Family moves into new home for ChristmasA family is settling into a new home recently bought by Ross Walk Housing Co-operative to increase its stock.Iswar Bulla and Minaxiben Tandel have moved in with their daughter Dixita to the two-bedroom house in Marjorie Street.

The co-op has carried out various work on the property, including damp-proofing, as well as fitting a new kitchen, bathroom and combi boiler.

RWHC Chairman Kishor Jadavji said: “We are delighted to have acquired this new property, which is in the heart of the Belgrave area and easily accessible to all amenities.”

Ross WalkROSS WALK HOUSING CO-OPERATIVE MEMBERS’ NEWSLETTER WINTER 2015

NEWS

Christmas openingThe Belgrave Area Office, at 131 Loughborough Road, will be open at these times over the festive season:

Thursday 24th December, 9am-1pm

Tuesday 29th December, 9am-5pm

Wednesday 30th December, 9am-5pm

Thursday 31st December, 9am-1pm

Normal office hours will resume on Monday 4th January 2016.

To report repairs at any time, call 0116 257 6800 and press Option 1.

For gas issues, call Wheldons on 01908 215797.

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Crowds flock to glittering Golden Mile

Local families gathered alongside visitors from all over the world to enjoy Leicester’s extra special Diwali celebrations this autumn.

Over 35,000 people flocked to the lights switch-on which saw the area illuminated with more than half a

mile of colourful decorations glittering with 6,500 lights.

The fortnight-long ‘festival of light’ featured a spectacular fireworks display, an open-air bazaar and a host of cultural entertainment including music, dancing and dhol drumming.

This year, for the first time, visitors could view the spectacle – and appreciate the scale of the festival – from a 110ft Ferris wheel in Belgrave Road.

There was also a ‘Fire Garden’ of flaming sculptures and fire jugglers on Cossington Street Recreation Ground.

Leicester’s annual Diwali celebrations are said to be the biggest and best outside India, attracting people of all faiths from across Britain, Europe, the USA and Canada.

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Get ready for Universal CreditA new benefit, Universal Credit, is being introduced in the Leicester area from the New Year.It will initially be for new, single claimants but then rolled out to all people seeking work or on low wages.

Universal Credit replaces Jobseekers’ Allowance, Income Support, Housing Benefit, Working Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit and Employment and Support Allowance.

What you need to do ● Let us know as soon as the

Department for Work and Pensions tells you when you need to apply for this new benefit.

● Apply straightaway to avoid extra delays, as it will not be backdated.

● Make sure you have access to a computer, as applications for Universal Credit have to be made online.

● Open a bank account, if you don’t already have one, as it will be paid in a single monthly payment directly to you.

● Arrange to pay your rent to us out of the benefit you receive – the easiest way is by Direct Debit.

● Universal Credit is paid four weeks in arrears but your rent needs to be paid a month in

advance. So prepare by getting your rent account in credit – regularly over-paying by a few extra pounds now will mean you won’t get behind with your rent when the change happens.

● Develop your budgeting skills, as the way this new benefit is paid means you will have to manage your money well.

● Be aware that your Universal Credit payments will be stopped if you are on holiday or abroad for more than a month, so you will have to re-apply on your return.

We will visit people affected by the change over the coming months but, if you want to find out more or are worried about how you will cope, please contact our Tenancy Sustainment Team on 0116 257 6716.

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Right to Buy

The government is proposing extending the ‘right to buy’ to housing association tenants.

This means they will have the

opportunity to buy their home at

discounted rates, in line with the

existing scheme for council tenants.

However ‘right to buy’ may not be

available to our tenant members, as

Ross Walk Housing Co-operative is a

fully mutual cooperative and being a

member of a co-op is already viewed

as a form of home ownership.

The government is still finalising its

plans, so look out for the latest news

on this subject in the spring edition

of Ross Walk News.

Our waiting list is now closed for all properties, due to the high demand for our homes.

Waiting list

Rent cut on the wayYour rent will be cut by 1% per year over the next four years from next April.This reduction, which will apply to all social housing tenants, is being introduced by the government with the aim of cutting the country’s housing benefit bill.

Although this may sound like good news which will save you a little money in the short term, it will significantly reduce our income.

So, along with other housing associations all over the country, we will need to look at how we might be able to save money elsewhere by reviewing our services and prioritising our spending.

We will bring further updates on our spending plans and any impact on our services in future editions of Ross Walk News.

5

Farewell to longstanding chairman

It is with great sadness that we have to report the death of Ross Walk co-op’s

Chairman for many years, Mr Gohil.Mr Gohil, aged 85, was a tenant member since 1983 and served for many years on our management committee.

He moved to his home in Hunter Road after coming to Britain from Tanga, in Tanzania, where he ran his

own transport business.

RWHC Chairman Kishor Jadavji said: “Mr Gohil has played a big part in the improvement of housing standards and has made many positive contributions.

“I knew him for almost 20 years. He was a very kind and helpful individual, and I have learned a great deal from him.

“On behalf of Ross Walk Housing Cooperative, I would like to express my gratitude. I am very thankful to him that he gave his time to the co-op for so many years.”

Ross Walk Committee meeting dates for 2016

1FEB

Strategy and Housing Services

Strategy and Housing Services

Development and Finance

Development and Finance

Cut

out

and

kee

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Meetings take place at 7pm at the Belgrave Area Office, 131 Loughborough Road, with 15 minutes set aside beforehand for tenant members to ask questions.

