February 2017
John’s Briefing GOA POP UP BUSINESS SCHOOL PANCAKE FACTS VALENTINE'S DAY FACTS AND MUCH MORE!
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 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 Don’t Walk By
Don’t Walk By is launching this month and it is hoped that this will grow in the coming months. The aim of Don’t Walk By is to create a positive health and safety culture and encourage everyone to report any safety issues. There will be posters around HQ and there are concern cards that can be filled out which are also on the PDA’s. If you have a near miss or notice something which could cause an accident please fill in a concern card or contact Facilities. It is everyone’s responsibility to help prevent accidents.
Voids
Voids are improving and the end product is much better than it was before. We are spending £400,000 more on void properties and we need to demonstrate to Board that this is worthwhile and prove that this is showing value for money. Feedback from Housing Officers is positive. The refusal rate is now at 12 – 15% and the satisfaction is higher. The void turnaround time was 40 days last year and it is now at 15 days. We were sending people in to properties that weren’t great but we are now giving people a property that they want to live in.
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Budget
Next year’s budget was discussed at Board. Board looked at what is coming up and how money will be spent over the next year. At the moment we know that we are spending more money than we are bringing in. Our spend on voids and development will increase next year, the voids increase in particular could prove problematic as the savings we are accruing are about 10% of the increase in budget and the Board are looking for reassurance that the increase in expenditure can be justified. We are going to carry out benchmarking exercises with other organisations to see how we compare on price, quality of finished product and satisfaction rates. We will also be reporting back to Board on what the properties look like after 9 months – year and whether they are being well maintained and state of rent account.
Civica CX
CX isn’t working as we expected at the moment. We will look at this over the coming months to see what will happen with the system.
Capsel
Capsel has recently launched a new website. The new website is much more flexible than the old website and looks great. Capsel is continuing to expand its operations which includes selling properties. We are looking at buying an estate agent business in Cardiff which has properties worth nearly £9 million. The business is in the North of Cardiff and we want to look at eventually making it a one stop property shop for renting, buying, selling, building and discussing repairs and we are hoping that this will generate business. The gas side of the business has serviced well over 1,000 boilers as far away as Swansea. It’s important that we look at work outside of Monmouthshire. Capsel is getting in better shape each year and any profit that the business makes is fed through to MHA to help us subsidise services.
New Builds
We are currently working on two new builds in Abergavenny and it’s going well. We subcontracted the weather dependant work as this would mean that we wouldn’t incur costs if work couldn’t take place whereas if we used our own workforce we would incur the costs if they could not work. We will be looking at smaller sites in the future and we will look to develop these without Welsh Government grant so we can use our own workforce. To obtain a Welsh Government grant we need to show that we have followed normal procurement and put the work out to external tender. Whereas on sites without grant we only need to satisfy ourselves that we are getting value for money. Its therefore vitally important that on the Poplars Site we generate a profit, complete on time and produce a quality product/home for future tenants. We are also looking at purchasing a site in Llangidyr in Powys (at the moment for 16 properties) and we will subcontract the work out. We just can’t get the land needed in Monmouthshire. There are some larger sites coming up for sale but on their own would constitute too much risk so we are looking to work with other partners to share the risk and build costs.
OAP Accommodation
We have re-designated around 600 properties over the last few years and demolished some of the schemes and the demand isn’t any higher than it was before. We are working with Cardiff University looking at OAP accommodation. We provided a brief to the University with what we want. We are looking at creating a high density product that looks like a bungalow which we could build on small pieces of land which costs less. In the future we could be looking at something which can be delivered on a lorry and screwed together. Modular construction could be used in the future. Once we have developed a couple of models with the University we intend to go to Board to seek approval to carry out market research on the attractiveness of the product.
Risks
We discussed the risks at Board. One of the risks discussed was around Brexit and the knock on effect that this could have. This could affect new builds and selling the properties as people may not be able to afford the properties or want them due to a decline in consumer confidence which would leave us with houses that we can’t sell. There could also be an increase in material costs which are imported. We have based our costs on today’s prices but tomorrows could be 10% more. So the fluctuations in the foreign exchange market can affect companies like MHA despite the fact we export nothing, but do import materials that are put into our houses. Much of the wood for example may come from Scandanavia.
Staff Sickness
Staff sickness has reduced over the past few months. If sickness levels are high then productivity levels will be low. With Welfare Reform there is a real concern that our productivity will reduce, this is primarily because of the amount of tenant contact required, thus more people will be required to collect less at worst or the same amount at best. So any increase in resource on that side of the business will have to be offset by lower costs or higher profits in other parts. I received a briefing from the Income Team last week and it was very encouraging, they have been on a real learning curve and I was particularly impressed by how they were much more proactive at getting other parts/teams in MHA involved in resolving tenant issues from bills to employment, this has taken time to turn around but this has been really good over the past few months.
Rent Determination
We’ve had a rent determination from Welsh Government and rents need to increase by 2.5%. We could have put the rents up by a further £1.09 but we decided not to. People who live and work in Monmouthshire are the 2nd lowest paid on average in Wales. It is important that people have more money in their pockets to help make communities more sustainable.
Board Members
There will be a few new Board members coming in over the next year and a new recruitment process starting in the next few weeks. If you know of any tenants that are interested and would make a good member, please tell them to get in touch.
