Issue 58 Autumn/Winter 2019 The newsletter for Sadeh Lok customers Celebrating 30 years serving you building strong communities plus! fantastic prizes to also be won in this our three celebrating offering issue... step plan to our top new homes managing gardeners in Sheffield page 4 page 5 your money page 6-7 WelcomeMessage from Geraldine Howley A warm welcome to your latest @home. These are certainly by one of our training partners, Askham Bryan College, near York with interesting times with a an Employer of the Year award for our new Prime Minister moving support for apprenticeships. into Downing Street and the On another positive note, we are building on our work to support clock ticking towards Brexit! more families who are finding it Whilst the pathway ahead may difficult to make ends meet through be unclear you can be assured initiatives such as ‘Surviving Summer’ that we are moving forward with roadshows and ‘stop loan shark’ great confidence. campaigns. Our new homes programme sees To find out more about what’s been more and more diggers and builders happening across the group take a transforming outdated sites into smart break with your new @home. new housing developments as we target delivering over 250 affordable homes by 2020 and 1000 by 2025. Geraldine Howley It’s also great to welcome the Incommunities handover of our first new homes in Group Chief Executive Sheffield. Eventually, Sadeh Lok will manage nearly 50 homes for rent on a smart new estate in a link up with a major UK housebuilder. We are committed to helping more people into work and over the summer it was great to be recognised “We continue to invest in building new homes and modernising existing properties for the benefit of our residents.” Contacting us There are lots of ways of getting in touch with our teams. As well as phoning us, you can email or text us or go to our website www.sadehlok.co.uk Please recycle your @home newsletter Our main email enquiries address is: [email protected] Sadeh Lok Limited is a registered society under the Co-operative and Community Benefit Our main customer telephone Society Act 2014. Registered in England with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) number is: 01484 435715 2 Number: 26410R and with the Homes and Communities Agency Number: L3807 In my role it’s great to get out and about and meet customers, staff and people from partner bodies. It’s when you have these conversations that you see first hand the difference we are making. At Sadeh Lok’s 30th birthday celebration it was wonderful to join residents, staff and founding board members and hear more about the organisation’s journey as a BME housing association set up in Huddersfield. At the heart of their work is a passion to put the customer first with Jan and meet people’s needs. It’s also inspiring to hear accounts of how some of our customers take such pride in where they live. A big thank you to residents everywhere and staff who have brightened up summer The clocks may be going back but for everyone. we’ve every reason to look forward If you have a great story to share or want to give your feedback on our work, please get in touch. to exciting times ahead. See ‘contacting us’ on page 2. Over the last few months our boards have been busy setting a new course for the group with the launch of our new plan – ‘Improving lives to 2040’. Jan Ormondroyd At the same time it’s been great to welcome Common Board Chair ‘fresh faces’ and new expertise onto our boards. Are you interested in helping make the news? We are currently looking for Sadeh Lok residents to join our customer editorial panel. As part of our panel you will be able to give your communications to customers are easy to views on the design, content and style of a range of understand and clear before they go out. communications that we produce for our customers. The panel meets up to three times a year at The This includes @home, our annual report and Quays in Shipley and members are sometimes mailings to customers. asked for feedback on email. We would love to hear from anyone interested in Travel expenses are paid to attend. joining our panel and especially young people and those from ethnic minority groups. Being a panel member is a great way of getting involved and helping make sure our If you would like to express an interest in joining our customer editorial panel, contact the marketing team 01274 254253, please email [email protected] IMPROVING LIVES INCOMMUNITIES 3 The Sadeh Lok Garden Competition The pick of our green fingered tenants have been celebrated in our 2019 garden competition. £50 prize Jane Ashcroft and Bushra Nazir from Best Overall Garden Sadeh Lok