Keeping you safe...... p2 School’s out for summer ...... p3 Gardening competition ...... p4-5 Paying your rent...... p6 Best Start Grant...... p7 Energy Efficiency...... p9 SUMMER 2019 NEWSLETTER 79 Ways to have your say...... p10

JoinSave us the at our Date! AGM Our Annual General Meeting will take place on Thursday 19th September 2019 at , from 11am. The event is open to all our members so why not come along and join us to find out what we’ve been up to and tell us what matters to you? Being a member of the Association enables you to vote at the AGM and have your say on various issues affecting tenants. Becoming a member is simple, a short application form and £1 joining fee is all that’s required. If you would like to become a member or would like more information, please contact our office. Whilst tenants who are not If you are interested in joining us members are unable to vote in at the meeting and you require the formal section of the AGM, transport, please contact Jade tenants are more than welcome McLelland on 01290 421130 or at to come along and enjoy the day. [email protected]. It’s a great opportunity to meet You can also register to attend by with neighbours, have a chat with visiting our website at staff and get involved with your www.shirehousing.co.uk local community. We are also always looking for The event will start at 11am, with new members to join our Board food and refreshments followed to help us do the right things to by the formal AGM, prize draws continue to protect the interests and lots more. of our tenants. If you have a few The agenda will include the usual hours to spare each month and items such as the Chair’s Report, want to help influence what we do, the Auditor’s Report and election then why not consider joining our of Board Members. Board? We’d love to hear from you.

Newsletter of Shire Housing Association Limited, House, Netherthird, Cumnock, KA18 3DB T: 01290 421130 E: [email protected] W: www.shirehousing.co.uk facebook.com/shirehousing

SHIRE HOUSING ASSOCIATION LIMITED IS A REGISTERED CHARITY NO SC038664 Find us on Twitter: @shire_HA Keeping you safe… getting it sorted

We want to thank the many tenants that will be doing and what you need to do to be ready for have assisted us in allowing access to your re wire. your homes so that we can carry out our We know there will be some mess and that you will be vital rewiring work so that your homes disturbed for the duration of the works. We know that you may have to undertake some redecorating and we remain safe and efficient for many years will help with this by contributing a £100 voucher. to come. Faulty electrics can cause fires and fires can ruin lives. We have to stress that this work must be completed – The work that we must carry out will take about 2 it is simply too dangerous not to do it and we need all days and you will be left with all new wiring, new and remaining households to work with us to allow access additional sockets and most importantly peace of to have the works carried out. mind for you and your family. Our contractor will visit you to assess what works will Call now to arrange your asbestos survey and rewire. be required, they will explain to you in detail what they GD Chalmers 0141 889 6233 Care & Repair Remember Shire Housing also provides the East TATTIE MODERN Care & Repair service on behalf of East Ayrshire Council. BROUGHT TO YOU BY SHIRE HOUSING ASSOCIATION! Do you have family, friends or neighbours who are elderly or Tattie Modern East Ayrshire are proud disabled homeowners? If so, they to announce our hunt for talent. may benefit from this wonderful Can you produce a painting, a piece of art or a photograph service. that reflects your local community? If so, send us a picture of it Care & Repair offer the following: and it could feature on Shire Housing’s BRAND NEW Instagram – small repairs, safety/security page, website and all other social media platforms! installations, preventative works There are 3 age categories: and advice and assistance with There will referrals to Occupational Therapy. • 6 – 12 be first prizes for all winners Please contact Peggy-Anne • 12 – 18 • 18 – 175! in these Miller or Lucy Urquhart on 01290 categories 428013/428011 to find out how we Closing date 1st September 2019. can help. All entries should be emailed into John Giddings at [email protected] Please include your name and address and mark your email TATTIE Modern art competition