If you are interested in attending, please let us know in advance by contacting Nicola Parlby on 0116 204 4135.

✃

9MAY

14MARCH

6JUNE

News and viewsTenant members made the most of activities and advice on offer at our Tenants Conference this autumn.The vast majority of people who attended rated it ‘excellent’ or ‘good’ for its impressive range of workshops, stalls and information.

Visitors had the chance to find out more about welfare reform benefit changes, get money advice, pick up fire safety tips and even have a go at a yoga class!

There were also informative sessions about being a co-op tenant member and our repairs service.

Comments from those attending included: “Staff were really helpful. Catering and all services were excellent.”

Making a splash!Families had fun learning about marine creatures on our summer trip to the Sealife Centre in Birmingham.Next year’s trip will be on 23rd July, but the venue is yet to be confirmed.

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Residents of all ages enjoyed an evening of entertainment after our annual general meeting this summer.Following discussion of official business and appointing our new committee officers, families settled down to mingle and chat at the Peepul Centre.

There was a feast of varied dishes to tempt the taste-buds, as well as fun entertainment, music and dance.

Our annual tenant members’ survey, carried out at the event, revealed:

● 93.1% of tenants are very or fairly satisfied with asra’s services

● 86.2% are very or fairly satisfied that your rent gives value for money

● 79.3% are very or fairly satisfied with the repairs and maintenance service.

What a night!

Our committee

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How are we doing?Here are our performance figures for April to September 2015.

95%

93%

100% 83.3%

50%

93.5%

101% 101%

2.2%2.5%

We are pleased to have met or exceeded our targets for arrears and rent collection.

Our managing agents are reviewing repairs performance with contractors to improve on targets that have not been achieved.

Planning aheadThank you to all our tenant members for allowing us into your homes to check the condition of all Ross Walk co-op’s properties.

We are now looking at the results of

this survey to plan and budget for the

work needed on our homes over the

next five years.

New look for WheldonsOur gas contractor, Wheldons, has unveiled a new logo.

So its staff will have this image on their uniforms and ID cards when they visit you to carry out any repairs, maintenance or servicing.

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Value for moneyWe are committed to delivering a quality service that represents value for money for our tenant members.Over the last year, our achievements included:

● Getting a better deal on our property insurance policy, saving RWHC £1,395 per year

● Re-negotiating our auditing costs to save £237 per year

● Using local suppliers and contractors, where possible,

keeping co-op funds within our community

● Continuing to operate from the Belgrave Area Office to provide a local, convenient and personal service to tenant members.

Want to downsize?There are lots of families looking for a bigger home, so we are more than happy to help if you are thinking of downsizing.By moving to a smaller property, you avoid any housing benefit cuts under new under-occupancy rules – and you benefit from our £500 incentive scheme.

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Need a friend?If you live alone but can’t get out and about, Age UK’s Telephone Befriending Service could be the lifeline you need.

This free service offers a daily or weekly phone call from a friendly volunteer who will have a chat with you and ensure all is well.

To find out more, call 0116 299 2233.

Keep up-to-dateAs a tenant member of Ross Walk Housing Co-operative, you can use your smartphone or computer tablet to use our services at any time of the day or night.By registering for the asra app, you are able to check your rent account, make payments, report and check on repairs, log anti-social behaviour and see if your home is due for routine maintenance soon.

Just search for ‘asra Housing app’ on your mobile device.

Helping your communityPlease be a good neighbour and member of the community by not only looking after your own home but also helping us keep our neighbourhoods safe.

So remember to report any

health and safety issues you

spot, such as trip hazards caused

by broken, loose or damaged

paving slabs.

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Respect your tenancyRemember that, as a tenant member, you must get permission from Ross Walk housing co-op before making any improvements to your home.

Looking to the futureManagement committee members recently gathered for a business planning event to look at Ross Walk housing co-op’s current position and future plans.As part of the event, they listened to presentations about welfare reform, the stock condition survey and new financial reporting standards.

They then discussed the implications of the various subjects and how the co-op would deal with them.

Event facilitator Blasé Lambert, Chief Officer at the Confederation of Co-operative Housing, said: “The session was run to help the

committee think about the future, while considering the current position they are in and the changes being brought in by the government.

“Attendance was high and the event produced a great deal of really positive ideas.”

Feedback was good, with committee members’ comments including: “The trainer, the content and the session overall were excellent.”

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It’s good to talk!If you want to talk about any housing-related issues, why not pop in at our weekly advice surgery?

Your Housing Officer is on hand to answer your questions at the Belgrave Area Office, 131 Loughborough Road, on Wednesdays from 9.30am- 12.30pm.

If you would like an interpreter to read this newsletter to you, please call into the office at 131 Loughborough Road or telephone 0116 257 6800.

0116 257 6800

0116 257 6800

0116 257 6800

Enjoy the festivitiesWe hope our tenant members had a good Eid and Diwali. We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

ROSS WALK CO-OPERATIVE HOUSING ASSOCIATION131 Loughborough Road, Leicester LE4 5LQTel: 0116 257 6800Email: info@rosswalkcoop.org.ukwww. rosswalkcoop.org.uk