Providing Quality Homes & Neighbourhoods Introducing your Neighbourhood Housing Offi cers Inside this issue Cover Story Offi cers at the ready Meet your Neighbourhood Housing Offi cer and our new Anti-Social Behaviour Offi cers on pages 6 and 7. One call for all Ask us almost anything with our new call centre service, see page 5. Just champion! We name our Community Champions for 2012 on page 9. www.a1housing.co.uk Issue 32 Autumn/Winter 2012 Involving you & Community News Welcome from David Welcome from Bernard A message from In Touch’s Tenant Editor, David Smith A message from A1 Housing’s Managing Director, Bernard Coleman DOESN’T time fl y! It doesn’t seem fi ve minutes since the last of the incredible EVERY year we celebrate the McMillan (pictured) and Anthony Tromans. I’d like to take this issue back in the spring and so much has happened since. Not performances of these achievements and efforts of opportunity to thank them both for their hard work over the last that I’d really know as I’ve been glued to the telly for most of athletes have put me A1 Housing tenants with our few years and say they will not only be missed, but will also be the summer, so much so that I think I’ve missed every day of to shame. Before the Community Awards. tough acts to follow. sunshine we’ve had this year. games I moaned and groaned about my bad back and aching These awards recognise the outstanding hard work Once again we are facing changes as the Government It’s been a sportastic Olympic bonanza and I’ve loved every limbs, but oh no….not now. and often selfl ess acts of tenants who simply introduce new legislation around housing. The Localism Act minute of it, especially seeing as though the British athletes did Tributes were also paid to the thousands of volunteers, now want to improve their communities or help their wants social landlords to have more freedom and fl exibility in so well. known as ‘Games Makers’, without who the games would not neighbours. All were deserving winners who the way that they manage their stock and respond I always enjoy watching the Olympics and often caught myself have been possible. received their awards at our Annual General to local needs and circumstances. watching things like weightlifting, water polo and even the horse The same could also be said about a number of A1 Housing Meeting, and you can read more about The Localism Act puts an increased dancing. Put those on the telly on a normal rainy Sunday and I’d tenants who freely offer their time and services to help improve this on page 13. emphasis on local accountability change the channel quicker than you can some of the services that A1 Housing offer We also had other business to address with tenants setting priorities and say ‘Clare Balding’! But there’s through tenant groups. These groups that night and a short presentation monitoring standards. This fi ts in with just something about the form some of the many cogs that help showed how we have performed the Government’s ‘Big Society’ agenda and Olympics that makes any to drive this organisation forward. as an organisation in 2011/12 and more information on the Right to Manage, sport captivating! I’m part of this small band of what you as tenants thought of our Right to Transfer and Right to Buy can be found After the incredible volunteers but we are always services. on the A1 Housing website. Olympic Games looking for more of you to join If you would like to see the fi ndings of this Over the next month A1 Housing and Bassetlaw I was a bit us. If you’ve got some of that report we have published both a summary District Council will be consulting on changes to dismissive about Olympic spirit still in you turn and full report on our website the Choice Based Lettings scheme to ensure that we the Paralympic to page 19 and learn how you www.a1housing.co.uk. You can also meet the new Government requirements and make best Games – until it can help to make a difference a request a copy from any of our offi ces. use of the housing stock. You can view this on both the started! From the little closer to home. The AGM also saw the retirement of two A1 Housing and Bassetlaw District fi rst day of coverage long-serving Board Members, Heather Council websites. I was hooked and all David Crystal adds sparkle to big Final funding announced for Decent Homes Bassetlaw Christmas events THIS year’s Bassetlaw Christmas Lights celebrations will be the biggest and best yet WE’VE got some great news about with more than fi ve hours of festive entertainment leading up to the big switch on. our Decent Homes programme as we’ve just been told that we’ll be Where When receiving the fi nal instalment of our Worksop