judged our 19 Hamza Street annual garden awards in August. The judges were very impressed with all the gardens they visited and delighted by the range of fruit, vegetables and herbs they found in the edible gardens. £25 prize This year’s winners are: Best overall Garden £25 Mr Dorat, Hamza Street, prize Batley wins £50 prize Best Overall Garden 2nd prize Miss Hanson, Wood Terrace, Huddersfield wins £10 prize Most Improved Garden Wakefield Best Edible Garden Most Improved Garden 17 Hamza Street Mr Kwiatkowski, Grosvenor Street, Wakefield wins £25 prize Best Edible Garden Mr Chopdat, Hamza Street, Batley wins £25 prize Best Edible Garden 2nd prize Bushra Nazir from Sadeh Lok, said: Mrs Duric, Aquamarine Drive, Huddersfield wins £10 prize “Every year Sadeh Lok tenants show their pride in Best Container Garden where they live with many wonderful garden entries. Mr Huskic, Aquamarine Drive, This year, the competition has reached a new high! Huddersfield wins £25 prize “A big well done to all our special tenants and in recognition of everyone’s hard work all entrants who didn’t win a prize were awarded £5 vouchers each.” 4 New Sheffield homes a ‘first’ for group “Providing new We’re delighted to now offer South Council flat. Shauna homes for families said: “Our new home in the Sheffield area is Yorkshire ‘homehunters’ the chance is just perfect and a an exciting ‘first’ for to snap up a smart new rented home lot more accessible for the group.” thanks to an exciting partnership my daughter who has mobility issues. with a leading UK housebuilder. “It has a lovely fitted kitchen, spacious lounge, enclosed back garden and As part of the Graves Fold development at driveway. Sadeh Lok and Incommunities have been Norton, we will take over 46 homes in a planning brilliant in making our move go so smoothly and agreement – known as Section 106 – with Miller we’re looking forward to building a new life here.” Homes. The development of nearly 140 homes is due to be Over 14 two and three bedroom houses have completed in late 2020. so far been handed over to local families with a housing need, working in partnership with Geraldine Howley, Incommunities Group Chief Sheffield City Council. More homes will be Executive said: “Providing new homes for families released later this year. in the Sheffield area is an exciting ‘first’ for both Incommunities and Sadeh Lok. One of the first tenants to move in is Shauna Pedro and her young daughter Blaire who moved “This development is the product of our to their two bedroom house from a one-bed partnership between our development team and Miller Homes and hopefully is just the start of similar ventures to offer To find out more about future more affordable rented homes.” releases of rented homes at Norton contact us on 01484 435715. IMPROVING LIVES INCOMMUNITIES 5 Managing your money – your three step plan Many households face tighter budgets and keeping up to your bills and outgoings can be stressful. Why not take our three step plan to keeping control of your money and staying out of debt? Step 1 Set up a monthly budget plan to keep track of your spending and see what’s coming in and going out. That way you can:- • understand your priorities – work out what you need! • identify where you can make savings • avoid building up a debt and enjoy what you have • every month is different. Here’s a simple guide Help you can fill in. to claim Monthly Income Wages: (after tax) £ benefits Don’t miss out. The benefits Benefits: £ system is complex but our teams are here to help you. Total: £ Go to Incommunities ‘Better Off’ webpages Monthly Outgoings – betteroff.co.uk – for advice on claiming Rent: (including service charge) £ benefits and check your entitlements. Council Tax: £ The roll out of Universal Credit continues. By the end of 2023 this single payment system will Utility Bills: (gas, electric, water) £ be the main benefit for people aged 16 to 65. Travel: £ If you are moving onto Universal Credit let Loan repayments: £ us know as soon as possible. We can help Internet/TV/Phones: £ you set up to receive the right payments (including TV licence) and manage your budgets. Food and clothing: £ If you are struggling to pay your bills or Other: (childcare, medication etc) £ have difficulty paying your rent, don’t delay Total: £ – call our Income Team on 01274 254777 or email [email protected] (Incommunities customers) or for Sadeh Summary Lok ring 01484 435715 or email Income Total Outgoings Total [email protected] £ £ Remember, we can help you:- Per calendar • with your budgeting £ month • benefit entitlement Did • saving on energy There are lots of great budgeting apps costs you know? available too.