Our Quarterly Newsletter Summer 2012 HOUSING ASSOCIATION CYMDEITHAS TAI RHONDDA the A Charitable Housing Association Way RhonAdda Housing hAssociation •eCymdeithaas Tai Rhonddd a Inside this issue Summer Fayre coming soon! Office closures • The office will be closed from 4.30pm on Friday 24th August and will re-open on Wednesday 29th August at 8.30am Energy Saving Emergency Contacts During office closures you may call the out - A tenant’s story of hours emergency number 01685 385231 This is for emergencies only Adventure out at sea! Rhondda Housing Association , 9 Compton Road, Tonypandy, CF40 1BE. Tel: 01443 424200. Email: [email protected] 2 Rhondda Housing Association • Cymdeithas Tai Rhondda Summer 2012 Feel Good Friday Fundraiser! The “Feel Good Friday made lunch, raffle, bingo that was help improve their physical and Fundraiser” was a organised and very much enjoyed emotional well being. partnership event which by all. aimed to encourage our Christine Hall, RCT Homes’ tenants to make new social The aim of the day was to raise Scheme Manager at Bryn Ivor, networks with other money for charity whilst people said: “The Feel Good Friday community members in a could have the opportunity to Fundraiser event has proved to be friendly and informal receive alternative therapies and a real success and the generosity atmosphere whilst being of people who came along to treated to all sorts of support this one was pampering. fantastic. We raised a lot of money and The event held on Friday 23rd everybody dug deep March included our tenants to support such a good alongside RCT Homes residents cause.” and was held in the lovely Bryn Ifor Complex in Llwynpia. Staff, volunteers and senior community members from both organisations got involved in fun activities and organised this special day which raised a whopping £120 which was donated to Sport Relief. The day saw everyone getting on board with the fun activities and everyone donated generously. They enjoyed beauty treatments, manicures, pedicures and relaxation treatments all delivered by trained professionals. There was also a hairdresser on hand to wash, blow dry, trim and style! And not forgetting the beautiful home Rhondda Housing Association, 9 Compton Road, Tonypandy, CF40 1BE. Tel: 01443 424200. Email: [email protected] Rhondda Housing Association • Cymdeithas Tai Rhondda 3 Summer 2012 Llys Catwg, Talbot Green Here at Llys Catwg we have once The Cosmeston Lakes and Barry In Barry town we hit the shops again been enjoying days out trip would have been a better day again! For anyone liking charity with friends and family. We have out if the weather had been shops then this was the place to had a lovely day out to kinder. Unfortunately quite a few go. Some of the children and their Gloucester. The weather was people did not turn up on the day parents went to Barry Island but absolutely beautiful, so nice in because of the poor weather again the poor weather spoiled fact that quite a lot of us had conditions. the day at the beach. lunch sitting in the park. Shopping in Gloucester was Hopefully the weather is going to awesome! Lots of little shops improve for the day out to tucked away in side streets that Swansea and the Gower in June were so exciting when we came and Weston Super Mare in July. across them. As you can see by the photographs some of our I couldn’t pass up this opportunity ladies had lots of bargains! to show you how artistic one of our tenants is. See the photograph of Miriam modelling the Easter bonnet she made. What a talented lady she is! Well done Miriam. Cosmeston is a country park with long walks, picnic areas and lots of wildlife and water fowl. The children and grown ups alike enjoyed feeding the beautiful swans and watching the antics of squirrels scampering on to the picnic tables looking for things to Gloucester cathedral is one of the eat. most beautiful places to visit. So after a hard day shopping then it was lovely to sit and appreciate With the Summer Fayre the colours from the stained glass coming around soon windows being reflected on to the then we hope to be floor and walls. Or stroll quietly meeting up with lots of through the cathedral admiring friends and familiar the workmanship from days gone faces. We hope to see by. you there, and as always, support us at our stall. Rhondda Housing Association, 9 Compton Road, Tonypandy, CF40 1BE. Tel: 01443 424200. Email: [email protected] 4 Rhondda Housing Association • Cymdeithas Tai Rhondda Summer 2012 RHA“Give & Gain” Event 2012 “Give & Gain” is Business In As the photographs show the The Communities (BITC) event was a big success, we national day for employee enjoyed the team working, being volunteering. out in the