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I N T E G R A L H OU SI N G D I V ISIO N NEW SLET T ER
2012 WHERE DID IT GO??
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CIH MANCHESTER
where we were
BIRCHWOOD
The place
SPONSORSHIP
Who we support WELFARE REFORM ACT
The Facts
THE APPENTICE
Your Hired!
CHRISTMAS PARTY
The Pictures
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WWW.INTEGALHOUSING.COM
INTEGRAL PEOPLE
tegrationComplianceCommunityInnovationImpr entCollaborationFlexibilityPartnershipQualityIm entFlexibilityCollaborationQualityInnovationCo nceComplianceCommunityIntegrationPartnershi
SPRING NEWSLETTER Chris Davies Business Development Manager
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Inform is back! After over a year we are back with a new look and a new format, thanks to the IT skills of one Lee Murfitt. There have been a few ups and downs over the past 12 months since we have been at Birchwood with clients dropping out and new ones coming in however one thing that has remained stable is our workforce, so thanks to everyone for sticking with us and here’s to a bright new future for 2013!
Lee Murfitt Regional Sales Executive Lee Murfitt North Regional Sales Executive - North
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Contents
4 A Reflection on 2012.
Well for one thing, we moved! Contracts were won and lost, and people came and went.
6 Birchwood – The Facts. 8 Integral Exhibit.
page 4
Discover unknown facts about our new home.
The CIH Housing Exhibition was in Manchester in 2012, and we were there.
10 People News. Find out who’s new in 2013.
12 The Welfare Reform Act 2012.
page 8
How will this affect us, and what can we do about it?
14 Integral Sponsorships. We’re on the ball, and at the races!
page 10
page 12
16 The Apprentice.
Find out who’s hired in the latest edition of this popular feature.
18 The Christmas Party.
Another year, another bash, check out the pictues at last years event.
page 16
20 And Finally...
The futures bright, the futures Integral!
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2012 Where did it go?
A Reflection on 2012. With the extra travel for almost everyone involved we always knew there would be casualties, however not as many as we thought, in fact the only person who opted not to come was Nicky Corke, who after 12 years at Integral decided the travel was too much.
Nicky Corke
The year began with a big change for everyone, the move to Birchwood.
The contract awards also began early in the year with Anchor Housing Trust choosing Integral as their service providers for properties in the North East and Lancashire in January for a possible five years. Whilst everyone settled into the new office and grew used to the integration of Manchester and Liverpool staff work began on our strategy for growth over the next year.
Beginning with an exhibition at the annual Chartered Institute of Housing Exhibition held this year in June at Manchester Central (formerly the GMex) The Housing Division had a stand at the event in an attempt to raise our profile and develop relationships with potential clients, more on this later.. The second half of the year had its ups and downs with the loss of our fabric contract with Eden Housing in Cumbria and the addition of a new client in North Star Housing based in Stockton on Tees. North Star is the overall name for three separate housing associations, Endeavour Housing, Teesdale Housing and Darlington Housing. Our foray north of the border also proved fruitful after Aberdeen City Council awarded Integral a place on their service and maintenance framework. However due to a lack of realistic TUPE information this might be an opportunity we have to decline. Several Integral sponsored charity events were held this year including the Integral Handicap Stakes held at Carlisle race course, a golf day at Stoney Holme Golf Club in Carlisle in aid of the Mayor of Carlisle’s Charity and the continued sponsorship of Rugby FC and South Kilburn FC December brought the first Birchwood Christmas party held at the Village Hotel in Warrington, most staff managed to make the event and the evening (and year) ended with a bang!
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SPRING 2013 INTEGRAL HOUSING NEWSLETTER
