Key News Spring 2015

key news Spring 2015

Universal Credit how your Income Collection Team can help you

your money budgeting tips and more

asbestos

important info you need to know about your home

jobs board

check out our latest vacancies inside

events

see what’s going on in your area

ÂŁo3pp0ing

sh vouchers! up for grab

Are you ready?

We’re here to help you, get in touch with us today for advice on how to prepare for Universal Credit.

Call 01724 279900 or visit ongo.co.uk

in this issue a message from Andy Orrey,

inside you will find...

This issue of Key News highlights lots of important changes coming into effect very soon, which will impact on us as an organisation and on you, our tenants. Universal Credit is set to radically simplify the welfare system, and we understand, for those affected, that it may take time to bed down. From helping you to get online and giving advice on the different payment methods, we’re here to help, so don’t hesitate to contact us.

4)

In the headlines...

5)

Award Board

6 -9 )

Universal Credit

10)

Money management

11)

Jobs and training

12)

News from your Resident Involvement Team

13)

Tenant Academy

14 & 15) Dementia 16)

Building homes & improving others

17)

You said, we did

18)

Meet your caretaking team

19)

NEW! Events

20)

News from your housing team

21)

Homeownership

22)

Kids corner

23)

Wordsearch

Call

Contact Centre 01724 279900 Freephone 0800 0326363

Online

visit us at www.ongo.co.uk

(remember to sign up for your do it online account where you can manage your tenancy online)

Facebook www.facebook.com/nlhomes Twitter @ongoUK or @ongoBear

Pop in

“This is a real bumperpacked edition with some useful information and some great stories from us tenants.

Turn to page 12 for an update from our Resident Involvement Janine Team and have a look at the Tenant Academy on page 13.

There have been lots of positive changes for Community Voice, as mentioned on page 17, including the election of our Board Members. Panels such as Community Voice are a great way to meet new people and get our voices heard! With the recent vote on having our voting power increased, we’re able to have greater influence over major decisions, see page 17. The NLH Board are looking for a tenant Board Member, so get involved! Lastly, don’t forget to shout about our great magazine, and if you want to get involved, just let the team know.” ®

Customer Centre 15-19 Cole Street, Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, DN15 6QY Monday 9.00-5.00 Thursday Tuesday 9.00-5.00 Friday Wednesday 9.00-5.00 Saturday

Andy a message from Janine Garner, Chair of Community Voice

Get in touch

We are open

There’s lots of great news from you too, particularly from the recent EGM where tenants voted to have a greater say over major decisions and operational policies was approved. We’re really looking forward to seeing the outcomes of this as we look towards another positive year for North Lincolnshire Homes and ongo.

10.00-5.00 9.00-4.30 9.00-12.00

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in the headlines

what’s been happening since your last edition of Key News...

NLH celebrates eight years in business

Being established in 2007 means that it’s our 8th birthday!

We take a look at some of our developments over the years...

news in brief We’ve been ranked 39th in the not-for-profit section of the prestigious Top 100 best companies to work for poll, run by The Sunday Times in conjunction with Best Companies. Results are based on staff feedback which covered eight areas of the business.

Somerby Road : before

We’ve grown our partnership to include local roofing company Ashbridge Roofing Solutions. The 11-strong workforce will be employed by ongo and will continue to offer a high quality roofing service to tenants and the general public.

Somerby Road : after

Market Hill: before

We raised £350 for Comic Relief through our ongo car wash, zumbathon, bake off and quiz for Red Nose Day on 13 March. Our senior management team took on the challenge of cleaning lots of cars in their allocated slots, and our bake off saw the likes of many tasty treats, from a Victoria Sponge to Rainbow Cake!

Keep upto date with your latest news by going to our website; www.ongo.co.uk

Market Hill: after

Red Nose Day

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award board

CHAS - Health

CHAS Award

& Safety Awa

rd We’ve recently been awarded the CHAS (Con Health & Safe tractor’s ty Assessmen t Scheme) accred our excellent it ation for approach to he alth and safety .

The scheme as sessed our he alth & safety po statement, ou licy r overall approa ch to health & our specif ic he safety, and alth & safety ar rangements.

Rex Harrison, our Health & Sa fety Manager said:

“

Receiving the CHAS accredit ation helps to aff irm our co mmitment to e nsuring our staff and co ntractors opera te at the highest level w hen it comes to managing health and safe ty.

