Neighbourhood Matters Summer 2022

Issue 15: Summer 2022

Bomb disposal unit called aftersignfound

HiScelebrates15thanniversary

MaDFundsupportsveteransand youngfootballers

0800585 360/ 01278552400

Homes in Sedgemoor, Bridgwater House, King Square, Bridgwater TA63AR

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Hello...

Welcometoour Spring newsletter whichIhopeyou findinteresting anduplifting.

ThewholeHomesin Sedgemoorteampridesitself onbeingapartofthelocal communityandIhopeyou agreethatthisnewsletter showsthis.Thisyear,Homes inSedgemoorproudly celebratesits15thbirthday andIwantedtostartwithabig thankyoutoallourcustomers foryoursupportoverthe last15years.Ialsowantto thankourdedicatedteam ofcolleagues,bothpastand present,whohelpmakeHomes inSedgemoorsuchasuccess. Youwillhaveheardalot aboutlocalgovernment reorganisationinSomerset. Havingrecentlytalkedto customersaboutthechangeit wasclearthattherearesome concernsaboutthefutureof yourhomes.Iwouldliketo reassureyou rstandforemost thatyourhomeandtenancy issafeandthatverylittle willchangeonApril1,2023. Whilstweareentrustedto manageyourhomeonbehalf ofSedgemoorDistrictCouncil, yourlandlordhasalways remainedSedgemoorDistrict Council.Asthiscouncilwill becomepartofthenewunitary authorityfromnextApril andceasetoexistinitsown right,yourlandlordwillsimply transferfromSedgemoor DistrictCounciltothenew Somersetunitarycouncil.Your rightsandsecurityoftenure willremainastheywereand youwillseeverylittlechange. Similarly,fromnextApril, HomesinSedgemoorwillstill manageyourhomesaswedo

nowandyouwillstillhave thesamefacesservingyou Toensurethatweminimise anydisruptiontoyouduring thechanges,weareworking veryhardwithneighbouring Somersetcouncilsandthenew authoritytomakesurethat everythinggoessmoothly.

Asanorganisationmanaging affordablehousingwearevery concernedaboutthecurrent costoflivingcrisisandits effectuponourcustomers. Wearecommittedtoproviding allpossiblehelpandsupport toyouduringthisdif culttime andhaveanexcellentteamyou canspeaktoifyouneedto.

NowCovidisdeterminingless ofhowweliveourlives,ithas beengreatinrecentmonths torejoinourneighbourhood teamsontheirwalkabouts. Beinglocalandknowingthe areasthatwemanageisso importanttodeliveringagood serviceandIhaveenjoyed seeingandmeetingsome ofyouaroundSedgemoor. Wewanttodomoreinthe communityandprovidea quickerandbetterservicein allareas.Todothis,weare nowworkingevencloser togetherinlocalteams.

Thankyoufortakingthetime toreadthisnewsletterandI hopeyouhaveagreatsummer.

Bestwishes,

PeterHatch ChiefExecutive

Woolavington, Puriton and Polden and Parrett Villages

Sydenham and the Levels

Hamp, North Petherton, South Bridgwater Villages and La Ciotat

Cheddar,Axbridge and North Sedgemoor Villages

Burnham-on-Sea, Highbridge, Brean and Berrow

Bridgwater Central and West Bridgwater Villages

Corporate News

Garden competition

Calling all green-fingered customers… It is that time of year again!Weare excitedtolaunch this year’s Garden Competition. We all know howgreat being outinthe freshair is forour mental andphysicalhealth butit’salsogoodfor our wildlife,our environment andofcourse, ourpockets.

OurGardenCompetition2022 isnowopenforentries,andthe categoriesare:

•Large garden

•Schemes in Bloom

Forindividualsorteamswho havecreatedandmaintained anareaofcommunalgrounds

•Small garden

•Patios/containers/windows/ hangingbaskets/indoor pots

•Overall gardener of theyear

Youdon’tneedtohavealarge outdoorpatchtoreapthe bene tseither. otsofgreat gardenscanbecreatedin containersandpots,whetheryou areina atorlargeplot.

Everyentrywillreceivea£10 gardeningvoucherandthere areprizesworthmorethan£100 tobewon.Therewillbetwo winnersineachcategory.They willeachreceiveaspecialprize andacerti cate.

So,whatareyouwaitingfor?

Youcanenterbyemailing community.engagement@ homesinsedgemoor.org orby calling0800585360.Entries closeonMonday,August15,2022 andjudgingwilltakeplaceon August22andAugust23,2022

We’dalsoliketosayabigthank youtoalloursponsors. Wearelookingforwardtoseeing yourentries!

Benefits of gardening…

• Mental Health –gardeningcanhelptoreducestressby focusingthemindawayfromthestressesoftheday

• Physical bene ts –lotsofdiggingandplantingcanhelpburn caloriesandstrengthenyourheart

• Supportingthe environmentand the wildlife –planting colourfulnectarrich owersisahavenfornatureand increasesbiodiversitywithinourtowns

• Pocket health –homegrownfoodcannotonlyhelp youtoeathealthierbutcanbealotcheaperthan buyingplasticwrappedfruitandveg

Christmas Window Decorating Competition winners

Don’tpanic,Captain Mainwaring

Congratulationstoourtwo ChristmasWindowDecorating Competitionwinners,whoare bothfromtheBridgwater centralarea.

astyear,customers lledtheir windowswithfestivedecorations aspartofourcompetition.

