Ardenglen News
AUTUMN/WINTER 2015
OFFICE INFO
355 TORMUSK ROAD, CASTLEMILK, GLASGOW G45 0HF TEL: 0141 634 8016 FAX: 0141 634 9016 E-MAIL: info@ardenglen.org.uk A RECOGNISED CHARITY NO. SC032542 PROPERTY FACTOR REGISTRATION NO. PF000168
HO, HO, HO….
Family Fun At Christmas Panto “12 Days of Christmas” We enjoyed this year’s Panto, The 12 Days of Christmas, at the East Kilbride Village Theatre on Thursday 26th November 2015. Oh yes, we did!!
Children’s Christmas Party Our Christmas Events programme concluded on Friday 11th December with a fantastic party for our younger residents – Santa even interrupted his busy schedule to stop off at the Maureen Cope Community Hall and wish everyone “A Very Merry Christmas!”
Young At Heart Xmas Party Santa popped in to greet our Young At Heart tenants during their Christmas Lunch on Wednesday 2nd December. Thanks go to our Social Committee for hosting the day and to our fantastic partner, Castlemilk High School, for delivering Christmas Hampers to our guests.
Christmas Fayre At Castlemilk Community Centre
Teen Zone Christmas Outing
Ardenglen celebrated Castlemilk’s Christmas Tree Switch On at the Community Centre on Friday 4th December. Our Sew Fabulous participants sold their “fabulous” hand-crafted wares whilst we also took the opportunity to find out what local people thought about the final proposals for the Cathkin Braes Activity Centre – their reaction was all good!!
Our TEEN Zone Youth Committee enjoyed a well earned Christmas night out at the Hollywood Bowl, followed by a trip to Nandos on Friday 4th December.
For m phot ore com os of even munity t turn s, pleas e to p a g e s 2&3 !
Ardenglen Wishes You a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
REGENERATION NEWS • REGENERATION NEWS • REGENERATION NEWS
5th ANNUAL SPRING
FUN DAY Our 2015 Community Events Programme began with our Spring Fun Day which took place on Saturday 11th April; you will see from the photos that our community enjoyed an array of fun and games!
Summer Family Day Out We held our Family Trip to Mabie Farm Park in Dumfries on Friday 24th July. A great time was had by all and the sun even shone!
“Fun for all the family – come back next year!” “We’ve all had a great day out.”
Castlemilk Family Day Ardenglen joined in with the rest of the community on Saturday 16th May to take part in the annual Summer Family Day. We were delighted to sponsor “the boating pond,”
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provide a fun filled, “FROZEN” themed Tombola and talk to local people about the Community’s plans to develop the Cathkin Braes Activity Centre.
REGENERATION NEWS • REGENERATION NEWS • REGENERATION NEWS
TEEN Zone Summer Trip
Teenzone’s trip to Flamingo Land took place on Friday 31st July. The overwhelming opinion was that it was one of the best days out yet!
“Great theme park! We had a fantastic day and it was lots of fun.”
“Good place to go, brilliant rides and well worth the travel.”
Young At Heart Summer Trip After a short stop at scenic Portpatrick on Friday 21st August, our Young At Heart and REVIVE participants headed to Dumfries for a spot of afternoon shopping and sightseeing. The day was rounded off with a delicious meal and a wee game of bingo!
“I had a great day and thoroughly enjoyed my meal! I look forward to the next one!” “Had a lovely day out - great company, nice place and excellent food. Thank–you!”
y t r a P n e e w o l l a Children’s H Our frighteningly good Kids’ Halloween Party took place on Friday 23rd October. Once again, we would like to thank Adams & Duncan Funeral Directors for their kind sponsorship of the event!
We Couldn’t Do It Without You!
gramme. tos from our 2015 Community Events Pro pho the at ing look yed enjo e hav you e We hop YOU to our ee, we would like to extend A BIG THANK On behalf of our Management Committ and trips for work tirelessly to deliver fantastic events who rs ntee volu ee mitt Com ial Soc c fantasti se contact you like to know how to get involved? Plea our community to enjoy together! Would Fiona on 631 5041. Page 3
REGENERATION NEWS • REGENERATION NEWS • REGENERATION NEWS
A HUGE THUMBS UP FOR THE 3Bs!