Corporate Plan
We are currently on site at Oakley Way, Gwehelog, St Cadocs, Park Crescent, Old Hereford Road and Poplars. We need new properties that won’t require work for 15 years. We also need to refer back to the ARK consultancy report as the report showed that Radstock Court and Plas Mawr aren’t popular. We need to think about what we are going to do long term with Radstock Court, Abergavenny and Plas Mawr, Usk.
Water Rates
We will be serving a six month notice to Welsh Water to advise that we will no longer be collecting water rates. Normally we would pay Welsh Water £1.3 million on 1st April and collect back what we can. There will be a budget implication that we will look at as a result of this. The 6 month notice period will run from April to October. We are currently taking legal advice to ensure our rent increase notifications are correct and take the changes clearly into account.
Oakley Way
Contractors are carrying out the external work at Oakley Way. Karen Tarbox and Peter Thomas are looking at whether the DSO could do the internal work. The first refurbished flat looked amazing. We want people to have high expectations of us but we also need to have high expectations of them and expect them to keep the properties in good condition. There is a Facebook page for tenants at Oakley Way to keep up to date with progress and tenants are positive about the work being carried out. The cleaning contract will start in February and the communal areas will be deep cleaned at first. There will be a service charge introduced from April for tenants.
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The New Capsel Website is Now Live! 4
Over the last few months we have been busy creating a new website for Capsel. The aim of the new site is to showcase Capsel in the best possible light and boost sales of its services. There are a whole host of benefits to the new site, and a lot of work has gone into the development process – from selecting the developers and right content management system, to streamlining the navigation and creating a fully mobile responsive site. You can read the full blog covering how we developed the new site on In House. In the meantime, here are few interesting facts about the site.
Key facts: • The new Capsel site has been built using Wordpress – around 26% of websites in the world are now built using Wordpress. • You can view all the great homes Capsel has for sale and to let on the new site – visit www.capsel. co.uk/capsel-homes • The site is now fully mobile responsive – this means it adapts according to the device you are viewing the site on, whether it’s a tablet, mobile phone or desktop computer. In 2016, websites viewed on mobile devices overtook those viewed on desktops for the first time. • Do you know about all the great value home services Capsel provides? From gas and heating to plumbing and specialist home adaptations – visit www.capsel.co.uk/home-services to find out more
COMPLIMENTS Mrs Prosser would like to thank Holly Doughton for... ”giving her so much support over the last few months. She has had a difficult time recently and Holly has helped her through this by putting a support network in place.”
Mr Reese would like to thank Phil Gething & Rob Absalom for... ”the service they gave to his mother which was fantastic. Phil and Rob attended to look at a leaking outhouse roof and got up on the roof in torrential rain. They were very kind and considerate as are all the other staff who make it such an exceptional service.”
Mrs Avery would like to thank Karren Davies, Domini Barnes and Simon Jones for... ”their quick response regarding the shower repair. Karren took the call, Domini scheduled the work and Simon attended.”
Mrs O’Ven would like to thank Damien Radnor for... ”the work carried out at her home. Mrs O’Ven said Damien is outstanding, very kind and a lovely boy.”
• The Capsel site developers, Amity Web, are based near Caerphilly. They provide websites for a number of local companies and organisations, including Melin Homes. 5
SLIMMING
U SSES SUCCESSES Domini Barne's Journey Jo Doughty's Journey Before I got pregnant at the age of 40! I was naturally slim (size 10) and an extremely fit person. However as I went back into office work where I spend most of my days sitting down – and EVERY day is cake day - I put on three stone in weight. Even though I am a happy and confident person I just realised, as an older parent I really need to start taking care of myself. My inspiration came from a couple of people within the CSA office who seemed to slice weight off like a beef kebab! So I asked them how they did this and they advised Slimming World. I have always had a seed in my head to stay away from these places as I always thought they were about diet and starving! As a person who LOVES food I just never would have entertained the idea. As it turns out it is quite the opposite! I have now been with Slimming World eight weeks and have lost 10lbs and I eat LOADS of really healthy foods which I love and eat anyway. For anyone struggling with their weight I would recommend doing this. Prior to this I trained and ran a half marathon and did not lose a pound (not that I was trying to). Also as it is the beginning of January there were loads of new members last night. One lady lost 8.5lbs and another 6lbs! And they advised they eat loads of food and never feel hungry. That’s got to be worth a look. Here’s to a happy and healthy New Year!
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May 2016 – I had done nothing but moan about how I had put on weight, but was not in the right frame of mind to diet. My sister and I came across a half price voucher to join a slimming class so, reluctantly, I went like a sulky teenager, mortified as I had never had to watch my weight. I was on the scales not having a clue on what my weight would be. Shocked does not come close! The eating plan seemed confusing so I went through my book and listed all the free foods and the options I liked and wrote up a weeks’ worth of daily menus. Each evening I would stick one on the fridge for the following day which helped me plan. I didn’t feel like I was dieting at all, as I could still have large meals. Just knowing this is enough to stop me over-indulging. From starting the plan 8 months ago, I have lost 4st 2 and half pounds. Losing this weight has made me feel more motivated, confident and a lot more comfortable in clothes. I have dropped 4 sizes! I am amazed I needed to lose that much, but it’s such a good feeling wearing clothes in a size I haven’t worn for over 12 years. I would recommend anyone wishing to lose weight to join a class, try not to miss a weigh in, experiment a little with food and above all stick to the plan, allowing yourself treats within your limit as we all like a treat now and again.