Andaftersometough deliberations,wewerepleased toawardwinners isaand Kayleighwith£50vouchers. Thankyoutoeveryonewho tookpart!

Therewastouchofdramain Highbridgewhencontractors founda“bombsign”whilst digginginagardenofanempty propertyclosetotheAsda supermarket.

HiScontractorsMDcalledthe police,of cerssetupa“safearea” andabombdisposalunitwas calledinfromSalisburytodeal withthe nd

Asthelocalrumourmillexploded inspeculation,examinationand investigationofthescene revealeditwasjustasignthat theHomeGuardusedtogive adviceinWW2onhow

Didyou know…

Youcan use The Noise App to instantly record noise nuisanceonyour phone. This is agreat way to record evidenceof anti-social behaviour in your local community.

tohandle“AWBombs”safely. Thesewereaself-igniting phosphorousgrenadewiththe ingredients–phosphorous,petrol andrubber-inaglassbottle.

Thesignwouldhaveoriginally beenthelidofacaseofthese rebombs.Thousandsweremade anddistributedtotheHome Guard,buttestsrevealedthey wouldhavebeenineffective againstarmouredvehicles.

Thebombsarefrequentlyfound duringdemolitionworkandare stilldangerous,socareis alwaystakenifevidenceof themisdiscovered

Sowing theSeed

Se ed

ArtsorganisationSEEDwas createdin2019byaconsortium ofsixlocalorganisationsledby HomesinSedgemoor.WithArts Council’sfundingof£1.1m, SEED’sten-yearvisionisto ensurethateveryonelivingand workinginSedgemoorhasa chancetoexperienceand becomeinvolvedinmore creativeartsandculture.

Astheprogrammegrows,we wanttoencourageandenable moreanddifferentpeopleto takealeadincommissioning creativeactivitiesforthefuture. Throughcommunityconsultation, SEEDcommissionedandplanned projectsandeventsthroughout Sedgemoorwithandforlocal communities.In2022SEEDhas beensuccessfulinsecuring additionalfundingforafurther 18monthsworktoMarch2025.

CheddarValley

Window Wanderland

OneoftheHiSsupportedSEED projectssawCheddarand surroundingtownsandvillages

EggHunting in Woolavington

OurCommunityChampionsin WoolavingtonheldanEaster CraftandEggHuntforFamilies onSaturday,April16.

litupwithcolourfultissuepaper windowdisplays.FromDecember 3-12,housesthroughoutthe valleycreatedfestivedisplays usingtheirfreekitfromTheArts QuarterinCheddar.Therewasa fantasticarrayofwindowswitha wintrytheme

Clashmob

Aclashmobwasheldin Bridgwatertocelebratethe lifeofJoeStrummer,atrue musicalhero,activistand Somersetlegend.

TheSEEDcommunityeventsaw aperformancebylocalband JohnDRevelatorandbrought peopleofallagesand backgroundstogether.

BurnhamBookFestival SEEDsupportedthe rst BurnhamBookFestivalwhich washeldinAprilatThePrincess TheatreandBurnham ibrary Withapackedprogrammeof talks,readingsandworkshops, theeventgaveresidentsof BurnhamandHighbridgea chancetomeetlocalwriters, developtheirskillsandtohear fromestablishedauthorsfrom furthera eld

Newhomes are forthe birds

Familiesofnestingbirdswillnow beableto ndnewhomesintheir oldhauntsinSydenhamthanksto theadviceoftheRSPB.

Improvementworkswerecarried outatMountbattenHouseand RaleighHouseinNovember, includingnewroofs,loftspace insulationandnewfascia.

Duringtheworkitwasdiscovered thattherewerebirdnestingsites onthebuildings.Thesewere emptywhentheworkwascarried outoverthewinterandwould havevanished,leavingdomestic andmigratingbirdswithnowhere tolive.

TheRSPBadvised ttingnesting boxestothegablewallsreducing thenoiseofnestingbirdstoa minimum.Theboxesarelikelyto beusedbyhousesparrowsand starlings,thoughtherearehopes thatmigratingswiftsmighttake upresidencetheretoo.

Theeventwasenjoyedby18children, whodecoratedplantpotsandplanted seedswithCommunityChampion Peter.KateourCommunity Championpreparedacolouring competitionandapicniclunchforall.

LocalPantry

The ocalPantrywas rst developedinEastBridgwaterby HomesinSedgemoorcustomers ewisandPaulineHayeswith theaimtostopfoodgoingto waste,whileprovidinglow-cost shoppingformembersforonly £3.50aweek.TheSydenham pantryhasnowbeenjoined byoneinHampandonein Highbridge.Membersoftheir Pantryreceiveaboxthatmight containseveralitemsofmeator vegetarianfood,dairyproducts, readymeals,freshfruitorveg andjarsortinsofassortedstore cupboardfood.

ewis,Pauline,andtheother volunteersatthePantrywanted togivebacktotheircommunity andhelpthoseinneedoffood andvarioussupplies.When thepantrybegantwoyears agoitstartedwith30people registeredtoreceivefood parcels.Thishasnowincreased tomorethan100.Thescheme stopsexcessfoodgoingtowaste andsoalsoreducestheUK’s carbonfootprint.

Inthepastyear,fourtonnes ofCO2havebeensavedwhich wouldtakefourtreesawhole lifetimetoabsorboutofthe atmosphere.