Alongside our

prestigious Sw ord of Honour award for ty – the highes t accolade inte rnationally - the award w ill ensure that those working with us or buying services from us can be co nf ident that we with the very come best accreditat ions.

Health & Safe

Proje

ct Tea

m

Gas Safety Aw ards

We’ve been sh ortlisted again for an award fo commitment to r our gas safety. Kee p your eyes pe the results! eled for

Customer Ser vice

Customer Service

Team

Excellence

nce Accreditation er Service Excelle om st Cu e th d de with our We’ve been awar or was impressed ss se as e Th g. in ar runn ement of tenants for the second ye tening and involv lis r ou d an t en m customer engage inspirational. s service was very nt ai pl m co r ou t and though ongo interact f members here at af st w ho at ed ok The inspection lo ficient, effective ys that we offer ef wa e th s, er om st with you, our cu ing. our decision mak we involve you in w ho d an , es ic rv se

5

Universal Credit From 29 June, the changes will affect

new single claimants of working age

gible who would have been eli ce. for Job Seeker’s Allowan

what it means to you Universal Credit is coming to North Lincolnshire on 29 June.

Universal Credit is a new type of financial support for people aged 18 – 64, and it is expected to affect around 5,000 of our tenants.

It’s a single monthly payment, paid directly to you, which merges some of the benefits and tax credits you might be getting now.

Universal Credit will be a single, monthly payment into a bank account Universal Credit combines: Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance

Income-related Employment and Support Allowance

Income Support

Child Tax Credit

Working Tax Credit

Housing Benefit

This means that it’s now your responsibility to pay us your rent directly. We can help, call us on

01724 279900.

Did you know?

It will be introduced gradually, so you should carry on claiming for the benefits being phased out.

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There are no limits to the number of hours you can work a week if you receive Universal Credit.

Sally Here’s Sally.

She’s 30 years old and lives by herself in one of our homes. She’s looking for a new job after leaving her last place of work. She already claims Housing Benefit, and she’s about to make a claim for Jobseeker’s Allowance, but has been told she’ll receive Universal Credit instead as a direct payment to her bank account.

What does she need to do?

If she hasn’t already, Sally will need to make sure that she has a bank account so that she can receive her payment. We would suggest a Credit Union account. She might need to make changes to the way she budgets too, to make sure she doesn’t spend her Housing Benefit which will now be paid directly to her.

John Here’s John.

John has recently been made redundant and is looking for a new job. He’s one of our tenants and lives alone. He’s submitting a claim for Housing Benefit and Jobseeker’s Allowance to support him. He knows he needs to claim for Universal Credit but doesn’t have access to the internet.

Since most Universal Credit claims will be made online, John may wish to speak to one of our friendly advisors about getting some digital help. We’re here for you and we have lots of help available.

Take a look at page 9 for our Digital Taster Sessions

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Universal Credit getting you prepared Make sure you’re prepared for Universal Credit by following this Action Plan.

1. You’ll need a bank account (or similar)

2. Decide whether you’ll need a joint account

3. Check whether you can set up automated bill payments

4. Draw up a monthly budget

Most banks offer a wide range of accounts, so it’s important to understand the account that’s right for you.

You might need one if you live with a partner and you’re both eligible for Universal Credit.

If you get help with your rent, this will be included in your monthly payment. Remember, it’s your responsibility to pay us! Turn to page 10 for more.

You may need to make changes to the way you budget, since Universal Credit is paid monthly.

5. Make sure you have access to the internet

You’ll be expected to claim Universal Credit and manage your account online.

Call the Credit Union on 01724 868888

We asked you, do you think it’s a fair system?

Tim Mills, of Queensway, Scunthorpe, said:

I only know what the Government has so far said

about Universal Credit being a monthly payment system. I think it’s very unfair; it’s difficult enough for people to budget. People are human at the end of the day and it’s a worry that they might give one bill precedence over another, which they can’t afford to do.

Tim

Jill

Sam 8

Check out your Job Centre for computer access

Jill Milner, of Crowle, said:

I’m only aware of it because it’s been on the

news recently, but we no longer fall into the bracket to receive it. If the system had been available when we were eligible, I actually think it would have been easier, as it takes away all the hassle of having to claim lots of benefits and fill in lots of paperwork.

