My Great Place Spring issue 2013 by Great Places Housing Group

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the latest iPod shuffle

“WE DON’T ” E V O M O T T N A W Leigh family tells us what the One an for them bedroom tax will me

BAB’S FarAa B

How Barb Walker brought harmony to her Manchester street

YOUR NEW WEBSITE

Easy-to-use guide on how to pay your rent, report a repair and much more

Repairs

Numbers you need to know

Phone our Customer Access Team from 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday. It’s local rate. Call us on:

0300 123 1966

07797 870 734 or email us at cat@greatplaces.org.uk

or simply text us on

For all Great Places residents you can call us between 8am and 6pm weekdays on:

You can also use this number for out-of-hours emergencies. Or you can email us about a repair at

0300 123 1966

& press 1 for repairs

repairs@greatplaces.org.uk

Office addresses

Oldham office

Blackburn office

Salford office

Fylde office

Barnfield House (Suite 4 and 5) Groundfloor, Accrington Road Blackburn BB1 3NY Open Monday, 9.30am-5pm & Thursday 9:30am-12:30pm Appointment only at all other times.

336 Talbot Road, Blackpool, FY1 3QU Opening hours: Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm

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ry Lor er Driv

SelfEmpl oyed

Compa n Directo y r Lecturer

l Socia r e Work

Sheffield office

The Quadrant, 99 Parkway Avenue, Sheffield SS9 4WG Opening hours: Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm

Southern Gate, 729 Princess Road, Manchester M20 2LT Opening hours: Monday to Friday 8.30am to 5.30pm

106 Longridge, Knutsford, WA16 8PD Opening hours: Monday only, 9.30am to 4.30pm Bus Driver

4th Floor, St James’s House, Pendleton Way, Salford M6 5FW Opening hours: Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm

Great Places head office

Cheshire office

Building r Sur veyo

119 Union Street, Oldham OL1 1TE Opening hours: Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm

Solicitor

Joiner

Stock er Manag

Civil t n Ser va Shop Assistant

Engineer

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Forensic Scientist

Fire Figh te

IT er Manag

we help people from all walks of life get onto the property ladder through schemes like Shared Ownership and FirstBuy

find out more:

0161 447 5050 www.plumlife.co.uk

cto

Pol i Offi ce cer

it doesn’t matter what your job is...

if you earn less than £60k a year and want to buy a home in the north west or South Yorkshire we may be able to help.

Electrician

l Denta e Nurs

Soldier

Post e Offic k r Cle

Write to My Great Place at: Communications Great Places Southern Gate 729 Princess Road Manchester, M20 2LT

WELCOME TO YOUR MAGAZINE!

Email: communications@greatplaces.org.uk Find us on Facebook at facebook.com/GreatPlacesHousing Tweet us @MyGreatPlace

Access for all We’ve already sent a magnifying sheet to our visually impaired residents. Let us know if you need one. An audio version of My Great Place is also available.

WIN!

the latest iPod shuffle

“WE DON’T E” WANT TOtellsMOV us what the One Leigh family for them bedroom tax will mean

BAB’S FAB

How Barbara Walker brought harmony to her Manchester street

Cover stars: Phil and Jane Walsh, read their story on pages 6-7

YOUR NEW WEBSITE

Easy-to-use guide on how to pay your rent, report a repair and much more

FSC AND WORLD LAND TRUST LOGOS

Welcome to the spring issue of My Great Place – your magazine. We’ve certainly got a spring in our step hearing more of your inspirational stories and ideas. Thank you for all the letters you sent giving us your feedback on the new-look format and other general issues. You can find a selection of these on our letters page, My Voice on page 4. It would’ve been wrong of us not to highlight the imminent benefit changes through our cover story (pages 6-7) which features residents Phil and Jane Walsh from Leigh. This fascinating story will help you understand the changes and how Great Places can help. More relevant information to help you through these difficult financial times can be found on page 19, My money which also highlights the dangers of loan sharks. On a more positive note, we’ve got more great stories about our residents on pages 11, 12 and 13. Read how Dawn Turnbull is working tirelessly to transform a Bury church and how Northmoor’s Barbara Walker used the power of the beautiful game to get the young people on her street on side. As you know we’re always trying to make life easier for you. In January we launched our new website which will make it simple for you to check your balance, pay your rent and report a repair. Read the first part of our easy-touse guide on pages 20-21. The website is just one part of how we’re improving our services to you.

What’s inside? Regulars

4 My voice: your new letters page. Write, email, Facebook or Tweet us about anything and everything 8-9 News: a round-up of Great Places stories

16-17 Neighbourhood news: keeping you up to date with what’s been going on and who’s been inspirational in your area 18 Elderly services news: what’s been happening in our sheltered homes? 19 My money: hints and tips on how to make your money go further 22 Get involved: how you can get involved in your community and with Great Places 23 My green place: helping you keep up with all things environmental 24 Competitions: win cash vouchers with our wordsearch and spot the difference

Features

6-7 Beating the bedroom tax: Phil and Jane Walsh from Leigh tell us their story 10 Our promise to you: find out in numbers how well we’re doing serving you 11 Raising the roof: resident Dawn Turnbull’s mission to transform a church into a community hub 12-13 Friend, football provider and fantastic neighbour: Barbara Walker’s crusade to rid her street of antisocial behaviour

14-15 A great opportunity…to find a career: we fill you in on all the ways we can help

20-21 Your new website: Rachel Machin, Editor

an easy-to-use guide to using your new website: www.greatplaces.org.uk

myvoice!

hanks so much for all of the letters, emails and Facebook messages you’ve sent us since the last issue – we love hearing your thoughts. Below is a small selection of what you had to say. We want to give you every opportunity to tell us your thoughts, ideas and comments. As you know there are new ways you can contact us via Facebook and Twitter as well as by letter. Whatever way you choose to contact us, we want to hear from you. Tell us about your neighbourhood or give us your thoughts on anything Great Places-related!

