JRHT News: Spring 2014

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JRHTNEWS

RESIDENTS’ MAGAZINE SPRING 2014

In this issue: The Modernisation programme 2014, Folk Hall refurbishment, Homestead Park springs into life, driving down costs and emissions, Derwenthorpe update

A GROWING COMMUNITY

Tree planting at Derwenthorpe

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WELCOME TO JRHTNEWS CONTENTS JRHT News is your magazine from the Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust. It’s not just about what we’re doing – we want to hear your news too!

This issue is bursting with a real variety of stories from all over our region – from Roxby Gardens to Danes Dyke, Derwenthorpe to Scarborough.

We’re also delighted to bring you some contributions from residents, and to hear about your fundraising and social activities. Thanks to everyone who’s been in touch. Do keep telling us your news and sending us your photos.

Send them to Debbie.Pemberton@jrht.org.uk, or submit articles and printed photos to Debbie Pemberton at the Garth, White Rose Avenue, New Earswick, York, YO32 4TZ.

News

Homestead Park springs into life 5 Danes Dyke, Scarborough

6

Sheltered Schemes

6

Day in the life of

7

Modernisation Programme

10

How to contact us

11

Derwenthorpe update

12

YOUR COMPLIMENTS

We record and act on all informal and formal complaints we receive. If you are dissatisfied with the service you have received from JRHT or someone acting on our behalf then it is important you get in contact with us and let us know – that way we can try and resolve the matter and take steps to make sure it does not happen again.

We always welcome your feedback on the work we do – here are a couple of the highlights from the past couple of months.

Since 1st January 2014 we have received 30 complaints – 13 informal complaints which are of a less serious nature and we have been able to deal with quickly – and 17 formal complaints which require further investigation. 19 of the complaints are about the repairs and maintenance service and five about the level of customer service – most are about JRHT staff not keeping residents informed of progress of repairs. The other complaints have been about the removal of trees, rent and service charges and parking provision.

We are very concerned about the nature of complaints and staff have already been reminded of the importance of getting back to residents.

We have also identified a way of recording all customer contact with regard to repairs so that if you contact us about a job the customer services team will be more able to answer your queries straight away, rather than referring you to another member of staff.

We always apologise if we have done something wrong and hope we will do better in 2014.

Page 2 | JRHT News | Spring 2014

8&9

Looking back

COMPLAINTS

A resident from Rowan Avenue has sent a thank you card to the JRHT team who recently installed new windows at her home. She was very pleased with her new

2–4

windows and thanks “the lad” who did them. She particularly praises Dan and Rob. A resident from Chestnut Grove contacted JRHT to say how happy she was with the dry lining work recently done to her home. The workforce were pleasant, polite, clean and tidy – well done team.

HOSPICE THANKS HARTFIELDS Hartlepool and District Hospice have written to Hartfields residents, thanking them on behalf of staff and patients for taking part in their Share-a-Card Appeal, which to date has raised £3,500, with more money still coming in.

Hartlepool and District Hospice improves the lives of people in the local community in Hartlepool affected by a life-limiting illness or the death of a loved one. Each year thousands of individuals benefit from the specialist care, comfort and support that they offer.

Support will help them continue this vital service.

This year, it will cost £2.34 million to maintain their service with only a £560,000 contribution from the NHS towards clinical services. This means that generous fundraisers, individuals, groups and businesses are helping raise £4,877 each day to allow people to receive the care they need and deserve.

Thanks to everyone who has supported Hartlepool Hospice - you are helping to make a real difference to the lives of local people.

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NEW EARSWICK OPEN GARDENS 2014 JRHT is hoping to have an open garden event in New Earswick this summer and we would be delighted if you would be able to join us by sharing your garden with the community. This event will be

a celebration of New Earswick as a garden village and it is open to everyone - we will be looking at all types of gardens, including wildlife havens, beautiful borders and family spaces.

FOLK HALL REFURB IN FULL SWING The Folk Hall in New Earswick is being refurbished, with all the improvements due to be completed in August. In the meantime, it’s business as usual as the venue continues to host a range of events.

