Melin News Edition 30 Summer 2016
www.melinhomes.co.uk
Energy advice Our new energy advice service is switched on and we’ll be aiming to help you bring your bills down
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Summer safety tips From BBQs to fire safety, lots to keep you aware
Win £25 in vouchers
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It’s always worth entering our summer quiz
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Melin News
Better ways to stay in touch
O
ur customer contact team receive on average 7,000 calls a month, the top five reasons for calls over the last three months were:
1 Money Advice – money matters, rent, help and advice. 2 Asset management – repairs, planned works, requesting a surveyor visit. 3 Neighbourhood housing – including housing queries, estate management, etc. 4 ASB – anti-social behaviour concerns/issues. 5 Independent Living – calls from people interested in viewing our properties and rent queries. There will always be someone at the end of the telephone but there are lots of other ways to get in touch with us:
● Email enquiries@melinhomes.co.uk ● Live chat: Chat to us using the box in the corner of our website. ● Type your message in the contact form on the right hand side of every page of our website (except the home page). ● Find us at www.facebook.com/melinhomes ● Join us on Twitter @melinhomes ● Text: 07781 472210 ● Tel: 01495 745910 ● For emergencies outside of our normal hours of 9am–5pm, please call 01495 325333.
Zest in the park
C
ome and join us on 24th August, 12 noon until 4pm. We will be in Pontypool Park with Greenmeadow Community Farm, Torfaen Leisure Trust and Torfaen Mind, where we will be offering gardening advice with Morris’s of Usk, cookery classes and much more. We look forward to seeing you on the day! It is free so pack a picnic and stay and play.
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In this issue… p5–6 Melin Energy Advice Our new service can help you bring bills down. Plus we’ve got tips on what you can do at home.
p7 A royal invitation Vice Chair of the Residents’ Panel Mark Gibbons received a special invitation to visit the Queen.
p11 A day in the life We follow one of our money advisors around on a typical day to find out what how she helps.
p17 You said, we did Your views on how we provide cleaning services and what we’ll be doing to improve them.
You said
We did
p25 Soldier soldier We love meeting interesting residents. We chat to Tom, who tells us about his soldier days.
Let us know! Is there something happening in your community that you would like to see covered in a future edition of Melin News? If so send your stories to news@melinhomes.co.uk or call 01495 745910.
Melin News accessibility If you need this newsletter in large print, Braille, on CD, or explained in a different language, please email us at news@melinhomes.co.uk You can read this issue online at www.issuu.com/melinhomes
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Melin News
Welcome to your fresh new issue of Melin News
W
e have another bumper edition for you and I hope that you find all this information useful and entertaining. We have also included two leaflets with this magazine. One about after hours services and the other about our Maintenance Service Standards.
Mark Gardner
We have launched a new Energy Advice service to help you save energy and money – read about how you can save money on pages five and six. The Vice Chair of our Residents’ Panel Mark Gibbons was invited to meet the Queen for all his volunteering efforts; you can read about his visit on page seven.
The issue is packed with budgeting tips, a look into the working day of one of our accredited money advisors, how to stay gas safe and enjoy a summer barbecue safely. I’m hoping for some summer weather on 9th July at least – where I will be joining the Melin team at the Party in the Park in Pontypool – I hope to see you there.
Chief Executive
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Craig leaves a bit of Melin magic in Thailand
O
ne of our electricians, Craig Cheedy is on his way to building another home on the other side of the world thanks to the support of Melin. Working with the charity Habitat for Humanity, he will be heading off to Cambodia in October as a deputy team leader on one of their amazing expeditions. The charity helps the poorest and most vulnerable people across world lift themselves out of poverty by helping them to build homes and communities. This will be Craig’s second expedition after we agreed to support him and another member of staff to join their next expedition to Cambodia. He recently returned from his first expedition to Thailand, where along with the rest of the Habitat team, he helped build a new home for the Rakmak family. “ The chance to build a new home in Thailand was a life changing and wholly humbling experience for me.” Craig told us. “To work with the family to build their new home was amazing and seeing the difference it’s made already will be an experience I will never forget. I can’t thank Melin enough for the opportunity become a team leader and to share this amazing experience with a colleague”. Mark Gardner said; “We were happy to support Craig in becoming a team leader, particularly as he will be joined by another member of the Melin team. It’s a great chance to see us make a difference further afield for people in need.”