The final session of the 3Bs pilot programme took place on Tuesday 19th May. You might remember that The 3Bs is a partnership between volunteers from “The Only Way Is Up,” our “Young At Heart” residents and 1st year pupils from Castlemilk High School. The name stands for “A Bite, A Blether & Bingo!”
• “It’s been brilliant and we have to keep it going. I’ve enjoyed the whole thing but particularly liked the themed events like Burns Day and St. Andrew’s Day” (Isa, Young At Heart) • “It’s been really enjoyable – you get to see a different side of the Young At Heart people and how much fun they are. I would tell other people at school to get involved” (Daryll, Castlemilk High)
The main purpose behind the development of the 3Bs is to deliver an intergenerational programme designed to bring together different age groups from across our community and also to provide opportunities for our volunteers and participants from TOWIU to build on their learning and skills. In fact, the last session saw our learners from the Good Grub course prepare the food! The programme was designed and developed by Ardenglen with assistance from our partners at Castlemilk High. The pilot ran across five sessions from November 2014 to May 2015 and participants in the pilot agreed to take part in an evaluation exercise that would decide whether the 3B’s should continue on a more permanent basis. They spent the final session
recording their favourite bits of the programme and we are delighted to report that a HUGE “thumbs up” was given by all those involved!
• “Definitely keep on doing it as it’s so enjoyable. Everyone works so hard to make it a great afternoon” (Mary, Young At Heart).
Here’s a flavour of the positive comments from some of the participants themselves:
• “I’ll definitely be back as I’ve enjoyed getting the chance to mix with the young people!” (Sheena, Young At Heart)
• “I think the 3Bs is a great idea – it’s nice to meet new people and learn new things. I think you should keep doing it and give other young people the chance to experience it. I don’t have a favourite bit as I enjoyed all of it!” (Lauren, Castlemilk High). The 3Bs started back on a permanent basis when the new school term commenced in August. Although we were sorry to say farewell to our pilot 1st years, our new pupils have been just as fantastic and are already forming lovely friendships with our Younger at Heart residents and volunteers. STOP PRESS – It seems the 3Bs has impressed everyone! The programme won Castlemilk High’s “Above and Beyond” Award, Castlemilk Family Day’s “Group” Award and was a finalist in the Evening Times “Community Champions Young Award.” A HUGE “Well Done” to all involved!
If you want to know more about The 3Bs, please call Fiona on 631-5041 or Jackie on 631-5057 who will be happy to help! Page 4
REGENERATION NEWS • REGENERATION NEWS • REGENERATION NEWS
Celebrates in Style! As part of its 50th Birthday celebrations, the Asda Foundation awarded our “The Only Way Is Up (Skills For Your Future)” programme a whopping £9,720 to buy new IT equipment. Up until now, we have “made do and mended” with second
hand equipment donated by Ardenglen and our IT Contractor M2; however, the numbers using the service really brought the equipment to the end of its useful life and participants will now benefit from faster and more up to date computer hardware.
Ardenglen, its volunteers and our many participants would all like to say a MASSIVE THANK YOU to Asda for its wonderful support! Pictured is Asda Toryglen’s Community Champion Officer, Liz Arbuckle, presenting the cheque to representatives from The Only Way Is Up.
THE ONLY WAY IS UP for our SEW FABULOUS Group! We were delighted to be awarded a grant of £1,333 from The Asda Foundation (Carrier Bag Fund) to purchase sewing machines and other equipment required to set up our “Sew Fabulous” classes. On Thursday 3rd December 2015, our Sew Fabulous participants took up an invitation to showcase their “Bags for Life” and other upcycled products in the foyer
of ASDA Toryglen! As well as promoting what TOWIU spent their funding on, a total of £119 was raised on the day from the sale of Sew Fabulous merchandise. This money will be “recycled” into the project which we deliver in partnership with the fantastic Social Enterprise, “Rags To Riches” (which is part of the Govanhill Baths Community Trust).
We would like to thank both Asda and Rags To Riches for their fantastic support! Our “SEW FABULOUS” classes take place at the Maureen Cope Community Hall every Thursday morning from 9.30am – 12.30pm. Why not give it a GO in the New Year – please contact Fiona on 6315041 for details!
