Pillar winter 2014

Pillar

A newsletter from Severnside Housing

Winter 2014

National get Online Week – page 3

Cover photo – Charles Wainwright (Resident), Rhiannon Titley and Sarah Morgan (Prince’s Trust), Edge Abboh and Wendy Brookfield (Severnside)

Community Chest Fund – page 2

Haunted Han wood

– page 6

Bloom Britain In ge 9 a Awards – p

Community Chest Fund

A number of community groups have benefited from our Community Chest Fund which was set up to support local voluntary, community and recreational groups working in the local area.

The Community Chest recently granted funding to the West View Residents’ Group to purchase a new greenhouse, as their existing shared scheme greenhouse was beyond repair due to its age and storm damage.

Residents at West View use their greenhouse to grow plants, flowers and vegetables and sell some of them in the local community to raise funds for their Residents’ Group. They also use the greenhouse for community work with a local primary school.

Cindy Ball from the Residents’ Group at West View said,

“We are absolutely delighted with our new greenhouse.

Ann Allport, John Seabury, Heather Wesley, Cindy Ball (Residents), Jenny Dodd, Paul Forsythe and Edge Abboh (Severnside)

It will allow us to continue our work with Trinity Primary School in Ford on the Nature for Care Intergenerational scheme and a new project we are working on with the Forest School Club. Without the greenhouse none of this would be possible, so we would like to say a huge thank you to Severnside for their grant.”

We are interested to hear from any group or club who think they may have an eligible project. It’s really easy to apply – you can call into our offices or visit our website www.severnsidehousing.co.uk/chest to find out more and complete an application form.

You’d be crackers not to pay your rent this Christmas!

Christmas can be a very expensive time, but it’s important to remember that your home should be your first priority as you could lose your home if you do not keep up with your rent payments.

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If you are struggling to pay your rent, or have concerns about debt, then please talk to us on 0300 300 0059 as there are many ways we can help you.

Don’t forget we also work in partnership with FAIRshare and Just Credit Unit, who offer some great products and services to help you manage your money. For further information please contact our Community Development Team on 0300 300 0059 or email community@severnsidehousing.co.uk.

National Get Online Week 13–19 October 2014 was National Get Online Week and we had an array of events to help residents do just that!

A Pop-Up Advice Shop was opened temporarily in the Riverside Mall in Shrewsbury Town Centre and a regular influx of visitors called in wanting help and advice on how to get online, complete online benefit and housing claims and tips on how to look for work and apply for jobs online.

The Digital Den in Meole Brace was open as usual with a fantastic programme of fun activities for the whole family to get online, plus their weekly Job Club. The Cyber Café in Castlefields also offered its regular Job Club to help people look for work online and hosted a Skype Quiz. This was battled out between Cyber Café residents and Greenacres and Moston Green sheltered housing scheme residents, ensuring our

Pop-Up Advice Shop

older residents had the opportunity to be involved and get online too.

Charles Wainwright, a resident, who visited the Pop-Up Shop and is currently training to become a Severnside Digital Champion, said,

Job Club If you have been claiming Job Seekers Allowance for less than 52 weeks come along for some advice and guidance.

Drop-in for a helping hand with CVs and Job Search Every Wednesday 9.30am–12.30pm @ Monkmoor Baptist Church Every Friday 1.00pm–4.00pm @ Monkmoor Baptist Church

“I have been helping out at the Job Club at the Cyber Café in Castlefields for a number of months and really enjoy helping people with limited IT skills get online to look for work. It’s great being able to give something back to the community.”

With more and more services only available online we know it’s vitally important to help people of all ages get online, which is why we not only took part in National Get Online Week but continue to invest in the Digital Den in Meole and run weekly Job Clubs there and also at the Cyber Café in Castlefields. After listening to residents’ feedback we have also opened a new Job Club at Monkmoor Baptist Church, the details of which can be seen on the left.

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Preventing Mould and Condensation CONDENSATION

Condensation is caused when warm, moist air comes into contact with a cool surface. This is what happens when your bathroom mirror steams up.

Warm moist air is produced by normal household activities like cooking, washing and bathing.

How to avoid condensation • Dry clothing outdoors or in a wellventilated room (open windows).

• If you use a tumble dryer, make sure it has a ventilation pipe leading outside.

