ISSUE 4
CREATING YOUR HOME WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM SEVERN VALE
Tewkesbury Important The Furniture ALSO School gets new Benefit Change Recycling INSIDE: shelter page 3 news page 5 Project page 7 SEVERN VALE HOUSING: HELPING OUT
SEVERN VALE HOUSING APPRENTICES START TRAINING
We have taken on our first Aaron Rogers said: “This is a great working with the award-winning SGS to be three apprentices and they are opportunity for me to train on the job and able to deliver our apprenticeship scheme. get some professional qualifications. I will The college has just come out on top in settling in well. We have teamed be studying for two years to gain an NVQ in a national Employer Satisfaction Survey. up with South Gloucestershire plumbing and heating, with the option to go It was voted the nation’s top employer- and Stroud College (SGS) to on and study for a gas qualification”. facing college with an incredible 99.5% train two plumbing and heating satisfaction rate. apprentices and one marketing Matt Lewis said: “I have settled in well at Seven Vale and I am really enjoying the “Working in partnership with SGS we will apprentice. experience. I have learnt a lot already”. be able to provide some solid employment opportunities for local young people and These are the first of a range of Our CEO Tim Knight said: “This is a very give them valuable on-the-job experience”. apprenticeships being offered by us across exciting time for us and we are extremely For further information on apprenticeships a wide range of skill areas. pleased to have taken on our first two go to www.svhs.org.uk/careers and click apprentices. We are delighted to be on the vacancies button. We will also be recruiting a further eight apprentices right across the business. There will be positions in Finance, Human Resources, Housing, Communications, and Painting and Decorating. “This is a great opportunity for me Matt Lewis aged 19, from Cheltenham, to train on the job and get some and Aaron Rogers, 25, who lives in Stroud, are the first two plumbing and heating professional qualifications.” apprentices to begin their training. They attend college in Stroud every Monday and Aaron Rogers, Apprentice spend the rest of the week learning on the job with our maintenance staff.
02 Get in touch at [email protected] JANETTE SAYS GIMME SHELTER
Our Grants and Social Value Covered areas that can be used by “At a time when funds in Officer Janette Vizard helped students, staff and local community education are desperately hard partners can have a major impact on Tewkesbury School to apply for to come by, we were looking at attitude, ethos and learning. a grant from Tesco Bags of Help all avenues to help improve the “Our thanks go to our local Tesco store in scheme. facilities and environment.” Tewkesbury and Severn Vale Housing for The school has now received a grant of Gary Watson, Headteacher, supporting us in our grant application”. £12,000 which will be used to create a Tewkesbury School covered external space. Work will begin Tesco teamed up with Groundwork on shortly to install the canopy. Headteacher Gary Watson said: “The its Bags of Help initiative which offers provision of high quality and appropriate community groups and projects in each Students will be able to use the space outdoor facilities can have a major impact of its 416 regions across the UK a share during breaks and lunchtimes as an al on the culture of a school. At a time when of revenue generated from the 5p charge fresco dining area. The school is even funds in education are desperately hard to levied on carrier bags. hoping to use it as an outdoor classroom in come by, we were looking at all avenues to good weather. help improve the facilities and environment.
LET’S WORK TOGETHER TO STOP CRIME
We have signed up to become and forms are not traced or recorded and Director of Customer and Community a Crimestoppers Ambassador those who give information will not be Fay Shanahan said: “We’re very pleased asked for a statement or to give evidence to have become an Ambassador for because we believe that in court. Crimestoppers and we will be handing out everyone has the right to live their telephone number to our customers, without the fear of crime. The Ambassadors Programme is designed but we will still continue to encourage them to give people the confidence to report to report suspected tenancy breaches to Crimestoppers, which is an independent crime and antisocial behaviour without the us”. charity that is not part of the police, fear of reprisals. increases awareness via organisations and companies, and is a completely anonymous way of reporting crime. It’s a 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days of the year operation with a completely confidential telephone line.