2012 Where did it go?
Birchwood Office Summer 2012
2012 Where did it go?
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Birchwood - T he Facts
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Birchwood - T he Facts
Birchwood - The Fact’s In the past travellers avoided the Risley (Birchwood) area because it of its dangerous mossland, however gradually over time much of the fertile mossland was reclaimed and turned into farm land. With the advent of the Second World War, 927 acres (3.8 km²) of agricultural land was changed into a massive Royal Ordnance Factory, ROF Risley. The location was chosen because the low lying mist and cloud helped camouflage the factory from the air; according to a local builder: “It was very lonely and misty at night, and that’s why the factory was constructed there ... it was usually covered with a mist or cloud. It was hard to see it Although the location of the factory was known by the German Luftwaffe, the factory was bombed only once during the war. A number of bunkers were also built (some can still be seen today) to house the munitions, to protect them from potential bombing, and also to segregate the site and reduce the consequences of any accidental explosions during manufacture or storage. Although these bunkers are on the surface, they are covered with soil and turf and so give the impression of being underground. However after the war the factory no longer had a purpose other than as a storage depot and so in 1956 the north west of the factory was sold to United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority with the entire disused area being put on the market in 1963. No buyer was found for it until 1968, when the Warrington and Runcorn Development Corporation bought the site and turned it into the new town of Birchwood.
George Sampson
Famous residents include George Sampson dancer and winner of Britains Got Talent in 2008.
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CIH Housing Exhibition 2012
CIH Housing Exhibition 2012
From the 12th – 14th of June 2012 the Housing Division where exhibiting as part of the Northern Consortium Village at this prestigious annual event. This was our second year as exhibitors and after last year’s crowd pulling Nintendo Wii competition we thought we would have a change of plan this year and introduce a daily prize draw for a bottle of champagne. By inticing people to leave a business card with the promise of a free bottle of bubbly we managed to make lots of friends and contact with potential clients and past associates. The three day event attracts the movers and shakers from the social housing market place and included speeches and seminars by the likes of Grant Shapps MP – Minister for Housing & Local Government and Jon Snow – Channel 4 News. Other contractors at the event really pushed the boat out and hired lookalike royal family members!
Integral Housing Stand
To book your place at the 2013 conference click here Chris handing over the winning bottle
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CIH Housing Exhibition 2012
Manchester Central e c n a r a e p p a n a e d a m y l i m a F l Even the Roya
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People News
People News Who’s new in 2013?
Joan Blocksidge - Help Desk I realise it’s a bit late but as it’s a year since our last Newsletter there is a bit of catching up to do. Joan Blocksidge joined our Housing Division service desk in January 2012 and has since established herself as a vital member of the team. She has lived in Liverpool all of her life and have been happily married for over 30 years. She enjoys socialising with friends and family and is a keen Everton FC supporter with her husband.
Simon Forster - Accounts Simon Forster joined the accounts team in April 2012, since then he has been responsible for processing timesheets, purchase orders and registering invoices for our operations in London and Liverpool. He has lived in the Oakwood area of Birchwood for the last 17 years so is a local lad and states his passions/hobbies as – gaming, going to the cinema and pubbing and clubbing. When not living it up on the town he likes reading and listening to music. Simon has settled in well and is now a bona fide member of the accounts team.
Sophia Mulligan - Service Desk Sophia joined the service desk in April 2012 and explained how she came upon Integral. This is my first full time job since leaving college, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to study at university so took some time out, I had a part time job in a local bar and was studying part time at college, on a teaching assisting course when Lucy Mulligan (sister) told me about the vacancy here. I decided it would be a good opportunity to gain some experience and try something new so I decided to apply. In my free time I like socialising with friends and family, shopping, going to the cinema etc and I try to keep fit by attending the gym most weeknights.
