought it would be more brightly coloured, but it was mostly shades of reds and browns, there were also different statues of people at the bottom of the sea which was really spooky. Our second trip was to Chichen itza which is one of seventh wonders of the world. The photos of it don’t do it justice. Standing in front of the pyramid and looking up at the structure is awe inspiring. Visitors can stand roughly 100 feet from one of the four stair cases and clap their hands to hear the pyramid answer them in the voice of the sacred quetzal bird. It’s pretty awesome. The rest of the area has many ruins to explore and with the right guide there is quite a lot of history to can learn. At the end of the trip the guide takes you to a local Cenote which is almost like a well in the jungle floor, it was soooooo cold, as it is fresh water, but after being in the blistering heat all day we all just ran and jumped in.
which defiantly got your adrenaline going. The zip lines were incredible, and are the longest in the world! Next we did the Amphibious Vehicles! We laughed all the way round the 2 circuits! We were lucky and managed to get into the front buggies both times so could ‘charge’ off with nobody in front of us - my bum was never on the seat as it was so bumpy - well and driving through the water bit! Never had so much fun! We were all in stitches laughing! Whilst hanging on! Swimming in the underground caves was awesome - you have to wear a life vest so can just float along if you like, it was great to see all the stalactites, stalagmites and BATS who lived in the caves. In-between our activities we lounged about the pool and recovered from our hangovers. The best club was Coco Bongos, it was that good that we went back as VIP Gold Members: it meant we had our own balcony, with waiter!! It’s owned by Jim Carey and has been voted the second best club in the world and it’s definitely one of the best I’ve been to. The evening is filled with Las Vegas-Style performances from lookalike celebrities, and breathtaking aerial acrobatics. The night we were there was a Pirates of the Caribbean show as well, so there were pirates flying around our heads fighting away; it really was incredible to watch. All in all I can really say it was a holiday of a lifetime, and would love to go back one day.
Our third trip was swimming with dolphins, the day started great as we were taken across the ocean to another island on catamaran, we were also able to stop and jump off half way through. We swam with the dolphins for around an hour, we held onto their fins as they pulled us along and two dolphins lifted you us out of water by pushing the bottom of your feet with their noses. Also included in the day was swimming with sharks and sting rays, although this sounds really scary, they did not come to the service of the water, so none of us lost any limbs to a shark bite! The final day trip was X-Plore and we most definitely saved the best till last: it was an action packed day 17
A M T S I R H C
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AS PARTY
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CURE YOUR hangover Partying heroically over the festive period? Here are a few cures that could help you feel like a human again. Water
Ginger or Peppermint Tea
During or after a night of excessive drinking, most of us will turn to water to quench our thirst, since our body is absolutely parched. While the thought of putting more liquid into your body may sound revolting, water can actually help. Typically, the negative symptoms of alcohol derive from the dehydration of the body.
Although the previous study found Sprite may be more effective than herbal teas, other studies suggest sipping on ginger or peppermint tea is the perfect soothing brew for hangover-related nausea and stomach aches. Green tea is also known to be helpful to the liver, as EGCG (Epigallocatechin galate) has been shown to stimulate key detoxification pathways.
Sprite Ironically, chugging on sweet, caffeine-free soda, may provide much solace during a hangover. In a 2013 study published in the journal Food and Function, Chinese researchers found the drink helps the body better metabolize alcohol by speeding up our ability to process aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH), believed to be the culprit for hangover symptoms. 20
Bananas & Pretzels This may seem like a peculiar combination but eating pretzels and bananas can cure a hangover. These foods high in salt and potassium content, respectively, are the way to go. Some nutritionists recommend eating these two foods because they are good sources to prevent further dehydration: both salt and potassium are electrolytes that hold
onto water to decrease dehydration. Alternative sources of electrolytes are anything that contains salt and potassium. Try sipping on coconut water, which is stacked with electrolytes. It’s low-calorie, low fat, has less sugar than sports drinks and juices and has been shown in some studies to be less irritating to your stomach.