Star letter

very issue one of your letters, emails, facebook or twitter messages will be chosen as our Star Letter and you could receive a £10 voucher.

“Dear My Great Place As I have got the condition macular degeneration I would be grateful if you would send me a magnifying sheet. I have looked at one of my neighbour’s sheets and found it very good. I can see a lot of improvements in the magazine. I would like to make another suggestion. Could you please print everything in the magazine bigger? I am 90 years old tomorrow so it would help. Yours truly, Mr J Lord” Editor: Thanks for your lovely letter. Hope you received the magnifying sheet we sent. The layout and type size of My Great Place does meet all the standards required for people with visual impairments. Hope the sheet helps!

“Hello. Think the new mag is not as good as the other one but just takes getting used to. Please may I ask a question? It seems that nearly every mag we get never, or very rarely, mentions Hawkshaw Court, Salford! What do we need to do to get a mention? It would certainly boost morale here to read about ourselves thank you. Marie Sciberras” Editor: Thanks so much for your feedback. Hopefully you’ll get used to the new format of the magazine. We used to send out a magazine called Grapevine which was specifically for those living in our schemes for older residents. Now you’ll find a news page devoted to your schemes in this very magazine. Check out page 18!

Write to us at: My Great Place Communications Great Places Housing Group Southern Gate 729 Princess Road Manchester M20 2LT

Email us: communications@greatplaces.org.uk

Tweet us: @mygreatplace

Facebook us at:

facebook.com/GreatPlacesHousing

“ufff!! Finally I found you on Facebook. I am from Manchester & today I got a new magazine – My Great Place – I like it! Nice, that now I can see you on Facebook, great, wishes from Whalley Range in Manchester. Xenia Jacoby” Facebook

THE CLOCK NG! IS TICKIfits How your bene are changing in April

CORRIE,

KIDS & KENYA

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the latest iPod shuffle

WHAT’S GOING ON WHERE YOU LIVE?

How we’re helping street children in Africa

rt inside! Residents’ Annual Repo for you what we’ve been doing over the last year!

Find out what’s been happening in your area and events coming up soon

5 “Dear My Great Place My dissatisfaction with the dog fouling article (‘Forum beats foul play’ issue May 2012) was due to two factors – the highly misleading nature of both the title and contents of the article and the fact that the article was factually incorrect. You have since acknowledged that: 'the term 'sprang into action' gives the impression of the issue being sorted straight away when in fact it dragged on for over 12 months. At the time the May issue of 'My Great Place' was published and distributed to tenants in the Richmond Park area of Sheffield. The article stated that: 'The team has been busy with new signage in the area' when in fact at that time none of the dog-fouling signs had been sprayed around the area at all. There was no clarification published in either the August or November edition of 'My Great Place'. Could you tell me if and when a clarification is actually going to be published? Regards, Robin Ogle” Editor: We sincerely apologise that no clarification was included in either issue. Please find an update to the story on page 19.

LIKE US ON FACEBOOK WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/GREATPLACESHOUSING

Kids’ Competition WIN an iPod shuffle! Thanks to everyone who wrote to tell us where Margaret Plaice was hiding last issue. Congratulations to Shakira Khatun, 15, from Hyde (pictured left) who was picked out as our winner! Hope you’re enjoying your new i-pod. We’ve got another little challenge for the young ones in your household. If you don’t already know. Margaret Plaice, our little fishy friend who’s name is inspired by this very magazine, is hiding again somewhere. Can you find her? If you can, just email or write and let us know exactly where she is (make sure you put the page number) and send it to us. The winning entry will get their hands on a cute little i-pod so get searching!

COMPETITION RULES To enter you must be: • 16 or under • a Great Places resident

Entries must be in by 14th May 2013

Beating the bedroom tax

There are only a couple of weeks left until the government makes the biggest benefit changes in recent times. My Great Place finds out how one Leigh family is coping In the garages, supermarkets and charity shops of Wigan, there are whispers of welfare reform on the lips of residents. The realisation of what is going to happen in April when the government brings in benefit changes that will affect a vast majority of people, is finally hitting home. Posters requesting house swaps appear in several windows as residents get to grips with what the bedroom tax really means. One family from Atherton know all too well what it means for them. Phil and Jane Walsh have already left behind one of their toughest years yet. Jane explains: “We were on the verge of losing the home we’d lived in for 11 years. Phil worked 80 hours a week as a truck driver but his health deteriorated and he wasn’t able to do his job. We had to fight to get on the ladder in the first place then somebody kicked it out from underneath us. “As a last ditch option I’d heard about Mortgage Rescue and made enquiries

with Wigan Council and we were lucky enough to be accepted. Great Places took over this place at the beginning of last year.”

“

£120 a month and they’re saying it’s not the same condition you insured us with, go away.” says Phil. On top of all this the Walsh’s will face

The government is hitting poorer families. They’ve tarred us all with the same brush, made out we’re all scroungers

“It was a proper nightmare,” continues Phil who suffers from stage three emphysema, a heart condition, and sleep apnoea, which means he sometimes stops breathing in his sleep. “The most annoying thing is that I took out insurance to protect against something happening like this and they’ve not paid out. We paid

”

the introduction of the bedroom tax which will require them to downsize to a smaller home or find £80 a month extra to stay where they are. “The government is saying that this is a three-bedroom house and we’re under occupying because we only need two rooms as we’re a married couple,” explains Jane. “We also

Welfare reform In April the government is bringing in benefit changes that will affect many of you. These are not changes made by Great Places but we can help you deal with them. Check out our dedicated Welfare Reform booklet available at www.greatplaces.org.uk. Just click in the search box and type ‘Welfare reform’. Or you can scan this code with your smart phone to view the booklet.