Sam Taylor, of Hibaldstow, said:

I have a routine where I pay for rent weekly, so

I’ll need to change how I pay and more importantly how I budget. My Housing Benefit is paid directly to me anyway so there’s no change otherwise.

Universal Credit

Top Tips Tips for managing your money Your Income Collection Manager, Gareth Roebuck explains:

There are a variety of different accounts that you can

open at all the high street banks and most of them offer a basic bank account. Usually, there isn’t the option of going overdrawn with these accounts, so you can’t accrue any charges. You’ll need at least two forms of ID when you go to open your account, something showing your address, and some photo ID such as a driving licence or passport.

You could also use an account from your local Credit Union, based in the High Street in Scunthorpe. They also have a variety of different accounts and may also be able to help you pay your bills straight from your account every month. You would still have a cash card so you can access your money in the Members of our Financial same way as any Inclusion Team offer a drop other account.

Money worries?

in service at Barton Link Office every other Thursday morning.

Tips for getting online Digital Services Manager, Annie Akande explains:

Everyone finds it difficult and frustrating to learn

new things, but computers can be fun too! If you or someone you know is in need of a little digital help, we offer free Digital Taster Sessions around the area. Trained Digital Champions are on hand to help you become more confident in using technology.

Find your nearest session: Mondays

Age UK Scunthorpe

10:00-12:00

Tuesdays

Broughton Library

10:00-12:00

Wednesday

Ashby Link

13:00-15:00

Thursdays

Brigg Library

13:30-15:30

Fridays

Greenfields Goxhill

10:00-12:00

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money management

Managing your money on a monthly basis can be difficult.

One way of helping is to do your own personal budget.

If you do your budgets properly, it can help you to answer two key questions:

• Do I spend more than I have?

• What can I afford to spend?

Once you know what you’re spending, you can start to alter and prioritise what you do with your money to make sure you don’t start getting into debt.

There are a lot of resources out there to help you work out your budget, including online money calculators, and we can help too.

With any budget you have to be honest with yourself. We all spend more at Christmas and birthdays and we all have unexpected costs such as car repairs, school trips or broken washing machines, but it’s important to make sure you allow for these.

If you’re spending more than you have, we can help you to look at what you can do to make savings. Are you getting the best deals on your gas and electric? Are you paying too much for your mobile phone or internet? Are you getting the best value on your groceries?

Whenever you’re going through this process, three simple rules to keep on asking yourself are: 

• Do I need it?

• Can I afford it?

• Can I get it cheaper elsewhere?

, Steve Hepworth erations Director of Op t tips. shares his ren

Rent – how do you pay?

Maybe you haven’t given much thought to how you pay your rent and you should always choose a method that suits you best. Need some advice? Give us a call on 01724 279900.

If your payments are likely to stay the same all year then paying by direct debit is a great choice. It is quick and easy to set up and once you are set up, you don’t have to worry about remembering to pay each week or month.

Did you know?

If every single tenant were to pay by monthly direct debit, it would save us a massive £183,766* each year.

Whichever method you choose, the most important thing is to always let us know if something has changed that could affect one of your payments.

As well as paying for the transaction costs of processing payments, we also have to spend money reminding people who may forget to pay their rent. Each year we spend around £11,000 in postage and visiting costs to remind people when they miss payments. *Amount based on every tenant making weekly or monthly payments by paying Direct Debit, at a Paypoint or via Post Office incurs costly processing charges for North Lincolnshire Homes which could be reinvested back into your community.

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jobs & training

Crosby Employment – we can help!

Crosby Employment always has full and part-time vacancies available. Jan & the team are on hand to help you with your new career prospects.

Here’s a list of current vacancies: • Crèche workers (with childcare level 2 or 3 qualification)

Did you know?

• Translators and Interpreters • Experienced Admin • Experienced cleaners

Matt There’s no limit to the number of hours you can work a week if you receive Universal Credit.

Matt Dykes – volunteering case study Matt is 27 and lives in Howden. He has been out of work for nearly three years so wanted to do some volunteering as a way to help him find employment and gain new skills.

• Qualified Social Workers • Lunchtime supervisors And if you’ve been past the office lately you may have noticed that it looks a bit different. Don’t worry, they still offer the same great services by the same friendly faces – they just look a bit more ‘ongo’ now.

Crosby Employment has been part of the ongo family for some time, and we wanted them to have the same look and feel as the other ongo services.

