Thenue Housing Association
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
thenue AUTUMN 2016 newsletter The newsletter of Thenue Housing Association www.thenuehousing.co.uk www.thenuecommunity.org.uk WE DID IT! THANKS A WE’RE HOUSING MI££ION! Delight as £1m Netherholm youth & community ASSOCIATION centre gets go ahead. A NEW youth and community centre costing just short of a million pounds is OF THE YEAR coming to Castlemilk. The fantastic news is a huge boost for the Netherholm community in Castlemilk which has tirelessly campaigned for the centre and is now celebrating a huge victory. Big Lottery Scotland is to provide £995,000 from its Growing Community Assets Fund – one of the biggest community cash windfalls Castlemilk has ever seen. The campaign was driven by Thenue in partnership with hardworking local residents’ group the Netherholm Area Association. Well done to everyone involved in We have been named Scotland’s It is a huge endorsement of the work helping to make this happen! Housing Association of the Year. we’re doing in the communities we Continued on page 2 serve, ranging from the housing In a triumph for the organisation, provided to the vast regeneration we won the title in a keenly fought work undertaken AND our contest open to associations across commitment to delivering value for Scotland. money. The win in the category for an Staff and Board members travelled to association with over 2000 homes in the ceremony in Edinburgh including the Scottish Home Awards 2016 is our Chair Owen Stewart and Chief sensational. Executive Charles Turner. FULL SENSATIONAL STORY PAGE 3 Annual Gathering of Members p6 CENTRE PAGES: INSIDE: Annual Return on the Charter p7-10 Factoring round-up page p11 Shape of things to come p2 Annual Return on the Backdating of Housing Benefit p12 Housing Association of the Year p3 Rent Arrears Update p13 Charter 2015-16 Housing Support p4 Mary Barbour Award p15 Family Fun Day p5 Congratulations to the CHLC p16 THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME! CONTINUED FROM COVER THE new Centre for Netherholm has been described as a “game changer” for Castlemilk and will help families across the community. Berni Johnston, Chair of the Area Association said: “This is the best news in years. A new youth and community centre is what we have been campaigning to achieve for some time. We can hardly believe that it will soon be here. “People of all ages – but particularly the young – will benefit greatly from this new Centre. We are delighted to be making a difference” “We are immensely grateful to Big Lottery Scotland for giving Castlemilk something to celebrate. This will The shape of things to come…….the stylish new Centre as it will look when completed. make a big difference to many people’s lives.” vision and hard work and the fact paying tribute to the late former Chair that they never gave up. of the housing association Yvonne Work on building the new centre will McShea. begin this autumn and is expected to “Crucially, this will be generously take a year to build. funded from Big Lottery Scotland – Yvonne lived in Castlemilk, worked and not from rents we collect from very hard for the community she The new Centre will act as a social our tenants. It’s another example of loved and like so many others was and economic hub for Netherholm the value for money approach we determined to see the vision of a new providing many services and with the adopt at Thenue.” Centre realised. Yvonne is sadly key priority of meeting the needs and missed by so many of us and we feel aspirations of children and young Lawrence McCabe, Community sure that if Yvonne was here today people. Regeneration Manager at Thenue she would be thrilled and delighted said: “We have always believed that It will be a flexible, multi-purpose that a long-awaited dream will soon regenerating communities doesn’t building with a large hall, meeting become a reality. stop with building homes. We need rooms and an I.T. suite. to do much more and obtaining Thank you on behalf of all of the Charles Turner, Chief Executive of such a large amount of money from McShea family to everyone involved Thenue said: “This is magnificent Big Lottery Scotland to help the in the fabulous project. news for Netherholm and the wider Netherholm community is a good Yvonne would be so proud of all Castlemilk community. The entire example of that.” the hard work carried out by the community which got behind *NO mention of this exciting community, the Committee and all at bringing a new centre to the area development could pass without us Thenue. deserves a pat on the back for their 2 thenue HOUSING THENUE NAMED HOUSING ASSOCIATION OF THE YEAR CONTINUED FROM COVER Thumbs up… the Thenue team celebrate victory Our Chair Owen Stewart hailed the “Thenue has been leading the Commonwealth Games village are win as a “ringing endorsement” of way on this for many years and I