THE GOVERNMENT’S

WELFARE REFORM

BEDROOM TAX HOW WILL YOU BE AFFECTED?

FOR INFORMATION & ADVICE CONTACT OUR CUSTOMER ACCESS TEAM 0300 123 1966 (option 3)

What are your options?

have our 21-year old son Sean living with us. What they’ve not taken into consideration is Phil’s condition. He’s hooked up to a machine most of the night and needs to be near the toilet.” The Walsh family, like many others, face a major dilemma, as moving would mean uprooting from the place they’ve called home for decades. “Great Places don’t really have homes in this area – that means moving out of the area we’ve lived most of our lives, and leaving my mum who lives two miles away. Even if we moved to Rochdale or Salford if Sean meets a girl and decides to move out we’ll have to move again,” says Phil. To top all that off, they signed a contract with Great Places allowing them to buy back their property within three years if their circumstances change. If they move

to a smaller place because of the bedroom tax the contract becomes void. “The government is hitting poorer families. They’ve tarred us all with the same brush, made out we’re all scroungers. I’ve been a lollipop lady, worked in a pub, several care homes and done a university course in Radiography. I’ve worked all my life and never asked for anything. They’ve made me feel I’m trying to have something I don’t deserve but I didn’t ask for this situation. You can’t win any way you turn. “At the moment, neither of us drink, smoke and very rarely ever go out. The only cuts we can make to afford this are to try and cut down on food, not go out, and possibly cancel the internet, but then the government want you to start doing everything online!”

Staying put and finding the money like the Walsh family is not your only option. You can: • Get help to stay: manage your money better (we have a team of experts who can help. Just call 0300 123 1966 or visit www.greatplaces.org.uk, click on ‘My Homepage’ and find ‘Money advice’ in the left hand navigation), take in a lodger, share your tenancy or get into work or training.

• Move to smaller property

– we may be able to help you do this but can’t guarantee a home for you. There’s also a website called www. Homeswapper.co.uk which has helped lots of people like you to move. Registering is easy and free of charge where hundreds of people are waiting to swap with you right now! Just call 0300 123 1966 if you want to know more.

News

NHS scheme ‘Live At Ease’ is helping veterans return to civvy street

Last issue we told you about our Opportunities for All funding. You can apply for help to pay for a community group you are involved in or a life-

Remembering David Nuttall Everyone at Great Places sends their sincere condolences to the family of David Nuttall, a resident who served on our Tenant Services Committee (TSC), who died recently. Maggie Shannon, director of Performance and Innovation, said: “He was a lovely man and a great supporter of Great Places.”

It’s common for ex-service personnel to experience practical and emotional problems after leaving the forces. A free service called ‘Live At Ease’ is available for ex-military tenants and their families who need help with substance misuse, unemployment, debt, family breakdown or housing issues. Each person has a dedicated adviser who puts a support plan together, helping

veterans to quickly access organisations that will help them. Anyone who has ever served in the forces and lives in the North West can use Live At Ease. The programme is also available to their families. For more information call 0808 123 1 123 (free from landlines), text for free 07537 404 535, email info@liveat-ease. org.uk or visit www.liveat-ease.org.uk

changing expereince for you or your family. We have recieved over 80 applications and the funding panel are working hard scoring all the bids. In the summer issue of My Great Place we’ll be able to share some of the inspirational stories of those

who’ve been successful. Don’t worry if you missed out this time around, look out for news in the next issue of My Great Place about how you can apply for the 2013/14 Opportunities for All fund!

How we’re keeping you cosy… and saving you money! With soaring heating costs, making our homes as energy efficient as possible is a major priority of Great Places. We have a new Affordable Warmth team to tackle this issue. Their main aim is to improve our worst energy performance properties. Working together with our Gas and Investment teams, we are looking to improve insulation, heating systems, draught-proofing, up-grading boilers as well as replacing older doors and windows. Over the past year Great Places has carried out a major programme of investment totalling £2.3m which has helped to improve the energy efficiency of your homes and reduce fuel costs.

Work has included: • £1,100,000 on 369 boilers • £744,000 on windows to 248 homes • £300,000 on improving the loft and cavity wall insulation to over 1300 homes • £77,000 on external doors to 129 homes • £164,000 to install external solid wall insulation • 491 kitchens replaced • 138 bathrooms replaced This year we’ll carry on making improvements, tapping into external funding to carry out major work including solid wall insulation to our older homes. Watch this space!

News

Manchester Move

My Home Choice MyHomeChoiceFyldeCoast (MHC) is the new way to apply for all social housing on the Fylde Coast.

The NEW place to look for a home! Are you looking for a home in Manchester? Check out this great new website!

You can apply online at www.myhomechoicefyldecoast.co.uk

To find out more go to manchestermove.co.uk

Make a fresh start with Citizens Advice If you’re looking to put your spare time to good use, freshen up your skills for employment or watch your confidence grow this spring, why not get in touch and find out more about volunteering on the Citizens Advice Bureau phone lines? Manchester CAB’s phone advice team, helped by the Big Lottery Fund, are looking to recruit and train new volunteers to handle calls on their phone lines. From their Swan St offices in Manchester city centre, the team answers enquiries from over 500 people per week, finding out what kind of help they need, then referring them to experts who can advise them on the

best way to solve their problem. The role, which requires a minimum commitment of four and a half hours per week and won’t usually affect any benefits you may receive, is also a great way to help yourself. With full training provided, plus the on-the-job experience of working on a busy phone line, many volunteers have found their skills have improved. Please visit www.manchestercab.org to find out more. For an application form, email volunteering@manchestercab. cabnet.org.uk or call 0161 203 2512 leaving your name and address.