If a person calls 0800 555 111 they will never be asked for their name or address
Get in touch at [email protected] 0303 SEVERN VALE HOUSING: IMPORTANT UPDATES
DIGITAL FUTURES
We have changed the way we "The new system is far more efficient work with our customers by for our customers to use and it will be extremely cost effective. At the click of a introducing a self service portal. button customers are able to pay their rent, view their balance and track their repairs. You can now log onto the portal where you We are very excited because we have been can pay your rent, report a repair or update short-listed for a Housing Excellence Award your details. The changes mean you will for our digital campaign. can contact us day or night, at a time to suit you. 'We are gaining new customers on a daily basis and we are beating our targets to get Customer and Communities Director Fay customers on board. They are realising how Shanahan said: “We have been working simple it is to contact us via our portal and though our internal transformation saving them time”. programme for over a year now, so we are delighted to have our self-service portal in operation and gaining new customers on a daily basis. CHANGES TO YOUR BENEFITS
The Government is making major In addition to benefit reductions, Universal To check if you will be impacted by the changes to the way benefits are Credit is coming to people of working age. changes, advice is available via our website Universal Credit combines Income Support, www.svhs.org.uk/benefitbee paid. Did you know that if you are Income-based Job Seekers Allowance, affected by the Benefit Cap that Income related Employment Support We are here to help. If you are worried Housing Benefit will be the first Allowance, Housing Benefit, Child Tax Credit about any of these changes, please contact benefit to be reduced? and Working Tax Credit into one single your housing officer on01684 272751. benefit – and it is paid monthly in arrears.
ELECTRICAL INSPECTION CONDITION REPORT (EICR)
Severn Vale Housing carries out sockets. The inspection takes 2-4 hours a programme of ensuring that and minor repairs may be carried out during this time. Any further repairs or the electrical installation in your remedial works will be carried out at a later home is safe. This is called an date. Electrical Inspection Condition Report (EICR). Please ensure you allow access for this work to be carried out if you are contacted It involves an in-depth inspection of the by our Repairs team or contractor. condition of the wiring, switches and Failure to allow access is a breach of your tenancy agreement.
04 Get in touch at [email protected] SEVERN VALE HOUSING:OUT & ABOUT EIGHTY FIVE YEAR OLD JOINS SKYDIVING TEAM
Eighty five year old Kathleen first time I’ve done a sky dive. I did one Kathleen will be joined by Kayure Patel, Ellerker, who lives at a Severn for another charity two years ago. I really Kate Routledge, Penny Williams and Jo Vale Housing retirement scheme, enjoyed it. I had no fear, nothing. That was Mitchell. They will all jump at an airfield Tynings Court in Churchdown, from 15,000 feet and the one for the Star near Swindon on 8th July. has joined up with four College is only 10,000 feet but it should still be great fun. I’m doing myself a favour volunteers from the Severn Vale "It’s not the first Housing offices to take part in really as I love it. a skydive to raise funds for the time I’ve done a sky “I’ve also done two loop the loops in a National Star College in its’ 50th dive... I wanted to year. bi-plane when I was sixty two and seventy two. I wanted to wing walk but they said I wing walk but they was too old”. Kathleen, whose daughter works at the said I was too old." National Star College, said: “It’s not the Kathleen Ellerker
Above: Skydiving Kathleen Ellerker | Right : Joining Kathleen are ( L to R ) Penny Williams, Kayure Patel, Kate Routledge and Jo Mitchell
RAMBLING ON
The Amblers is a rambling group enjoy the countryside. All levels of fitness that meet every first Monday of welcome. the month at Brockworth Library Call Jackie or Sarah to discuss your 10am for a 10.15am start. needs or if you have any questions on 01452 726951. You will belong to a small, supportive and inclusive rambling group whose aim is to
Get in touch at [email protected] 0505 SEVERN VALE HOUSING: HOME SWEET HOME CREATING YOUR HOME IN NORTHWAY