2 Shire News Summer 2019 School’s out forBut what asummer! spring we have had! At Shire we value our many skills to carry with them Wowwwww we have not stopped young people and have into their working lives. and let me tell you – it’s hard work • We donated kitchen equipment keeping up with these young guys been so lucky to work with and gals! several academies and so that could open their fantastic in-house This summer we are launching our primary schools across Barista Bar ‘food fantastic for changing food East Ayrshire. • We held a getting to know your lovers lives’ project and inviting • This spring we have launched community event with the kids academies to participate in our 4 more Learn4Work challenges at Primary School life changing ‘digitalising local in partnership with the Ayrshire communities – let the kids show Chamber of Commerce, • Supported Doon academy’s you how it’s done!’ project. digital learning week by Loudoun Academy, Grange We will continue to work with the Academy, Doon Academy and providing classroom sessions with a range of young people to Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce, Academy – these investing in young people to help challenges have produced explain what IT looks like in the workplace! support fantastic communities and brilliant results and have given make sure that our tenants of the the young people involved future are valued and empowered.

Shire News Summer 2019 3 The Greatest Gardening and Growing Competition

Do you love growing things as much as we all like looking at things growing? Do you have a garden, a communal garden space, a tub, a hanging basket or a veg patch? Do you want to know a secret? Shire LOVES all things green and this year we are going all out to celebrate the efforts that many of you make to encourage wildlife and all things beautiful into your community.

4 Shire News Summer 2019 We have a super duper list of Each of the main categories for you to consider categories will have a entering – you can enter as winner and a runner up. many as you like to increase • Winners will receive a your chances of winning. £50 gift voucher for a fabulous local garden Our categories are: centre • Best Garden • Runners up will receive • Best Veg Patch a £30 gift voucher from • Best Window Box, an equally fabulous Tub or Hanging Basket local garden centre • Best Communal Garden Our special category this year will have We will also choose an overall best just have 1 winner and no runner up, in show that will win a fabulous pair so we are expecting seriously high of tickets to the beautiful gardens standards, and will have the option of a at Culzean Castle! Seriously can you non-gardening voucher if they choose. afford not to enter, show off your amazing efforts and have a chance to • Best Young Gardener win a great prize? of the Shire! Entry forms will be available from our office, can be downloaded from our web site and Facebook page. You can even just send John Giddings Community Regeneration and Engagement office an email saying that you want to enter!

Competition is open from 1st July 2019 and will close 15th August 2019.

Contact John for more information on 01290 428 015 or email [email protected]

Shire News Summer 2019 5 Paying your rent Your home could be at risk if you don’t pay your rent.

We try to make it as easy as possible for You can pay: you to keep up to date with your rent • Online with a debit or credit card at payments, so there are lots of different www.allpayments.net ways you can make payments to your • By downloading the Allpay app, you rent account. can pay from your phone, anytime, It is always better to have regular, any place, any where scheduled payments set up, so that you For both of these methods you need the don’t have to worry about remembering reference number on your payment card. to make payments manually. This can If you do not have your card, we can be done by setting up a Direct Debit via help provide you with the number. our office or setting up a standing order with your bank. You can also pay using the following methods: There are many ways you can make one-off • Using your or additional payments rent payment to your rent account, at card at the a time and place that Post Office or suits you, 24 hours a anywhere you day, 7 days a week. As well as being see the sign convenient to you, they are cheaper • You can also make payments during for us, meaning we have more funds office hours either in person, or over available to invest in your homes. the phone. Netherthird Walkabout “We are committed to working with our partners to find ways to keep our communities vibrant and safe”. Customer Service Officer, Wendy Torrance, and Senior Customer Service Officer, Ann Black, took part in a walking tour of Netherthird with Sgt Ian Harvey from the Cumnock Locality policing team. Also taking part was Craig Fulton, from East Ayrshire Council Vibrant Communities, Lorna Dalziel from Centre Stage and Laura Dalzell from Netherthird Community Council. If you would be interested in an Estate Walkabout, please contact Ann Black at our office.