• Open a window, or use an extractor fan if you can when cooking, so steam can escape.

• Keep a lid on saucepans as you cook and don’t let the kettle boil for too long.

• Open a window and use an extractor fan after you’ve taken a bath or shower, to release the moisture in the air.

• Don’t use portable gas or paraffin heaters as these produce a pint of moisture for every pint of fuel burnt.

• If you have trickle vents above your windows, keep them open at all times. Many of the new double glazed windows that we fit include built-in vents which increase air flow, without compromising security.

• Cross ventilate your home by opening a small window to the first notch downstairs and a small one upstairs.

At the same time open the interior doors to allow drier air to circulate.

Remember to close your windows before you go out.

• Do not block any air vents, as this can make problems worse.

If you notice condensation forming, dry your windows and window sills every morning, as well as surfaces in the kitchen or bathroom that have become wet.

Wring out the cloth rather than drying it on a radiator.

MOULD

Dampness caused by excessive condensation can lead to mould growth on walls and furniture and mildew on clothes and other fabrics which can all contribute to health problems such as asthma and other respiratory diseases.

Mould can be easy to remove • Where it occurs on walls, windows or furniture, you can normally wipe it off with a cloth using some fungicidal cleaner (mould and mildew remover).

There is no need to use strong chemicals. Wipe over the area again every few days using diluted cleaner to stop the mould growing back.

• When redecorating, use a goodquality anti-fungal paint to help stop mould appearing. You can get this from most DIY stores.

• Dry-clean mildewed clothes and shampoo affected carpets. Do not try to remove the mould with a brush or vacuum cleaner as this can release spores and increase the risk of breathing problems.

DAWN’S SENATE BLOG Many things have happened in the life of the Senate since my last blog. So let me update you…

Over the last few months the Senate have been working very hard towards getting green papers to the Board following the completion of our recent projects. The projects were around how much tenants understood about service charges and how Severnside were preparing for the new Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act that has come into force this year. Senate members worked hard to consult with other tenants and then wrote a green paper to the Board giving an overview of the current situation and also recommendations on things that can be improved. I am happy to say that all recommendations that were presented to the Board were accepted.

Our job on the Senate isn’t finished once the recommendations have been accepted. It is our role to monitor the changes/improvements as this helps us,

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as tenants, have a clear understanding of Severnside and its transparency.

As part of the Senate, I am going to be leading our next scrutiny project looking into the recruitment of tenants to become involved in shaping the services that Severnside provide to all of us. Every tenant has something to offer to help shape services and promote improvement. The project is going to look into how Severnside and current involved tenants can encourage more tenants to get involved. I will keep you updated on how the project has gone in my next blog.

Resident Inspector, Glenda, and I were invited to be part of the recent Corporate Induction Day which is offered to all new members of staff at Severnside. It was an opportunity for all new staff members to hear from tenants, what we think of Severnside services and also areas that need improving.

The staff had lots of questions and were very interested to hear our opinions.

Since my last blog, the Senate has grown with three new tenant members, Veronica

Hill, Debbie McBride and Roland Brown – who between them have a wealth of experience and many years of being linked to Severnside, including being a Resident Inspector, a Grounds Maintenance Inspector, being part of the Customer Panel and much much more! The Senate now has eight tenants who are going to work together closely to make sure that tenants are always at the heart of Severnside and shape services in the future.

If you would like to know more about the work of the Senate or how to get involved, please get in touch. I am more than happy to have a chat. You can contact me at senate@severnsidehousing.co.uk or telephone 01743 285035. The only qualifications you need are to be a tenant and have an open mind; there are so many positives to getting involved.

Winter 2014

Repair Customer Satisfaction Survey Results 2014 We place a lot of importance in seeking your views on how well Severnside and our contractors deliver its repairs service. Three surveys are undertaken during the year, each focusing on a specific area of the service; electrical, gas and general repairs.