For other opportunities, why not visit the ‘Jobs’ section of our website www.greatplaces.org.uk or our ‘Jobs and training in the community’ pages under the Communities heading.

Stephen says... As some of you may know, I am stepping down in April after 21 years as chief executive of Great Places. I’ve already paid tribute to the many people I’ve met and worked with, but would like to take this opportunity to say what a pleasure it has been to lead what I believe is a fantastic organisation which has served some truly inspirational residents over the years. We have become a large association but our can-do culture and focus on providing excellent services for

you, our customers, has remained the same and I know that will continue to be the case. I am sure Great Places will continue to go from strength to strength under the leadership of Matthew Harrison, formerly our deputy chief executive. He’s an excellent appointment and I know he will make sure Great Places continues to make a positive difference to you all in your many communities.

How we’re doing

We want to regularly keep you up to date on how well we’re serving you in a number of areas. See below for the latest facts & figures on our performance. Every month we’ll update these on our website. Just visit www.greatplaces.org.uk, click on the ‘What we do’ section and visit the ‘How we’re performing’ page.

Quality of service you are satisfied with our overall service our general housing 89% ofacross of you are satisfied with our overall service 93% in supported housing of you are satisfied with our repairs and 94% maintenance services Right first time are completed 75% ofat repairs the first visit The personal touch of you are satisfied that your views are 77% taken into account At your convenience of repair appointments were made at 89% a time convenient for you 95% of these appointments were kept Keeping in contact

We’ve re-designed our complaints process so that you’re kept informed regularly with progress. We’ll start to monitor this through our complaints satisfaction surveys and you’ll be able to view the results monthly.

You can get more information and keep up to date on how we’re doing in the ‘What we do’ section on our new website: www.greatplaces.org.uk

Raising the roof Resident Dawn Turnbull has been instrumental in transforming a former church in Bury into a thriving community hub. My Great Place went to visit It stands rather unassumingly on the corner of a residential street but what was a church hall is now full to the rafters with young and old from the local community, attending courses and chatting over freshly prepared breakfast in the refurbished kitchen. It’s unrecognisable from the place it used to be, explains Dawn Turnbull who’s been ploughing her efforts into this project since 2011. “It was such a shame to see it empty,” she says. “The only times it was being used was on a Monday, Tuesday and Saturday night. What we’re doing opens it up to the community and brings in extra income for the church. Local people get the opportunity to look for jobs and receive all kinds of training.” Currently the centre offers courses in everything from health to IT. “We’ve got people from all walks of life coming here,” says Dawn. “It originally started off as a job club for ex-offenders but now it’s open to everyone. We also have a closed women’s group who meet every Tuesday.”

Grants and funding from organisations like Bury Lifelong Learning have enabled the centre to buy laptops and other equipment. Tutors also give up their time to volunteer providing advice to the many people who attend the job club. But Dawn’s plans for the building are far from over. Through the Bury Council Community Fund and Great Places’ fundraising co-ordinator Daniel Mountford, £82,000 has been raised to completely transform the attic space. She hopes to create a multi-use space where a number of courses will be run and a range of advice and information days held. “We’re just waiting for a box to be ticked and then work can start,” says Dawn. “It’s taken a while to get to this stage. There are lots of community facilities closing down in Bury so we’ll be able to step in. It’s about creating a community in itself.” So what does the future hold for Dawn and the centre? “We’re looking at starting a food bank on a small scale. Financial support co-ordinator Karen

Burns at Great Places has offered to help us. We’d also like to use the centre as a youth drop-in. Most places have closed down. With benefits moving online we also need to provide training for local people who haven’t really ever used computers. “When we get the upstairs up and running we’ll be advertising for volunteers because I can’t keep up the current pace I’m working at the moment. We’re going to need a caretaker who’ll need a wage.” Visit our brand new website www. greatplaces.org.uk to read more stories about our brilliant residents!

Friend, football provider and fantastic neighbour!

Resident Barbara Walker is all of the above and more. For the last decade she has stood up to the perpetrators of antisocial behaviour on her street in Northmoor, Manchester and won an award for her efforts. My Great Place went to meet her If you had to deal with a dog barking 24-7, young people hammering footballs against your windows, and people spitting and urinating all over your street, what would you do about it? For former landlady Barbara Walker, who’s been a Great Places’ resident for 23 years, there was no question she would tackle the situation head-on. “When I moved in all those years ago, this street was lovely – it was one of the better streets. But in recent years we’ve had an influx of problem families. At one point there were 68 children living here. If you had the door open they’d come running in – it wasn’t fair on the older people.” Barbara’s crusade started back in 2006 when some neighbours were

“

exasperated by a dog barking day and night but weren’t doing anything about it. Already an active member of the community attending partnership meetings at Northmoor Community Centre with councillors, the police and the fire brigade, Barbara stuck her neck out and confronted the dog owner.

put a recorder in my bedroom for four days. That’s when they realised the severity of the situation and that was that.” Following retirement Barbara stepped up her involvement and was instrumental in helping to ban a group of young boys from booting footballs on the metal grids of new homes built by Great Places. Again a letter to Gerald Kaufman MP, who she now cheekily describes as her “pen pal”, swiftly stopped that situation getting out of control. Flying footballs were also the reason she ended up writing to David Cameron. “People’s cars and satellite dishes were getting damaged and we were all fed up,” she explains. “That’s when I involved Great Places to see if they could get me funding for some