TPAS Cymru Conference By Jessie Sibthorpe
Coffee & Aspirin The most predictable and simple combination has actually been proven to work. A 2010 study found that caffeine in coffee and the anti-inflammatory ingredients of aspirin and other painkillers, reacted against the chemical compounds of ethanol, or pure alcohol. Take care though: coffee further dehydrates you and is acidic, but it will force adrenaline up which will give you a false energy boost and will dump you in a sugar low if you don’t eat sensibly. It’s best to take precaution when it comes to drinking coffee and painkillers together. Painkillers - Extra tip: If you can manage it get up at around 7am, drink loads of water, take an Ibuprofen and then go back to sleep. You’ll wake up healed (kind of )!
Virgin cocktails Try a Virgin Mary: the fruit juice will put vitamins back in your body. Or the “pH Shot,” contains: kale (1 cup) + lemon (1/2 without rind) + ginger root (thumb size) + 1/4 cucumber + 1/4 cup pineapple + 3oz water. Blend and drink!
In November myself and Rob went along to the TPAS Cymru two day conference at Llandrindod Wells and took eight tenants along with us. The conference was a jam packed two days full of networking, workshops and team work sessions. Everyone enjoyed hearing about the latest in housing, the challenges going forward and the great work people are doing to make sure tenants are involved in decisions that affect their homes and communities.
Friars Walk
Eating Eating light protein rich foods will help give your body the energy it needs, while juices will put vitamins back in you.
Rumour remedies Gym won’t fix it – you’ll dehydrate yourself more than last night’s bevvies did. Hair of the dog – don’t give in to the craving for more alcohol. The full English – the carb craving links back to the withdrawals from the carbs in your drinks last night.
For more information visit www.nhs.uk/Livewell/alcohol
Newport’s new shopping centre has recently opened, it looks great and has lots of shops and places to eat out. Newport Council are hopeful that it will attract millions of visitors, as there is real excitement from the people of Newport. It’s one of the UK’s most significant regeneration investments to be built since the recessions and has provided Newport and surrounding areas with employment opportunities. Shops & restaurants at Friars Walk include: Next, Pandora, New Look, H&M, Cineworld, Nandos, Frankie & Benny’s, TGI Fridays and many more. 21
Five Sleep Out for Llamau Five intrepid colleagues gave up their bed for a night of sleeping rough to raise awareness of homelessness. Okay, it’s November, it’s stormy season, you’re at a loose end of a Thursday, so what do you do? Give up a cosy night in for a night in cardboard boxes of course! Naturally, if you’re going to put yourselves right in the way of Hurricane Abigail, it has to be for a good cause. There’s no better cause than raising awareness of those people who don’t have a choice between a cwtchy bed and sleeping rough. Llamau means ‘steps’ in Welsh and it’s fitting for a charity whose aim is to provide steps towards a better life. Because of the work they do, they know that there are many reasons why people end up on the street and they help with building relationships between young people and their parents, connect people to training and jobs so that they can support themselves and point them in a better direction. Emma Assender, Liz Jones, Ben Hennessy, Katie Needham and Michelle Smith all believe that this is vitally important and judging by the support you’ve given us, you do too. Here’s what happened: After a few days of eyeing the weather forecast we all packed up our sleeping bags, snacks, extra socks and thermals and headed down to the Tennis Centre in Cardiff Bay. It was easy to find – just follow the signs and the trail of bobble hats trooping along carrying sleeping bags. Registration was easy and we were shown into the 22
main event in the tennis area where the bar and snack-laden tables awaited us. So far, so good – perhaps this sleeping out thing wasn’t so bad after all… At around 8pm things really got started and the CEO welcomed us all to Sleep Out 2015 and showed a short film of people who have been helped by Llamau: it was really heart warming to see how people can flourish when they’re given the right support. By this time the band had struck up and conversation and general bonding was taking place over a pizza supper. This was soon brought to a pause by the arrival of Nessa, well, fake-Nessa. Her first duty was to adjudicate and judge the Build a Shelter competition and it was our first opportunity to work for our keep. The brief was to build a shelter: Katie – MHA’s answer to Kevin Macleod had some crackin’ ideas about fitting the cardboard boxes on each other, like self-supporting bricks so we soon had ourselves a sturdy fortress, covered with tarpaulin to keep out the forecasted deluge. Meanwhile, Liz and her daughter Sacha were building their masterpiece and Ben opted to create a mansized Toblerone to sleep in. Once fake-Nessa had judged the best shelter – we all joined in for the auction and raffle before hitting the dance floor. By 11pm, the bar was calling last orders and people had