The results of the latest survey on gas repairs are shown below and compare satisfaction with the results from the gas survey completed in 2012 as well as the current average level of customer satisfaction across the whole repairs service. The results show positive improvement since the last survey and a comparable, if not better, level of performance compared with the repairs service as a whole. % of customers giving a score of 8/10 or more for how well their repair request was dealt when they first reported it 2014 Gas Repairs 2012 Gas Repairs All Repairs Average

89% 82% 86%

% of appointments kept

99% 94% 99%

2014 Gas Repairs 2012 Gas Repairs All Repairs Average

% of customers giving a score of 8/10 or more for how well the repair was carried out by the engineer 2014 Gas Repairs 2012 Gas Repairs All Repairs Average

92% 88% 91%

% of customers that were fairly satisfied or very satisfied with how well the repair was dealt with from start to finish 2014 Gas Repairs 2012 Gas Repairs All Repairs Average

83% 81% 83%

% of customers that were fairly satisfied or very satisfied with the way Severnside Housing deals with ALL repairs and maintenance 2014 Survey 2012 STAR Survey

88% 84%

What our customers said about the service...

“Received a call regarding work and attended within half an hour of my reporting repair. Excellent” “They came out that evening.

I was very impressed” “I have always received courteous and prompt attention to all repairs I have required” “I have always received an excellent service” “Only just moved into a housing association property. Been renting privately for twenty six years. The difference is astounding. Severnside are fantastic!”

What customers were least satisfied with...

The length of time taken for general repairs Severnside has recently changed its repairs priorities and now aim to complete Emergencies in 24 hours, Urgent repairs in 3 working days and Routine repairs in 14 calendar days.

Currently all repairs are completed in just over 5 days from the time of reporting.

Communication and keeping customers informed Severnside will work with all our contractors to ensure that customers are kept fully updated on the progress of their repair, any delays and estimated target dates.

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Haunted Hanwood On Friday 31 October Haunted Hanwood hosted a fantastic Halloween Event. Along with food and refreshments, there was spooky entertainment with art and craft activities, horrible facepainting and a fancy dress competition for adults and little scary monsters, otherwise known as children!

It’s was also an opportunity for residents to find out about some of the services Severnside and our partners offer, in particular employment and money advice, how to get involved in the community and family and support services.

The event was a huge success and everyone who took part had a great time.

Big C hristmas Event

ernside) Glynn and Melanie Pilliner and Claire Poulson (Sev d and Sue Dell Poun elle Mich ts), iden Marietta Jenkins (Res t) iden (Severnside) and Nadine Jenkins (Res

Come along and have some fun at our Big Christmas Event on 22nd December 2014, 11am– 3pm at Belle Vue Youth Club, Rocke Street, Belle Vue, Shrewsbury.

Fun for the whole family with Christmas face painting, arts and crafts, fun and games and Santa will be calling in too!

There will also be lots of useful information and advice available from us and our partners.

For further details please contact the Community Development Team on 0300 300 0059 or email community@severnsidehousing.co.uk

Delyth Humphreys (Sh rop Sienna and Joel Owusu shire Fire & Rescue), Jo Beesty, -Mensa, Jessica Beest y, Jasiah Asare (Residents), Melanie Pil liner (Severnside) and Katie Kelly (Shropshire Fire & Re scue)

Macmillan – World’s Biggest Coffee Morning In September, Severnside residents and staff hosted and took part in Macmillan Coffee Mornings and raised a fantastic £969.54. Macmillan Cancer Support provides specialist health care, information and financial support to people affected by cancer.

Three of our sheltered schemes took part and also our office in Brassey Road. Residents at Porchfields raised £141.14,

Are you looking for a garage to safely store your car or vehicle in?

le for rent in We have some great garages availab and locations Bomere Heath, Nesscliffe, Harlescott £8.09 per week. across Shrewsbury starting from only ices To find out more call our Customer Serv 285000 Centre on 0300 300 0059 or 01743 .co.uk or email enquires@severnsidehousing

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Forest Way raised £100 and staff at our Brassey Road office raised £83.40.

Residents at West View raised a staggering £645.00 with their coffee morning featuring a wonderful banjo, violin and singing performance from Trinity Primary School pupils.

Delicious homemade cakes were on sale at all of the coffee mornings. Thank you and well done to everyone involved!

Hot off the keyboard...

You can find out what’s happening in your local area on a day-to-day basis, pick up lots of useful advice and tips and watch some amazing projects that residents are involved in by following us on: www.facebook.com/ severnsidehousing @severnsideha Severnside Housing

From now until the end of January 2015 we are going to be running a competition on the Severnside Facebook account to win a £50 shopping voucher. All you need to do is like and share our Facebook page to be in with a chance to win. Good Look!