We’re a mixed community here but we care about each other “I went round to the house and asked politely to keep the dog quiet but got a mouthful of abuse. I brought it up at the next meeting. Nothing happened so I got in touch with the council then wrote to Gerald Kaufman MP and received a letter back saying he’d see what he could do. Eventually they sent a noise abatement officer round who

”

If you’re worried about anti-social behaviour in your area please call 0300 123 1966

Have you got an inspirational neighbour? If so, we’d love to hear about them. Just email us at communications@greatplaces.org.uk foam balls. I then went round to the parents’ houses and asked them to encourage their children to use them.” Barbara’s brainwave worked a treat and now she has the full respect of the parents and children. “They’d been so good I said to my daughter I’m going to buy them all a gift. My daughter went halves with me. I took selection boxes round a few Christmases ago and now I save all my loose change and do it every year – they really appreciate it.” Thanks to Barbara’s dogged determination, she’s helped create a real community feel in the street. As well as being a community guardian for Manchester City Council, she helps organise street parties and has encyclopaedic knowledge of all the ‘need-toknow’ numbers in the area. She’s

also resident ‘doctor’ to some of the older neighbours, helping them with minor ailments. Recently, her tireless work was rewarded in Manchester City Council’s Be Proud Awards where she picked up Community Project of the Year, the Community Force award, Unsung Hero of the Year and was a finalist for Neighbour of the Year. “I was so surprised to receive these awards. I was nominated by my neighbour Carol who regularly treats me to her Caribbean chicken. We’re a mixed community here but we care about each other. My Asian neighbours make me biryani and I send round apple pie and custard. They all appreciate me keeping a close eye on the street.”

Visit YouTube to view our video of Barbara!

A great opportunity…

...to find a career! It’s becoming more difficult to get a job in these tough times. To give people a helping hand we have a team called Great Opportunities dedicated to supporting you back into work and training If you’re looking for work, have you thought about a career with Great Places? We publish all our jobs on our website, www.greatplaces.org.uk, updating the list of vacancies every Wednesday. Look in our dedicated ‘Jobs’ section. There’s also our ‘Jobs and training in the community’ pages which you’ll find under ‘Communities’. These detail all the apprenticeship, volunteering and work experience opportunities we have.

You can check our Facebook page to get news of latest employment and training opportunities. At the moment, the Great Opportunities team is working hard to help residents get apprenticeships in the construction industry, working for us and our partners. If you’re interested in more information about any of our opportunities please contact us at GoTeam@greatplaces.org.uk.

Great Places will be starting the recruitment for our new cohort of office-based apprentices in May. These exciting opportunities will be advertised on our website, Facebook and Twitter so don’t miss out. Keep your eyes peeled!

True stories

Nathan’s rising and shining in his new career For Nathan Law, 17, an apprenticeship in carpentry and joinery was the break he needed to get into the world of work. And it came through impressing his future employer during a work experience placement. A friendly and confident young man, he is above, showing shadow chancellor Ed Balls around his building site in Longsight, Manchester. Nathan was picked by The Manchester College, where he was studying at the

time, to do work experience with Great Places and contractor, Seddon. He quickly impressed everyone – always arriving on time, always willing to help and learn. In no time at all, he was really part of the team, building much-needed new homes for local families. Nathan’s site supervisor, Jason McGee, said: “During his work experience he was out in all weathers, helping out wherever he’s been needed. He did us

proud when he met Ed Balls.” Having proved that he was a good worker, he was taken on as an apprentice joiner. Nathan says: “I was really keen to finish college and start work, so be offered an apprenticeship was amazing. I was happy to be given the opportunity and getting paid was a bonus. I never thought doing work experience would turn into a career – I’m so made up.”

How David learned a new trade

He said: “I’m happy I have found permanent employment in construction after so long. Working with Southdale has been good. They saw my enthusiasm and commitment and gave me some responsibilities such as safety rep and key holder for the site.” David will continue to work for Southdale and has been offered a permanent position.

David Anderson, 32, found his way to Great Places and contractor Southdale after completing a Rochdale Borough Housing volunteer scheme in construction, which involved fully renovating a house in his neighbourhood. He took a shine to plumbing, after years working in shops and warehouses, and doing delivery work. David thought his age might count against him in getting an apprenticeship – but it wasn’t an issue for Southdale who offered him a 12-month contract learning construction operations after Great Place supported him in applying. David has now successfully completed his NVQ Level 2. In the future, he would like to train to qualify as a plumber or a plasterer.

Blackpool and Fylde

Neighbourhood news Take away takeaways

Can you skip it?

Winnipeg Residents Association recently celebrated the launch of the ‘Purple Pinny Project,’ which encourages people to cook healthy meals for themselves rather than rely on takeaways. Funding from a number of organisations, including the Coop Community Project Fund, has helped buy a new cooker and ingredients for the sessions which will take place every third Monday from 6pm until 7.30pm. During the first session residents were given the skills to make a selection of soups, sauces and stews. There are future plans to hold sessions on Saturday mornings specifically for children and a cookery book will be created to promote healthy eating and raise funds for the residents association.

A skip day on Aldingham Walk organised by Great Places spurred residents to carry out an early spring clean in January. Scheme rep Mr Ward (pictured) led by example while Sodexho (gardeners) turned up to offer a helping hand. Tenants also signed up to a Good Neighbourhood Agreement.

Knitting for Kenya!