fresh air and really appreciated the refreshments On Friday 18th May for this made by community members for annual event RHA staff spent the us. day giving a makeover to an area in the heart of the community of We would like to thank Laurence Llanharry. Harvey, our Account Manager at ICI Paints AkzoNobel who donated Working in partnership with RCT paint, gardening tools and gloves Homes and their contractors, and hope we can arrange similar twenty four staff spent a fun and events in other areas in the rewarding day painting, weeding, coming year. planting and litter picking to improve the community shop and If you have any suggestions for the park areas for local people to area where you live that you enjoy. would like us to look at in future events then please contact us on 01443 424 212. Rhondda Housing Association, 9 Compton Road, Tonypandy, CF40 1BE. Tel: 01443 424200. Email: [email protected] Rhondda Housing Association • Cymdeithas Tai Rhondda 5 Summer 2012 RHA“Give & Gain” Affordable Event 2012 computer systems The UK and regional The aim of the scheme is to your friends and family governments and Microsoft enable people who have either "live" anywhere in the world and launched the Get Online @ never used a computer or would for free!! And there is so much Home scheme so more like to have had one but couldn't more too. people across the country afford one to join the digital age could get access to without breaking the bank. If you claim certain benefits you computers and on get on line. can save even more on the You now have the opportunity There are so many benefits to purchase price - you could be to purchase either a complete having access to a computer and paying from £99 for a complete Computer System or a Laptop using the internet such as learning, system! at an affordable price. banking, shopping, job searching as well as things like Skype which To find out more please enables you to see and talk to contact Ecosystems IT direct on 0808 225 1234 or if you have access to a friends computer or can use one at a local library or community centre then look at the website www.ecosystems- group.co.uk/ webstore If you have any questions Ecosystems will be more than happy to help. If you purchase a computer then the agreement will be between you and Ecosystems and not linked in anyway with Rhondda Housing Association. Computers and IT equipment will vary by model and type. Rhondda Housing Association, 9 Compton Road, Tonypandy, CF40 1BE. Tel: 01443 424200. Email: [email protected] 6 Rhondda Housing Association • Cymdeithas Tai Rhondda Summer 2012 Celebrating Funding Success! Rhondda Housing is economic and health issues, with Over the next 2 months Find Your celebrating its success at the intention of increasing Future staff will be visiting your securing another Big Lottery opportunities, developing skills area with more information on Grant; we have been and providing information and what we can offer and how you awarded just over £244,000 advice to our tenants. can become involved in this to fund a 3 year project project. called Find Your Future. Community Regeneration Manager Beverley Wheeler said, If you are interested in this project The money will be used to employ ”This is exciting news; with this or want to know more contact two members of staff, purchase funding we are able to continue Simone on 01443 424218. equipment and fund project our work in the community, activities. Staff will be working supporting tenants to build their closely with those not already confidence, develop skills and involved in community activities improve their health and or groups. The project will offer wellbeing”. support with addressing social, Rhondda Housing Association, 9 Compton Road, Tonypandy, CF40 1BE. Tel: 01443 424200. Email: [email protected] Rhondda Housing Association • Cymdeithas Tai Rhondda 7 Summer 2012 Energy Saving A Tenan t’ s Story Barbara Davies, Treorchy, fact I see these received energy saving tips situations from Leighton Hughes our regularly. As Affordable Warmth Advisor part of my role, and this is her story: I provide a one to one service Barbara said: at peoples' homes where I "I was telling a friend that I was explain how concerned about my electricity best to save bills increasing. She suggested I energy. For contacted Leighton at RHA to see if Barbara I fitted he could help. He came to my an Owl Energy home, discussed my concerns with monitor which me and fitted an energy monitor. My kitchen lights alone were shows exactly how much energy This was the best thing I could have costing me about £85 per year to you are using on an hourly, daily, done! Leighton explained how I run! To change them to low energy weekly basis.