Blackwall Reach / In Touch Newsletter: December 2021

somewhere to feel at home

Blackwall Reach

Regeneration continues on Phase 3 We are delighted to report that on 1 October, Phase 3 at Blackwall Reach received detailed planning permission, giving the go ahead for 315 new homes.

As well as larger family homes, there will be a new café/restaurant, basement car parking and upgraded public green spaces for all residents.

The project team will now be working up the detail of this phase and carrying out additional surveys in preparation for starting on site once existing residents have been rehoused.

The approved plans can be viewed on the Tower Hamlets Online Planning Register (reference: PA/20/02371) development.towerhamlets.gov.uk/ online-applications

Parkside West (Phase 2) update Good progress is being made across the site as façade installation continues to all four blocks to make the buildings watertight. Partition walls separating the apartments are being erected while electrical and mechanical installations continue and will allow the heat to be turned on for the first time in December.

After Christmas, landscaping works will commence around the ground floor of the buildings, while internal works will progress to allow kitchens and bathrooms to be installed.

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NEWSLETTER Issue 44: December 2021 www.swan.org.uk www.blackwallreachcommunity.co.uk

Early in the new year we will write to those residents being rehoused in Phase 2 with a progress update on their new home and an invitation to view the construction.

Station Square (Phase 1B) update Homes in Elligood Court and Royal Captain Court are coming to the end of their two-year defects guarantee period. The Customer Care team at Swan will be in touch requesting that any defects or outstanding issues are returned to them before the deadline.

Swan regional Blackwall office In light of the Covid-19 pandemic, Swan is reviewing the use of its office space to complement a permanent hybrid working approach. We have written to you to provide an update on the review of the Blackwall Reach regional office and to make you aware of a planning application by Swan for five additional flats in Blashill Court. This information is also on the Blackwall Reach website here: blackwallreachcommunity.co.uk/blog/ blackwall-reach-office-plans The Regeneration Project team can be reached at SwanBlackwallReach@Swan.org.uk.

Blackwall Reach | Newsletter - November 2021

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Online training opportunities for you Did you know that Swan may be able to help you with free employment and training support tailored to your needs? We can help you gain basic skills, arrange work experience, write your CV or prepare for an interview.

We also have lots of accredited e-learning courses that are available free for residents via virtual-college.co.uk/ courses/search.

Contact Abdullah Hossain on 01277 844242 or ahossain@swan.org.uk for more information.

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News from the Blackwall Reach Trustees The Blackwall Reach Trustees are pleased to let all residents know that we have now opened a bank account and received the first sum of money from LBTH. In addition, we have also received the Principal Rent Charges from Hera Management Services.

We have started the recruitment process for new Trustees to join the existing Trustee board so that we can start making charitable donations in line with our aims and objectives. We hope to soon update you on groups that have applied and will let you know when we have started processing grants.

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Blackwall Reach site opened its doors to the public Hard hats at the ready and armed with questions, members of the public went behind the hoardings at Blackwall Reach in October when Swan/NU living offered an ‘Open Doors’ site tour of the development. Led by Senior Site Manager, Werner De Klerk, this initiative showcased the fantastic range of careers, including traineeships, available in the construction industry.

Swan also recently collaborated with the local council and the Workpath Scheme to give local people the opportunity to apply for positions advertised by the subcontractor trades on site. Read more here: Towerhamlets.gov.uk/lgnl/jobs_and_ careers/employment_and_training_ initia/Workpath/WorkPath.aspx

Station Square ‘Blackwall Line’ artwork In December, all residents in Blackwall will receive a tote bag and postcard from the artist Jo Chapman, of ‘Blackwall Line’ artwork in Station Square and accompanying artwork windows in Royal Captain Court, explaining the design of the project.

Arts at Blackwall Reach Have you seen any curious, colourful and joyful artwork around Blackwall Reach? If so, it’s the ‘Taxonomy of Joy’ project that aims to co-create artwork to reflect the stories of the past, present and future of this special place.

During summer 2021 Make:Good at Bow Arts, held a series of pop-up events around the area, collecting local people’s thoughts on ‘what brings you joy?’. They then used these amazing ideas to create a set of examples for you test out

at the Discovery Day, held on the Millennium Green in October. The aim was to make people smile, spark joyful memories and get some ideas for a continuous joyful sculpture to be installed on the Green over the coming years.

Blackwall Reach Residents Board A new committee was elected at the March Annual General Meeting. Abul Hasnath stepped down as chair after many years of service and Shamsur Choudhury was elected as the new chair.

This independent committee still serves the residents of Blackwall Reach.

We meet regularly with other residents and representatives from Swan, via Zoom. We understand that this may not be the most ideal way of working, but it currently seems to be the safest option for everyone.

The Committee is very pleased with the ongoing activities that have continued to take place on the estate during the Covid-19 pandemic, such as Street Doctors.

Want to join? Look out for meeting dates and joining instructions on the Blackwall Reach Residents website or contact Swan’s CICD Team at involvement@swan.org.uk.