The volunteering placement is for eight weeks in the Maintenance Team at North Lincolnshire Homes. Matt is four weeks in and really enjoying it.

Matt suffered with depression which was why he was finding it difficult to get back into employment, and it wasn’t until a friend suggested paying Crosby Employment a visit that he even thought about volunteering.

Crosby listened to what it was Matt was hoping to do and his reasons for wanting to volunteer. He described them as a friendly bunch that are really supportive.

The experience so far has been a really positive one for Matt.

I still have good and bad days but I’m finding it

much easier to come to work and I’m enjoying the work I’m doing here.

I would definitely recommend volunteering to anyone who is looking to get back into work after some time out. It’s great to get fresh experience and learn new skills. It also really shows how dedicated and serious you are about getting back into employment. I’d love to secure some kind of paid employment at the end of my placement, but if not – I have still gained lots of skills and experience to add to my CV.

ongo talent match

Unemployed for 12 months? Not in training? Aged 18-24? Looking for an opportunity?

Better prospects for the future? A personalised programme just for you!

Contact Emma on 07903 631342 or 01724 844848 emma@crosbyemployment.co.uk 11

news from your Resident Involvement Team Margar et Good luck Margaret!

One of our tenants, Margaret Kiddle, has been shortlisted for the prestigious Tenant of the Year Award in the Tenant Participation Advisory Service TPAS Awards 2015.

trips for Westcliff tenants (with funds being raised through fundraisers), playing an active role in the regeneration of Westcliff, and helping in the ‘big tidy up’ events.

The TPAS awards showcase the compelling and inspirational success stories of tenants, landlords and contractors working together to improve the lives or wellbeing of others.

She’s no stranger to being acknowledged for her efforts; as she was recently named Tenant Volunteer of the Year at our recent awards ceremony.

Margaret will join other successful individuals for the Northern Final on Friday 24 April at the Palace Hotel in Manchester with winners from each regional final going on to take part in the National Final, taking place on 9 July at Chesford Grange, Warwickshire.

Neil Patrick, Housing Officer for the area said:

Margaret is a brilliant ambassador of the Westcliff

area. She is passionate and really cares about the community she lives in. She really listens to her fellow tenants and tries to help them wherever she can.

Margaret, who has been a tenant with us for six years, lives in the Westcliff area with partner Ivan. She is well-known on the estate as a result of her regular involvement in community activities as well as being an active voice within NLH through her participation on our Panel meetings.

Margaret has undertaken many community projects, including bridging the divide between old and new Westcliff to create a stronger sense of community, organising free

a day in the life of Margaret

I really enjoy supporting the residents. As part of my

work, I help to organise two coffee mornings a week (Monday & Wednesday) for the elderly, and a Craft Night on a Thursday for anyone who wants to attend. Our Bonus Ball events also help to fund our day trips for the residents, where we go to the seaside and other places.

Your Resident Associations: • Hallcroft Resident Association – Haxey • Swinburne Road and New Westcliff Resident Association • Crowle Community Group • Lodgemoor Resident Association • Market Hill Resident Association • Town Resident Involvement Group • Hibaldstow Community Group • Earls Walk Resident Association • RUG – Brigg • Warley Road Community Group • Queensway Flats Community Group • Wold Court Resident Association Contact your Resident Involvement Team to get involved: Telephone: 01724 298868 Or email: resident.involvement@ongo.co.uk

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Tenant Academy 2015 An exciting opportunity awaits...

If you’re interested in improving your employment opportunities, finding out more about what we do and how we do it, developing new skills and being challenged, you might be interested in Tenant Academy 2015.

Following the success of our 2014 venture, we’ll be running a new academy during 2015. Our aim is to go behind the scenes and provide you with a “nuts and bolts” view about who we are and how we do it. This is a great opportunity to follow in the footsteps of those tenants who thoroughly enjoyed the course last year.

“ “ “ “

The course was excellent and I enjoyed interacting with others I gained lots of knowledge from the course and would like to do more

I will use my knowledge to try and gain employment or become a volunteer It was good meeting other tenants and communicating with others

Our Tenant Academy is a 12-week course that will involve you attending one 3 hour session each week starting on 23rd April 2015 through to 8th July 2015. You will need to commit yourself to attend each week.