WIN

£50

Severnside website

The Severnside website (www.severnsidehousing.co.uk) has recently been moved across to a new platform.

Although there will be no change to the look and feel of the website this essential work has been done so that our site can now easily be viewed on mobiles and tablets, as well as PCs.

Credit in the Right Places!

At Severnside we’re helping tenants get a better credit rating by sharing rent payment information.

Your credit rating is used to decide whether to lend you money, how much you can borrow and often how much interest to charge you. This can include loans from licensed lenders including banks, but also affects how much you may pay for your utilities, defining which tariff or option is available to you on similar things, such as your car insurance.

Unfairly, some social housing tenants struggle to get safe, affordable credit because they don’t have much credit history, and their largest regular expenditure – rent – has not counted to help create a positive credit rating. This new initiative to share information about rent payments will mean tenants who pay their rent on time can build up a positive credit history, potentially making it easier to open or change bank accounts, get improved mobile phone rates, better gas and electricity tariffs or obtain more affordable credit.

We’re working with Big Issue Invest and the UK’s largest credit rating company Experian to support the Rental Exchange to help and encourage safe and responsible credit. During September and October we sent letters out to all tenants in general housing (sheltered housing tenants are not currently affected) to pilot this project and each tenant was offered 28 days to opt out.

If you would like to discuss any aspect of this new initiative please contact us on 0300 300 0059. You can also find out more about the Rental Exchange by visiting: www.experian.co.uk/rental-exchange.

Older People’s Day Fun

To celebrate Older People’s Day on 1st October 2014 our Sheltered Housing Scheme in Condover held a community event. The event was attended by around 20 residents who took part in a quiz on old Shrewsbury and enjoyed a cuppa and get together. Everyone who came along had a lovely time socialising and having fun.

Residents battling it out to win the old Shrewsbury

quiz

2015/16 Learning Programme The Community Development Team are planning the 2015/16 Learning Programme and are interested to hear any ideas you may have on courses you think should be included or any training you may be able to offer other residents.

Please let us know your ideas or whether you are able to get involved by calling the Community Development Team on 0300 300 0059 or by emailing community@severnsidehousing.co.uk community@severnsidehousing.co.uk.

Christmas opening hours Over the Christmas period our offices and Customer Service Centre will be open as follows: Wednesday 24th December 8.30am – 4.00pm Thursday 25th December CLOSED Friday 26th December CLOSED Monday 29th December 8.30am – 5.00pm Tuesday 30th December 8.30am – 5.00pm Wednesday 31st December 8.30am – 4.00pm Thursday 1st January CLOSED Friday 2nd January CLOSED

If you have an emergency repair to report while we are closed, you can call our out of hours emergency repairs line on 01743 360945, which will be staffed 24-hours a day.

We would like to wish everyone a Happy C hristmas and best wishes for the New Year.

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Health & Safety Warning!

With the weather getting colder we appreciate at times it can be difficult to keep your home warm. As your landlord we would strongly recommend that you and your family do not use any form of mobile gas heater, due to the potential health and safety risks.

However, if you still intend to use a mobile gas heater, please ensure you follow these safety guidelines.

Heaters should NOT: • Be located so as to restrict means of escape.

• Have clothes placed over them.

• Be positioned near to chairs or other furnishings, alongside a wall or near to curtains.

• Be moved whilst lit.

• Be used in garages as petrol vapour may be present.

• Be used in bathrooms or shower rooms.

• Be used in bedrooms where there are combustible materials such as bed coverings, clothes, curtains, etc.

• Be used where children and the elderly are likely to be present.

ALWAYS please ensure: • Heaters are turned off before going to bed.

• Adequate ventilation is provided and maintained in rooms where heaters are used.

• Permanent safety guards are fitted for additional protection.

• Heaters are serviced in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions and by a competent GAS SAFE registered person to ensure they are working correctly.

• You always have a carbon monoxide detector in the room where the heater is being used.

And please REMEMBER: • Carbon Monoxide (CO) is a highly poisonous gas which can be produced if the heater is not working correctly – ensure that you appoint a competently (GAS SAFE) trained person to complete regular maintenance and servicing on all portable heating appliances.

• Never stand or sit too close to a heater.

• Portable heaters are a major cause of condensation so be sure to open windows to allow for adequate air movement and ventilation.