begun the cardboard exodus. The grass was wet – well, soaking – and it made no difference that plastic sheeting had been put down, somehow puddles – well, pools – had still formed over the top. Ben sought shelter against a fence, so that he wouldn’t get blown away and Liz and Sacha had lost their roof and were snuggled deep in their sleeping bags styling it out open-air fashion! I was in awe actually – they stayed out Lionel Ritchie style: all night long! The GoCompare team were up for an all-nighter it seemed so there was a lot of hilarity (and bad singing) for a while after ‘lights out’, although by 3am it was pretty quiet except for the wind, which blew all night. Luckily though it didn’t bring rain with it and we deftly avoided a soaking. It seemed no time at all until the wake-up call at 5.40am and it was time for coffee and bacon butties. There were lots of bleary eyes and happy faces though.
“Taking part in a sleep out style event was a first for me, I was keen to see how the event worked and after learning all funds raised from the event go directly to Llamau’s frontline services, I decided to sign up. I really enjoyed the shelter challenge: it’s a really good event and one that’s ultimately going to help some of Wales’ most vulnerable people.” Ben Hennessy
It felt great to give up a comfort that we take for granted for others and it was great fun and an awesome opportunity to talk to other people about such a great cause. I’m definitely up for it again next year so keep an eye out for the bobble hat! “Having been homeless as a child this is a charity very close to my heart. Llamau’s Sleep Out is an excellent way to raise awareness and provide the much needed funds to help young people who find themselves with no other alternative than to live on the streets.” Michelle Smith “My favourite bit was staying cosy and warm in our shelter that stayed up all night! It was a reminder though that homeless people don’t have the choice or the opportunities that we have so it was great to be able to support Llamau to change that.” Katie Needham “The thought of anyone having to sleep out every night with nowhere to go made me realise how vulnerable these people are, and the biggest thought was how lucky I was that even though I was outside I had my family and friends with me - most homeless people can’t even say that.” Liz Jones 23
My Typical Day 6.15: My alarm goes off. If I’m feeling energetic I’ll get myself off to an early spin class then a Waitrose coffee but more often than not, I’ll leisurely get myself ready until my partner shouts up to let me know that breakfast is ready - scrambled eggs on toast and fresh coffee every morning – I can’t complain about that (although I’m in charge of clearing and washing up!!) 8:00 / 8:30: I get into work and check my emails. I receive ‘Handpicked Housing News’ and other various emails every morning which updates me on everything I need to know from the Housing Sector. I read these to try and make sure that we know about external factors and risks that may affect us. 9:00: My role is very varied so every day is different – I usually have various tasks and queries to deal with around, for example, Data Protection, Insurance queries, risks or Internal Audit. At the moment, however, a lot of my time is spent on the implementation of Civica. If we have a consultant in from Civica I will join the rest of the project team in one of our meeting rooms to go through different areas of the system. I try to make sure that any issues and questions are logged and that we receive a response from Civica. 12:30: At lunchtime I either sit at my desk and have a look on the internet, go for a walk or more recently I’ve been helping David James out with learning Welsh, which is great. 13:00: During the afternoons, if we don’t have Civica consultants in, I try and concentrate on bigger tasks that require more time and more concentration. Recently, for example I have coordinated a review of our Financial Regulations and Standing Orders and I’m also in the process of reviewing how we manage risk in MHA and transferring all risk information onto Covalent.