Subject areas include: • Introduction to the training programme & overview of North Lincolnshire Homes • Customer Care, Complaints Handling, Equality & Diversity • Lettings Policy & Procedure • Housing Management

Pictured: Tenant Academy Graduates 2014

• Tenancy Support • Anti-Social Behaviour • Housing Finance • Property Maintenance • Regeneration & Investment • Governance & Performance monitoring • Community Development & Volunteering • Resident Involvement

All sessions are free of charge and we will help with expenses to cover childcare and travel costs.

Interested?

Get in touch with your Resident Involvement Team on: Telephone: 01724 298868 or email: resident.involvement@ongo.co.uk to find out more and to book your place by 15th April 2015.

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Dementia Champions

As we get older, many of us notice that our brain is not as sharp as it used to be. It’s a common observation, but many of us wonder if these memory problems could be an early sign of dementia.

Symptoms can be caused by a number of conditions, with the most common cause being Alzheimer’s Disease. See page 15 to discover the symptoms.

It’s not a disease, but a collection of symptoms that result from damage to the brain.

Dementia is one of the most important challenges that we will face as the population ages. To help highlight the issues, our Dementia Champions were established.

There’s Helen Wright, Karen Sanderson, Heather Jauncey, Wendy Wolfe, Caroline Twilley, Helen Hodgkinson, Aaron Meda and Linda Taylor. Although each person works within different departments across the organisation, they all come together and give up their time to raise awareness of a cause they are each passionate about.

Did you know?

There are 2260 people living with dementia in North Lincolnshire

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And as a company, we’re a member of the North Lincolnshire Dementia Action Alliance; a coalition of organisations to raise awareness about Dementia.

The Champions deliver information awareness sessions whenever they are needed, and they not only aim to increase understanding and awareness, but they aim to challenge people’s perceptions of dementia.

It’s so easy to believe that a person with dementia will forget everything. Quite often, they remember feelings and how a particular activity made them feel, which is why it is important to increase people’s understanding not only of what it is, but how it affects their everyday lives. In turn, this increased understanding can help people who have loved ones with dementia to ensure they live a well and happy life.

The team are also enlisting tenant volunteers to take part in the information awareness sessions to increase their understanding and to promote the idea that you can live well with dementia.

Interested? Get in touch! Call 01724 279900

dementia – signs & symptoms

spotting the signs It’s predominantly a condition that affects older people, but it can affect people under 65 too, so here are some symptoms taken from the NHS which may make it easier to spot the signs.

If you recognise these symptoms and are worried, you can speak to one of our Dementia Champions, or your local GP.

Memory loss, especially problems with memory for recent events, including forgetting messages or asking questions over again



An increase in difficulty with tasks that require planning



Becoming confused with unfamiliar environments

Keep up the good work Pat! Pat Owen is one of our tenants and she spends her spare time knitting dementia bears for the Alzheimer’s Society with donated wool. The bears provide a comfort to those with dementia, helping them to feel safe and calm.



Difficulty finding the right words



Difficulty with numbers and/or handling money in shops



Changes in personality and mood



Depression

Find out more from the Alzheimer’s Society by visiting www.alzheimers.org.uk

Pat

Did you know?

Dementia is a progressive condition, which means symptoms get worse over time, so it’s really important to raise any concerns early.

15

building homes & improving others

We’ve got lots of updates to tell you about our developments!

Westcliff, Scunthorpe

The regeneration of Westcliff has moved one step closer, with funding being agreed and made available for the building of a Community Hub, shops and 50 new homes. This funding joins existing funding from the Homes & Communities Agency and North Lincolnshire Council.

Here are some of the plans – we hope you like them!

Haxey

All of our 2 bed bungalows have been allocated! They are due to be completed in mid April 2015, and here’s a sneak peek of how they’re coming on.

Marsden Drive, Scunthorpe

The work on 14 brand new town houses has begun and will be completed in December 2015. There’s a mix of 2 bed and 3 bed houses, and all will be available at affordable rent through Home Choice Lincs. www.homechoicelince.org.uk Each home will have private gardens and car parking. Here’s a sneak peek!

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Ancholme Gardens, Brigg

Works are progressing well over at our Ancholme Gardens site with final inspections being completed on four flats last week. The standard is great and they’re expected to be finished in the last week of April.

you said, we did

Home Choice Lincs The Home Choice Lincs website is changing! The website is expected to be live over the next couple of weeks, and is set to be much easier to use, especially the search functions – you can now view available properties on an interactive map!