This guidance list is not exhaustive. For further information and guidance, please refer to your portable heating appliance instruction manual and/or the manufacturer’s website.

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Justice Corner

In Justice Corner we highlight some of the excellent work Severnside has taken to tackle anti-social behaviour.

We have also advised you before of the new powers for Severnside Housing, Shropshire Council and West Mercia Police to combat anti-social behaviour. In March 2014 Royal Assent was given to the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 to change how we deal with unacceptable behaviour, through the courts, and the types of measures we can ask in the court. There are six new tools in the Act which include: • Crime Prevention Injunction • Criminal Behaviour Order • Dispersal Powers • Community Protection Notices and Orders • Public Spaces Protection Order • Closure of Premises These powers came into place in October 2014, with the exception of the Crime Prevention Injunction which we expect to be in place in January 2015. If you would like more detailed information please visit the government website: www.gov.uk Please remember, we wish to support our residents and communities to ensure you live in a peaceful environment and it is only as a last resort that we will use such powers. A large number of measures are taken before we consider court action.

RECENT CASES Severnside has worked tirelessly with the police and support services to change the behaviour of a particularly troublesome family on one of our estates but to no avail. As a result, a Possession Order was obtained through the courts and this family has now been evicted.

As mentioned before, this is a last resort for Severnside, yet it does highlight to those who do not act responsibly, they will be evicted from a property by the courts even when children are involved.

Again, Severnside take such matters extremely seriously and work alongside children support services to prevent such occurrences.

Another resident was recently evicted after breaking a Suspended Possession Order. The initial Order was granted by the courts in 2011 and it prevented the resident from having “any non-domestic knife, ice pick or other bladed article, save where used for domestic purposes”. This was clearly breached when the resident threatened professional people visiting the property to carry out work. The resident used threatening behaviour and language whilst holding a 10inch non-domestic knife. Such behaviour is totally unacceptable and Severnside acted swiftly to evict this resident.

If you experience anti-social behaviour, or know someone who has, please call the ASB reporting line on 0345 678 9020. Alternatively, Severnside is a partner of Crimestoppers and you can contact them anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Estate Walkabouts Walkabouts are led by your local Neighbourhood Officer, along with representatives from the Council, the Police and other partner agencies. The 2015 Estate Walkabout programme can be viewed on our website along with action plans which are drawn up following each walkabout. Visit: www.severnsidehousing.co.uk

Please come along and join us for a walk around the area you live in and point out any issues or concerns you may have.

Date

Time

Location

Meeting place

Feb 18

10:30am

Coton Hill

Roundhill Green

Mar 4

10:30am

Belle Vue

Seabury Close Community Centre

Mar 18

2:00pm

Bayston Hill

Holland Close Community Centre

Britain in Bloom Awards We are absolutely delighted to report that Edgefield Greenfingers Club won a number of awards in the Royal Horticultural Society’s Britain in Bloom 2014 Competition for their beautiful floral displays at Edgefield Green Sheltered Housing Scheme.

The Club won three prestigious awards; Level 5 Outstanding Award, Certificate of Merit for gardener Steve Edwards and RHS It’s Your Neighbourhood Certificate of Distinction.

Below are the comments made by the Assessor Stan Sedman, regarding the Level 5 Outstanding Award: “Individual front gardens are maintained by residents whilst the communal gardens are cared for and developed by members of the Garden Club who also raise their own funding. This Group have been involved with In Bloom for many years and their stature has grown year by year as they developed their community involvement and gardens (both communal and individual). This year they have produced a quite stunning and artistic effect with a theme of remembrance and also celebration. Areas of achievement: Remembrance planting displays reflect the 100th Anniversary of WWI with a major project supplemented in other areas with smaller displays.

The memorial bed remembering two late stalwarts (Doreen and Dot) who were founder members of the Garden Club Celebration is that of the 50th Anniversary of Britain in Bloom commemorated with high quality baskets and displays of golden and yellow begonias.

WW1 Commemorative Garden, Edgefield Green

Resident’s private garden, Edgefield Green

There are a number of excellent individual front gardens and many of a very high standard. As in sheltered housing complexes there are those who are not able themselves to participate fully but here everyone can enjoy the wonderful planting and there are a number of seating areas for them to do so. To witness such a standard is a privilege and pleasure.”