REVIVE Are Well and Truly ALIVE! (Workers Education Service), Glasgow Science Centre and Glasgow Council of Alcohol. Our Partners keep coming back as they enjoy working with our REVIVE participants so much! In previous issues we have reported on the success that our REVIVE Group are making in terms of their learning and development and the impact that this is having on their health & wellbeing! REVIVE is an over 40s Women’s Group, which began as an initial pilot programme in partnership with NHS in September 2013. There is a current membership of 13 members; however, membership is open and the Group would love more people to join them. REVIVE are supported by various partners which include Ardenglen, the NHS, Urban Roots, the WEA
They have undertaken various activities and courses on a whole range of subjects: • CSI (Crime Scene Investigations) • Healthy World • Alcohol through the Ages • Health Behaviour • Good Grub For those members who wish, there is also access to accredited learning and participants attended a presentation ceremony
So, what’s stopping you from trying something new? Don’t take our word for it, here’s what REVIVE members themselves have to say about their experiences: on 10th June to celebrate achieving Part 1 of the “Health Issues in the Community” course. Some members have decided to move on to Part 2 but all credit each other for the mutual encouragement (and great fun!) that saw them support one another to achieve their Part 1. As we have told you in the past, the Group actively fundraises to develop their learning and has been investigating different ways through which they can become a self-sustaining Group. Their Photo Booth and Socks & Hair Bands ventures have both helped to pay for their learning and educational visits to places like Stirling Castle and the Scottish Parliament.
• “Stirling Castle is an amazing place, so high up with an incredible view over the Stirling area! Meeting Mary Queen of Scots and dancing to “Merrily, Merrily” was the best part of the visit for me.”
• “Visiting the Scottish Parliament was amazing. I really enjoyed the tour around the building, particularly the pieces of art work that told stories of where they came from. I also really enjoyed visiting the People’s Story museum, which gave me ideas that could feed into our plans for the Cathkin Braes Activity Centre.”
• “I can’t believe that I got A(s) and B(s) for my assignment – the only time this has every happened to me! My family and friends are so very proud of what I am achieving.”
Calling Men Over 40!! Following on from the success of REVIVE, we have been approached to develop a version of REVIVE for our over 40s male residents. Like REVIVE, this will be tailored around the interests of participants themselves – please consider giving 1Direction (The Only Way Is Up) a try – contact Fiona on 631-5041 for more information. Page 5
CORPORATE NEWS • CORPORATE NEWS • CORPORATE NEWS
AGM News AGM News AGM News Ardenglen’s Chairperson, Maureen Cope, gave an upbeat and positive presentation at our AGM held on the 19th August. She took members through a journey spanning the last 20 years which showed how Ardenglen has transformed our local area. Maureen described how Ardenglen continues to invest in our houses through a programme of major works such as replacing windows, boilers and kitchens and ensuring that the local environment is kept clean and tidy. Maureen also emphasised Ardenglen’s commitment to working with the community to transform the lives of local people through our various regeneration activities delivered from the Maureen Cope Community Hall. The meeting then heard from Kelly Adams, from Baker Tilly Auditors, who confirmed that Ardenglen remains in a healthy financial position and that there are no issues of concern. Maureen concluded the meeting by thanking the many groups, organisations and individuals who have helped Ardenglen over the past year and the many local people who volunteer their time to help Ardenglen invest in our community.
Well Done Karen! We are delighted to share with everyone that Karen McDonagh, Management Committee Member and Chair of Ardenglen’s Social Committee, was awarded a Commendation as a close runner up at the SHARE “Committee Learner of the Year” Awards. Karen submitted a record booklet which included 18 episodes of learning and was able to show how the training she has done over the past year has enhanced her role as a committee member. Karen said, “I am delighted by this Commendation which recognises not just my efforts but all the hard work that my fellow Management and Social Committee members all undertake.” Karen would encourage anyone “looking for a change” to think about getting involved in the life of Ardenglen; she added, “I have not only enhanced my skills and knowledge but enjoyed every moment of my learning journey with Ardenglen!” A BIG “WELL DONE” to Karen from everyone at Ardenglen.
AGM Honours Sheena The AGM thanked Sheena Cadden who announced she was standing down from the Management Committee after 20 years of dedicated service. Sheena always focused on the community and made a tremendous contribution to the improvements in our area. Sheena rarely, if ever, missed a meeting and members showed their appreciation by presenting her with a bouquet of flowers.