some examples of the essential work the Association. commend the work of the Thenue we do. Board, the hardworking and Owen said: “This says a lot about “Now that we are Housing dedicated staff and the many Thenue and the vital regeneration Association of the Year our volunteers who make our work so work done in our communities. customers can be assured that we worthwhile.” It is not enough to build and will continue to focus all our energy improve homes. We have always Chief Executive Charles Turner said: on the things that really matter.” believed that to create sustainable “We are over the moon at winning “A key part of our regeneration communities where people want the title of Housing Association strategy has been to assist tenants to live requires huge effort to of the Year. Housing associations to claim State benefits to which regenerate them. like ourselves are the anchor in they are entitled. We have obtained communities – delivering real “Housing associations and housing a remarkable £1.2 million for our improvements and helping the co-operatives do a power of good customers. people who live in our homes. work with their regeneration activities “We are also helping people pick in the true spirit of the housing “That is what the housing association up digital skills through a scheme association movement. And we movement is all about – it is not known as “Smart Communities.” applaud all that is being done right simply about collecting the rent from across the country. There is no doubt our tenants. Delivering value for Also revealed was the fact that 99 this inspiring work unlocks the door money with affordable rents, helping per cent of people who came to to better communities. people with their finances, and our offices said staff were “friendly, developing new homes at the former willing to listen and polite.” AUTUMN 2016 NEWSLETTER 3 HOUSING SUPPORT – OUR LATEST NEWS Older Persons’ Strategy Retirement Housing - Events coming up: The Association has drafted an Older Open Meetings Calton Retirement Housing will be Persons’ Strategy which will be Tenants Open Meetings recently took holding a Marie Curie fundraiser in issued for consultation in November place in Bridgeton and Calton and November – any donations for the to the local Area Associations, were both well attended. As well as raffle would be much appreciated – Calton Retirement Housing Tenants’ the general business, presentations contact Linda or Isabel on 0796 937 Association and our Retirement were given by our Smart 4811. Housing Focus Group. Comments Communities’ Team and a group of Christmas Party and Panto: the Party will be reported back to our Board volunteers attended the Bridgeton will be held again in the Masonic following the consultation with meeting to provide fantastic advice Hall in December and the trip to a view to then implementing the and tips on how to save on energy the Panto will be in January. More Action Plan. If you are interested bills. information will be provided nearer in commenting on the draft, please the time. contact Paola Doyle on 550 9548. Retirement Housing - Social Activities (Calton) (Bridgeton) Facelift in the Common A huge well done to one of our Room at 71 Main Street There will be a Christmas Party in Calton Retirement Housing tenants December and a trip to the Panto in We have completed a “makeover” of for arranging a fund raising event January. More details will be issued the common room at 71 Main Street! recently for Alzheimers Scotland. A nearer the time but If you can’t wait A range of activities and groups fantastic £800 was raised and was that long, contact Dot Murray on for older people are now being gladly received by a representative 0778 631 2143! held there – there’s something for from Alzheimers Scotland. A everyone! If you would like to know big thank you to everyone who more or want a copy of the timetable supported this event, including Tesco of events, contact Dot Murray on who provided a number of items for 0778 631 2143. including in the raffle. STAFF CHANGES There have recently Area Area Services Officer Area Services Assistant been some staff changes within the Castlemilk Stacey Dineen, Claire McClymont Catherine McDowall Association. Area Netherholm & Laura Beaton 0141 550 9521 Services Officer Fiona Saltmarket 0141 550 9529 Gray has now joined the Cranhill Helen McPhail Mary Reilly Income Maximisation Team and Income Scotstoun 0141 550 9524 0141 550 9525 Maximisation Assistant Baillieston Kevin Dunsmuir has Blackhill joined the Area Services Bridgeton Andrew Watson & Isabel Marshall Catherine McDowall & Isabel Irwin Team. The table opposite lists the Area 0141 550 9526/0141 550 9528 0141 550 9521/0141 550 9523 Services Officer and Dalmarnock Andrew Watson Mary Reilly Area Services Assistant, 0141 550 9526 0141 550 9525 along with their direct Calton Carolyn McGowan Kevin Dunsmuir dial telephone number, for each area.