HELLO! I’m Mared Dafydd, MHA’s Risk & Business Assurance Manager SAY HELLO TO MARED... via 24
17:00: I usually leave work around 17:00 and either go to the gym or head home to put dinner on. I’m definitely not a good or imaginative cook so dinner is usually chicken and roast veg (so boring)!! Whilst dinner is cooking I make “bocs bwyd” (lunchbox) ready for the following day. 19:00: We normally sit down and watch a few episodes of whichever box set we’re into – at the moment it’s Homeland. But if it’s Thursday “we” have to watch rugby league – which means I’ll be on my phone all night chatting to family or one of the girls. 22:00: Bed time
Thank You!
Community Connections would like to say a very big ‘Thank You’ to MHA staff who helped to raise funds for Community Connections. We plan to use some of this generous donation to fund Christmas activities for our beneficiaries. This would include: • A pre-Christmas meal for beneficiaries in the Wye valley hotel and a drink for all volunteers who help on the day. • Presents (plants in decorated baskets) and diabetic option chocolates/biscuits. • A Christmassy afternoon tea in Bridges for beneficiaries and volunteers. The donation will also help to sustain some of our regular social groups and activities and ensure that we can support people to get out to meet others and have a change of scene. Community Connections supports people who are socially isolated in Monmouthshire to feel part of their community by providing volunteer befrienders. They bring people together either on a one-to-one basis or in social activity groups. Volunteers can provide company at home and may also enable people to get out to get to appointments or local facilities. For more information visit www.befriendingmonmouthshire.org.uk
Here are a selection of “Pickles” that you have awarded to your colleagues recently: Rob Carey has ‘pickled’ Shane Hatherall for… “going above and beyond in his quest to resolve an issue not of his making. Tenacious isn’t the word.” Tanya Brannigan has ‘pickled’ Gareth Denley for… “always bringing a cheerful smile and some milk and the occasional treat when he’s in the area, it’s very much appreciated by south support team.” Emma Assender has ‘pickled’ Patricia Jones for… “instantly coming to my rescue and helping me sort out the kneeling stool. Thanks Toolbox-Trish!” Emma Assender has ‘pickled’ Ben Hennessy, Lauren Lewis, Katie Needham & Holly Doughton for… “making/donating scarily good caked for the Llamau Sleep Out Cake Sale!” Patricia Jones has ‘pickled’ Mark Parry for… “helping a damsel in distress. Picture the scene, there were four pheasants lined up in a row on the A465, they didn’t move, and I ran over at least one. It got wedged behind the grill of my car and me being a girlie couldn’t remove it. Mark managed to remove it for me.” 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 In House. A prize will be awarded to the employee with the most deserved pickles during the quarter. 25
Try a Trade This month Emma from Corporate Services leaves her desk and spends a day with Gas Servicing Engineer, Leigh Price. 08.45: Soon enough Leigh starts the service by 08.00: Our trades guys get on the road at 8am
each morning. Leigh aims to arrive at his calls by 9am, allowing for travel – if his first call is close to his base, it’ll be sooner. This morning his first stop is in Caldicot, so we arrive at 08.41.
08.41: Leigh’s first job of the day is a boiler service
for an elderly resident in one of our bungalows. While we wait for the resident to get to the front door Leigh points out a keysafe device that he installed as the lady who lives here has problems finding her key. Once the door opens Leigh picks up her two pints of milk and brings them in.
checking the expansion vessel. This is a large flask like piece of kit that regulates the water pressure within the boiler. It’s showing signs of wear and Leigh advises the resident that a new one will need to be ordered and fitted. Then he checks the ‘governer’ – which regulates the pressure of the incoming gas. It needs to be between 19 and 25; this one is at 24.6. Spot on. Leigh changes the filter as it’s showing signs of wear. If left too long the filter will get clogged and will allow dust into the system.