Management Committee The following Management Committee members were elected at the AGM: Isa Brier Chair
Sharon Nelson
Maureen Cope MBE
Karen McDonagh
Vice Chair
Liz McKenzie Treasurer
Isobel Pope
Ann Marie Docherty
Elaine MacPhail
Frank Young
ARDENGLEN SUPPORTS CASTLEMILK HIGH SCHOOL’S TRIP OF A LIFETIME Ardenglen’s Regeneration Officer, Fiona McGovern, readily volunteered to join eight school pupils from Castlemilk High and four other adult volunteers to take up a trip of a lifetime to visit the Soft Power Education project in Uganda, Africa. Castlemilk High’s partnership with Soft Power Education was established in 2006 and to date the school has visited on three previous occasions. Both before and during the trip, the pupils (and adults!) gained valuable experience and skills that involved leadership, team working and a variety of life skills that will enhance their chances of accessing further education, training or work. An intensive array of fundraising activities took place prior to the trip; Ardenglen supported a Ladies Day, a Psychic Evening & a Leg Waxing Challenge by our very own Contractors Hamilton & Scholar. Special thanks are given to the Management Committee, Social Committee, Staff, Contractors & Mags Tierney from Castlemilk Relaxation Centre for all their support and contributions. Fiona said “ I was extremely happy to be given this opportunity to attend as a volunteer. Driving through Uganda, the thing that struck me most was the difference between extreme poverty and wealth! One thing that we all came away from Africa
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feeling, was how very lucky we all are - to have good jobs, access to education and an array of opportunities. I can’t thank Ardenglen and Castlemilk High enough for giving me the chance to attend, their support has been fantastic!” Ardenglen looks forward to assisting Castlemilk High’s next return visit in 2017.
LOOKING FOR ADVICE? • LOOKING FOR ADVICE? • LOOKING FOR ADVICE?
Helping You Save Money And Stay Warm In an exciting new partnership, Ardenglen has teamed up with Home Energy Scotland (HES) to help our tenants save money on their energy bills and stay warm. Home Energy Scotland is funded by the Scottish Government and provides free, impartial advice which includes:
• Energy saving tips and advice to help reduce energy bills • The best options to make homes more energy efficient • Help with benefit and tax credit checks • Help to access the lowest cost energy rates from energy suppliers • Information about UK and Scottish Government energy efficiency grants and schemes • Free Home Visit Service if you prefer to speak in person. Isa Brier, Ardenglen’s Chairperson
said, “We are delighted to be working with Home Energy Scotland. Their assistance is very welcome at a time when expensive fuel means many of our tenants are struggling to pay their energy bills and adequately heat their homes.” Since July, HES Community Liaison Officer, Linda Lepkowski, has held monthly energy advice surgeries at Ardenglen HA offices on the 1st Tuesday of every month between 1-5pm. Appointments can be arranged by contacting Ardenglen’s office although HES will also arrange a home visit if this is required. So look out for further local meetings and events over the coming months. Alternatively, you can call the free HES helpline on 0808 808 2282 from 8am to 8pm on Monday – Friday and from 9am – 5pm on Saturdays to find out more or email clo@ sc.homeenergyscotland.org
INTRODUCING EPIC 360 We are delighted to announce that another hugely positive partnership has begun with the introduction of Epic 360 surgeries on a Monday and a Friday afternoon between 12.30-2.30pm at the Maureen Cope Community Hall. Epic 360 is delivering the “Glasgow Big Partnership for Welfare” programme over a 3 year period thanks to funding from the Big Lottery. It aims to help people throughout Glasgow improve their financial skills and is being managed by a partnership between housing associations from across the City (led by NG Homes) and Greater Easterhouse Money Advice Project. Glasgow Big Partnership For Welfare hopes to reach over 3,000 people over the 3 years of the project.
Advice is available about managing your money, planning ahead, making choices and getting practical assistance; for example, to open a bank account or cope
with the impacts of welfare reform. Epic 360’s Financial Capability Officers can also help people to create their own personal financial plan and improve financial skills and knowledge.
“More month than money?”
Confidential chats about your income and spending sgow, People in Gla ople e supporting p in Glasgow
Places available now!
6 1,2,3,4,5, or u, r yo sessions, nea al free, inform and voluntary
Informed choices, better plans
It is very easy to get assistance; • you can self refer at www.epic360.co.uk • ask Ardenglen to make a referral on your behalf • or call Niall or Susan, in confidence on 0141-6304324 or 0141-630-4325. Epic 360 services are free, confidential and person centred; they are there to help, so why not get in touch?