Thereisamonthlycooking demonstrationusingthefood fromthebags.Theinitiative ispartneredwithFareShare Southwestprovidingfreshand cupboardfoodtofamiliesat afractionofthenormalprice. Fareshareworkswithlarge

organisationstohelpbridgethe gapbetweenfoodproducers, supermarketsandland llto ensuregood,fresh(butsurplus) foodisnotwasted.

ThePantriesworkwithlocal Foodbanksastheyreferlocal customerstoeachother. Ifyouarestrugglingandwould liketolearnmoreaboutThe ocalPantry,paythemavisit,or signupat www.sedgemoor.gov. uk/thelocalpantry.

Openinghours andwhere to find thepantry:

Sydenham Community Hub, Parkway,Bridgwater,onWednesdays, between1pm–3.30pm

SouthBridgwaterCommunityHub, 2-3GrenvilleHouse,on Wednesdays,between1.30pm–4.30pm

HBOS Pantry, MorlandHall,PearceDrive,Highbridge,onFridays atallottedtimeslots

Chutes out, binstoresin

We’vebeeninvestinginourlocalneighbourhoods,withtheconstructionof newexternalsecurebinstores.

Havingclosedrefusechutesacross veblocksof ats,includingatEastwood Close,Bridgwater,therewasaneedto ndabetteralternativetounsecured binsoutside.

AmixofmetroSTORBinHousingshavenowbeeninstalledmakingiteasier forcustomerstoseparategeneralwasteandrecyclingaswellasreducing the reriskarisingfromunsecuredbins.WearenowworkingwithSomerset WastePartnershiptocompletetheinstallationofrefuseandrecyclingbins. WearehopingthenewbinstoresareupandrunningbytheendofJune.

Didyou know…

Opening your windows forjust 15 minutes aday can help your property to breathe and reducecondensation forming inside your home.

Making aDifferenceFund

2021-2022

Ithasbeenanothersuccessful yearfortheMakinga DifferenceFundwithHomesin Sedgemoorprovidingsmall fundingopportunitiestolocal groups.TheMakinga DifferenceFundwascreatedto notonlyhelptheenvironment

butwillbringcommunities togetherandhelpimprovelife chancesandtocreate communitieswithlocalprojects suchasplayschemesand volunteeringopportunitieswith supportforfamiliesinthe community.Thisyear,Homesin

Weprovidedfundingtoanew walkingfootballgroupfor over55s.Thisgrouptackles socialisolationandinactivity inolderpeople,creatinga friendshipandfellowship network,promotingwellbeing andengagingwiththe communitythroughthepower offootball.Wealsoprovided fundingtosecureaminibus fortheuseoftheiracademy andcommunityteams.

Didyou know…

Thislocalgroupofveterans andarmedforcespersonnel meetstosharestories,feel understoodandknowthat theyarenotgoingtobe judged.Thegroupmakes eachotherfeelvalued.

Sedgemoorhasprovided fundingforsevenfantastic localgroups.

Thisgroupsupportsand coordinatescommunityevents, environmentalprojectsand localgroupswithinthe SydenhamareaofBridgwater.

Oneofthegroup’smany achievementsincludescleaning uptheCollegeWaySite,where theyhavereclaimedaformer ytippingareaforpublicuse, providedpicnictablesand disabledfriendlyaccesswhile encouragingwildlifehabitat Thegroupsupportscommunity buildingeventssuchasteddy bearspicnics,coffeemornings, communityBBQsandfree Christmaslunches.

Youcan nowopt to get adigital copy of Neighbourhood Matters. Just email customer. services@homesinsedgemoor.org to request an electronic version of your newsletter.

Bridgwater United Community Sports Trust

Bridgwater Armed Forces andVeterans BreakfastClub

Sydenham Improvement Group

BridgwaterVictoriaPark RangersFCu11

Fundingwasprovidedto gifttheplayerswitha winterjacketforwhenthe monthsgetcolderandgive themafeelingofbelonging aseveryonewouldbe dressedthesameand feelinglikeateam

Highbridge Youth TheatreGroup

HighbridgeYouthTheatreispartofSomersetYouthTheatre, reachingdisadvantagedyoungpeopleandfamiliesinthe communitywhomaybehardertoreach,offeringcreativeand culturalexperiencesthattheywouldnotnecessarilyhearabout orwouldthinktoexperience.Fundingenabledthegroup memberstobeabletoofferparticipantsahealthysnackand drinktogetthebestexperiencetheycanandinholidayclubs offeringahotmeal.

SouthBridgwaterand East BridgwaterPantry

Fundingwasprovidedto purchaseChristmashampers fortheSouthBridgwater andEastBridgwater

Pantries.Thepantries providelow-costfoodto membersfromdeprived communitiesaswellas preventingexcessfoodfrom goingtoland ll.Youcan readmoreaboutthe Pantriesonpage6.

RustyRoad2Recovery

RustyRoad2RecoveryisasocialenterpriseCICAsset ocked Company.Itwasformedin2018overacupoftea.Theiraim istohelppeoplesufferingwiththeirmentalhealth,while workingonclassiccars.SincethelaunchinDecember2018 theyhavegrown,whichhasenabledthemtoofferrecovery andmentalwellbeing,bydoingairbrushart,woodworking, coppersculpturing,metalworkandclassiccarrestoration.

TocontactRustyRoad2Recovery,andformoreinformation, visitwww.rustyroad2recovery.co.uk.