Congratulations and well done to everyone involved!

Communal garden area, Edgefield Green

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Stay Safe this Winter

With winter upon us it is a good time to think about how we can all minimise risks of extreme cold weather.

If you have to go out in icy weather, wrap up warmly and wear sensible shoes or boots which have a good grip. Don’t try to carry too much as this may prevent you keeping your balance.

Please remember that it is not a legal requirement for Severnside to grit drives or paths on let or leasehold properties. Even on shared areas, there is only so much that can be done in exceptional weather, particularly first thing in the morning.

Inside the home, it may be that extreme cold weather is more than the standard lagging of pipes can protect against. It is important that you know where your stop tap is and how to turn the water off in the event of a burst pipe. Turning water off as quickly as possible can help to limit the damage caused by escaping water.

Try turning your stop tap before winter to ensure it moves freely before you may need to use it in an emergency.

Outside taps and pipes always need to be properly lagged, especially those on outhouses and pipes to outside toilets. For outhouses use pipe lagging foam which is available from DIY stores.

Heating systems radiators should be set to a low setting and your room thermostat set to 18 degrees to keep background heating to prevent burst pipes.

Always remember that if the heating system needs ventilation openings, never cover or block them, as you could put your own or your family’s safety at risk if you do.

During long spells of freezing weather, you should turn your inside water taps on and off daily, at least for a short time. Doing this lets the water circulate in the pipes and prevents them freezing.

We would also recommend that you have home contents insurance.

Further advice is available in our winter weather advice leaflet from our website www.severnsidehousing.co.uk or from our Brassey Road office.

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Welfare Reform has had a big impact on the lives of many residents and tenants. Changes in how and what benefits can be claimed and changes like underoccupancy or the bedroom tax, as it’s better known, have been headline news.

Even before the changes started we looked to develop the skills in our staff team to support tenants who would be affected by the changes, offering budgeting and debt advice.

Job Centre support and guidance has also changed, and you may find that appointments are increased so that your Work Coach can offer you help to find employment or to ensure that you are applying for jobs. You will also find things are on a more self-serve basis as you need to complete more online.

update CVs, carry out job searches, and complete applications. Complying with ‘Seeking Employment’ is an important aspect of claiming your benefits and to ensure that you are not benefit sanctioned. So why not come along to one of our Job Clubs and benefit from the help and support available.

For further details please contact: Employment and Money Advice Service Tel: 0300 300 0059 Email: ema@severnsidehousing.co.uk

To help you with this are our Job Clubs at Castlefields Cyber Café, Meole Brace Digital Den and Monkmoor Baptist Church. Staff are available to help you

Development update

Chapel Close, Bomere Heath

Due for completion early 2015 is our development in Bomere Heath, which has been part-funded by the Homes and Communities Agency.

It will provide 18 new homes; 12 new 1 and 2 bed bungalows for social rent and six new 2 and 3 bed houses for affordable rent.

The highly efficient homes are being built in partnership with SJ Roberts Construction to Lifetime Homes Standards, Code for Sustainable Homes 3 and have supplemental solar panels for hot water.

Chapel Close, Bomere Heath

Wear it Pink

Staff at our offices raised money for Breast Cancer Awareness by taking part in the ‘Wear it Pink’ Campaign. Pink was the colour of the day with staff wearing as much pink as they could find in their wardrobes.

There was also a raffle, sweepstake, cake sale and a guess the baby photograph competition – all contributing to raise a fantastic £205.95 for this great cause.

Severnside colleague Allan Hughes even dyed his beard pink for the day!

GAS SAFETY CHECKS Severnside has a legal responsibility to carry out an annual gas inspection at every one of our homes with a gas supply.

It’s really important that you let our contractor PH Jones in to do the gas service so, if we call you to arrange a gas safety check, please make sure you are in for the appointment, and remember, everyone who lets our gas contractors have first time access to their home will be entered into a monthly prize draw to win £50.

Unfortunately, if we cannot get access to your property to carry out these important gas safety checks, we will take legal action to gain entry. So please contact PH Jones on Freephone 0800 316 2104 or from a mobile 01743 719051 if you think you need a gas safety check.

Please let us carry out a gas safety check in your home – it could save your life!