Home Choice Lincs is a partnership between North & North East Lincolnshire Council & other local social landlords to showcase our homes which are available to rent.

Keep an eye out on our website for more details of the change. www.homechoicelince.org.uk

Have you got what it takes to be a tenant Board Member, we are recruiting now, call Fiona Ruddick on 01724 279900 or go online at ongo.co.uk for details.

Michae

l

Updates

There have been some updates to the Community Voice Panel (our umbrella tenant group), as new members were elected at their recent Annual General meeting. Janine Garner will remain as Chair, and Terri Chatwin as Vice Chair. Michael Bix was appointed Secretary, and Tony Sanderson as Treasurer.

This is the first time that we’ve had a 50/50 split of male/ female members and we’re looking forward to seeing what the new team can bring.

The results of our recent Ordinary Members Extraordinary general meeting are in and you have supported the move to have more influence and power in deciding NLH operational issues that affect you as tenants. In addition there was a resounding ‘yes’ to increase the tenant voting share from 33% to 51% on all important company matters raised at general meetings.

Going forward, there will be two tenants, one local councillor and nine independent members sitting on the NLH board and governing the business. We’re also now recruiting new members to the board – and we’re looking for a tenant to sign up. Got what it takes? Get in touch!

Tony Janine

Terri

17

meet your Caretaking team

Meet your team of caretakers. Your caretakers work hard to make sure that the areas that you live in are tidy and free from waste.

Here are a few things you might not know about some of them!

Phil Horton

Outside of work, Phil enjoys all things motorbikes! He also gets involved in charity quizzes to raise money for Scunthorpe based Autism Charity Magic Moments.

He’s also a keen photographer and is Treasurer of the Westcliff Residents Association.

Andrew Wilson

Andrew is a Methodist Lay Preacher, and a carer for his disabled mum. He also runs a youth group and enjoys tending to his 3 allotments.

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Pete Grix

Meet Pete. Pete’s a busy foster carer, currently caring for 3 children aged 7, 9 and 12, who he says are demanding at times but very rewarding!

Dave Lloyd

Dave volunteers for a kid’s football team, and is a qualified FA coach and FA referee. When he’s not at the local playing field, he’s a big collector of music, and has over 10,000 records!

Events Here’s what’s happening near you...

Neighbourhood Pride Events Following on from the ‘Big Tidy-Up’ events, comes Neighbourhood Pride, jointly organised by your Caretaking team, Resident Involvement team, Housing Officers & Tenancy Support team.

The first event for 2015 will take place during the Easter School holidays, which will include an Easter Egg Hunt in the following locations:

Easter egg hunts

ongo Carnival 2015

Thursday 2 April – Westcliff, Scunthorpe, 1pm – 4pm

We are busy making plans for our annual event to be held on Wednesday 12th August 2015 at Manor Park, Burringham Road, Scunthorpe. The event will start at 11.00am until 3.30pm and there will be lots of fun activities for families to enjoy. Further details about the event will be available nearer the time.

Tuesday 7 April – Hibaldstow, Brigg, 11am -2pm

Monday 30 March – Market Hill, Scunthorpe, 11am – 2pm Tuesday 31 March – Caistor Road, Barton, 1pm – 4pm

Wednesday 8 April – Lodge Moor, Scunthorpe, 1pm-4pm Thursday 9 April – Fieldside, Epworth – TBC Friday 10 April – Winterton,Scunthorpe, 1pm – 4pm Monday 13 April – RUG, Brigg, 11am -3/4pm Look out for information, coming soon! www.ongo.co.uk

Pictured: ongo Carnival 2014

Pictured: ongo staff at the 2014 Carnival

Keeping the kids busy If you’re not too busy taking the kids to your Neighbourhood Pride events during the Easter holidays, how about entertaining them with some of the following?

Get them in the kitchen – there are loads of simple recipes you can try! If you’re concerned about them getting things in and out of the oven, chocolate crispy bars only need to be chilled in the fridge. Decorate them with Mini Eggs for that perfect Easter touch.

Make a scavenger hunt – make clues for them to find treasure. This could be Easter themed, or it could be outdoor items, such as pinecones or a feather if you’re outside.

Get them gardening – growing plants is great fun and it’s even more fun if they can watch their work get bigger and flower in front of their eyes. If you don’t have a garden, you can use a window box.