Walk & Work Aim - to walk 438.5 miles to the City of ‘Lurve’, Paris by 25 March 2017 on the treadmill desk.
You can work in teams (suggested!) and work in a relay so that you all clock up the miles or - if you’re that hard-core and you won’t be missed at your desk - you can go solo. You have seven weeks to get there (3 Feb – 25 March) and the team who either; Reaches Paris first or; Gets the furthest in the time allowed wins a delicious hamper of fruit for their team.
Eric
Please visit In House for more information
Lunchtime Walks
If you’re looking to take a break away from your desk, get fit, lose a few pounds or just fancy some fresh air the Lunchtime Walking Club might be just the thing you need! We walk most days, leaving from reception at 12:30pm (weather permitting).
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Goa By Rob Carey
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Rob Carey and wife, Amanda got going to Calangute, Goa this December. This was my first trip to India and from all the information I had read beforehand I was prepared to be in for a bit of a culture shock. This was only tempered by knowing that Goa was probably the most westernised part of India as it was under the control of the Portuguese up until December 1961. Flying with Thomson on a new Boeing 787 Dreamliner from Gatwick was a pleasant enough experience albeit a long 8 ½ hour flight but landing in Goa on Sunday morning was like stepping back in time. The airport is shared by the military but is due to close its commercial activities within 2 years as a new purpose built airport with modern passenger terminals is currently being built. The first real culture shock was the heat - Did I forget to mention the heat? Hot! Hot! Hot! The average temperatures were 36° in the day and 26° degrees at night. The next culture shock came on the bus after leaving the airport: India does not appear to have any sort of Highway Code. Navigating the traffic is like the principle of possession being 9/10ths of the law. If you’re in the space you own it, it does not matter what side of the road you are on or who’s around you, if you are moving in a direction then it’s up to everyone else to move whether it be a car, motorbike, scooter or Sacred Cow! In truth the only thing a vehicle will stop - or change direction for - is a Sacred Cow.
Although the arguments between absolute and relative poverty will rage on. In my mind the truth is we’re one people in one world and no one should have to face a life without help from people who are able to give it. As the holiday went on both my wife Amanda and I got into the groove of the life that India had to offer, which in general is utter chaos but it’s impressive that the chaos works. Money was a bit of an issue as the Indian Government had withdrawn the two most popular bank notes in an attempt to disrupt the black economy. This meant queuing at a cashpoint with a maximum 2,000 rupees allowance (£23) but incredibly these queues were great for speaking to locals and fellow holiday makers and finding out about the best hidden tourist spots or best restaurants. Incredibly by the time that we left we’d both fallen in love with the place, its people and the culture. So many people you meet in Goa have been going back for years and years and I can honestly say I now understand why. It really was a fantastic holiday in a tropical paradise but we were in for one more massive shock and that was getting off the plane back in the UK and getting used to temperatures that don’t allow you to wear flip flops and shorts in the evening.
My first impressions of India were colourful, chaotic and dirty and I have to confess, I spent the first few days hoping we had made the right decision coming here because I was very unsure. The people however, were lovely, and it didn’t matter who you met everyone was so helpful and bent over backwards to make us feel welcome and valued. The beaches were beautiful and getting into the sea was like wading into a luke warm bath. The customary sea shiver that you get walking into British waters did not exist and you didn’t hear any Cerys Matthews sound-a-likes shout “it’s bloody freezing!” Out and about there were Temples, Forts and Markets including the famous Anjuna Hippy Market. Seeing the beggars and people with disabilities especially at the markets was hard and it really made you think about how lucky we are in the UK. 9
Why not say hello to all the new starters on
Mariam Elmirghani Wellbeing Support Manager Hello, I am Mariam and I am the new Wellbeing Support Manager. I will be managing a team of experienced Support Officers within MHA who help people to improve their quality of life, homes, financial and emotional wellbeing. I am really excited to be part of MHA and to learn more about the great work it does. In my spare time, I am learning to swim, which is funny because I grew up by the seaside, but never got round to it!
Who would you like to be stuck in a lift with and why? If I was stuck in a lift with someone, I would want it to be a Star Trek Captain, preferably Janeway or Picard. We can beam out using their transporter and I won’t mind hearing some of their words of wisdom in the process.
Sian Nicholas Head of Sustainable Communities Hi, I am Sian and I am job sharing the role of Head of Sustainable Communities with Kath Deakin. If i could sum myself up in a few words they would be energetic, positive, approachable and inquisitive (read as nosy). I have a three year old daughter called Isla who takes up a lot of my spare time playing hide and seek, making play doh ice creams and playing pranks on my husband. I love holidays so we try to get away as often as possible in our camper van, usually heading to St Davids. I have only been here a few weeks but everyone has made me feel incredibly welcome and I have been really impressed and excited by how ambitious and creative the organisation is.
Who would you like to be stuck in a lift with and why? Assuming the lift is also a time travelling device it would have to be Jackie Onassis. I find the whole Kennedy era intriguing and do love a good conspiracy theory - I think she could set some records straight! Failing that she could give me some style advice.