Didyou know…

InformationabouttheMakingaDifferenceFundcanbefoundatwww.homesinsedgemoor.org. Hereyouwillalso nddetailsofhowtoapplyforthefundingandtherequiredapplicationforms. Ifyouhaveanyotherquestions,customersarealsowelcometocontacttheCommunityEnablerTeam at0800585360orbyemailing community.engagement@homesinsedgemoor.org

Walkabouts

We hold Estate Walkabouts throughoutSedgemoortoidentifyareas in your communityin need of improvement.

We workclosely with other organisations,includingClean Surroundings and Sedgemoor District Council, to tackle any issues raised during theEstate Walkabouts

This year,wehaveenjoyedbeing back outand about, visiting communities andmeeting customers.

During ourlatestWalkabouts, we have addressed some damage caused by thestormsearlier this year,a number of untidy gardens anddealt withsome y-tipping throughpartnership working.We were also made awareofan issuewithablock of unused garages,sothe Neighbourhood

Of cer forthe area took immediate actionand organised forthe area to be cleanedup. Customersare welcometojoin us on our walkabouts!To nd out when your localEstate Walkaboutwillbe held,visit the events sectiononour website, at www.homesinsedgemoor.orgor follow us on socialmedia

If youare unabletomakeyour localEstateWalkaboutsand you’ve spottedsomethinginyour communityyou’d like us to look at whileweare out, contact Customer Services at customer. services@homesinsedgemoor. orgorcall0800585 360and let us know

OurupcomingEstate Walkabouts are:

• Highbridge –meeting at 10am,June14, at Morland Shops,Morland Road

• Cannington –meeting at 10am,June15, School Fields, Cannington

• NorthPetherton –meeting at 2pm, June23, BaymeadHall, NorthPetherton

• Hamp –meeting at 10am,July 12,atRecreation, Rhode ane

• BridgwaterCentral (Newtown) –meeting at 2pm, July 19,StGeorge’sHall, KendaleRoad

• Nether Stowey –meeting at 10am,July27, St Mary’s Church Hall, Nether Stowey

• BridgwaterCentral (West Street) –meeting at 2pm, August 2, Westover Green, andat2.30pmWest eld House

• Woolavington –meeting at 10am,August3,atthe Fish andChipShop, Bitham Walk

• Highbridge –meeting at 10am,September 6, at Morland Shops, Morland Road

• West Huntspill –meeting at 10am,September 14,atthe Crossways Inn, Withy Road

• Sydenham(Fairfax) –meeting at 10am,September 22,at Co-op, Parkway

• Cheddar –meeting at 10am, October5,atPenn Close

• Hamp –meeting at 10am, October11, at Recreation, Rhode ane

• Burnham-on-Sea –meeting at 10am,October 12,Rosewood Hall,Rosewood Close

• Sydenham (Dunwear) –meeting at 10am,October 20, at Co-op, Parkway

• BridgwaterCentral (WestStreet) –meeting at 2pm, November 1, Westover Greenand at 2.30pm,West eldHouse

• Woolavington –meeting at 10am,November 9, at theFish andChip Shop,BithamWalk

• Bridgwater Central(Newtown) –meeting at 2pm, November 15,outside St GeorgesHall, KendaleRoad

Providing great services for 15 years

We’re15!

HomesinSedgemoorcelebratedour birthday in April

FoundedonApril1,2007,Homes inSedgemoor(HiS)manages around4,000homesfor SedgemoorDistrictCouncil, fromShiphaminthenorthof thedistricttoNorthPetherton inthesouth.

HiSiswhatisknownasanArmsengthManagementOrganisation (A MO).HiSdoesn’townany propertybutmanagesthe propertiesownedbySedgemoor DistrictCouncil.

Aftertakingoverthemanagement ofthecouncil’shousingstock in2007,in2011£25millionin fundingwasreleasedfromthe DecentHomesProgrammeto spendonimprovingthestateof thehousingstock,aprogramme thatlastedthreeyears

In2019,HiSwasplaced31stin theSundayTimeslistofbestnotfor-pro tcompaniestoworkfor intheUK.ThesameyearHiSwas named24Housing’sTop andlord oftheYear.In2021,HiSwas awardedInvestorsinPeople Goldaccreditation.

HiSisnowworkinghardto makethehousingstockmore

environmentallyfriendly. Followingasuccessfulbidby SouthWestEnergyHub,someHiS managedpropertieswillbene t fromnewheatpumps,double glazing,solarpanelsandexternal roofandwallinsulation.

Themoneyforthiswork, £208,000,comesthroughthe Government’sSocialHousing DecarbonisationFund(SHDF) forenergyef ciencyhome improvements.

Claire,whohasworkedfor HiSsince2007,said:“As anorganisationHomesin Sedgemoorhasgonefrom strengthtostrengthsince2007 whenwewere rstcreatedbythe council.Frombeingarelatively smallteam,accessingfunding anddeliveryoftheDecent HomesProgrammewasareal turningpointforus;wedelivered

theprogrammeontimeandon budgetandmadearealdifference topeople’shomesandlives.”

TodaytheworkdonebyHiS hasbeenrecognisedassome ofthebestinits eldandthe organisationworkswithother organisationsacrossthecountry tohelpimprovecustomer experience.HiSalsohostedsenior politiciansseekingcustomer consultationtoinformand developtheirpolicies.

