Starters
Eboni Cowan
Relief Domiciliary C&S Worker
Roy Taylor
Handyperson
Leavers
Victoria Smith
Finance Assistant
Now working in Aster
Mark Thomson
Dom C&S Worker
Mental Health Awareness Week, now in its 23rd year, ran from 15-21 May and was hosted by the charity, Mental Health Foundation. The theme of Mental Health Awareness Week this year was ‘Anxiety’, a common feeling that can sometimes get out of control.
Welcome to your East Boro staff newsletter.
I’m always happy to include your birthdays, anniversaries, births and good news stories. .
If you would like to contribute to YOUR staff newsletter in any way, please contact me, Sue.Hole@aster.co.uk
As part of the campaign, the Mental Health Foundation published guidance on how to manage and improve feelings of anxiety and prevent them from developing into more serious mental health problems. Hosted by an Able Futures Vocational Rehabilitation Consultant, the session covered the topic of resilience and how to support mental health at work. Resilience is something that both employers and employees should be aware of and how Able Futures can help support people with many things that may be playing on their mind that are affecting their time at work, so they can learn new ways to feel better.
Anxiety | Able Futures Mental Health Support Service
What is anxiety? If you find you are often worrying, if you feel nervous a lot of the time and you are restless and on edge, then your feelings of anxiety may be a symptom of a mental health condition such as generalised anxiety disorder, panic disorder, phobias or obsessive compulsive disorder. You can still access help for anxiety at work from able-futures.co.uk where you can apply for mental health support.
April 2022 – March 2023
In early May Aster Group published our Trading Statement. This is something we have to do each year to show how well we’ve performed during the whole of the financial year. The announcement is shared on the London Stock Exchange to give investors reassurance about how stable our business is.
East Boro is commited to investing in our staff.
If there is a training course you would like to attend, please talk to your Line Manager.
As we shared on the recent all colleague collaborative call, despite a difficult year for the sector, we remain financially stable and have been able to make great progress.
Some of the successes shared include how we’re finding even more ways to engage our customers, the welcoming of Enham Trust into the Group, and the progress we’ve made in completing our full stock condition survey – making us one of the first housing associations to carry out this kind of exercise.
If you’d like to find out more, please download the statement here.
Muscles, bones and joints
Musculoskeletal disorders (or MSDs) are our second biggest cause of absence at Aster, but we have support in place through our Aster Offer to help you get issues dealt with before they escalate into something more long term or serious.
The Bupa health hub has a wealth of information on muscles, bones and joints and you can access information on their website Muscles and bones | Health information | Bupa UK.
Fast Physio Advice through Bupa
You can speak to an experienced physiotherapist for any muscle, bone or joint problem by calling 0345 604 0612.
Lines are open Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm, Saturday 9am to 5pm and Sunday 11am to 5pm.
Your Bupa cash back plan means that you can see a physio in person if you’d prefer. Claim up to £150 cash back (Level 1) for physiotherapy, osteopathy, chiropractic or acupuncture treatments.
Bupa claims By now, you should have received your welcome pack from Bupa in the post with your membership guide, table of cover, upgrade premiums table, and your welcome letter. Remember your welcome letter has your membership number which you need to make your claims. Here’s a reminder on the three easy steps to making a claim:
1. Get your treatment, pay for it yourself and keep your receipts
2. Complete your claim form online at cashplanclaims.bhwcloud.com . To request a paper claim form call 0345 606 6003
3. Bupa will pay the money directly back into your nominated bank account.
If your body needs a good stretch after a day working, don’t forget that Perkbox has a choice of beginner, intermediate and advanced yoga and pilates classes to help stretch and strengthen your body.
Login in to your Perbox and choose Wellness .
Quick and easy... Tortilla Pizza
I recently had a fridge of left overs and was wondering what to do with them when I found myself randomly scrolling through TikTok when this great idea popped up.
Basic Ingredients: Tortilla wraps, grated cheese, passata sauce and herbs to taste . Then get creative! Add literally anything you have sitting in your fridge or pantry that’s suitable and/ or desirable. I add eggs but literally anything works! Here’s my favourite...
Use two tortilla wraps placed into a flan dish but one would suffice. (Top tip: line the flan dish with greaseproof paper as its easier to remove the pizza)
I like to add passata and cheese between each tortilla. Then I get creative with spinach, peppers, capers, anchovies, tuna, olives etc. I then break four eggs evenly around the pizza and top off with more grated cheese and basil.
Place in the oven and cook for 10-20 minutes, checking regularly to make sure eggs are not too hard. After a few attempts you will get adept at telling when its perfectly cooked for you. Remove from the oven and use the greaseproof paper to lift the pizza from the flan dish and slide it onto a plate or chopping board.
Sue Hole, Graphic Design/Marketing
Special Shout out to Conor Connolly, one of our Caretaker Cleaners.
Since we have had staff sickness and vacant posts, Conor has gone out of his way to be flexible and help out. Recently, staff from two schemes have emailed me to congratulate him on doing such a good job.
Well done and thank you Conor!
Pam Palmer Communal Services ManagerNational Picnic Week , is from June 17 – 25 , so grab your blankets and baskets and get out into the great outdoors for a picnic.
Blue Pool, nr Wareham
There are benches all around the pool, sited at the best view points, so pick your favourite and whilst you sit and look out over the water, as it mystically changes from blue, to green, then back again.
Sandsfoot Castle, Weymouth
The Rodwell Trail is an old railway line that is now a popular walking and cycle route taking you past old station platforms with lovely views out across Portland Harbour.
Fontmell Down, nr Shaftesbury
This is an internationally recognised area of ancient chalk downland. The reserve is home to nine orchid species, 35 recorded species of butterfly, and several other notable rare species.
Dancing Ledge, nr Swanage
It’s a pretty steep scramble down to the Ledge but you could sit here for hours on end watching the tide fill up the natural swimming pool and trying to spot dolphins out to sea and the colony of puffins that live there.
Coney’s Castle, nr Bridport
A lovely circular walk around the iron age fortress and through the woodland, admiring the extensive countryside views out over the Marshwood Vale.
Ringstead Beach, nr Weymouth
There are two car parks, one is privately run (on beach level and right by the shop) and the other is a free National Trust car park at the top of the hill. Ringstead is a shingle beach which makes it favourable for a picnic and is popular with the locals as it’s relatively quiet and unspoilt.