Bridie Bottrill, her partner and various other minor jobs, without Severn Vale’s assets and commercial Thomas Winters and their family having to work around the furniture. director Mike Craggs said: “We believe we are the first housing association in the took advantage of Severn Vale Bridie and her children Myleigh 6, Darcie 3 country to allow tenants into our properties Housing’s Creating Your Home and Harlie 1 were able to get into the house before they have been officially handed scheme when they moved from and the children were able to choose the over. a flat in Priors Park to a three wallpaper for their bedrooms. bedroom house in Northway. “It makes perfect sense to us to let people Bridie said: “It has been fantastic to get into in to paint and decorate without being the house and decorate it before we move surrounded by furniture. It means tenants Severn Vale’s Housing Society’s initiative in. I wasn’t going to decorate downstairs, have a blank canvas to work on and they allows tenants to enter their allocated but when I saw how fantastic the children’s can create the home they want before they properties before the keys have been bedrooms looked after we’d wallpapered move in”. formally handed over to them. we decided to do the whole house." The Creating Your Home scheme allows “Severn Vale Housing have been really “It has been fantastic new and transferring tenants to get into helpful. It’s going to be lovely to have three the property early to make sure it is to their to get into the house bedrooms and a garden for the children to liking. play in”. and decorate it before we move in." Work can include decorating, fitting carpets Bridie Botrill, Northway resident
06 Get in touch at [email protected] FIRE SAFETY IN COMMUNAL AREAS
We recently carried out fire Storage cupboards must not be used to safety checks in the communal store electrical items like tumble dryers or fridge freezers. areas of our blocks of flats and several issues were identified. Mobility scooters and other electric Here are a few guidelines about vehicles must not be charged or stored in what can and cannot be stored in communal areas including stairwells, where communal areas. they provide a means of escape. Customers who use mobility scooters Bicycles, prams and pushchairs are must have their storage and charging not allowed to be stored or located in arrangements assessed by our fire risk communal areas unless there is a purpose- assessor. built cupboard or an area capable of storage without causing obstruction. Sheltered schemes provide specific areas for the storage of mobility equipment Flammable liquids and aerosols must not which limit the risk of obstruction. be stored in communal areas. Further information on fire safety can be Electric, gas and lift motor rooms and found at www.svhs.org.uk/fire-safety- cupboards must not be used for storage. in-flats
THE FURNITURE RECYCLING PROJECT
The Furniture Recycling Project are left with furniture and electrical goods FRP Shop Manager Jess Woodman said: FRP opened its’ Tewkesbury inside, so instead of us using valuable staff “We are delighted to have been able time to clear the properties and dispose to develop a service which has been branch in June 2016. Severn of the contents, we can pass it on to be welcomed with open arms in Tewkesbury. Vale Housing was instrumental in recycled and sold off to our customers at To reach this number of items so quickly helping it to open the new shop affordable prices. is making a positive difference across the in Delta Drive, as it provided a community. During this time we have made grant of £8,000. “Our staff actively promote the project to over 500 collections and 400 deliveries. customers in need and we take them to The delivery of a new bigger van means we the shop to view furniture which might be will now be able to collect and deliver even Now the FRP has hit a major milestone by suitable for them”. more goods”. re-using its’ 1500 item and is celebrating the arrival of a new van, which will help the project grow even more.
The purchase of the new vehicle has been made possible by the support of grants sought out by Severn Vale Housing Society and some European Social Funding.
Severn Vale Asset and Commercial Director Mike Craggs said: “We are delighted to be able to continue to support the FRP. It makes complete sense for us to work together. Very often our empty properties
Get in touch at [email protected] 0707 SEVERN VALE HOUSING: WINNERS CONNECT TABLET WINNER
Elderly scheme customer Vera Taylor, 82, is the lucky winner of the tablet competition featured in the last issue on Connect.