PeterHatch,ChiefExecutiveofHiS,said:“15yearsago,Homesin Sedgemoorwascreatedinordertodeliveramajorinvestment programmetothehomesownedbySedgemoorDistrictCouncil. Since2007theseimprovementshavebeensuccessfullydelivered alongsideourcommitmenttobothlisteningtoandservingour customersandmakingtheneighbourhoodsandcommunitiesbetter placestolive.Ihopethatcustomers,colleagues,Boardmembersand partners(bothpastandpresent)areproudofwhatHomesinSedgemoor hasachieved–noneofwhichwouldhavebeenpossiblewithouttheir supportanddedication.IwouldalsoliketothankSedgemoorDistrict Councilwhosecontinuoussupportandtrustwehavebene ttedfrom since2007.Aswelookforwardtothefuture,IverymuchbelievethatHomesinSedgemooris perfectlyplacedtocontinuetodelivergreathomesandservicestoourcustomersandhelpbuild evenstrongercommunities.ThankyouforyourongoingsupportandIlookforwardtocontinuingto workcloselywithyoutoachieveevenmore.”

We asked customers“What is thebestthingyou have experiencedwithHomesinSedgemoorinthe last 15 years?”

“I’vebeeninmyhouse for 20 yearsand Iloveit!”

“Makingnew friendsin HiSstaff,feeling welcome at everything.Asa disabledpersontheydo everything to help me feel part of theteam.”

“Community events, educationcourses with lunchfor families, re safety visits,sports activities forchildren.”

“Beingacustomerfor 23 years, Ihavenoticed some greatimprovements, especially in your home standardsand customer service. Iwould like to thank youand tell youtokeepup thegoodwork.”

“I lovebeinginvolved with the groups and being part ofthe real world.I recentlylostmydog,the friendsI havemade have been agodsend.”

“Meeting theSTAC committeemembers Claire, Sharon andthe rest of HiSteam. Athank youtoCherylfrom customer serviceswho is alovelylady, always very helpful.”

“The response Ireceive when Icontact HiSand (how) they respond, whichisgreat.”

“The Income Team was really understandingduring theperiod of Covid, due to redundancy, Iwas in a different nancialsituation. AndIenjoythe customer events they provide.”

“I have been atenantfor 13 years. Ilovethe area andmybungalow. HiS hasdone an amazingjob updating thebathroom andkitchen andrecently hadsupporttohelpme live independentlyby having additional aids in thebathroomthathas madea real difference.”

“I livedinsheltered accommodation in ablock for15years.HiS helped me to move andthey have been really good and helped when needed.”

“Customerservicesare always polite anddeal with my querypromptly.”

“Havingsomewhere to live.”

Boardwelcomes newmember

KarenWilce hasjoined the board of Homes in Sedgemoor as asecondTenantBoard Member,joining Marie Hide. Karen,whowasborninCornwall, movedtoBridgwaterin2000 whenshewasappointedasthe RegionalAccountsManagerfor amajorretailchain.Afterbeing mademedicallyredundant, shemovedintoaHomesin Sedgemoorbungalowinthewest ofthetowninOctober2017

“I’venever been so happy,” shesays.

Kareniscurrentlyan‘Involved Tenant’.Inthisroleshecurrently sitsonpanels,helpsmake

Boardupdate

decisionsontenders,sitsonthe steeringgroup,ontheSedgemoor TenantsAssuranceCommittee (STAC)andhelpsmakedecisions fortheMakingaDifferenceFund amongmanyotherinitiatives.

“Imightbeatinypieceinthe jigsaw,butItrytokeepavery openmindandlookatthe wholepictureforalltenants,” sheadded.

Recentlyshehashadameet andgreetwithhercounterparts ontheWestSomersetand TauntonDeanetenantsgroup “Aswearetheonlytwomajor providersofcouncil-owned housinginSomersetweneed toworktogether.”

Onhernewroleontheboard, shesaid:“I’llbestandingupfor thetenants.I’dliketogetmore youngpeopleinvolvedanddo morethingsforchildren.And weneedtolookatdisability livingarrangements,getting therightpeopleintotheright sortofhousingandmostof allin uencethefutureforthe bene tofalltenants.

“Itdoesn’tmatterifyou’rean involvedtenant,oracouncillor, anindependentmemberor anemployee,we’reallpartof ateam.It’sallaboutworking together,aslongaswealllisten –andthat’soneofthemost importantthingswecando.”

Hello,Iampleasedagaintoinformyou aboutrecentBoardrelatedactivities.While itcontinuestobeaverychallengingand changingtimeforeveryone,wehaveseenthe clearrelaxationofCovidregulationswhichhas enabledfargreatercontactandthepositive humanbene tsthatbringstoindividuals, families,communitiesandbusinesses.

AsaBoard,wemetinAprilforface-to-face awaydays,whichweresomuchmorenatural whilestillbeinginasafeenvironmentfor all.Atthosedays,wereceivedupdatesfrom colleaguesontopicssuchasthePilotProject totransferthenewbuilddevelopmentand enablingfunctiontoHiSfromSedgemoor DistrictCouncil.Wealsoreceivedanupdate fromBobBrown,theChiefExecutiveof SedgemoorDistrictCouncilontheprogress beingmadetowardscreatinganewunitary council,fromApril2023.Tostartthetwodays,

wevisitedGeneralHigginsHouse,asupported housingschemeandmetseveralcustomers aswellashavingatourofthescheme.Many thankstoallthecustomerswhometwithus andmadeuswelcome.