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LOOKING FOR ADVICE? • LOOKING FOR ADVICE? • LOOKING FOR ADVICE?
PRIORITISE YOUR RENT MANAGING THE COST – How We Can Help You OF CHRISTMAS We have many ways we can help: Help with rent arrears Get you back on track with a repayment plan you can afford. Help with money Money advisors can get you on top of debt and help you budget.
bills, get you on the cheapest tariffs and arrange low-cost payment plans. Appointments are available at our office.
The festive period is fast approaching and it can be an expensive time for many of us. Please remember that paying your rent should still be your priority as this is the roof over you and your family’s head. The Association would like to assist you to manage this difficult time and work with you to ensure that you don’t start the New Year in debt. If you are currently under financial pressure, we would encourage you to get in touch with your housing officer who could make an appointment for you to see Paul Pearson, our Welfare Rights Officer (who is available by appointment every Wednesday and Thursday) or direct you to one of our Partners, like Home Energy Scotland or EPIC 360. Remember – we are all here to help!
Help with benefits and Universal Credit Welfare benefits advisors can make sure you get every penny you are entitled to, help you with Universal Credit and advise you on what to do if your benefit money has been cut. Help with fuel bills Fuel advisors can cut your fuel
WELFARE RIGHTS SERVICE
(By appointment contact the office) If you’re of working age the changes to the UK welfare system could impact your Housing Benefit. Our Welfare Benefit Advisor offers free, impartial advice on: • • • •
Universal Credit Benefit checks Disability Living Allowance Employment Support Allowance • Housing Benefit • Council Tax benefit • Community Care grants
• • • •
Carers’ Allowance Pension Credit Appeals Energy advice
We know some of these changes may be difficult for you, so we are here to make sure you have all the information you need. We can help make sure you’re getting all the benefits you’re entitled to. Please talk to a member of the Housing services Team for more information.
Welfare Rights Appointments In July, August and September 46 tenants failed to attend their appointment with our Welfare Rights Officer. This resulted in a total of 23.5 hours lost to missed appointments. The Welfare Rights service is in high demand and failing to attend appointments has an impact on
Download the new Glasgow Energy App and cut your bills More information
A new free energy app launched by the council’s Future City Glasgow team could help you cut your energy bills and save cash. Simply put in information about the type of building you live in, the types of energy you use and the amount you use. If it shows your home could perform better you will get advice about steps you can take to improve it. It is one element of the council’s drive to give people access to affordable energy, cut carbon Page 8
emissions and secure sustainable energy supplies. How to download the app Download it for free from the App store and Google Play. You can also access it www.glasgowenergyapp.org.
Find out more about Future City Glasgow projects at http://open. glasgow.gov. uk/. Read the full article on the news section at www. glasgow.gov.uk. Future City Glasgow developed the app in partnership with Glasgow headquartered Integrated Environmental Solutions (EIS).
the service and the waiting time for everyone. At present the average waiting time for an appointment is around 2 weeks. By ensuring you always call us in advance to cancel or rearrange an appointment you can help us reduce this waiting time and provide a much quicker service to all our tenants.
HOUSING SERVICES NEWS • HOUSING SERVICES NEWS • HOUSING SERVICES NEWS
Rent Increase Consultation 2016/17 Under the terms of the 2001Housing (Scotland) Act we are required to consult with you in respect of the level of the annual rent increase. Under the terms of your Scottish Secure Tenancy Agreement, the Association reviews its rent levels each year from 1st April. The rental income we collect covers almost all of our expenditure including reactive repairs, our programme of major replacements such as kitchens, bathrooms and windows, our staffing costs including our welfare rights service and our estate services such as close cleaning and landscape maintenance. In our last tenant satisfaction survey only 76% of you felt that the services we provide are value for money. It has been suggested that one of the reasons for this is that you have no information on other landlords rent levels to enable you to make a comparison. We understand that a comparison of actual rent levels, rather than a comparison of % increases, is more important to you so here are the Average Weekly Rents the 4 main Castlemilk Housing Associations are currently charging.