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Customer Involvement and Community Development activities round-up Street Doctors

We Are Family

In September, seven young people from Blackwall Reach attended a two-hour workshop on emergency first aid provision, organised by Swan and delivered by the charity Street Doctors, at The Reach Community Hub. The session, which was taught by medical students, equipped young people with the emergency first aid skills to empower them to become part of the solution to violence.

Swan was part of a knife-crime prevention programme ran by One Housing called ‘We Are Family’, in partnership with Tower Hamlets Homes, and East End Homes, that delivered six online workshops for parents of young people who may be at risk of being involved in knife crime, from 5 - 26 July 2021. In total, 36 parents took part in the workshops, that were delivered in partnership with local authorities, knife-crime prevention groups and ex-youth offenders.

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Women on Wheels The second cohort of the ‘Women on Wheels’ weekly cycling programme, started in September.

Held in partnership with Bikeworks and Access Sport, the course encourages women at Blackwall Reach, East London, to learn how to ride a bicycle safely in an urban environment.

Suariya was a complete beginner and said that the sessions enabled her to improve her health as well as connect her with other women from the local community.

Holiday Hunger help

Nasima was an intermediate rider that didn’t feel confident on the roads. She was very grateful to be able to develop her cycling ability in a safe and friendly environment.

Preservation Culture In August, Swan hosted a workshop on how we can be mindful about the food we buy and how we use it, while making our lifestyles more sustainable. Hosted in partnership with Preservation Culture, participants learned how to preserve surplus household food by converting it into jams, chutneys and pickles. Look out for more workshops in the new year.

We know that the school holidays can be a tough time for many families.

This October half term, Swan, in partnership with Feeding Britain and Newark Youth, hosted a Holiday Hunger programme for families in Tower Hamlets. Open to young people aged 6-18 years old, the fourhour-long daily sessions at The Reach community hub provided fun, physical activities as well as a free, nutritious meal for all the attendees.

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To sign up for future sessions, contact Swan’s Customer Involvement and Community Development (CICD) team on 01277 844242 or email involvement@swan.org.uk.

Warm this winter Did you know that you may be entitled to help with keeping your home warm?

Depending on your circumstances, you may be entitled to a payment of £140 towards your energy bill through the Warm Home Discount Scheme.

If you were born on or before 26 September 1965 you could also be entitled to between £100 and £300 to help with your heating bills through a Winter Fuel Payment.

Our Welfare Benefits team can help you with this. Call 0300 303 2500 or email benefits@swan.org.uk

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Fire safety this Christmas As we start to think about the December holiday period, we also want to remind you about staying safe in your homes. Please remember that no additional lights on balconies are permitted, but lights can be displayed safely inside your home.

The London Fire Brigade has issued the following advice and we would encourage you to make sure that you follow this guidance: Keep candles away from Christmas trees, curtains or anything else that could catch fire and don’t leave them burning unattended.

Make sure you have a fire escape plan and share this with everyone in your household and any guests staying over Christmas.

Don’t leave cooking unattended, it’s safer to take pans off the heat and turn the hob, oven or grill off.

Make sure new electrical appliances have a British or European safety mark when you buy them.

Don’t overload plug sockets.

Test your smoke alarms and make sure they are working.

Check your Christmas tree lights conform with safety standards and always switch them off before going to bed.

Season’s greetings!

Swan’s offices currently remain closed to customers for visits (except where an appointment has been made) due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

Staff who continue to work from home will break for Christmas from 5pm on Friday 24 Dec (Christmas Eve) until 9am on Tuesday 4 Jan 2022.

If you need to report an emergency repair or have any other issues during this time, please call 0800 783 2768.

Site closure The Blackwall Reach site shut down dates are 24th December to 4th January.

Contact details will be on the hoarding.

Don’t attach decorations to lights or heaters – they can overheat and catch fire.

Holiday bin collections!

Residents are reminded that during the Christmas period, bin collections will take place at different times. There will also be collections for the recycling of real Christmas trees.

Find out more at towerhamlets.gov.uk.

Useful numbers Swan Housing Association Blackwall Reach Office, 9 Webber Path, Poplar, London, E14 0FZ 0300 303 2500 Senior Neighbourhood Officer (Swan) Phillipa DECDrummond 01277 844290

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Estate Services (Swan) 01277 315225 Customer Involvement Team (Swan) 01277 844242

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Reporting Repairs / Defects (Swan) 0330 222 0322 or shacustomercare@swan.org.uk (office hours). 0800 783 2768 (Swan out of office hours) 01376 535190 (NU living out of office hours) or CCSNH@swan.org.uk Hera 0345 683 8812 Regeneration (LBTH) Sabaj Uddin 0207 364 2534

Decant and Lettings (LBTH) Abdul Hoque 020 7364 0205 Housing Management (THH) Godfrey McCurdy 020 7364 5015 Anti Social Behaviour (THH) 0800 917 5918 Tower Hamlets Homes 020 7364 5015 All information correct at time of publication.

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