heartof the matter Merry Christmas to you all Winter 2011 | Issue 5 INSIDE Cover Story: Young people get creative Bryn Farm fun day Time banking is launched Equalities Panel news facebook.com/taicalon @taicalon www.taicalon.org Contents Contact us If you would like to contact Tai z Cover story p3 Calon you can z Walkabouts in your area p4 phone us on z Time banking is launched p5 0300 303 1717 z Changes to housing benefit p6 If you wish to report a z Spooky day at Bryn Farm p7 repair, enquire about your z Internal Improvements p8 rent, or would like to speak to a member of staff from z How we are doing? p9 Tai Calon please telephone z Making strides forward p10 0300 303 1717 z Policies developed with tenants p11 Write to or visit us at: z Environmental monitors hit your streets p12 Solis One, z Tenants resource room news p13 Rising Sun Industrial Estate z The first annual general meeting p14 Blaina NP13 3JW Email us: [email protected] Keep me Articles: Information you may want to keep www.taicalon.org z Electrical safety over the Christmas period p15 z Asbestos advice p16 z Fire safety p18 Take a look at what’s on offer in Blaenau Gwent Sports Centres We have something for everyone 2 Cover Story Young Wales Open its Doors at Tai Calon A ground breaking media mainstream education. It has Cre8 gives a real outlet for skills project for young been developed to engage 14 – 16 year olds with a creative people was officially young people through the talent to develop skills in a way launched on the 18th of creative industries – allowing that suits them – developing November at them to experience practical a talent through commercial Tai Calon’s Offices. learning and develop skills that experience that they just could lead to a career in the couldn’t get at school.” ‘Cre8’ is providing young creative sector. Aran Knight age 16 from people not in mainstream Young Wales is working Abertillery said ‘I enjoy education with training with Blaenau Gwent County working in the studio but opportunities in the graphic Borough Council’s Education prefer to be behind the design and media sector. Team. Nigel Young, Head of camera. I am interested in In September, Young Wales, the Behaviour Support & Individual learning how to video edit and social enterprise that manages Pupil Tuition Services at hope to become a trainer at the project, set itself up at Tai Blaenau Gwent LEA said, Young Wales in the future and Calon’s Offices in Blaina. “At Blaenau Gwent we always help other young people.’ Cre8 introduces young people aim to meet the needs of to the world of media and has children on an individual basis For more been providing alternative – be this school, college or information education programmes for work experience. Young Wales’ on the Cre8 those aged 14 – 16 from programme is fulfilling a big project contact Blaenau Gwent who aren’t in role in education provision. Hayley Selway on 0300 303 1717. 3 Walkabouts in your area Do you want to make a difference in your Where to meet neighbourhood? Come and join us on a estate Tredegar Estate Walks – all walkabout. Got an idea for a bit of waste ground meet at 10.00am on Tuesdays near your home? Let us know what improvements Georgetown – Peacehaven Court you would make to your neighbourhood. car park area St Georges Court & Tredegar Tredegar Valley Jan Feb Mar Town Centre – Outside block of Georgetown 14th flats 88 – 103 Sirhowy - Lower 24th Sirhowy Lower – St James Way Cefn Golau 10th 21st 27th Car Park area to side of 51 St Ashvale 31st 13th James Way Town Centre 28th Ysguborwen – outside shop / Ysguborwen 7th 20th 1 Ysguborwen Nantybwch & Tafarnaubach 17th 6th Cefn Golau – community house Dukestown 3rd 87 Attlee Way Ebbw Vale Valley Jan Feb Mar Ashvale – Griffiths Square car park Beaufort Nantybwch & Tafarnaubach – Garnlydan 28th outside Nantybwch & Waundeg Rassau - Lower 13th Community Flat, 81 Waundeg Rassau - Upper 21st 27th Dukestown – near no. 1 Ystrad Deri Hilltop Upper 1 (Shakespeare Cres – 17th 6th Upper Tredegar Road) Ebbw Vale Estate Walks – all Hilltop Upper 2 (Darby Cres – Trenant) 20th meet at 12.00pm on Tuesdays Gwaun Helyg (Wordsworth Close – 7th Rassau Upper – Rassau Charles Court) Hilltop – Lower (Shopping Centre Community Centre 10th Flats – Islwyn Close) Newtown – Princes Court car park Briery Hill 3rd Rassau Lower – Outside Ty Bryn Newtown 31st Social Club Glyncoed 14th Gwaun Helyg – Parking area of Cwm 24th Wordsworth Close Garnlydan – Info Shop Ebbw Fach Valley Jan Feb Mar Twyncynghordy 5th Hilltop Upper 1 and 2 & Hilltop Gurnos Estate 8th Lower the Hilltop Shopping Brynfarm 2nd 22nd Centre Flats West Side, Blaina 15th Beaufort Estate entrance to Bryn Winchestown 26th Coch Coed Cae 9th 29th Cwm – meet near the school on Ffoesmaen 19th Canning Street (Llandafel Court Beaumont