09.18: Most of the checks need to be done for at least 2 minutes in order to get an accurate reading, so it’s just over half an hour before the next stage. Leigh brings in his telescopic ladder and checks the flue in the attic: it’s fine, so he’s off out to the back garden to check the termination valve. It’s an l-shaped pipe that leaves the building usually from the kitchen. In the event of hot water coming from the system it’ll be under a lot of pressure so will act like a geyser and can cause injury if you’re in the way – which is why the l-shape points downwards. They can sometimes get broken off so Leigh checks to make sure that it’s there and able to do its job. While we’re outside Leigh notices that the roof is overgrown with moss and makes a note to report this. 09.36: That’s the boiler check done and Leigh
resets the time clock for a year’s time so that it will power down if the next check isn’t done in time. The Schedulers back at HQ will programme the next service and this will be booked on closer to the time. Next Leigh checks the fire alarm is working by sending a test signal – he calls in to the alarm company to advise them that he’s undertaken a test
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– all’s good and he checks the CO2 detector using an app on his mobile device. This is a brilliant piece of software that logs when a test was done and logs the readings.
09.43: We say goodbye to the tenant and Jodie
the dog, reminding her that an engineer will be back to fit the expansion vessel and jump in the van.
10.15: Next call is in Bulwark: Mr Johnson’s boiler needs a new expansion vessel and this one’s a tricky job as the vessel sits at the back of the boiler against the wall. This job requires chisels and mortar, so Leigh sets to knocking out the existing mortar to release the vessel before lowering it in. Mr Johnson has lived in this house since 2002 and has recently had a knee replacement – he can’t wait to get back to work, but in the meantime it means that he’s in to get repairs done! Leigh is in and out making sure that the new vessel is fixed neatly with his freshly mixed mortar. He borrows a sweeping brush to clean up outside and uses a dust sheet on the kitchen work surface inside so that everything is pristine. By 11.24 the job is done! Back in the van Leigh puts a call in to update the scheduling team of the appointments that he’ll need for the replacement expansion vessel and then calls the parts company to order the parts that are needed.
12.41: We’re staying local and popping into a house a few doors down for the next call. Three year old Oliver lives here with his mum and three brothers. The shower’s not been working. Leigh takes a look and it’s the condenser pipe that needs replacing. Leigh makes a few tweaks to get the boiler working safely and the work is given the thumbs up by Oliver before we head off.
13.49: Our last scheduled call of today is another
vessel replacement: this one’s a side-loaded version, so it’s much easier for Leigh to get to grips with even though the boiler is snugly hung in the corner of the kitchen. After draining water with a hand pump (the previous boilers had enough space for Leigh to use an aqua-vac) the existing vessel is removed and replaced. Leigh keeps all the old parts and passes them to Capsel Waste for repurposing. In twenty minutes the job is done and Leigh is checking the boiler and clearing up.
14.10: Leigh puts another call in to the scheduling team to advise them that he’s available for any emergency calls and we wait out half an hour in case we’re needed, then head back to HQ.
12.30: The next call is to fix a radiator leak in
Chepstow; this one’s pretty straightforward – a new vent is all that’s required. It’s a part that Leigh keeps on his van so it’s fitted right away. The resident has lived in her property for 20 years and wouldn’t dream of living anywhere else.
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Tenant Insight Update We hold a lot of information on tenants on Capita which we use all the time to carry out analysis, provide lists, check details before visits, etc. To do our work well, we need this information to be correct. This information also enables us to profile our tenants and tailor our services to their needs. All staff can play a part in maintaining the currency of our data. With this in mind we launched Question of the Month at the beginning of October and every team has their own question to ask each month when coming in to contact with tenants. The aim of Question of the Month is to capitalise on all contact with tenants and capture any change of circumstances or fill in any missing information. Meanwhile, the Corporate Services Team have been busy cleansing and updating some of the information that we hold for some of our tenants using data from Advice Pro and Locata. We have also asked tenants at various events including the Making a Difference Awards, Tenants Forum and Winter Festivals to complete some short questionnaires to help us to update the records on Capita.