Boardmeetingshavebeenconductedasusual butagain,wearehopingtoachievemore face-to-facemeetingsinthefuture.Theend ofyearperformancehasbeenverypositive, giventhegeneraloperatingenvironmentand Boardverymuchwanttothankallcolleagues inHiSfortheirongoingcommitmentand dedication.Thesafetyofcustomers,colleagues andcommunitiesremainthe mainconcernaseveryone adaptstonewanddifferent challenges.

Pleasekeepsafe.

Paul Stephenson, Chair,HiS Board

STAC update

TheSedgemoorTenants AssuranceCommittee(STAC) istheformal‘customervoice’ forHomesinSedgemoor customersandisasubcommitteeoftheBoard.

STACistheretoensure theagreedservicedelivery standardstoallcustomers, sharedownersandleaseholders isbeingachievedandthat HomesinSedgemoormeetsthe expectationsandoutcomesofthe ConsumerRegulatoryStandards. Thecommitteehasheldthree meetingsin2022.

InJanuary,thegroupdiscussed localgovernmentreorganisation anddevelopmentofabespoke projectwithinHiSasthedistrict councilscometogetherwith SomersetCountyCouncilinto oneSomersetauthority.They lookedattheSurveyofTenants andResidents(STAR)results,the actionplanfollowingcustomer feedback,complaintspolicy reviewandlessonslearnedand theCustomersFirstStrategy Theyalsoworkedonthe ComplianceSummarywhich demonstratesHiSperformance inthesixkeycomplianceareas, whichare resafety,asbestos, legionella,electricalsafety,gas safetyandliftsafety.

InMarch,therewasareviewof theCustomerComplaintsand

TPAS Workshops

FeedbackPolicy,Governance Framework,TheFiveYear MediumTermFinancialPlan 2022-2027,HealthandSafety Policy,CorePerformance Indicatorsandthe ocal GovernmentReorganisation TenantsSteeringGroup,andhow HiSisworkingwithSomerset WestandTauntontoensure housingservicesaresafeand legalpriortoApril1,2023.The STACKeyPerformanceScorecard wasalsoscrutinised.

InMay,STACwasdeveloping aStatementofIntenton MeasuringSocialValue.This providesassurancethatthe servicesandactivitiesweprovide mattertoourcustomersand thecommunityandcanhelpto demonstratewhatisgoodvalue formoney,andwhatisn’t.Ithelps quantifythingsthatareotherwise dif culttoquantifysuchas, wellbeing,feelingofsafetyor goodhealth.

TherewasalsoaCustomer ed ScrutinyReportReview.Agroup ofcustomerscametogetherface tofacetoundertakeabootcamp stylereviewoncommunications withcustomersduringplanned worksonkitchens,bathrooms, roofs.Itwasasuccessfulevent andtherecommendationshave beenreviewed,withallbutone recommendationbeingaccepted

Customersandcolleagues fromacrosstheorganisation tookpartinaseriesof TenantsParticipationAdvisory Service(TPAS)workshops wheretheyworkedtogether to ndgoodexamplesof problemsolvingandwaysof improvingservices.

Thesewereexcellentand insightfulsessionswitha frankexchangeofviews, whichwasledbyAnne O’HalloranofTPAS.Nine customersjoinedinan onlineworkshopwhere theirviews,ideas,aspirations andexperienceswillco-create howweengageandinvolve customersindelivering ourservices.

Wehaveplentyofother opportunitieswhere customerscanhelpshapeour servicesormakeadifference inthecommunity Pleasecontactthe CommunityEnablerTeam at community.engagement@ homesinsedgemoor.org if youwouldliketoget involvedinsomeway.

Didyou know…

STAC is recruiting new members! Interestedin joiningin? Contactuson 0800585 360 or email community.engagement@ homesinsedgemoor.org formore information.

Be wary of aggressive lawfirms

Customersarebeingwarned thatheavyhandedlegal rms maypressurisethemintomaking unnecessaryclaims.

A“NoWin,NoFee”solicitor persuadedonecustomerto sueoverallegationsthatHiS hadignoredareasofdisrepair andthatthishadledtomould growingintheirproperty.

ThecourtfoundinHomesin Sedgemoor’sfavour,leaving theclaimantdistressedandout ofpocket.

Condensationmouldcanform inanyhomeandiscausedby manyfactors.Theseinclude leavingwindowsshutandnot

allowingenoughventilationto theproperty,andthisisthetype ofmouldthatwaspresentatthe claimant’sproperty.

Theclaimanthadbeen convincedbytheirsolicitorto takethemattertocourt,and they’dcitedadefectivedoor, windowseals,extractorfan andaleakinthebathroomas reasonsforthemould.

Thecourt,however,foundthat theevidencewasunreliable. ItwasfoundthatHomesin Sedgemoorhadactedina propermanner,andthatthe mouldfoundwascausedby otherfactors.

Thedangersofbonfires

Customersarebeingurgedtothink twicebeforelightingoutside resafter anincidentwherea respreadfroma gardenbon retoahouse,causing severedamage.

Bon resposeaserious rerisk,and burningwasteisnotconsidered environmentallyfriendlyasmany toxicchemicalscanbereleasedif plasticandrubberareburnt.

Thinkofyoursafetyandthesafety ofothersbeforelightingabon re.

Formoreinformationaboutbon re safetypleasevisitourwebsiteat www.homesinsedgemoor.org or visitDevonandSomersetFireand Rescue’swebsite.