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Joanne Hamer-Gillespie Financial Accountant Hi, I am Joanne the new Financial Accountant at MHA. I am married with 2 children, Jacob aged 9 and Emilie who is 3 and we have a tiny dog named Henry. All my spare time is taken up attending children’s clubs but when I do get time to myself I will spend it either walking or reading. I am going to Glastonbury for the first time this year, I have never slept in a tent before so it should be an experience.
Who would you like to be stuck in a lift with and why? If I was stuck in a lift with someone I would want it to be Paolo Nutini. I went to Edinburgh on 30th December to see him in concert and I have become slightly obsessed with him since.
Paul Carley Painter & Decorator I’ve worked in the construction industry for over 20 years. Before joining Capsel I was working as a painter and decorator for a local contactor. Before that I was a painting contracts manager for J&S Seddon, a national painting company. I play darts for my local pub team and I’m also really into Speedway.
Who would you like to be stuck in a lift with and why? I’d like to be stuck in a lift with Jason Crump – a three times world Speedway Champion, I’d talk to him about Speedway!
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We wish them the best for the future
Anna Phythian Performance Admin Assistant
Sian Hughes Team Leader - Building Services
Allan Probert General Labourer
Matthew Bradley General Labourer
Helen Carter Support Officer
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Tomos Palmer Painter
We wish them the best for the future
Derek Bearcroft Roofer / Painter
Nick Samuel Carpenter
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Awards
Didn’t they do well? Congratulations to colleagues on receiving their latest ILM qualifications! The following staff, after much effort and endeavour successfully achieved the following awards - Well done all! John. ILM Level 5: Leading & Motivating Louise Davies ILM Level 3: Leading & Motivating Lauren Francis Sarah Harrison Lauren Lewis Terry MacColl Nicola Pocock Dominic Pembridge Lorna Selmer Chris York
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Monmouthshire Employment Pathway As you may be aware, the Inclusion Team have been successful in securing ESF Active Inclusion funding to enable us to place 12 Monmouthshire residents (not just MHA tenants) into supported, paid work placements. These consist of 6 MHA in house placements with an additional 6 being placed externally. The 12 paid placements on offer compose of a range of 16 hours per week jobs for a period of 16 weeks and 25 hours per week for a period of 26 weeks. Our target audience for 10 of the placements are people with work limiting health conditions; aged 25 plus who have been unemployed for 12 months or more. For the remaining 2 placements we are looking for someone 54 years or older who are economically inactive (on benefits or with no income). So if you know someone who is looking for work and they meet the criteria outlined above, come and speak to the Work & Skills Wise team. You can email wsw@monmouthshirehousing.co.uk or give us a call on (ext 7116). We look forward to working with your teams on this exciting project!
Fancy a game of football after work? Every Monday 17:00-18:00 at the Football Factory, Cwmbran.
If you’re interested in joining up with colleagues for a friendly game of 5-a-side, drop Michael Harper or Dewi Parry an email. You don’t need to be Messi or Ronaldo, all welcome!
Just £5 to play!
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P U P PO ESS N I S BU OOL SCH ‘PopUp Business School’, a FREE course running weekdays from Monday 27th February to Friday 10th March 2017 in the Gallery (upstairs in the indoor market in Newport town centre), and is a great opportunity for people you are working with to get involved in a self-employment programme. The programme is designed for people interested in becoming their own boss whether they have a firm business idea already or just want to see what it would take to start and manage a business - this programme is for any aspiring entrepreneur. The programme is delivered by “PopUp Business School”, entrepreneurs in their own right who provide an honest look and support at running businesses and who have a track record of supporting people into launching their businesses.
The 2 week programme is being sponsored by Newport City Council, Monmouthshire Housing Association, Newport City Homes, Communities First, Charter and Business Wales.
They DO NOT have to be tenants of MHA! However, if they are tenants MHA will support with travel expenses. Please spread the word with the tenants you work with and get them involved.
If you are interested in attending or for more information, please contact MHA’s Work & Skills Wise team via email wsw@monmouthshirehousing. co.uk or call 01495 745769.
With workshops ranging from starting up a business with no money to building a company website for FREE- PopUp Business School can help people get to grips with the tools they need to make a business a success.