Here are some examples of how MHA have used the data: • Welfare Reform Update – we identified tenants likely to be affected by Welfare Reform which will help us to target services and understand the impact on our business. • Review of older persons accommodation – we provided a profile of tenants living in our sheltered schemes. This information helped to understand the current provision and future needs of the schemes.
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• Profiles of tenants in Monmouthshire towns – The Community Investment Team wanted profiles of our tenants in towns to target their projects appropriately. • Big Chat – we provided profiles of the target sample to ensure that this was representative of our tenant base as a whole. Also we provided tenant lists by street and warning notes to keep the big chatters safe! • Supporting the 1,2,3 Campaign – we provided address lists and mobile phone numbers of tenants identified as likely to be affected by Universal Credit. Updated lists were provided for each stage of the campaign. • Housemark Benchmarking – provided equality and diversity information so that we can benchmark against other HA’s with similar tenant profiles as ours. Your contribution is vital in keeping our records as accurate as possible so that we can keep providing relevant and useful analysis. Good quality data means that you are able to work more efficiently and save time by delivering more effective services and support to our tenants. The information we hold can never be perfect but it is in our best interests to keep it as up to date and as complete as possible for it to be credible and useful. It is a legal requirement to keep the information we hold on our tenants up to date.
Please help us so that we can help you. “Capita says I’m not disabled”
“Capita says I’ve got no Children”
“Capita says I’m out of work”
By David Morris Christmas is always a time to reflect on the past year. So much has happened but one image (amongst many!) that stands out is the human train of refugees trekking across Europe in search of sanctuary. Although now off our TV screens, many of these folks will remain homeless this Christmas and highlights the huge contrast that exist in our world as we tuck into turkey with all the trimmings. Monmouthshire County Council has already committed to helping with the Syrian refugee crisis. MHA is in discussion with MCC to identify how best we can help find homes for both these and Afghan translators who have similarly had to flee their homeland.
Fancy a game of football after work? Every Monday 17:0018:00 at Cwmbran Stadium. If you’re interested in joining up with colleagues for a friendly (but competitive) game of 5-a-side after work on a Tuesday, drop Michael Harper or Dewi Parry an email. You don’t need to be Messi or Ronaldo, we welcome all comers!
One of the Christmas carols tells of “tidings of comfort and joy” that the birth of Christ would bring into the world. Let’s not forget that Jesus was born in an animal feeding trough in what can only be described as appalling temporary accommodation. It is also worth remembering that after his birth, Jesus and his parents had to escape to Egypt as Herod was out to kill them. Is it any wonder that Jesus can empathise with even the most needy and vulnerable in our communities today. So whatever your situation this Christmas, remember the one whose birthday we celebrate. He came into the world to bring comfort and joy and is able to sympathise with our weaknesses and emphasise with our circumstances having experienced rejection, being misunderstood and abused. In Hebrews Chapter 4 verse 12 we are encouraged “to draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need”.
Have a peaceful Christmas. 29
Send us a pic of your pet! The pets will be published in the next edition and you could win a £10 High Street Voucher. Email Louise Davies with a pic of your pet and tell us a little bit about them.
Visit the ‘Staff Room’ area on
5 month old Tiger Becky Oliver
6 year old Jake Karen Williams
Tiger is a very playful kitten, he is regularly terrorised by two young children that share his house but he gives a good fight. When the children aren’t around he enjoys sleeping in a sunny spot or on top of the radiator.
Hi I’m Jake and I share my house with Karen, Ian and Daniel. I’m quite a large cat, (as the vet keeps telling me), but I say I’m not fat, I’m fluffy! I’m slowing up in my old age, but I still love to chase other cats.
His favourite food is biscuits (same as his owner) and his favourite tipple is water (unlike his owner)! He’s our first ever pet, we’ve had him for 4 weeks – and he’s surviving ha ha!