Ifyouhaveaconcernabout yourhome,pleasecontact ourCustomerServicesTeam at customer.services@ homesinsedgemoor.org. Alternatively,youcancall0800 585360or01278552400, sendusaprivatemessage onFacebookorvisitour receptionatBridgwaterHouse, KingSquare,Bridgwater, Somerset,TA63AR.

Newrepairs app

OCA isanewapplication whichrunsalongsideyour responsiverepairsservice.It worksinasimilarfashionto thesystemparceldelivery companiesusetotellyouwhere yourdeliveryis.

Whenyourequestarepair, you’llgetanoti cationsentto yourmobilephonetocon rm yourappointmenthasbeen scheduled.Thismessagewill containaclickablelinktothe OCA Appwhichwillshow youadditionalappointment information,suchasthetime

anddateit’sbooked.Ifan engineercan’tmakeyour appointmentoryouwishto reschedule,anoti cationwill besenttoyourequestinganew appointmenttimeanddate. Youwillalsoreceiveasingleday reminderonedaypriortoyour appointment,or24hoursbefore. Thebestpartofthisapplication isyoucantrackyourengineer andseehowfarheisfrom reachingyourproperty.Thisapp willalsoallowyoutomessage yourengineerandinformhim

ofanyupdatessuchasmore accuratedirectionstoyour property,orifyou’rerunning veminuteslateforyour appointment.

Wewouldliketoencourage youtosendusyourfeedback aboutyourrepairbyusingthe OCA feedbackservice.You willreceiveashortsurveywhich issentviatextmessage. If youhaveany questions aboutthe LOCALZ application, please contactyoursurveyor on 0800585 360.

Didyou know…

We haveour very ownEnergy SupportAdvisor whocan share advice surrounding your energy bills and howyou canmanagethem? Contact Maria through our Customer Services Team on 0800 585 360.

GreenerHomes

Wearepleasedtohavebeen offered£208,000forourproject toimprovetheenergyef ciency ofsomeofthepropertieswe managewithinSedgemoor, loweringenergybills,andmaking homeswarmer.

Followingasuccessfulbidby SouthWestEnergyHub,anumber ofhomeswillbene tfromnew heatpumps,doubleglazing,solar panelsandexternalroofandwall insulation.Thesemeasureswill improvetheproperties’overall energyperformanceratingtoa ‘C’ratingorhigher

Katy,ComplianceandAsset Surveyor,said:“Iamdelighted thatHomesinSedgemoorwas successfulinourbidforfunding.

“Withthesefundswewillbe abletoretro t22properties -providingwarmerandmore

energyef cienthomesforour customers,aswellasreducing carbonemissionsinourjourney towardsdecarbonisation.”

Atotalof£4.8millionwill beawardedthroughthe Government’sSocialHousing DecarbonisationFund(SHDF) forenergyef ciencyhome improvementsto467affordable housingpropertiesacrossthe widerSouthWestregion.

WewillbeworkingwithSouth WestEnergyHubtodeliverthese improvementsacrossSedgemoor.

JonRattenbury,Programme DirectorfortheSouthWest EnergyHub,said:“Thecon rmed SHDFfundingisfantasticnews fortheSouthWestregion.

“Oursuccessfulbidwillensure wecancontinuetosupportthe

deliveryofgreenenergyand energyef ciencymeasuresas welookforwardtotacklingthe climateemergencyandreducing fuelpovertyinthecomingyears.”

HomesinSedgemooralong withotheraffordablehousing landlordswillcontributea combinedtotalof£3.5million ofmatchfundingalongsidethe £4.8millionfromGovernment.

Clippingssavegrass andcash

Youmighthavenoticedthat grassclippingsleftoncommunal spaceswelookafterarenot beingcollected.Whatyoumight notknowisthattherearegood environmentalreasonsforthis.

So,whatarethebene tsofnot collectingclippings?

1. Recyclingclippingsbackinto thelawnimproveslawn quality.Clippingsreturn nutrientstothesoilasthey decompose.

2. eavinggrassclippings returnsmuchneeded moistureandnutrientsto thesoilinyouryard.

3. Recyclingclippingsisa responsibleenvironmental practice.Currently,landscape wastes,includingclippings, accountforalmost20%ofall kerbsidewaste.

4. Clippingsdonotspreadlawn diseases.Diseasesporesare

presentwhetherclippingsare collectedorreturned.

5. Recyclingclippings inthiswaysaves timeandextra work.

Futureproofing flats

We arespending£1.1 million futureproofingour flats forsafetyand security. Amajorpartofthisprojectis theinstallationofnewfront doors,whicharebeinginstalled acrossanumberofblocksof

ats,andreplacingdoorson electricalequipmentcupboards. Althoughthedoorsalready meetcurrentstandards,this workisbeingcarriedoutto ensuresafetystandardsare exceededintothefuture. Aswellasimproving resafety,

Didyou know…

rsalsoincreasesecurit

thedoorsalsoincreasesecurity forcustomersaswell.

Customerswhoaredueadoor replacementwillbecontacted directlyandtheprojectis expectedtorununtilearly2023.

Ifyouhaveanyconcernsaboutdampandmouldwithinyourhome,wewillarrangeforoursurveyor toattend.JustcontactourCustomerServicesTeamon0800585360oremail customer.services@ homesinsedgemoor.org andtheywillorganiseavisit.Youcanalsovisitourwebsiteformore informationaboutreducingmoistureandcondensationinyourhome.

Somerset Council elections

FollowingtheelectionsinMay forthenewSomersetCouncil, theauthoritywillbeledbythe iberalDemocrats,whohavea veseatmajority.