AVERAGE CASTLEMILK WEEKLY RENTS BY HOUSE SIZE 2015 Name Ardenglen Craigdale Cassiltoun North View Average Ardenglen Difference Average
1 Apt £41.10 N/A N/A N/A N/A 0
2 Apt £63.32 £61.18 £63.30 £59.58 £61.08 £2.24
3 Apt £69.66 £65.23 £66.03 £74.30 £68.40 £1.26
4 Apt £77.84 £73.86 £75.31 £82.45 £77.37 £0.47
5 Apt+ £88.40 £77.23 £86.04 £91.95 £86.71 £1.69
This information was taken directly from the Scottish Housing Regulators website. Follow this link to compare our rents and our performance with other landlords all over Scotland. http://www. scottishhousingregulator.gov.uk/find-and-compare-landlords/ardenglen-housing-association-ltd The financial viability of Ardenglen is based on making sure our rents meet our future costs. This year we are consulting on a rent increase of inflation (RPI) plus 0.8%. The level of inflation (RPI) in October was 0.7%. This would result in an increase of 1.5%. This would be the maximum increase we would charge. If however there is a reduction in November inflation (RPI) we would use this figure plus 0.8%. If you would like to make comment on this, please contact any member of our Housing Services Team. Similarly, if there are other reasons as to why you think your rent is not providing value for money, we would love to hear from you.
WAITING LIST REVIEW It’s that time again when we carry out a review of our Waiting List. If you’ve been on our list for more than 6 months, we’ll be contacting you to confirm that you’re still interested in being rehoused and to update us on any changes in circumstances or contact details that we don’t already know about. Look out for a text message, email or postcard from Ardenglen.
All you need to do is respond by text, email, phone or in person at the office. Another really easy way is via our website www.ardenglen. co.uk It’s really important that you respond to this exercise if you want to stay on the list. Applicants who don’t will be cancelled after the closing date. This review does not affect people who have applied to us for housing after 1st July 2015. If you have any questions, please contact Lauren or Kerri on 634 8016.
LOOKING FOR A NEW HOUSE? HAVE YOU TRIED HOMESWAPPER (MUTUAL EXCHANGE SCHEME)? The new look Homeswapper website has now been launched. If you are interested in a home swap anywhere in the UK why not register by simply following these steps: Log onto www.homeswapper.co.uk • Fill in your details to create a free account • Enter details of your current home (upload photos as you are more likely to get a response) • Enter details on the kind of home you would like – including where you want to live • Start searching for your new home Anyone who’s already registered with Homeswapper should log on and check out some of the changes which include upgraded mapping and possible multi swaps involving more than two parties. The website is much more user friendly. If you would like more information or assistance to register please contact Kerri or Lauren at the office. Page 9
HOUSING SERVICES NEWS • HOUSING SERVICES NEWS • HOUSING SERVICES NEWS
Update on Major Repairs and Improvements 2016 Programme
Window Install Update The new window installations are now nearing completion. The improvement works have gone well and Craig, our new Maintenance Contracts Officer, has been on site regularly ensuring the windows are installed correctly and the workmanship is to a high standard. We have received high levels of satisfaction from tenants regarding the increased warmth and reduced noise following the install. The new windows should help to reduce common condensation problems in your home, however we remind tenants to keep the trickle vents open as much as possible. The windows can also be opened just slightly and the handle placed in the lock position for security, this will also allow more air to circulate without too much heat escaping during the winter months.
2016 is gearing up to being an extremely busy year too with the following works programmed: New boilers and Carbon Monoxide detectors at:
New internal Pass doors at:
3A-11B Ballantay Quadrant
90-94/120-126/171-175/101-137 Ardencraig Road
17-21A Ballantay Road
133-147 Ardencraig Drive
26-68 Ardencraig Road
6-10 Iris Avenue 327-352/357-385 Tormusk Road
New smoke alarms at:
2-26 Hoddam Avenue
231-257 Ardencraig Road
3-7 Scarrel Drive
2-16 Ballantay Road
204-246 Tormusk Road
264-288 Tormusk Road
3-11 Scarrel Road
5-17/10-26 Tormusk Grove
23-29 Tormusk Drive
And, in addition to the above major repairs activities, our new cyclical painterwork programme will also be on site at the following addresses:
1-43 Scarrel Terrace
3-17 Ballantay Terrace
52-62 Tormusk Road
Kitchen & Heating Upgrade
1-15 Ballantay Road
Upgraded kitchens and new energy efficient boilers have been installed across our Cathkin Braes Phases 2 & 3. Tenants have been delighted with the high quality of the design and finish.