Cheshire East

Residents and staff from across the Fylde coast have been busy knitting woolly clothes which will be given to the children in Kenya when our three staff volunteers go in September 2013. There’s been smoke coming off their needles, with over 100 hats being knitted since October... a fantastic achievement... well done!

Mum’s the word Strong Mums Free seven week course

Taster session Wednesday 30 January 10.30am to 11.30am Are you a mum? If the answer’s yes, keep reading! You’re invited to attend a seven-week session where you’ll: • Learn to understand what makes you tick • Make time for you • Share stories and ideas

Knutsford Children’s Centre Sessions take place on: Thursdays 9:15am to 11.30am on 14 and 28 February, 7, 14, 21 and 28 March (final event is celebration from 9:15am to 1pm). One to one session on Wednesday 20 March 9.15am to 1pm

• Build your confidence and much more!

Chat, Créche provided, Refreshments

Want to find out more? Call Lucy Beesley on 07917 527 280 or email lucy.beesley@ greatplaces.org.uk

Six mums from Longridge and Shaw Heath have completed a seven-week course at the Knutsford Children’s Centre designed to help them develop lifeskills, self-confidence, resilience and decisionmaking skills. The ‘Strong Mums’ programme was funded and supported by Great Places and it is hoped will allow the women to move on to further opportunities whether this be education, training, further support groups, voluntary roles or even into work.

children Second-hand Ten from Longridge scarecrows and Shaw

Heath have been using their creative talents to design two scarecrows during three workshops organised by Tatton Park, the Welcome Group and Great Places Housing

By providing an insight into a variety of models including non-violent communication and positive psychology, the mums were able to develop their self-awareness and use practical techniques to enhance their personal relationships. The next course is now fully booked. To enquire about future courses email lucy.beesley@greatplaces.org.uk or visit our website, www.greatplaces.org.uk and click on Cheshire East in the Latest news section on the homepage.

Group. ‘Milk bottled Bob’ and ‘Recycled Rosie’ were made out of recycled materials including plastic bottles. The grounds of Tatton Park have become the scarecrows’ home and the children and their families were all invited to take part in a scarecrow activity day held recently.

Oldham

Noble by name and nature

Sheffield

Update on dog fouling The dog fouling signs in Richmond Park are now up and there has been a significant reduction in dog fouling in the area.

17 Electrician George Evans from Noble Electricians in Oldham became a knight in shining armour to one of our residents when he returned her purse containing £500 he had found under a kitchen sink while doing a repair job. Realising the purse belonged to a tenant who had previously lived at the property, George returned it to our Oldham Office in Union Street

Get your grow on! We have allotment gardens ready for growing! The site is at Maltravers Close, Wybourn and the plots are 9m x 3m. Rental charge including minor maintenance is £39.40 per year. The site has a water stand pipe and is securely locked. Keys are provided for tenants. For more information contact Philip Walker or Dominic Durham on 0300 123 1966.

First tenants move into new homes at Park Hill Great Places has welcomed the first tenants into their newly refurbished homes at Park Hill, the iconic grade II-listed building which has been the subject of a £160m revamp. The tenants, who lived in the original Park Hill, are the first to move into phase one of the project, which overlooks Park Square roundabout and Ponds Forge. Made up of 78 apartments, 26 have been earmarked for social tenants with the rest available to buy through shared ownership and private sale. Up to now 20 leaseholders and 21

tenants have settled in. Miss Mi Jang moved into her one-bedroom apartment a few days ago. She is still unpacking her belongings and making the place feel like home. Mi said: “I liked it at Park Hill from when I first moved here, even though the flats were very old. This is a nice new flat and I have great views from the lounge and the bedroom. I like to see the lights at night and I like my big windows. The under-floor heating is good. I am very happy.”

and it was passed on to its rightful owner. It is thought the tenant had been saving money for a new washer and fridge and completely forgot the money was there after being in hospital for a number of months before she moved. Great Places would like to say a massive thank you to George for his honesty.

MBE joy for Sheffield resident

John Burkhill, 74, is famous in the city for his pram, giant foam hand and bright green wig, and has dedicated over 20 years of his life to tireless fundraising for Macmillan Cancer Support. His efforts were recently recognised in the Queen’s New Year honours list with the accolade of a British Empire Medal for charitable services in Sheffield. The award tops off a momentous year for John, who lives in Richmond Park. In June he was chosen to carry the Olympic Torch as it passed through Chapeltown, and in the autumn he was nominated to represent Yorkshire in the Pride of Britain awards. His fundraising contributions have topped the £150,000 mark and John is as determined as ever to reach his target of £250,000. “Since I retired in 2004 I’ve been walking full-time in my green wig, pushing a pram all over the country. My aim is to complete 1,000 races. I’ve reached 871 so the dream is nearly a reality.”

Elderly services news

Harvesting help

Movember magic

Residents of Windmill House, our sheltered scheme in Blackpool, foraged for goodies to sell at their autumn fair. Several helpers made the day a fantastic success and £300 was raised which will be given to the Air Ambulance service.

A dynamic duo from our Extra Care scheme in Tulloch Court, Blackpool got into the spirit of ‘Movember’ and grew impressive moustaches for charity. David Stevenson (left), supported by Brian Tully, raised almost £200 for testicular cancer.

Windmill House’s magical mystery tour Windmill House residents from Blackpool enjoyed a whirlwind tour on a recent day out. Stopping at Barton Grange garden centre near Preston, the group ended their day with a free meal at The Bell and Bottle pub in Kirkham.