6 Shire News Summer 2019 Carer’s Allowance Supplement Carer’s Allowance Supplement is paid twice a year. The next 2 rounds of payments are: • £226.20 in June 2019 - you’ll get this payment if you were Best Start getting Carer’s Allowance on 15 April 2019. • £226.20 in December 2019 - you’ll get this payment if you’re Grant – School getting Carer’s Allowance on 14 October 2019 What other changes are Age Payment expected this year? The new Funeral Expense Applications for the School Age Payment opened Assistance is expected to be on 3rd June 2019 and will run until 29th February introduced during summer 2019 2020. This is a one-off payment of £250 to support followed by the Young Carer Grant families with a child who is due to start Primary 1. sometime in the Autumn. If your child’s birthday is between 1st March 2014 If you would like further information and 28th February 2015, you will be eligible to apply or assistance with any of the above, for this grant. For further information and to apply, please contact Diane or Leanne on follow the link below. 01290 421130. https://www.mygov.scot/best-start-grant/

In partnership with Cash for Kids Mission Christmas, last year we helped 30 families across our estates. Cash for Kids Christmas Family Grants 2019 will be open for applications from 2nd September until 18th October 2019. You can nominate your own family or another family that you feel would benefit from a little extra help this Christmas. Give us a call on 01290 421130 to nominate.

Shire News Summer 2019 7 Credit unions are community-based organisations which are owned by their members and are dedicated to helping the members to manage their money safe in the knowledge that they’re not being exploited. Your nearest credit union is Sovereign Credit Union, based in Cumnock. Credit unions enable members to save regularly and become Change Account – a prepaid • If you want to join Sovereign eligible to apply for affordable card to use instead of cash Credit Union or check your loans. Most credit unions also in shops and for online and balance without waiting offer other financial services. phone purchases. You can for opening hours, several Sovereign Credit Union can help use it to access your cash functions can be carried out you with: at ATMs or get cashback through the website – www. • Savings – Saving in the when you do your shopping. sovereigncu.co.uk. ordinary savings account It’s also handy for its online • For balance checks and makes members eligible budgeting and bill paying making transactions 24/7 for the loans. There are also functions. there’s the Sovereign Credit Christmas saving and Junior Sovereign Credit Union wants to Union App. saving accounts. make it easy for you to manage • For enquiries you can also • Loans – Credit unions make your money, whichever way you email info@sovereigncu. affordable loans using an want to do it. co.uk . ethical system that’s popular • If you prefer working in cash all over the world. Check or meeting people face to Opening times them out before rushing to face, visit in person at 11 The the lenders on the telly and Square, Cumnock KA18 1BG. Monday 9.30-3 Tuesday 10-2.30 the Internet. • Phone 01290 420044 and Wednesday 10-12 you’ll get straight through • The Change Account – If Thursday 9.30-3 to the staff – no call centre bank closures are making Friday 10-2.30 queuing. it hard for you to access Saturday 10-12 your money, sign up for the

Sovereign Credit Union is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Registered No: SP000150. FCA No: 213993.

8 Shire News Summer 2019 Energy Efficient in your Home Shire understands that which will help us determine your property for measurements managing household what we can do to improve and your loft (if one is present) efficiency in your home. to check the levels of insulation. bills can be stressful The survey will also assess the and challenging. One The EPC is a legal document that we as a housing construction, glazing and heating way we can help is association are required to systems in your property. As by making homes carry out every ten years on the EPC is a legal document, more environmentally the properties in our estate. photographs have to be taken friendly, which helps The survey information will of the above elements which are provide valuable data regarding strictly for validation and audit tenants to combat fuel purposes only. poverty. energy usage and potential money saving improvements To arrange your appointment During 2018/19 we invested that will help prepare Shire please contact Ian Hollins at a record £1.3m improving our Housing Association for any Ayrshire Energy Reports on housing stock. To plan our work future investment that may be 01655 882561 / 07941 387211. over the next few years, we required. I'm sure that you will all support need to update our details on The survey will be nonintrusive us in making sure your homes certain homes. Ayrshire Energy and the surveyor (Ian Hollins) are as cosy and cost efficient as Reports are carrying out Energy will need access to all rooms in they can be! Performance Certificates (EPC)