Saturday 24th November funding. Retford Saturday 1st December The Government has confi rmed the last Decent Homes allowance A Christmas Market will get the festivities underway of £3.5M, which will allow us to from 1.30pm with loads of other activities throughout complete the Decent Homes the afternoon, including; a Santa’s Grotto, Fire Eaters, programme in 2014/15 and Fairground Rides and a Climbing Wall. improve the homes of many more tenants. Trax FM will be on-hand to get everyone into the Christmas Spirit and there’ll also be entertainment Managing Director, Bernard from local dance acts and music from Blues Brothers Coleman said: “This is fantastic tribute band ‘Bruvvas Blue’ and Coldplay Tribute news and this fi nal instalment will Band ‘Coldplace’ who will headline the event. allow us to fi nish the job we started back in 2007.” That’s all before London 2012 Paralympian, Crystal Lane fl icks the switch that lights up the town centre For more information on the at 6pm. Decent Homes programme, please see the leafl et that came with your Look out for more details and entertainers who will copy of In Touch. be announced closer to the event. Our Call Centre is open from 8am to 5pm - to 2 beat the rush, call after 2pm 3 Issue 32Issue Autumn/Winter 29 Autumn 20112012 www.a1housing.co.uk National award a fi rst for A1 Housing One number – all the answers! A1 HOUSING has gained national A1 Housing’s Rachel Burton, Service THE power to ask us any question is at your fi ngertips as we’ve recognition when it comes to keeping Manager for Housing added: “This made it even easier for you to contact us with just one telephone How does it work? our estates and communities is an excellent achievement with number. Our call centre team can answer enquiries and take requests ‘Cleaner, Safer, Greener’. A1 Housing Offi cers, Caretakers, regarding these services and we aim to answer as many of your Planned Maintenance and Branching questions as possible, and if we can’t answer it we will arrange for We are currently the fi rst and only Out all working together to improve 0800 590542 someone from the relevant department to ring you back. social housing provider in England the neighbourhoods for Bassetlaw.” As well as calling us to report your repairs, you can now contact to have been awarded the Keep us about: Because we’re answering more calls, at busy times it may take The Quality Mark was awarded us a little longer than usual to speak to you, so if you have to wait Britain Tidy ‘Cleaner, Safer, Greener • Decent Homes Neighbourhood Quality Mark’ for all following a two-day inspection that for more than 60 seconds you can leave a message and we’ll call took place in February along with our estates. • Paying your rent and general rent enquiries you back as soon as we’re free. other evidence provided by A1 • Request a Housing or Garage Application Form However, if you want to avoid the queues completely call us after And KBT Chief Executive Phil Housing offi cers. • Property adverts and bidding enquiries 2pm Tuesday to Friday. Barton said “Congratulations to A1 This took into account a wide range Housing for receiving our Cleaner, • Housing Application enquiries Our number is free from landlines but we know that call costs of criteria including the overall from mobiles may be high, so if you have a non-urgent matter you Safer, Greener Neighbourhood appearance of estates, A1 Housing’s • Book a Community Centre can text us on 07860 021511 with a brief message about your call Quality Mark. This award shows vision and values with regard to • Report Anti-Social Behaviour and we’ll ring you back. they are committed to improving environment, estate management the environment for the benefi t of and community involvement; • Leave a message for your Neighbourhood Housing Offi cer residents in Bassetlaw and we hope planning; partnerships with other or request a call back they continue their fantastic work in organisations; resident involvement the community.” and ASB. Busy summer for Branching Out Branching Out OUR Branching Out team have been busy over Conway residents provided some design hints the summer months creating some fantastic and our Branching Out team also received some gardens that are being enjoyed by all the help from volunteers and exchange students. community. This project was made possible thanks to Back in June, their hard work was showcased A1 Housing board member Roy Hewett and with the offi cial opening of the Queen’s Jubilee Nottinghamshire County Councillor Mike Quigley Garden in Misterton (below), which has proved to who gained funding from the County Council’s be a popular addition in the heart of the village.