Carers get into top gear for winter

Bad weather won’t stop care staff at Grŵp Gwalia this winter, thanks to specialist off-road and winter driving training. Home Care Assistants who care for people in their own homes across Carmarthenshire were trained and assessed during a session at Mynydd Mawr Woodland Park last month. The training will ensure that staff can safely operate 4x4 vehicles that Gwalia has on standby should the weather take a turn for the worse. ‘We ran the same training last year when the heavy snow made travelling difficult, especially in rural areas such as parts of Carmarthenshire’, said Colin Greer, Gwalia’s Head of Home Care. ‘It taught staff how to get the best performance out of the 4x4 vehicles and thus ensure their health and safety while travelling to clients. As a result we were able to minimise disruption during the extreme winter weather. Home Care has proved really popular and we are caring for lots more people this year. It therefore makes sense to have more staff trained and more vehicles on standby. Our Home Care clients count on us for much needed support so we’re determined not to let them down.’

Around the Houses

January 2012

‘Around the Houses’ is published monthly to showcase the excellent work members are doing in a wide variety of different areas. If you

have any stories you’d like to include in the next edition, please send them to bethan-samuel@chcymru.org.uk. All stories

received will also be put up on CHC’s website.

Making movies on the pier

A group of Noddfa homeless hostel service users, part of North Wales Housing, have created a short film on Colwyn Bay pier. They filmed, edited and produced the 20 minute piece themselves. Developed with TAPE, a community arts and media organisation, three residents took part in the initiative. Each resident tried different roles as part of the film making process including sound engineering, interviewing, editing and producing. Along with TAPE team members, the residents visited Colwyn Bay pier to interview members of the public to find out their opinions on the council purchase of the pier and funding for restoration. The project will allow the group to begin learning the necessary skills for them to work independently on other projects in the future. Geoff Baldwin of Noddfa said: ‘This project has been a fantastic success. The residents have been so energised and enthused by their work with TAPE and the social skills that have been enhanced through this have been invaluable.’ The film will be used by the working parties involved in purchasing and restoring the pier as well as the Pier Committee when they hold open days to inform the public. Geoff added: ‘To see the film used as a credible information tool by the council has given our tenants a real sense of pride and self belief.’

Around the HousesJanuary 2012Pentre Mawr residents extend food

cooperative

Three residents from Pentre Mawr, Clwyd Alyn Housing Association’s Sheltered Housing Scheme in Abergele, have completed a Food Hygiene course at Llandrillo College so that they can extend their Food Cooperative in the New Year. The residents already organise a weekly fruit and veg Co op and now they’ve teamed up with the Crest Cooperative based in Llandudno Junction. Crest is a Social Enterprise which redistributes surplus food donated by suppliers to community groups. The project has created work placements for the unemployed, adults with learning disabilities and volunteers. For £15 per week from the Residents’ Fund, Pentre Mawr will receive a pallet of food which will then be distributed between the residents.

Top 3 money worries in RCT identified

The money worries most likely to worry tenants in Rhondda Cynon Taf have been identified by a team from RCT Homes who help tenants with finances. After speaking with more than 125 tenants, Sue Hoskins and Tracy Tuckwood, RCT Homes’ Money Savers, spotted a trend in the main three money issues amongst tenants:

1. How to pay arrears with utility companies.2. How to find the money to replace broken white goods such as washing machines etc.3. Confusion over entitlement to benefits.

Money Savers is a service provided by RCT Homes’ charity Meadow Prospect. It offers free, confidential face-to-face advice to tenants on anything money related. The Money Savers can maximise a person’s income by giving the right advice on eligibility for welfare benefits, as well as identifying support from other agencies. Tenants can receive help with making a weekly budget, paying off debts and negotiating with utility companies.

Bro Teifi Sheltered Scheme celebrates its lottery funding

Tenants from Tai Ceredigion’s Bro Teifi Sheltered Scheme in Cardigan recently celebrated their success in securing funding from the Big Lottery Fund by officially unveiling their new technology. At the launch, tenants and local representatives were introduced to the new gadgets. Tenants were overjoyed that they now have a top of the range computer with a magnifier, a printer and DVD player as well as a PA system to go with the 50” television and Nintendo Wii which Tai Ceredigion donated. Marilyn Farmer, Chair of Bro Teifi Sheltered Tenants Association (BROSTA), said, ‘This new technology is going to make a big difference to the lives of the tenants and brings the scheme into the twenty-first century. We can now socialise, keep fit by playing games, go online, send emails and get in touch with family and friends from all over the world. We’d like to thank the Big Lottery Fund for their grant to enable us to buy this technology as well as Tai Ceredigion for their ongoing support.’ Steve Jones, Chief Executive of Tai Ceredigion said, ‘This meets the promises we made in our offer document to bring every scheme online and into the digital era. It is paramount that we provide digital services for our tenants as this opens new communication channels, public services and everyday savings and conveniences, as well as giving tenants access to interactive services from Tai Ceredigion such as repair reporting.’