Shire News Summer 2019 9 Ways to have your say! Community Projects Tenant Survey At Shire we understand that the best way to do right Our next tenant survey will soon be on its way to you by our tenants, is to listen to you. In our spring edition and we need you to complete it and tell us what you we invited you to get involved with us in loads of think. The good, the bad, and the wonderful! We know different ways. that you think it’s important that we understand how Now we want you to tell us what Community projects you feel about the services we offer and we believe you think might work in your area. that it’s important that we listen and work with you • Is it a community litter pick? on any areas that might need to be tweaked or made more relevant to you. • Do you want to see more flowers? We will be commissioning an independent research • Would you like to form a group that meets regularly organisation to carry out the survey on our behalf. and has fun, a baking group? Knitting? Walking? Your opinions are vital in ensuring that we are • Why don’t you send us an idea? consistently providing quality services that are relevant We will consider it and see if its something that we can to our communities. facilitate for you or help you organise. Of course we So……. When you get your survey, don’t delay HAVE can’t promise that we can always do everything that YOUR SAY! we would like to - but if there’s a way, we will certainly promise to try and find the will! For any more information please call John for a chat. 01290 428015 You can make your suggestions by emailing your entry to John Giddings at [email protected]

Join Our Tenant Board Members Tenants’ – We Want You! Panel We want to encourage tenants to join our Management We are looking for Board. We need tenants to express their point of view volunteers to join our on what we do, how we spend your rent money and fabulous Tenants’ Panel. have a say on how we could do things better. We are looking for your Are you interested in helping to make a difference to the people and help in the review of communities we serve in East Ayrshire? Would you like to use your skills and get the opportunity to develop new ones to broaden you experience important policies and as a Voluntary Board Member of Shire Housing Association? Please get in the services we provide. touch, we’d love to hear from you. If you are interested in Our Management Board provides strong leadership to our staff team that giving us your views, we enables our organisation to deal with a wide range of challenges to deliver would be delighted to see our vision of “Great Homes, Great People, Vibrant Communities”. All new you. Board Members will receive personal support and training to help them thrive in this rewarding role. If you are interested in joining the Tenants’ Panel, please contact For further details please contact Jim Munro, Director on 01290 421130, or John Giddings or Ann Black for email [email protected] or write to us at Shire Housing Association, further details. Netherthird House, Netherthird, Cumnock, KA18 3DB.

10 Shire News Summer 2019 Show us your best shot! We want you to help us show tenants across East Ayrshire how happy life can be living in a Shire property! A selection of your entries will launch our All you have to do is take a picture of what brand new Instagram site makes you happy in your local area. Is it a; and the three best entries • Café in Cumnock, will receive a £20.00 Love2shop voucher! • Dalmatian in • Hulk Hogan in Logan • A Garden in Galston • Big Hill in Email your entry to John Giddings at [email protected] You must supply your name, address, contact number and a title for your photograph. By entering this competition, you automatically give us permission to use your picture for our social media and associated promotional events and publications. For any more information please call John for a chat on 01290 428 015

Closing date for entry is 1st September 2019

Shire News Summer 2019 11 In September Netherthird is 70 years old!! And boy oh boy are we gonna celebrate!

Netherthird and District Community Council in partnership with Shire Housing are rolling out the red carpet and going all out to celebrate Netherthird’s 70th birthday. Along with a fantastic week of celebrations, which kick off on Monday 2nd September ending with the amazing Gala extravaganza on Saturday 7th September, we are going to need your help with projects that celebrate our wonderful community! Netherthird 70 ‘community mosaic project’ ● Netherthird PS will produce a Netherthird ● A special VIP will unveil our art fantastic piece of art that will on Gala day!! 70 ‘who let be transferred to be the base for our community mosaic ● Leave your legacy – love your the dogs community ● Our mosaic will be travelling ooout!’ Dog around Netherthird so that we show can all get a chance to be artists Netherthird ● Lots of categories Memories ● Lots of treats ● Lots of rosettes Netherthird 70 A fantastic memories ● Lots of barking photograph book is ● Lots of fun! ‘community orchard’ being produced by We want to create a the Cumnock History community orchard that we group to detail the rich can all enjoy and love – where history we can pick fruit and eat of this natural healthy food while beautiful remembering what a fantastic community. community we all live in.

Please contact John Giddings on [email protected] or give him a call on 01290 – 428015 if you just want to have a chat about what you could do or think you might like to give it a go!