Snooker and Social Room.

The café was next to be refurbished and other work includes new flooring finishes and paintwork throughout, as well as repairs and replacements to all windows, doors and roofing.

The refurbishment programme is following guidance on dementiafriendly design, including a report from the acclaimed University of Stirling and feedback from local carers and cared-for people living with dementia.

Some of the mostwelcomed improvements include an extension to the hall bar area, and a new and impressive espresso/ coffee machine to rival that of acclaimed coffee houses.

Once the work at the Folk Hall is complete there will be a number of celebratory open events.

The refurbishment work began in February, with renovations to the

If you are interested in opening your garden or being a part of the event please let us know by contacting our Customer Service Team on 0800 5870211 or email us at information@jrht.org.uk

The Folk Hall café and kitchen area being refurbished.

SHARE YOUR STORY As part of dementia awareness, we would like you to share your story with JRHT to increase our awareness and understanding of dementia in our community.

“If you have dementia or know/care for someone who does, please contact us,” says JRHT’s Vicky Thompson.

We’d like you to tell us about:

• Your experiences with dementia; • The mechanisms you have for coping with dementia; • How dementia affects the lives of those involved.

Share your story by contacting our Customer Service Team on 0800 5870211 or email us at information@jrht.org.uk JRHT News | Spring 2014 | Page 3

Services | Information | Features | News | Events | Community | Contacts A willow tit, whose numbers are plummeting

JRHT BIRDWATCHING SUCCESSS Howling winds, torrential rain and copious cups of tea set the scene for this year’s cold and blustery JRHT Big Garden Birdwatch, but it didn’t put off the community of enthusiastic birdwatchers - even if it might have put off the birds.

All wrapped up, our birdwatching residents grabbed their grandchildren, coaxed their husbands and persuaded their friends to join them in identifying as many different birds as they could within an hour.

The Landscape Maintenance Team have really enjoyed hearing about how much fun everyone had despite the rain, and they received an impressive 56 bird watches as well as messages and drawings. Sightings included guillemots, siskins and a sparrowhawk.

One resident has reported a willow tit on Willow Bank - this is particularly exciting news as willow tits are plummeting in numbers.

Fruit trees all wrapped up ready to be planted.

One of the pollination patches installed in 2013.

CONSERVATION UPDATE Last year we shared with you all the fantastic things that the JRHT Landscape Maintenance Team were planning to do to help support our plants and wildlife and, in particular, our bird populations.

This included a series of fruit tree planting within New Earswick which unfortunately has been put on hold due to the wet weather. 27 trees are ready to be planted in the village of New Earswick with a mini digger standing by. As the soil is so wet, the team have to dig the holes for the trees bigger than normal so they can install a drainage system, hopefully giving the newly-planted trees a better chance of getting established.

Over at Derwenthorpe, gardening residents have been busy planting their own fruit trees which will provide a greater variety of food for bats, birds, insects and mammals.

Pollination patches will be springing up around New Earswick and our sheltered schemes during 2014. These areas will be full of plants that encourage more pollinating insects such as bees and butterflies to visit our village. These insects will carry out essential pollination, whilst also acting as a food source for birds and mammals.

The JRHT Landscape Maintenance Team has started to produce

management plans for our woodlands and hedges across New Earswick, Derwenthorpe and our sheltered schemes. These management plans will outline the best and most biodiversity-friendly methods to manage our natural landscape, including the specific needs for wildlife such as the willow tit.

The winner of our £20 gift vouchers is Dorothy Bravely who produced this wonderful piece of art.

LIVING WITH DEMENTIA? LIKE GARDENING? JRHT is creating a garden in Homestead Park, York that is welcoming, relaxing and interesting for people with dementia, their family and friends to enjoy.

The garden is for everyone but we are testing out ways to meet the particular needs of people Page 4 | JRHT News | Spring 2014

living with dementia and their carers. For example: using smooth surfaces for paths, plenty of seating, and creating talking points through sculpture or things to do in the garden.

We want to work with people who have dementia and carers to plan,

build and plant the garden. Would you like to get involved?