Make paper planes – use up all of your scrap paper to make your own fleet of pilot worthy planes.

Write a story – use your imaginations to write a story together. You could help them to write a paragraph and then have someone else write the next one.

The result? A really unique (and usually really funny!) story when read.

Colouring – turn to page 22 to colour ongo Bear!

Don’t forget to keep checking the ongo Events

19

news from your housing team Time for a Spring check-up?

Do you know where there is asbestos in your home?

Smoke Alarms It’s no lie that smoke alarms help to save lives, so it’s crucial that they are connected and working at all times. It is your responsibility not to remove or disconnect them, as this is a breach of tenancy.

Introducing... the new ongo asbestos checker. We have been busy developing a tool for our website to allow you to see where asbestos is present in your home. It is particularly important to do this if you intend to carry out any DIY work in your home. You need to be aware so you don’t cause any damage or create a risk to your family’s health.

Check your alarms at least once a month by pressing the test button.

You can, and should, clean your detectors too, at least every six months. Dust, pollen and smoke can all make the sensor in your alarms dirty and could prevent them from operating properly in an emergency.

When cleaning, first, hoover out the unit, and secondly, wipe down the outside vents with a damp cloth to ensure that air flow is not obstructed.

Tips from Sgt James Main Your Humberside Police Neighbourhood Sergeant Currently we are seeing a spike in the number of shed burglaries, which is often the case as we head into Spring which brings lighter nights. Please keep sheds and garages secure, and not left open for all to see from the roads. Take a look at your security and consider a small inexpensive shed alarm.

Telephone scams are on the rise – please be vigilant and remember that Humberside Police will never ask you to disclose any bank details. You can report such incidents to us by calling 101.

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What is asbestos?

Asbestos is a mineral fibre that is strong and resistant to heat and chemicals, which has led to the use of asbestos fibres in a wide range of building materials and products, often as fireproofing. Homes built since the mid-1980s are very unlikely to contain asbestos in the fabric of the building.

Homes built after 1990 are extremely unlikely to contain asbestos anywhere in the building. Asbestos cement has been widely used as a cladding material and can still be found in garages and sheds.

Where will you find asbestos?

• • • • •

Eaves, gutters, roof coverings Gutters and down pipes Floor tiles and floor adhesive Textured Coatings (Artex) Gaskets and seals around domestic boilers

What are we doing about it?

As a responsible landlord it is important for us to know where asbestos is present so we can manage it properly and inform our staff contractors and you as residents. We have carried out extensive surveys of our properties and communal areas and have knowledge of where asbestos can be found. This information is contained within our asbestos register.

Most materials containing asbestos pose no risk if left in good condition and we will check them periodically to make sure this is the case. We don’t intend to remove items unless we need to carry out repair or improvement works.

No internet?

So got to: www.ongo.co.uk/asbestoschecker And follow the simple instructions.

The final word...

Remember, it’s important that you consider Home Contents Insurance to protect your items. we can offer good rates for tenants, call us on 01724 279900 for more info.

If you don’t have access to the internet we can still provide you with the information by letter. Please contact us on 01724 279900 if you require this and also if you have any other queries regarding asbestos.

homeownership Gas servicing packages for leaseholders

Service charge account statements

North Lincolnshire Homes have worked closely with Sure Group, our nominated gas contractors, to provide three gas servicing packages which are available to all of our leaseholders.

As the new financial year begins we will be sending out service charge accounts statements to all our leaseholders.

•

 •

 •

Bronze Service - £35.00 plus VAT – This includes the annual gas safety inspection of the gas installation and appliances in the property (all flued appliances), ensuring that they are safe to use and you are safe in your home from gas escapes or Carbon monoxide poisoning.

Silver Service - £49.00 plus VAT - In addition to the Bronze Service safety check Sure will carry out a service on your boiler to the manufacturers specifications, ensuring that the appliance operates efficiently (saving money on energy bills), minimising breakdowns and improving the length of service.

Gold Service - £135.00 plus VAT - This is a premier service offering full peace of mind for the leaseholder knowing that the property is gas safe, their boiler, providing heating and hot water, is fully serviced once per annum and that if a breakdown did occur during the year contractors are on call 24 hours a day 7 days a week all year round, a truly 24/7 service.

If you are interested in any of the above packages, please contact Sure Group directly on 0845 9569700.

If you should have any questions regarding your account once you receive your statement, then call our Home Ownership Team who will be happy to help on 01724 279900.