At the end of the second week, the participants in PopUp will be selling their products in the market downstairs, so why not pop along and support some local businesses! 16
E YOUR J O B V O L Here are a selection of “Pickles” that you have awarded to your colleagues recently:
We asked you what you love about your job: "I love seeing the results of support when people move in with nothing and end up having everything they need to build a home." Clare Inglesby, New Homes Team “For me; I like my job because looking after the same trades and people and being reactive there is always something new happening each day. I like the variety my job offers me along with the flexibility.” Domini Barnes, Building Services "I love working for an organisation with a strong sense of social justice, a positive office culture and an approach that embraces change to ensure our services stay relevant and respond to our community’s needs." Julie Nicholas, New Homes Team “We love welcoming new colleagues when they join MHA, the diversity of our roles and the range of ways we support frontline staff, and also being part of the MHA family.” Karen, Carol, Adele and Ann, Human Resources "What I love about my job is that it is varied, no two days are the same. I meet some really interesting people both tenants and the wider community. I can honestly say there is not a day that goes by where I haven’t learned something new and I love that too." Caroline Richards-Bourne, New Homes Team
Joanne Doughty has ‘pickled’ Suzanne Powell for... "being absolutely fab, not only with her own area of work but giving advice on almost anything. Also, for being supportive and I miss her when she is not in for her knowledge and general support.” Rhiannon Taylor has ‘pickled’ Domini Barnes for... "covering the scheduling of two colleagues that were off due to sickness for a week, as well as still doing your own work. Thank you for your help and team work.” Emma Assender has ‘pickled’ Natasha Jones, Emily Townsend, Jacob Richards, Lorna Selmer, John Keegan, Kate Bradbrook, Domini Barnes, Bill Fitzpatrick, Jill Morgan, Chris York, Claudia Blair, Rudi Lewis, Mark Lowe and Joel Thomas for... "giving time to help paint Caldicot RFC! You did a brilliant job – thank you.” Robert McCracken has ‘pickled’ Gary O’Rourke for... "servicing a boiler in very challenging and unpleasant conditions for a vulnerable tenant.” 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. 17
You may have noticed a certain competitive festive spirit last December. The Pimp Your Pod competition certainly got you in the mood! After much deliberation and cogitation, a jumping star, a hairy tree, Irish dancing and a kidnapping the winners were declared. It was a close run thing with some astounding ideas on recreating trees from all sorts of things, and chimneys (all risk assessed and within acceptable Health and Safety controls)! Joint first prizes were awarded to the Assets and Development team with their incredible installation of a Christmas Tree Farm complete with Baby Jesus/Tim and a mannequin challenge, and; the Building Services team for their innovative use of gloves, ladders and Irish Folk music! In joint second place are the HR team who impressed the judge with their elf workshop. And congratulations to the Engagement team with their tinsel limbo and jumping star! Well done to everyone who Pimped their Pods!
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Six Nations
Fixtures List
2017
Week 1
Week 4
Sat 4th Feb
Fri 10th Mar
Scotland v Ireland
Wales v Ireland
14:25
20:00
England v France
Sat 11th Mar
16:50
Italy v France
Sun 5th Feb
13:30
Italy v Wales
England v Scotland
14:00
16:00
Week 2
Week 5
Sat 11th Feb
Sat 18th Mar
Italy v Ireland
Scotland v Italy
14:25
12:30
Wales v England
France v Wales
16:50
14:45
Sunday 12th Feb
Ireland v England
France v Scotland
17:00
Why not cut this out and display it on your desk?
15:00
Week 3
Sat 25th Feb Scotland v Wales 14:25 Ireland v France 16:50
Sun 26th Feb England v Italy 15:00 19
Pancake Factoids Pancake Day - 28th February
Pancakes originated in preChristian times when the round pancakes symbolised the returning sun.
The tallest stack was made of 213 pancakes... That's 101.8 cm tall!
In the US and France, Pancake Day is known as Mardi Gras, translating as Fat Tuesday... Which we may well be after all the pancakes!
!!! Brits use 52 million eggs on Pancake Day... That's 117 million pancakes! 20
The largest number of people simultaneously tossing pancakes was 890 in Sheffield in 2012... Flipping heck!
The largest pancake weighed a whopping 6,614lbs and measured 49ft and 3 inches... That's the size of a double decker bus!
The most flips ever recorded was 349 in two minutes!
Housing & Communities Showcase The H&C Directorate put on something of a Christmas market in December setting up stall to let us know exactly what they’re up to...
Karren and Pat from the Customer Services team in their best pinnies offering a varied and delicious selection of teas, cakes and services that support the business in providing services to our tenants. Andrew Knill shows off his Armpit Fudge after visiting the New Homes stand!
Rachal and Tania from the Support team gives the thumbs up for identifying the correct answers in their quiz! Delboy aka Rob Carey trades some chat about the Engagement team with Emma Gallo. “This time next year...”
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The Reasons for th There are lots of festivals, high days and holidays coming up – here’s a quick guide to traditions old and new. 15th February - Nirvana Day
1st March - Ash Wednesday
Unconnected to Kurt Cobain or Dave Grohl, this is a holy day for Buddhists: Nirvana Day (Parinirvana) is the day when Buddhists from the Mahayana tradition remember the death and enlightenment of the Buddha.
Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent in the Western Christian calendar. It occurs exactly 46 days before Easter (40 fasting days not counting Sundays).
28th February - Shrove Tuesday Precedes Ash Wednesday (the first day of Lent), which is celebrated in some countries by consuming pancakes. In others, especially those where it is called Mardi Gras or some translation thereof, this is a carnival day, and also the last day of fat eating or gorging before the fasting period of Lent. This moveable feast is determined by Easter. The expression Shrove Tuesday comes from the word shrive, meaning absolve. Pancakes are associated with the day preceding Lent because they were a way to use up rich foods such as eggs, milk and sugar, before the fasting season of the 40 days of Lent. In England, as part of community celebration, many towns held traditional Shrove Tuesday mob football games, some dating as far back as the 12th century. The practice died out in the 19th century after the passing of the Highway Act 1835 which banned playing football on public highways. Shrove Tuesday was once known as a half-holiday in Britain, starting at 11am with the ringing of a church bell. The tradition of Pancake Races is said to have originated in 1445 when a housewife from Olney, Buckinghamshire, was so busy making pancakes that she forgot the time until she heard the church bells ringing. She raced out of the house to church while still carrying her frying pan and pancake, tossing it to prevent it from burning. The pancake race remains a relatively common festive tradition in the UK, even today. 22
Ash Wednesday is named after the practice of placing ashes on the foreheads of faithful as a reminder of human mortality, and as a sign of mourning and repentance to God. Many Christian beliefs also mark the beginning of Lent with a fast and it’s common for people to give up something for the duration as part of a period of self-reflection and sacrifice.