Find out more by contacting Emily Abbott tel: 01904 426180 mobile: 07905 117108 or emily.abbott@herenow.org.uk

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HOMESTEAD PARK SPRINGS INTO LIFE

WITH NEW ATTRACTIONS

Two fascinating features are on their way to Homestead Park in York, including a new lupin bed and access to the pond area.

The lupin bed will be next to the children’s playground, and is inspired by the city’s most famous horticulturalist, George Russell. Russell, who died in 1951 aged 94, was known worldwide for growing lupins on his allotment near Terry’s chocolate factory. Some lupin varieties are even named after Russell and he was recognised with a lifetime achievement award by the Royal Horticultural Society. Russell also received an MBE months before he died, from George VI.

The site of the new lupin bed.

Lupin flowers are strikingly tall and spire-like and come in a huge array of bright colours, and will be seen from April or May onwards.

Now the Homestead Park team has come up with a paisley design to feature Russell’s lupins, with box hedges forming the outlines among green slate.

Funding has also been secured to transform the pond area next to the lupin bed. The pond has been closed to the general public since parts of the bridge over the water began to rot away. No significant work has been carried out on the pond for more than 40 years, but now the team has begun to clear away the beds and some of the invasive species, including a huge bamboo plant, which will be moved to the bog garden.

An old stone cattle trough next to the pond will be turned into a flower bed, while the pond itself may be restocked with fish, to the delight of the kingfisher which occasionally visits.

The pond restoration is an ongoing project throughout 2014.

The Homestead Park is open to the public seven days a week, from 9am – 4.15pm.

The pond area at Homestead Park.

JRHT News | Spring 2014 | Page 5

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SHELTERED SCHEME NEWS Dower Court Commencing 15th March 2014, York Recorded Music Society will be using Dower Court’s lounge every month to hold a music listening/appreciation group providing programmes of mainly classical music.

Programmes are usually presented by members, with guest presenters from time to time. Meeting monthly from 2.00pm until about 4.30pm with a break for refreshments, the group will provide all audio equipment, amplifier and speakers. The group is hoping to build up membership numbers and residents of Dower Court will be very welcome to attend the meetings. Posters and fliers for this event will be circulated nearer to the date.

Money kindly donated by the late Helen Beacher will be used to purchase garden furniture and plants for Dower Court.

The Wednesday club at Dower Court has proved very popular and is all set to continue throughout 2014. It takes place from 2-4pm, and all residents are welcome to join friends in the lounge and have a bite to eat and a couple of games of Bingo.

Every Friday a Coffee Morning takes place 11am – 12pm.

St Ellen’s Court The new Woodland Garden area near to the common room looks beautiful,

a great idea by one of the Trust’s residents to transform what was a damp area with poor light.

was raised from two charity nights and ongoing resident support.

Sandacre Court

Plaxton Court choir goes from strength to strength

A fish and chip supper was held on 14th February for Valentine’s Day. There were games such as open the box, last man standing, pass the parcel with a Valentine gift enclosed, and higher or lower card game. Much fun was had by those residents that participated.

Plaxton Court Choir took part in the community performance of Orpheus the Mariner on the sea front. They braved the wind and the rain to join nearly 1000 other performers for what was a spectacular event. They also appeared on Look North!

Danes Dyke gets Festive The well-used Community Centre at Danes Dyke was the location for the residents’ Christmas Party.

The residents all worked together to provide a fabulous buffet. The wine was flowing and everyone had a great time.

Fundraising at Danes Dyke Danes Dyke residents handed over a cheque to St Catherine’s Hospice for £400. They have been collecting change in a bottle in the community centre. Ken Gill has been treating residents to his home grown vegetables and in return, residents have donated their spare cash.

The Plaxton Court residents have raised £500 for SANDS, the stillbirth and neonatal death charity.

The residents choose a charity to support each year and this year they chose SANDS. The money

Page 6 | JRHT News | Spring 2014

The Choir also appeared at York racecourse for the “Better Life” event organised by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

Three songs had been written about problems faced by older communities, including loneliness and dementia. Plaxton Court Choir were asked to join the Osbaldwick Community Choir for the performance.