Vera, who has lived lived at Shipway Court in Bishop’s Cleeve for the last three years, said she was absolutely delighted to win the competition.
She said: “My daughter helped me enter the competition and when I found I’d won it made my day. My family are going to show me how to use the tablet. You’re never too "My daughter helped me enter the competition old to learn. I want to be able to use it to and when I found I’d won it made my day." send photographs to my son who lives in Morecambe”. Vera Taylor, Competition Winner
CUSTOMER PORTAL CHAMPION
Winchcombe resident Martin He said: “I can give you a couple of Wainwright is Severn Vale examples of my really good experiences where I used the customer portal on the Housing’s digital champion. He web site. When we moved into this house has won an iPad because he we had a problem with low water pressure. uses our new customer portal I reported the fault online and it was all more than any of our other handled very quickly and efficiently and customers. then recently we had a leaking overflow and again, I reported it via the portal and it was soon repaired. Martin, 50, who used to work as an administrator in the Army, said he did “Using the portal is so much more efficient use the old customer portal which that telephoning the office. You can report was slow, but that he was very your repair immediately and you know it impressed with the new one. He has has been logged. I would encourage as used it to check his rent balance many Severn Vale customers as possible to and to report repairs. use their digital channels as it saves time."
08 Get in touch at [email protected] SEVERN VALE HOUSING: SPRING HAS SPRUNG SPRING RECIPES
It’s been a long old winter but spring is here now and there have been a few sunny, warm days. It’s time to celebrate spring food so here are a couple of cheap and easy recipes using seasonal produce.
SAVOURY SWEET RECIPE RECIPE
Spring onion and bacon scones Rhubarb and vanilla sponge pudding
- Serves 12 - Serves 6-8 - Takes 15 mins to prepare and 20 mins to cook - Takes 30 mins to prepare and 50 mins to cook - Only 344kcal per serving - Only 319kcal per serving
Method and more info at http://www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/ Method and more info at http://www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/ recipes/spring-onion-and-bacon-scones/ recipes/rhubarb-and-vanilla-sponge-pudding/
ALLERGY TIPS
While many of us welcome the arrival of Spring, for others it can be the start of allergic reactions to pollen and other irritants. Here are a few hints and tips about keeping sneeze and rash free.
• Keep pollen under control by washing • Keep indoor air clean by keeping bedding once a week in hot water and windows closed when possible, to washing your hair before bed. reduce pollen entering the house.
• Clean every surface and vacuum twice • Consider allergy medicine by speaking a week. to your doctor.
• Wash your rugs to reduce dust and mould.
Get in touch at [email protected] 0909 SEVERN VALE UNIVERSITY LIVING
REGENCY HALL Fishers Lane, Cheltenham GL52 2NY
DODO YOU YOU KNOW KNOW ANYONE ANYONE WHO WHO NEEDSNEEDS STUDENTSTUDENT ACCOMMODATION ACCOMMODATION ININ CHELTENHAM? CHELTENHAM?
Regency Hall is situated in the centre of Cheltenham, close to pubs, clubs, gyms and shops. We are offering single occupancy rooms with en-suite shower, shared kitchens (with a soft seating area) and communal laundry facilities on-site. Rooms are only £99.00 a week including WiFi and on-site caretaker repairs service. Secure your room now for a small deposit.
INTERESTED or need more information? Call 01684 272719 or email us on [email protected] if you, or anyone you know is in need of student accommodation in the heart of Cheltenham.
Want to see what’s on offer? Can’t make one of our Open Days? Come along to one of our Open Days on Thursday If you are unable to make either of these open days, 15th June (1-4pm) and Saturday 17th June (1-4pm) please email on [email protected] for an to see what we have to offer. Refreshments will be alternative date. provided. If you are thinking of attending please register using the link below.
www.svhs.org.uk/uni
010 Get in touch at [email protected]