Shower Installations and bathroom extractor fans at:
3 Ballantay Quadrant
2-16 Ballantay Road
17-21A Ballantay Road
264-288 Tormusk Road
168-178 Ardencraig Road
3A-11B Ballantay Quadrant
179-197A Ardencraig Road
Gutter Cleaning The annual gutter cleaning contract is well underway. Our contractor, MCS Safety Systems, also reports on the condition of each roof and any repairs which are required will be carried out by early January 2016, weather permitting.
UPVC Windows and external doors at: 5-17/10-26 Tormusk Grove 52-62 Tormusk Road 23-29 Tormusk Drive 1-43 Scarrel Terrace
231-257 Ardencraig Road
We would remind you that if you are to be affected by any of these works, we will, of course, be in touch with you nearer the time with further details.
REPAIRS SATISFACTION SURVEY TEXTS Following completion of repairs we will contact you, usually via a text message, to find out if you are satisfied with the repairs service you received. This is a very important way for us to measure the quality of our repairs service and to ensure you continue to receive the highest possible service. The text message will detail the repair you recently had carried out
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and will ask you to respond with an “A” if you were satisfied with the repair or “B” if you were dissatisfied in any way with the repair. If you text back “B”, a member of the maintenance team will be in touch with you to discuss the problem. Unfortunately, a growing number of people have been using the “B” facility just to get contact with us about issues that are unrelated
to the repair in question such as rent enquiries or even to report or discuss an unrelated repair. If you need any assistance with something that is unrelated to the satisfaction survey text please call us on our freephone repairs line 0300 303 8000 and we’ll be happy to help. Thanks for your assistance.
HOUSING SERVICES NEWS • HOUSING SERVICES NEWS • HOUSING SERVICES NEWS
STAFF CHANGES Bon Voyage Mary - We sadly waved off Mary McDevitt, Temporary Housing Officer with us for 18 months, on 11th June. We would like to wish Mary all the best for the future and hope she enjoys her retirement.
New Maintenance Contracts Officer
Reintroducing Claire - We would like to welcome back Claire Callander who took up a 12 month contract with us as a Housing Officer at the end of August; she will mainly be working with tenant rent accounts during her stay.
Craig comes to Ardenglen from Queens Cross HA and brings with him a wealth of technical knowledge which will help to ensure our major and cyclical contracts run smoothly and that you get the best possible service from the Association.
Claire has worked in housing for over 10 years and brings great knowledge and experience with her. Some of that time was with Ardenglen so she knows the area well and remembers a lot of our tenants.
We would like to introduce to you Craig Reid, our new Maintenance Contracts Officer.
Craig has been busy since his arrival in November overseeing the window installations and will be heavily involved in all future contracts.
DON’T PUT UP WITH HATE CRIME You might not know that Ardenglen’s Office is a “3rd Party Reporting Centre” for anyone affected by a Hate Crime. A Hate Crime is any criminal offence committed against an individual or property that is motivated by a person’s hatred of someone because of his or her actual or perceived race, religion, transgender identity, sexual orientation or disability.
general understanding of hate crime and stress the message that it’s easy to do something about it! You can report a Hate Crime simply:
Hate crime can take a number of forms including:
• Offensive literature such as letters, leaflets, posters • Intimidating or threatening behaviour including obscene calls or gestures • Criminal damage to property e.g. graffiti, arson, vandalism • Physical assault • Emotional and psychological abuse • Bullying • Murder
• Verbal abuse or insults including namecalling or offensive ‘jokes’
This year’s National Hate Crime Awareness Campaign during October aimed to increase
We don’t have to put up with Hate Crime – please take action!
Thanks For Your Feedback! You may recall from our Spring newsletter (and Facebook posts and texts!) that we wanted to know your thoughts about proposed changes to the timescales for handling Anti Social complaints. Thank you to the two residents that came along to the feedback session; both were positive about the proposed changes particularly the fact additional time would allow for further investigation and a monitoring period for any additional complaints.
Beat bogus callers
• By contacting Ardenglen Housing Association • Telephoning 999 (in an emergency situation) or 101 (if a non-emergency) • In person at any Police office, • Through the website link www. hatecrimescotland.org
Things Change! let us know too
• Keep front and back doors locked. • Fit a door chain or bar, and use it. • Only let callers in if they have an appointment. • Always ask for ID and check it carefully.