I spend most of my time sleeping and also enjoy acting as neighbourhood watch on our road. Being very inquisitive, I’m well known for getting in the odd workman’s van and getting locked in garages.
to vote for the cutest pet.
18 month old Roxy Rhiannon Taylor I’m a Miniature Dachshund (very miniature, I’m only 7lbs 2oz) and I’m the worlds most pampered pooch! I love Markies, scrambled egg and a roast dinner... I’m quite partial to a bit of cheddar, too. I love walks, especially walking Pen Y Fan - but not when it’s raining, I don’t do rain... Yuk! When I’m not fast asleep I like to play with my Fox, where I shake the hell out it and run around my living room like a lunatic, then go back to sleep. Ahhh it’s a dogs life, I’m so glad it’s mine!
6 year old Alfie Nicole Lake Alfie has a thick mane of hair and looks like a proud lion! Those that know him often liken him to the lion from the Wizard of Oz - he’s a gentle giant who instantly loves everyone he meets! I hoped he would be a great guard dog for me as my husband is often away, unfortunately it’s more likely that Alfie climbs on me (weighing 35kg) because he is frightened of his own shadow or something on the telly. He has his own baby called tigger which he adores and treats like it’s his real baby!
14 Year Old Jack Emma Assender Introducing Jack, the Jack Russell (yes, the original owner was imaginative!). Here’s what he has to say about himself: My name’s Jack and I’m a retired farm dog from Brecon. I currently live in splendour with Emma, Jean and Mike where I am generally showered with affection and cwtches – but not food unfortunately because the ‘orrid vet has put me on a diet, so no turkey dinner for me this Christmas. I love walkies, chicken, puddles and fox droppings. I hate baths and diet kibble. Woof!
Congratulations to George & Ole, joint winners of the October edition’s ‘cutest pet’ competition! 30
Tenants’ Forum AGM We recently had the Tenants’ Forum Annual General Meeting, it was held in Bridges Community Centre and 40 tenants attended. The room was filled with a great atmosphere (along with balloons & chocolates)! The tenants enjoyed listening to John give the MHA update and Cheryl informing them about the latest happenings with the Rent Management Review. The AGM activities then started with a raffle and the AGM Big Quiz. The feedback from tenants was brilliant and overall it was a great day.
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Peer Coaching 2,387 Followers
Following 430
1,971 Tweets
Peer coaching is a structured way to help you set a goal and find your own answer to attain what you want to achieve. It can help you improve in work, realise your potential and increase your job satisfaction.
Coaching:
@Mon_Housing A big woop-woop to @LlamauUK for another amazing night at #sleepout2015 Can’t wait to hear how much was raised all the Sleep-outers! @Ctracy861 Here’s @Ctracy861, CEO & apprentice Karolina whose team won the #welshapprentice15 challenge! #annualconf15 #happy @Mon_Housing @DavidTCDavies opens our new flagship development Trevor Bowen House in Monmouth @stuart_chc Great to see @CHCymru chair John cheering on the boys! @ Mon_Housing @stuart_chc
• Is a one to one discussion between a coach and coachee • Is confidential • Is aimed at specific problems – focusing on work related issues • Can help you find your own answer to an issue you face • Gives you an understanding of your own strengths and weaknesses • Is generally a short-term activity • Focuses on improvement and developing/ enhancing your skills Generally, a coach does not need direct experience of a person’s job role to coach them.
If you’re interested in being coached to develop in work, please contact either:
@Mon_Housing Our Winter Festivals attracted over 80 attendees at events held in #Chepstow & #Abergavenny
Peter Stephens
Chris York
Lauren Francis
Elizabeth Jones
Karen Williams
Michele Morgan
@micjsmith Final day @popUPbusiness I can see mega increase in confidence in the group #entrepreneur #selfemployment @DadsCan Here’s @_SeanHolley talking about his journey as a Dad & rugby coach . On Twitter? Why not follow us @mon_housing 32
John Davies
CuIsine Corner
Restaurant Review Coffi 1860, Blaenavon By Domini Barnes
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. place to take the whole family for dinner but equally you can be at ease after cycling/ running and going there afterwards for coffee. Sunday dinner, usually a choice of three meals; i.e. roast beef, pork or chicken.