Photos, from top to bottom: The residents all worked together to provide a fabulous buffet. Residents at the Christmas party. Danes Dyke residents handed over a cheque to St Catherine’s Hospice.

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A DAY IN THE LIFE OF

SALLY NELSON

JRHT ELECTRICIAN

“I started with Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust as an apprentice electrician in September 2011.

I had previously worked at Fenwick’s as a make-up artist so it’s a bit of a contrast!”

What are your main responsibilities?

Domestic maintenance, repairs to properties and modernisation work.

What do you think are the most important skills needed to do your job?

Good people skills and patience.

What would you do during a typical working day?

What is most challenging about your job?

I meet the rest of the teams at Tanners Yard first thing in the morning where we are given our jobs for the day. Then it’s off to work, attending the various properties to complete the jobs.

Working with all the men!!!

Has your role changed at all since you started?

Yes, to start with as an apprentice I was not as hands on, but over time I have obviously become more competent and can do a lot more of the work now.

“Learning something new every day” What’s your most memorable moment working at JRHT? A resident at one of the schemes asked if I was a strip-a-gram!

What do you enjoy most about your job?

Learning something new every day.

What do you like to do outside work?

I am a mum of two. I have a thirteen-year-old son and a twelve-year-old daughter so spend a lot of time at football or with horses.

DRIVING DOWN COSTS AND EMISSIONS New vans are helping JRHT deliver cost savings and reduced emissions, and they boast the new JRHT logo – look out for them in your area.

JRHT have already taken delivery of four new Renault Trafic vans (this is the correct spelling of traffic for this

French vehicle), which replace vehicles dating back to 1999.

They are the first leased vans in the JRHT fleet and we will have them for five years. The lease includes all maintenance and servicing costs and consequently these vehicles represent a major contribution towards our

continuing drive for value for money. Based on the average running costs of our existing fleet we have calculated a saving in the order of £1,500 per vehicle per year. With over 20 vehicles in the fleet, this will add up to a substantial cost saving.

As well as these vans, we also need to replace two smaller vehicles. These will be Citroens with a 1.3 litre engine and will deliver an outstanding 62 miles per gallon with a meagre CO2 emission of 119 (lower than any vehicle we use or have ever used).

JRHT News | Spring 2014 | Page 7

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MODERNISATION PROGRAMME

IMPROVEMENT TO HOMES 2013–2014 In 2013 we delivered £1.042m worth of improvements to homes.

IMPROVEMENTS

NUMBER OF PROPERTIES

COST

KITCHENS

85

£293k

BOILERS

98

£225k

BATHROOMS

46

£106k

WINDOWS (ENERGY ENHANCEMENT)

55

£348k

DRY LINING

13

£70k

Bungalows on Lime Tree Avenue in New Earswick, painted as part of last year’s modernisation programme.

£1.042m OTHER IMPROVEMENTS FREDERICK ST – ELECTRIC GATE

✓

The 2014 Improvement Programme

DANES DYKE – FOOTPATHS AND ROADS

✓

LAMEL BEECHES – REFURBISH LIFT

✓

In 2014 we are planning to deliver £2.421m of improvement work; double the level delivered last year.

CYCLICAL PAINTING

260

£147k

Customer satisfaction Across all of the projects carried out in 2013, we achieved an average scheme satisfaction score of 77%. JRHT would like to thank all residents that took the opportunity to fill in the satisfaction questionnaire. All comments and results are recorded and reviewed in order to improve the service we offer residents. The full breakdown of customer satisfaction scores by scheme can be found on the JRHT website at www.jrht.org.uk/help-and-resources/modernisation-andimprovement As a result of the 2013 programme and the feedback from residents, we are currently in the process of reviewing our specification and processes. We will be looking at improving our options for kitchen and bathroom wall tiles and flooring, electric fire suites (where applicable), taps and sinks and offering residents the opportunity to upgrade certain items.

The following schemes are included in the proposed programme, but may be subject to change. We are currently finalising overall programmes for the year; some work will commence towards the end of the year and will therefore not necessarily be completed by the end of the year.