1st March - St David’s Day St David’s Day is the feast day of Saint David, the patron saint of Wales, and falls on the first day of March, chosen in remembrance of the death of Saint David on that day in 1601. The date was declared a national day of celebration within Wales in the 18th century and despite a successful campaign in 2007 in which 87% of Welsh people wanted to make the day a public holiday, it was rejected by Tony Blair’s government. Boo! It doesn’t stop Disney though: every year Disneyland Paris holds a Welsh Festival where a certain pair of famous rodents don Welsh National costume. Bet Mickey still can’t say Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrnd robwllllantysiliogogogoch though… St David was renowned for his wisdom, legendary watercress consumption and is the only indigenous saint in the United Kingdom. You might also be surprised to discover that St Patrick was reputed to have come from Wales. (Just saying)
i’s he Season Coeor tcamp B
17th March - St Patrick’s Day Legend has it that a young Patrick was taken from his home in Wales by Irish raiders and sold into slavery in Ireland, whereupon he was inspired into a life of devout Christianity and is credited with the widespread introduction of the Christian faith to Ireland. Lenten restrictions on eating and drinking alcohol are lifted for the day. Perhaps because of this, drinking alcohol – particularly Irish whiskey, beer or cider – has become an integral part of the celebrations. The St Patrick's Day custom of 'drowning the shamrock' or 'wetting the shamrock' was historically popular, especially in Ireland. At the end of the celebrations, shamrock is put into the bottom of a cup, which is then filled with whiskey, beer or cider. It is then drank as a toast; to St Patrick, to Ireland, or to those present. The shamrock would either be swallowed with the drink, or be taken out and tossed over the shoulder for good luck.
26th March - Mothering Sunday, Mother’s Day Mothering Sunday / Mother’s Day is a celebration honouring the mother of the family, as well as motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. In the United States, celebration of Mother's Day began in the early 20th century. It is not related to the many celebrations of mothers and motherhood that have occurred throughout the world over thousands of years, such as the Greek cult to Cybele, the Roman festival of Hilaria, or the Christian Mothering Sunday celebration (originally a commemoration of Mother Church, not motherhood).
Bored of the same old thing? Then come along to BOOTCAMP! Every Tuesday & Thursday 5.15pm for 45mins, Starting on Tuesday 31st January
£3 per session Get fit Stay healthy Build confidence Work at your own ability Interval workouts that target the whole body. It's a way to challenge your body and mind into doing a workout, which leaves no prisoners. In one session you can burn off 100s of calories! It's for the strong, the weak, the fit, and the not so fit. There is no discrimination, as long as you have the will to finish what you started.
Email Ceri MelhuishThomas for more info.
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GEMS Staff Suggestion Scheme
Suggestion Action If you have a suggestion and would like to be in with a chance of winning ÂŁ50, please complete a GEMS form via In House. Use video conferencing/You Tube to stream John's Briefings. Set up video conferencing / You Tube for live streaming of John's briefing. Trade courses organised and run by staff. Every 6 - 8 weeks. It is impractical for trade operatives to run a Trade Course every 6-8 weeks, and creates an opportunity to put tenants at risk and could result in more repair work needed after the tenant has attempted their own DIY. Building Services demonstrated a successful and popular DIY course for staff at the Staff Conference which can be carried out again at future Conferences but to take this to tenants is not going to be implemented.
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Create a folder for every employee to store pdf copies of documents relevant to their employment, including course certificates. Not only would this cut down on costs of printing these documents, it would help employees locate their information Rather than individuals having to scan all their documents/certificates manually and store on their U drive, HR maintain a central folder for each employee and file their documents/certificates into these folders. Notifications can be sent out by e-mail with hyperlinks to the folder should the officer want to print them off. This would save on printing and work towards a paperless office. The Staff Comms Group have agreed for us to cease producing internal training certificates, which partially meets this suggestion. Also, a report has been created in Cintra Self-Service for managers to access employee's training history. We will not be creating a central folder as it would create additional work for the HR Team and could increase the cost of IT storage. After the success of the workshops delivered by our tradesmen at the staff conference, thought it would be a good idea if they could produce relevant YouTube tutorials for carrying out basic DIY tasks? There are basic DIY YouTube tutorials and instructions to follow already available. It could be perceived that by having an MHA operative demonstrate DIY to tenants we are promoting that they carry out their own repairs which puts themselves at risk, and a risk of the property being damaged as a result of a tenant not knowing what to do. This GEM will not be implemented.
Don’t’ Walk By
DONLK’TBY
Just a reminder to insert the poster ☺
WA
‘Don’t Walk By’ sets out Monmouthshire Housing Association’s management commitment for Health and Safety at work.