Thecouncillorswhohavebeen electedwillspendthenext 12monthssettingupthenew

authoritybeforeittakesover thedutiesoftheoldcounty councilandthefourdistrict councils.Thoseelectedwillalso overseethecountycounciluntil theauthoritiesaremergedin May2023.

Theleaderofthenewauthority

YournewSomersetCouncillorsare (Con:Conservative, ab: abour, D: iberalDemocrat):

Brent -Bob Filmer (Con)TonyGrimes(Con)

BridgwaterEastand BawdripDiogoRodrigues (Con)AndyDingwall(Con)

Bridgwater Northand CentraleighRedman( ab) Hilary Bruce( ab)

Bridgwater SouthKathyPearce( ab) BrianSmedley ( ab)

Bridgwater West -

Gill Slocombe (Con) ance Duddridge(Con)

Burnham North -

Mike Murphy ( D) PeterClayton (Con)

willbetheNorthPetherton representative,Councillor BillRevans

ExistingSedgemoorcouncillors willcontinuetooverseethe Sedgemoordistrictuntil May2023.

Cannington -MikeCaswell (Con)

BrianBolt(Con)

Cheddar -Pauline Ham( D)

BenFerguson ( D)

Highbridge andBurnham SouthJohn Cook-Woodman(Con)

Alistair Hendry (Con)

HuntspillMark Healey (Con)Suria Aujila (Con)

King Alfred -Mat ( D) HarryMunt(

NorthPetherton

Bill Revans ( D)

Alan Bradford (Co

tthew Martin ( D)on)

Wewillbekeepingourcustomersuptodatewithdevelopmentsonour website, www.homesinsedgemoor.org whereaspeciallocalgovernment reorganisation( GR)sectionhasbeencreated.

Didyou know…

Ifyouhaveanyquestionsabouthow GRmightaffectourcustomers,youcanemailusdirectlyat his.lgr@homesinsedgemoor.org wherewebeabletorespondtoanyqueries.

STAR survey results

OurSTARresultsinrecentyears havebeenconsistent,butaswe strivetobetheBestManaging Agentby2023,wearealways reviewingthefeedbacksothat wecanimproveourservice deliveryandincreasecustomer satisfaction.

Wehavenowsetnewstretch targetsforthecomingyearand knowthatthekeyfactorsthatare importanttoyouareourrepairs service,beingeasytodealwith, andlisteningtoyourviews

Fromthelastyear,wehave introducedvariousinitiatives baseduponwhatwehavelearnt fromyourfeedback,including areviewofourprocesses

STAR survey results

2021-2022

fordealingwithheat hotwaterbreakdowns,and communicationpriortoplanned workswithinyourhome

Wehavenowalsoupdatedthe letterswithregardstoasbestos inspections,sothatitisclear iftheinspectionisneededfor works,orifitisamanagement re-inspection,asrequiredbythe HSEguidance

Followingarecentcomplaint fromanewtenant,wehavenow introducedaprocessforoffering additionalsupportasneeded duringtheinitialveri cation,to ensurethatallnecessaryservices canbeaccessedasneeded, beforesign-upday.

lsoupdatedour standardsformakinggood followinganyintrusivesurveys forelectricalandasbestosworks, sothatweareleavingyour homesaswefoundthem,and youaren’tleftwithadditional decoratingtocarryout.

Thankyoutoeveryonewhohas takenthetimetocompletea survey,butpleasedon’tfeelthat youmustwaittobecontacted–ifyouhaveanyqueriesorissues withyourhomeortenancythen pleasedocontactourCustomer ServicesTeamsothatwecan resolveitasquicklyaspossible foryou.

Overallsatisfactiontakingeverythingintoaccount

Satisfaction withoverall qualityofhome

Satisfaction with HiSprovidingahomethatis safe andsecure

Satisfaction with HiSeasytodealwith

Satisfaction with neighbourhoodasaplace to live

Satisfaction withrentprovidingvalue formoney

Satisfaction withservice charges providing valuefor money

Satisfaction with overallrepairsservice (experiencefromarecentrepair)

SatisfactionwithHiS listeningtoviews and acting upon them

ingand Wehavea

Puzzle Time!

Enterour Summerwordsearch. Findall10wordsfromthelist,thenreturnitalong withthecompletedentryform.

£25VOUCHER grupfor abs!

Name:..................................................................................................................

Address:..............................................................................................................

Telephone:..........................................................................................................

Pleasecompleteyourdetails forachanceofwinninga £25voucher.

Sendyourcompletedentryform to:HomesinSedgemoor, BridgwaterHouse,KingSquare, BridgwaterTA63AR,email customer.services@ homesinsedgemoor.orgor messageusonFacebook.

Closingdate:

Monday,September5,2022

MrsPalmer,ofBridgwater,andMrPrice,of Bridgwater,whowon£50worthof ove2Shop vouchersfortakingpartintheSTARand transactionalsurveys.

Congratulationstoourthreewinnerswho enteredthewinternewslettercompetition Wehopeyouareenjoyingyour£25vouchers!

HomesinSedgemoor@HomesSedgemoor customer.services@homesinsedgemoor.org

Don’tforget to follow us onsocial media andcheck ourwebsite!

www.homesinsedgemoor.org0800585 360/ 01278552400

Homes in Sedgemoor, BridgwaterHouse,KingSquare, BridgwaterTA6 3AR