George’s Court

There was a lot of love in the room at St George’s Court in Blackpool when it held an open day recently, inviting locals and entertaining residents. Everyone enjoyed a tasty lunch, a game of bingo, and a line-dancing demonstration from the belles of St George’s Court [pictured]. £71.35 from a raffle was donated to the British Heart Foundation. Here’s what one resident had to say about her love for St George’s: “It’s safe, there’s always someone on hand. Fantastic warden, my flat is great, private and I just love it. I have been here 15 years now and don’t regret one minute.” J Hitchon

Remembering Andrea The elderly services team would like to take this opportunity to remember Andrea Colborn, a former manager of our Hawkshaw Court scheme in Salford. Andrea sadly passed away after a hard fought battle with cancer. She was an inspirational person who will be sadly missed by all the colleagues and residents who knew her.

Four become one

Four sheltered homes in Salford joined forces to host a day of entertainment and information funded by Age UK and the Great Places tenants’ welfare fund at Swinton Masonic Hall. Nearly 100 residents from Openshaw Court, Ramsden Fold, John Atkinson Court and Hawkshaw Court enjoyed a hot lunch of pasty and peas, took part in some line dancing, and listened to a presentation from Great Places environmental co-ordinator Lisa Mcauley about keeping warm and energy efficient. Ann Birkett, scheme manager of Openshaw Court, said: “It was lovely to see people socialising with tenants from different schemes – everyone had a great day.”

A diamond pair! A Longridge couple have marked 60 years of marriage and have said “a love of motorbikes and healthy arguments” have made their relationship stronger over that time. Ken and Mo Crow celebrated their diamond anniversary recently with a card from the Queen.

my money Switch to direct debit and you could win a

£12,000

Big Break from your bills! Paying by direct debit is safe, convenient and easy. Make the switch today to stay effortlessly on top of your bill payments and you’ll be entered into the Big Break prize draw to have your bills paid for a year to the value of £12,000.

A Big Break for charity too Plus, for every customer who switches to direct debit, Big Break will make a donation to Shelter. With your support Shelter can persist with their aim to help people find and keep a home in a place where they can thrive, and end homelessness and bad housing for good. Make life simpler by switching today at by emailing cat@greatplaces.org.uk or by phoning 0300 123 1966. For more information, visit www.thebigbreak.co.uk

Rent inflation increase

Help to take a bite out of loan sharks Illegal money lending is on the rise. With welfare reform just around the corner, raising awareness about the dangers of getting involved with loan sharks is more important than ever. A loan shark will collect their money by any means. They have been known to use violence, sexual assaults and threats to family members (particularly young children). If payments are missed they will add large amounts to the outstanding amount. The worse case we have been made aware of was a lady who borrowed £500 and over a number of years repaid over £80,000. In January last year Great Places

Don’t get this confused with the benefit changes in April! If you’re already a Great Places resident, you’ll know that every year your rent will go up based on the government’s rate of inflation. The government guidelines mean all rents will go up by inflation plus 0.5%, and then, where required, adjusted up or down by a further amount of up to £2 a week, to make sure they reach their “target rent”. The government requires that the majority of housing associations’ properties are within 5% of nationally set “target rents”. Target rents are being set so that all tenants living in properties of a similar type pay a similar amount of

joined forces with Media City UK-based Footlights Theatre, the England Illegal Money Lending Team and Salford Trading Standards to host an inspirational play as part of an ongoing campaign to tackle loan sharks in Salford. Just a month after the performance of “Just a few quid”, three suspected loan sharks were arrested as part of a major crackdown on illegal money lending. If you suspect loan sharks operating in your area please contact us immediately on 0300 123 1966 or email financialinclusionteam@ greatplaces.org.uk

rent, regardless of who they rent their home from. For example, if you live in a three-bedroom house in Salford, the idea is that everyone in your street who lives in a similar sized home will be paying a similar amount of rent. What if I think I am paying too much? You can challenge the amount you are being charged for rent and service charges by using our complaints procedure. Want to know more? If you have any questions about your rent or service charge, please contact your local Great Places office or your neighbourhood co-ordinator.

For more money advice, visit www.greatplace.org.uk, click on the My Homepage section and you’ll find lots of really useful information.

Your new website! It’s here! After months of planning, design and hard graft, our shiny new website is live on the world wide web. It’s been designed with you in mind, allowing you to quickly report a repair or pay your rent and check your balance safely and securely. There are also pages dedicated to telling you about all the great things happening at Great Places including fun and useful events taking place in your area. Here’s a handy guide to finding your way around the website. What are you waiting for? Log on today!

Try it on your smartphone! Now you can access all the great content and useful features of our new website through your smart phone. Use the search or menu buttons at the top of the page or scroll down to read our top stories.

Find out about all the latest events and see what your neighbours have been up to. Click the ‘read more’ button to view the story, photos and video. Click on one of the location names to see what’s happening in your area.

www.greatp

places.org.uk

the menu

register You can register for an account with us or login if you already have one. It’s quick and easy to do. To register for an account all you need is an email address, your personal details and your tenancy reference number. You can access a whole range of great features like checking your rent statements, making payments and reporting repairs.

stuck? If you get stuck, don’t worry, we’re here to help. If you have any questions about how to use the website, contact the customer access team on 0300 123 1966.

This menu appears when you move your cursor over the links at the top of the page. Like a mini contents page it tells you what’s in each section.

You can also find the contact details for our staff that work in your area.

Get involved!

In it for you!

New website under the microscope

How our Tenant Services Committee is working for you:

Resident inspectors, who act as your eyes and ears to make sure you’re getting the best possible service from us, gave up an hour of their time to give our new website the once over. Jon Holmcombe from website developers Mando, said that the resident inspectors had “been incredibly helpful, making some very insightful observations that have helped inform some potential changes to the website”. See pages 20-21 to find out more about how to use it. Why not let us know what you think about it too? This kind of hands-on involvement is crucial to helping us make sure we’re getting things right. Our inspectors investigate a range of services and have been busy contacting other residents who have recently had a repair to find out whether they were happy with the job. The majority of comments we received were really positive… which is fantastic news! Customer feedback is vital to us. It gives us the information we need about the services we deliver, which we can check against the promise we make to residents.