One course £5.95 Two courses £7.95 Three courses £9.95 For those fussy children who do not eat a lot – order an under five meal which is free! Order a kid’s meal for under 12’s for £5.00 – meal – dessert and a drink. All cakes are home cooked and they are generous portions. For amazing home cooked food with great prices, I’ve found the perfect place for Connie and me. A lovely family owned cafe, all produce is locally sourced. Only three large tables and one small table therefore sometimes it is easier to book in advance. They have a lovely comfortable couch area for drinking coffee and reading a newspaper. A lovely
They also deliver locally for free and a smaller area for a small charge. Well worth a visit especially for people with families. I recommend to attend/ book early rather than later as home deliveries can take priority.
RECIPE Italian Christmas Cake Ingredients • 625 grams panettone (or pandoro) • 6 tbs Tuaca liqueur • 2 large eggs • 75 grams caster sugar • 500 grams mascarpone • 250 ml double cream • 125 ml Marsala • 75 grams marrons glacés (pieces) • 125 grams chocolate chips • 100 grams pistachios (chopped) • 2 tbs pomegranate seeds Method
1. Cut the panettone roughly into 1cm slices, then use about a third of these to line the bottom of a 22cm springform cake tin. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the Tuaca over it so that the panettone lining is dampened. 2. Whisk the eggs and sugar until very frothy and increased in volume and lightness. 3. Whisk in the mascarpone and double cream, then gradually whisk in the Marsala and carry on whisking until the mixture is thick and spreadable. Remove 250ml to a bowl, cover and put in the fridge; this is for the top layer, which is not added until you serve the cake. 4. Crumble the marrons glacés into the bowl of mascarpone cream mixture, followed by 100g of the chocolate chips and 75g of the chopped pistachios, and fold in. Use half of this creamy filling to top the panettone layer that is lining the cake tin. 5. Use another third of the panettone slices to cover the cream filling. Add another 2 tablespoons of liqueur. 6. Spoon on the other half of the cream mixture and spread it evenly. Then top with a final layer of panettone, covering the cream and drizzle over it the last 2 tablespoons of liqueur. 7. Cover with clingfilmand put in the fridge overnight. 8. When you are ready to serve, take the cake out of the fridge, unmould and sit it on a flat plate or cake stand, then spread with the reserved mascarpone mixture. Don’t try to lift the cake off the base, as the panettone slices at the bottom are too delectably damp. 9. 9Scatter the top with the remaining chocolate chips and chopped pistachios and your pomegranate “jewels”.
If you would like to share your ideas with us, then please get in touch with the Corporate Services Team. 33
Christmas Events Bath Christmas Market Tredegar House, Christmas Market 26th November to 13th December
Sunday, November 29, 2015, through December
Bristol Christmas Markets
6th November to 22nd December
10:00am - 4:00pm
Bristol’s Christmas Markets are situated in Broadmead, in the heart of Bristol Shopping Quarter, close to over 500 stores, with many competitively priced car parks and plenty of coach parking.
In the centre of this beautiful city, you will find one of the largest festive events in the UK and certainly the most beautiful.
Cardiff Christmas Market 12th November to 23rd December
The Cardiff Christmas Market, where a real passion for tradition sometimes comes with a modern twist! 34
Stir the Christmas pudding in the Great Kitchen, have a go at making a pomander and don’t forget to hang your wish on our tree! Father Christmas will also be visiting with a gift for all the children (additional cost of £2.50)... but beware Scrooge might be lurking around the corner! ‘Bah Humbug’, try cheering him up with a carol sing-song! There will also be food and craft stalls in our courtyard so pop down to pick up a unique festive treat. Visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk/ events for more details.
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s th at they can Don’t forget to tell our tenant ate with all the use this pa ge to keep up-to-d have going on latest events and activities we within their communities.
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