Accident Reduction
Our target is to reduce the number of accidents caused or made worse by work every day. We will do everything we can to remove the risk of accidents from HQ and all of our sites. Don’t Walk By is an attitude towards cultivating a positive and safe working culture. If people identify any potential risks then they need to report it. It may be an observation, near miss or adverse event. The message we need to put across is “Don’t walk by and report it." Everyone is encouraged to report for immediate action anything they consider to be unsafe. Please refer to Don’t Walk By Procedure on In House. It has proven successful in raising important issues and creating a health and safety culture of awareness and openness in which people have the confidence to speak out and report it.
CIRCUIT
TRAINING at the Crossfit Shadow Valley Fitness Facility
Join other staff members for a lunchtime workout Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, starting at 13:15 (for 30 minutes) www.crossfitshadowvalley.com
Don’t Walk By can also include environmental concerns.
DON’T WALK BY. REPORT IT. 25
Valentine’s Quite simply, it’s the most romantic day of the year. We exchange cards and gifts, gaze lovingly into each other’s eyes over candlelit dinners, take long walks on deserted beaches, run through meadows in slow-motion while holding hands, carve lovespoons, cwtch up in front of roaring log fires, and put on our smartest underwear... just in case!
It's not all about the cards, flowers, chocolates and gifts. Why not do something nice for your partner? Sometimes the simple things can go a long way; • Recreate your first date - then recall all the feelings you had for each other that very first night • Let him/her pick the film this time • Make breakfast in bed • Take a late-night, hand-in-hand stroll around your neighbourhood • Send your loved one a sweet, short, text or email. (Not to a work email!) They say the way to a man's (or woman's) heart is through their stomach. Yet there’s no need to slave over a hot stove for hours. Best of all, throw the packaging in the bin and pretend you cooked it all from scratch. Marks & Spencer’s Dine in for £10 - It usually comes with a free bottle of wine. Sign up to FREE M&S text alerts Text FOOD1 to 65006 to receive offers and updates, including the popular Dine In for £10 alerts, straight to your mobile phone.
If you don’t fancy washing up try these local restaurants...
The Cripple Creek
Old Abergavenny Road, Raglan, Usk 01291 690256
Spice Lounge
Merthyr Road, Llanfoist, Abergavenny 01873 855720
Knight of Bengal
60 Newport Road, Caldicot, NP26 4BR 01291 425122
La Piccola Italia
100 Monnow Street, Monmouth, NP25 3EQ 01600 712527
Single on Valentine's Day? So all the happy couples you know could be sharing cute photos and lovey-dovey status updates all day. Don't get frustrated or jealous, you too, with a positive attitude can have just as much fun as every other happy couple out there. Why not invite some friends around for a good catch up and talk about old times, watch a funny film, or enjoy some stand-up comedy and giggle to your hearts content! Treat yourself to some cheap and healthy snacks, yoghurt with mixed fruit or the not so healthy chocolate and popcorn. Or for all you pet lovers out there why not cuddle up on the sofa with your pet and a cosy blanket and stick on your favourite film and laugh it up. Laughter boosts your mood, reduces stress, and makes you feel better, it also burns calories. Most importantly, be happy with yourself, not your relationship status!
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s Day
3,102 Followers
Following 598
@CaldicotRFC Big thanks to @Mon_ Housing and all their volunteers for the first stage of our club renovation.
Did You Know?
People all over Wales celebrate St Dwynwen's Day, the Welsh equivalent of Valentine's Day, on 25 January every year. The day marks the Welsh patron saint of lovers, Dwynwen – whose name translates as "she who leads a blessed life" –
Why not say I love you in Welsh...
“Caru ti”
@JulieNicholas Woohoo! @Mon_Housing New Homes team made it into @WHQMag ‘The art of tenancy sustainment’ @Mon_Housing Hooray! We are 9 today! Thank you to our staff, partners, tenants and everyone who has helped us get this far. Here’s to many more! @Jacob_MHA @LearnWithMCS! Great to see what all the young students of Monmouth are aspiring to be! #decisions #aimhigh
Roman Roots
The history of Valentine's Day is obscure, and clouded by various legends. The holiday's roots are in the ancient Roman festival of Lupercalia, a fertility celebration commemorated annually on February 15. Pope Gelasius I recast this pagan festival as a Christian feast day circa 496, declaring February 14 to be St. Valentine's Day. Over the centuries, traditions evolved, and by the 18th century, gift-giving and exchanging handmade cards on Valentine's Day had become common in England. Hand-made valentine cards made of lace, ribbons, and featuring cupids and hearts eventually spread to the American colonies. Today, of course, it has become a booming commercial success. And according to the Greeting Card Association, 25% of all cards sent each year in the US alone are valentines.
3,591 Tweets
@Mon_Housing Tenant Becky speaks of her experience of last years #PopUp Business School.
@Mon_Housing Contractors have spoken to several tenants and they are very happy with the work warmer flats too!
On Twitter? Follow us @mon_housing 27
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
Oscar Karen Summers
Oscar is a 3 year old ginger tom who lives to eat and is slowly morphing into Garfield!
to vote for the cutest pet.
Izzy Ann Wood
Cassie Kerris Winter
Izzy is my 5 month old kitten and is nothing but trouble!