Fire doors in communal areas Approximately one third of our leaseholders received a letter in January requesting that their front door is replaced to meet the required national Fire Safety Regulations. This letter has been sent to all leaseholders whose front door opens out to a communal hallway. So far we have received quite a lot of enquiries from leaseholders who are interested in NLH undertaking the work; however there are still quite a lot of our customers that we haven’t heard from yet.

If you are a leaseholder and you are looking to have the door replaced yourself, then please contact us.

If you have any further questions regarding replacing your front door please contact the Home Ownership Team on 01724 279900.

Leasehold forum meetings and surgery sessions At the last leasehold forum meeting in December 2014, it was proposed for our quarterly meetings to be delivered in different ways. The feedback from this idea was positive so we have decided to host new leasehold surgery sessions in the Scunthorpe, Isle of Axholme and Brigg during the month of April.

These sessions are designed to allow leaseholders to book 20 minute slots to meet the team face to face and discuss any issues specific to their property.

The Lounge, School Close, Epworth between 1pm - 5pm – Wednesday 15th April.

North Lincolnshire Homes Cole Street Office, Cole Street, Scunthorpe between 1pm - 5pm – Thursday 16th April.

Brigg Link, The Angel, Market Place, Brigg between 1.30pm - 4pm – Thursday 23rd April.

Pictured: your homeownership team

Please call the Home Ownership team on 01724 279900 to book your session.

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kids corner

Good news!

We’ve made this section even bigger! There’s lots of stuff for you to do, including the win with us word search, and now there’s a section just for the kids too.

Smiles for miles

Tweet us a selfie of you with your Key News on your travels to @ongouk and we’ll donate a penny for every mile it travels!*

* T’s & C’s can be found at www.ongo.co.uk/competitions

o u r s e lf ie y s u d n se Recipes

To celebrate Easter (but for all year round too!) here’s a recipe for Chocolate Nest Cakes. These are great if you’re worried about the little ones using the oven, because you can just pop them in the fridge.

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Colo h your Bear wit ps! ti best felt

Chocolate Nest Cakes (Makes 12) You’ll need: • 225g plain chocolate, broken into pieces • 2 tbsp golden syrup • 50g butter • 75g cornflakes • a pack of mini chocol ate eggs • 12 paper cases Method: 1. Line a muffin tin with paper cases 2. Adults: Melt the choc olate, golden syrup and butter in a bowl set over a pan of ge ntly simmering water, (tr y not to let the base of the bowl to uch the water). Stir the mixture until smooth 3. Remove the bowl fro m the heat and gently st ir in the cornflakes until all of th e cereal is coated with chocolate 4. Divide the mixture be tween the paper cases and press chocolate eggs into the centre of each nest. Ch ill in the fridge for an hour...and enjoy!

Spot the following Spring words...

word search

BLOSSOM CRISP DAFFODIL EASTER FRESH GREEN GROW LAMBING NEST PUDDLE

wriantulanteionrs to

Cong h Mrs Smit umber H n o n-up of Barto all g in for f ind s. w e iv ord our fest

Mrs Sm

ith

Name

win a

Address

£o3pp0ing

Postcode

Daytime Telephone number Email address Tick if you’re happy to hear about other promotions and competitions.

Entries must be in by Monday 3rd August 2015.

The winner will be drawn from all correct entries.

The editor’s decision is final. Please return the coupon with your completed word search to: Editor Emily, Key News North Lincolnshire Homes Meridian House, Normanby Road, Scunthorpe, North Lincs, DN15 8QZ

sh voucher

Your Key News will be reduced to 3 editions this year, but each will have more pages! Let us know what you think by sending your thoughts to: Editor Emily, Key News North Lincolnshire Homes Meridian House, Normanby Road Scunthorpe, North Lincs, DN15 8QZ

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Want to help improve NHS services across North Lincolnshire?

Join Embrace – because health matters to all of us

North Lincolnshire Clinical Commissioning Group is building a network of local people who want to influence the development of health services in North Lincolnshire.

If you are interested in working with us, please sign up!

How to sign up Via our website at www.northlincolnshireccg.nhs.uk/embrace Or complete a sign up form – available from GP practices, libraries and other community venues across North Lincolnshire.

Or request a form by emailing NYHCSU.Talk2US@nhs.net or calling 01482 672156.