For more information on JRHT’s Improvement Plan, and how we will communicate with you, please see our leaflet ‘Modernisations To Your Home’ at: www.jrht.org.uk/ help-and-resources/modernisation-and-improvement.

All residents who are included in this programme will be contacted to discuss the scope and timing of the work.

We are unable to finalise individual programmes until we have fully evaluated the work to each property and scheme, but the indicative timescales are below. We will be able to confirm more exact information about the timing of work to your home when we carry out a technical inspection around 4-6 weeks before work begins.

“Our aim for 2014 is to achieve an average customer satisfaction score of 85%.”

Page 8 | JRHT News | Spring 2014

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MODERNISATIONS AND IMPROVEMENTS ( Replacement of kitchens, boilers or bathrooms – not necessarily all 3 – it does not include windows or doors) ACOMB Heron Avenue (2, 4, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 20)

INDICATIVE START

ENERGY ENHANCEMENT PROGRAMME

INDICATIVE START

July – August 2014

PHASE 6 Station Avenue ( 1, 3, 7, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 24, 25, 29)

July – November 2014

Sandmartin Court (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18)

Poplar Grove (4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 16, 18, 20, 24)

Sherringham Drive ( 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 31, 33, 34, 39, 41, 43, 45)

Western Terrace (1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 16)

Wenham Road (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12) NEW EARSWICK Juniper Close (9, 11, 13, 14)

( consists primarily of internal dry lining and replacement windows, but other items may be included)

WINDOW REPLACEMENTS

(*Subject to receiving planning permission) August – October 2014

Crab Tree Grove (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10)

*Sycamore Place (ground floor front windows only) (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20) *Chestnut Grove (61-83 odds, 50-104 evens)

Rowan Avenue ( 2, 3, 6, 12, 26, 27, 28, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 41, 43, 44, 46, 51, 55, 57, 59, 61, 65, 67, 69, 71)

*Sycamore Avenue ( 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 24, 25, 26, 27, 29, 31)

Rose Tree Grove ( 2, 3, 5, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26)

White Rose Avenue (partial replacement, not all windows to properties) (40, 42, 43, 44, 45, 49, 51, 54, 56, 66, 67, 69)

Cherry Tree Avenue (3, 4, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 16, 17, 18, 19)

Cherry Tree Avenue (partial replacement, not all windows to properties) (4, 5, 7, 10, 11, 12, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 23)

Hazel Close (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) Lime Tree Avenue ( 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 33, 34, 35, 37, 38, 39, 41)

FIRE COMPARTMENTATION WORKS SANDACRE COURT

TBC

CYCLICAL PAINTING

April – October 2014

QUAKER HOUSE, LEEDS

September – October 2014

White Rose Avenue (40-75),

DALBY CLOSE, SCARBOROUGH

June 2014

Keld Close

HOVINGHAM DRIVE, SCARBOROUGH

May 2014

Shops and Flats (Hawthorn Terrace, New Earswick)

LAKESIDE, YORK (4, 5, 6, 7, 9)

June – July 2014

Dower Court

HALEY’S TERRACE, YORK (5, 9, 11, 14, 15, 16)

July 2014

HUNTINGTON ROAD, YORK (105, 133, 135, 137, 139, 141, 143)

August – October 2014

YORK LODGE, WESTBOURNE GROVE, SCARBOROUGH

November 2014

CHESTNUT GROVE AND DEFERRALS; Chestnut Grove (2, 5, 8, 9, 11, 16, 21, 23, 24, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 37, 41, 47)

June – September 2014

8, 19 Almond Grove 1 Birch Close 8 Hawthorn Place 10, 17 Ivy Place 17 Magnolia Grove 1 Poplar Grove 50 Finsbury Street 1, 2, 4 Dickens Close

August – November 2014

Old School Court

William Plows Avenue Bismarck Street, Hawthorn Terrace (1-16 including windows) Hawthorn Terrace (21-24 excluding windows) Chestnut Grove (1-59 odds, 2-50 evens excluding windows) Ivy Place (2-20 including windows) Hawthorn Terrace (50-71 including windows) Almond Grove (1-30) Rose Tree Grove (1-26) Garthway Flats (1-28) Bedford Court (flats and bungalows) Hartrigg Oaks (bungalows) Hartfields (flats and bungalows) Elm Tree Mews, Danes Dyke Plaxton Court Bungalows (1-17)