I got it!! 35hrs per week contract. Happy days!!! See you soon :-) xx
• Don’t keep large sums of money at home. • Call 999 and ask for the police if you feel scared or threatened.
Help us Get your HOUSING Benefit right
On this basis, we implemented the new timescales from 1st April 2015.
You must report any change to your circumstances – for example a change of address or income for you or anyone else living with you. This could mean you might be due more Housing Benefit or we may have paid you too much.
Phone 0141 287 5050 or visit
www.glasgow.gov.uk/tellus
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NOTICE BOARD PLEASE TELL US WHAT YOU THINK!
FOOD BANK OUTLET AT THE MCCH
You might have noticed that it has been some time since our last edition of the Ardenglen News! As you know, we usually issue 4 editions each year (Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter). During the course of this year, we decided to pilot a twice–yearly approach and are looking for your thoughts on how well you think this has worked. If successful, this means that you would get a “bumper” Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter edition of your
In partnership with South East Food Bank (Trussel Trust)
Ardenglen News instead of the usual 4 smaller versions. Ardenglen produces its newsletter “in-house” and we are keen to keep doing so as we think it makes for a better, localised read. Let us know what you think by contacting Lesley on 631-5042 or Jackie on 631-5057; please just leave a message if we are not around (with contact details if you want us to call back). Thanks for your input and support!
Our Food Bank Service continues to run over three afternoons on Monday, Tuesday and Friday from 12.30 – 2.30pm at the Maureen Cope Community Hall. Access to the service is available via referral only through Ardenglen, Castlemilk Law Centre and Castlemilk Social Work Dept. Special thanks are given to our anonymous donators
(you know who you are!) and to our volunteers who support us to deliver a service that assists members of our community who have found themselves experiencing extreme hardship. If you would like to find out more about this service, either to seek a referral or to donate, please contact Fiona on 0141 631 5041, Jackie on 0141 631 5057 or your Housing Officer.
Thanks to Celtic Football Club Supporters
HEALTHY WORKING LIVES SUCCESS Ardenglen has recently achieved the Healthy Working Lives Bronze Award. Staff participated in activities and information campaigns to raise awareness of issues which might affect their health and wellbeing. Some staff even took part in a weekly walk whilst others enjoyed working out on the exercise plate!
We were delighted to accept a donation from Celtic FC whose supporters have been holding regular food collections for distribution throughout the City. Their wonderful generosity is very much appreciated, particularly as we head towards the Festive season.
Well done everyone who participated and particular thanks go to the Working Group (who consisted of Jackie, Leanne, Lauren, Kerri and Lesley) for all their hard work. We are delighted to announce that The Cash For Kids team has processed payments for the benefit of local families amounting to £5,700. This will make a huge difference to many families struggling at this time of additional expense. As ever, we would like to extend our “Thanks” to Cash for Kids for their generosity.
A huge THANK You is given to the Health Hawkes from John Paul II Primary School, who visited the Maureen Cope Community Hall on Friday 19th June 2015 to help our Gardening Group with a clean up in the gardens.
ARDENGLEN HOUSING ASSOCIATION
EMERGENCY
PHONE NUMBERS FOR ALL CENTRAL HEATING & HOT WATER EMERGENCIES YOU SHOULD CALL CITY TECHNICAL ON:
FOR ALL OTHER REPAIRS YOU SHOULD CALL CITY BUILDING ON:
08445 0800 796 493 595 595 TO REPORT GAS EMERGENCIES
(PRESS OPTION 2 FOR CITY BUILDING) TO REPORT ALL OTHER EMERGENCIES
WHEN REPORTING A REPAIR PLEASE ADVISE THE CONTRACTOR THAT YOU ARE AN ARDENGLEN HOUSING ASSOCIATION TENANT
OUR OFFICE WILL BE CLOSED ON: 25TH, 28TH, 29TH DECEMBER AND 1ST, 4TH & 5TH JANUARY OUR OFFICE WILL BE OPEN ON: WEDNESDAY 30TH AND THURSDAY 31ST DECEMBER, BETWEEN 10AM – 2PM OUR OFFICE WILL REOPEN, USUAL BUSINESS HOURS, ON: WEDNESDAY 6TH JANUARY
‘REPORT-A-REPAIR’ FREE PHONELINE 0300 303 8000 PLEASE NOTE: WE ARE CLOSED ON THE FIRST WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH FROM 12 NOON
Ardenglen Wishes You a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!