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w w w. i n t e g r a l h o u s i n g . c o . u k
Stay connected to a world of Housing Maintenance at
www.integralhousing.co.uk
www.integralhousing.co.uk
Up to date News, Views and Stories
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Welfare Refor m Act 2012
www.housing.org.uk
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Welfare Refor m Act 2012
Welfare Reform Act 2012 Many people have probably never heard of this act, but as social housing maintenance providers it may have an effect on our service delivery. Some of our clients have already asked how we can help them with the problems that may arise and we are currently formulating responses to this question. The main areas of concern for landlords is the collection of rent from their tenants once the act comes into place. The Government wants to see many more social housing tenants receive money in their hand rather than opting to have their benefit paid directly to their landlord. This new method of payment is called Universal Credit. The Government argues that this will help ease the transition into work by replicating a monthly salary. The impact on landlords are: - Increased levels of debt for tenants already on low incomes - Increased costs for landlords including: - Arrears recovery, slower payment times and bad debt - Legal costs - Need for additional housing management staff - Need to support tenants and establish new payment collection methods - Transaction costs - Impact on the attitude of lenders to the sector In addition to the problem of collecting rent is the financial burden placed on tenants with an extra bedroom, this has been dubbed the “bedroom tax.” As part of the Welfare Reform Act a financial penalty of approx £12 £14 per bedroom will also be enforced this year on tenants who are deemed to have a “spare” bedroom. I’m sure that we can all foresee the problems that will potentially arise once the act is introduced this year, so as part of our collaborative working principle we will be developing toolbox talks for engineers and staff to enlighten them on the problems that tenants may face and contact details for clients help desks set up to deal with problems. More information For further information on the Welfare Reform Act visit the National Housing Federation’s website – www.housing.org.uk or read their document on the changes to housing benefit. Look out for further updates on this subject…
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Integral Sponsorships
Integral Sponsorships
Football Our commitment to sponsoring local charities and sports continues this year with the sponsorship of two junior football clubs local to the areas we serve. Rugby Town Junior Football Club is a FA Community Club that provide Football in a safe and secure environment for Girls and Boys aged from 4 to open age. They currently have 33 teams within the club. Our sponsorship includes pitch side boarding at their Butlin Road ground South Kilburn FC play in the Hellenic League and Step 6 on the non-league football pyramid. Last season, South Kilburn finished a very respectable sixth in the Hellenic Division One East. This will now be used as a springboard to push further on up the league in 2013. Integral provides pitch side boarding at their pitch at Vale Farm Sports Centre in Wembley
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Integral Sponsorships
At the Races Not content with our football sponsorship in September his year we sponsored The Integral Handicap Stakes at Carlisle Race Course. The winning horse was Spread Boy whose jockey Miss J Richards was presented with engraved crystal glasses by Regional Operations Manager John Ashworth.
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The Apprentice
Following our last edition of this popular feature we have won contracts in the North East of England. It therefore only seems right to include our new apprentice from the region, so welcome to Integral David, tell us about yourself...
David Anderson
Name: David Anderson Area/Contract North Star Housing, covering the North East Age: 21 Apprenticeship: Plumbing/Heating Status: NVQ level 2-3 in plumbing Star sign: Libra Fave food: Indian: I like hot stuff but Chicken Tikka Masalla is my favourite dish. Fave film: All the Rocky films, my favourite is Rocky 4. Fave music/Band: Trey Songs, he’s an American R&B artist Hobbies/Interests: Playing Golf and snooker, watching Newcastle Utd and socialising at the Gate in Newcastle town centre. Hidden Talents: Unfortunately I have none, that I know of yet. Ambitions: To have a long career in gas and see Newcastle win the premiership! Football Team Newcastle United What I want to be when I grow up: A qualified and successful gas fitter and raise a family of little gas fitters.
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GAS
The Futures Bright
The Futures Bright, the future is Turnover
£199 million
2010
£178 million
Chris Davies – Business Development Manager (Housing) Mark Whittaker – Business Development Manager (North) Alan Hall – National Lighting Solutions Manager Lee Murfitt – Sales Executive (North)
2009
£184 million
With contract wins across the board in the North of England, we have been one of the most successful regions within the company, this is something we aim to maintain and now we are one (as in Manchester and Liverpool operations) we have a dynamic force for improvement in the shape of the combined sales teams of:
2011
2012
£222 million
As you probably all know by now, last year saw an increase in our turnover to over £200 million making us one of the most successful, and profitable maintenance providers in the UK.
Tel: 07739643373
Chris Davies
Tel: 07739875907
Alan Hall
Tel: 07764840694
Mark Whittaker
Tel: 01925 84 7722
With a line up like this the only way is up! Watch this space in 2013…
Lee Murfitt
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Christmas Par ty 2012
Christmas Party The BASH of the YEAR 2012 brought the first Christmas party to involve both the Manchester and Liverpool office, now fully integrated in Birchwood. The event was held at the nearby Village Hotel in Warrington and featured as entertainment Shane Ritchie’s son singing the hits of the day to a backing track, followed by a late night disco. Plenty of drinking, dancing and general frivolity ensued and a good time was had by all, as can be seen by the photos.
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Christmas Par ty 2012
2012
Warrington
’sHousing Team SPRING 2013 INTEGRAL HOUSING NEWSLETTER
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Integral Housing 720 Birchwood Boulevard Birchwood, Cheshire WA3 7QZ Tel: 01925 84 7700 Email: housingservices@integral.co.uk
www.integralhousing.co.uk
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