Cassie is my Labrador X Weimeraner who has just turned 11. She is a laid back and gentle old lady who likes to sleep most of the time, but loves her walks and jumping in water. I had to get on my hands and knees and pull her out of the canal by her harness in the summer as she jumped in where there wasn't a banking for her to be able to get out herself.
Paw Paw Caroline Richards-Bourne
I adopted Paw Paw from a friend who moved away and couldnt take him with her. I'm not really a cat person but have had him for three weeks now and wouldnt change him for anything. My daughter wants to rename him Paul... but he comes to a whistle so I guess it doesn't matter what you call him really!
Robbie Nick Samuel
Robbie is a 3 year old working cocker spaniel. This picture was taken with his finalists rosette and commemorative t-shirt. I do agility with him and we compete all over the country. He does not stand still for a minute!
Congratulations to Hoxton (and his owner Sarah Needs) on winning June’s Pet Corner competition! 28
CuIsine Corner
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.
Restaurant Review Turtle Bay, Cardiff - By Graham Harvey
If you like a bit of spice in your life then Turtle Bay is definitely worth a visit!
a good selection of traditional Caribbean breads to chose from to accompany your meal.
As you walk in the door you're hit with a wave of Caribbean aromas and sounds and a lively atmosphere.
If you still need to fill a hole after your meal the dessert menu offers something for everyone.
The speciality drink in here is rum and there are lots of cocktails to choose from. There are also Jamaican beers and ciders on offer. The menu offers you a taste of the Caribbean with a wide variety of jerk, one pots and BBQ dishes for you to choose from... some spicier than others! There are also
The service was superb, very fast and friendly. We went on a Saturday night so it was full and the atmosphere was very lively. The price of the food is also very reasonable and would definitely go back to Turtle Bay again. www.turtlebay.co.uk
RECIPE Chicken, Chorizo & Prawn Paella Ingredients • 2 chicken Breasts • 1/2 chorizo ring • Paella rice • Asparagus stems • Paprika powder • Large Prawns • Mussels (optional) • Olive oil • Red wine • Chicken stock • 1 large onion • Saffron • Salt & pepper
Method • Chop the onion and fry in olive oil until soft. • Rinse the rice and add to the fying onions, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes. • Slice/dice the chicken and chorizo and in a separate pan fry with prawns and Mussels (optional) using olive oil (ensure the chicken is cooked through). • Add the stock to about a pint and a half of boiling water, stir then pour in to pan with rice and onions. Add a couple of 'glugs' of red wine. • Add the asparagus (whole), season with paprika, saffron and a pinch of salt and pepper then leave to simmer. • Once some of the water has boiled off, add the pre-fried meats to the rice and leave to simmer some more. • Once the water has boiled off and you have a sticky rice it's ready to serve.
If you would like to share your ideas with us, then please get in touch with the Corporate Services Team. 29
Capita Clinic - February 2017 Welcome to Capita Clinic! In each new edition of Ebuzz we will be including some useful step by step instructions which will help you to update records on Capita. If a tenant tells you that someone has moved in or out of their property, you need to update the occupancy list on Capita. This is easy to do and should only take a few minutes. Here’s how:
Adding an Occupant
Removing an Occupant
Enter the record and go in to the occupants section by clicking on occupants
Is the person a tenant? They will need to be removed from the Tenancy Agreement before being removed from Capita. Add code DLIV (“Does not live at property”) in the person’s circumstance tab until they can be removed properly. Contact the Neighbourhood Officer.
Click on the add an occupant button
Is this person already on Capita? Check by clicking on the ‘field help’ button and entering some details of the person and press search.
Yes – double click on the person that you want to add. This takes you back to the previous screen with the person’s details added.
No – Return to the previous screen and enter the details of the person. Complete as many of the fields as possible.
Click on the insert button. This takes you back to the occupancy screen with the new occupant added. (If you know the NI number but can’t add it, carry on but let Mark Winstanley know. Don’t just leave it out!)
Enter the occupants section in the record.
Click on the drop down in the operation field next to the person you are looking to remove and select terminate.
Tab across to ‘from date’ and enter with the date that the person left the property.
Tab across to enter a ‘change reason’ by selecting the relevant option from the drop down menu.
Click on the save icon and the occupant will then be removed. (Do these change affect the Arrears Category, e.g bedroom tax, non-dependent deductions? Contact the Income Officer.) Remember to change the marital statuses of anyone whose may have changed by your update
Tab across to enter the ‘from date’ and enter the date that the person moved in to the property. Tab across to enter their relation to Tenant 1 in the ‘new relation’ area. Enter the code or click on the ‘field help’ button to find the relevant code. The most common codes are:
SO – Son
• PA – Partner DA – Daughter •
• HS - Husband WF - Wife
Once you have completed the steps above, click on the save icon and the occupant is added to the record.
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Well done to everyone who continues to update and add new information on Capita. Between you in 2016, you updated over 5,600 data items for nearly 3,500 residents. That works out at around 22 updates a day! If you would like any help or would like some training on updating information please contact Claudia Blair or Nathan Cook in Corporate Services.
PRESS RELEASES
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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.
WS E N E R MO ITING N E V E VIS GET Y B S & VIEWR NEW LOOK YOU USE!
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Pop along to our demos, which will be held at the end of February and into March. Keep a look out for the dates! MHA0602
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