Melin Jump Fund helps Gwent children to sparkle and shine

Children in Gwent have been given the chance to shine a little brighter thanks to a boost from the Melin Jump Fund. The Jump Fund provided Theatre Arts:Get Involved (TARGET) with £250 to create a CD of their latest project, Sparkle and Shine!, a musical written in aid of the Sparkle Appeal. Sparkle and Shine’ teaches themes of respect, tolerance and the unbreakable bond of friendship. The initiative is run by not-for-profit theatre company TARGET, which focuses on the development of educational musicals to help teach performing arts. CDs of Sparkle and Shine! will be made available to schools across South East Wales. The Sparkle Appeal, an appeal on behalf of the South Gwent Children’s Foundation, is a local charity raising money to equip a facility in Rogerstone to help with the care of children with complex disabilities. Melin Homes Chief Executive Mark Gardner said, ‘We were delighted to have been able to help with a production that will not only help make performing arts more accessible to children across Gwent but will also go a long way to helping an important local charity achieve its goal.’ Melin’s Jump Fund provides grants of up to £250 for groups and organisations that benefit the communities in which Melin Homes operates.

New start in the centre of Brecon

New Wales & West HA homes in Brecon are providing a great start to the New Year. 26 high quality affordable homes have been completed by WWHA in partnership with Powys County Council. The £2.4m development at Plough Court was built by contractors Wates Living Space and properties have been made available for affordable rent. Anne Hinchey, Chief Executive of WWHA, said: ‘This is an architecturally sensitive area and by working proactively with all the relevant authorities we made sure that our designs more than met those particular needs.’ Nineteen-year-old Emily Penpraze recently moved into an apartment at Plough Court with her son. ‘I’m really pleased to have this two bedroomed flat as I was living with my parents before but it was very overcrowded,’ she said. ‘I’ve started to make friends here and it has changed my life, giving me much more independence.’

Christmas comes early for two lucky Newport children

Two lucky children from Bettws and Ringland received an early Christmas present in the form of a complete bedroom makeover after winning a competition run by Newport City Homes (NCH). Dani, aged 12, and Megan, aged 7, won the ‘Design Your Ideal Bedroom’ competition which was launched at the NCH Resident Festival last year. NCH residents aged between 5 and 16 years were eligible to enter the competition, with one winner picked from each of the two age categories, and the prize of having their bedroom design turned into reality including newly painted walls, new carpets and furniture. A panel of judges selected Dani and Megan’s designs for their creativity, innovation and imagination. Megan’s mum, Victoria, was thrilled when she heard her daughter’s entry had been selected from the 5 to 10 years category, saying: ‘Megan’s room hasn’t been redecorated since she was a baby. She is so excited!’ Interior Design students from Glamorgan University were instrumental in turning the initial designs into reality. They worked closely with Dani and Megan using their expertise to create mood board designs which reflected the original designs. The competition was made possible thanks to sponsorship by NCH building and maintenance contractors currently working on the organisation’s investment programme.

Around the HousesJanuary 2012

Bron Afon fits solar PV panels to 771 homes

Solar PV panels fitted by Bron Afon Community Housing are helping 771 tenants in Torfaen save over £100,000 on their total annual heating bills. The panels help cut a household’s bill by around £140 a year. Bron Afon Community Housing had plans to fit 3,600 homes with the panels by 31 March 2012. However, in October, the UK government announced that from 12 December it was cutting the amount it pays for excess electricity from 43.3p per kilowatt hour to 21p. Duncan Forbes, Chief Executive, said: ‘Staff and contractors have been working flat out to fit as many as possible before the deadline. When the bombshell dropped in October and we found out about the 12 December deadline we were determined to fit as many panels as possible. We were managing to complete 19 homes a day. This meant 19 sets of scaffolding going up and down which is a tough job in an area like Torfaen… We are very disappointed that we were not able to stick to our original plan of helping 3,600 homes. That decision by the UK government has hit our tenants in their pockets, many of whom are in fuel poverty.’ The work means that around £107,940 (771 x an average of £140 a year) is being saved

NPT Homes gets to know its tenants

NPT Homes has started a tenant profiling exercise to get to know the people that live in their properties. The survey aims to establish what tenants think of their homes, find out more about the communities in which they live, their individual needs and their plans for the future. In the spring, the profiling programme will be rolled out to all tenants and is expected to take twelve months to complete. People will be able to complete the survey with a member of staff, over the phone, via freepost or online. Chief Executive Linda Whittaker said: ‘Our tenant profiling exercise is all about getting to know the people that matter most to us, our tenants. Our aims are to not only improve their homes but the communities in which they live. We would like to encourage all tenants to take part in this exercise and ensure their voices are heard’.

Live green and live rent free for a whole year

United Welsh and its partners are offering the chance for two families to take part in a unique competition and live rent free for a year*! The Larch and Lime House situated on the former steelworks site in Ebbw Vale are two unique eco-homes. They were built as prototype social housing and have been recognised for groundbreaking innovation, winning national sustainability awards. United Welsh, and partners Blaenau Gwent Council, bere:architects and Pendragon Design and Build worked collaboratively as part of the National Eisteddfod festival celebrations in 2010 to build a house to showcase the ‘Passivhaus’ concept, with the support of BRE and the Welsh Government. The homes have been kitted out with monitoring equipment and are now ready for the lucky winners to move in and live rent free for a year whilst taking part in the green monitoring project. Larch House is a 3-bed property which was the UK’s first zero carbon passivhaus, and would suit a family with two children. Its neighbour Lime House is a 2-bed property which would suit a family with one child. The competition will be open to those living in Blaenau Gwent or with connections to the area. The competition is now open for applications, and a shortlist of potential winners will be compiled and invited to interview after the closing date in mid-February. Downloadable application forms, terms & conditions and all competition information can be found online:http://www.uwha.co.uk/

*Live rent free for one year, terms and conditions apply.

Around the HousesJanuary 2012