Close 23rd and Emlyn Road to follow) Roseheyworth 12th Glyncoed car park Glanffryd Court Brynithel 16th Briery Hill entrance to RTBs Swffrwyd 1st Rugby Club 4 Abertillery, Blaina & Brynmawr all meet at 10.00am on Thursdays Twyncynghordy meet at Twyncynghordy shop Brynithel meet at car park near No. 1 Hafodarthen Bungalows Ffosmaen meet at Ffosmaen Inn West Side Blaina meet at car park entrance to Forgeside (Parry Jones Close) Brynfarm meet at entrance to estate Coedcae meet at Community Centre Swffryd meet outside Swffryd Shopping Centre Winchestown – meet at Time banking entrance to Waunheulog Cwmcelyn – meet at car park Troed-y-Bryn Bungalows is launched Cwmtillery – meet at Valley View TIMED – Tai Calon’s time banking scheme was Brynfarm – meet at entrance to officially launched on the 15th of November estate 2011 at our offices with tenants, Board Members Coedcae – meet at Community Centre and partners giving it their support. Roseheyworth meet at car Time banking is a scheme that recognises the time park rear of 42 Arael View at volunteers give to projects. For every two hours a tenant 10 am and Upper Arael View or community member works with Tai Calon they will be Beaumont Close meet at awarded a time credit e.g. if you attend an estate walkabout car park you will receive one time credit or if you give half a day to a community project you will be awarded two credits. Gurnos Estate – meet at entrance of estate Time credits can be used in Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council’s sport centres, Coleg Gwent’s Hair and Beauty Department, EVI (formerly Ebbw Vale Institute), Supertubes at the Festival Site in Ebbw Vale and for a range of day trips organised by Tai Calon. For more information on the Great For more information on TIMED please contact Chloe Williams Neighbourhoods’ on 0300 303 1717. scheme contact the Community Investment Time Invested Makes and Involvement Team Every Difference on 0300 303 1717. 5 Changes to housing benefit The Government is From October 2013: planning to make • If you are of working age and Find out more significant changes living in a council or housing If you would like to welfare payments, association home that is larger than your household size more information including housing benefit. (e.g. a couple living in a two about the planned Many of the details have bedroom home) you will lose changes please contact not been finalised but, part of your housing benefit. Sarah Freeman, Financial Inclusion Manager on based on what ministers • The overall amount of benefit 0300 303 1717, Shelter have said they want to an out-of-work household can Cymru or your local do, this is what we would receive will be capped at the Citizens Advice Bureau. expect to happen if their average earnings of a working household (expected to be in proposals become law: the region of £500 per week). Take action Households with someone • Deductions from housing You can email or write to your benefit for non-claiming claiming Disability Living Allowance or Working Tax MP to raise your concerns adults in the household about these changes. have already been increased Credit, or with a war widow, will be exempt from the cap. Community Housing Cymru, and will continue to do so the membership body for each year to 2014. • New benefit claimants will housing associations in Wales, receive a single payment has produced a message you of Universal Credit instead can use which you can find of separate payments for here: www.chcymru.org.uk/ housing, income support, chc_dev_final//key-issues/ Jobseeker’s Allowance welfare-reform.cfm and tax credits. Existing claimants will be moved across to the new Credit between 2013 and 2017. 6 Spooky day at Bryn Farm Children and adults alike had fun at Bryn Farm’s ‘Community Clean Up Day’ held on the 25th and 26th October 2011. Tai Calon opened one of its houses as a base for fun activities which included face painting, a visit from the Fire Service and a live broadcast from Brynmawr FM. The day was organised as part of the Neighbourhoods Together scheme, a project developed through partnership working between the community, the Similar projects will be Police, Blaenau Gwent County running throughout Blaenau Borough Council and Tai Calon. Gwent in the next few months. For more information Residents and young people on ‘Neighbourhoods of Bryn Farm and the Gurnos Together’ contact Bridget Estate in Brynmawr had access, Powell on 0300 303 1717. over two days, to community skips and worked with Keep Wales Tidy litter picking and clearing overgrown areas. 7 Internal improvements The second year of internal improvements is now well under way with tenants in Brynithel, Waunheulog, Nantybwch and Waundeg, Sirhowy, Peacehaven, Cwm and Newtown receiving new kitchens, bathrooms and rewires.