Your Choice In the last edition of Pillar we told you about Severnside’s Community Development Team working in partnership with West Midlands Trading Standards to deliver a campaign called ‘Your Choice’.

Your Choice invited residents who were involved in local charities, community/ voluntary groups, schools or statutory agencies to apply for a Your Choice grant to run local events in their community aimed at stamping out illegal money lenders.

We are delighted to report that the following local community groups were successful in their bids: • Grange Urban Safety • Salopian Amateur Boxing Club • Shrewsbury Juniors Football Club • Riversway Elim Church • Shrewsbury Abbey Monkmoor “Get Out of Debt” Community Group • Shropshire Rural Community Council • Castlefields Cyber Café Volunteers

THE SANTA

Four Severnside Groups also won grants: • Sustain Consortium • Sustain Boccia League • Severnside Involved Residents • Severnside Equality and Diversity Group Each of the above finalists received £300 and Shropshire Rural Community Council, who were the overall winners, received £500.

Events and activities will be taking place between now and the end of March 2015, offering advice to: • help stamp out illegal money lenders • promote legal credit options; and • spread the ‘stop the loan shark’ message across the community.

COMPETITION

If you are aged 15 or under try our spot the santa competition for a chance to win a £25 shopping voucher. Circle the 10 santas on the picture below, fill in your details and send your entry to us by Friday 9th January 2015.

Send your entries to: Name ................................................................................. Age ...............

Pillar Competitions, Address ................................................................................................... Severnside Housing, Brassey Road, ..................................................... Telephone .......................................... Old Potts Way, Shrewsbury SY3 7FA

WIN

£25

Congratulations to Maisy Miller who won the spot the shark competition in the last edition of Pillar.

Pillar Winter 2014 11

Christmas wordsearch Find the ten Christmas themed words to be in with a chance to win a £25 shopping voucher.

Send us your entries by Friday 9th January 2015. The first correct entry drawn will win the prize.

Send to: Pillar Competitions, Severnside Housing, Brassey Road, Old Potts Way, Shrewsbury SY3 7FA. Name .................................................... ..............................................................

Address ................................................. ..............................................................

E L B A T C Q A O A T U F R W I E O R E M L E L G S E O I J I X C C H R E I S C D B F J I C H S K J Z N U P R E Y S O W

D F R Q S S E N I P P A H S N

R Y K N I E C N S E H N D E E

O F F Q W U O G P N R O S R E I E X K M U Z S T T M A N U Q J I R T A F Y G X N T S W L T

A E S P R E J C R L R Y K C A I I R Z N K J B D S T R C I O R N W K S U B E K G L Y I N S

I S A E R E I G E S T R E E K

WIN

£25 X Z N T C U E G C E J S A M H R E I E I V R B S I J V S E S

.............................................................. ..............................................................

Find these 10 words:

Postcode ................................................

Reindeer Santa Christmas Tree

Telephone ..............................................

If you would like any more information about Severnside Housing, please contact us: Write to us Severnside Housing, Brassey Road, Old Potts Way, Shrewsbury, Shropshire SY3 7FA Ring us 01743 285000 or 0300 300 0059 Email us enquiries@severnsidehousing.co.uk Visit our website www.severnsidehousing.co.uk Find us on Facebook www.facebook.com/severnsidehousing Follow us on Twitter @severnsideha Find us on You Tube Severnside Housing

Tinsel Snow Presents

Happiness Turkey Crackers Carols

Congratulations to Richard Teece who won the Wordsearch competition in the last edition of Pillar.

Severnside Housing provides a telephone interpreting service for more than 150 languages and can provide this document in a range of formats. ´ potrzebna jest jakakolwiek Jesli pomoc w zrozumieniu niniejszego dokumentu, lub potrzebne jest tumaczenie na inny jezyk, prosze o telefon na numer 0300 300 0059.

Os hoffech gael cymorth i ddeall y ddogfen yma, neu os hoffech gael ei chyfieithu i iaith arall, ffoniwch 0300 300 0059.

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Useful Contact Numbers Customer Services: 0300 300 0059 Out of Hours Repairs: 01743 360945 WELbeing: 01323 644422 ASB reporting line: 0345 6789020

PH Jones (Gas Servicing): 0800 316 2104 or 01743 719051 from Mobile

Andy Walters Electrical Contractors: 01743 247850 or Out of Hours: 07870 238006