19, 28 Victoria Way 78 Chestnut Grove 9, 54 White Rose Ave

JRHT News | Spring 2014 | Page 9

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COMMUNITY NEWS: ROXBY GARDENS Macmillan coffee morning Roxby Gardens held a coffee morning in aid of Macmillan Cancer on 27th September and were delighted to raise £409 in just two hours – almost double the total of that raised at the previous year’s Macmillan coffee morning.

The team received a great deal of help from residents, who were generous with donations for the raffle, plus homemade cakes, scones and savouries for refreshments.

They would like to give special thanks to David who is not a resident but who presented a beautiful chocolate cake which he had baked especially for the team. Needless to say, this was very popular and was sold in slices!

As Roxby Gardens is a very small complex, they advertised in local shops and were very happy with the response received from residents of Thornton-le-Dale. The Residents’ Lounge was almost full to overflowing and it was standing room only very soon after opening at 10am.

They would like to extend thanks to Jane and Trevor Roberts who organised this successful morning.

News from Roxby Residents’ Association In early December, the residents were entertained in their lounge by the Thornton-le-Dale Ukulele Group, followed by tea and mince pies. When the group completed their concert, they demonstrated to individual residents the basic techniques

required to play the ukulele.

This proved so popular that in the new year, a ‘kindergarten’ ukulele group was formed – the most senior member being in her nineties! The group has been named the Roxby Rockers, and have instruction once a week, with a ‘strum-along’ on their own as well. All residents are welcome to join in the fun.

Roxby’s annual Christmas Dinner was held at the Buck Inn in the village, and January saw residents enjoying the annual New Year party in the lounge. Following the buffet supper, kindly organised by the Scheme Manager, residents were entertained by a local amateur guitarist, and several of the residents recited humorous ditties.

Residents treated themselves to an Alternative Burns Supper – fish and chips from a local chippy. To keep the Burns theme, the fish shop owner very kindly provided each resident with a generous portion of haggis to sample.

In February two gentlemen from the Teesside area came with a selection of clothing, including skirts, trousers, cardigans, jumpers and blouses. This enabled those residents who have difficulty getting to the shops to view and try on a good selection of clothing.

Our next venture is a ‘Ping Pong Supper’. The plan is to watch the competitors of the World Ping Pong Championships. The participants range from 79‑100 years of age.

Page 10 | JRHT News | Spring 2014

LOOKING BACK ON

THE HISTORY OF THE POST OFFICE

With the recent talk of the New Earswick Post Office being moved to another location, it made me think of when my parents were the first to run the shop which became the Post Office in New Earswick.

My father had the tenancy of the shop in Hawthorn Terrace, selling and repairing bicycles circa 1931, when the GPO asked him to take on the Post Office. There were no postal facilities in the village at that time, apart from Miss Fairweather who had the confectionery shop in what is now the fish shop, and she sold postage stamps.

We, (my mother, father, sister aged six and me aged three) moved into the living quarters above the shop in 1933, and so the Post Office was established along with the Bike Shop. My mother ran the shop during the

day, selling knitting wools etc, apart from the postal business.

My father also had a lorry working for Rowntree’s, transporting bricks from Wray’s Brickyard on Huntington Road for all the building work which was going on at the time, between the wars.

My parents ran the Post Office business until just after the war started in 1939, when they gave it up due to my mother’s ill health, and so that ended the first tenancy of the shop as a Post Office. Mr Joe Farmer became the next Sub Postmaster and was there for many years.

Harry Pawson.

PS. Since writing this I learnt from Mr Peter Hawley that for a short time, what is now the Bakery at the Junction of Chestnut Grove and Station Ave was used as a Post Office.

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HOW TO CONTACT US Our customer service team is available between 8am and 5pm, Monday to Friday, on freephone

0800 5870211

For out-of-hours emergency repairs, call this number and you’ll be transferred to our on-call supervisor.