Policy power – we’ve approved policies on: • Tenancy fraud • Helping residents buy their home • Making sure our homes are accessible for all • Caretaking • Safeguarding • Investing in your homes • Customer access We’ve recently made decisions on: • Looking at lower levels of resident satisfaction in Blackburn and Fylde • Approval for funding to help against the impact of welfare reform

If you would like to join the team of inspectors, do some mystery shopping, or you just want to find out more, contact customer involvement co-ordinator Tracy Gregory on 0161 925 7918 or email tracy.gregory@greatplaces.org.uk

You can get involved with Great Places in a number of ways. Make sure you visit our new website to check all of the opportunities available. Visit www.greatplaces.org.uk and click on the ‘Communities’ section and the ‘Get Involved’ tab on the left. For all events happening near you, click on the different areas next to the map.

Local Area Forums Blackburn

17 April – 3pm - 5pm Chai Centre, Hurtley Street, Burnley Cake and refreshments will be available.

Contact Louise Ramsay on 07767 644 352 for more info

Blackpool 18 April – 12noon - 2pm Tulloch Court, Cheery Tree Rd Blackpool

Contact Gill Fernandez on 01253 750 842 for more info

Knutsford

22 April – 5.30pm - 7.30pm Falcon Bearer Pub

Contact Lucy Beesley on 0161 447 5117 for more info

Manchester

– a chance to have your say

Salford

The Great Salford Easter Egg Hunt, 3 April, 1pm - 3pm Buille Hill Hall, Buille Hill Park Eccles Old Road , Salford, M6 8GL Transport will be provided if you live over 2 miles from the park.

26 April – 6.30pm - 8.30pm Waterside Arts Centre Trafford Council 1 Waterside Plaza Sale, M33 7ZF

Contact Nicola Shea on 0161 925 7990 for more info

Contact Sarah Riley on 0161 447 5120 for more info

24 April – from 6pm Ponds Forge, S1 2BP

Sheffield

Contact Philip Walker on 0114 284 2061 for more info

green place

Our award-winning environmental team are armed with the knowledge and skills to not only help you find the best energy deals and tariffs, but also to reduce the carbon emissions of your homes. Here’s a taste of what they’ve been up to...

LONGER DAYLIGHT HOURS

Our green doctor poised to cut your Star performance bills in surgery Following on from the success of the programme in Oldham and Rochdale, our popular green doctor surgery came back to Ramsden Fold in Salford on 21 March. The event offered handy tips on saving energy and useful advice on reducing your energy bills and finding a new tariff. There was also a handy man available to carry out any green maintenance, such as having low energy lightbulbs or socket timers fitted. Look out for more green doctor surgeries in the future.

Green deal = No deal!

As featured in our last issue of My Great Place, we believe that green deal loans are not good value for money. If someone tries to sell you a green deal finance package you will need to contact the environmental team as they cannot be taken without the approval of Great Places.

Got any questions or queries, contact Lisa Mcauley on 0161 447 5093 or email on lisa.mcauley@greatplaces.org.uk

from our panels

Over 600 homes have had solar panels fitted generating an amazing 862,138 KWh of energy – enough to power 187 houses for a year! Some residents are now reporting a drop in their energy usage, between £3 to £5 per week. So with summer on its way, now’s the perfect time to find out how to get the most from your solar panels – contact our dedicated environmental liaison officer Lisa Mcauley to find out more.

Letting our staff know what’s watt Our environmental team will soon be giving expert training to our front line staff regarding all things energy related. This means when staff such as your neighbourhood officer pay you a visit they can pass on all the latest tips and answer all your questions on saving energy. In turn this will help you to reduce your bills and become more environmentally aware!

Name:

Competitions! V

Date:

Find and circle each of the words from the list below. Words may appea horizontally, vertically or diagonally, but forwards only.

You could win £25 in vouchers!

WORDSEARCH Congratulations to last issue’s winners:

Annmaria Pettitt, Salford Azadeh Jahandideh, Salford and Mrs D Stocker, Blackpool

S U

N K U P

B R E

A M U F

A R D

Have a go at this fishy-themed one! Words to find are: Pilchard Cod Trout Plaice Haddock

N E O M R A

U H G P

O G N E C F T

L O M

C H A R D

M G

Mackerel Sardine Bream Salmon Turbot

S E R Q O H

D P

R O U

T O H

Q Y X Q P

E D

N P K

Z O I

M A R I

U R B O T W C

H A D D O C K U T

L O C C

B P M Y

X X F

SPOT THE DIFFERENCE

Just circle the FIVE differences on picture number two, cut it out, pop in an envelope and send it in! You could be one of three lucky people to win £10 worth of vouchers.

Congratulations to last issue’s winners: Don’t forget to include your name, telephone number and Sam and Tilly Gibbs, Blackpool address. The three winners Miss Aamina Salim, Blackburn pilchard haddock mackerel sardine bream salmon will be drawn out oftrout a hatcod so plaiceand J Holding, Blackburn get your entries in by 14th May 2013.

Send your entries by post to: FREEPOST, RLSC-HLLJ-EZRZ, My Great Place, Great Places Housing Group, Southern Gate, 729 Princess Road, Manchester M20 2LT.

All entries must be in by 14th May 2013

Remember you don’t need a stamp!