The Garth offices at New Earswick are open for dropping in between 8.30am – 5.00pm, Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri. 10.00am – 5.00pm Weds. For care enquiries, contact

01904 750700

For Hartfields in Hartlepool, contact

01429 855070

CHANGES AT THE GARTH IN NEW EARSWICK As part of JRHT’s commitment to provide excellent services, we are making some changes to the Garth at New Earswick.

We will be moving office-based staff who currently work at Tanners Yard in York across to the Garth so that they can work together as one team with our customer services staff already based there. There will also be changes to the reception area at the Garth, which will move from its existing space. There will be no disruption to service or changes to opening times while we’re carrying out this work.

The work will start after Easter and take around four weeks.

The Garth Easter Opening Times Closed Good Friday (18th April) and Bank Holiday Monday (21st April)

WORKING WITH YOUNG PEOPLE

IN NEW EARSWICK Staff from the City of York Council are undertaking detached youth work with young people in the New Earswick area, funded by JRHT. It is hoped that this work will establish positive relationships and engage young people with their local community. The work started in November with a focus on finding out from residents about their concerns. If you require any further information, please contact Sarah Charlton on 01904 752927or email sarah.charlton@jrht.org.uk JRHT News | Spring 2014 | Page 11

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A GROWING COMMUNITY The Derwenthorpe Community Gardening and Wildlife group have been busy helping their new community quite literally grow. They meet monthly at the SSC at Derwenthorpe to discuss their plans and share their ideas and knowledge and organise a rota of delivering flyers to remind neighbours when the next event is happening.

Recently they have planted 208 plug plants together to begin a wildflower area in their estate and 18 fruit trees.

The tree planting was a real team effort: The Trust for Conservation Volunteers (TCV) donated the fruit trees through their ‘Get Growing’ project; JRHT provided compost and chipped bark; resident and Chair of the group, Marie, organised tools and training in how to plant and stake trees; and others provided tea, coffee, cake and

conversation. They planted 2 plum, 2 pear, 2 damson, 2 cooking apple and 10 eating apple trees around Derwenthorpe so in a few years the community will be able to harvest and eat some delicious fruits.

The next gathering of the group will forego a formal meeting, instead, the residents will have a seed swap and sow, as well as craft sessions for children. They will be sourcing vegetable seeds from St Nicholas’ Fields, through their ‘Ground to Table’ project and resident, Vicky, is supplying wildflower seeds. Further plans for March include starting work on the garden plot, digging over the turf and adding compost to soil.

For more information, please contact Marie ma.birbeck79@gmail.com

Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust The Garth White Rose Avenue New Earswick York YO32 4TZ www.jrht.org.uk

DERWENTHORPE RESIDENTS

ASSOCIATION LAUNCH THEIR OWN WEBSITE JRF is running a research programme looking into digital inclusion of residents in Derwenthorpe and their neighbours in East York and the role that social media can play in supporting community development. Digital inclusion, simply put, is having the technology and understanding to access the internet and the information and opportunities that online access can provide.

Those who are digitally excluded are mostly, but not exclusively, from households who are excluded socially, such as older people, those on lower incomes and those with disabilities.

Residents in and around Derwenthorpe are being offered training in getting the most out of free and low cost digital communications such as texting, emails, social media (like Facebook and Twitter) and website building. Contact James Grant, Social Media and Digital Inclusion Officer,

on 07738 228387 or james. grant@jrf.org.uk A small team of Derwenthorpe residents have already demonstrated their interest in using digital tools to reach out to their neighbours and the wider world, by setting up their own Residents’ Association website: http:// derwenthorperesidentsassoc. wordpress.com/ The opening words, ‘Welcome to our virtual community notice board’ describe the motivation behind the website. It features a blog, ‘View Across the Pond’ and includes pages on residentled groups, ‘Community Gardening and Wildlife Group’ and ‘Osbaldwick Community Choir’ and information about the Residents’ Associations. There are also comments boxes for people to contribute their views and content. Please have a look and see for yourself.