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Melin News
Our new energy advice service is switched on! W
e have launched a new energy advice service to help you save energy and money. You can now access free energy advice and a home energy health check. That’s just what retired couple Mr and Mrs Morris did. Melin residents for over eight years and married for 52, the couple told us how they were stuck in their ways with the energy provider they used. Mr and Mrs Morris’s grown up children advised them to give the new service a chance and they are so pleased they did!
The couple have already saved £350 a year on their fuel bills. They said: “We didn’t realize you could save so much by swapping providers. The process is so simple, we would be silly not to. We have also got some great tips on small changes we can make to save money around the house.” Think of what you could save! Contact our Energy Advice team today, there are lots of ways you can talk to us. Along with the usual methods of contacting us (mentioned on page 4) you can also text ‘energy advice’ to 07781 472210 or email directly to energy.advice@melinhomes.co.uk
Try some of the terrific top tips from our Energy Advice team. It is all in the washing…
● Shrink your bills, not your clothes. 90% of a washing machine’s energy expenditure is spent on heating the water, so if you wash your clothes at 30–40°C you’re going to save money! ● Hang up your laundry. Air-dry your laundry rather than tumble drying it, particularly if there’s warm or windy weather. What’s more, nothing smells better than air-dried clothes!
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● Save yourself ironing time. If you do use a tumble dryer, take your clothes out before they’re completely dry – they’ll iron much quicker and you’ll use less energy on your drier. Cook up a storm…
● Save time and stock up. If you’re going to use the oven, bake a few meals at a time to get the most out of having your oven on. After all, ovens don’t allow us to heat one shelf at a time so why waste heat? ● Heat your home with cooking. After cooking, turn the oven off and leave the door open to let the heat warm your kitchen. ● If you have a dishwasher, load it fully, and don’t pre-rinse dishes before they go in. Saving water and energy! It’s child’s play…
● Get the kids involved. Play energy saving games with your kids. Get them to spot the areas in the home where energy is being wasted and where lights, switches or appliances have been left on. Even chargers continue to use electricity when they aren’t charging. Don’t be caught out by stand by! If you are not using it, turn it off at the wall. ● Request a copy of our children’s magazine Bee Green – it’s full of tips and fun activities to help get kids in the mood for saving energy. And the biggest thing you could do… Switching makes sense. Compare gas and electricity prices with uSwitch to make sure you’re on the cheapest tariff for you. If you would like our trained energy advisor to come out and help you give us a call today on 01495 745910 or text 07781 472210.
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Melin News
A royal invitation for volunteer Mark
M
ark Gibbons, Vice Chair of the Residents’ Panel received a very special invitation; to attend a Garden Party at Buckingham Palace in May. Every summer, The Queen hosts three garden parties at Buckingham Palace as a way of recognising and rewarding public service. People from across the UK are invited to the royal event each year, and are selected for major contributions to life in the community or for providing an exceptional service.
“ I loved every single minute of the day and was extremely grateful for the opportunity.”
Mark was invited as a thank you because of his devotion to volunteering and recognition of his prowess in carriage driving.
At the party Mark managed to talk with Prince William about his work and was congratulated by the Prince. Mark said that the visit was “Something I will never ever forget. I loved every single minute of the day and was extremely grateful for the opportunity. I was hugely proud to attend because I felt like I was an ambassador for the Residents’ Panel and other volunteers who give up their time to help others”.
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Stay gas safe T
hanks to all of you who have let us into your homes to carry out your annual gas safety service. By keeping your appointments you have helped to keep your homes gas safe. We will contact you by letter when your gas service is due. So if you already have a gas safety service booked, please keep the appointment and make sure there is someone home to let us in. We have a legal obligation to carry out a gas safety service at your home. When you signed your tenancy agreement you agreed to allow us access to carry out your annual gas safety service. If you have provided us with an email address, your gas safety certificate will automatically be sent to you when we have completed your service. Don’t forget that the service time clocks, fitted to boilers will automatically disable your heating system if your gas safety check is overdue. Stay Gas Safe – call 01495 745910 or email repairs@melinhomes.co.uk
Update on our rising star I n the last issue we told you how our Digital Inclusion officer Louise Kingdon was shortlisted for a national award. We can now reveal that Louise won the Rising Stars Award at the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) Cymru awards. The award was presented to her at the TAI conference, where Louise managed to beat two other shortlisted nominees.
“ I’m chuffed to bits to win” Louise told us. “I felt over the moon just being nominated. It was a really enjoyable week soaking up the Tai atmosphere with the other nominees.”
You could win £25 in high street vouchers!
The Summer Quiz You could bag yourself £25 worth of high street vouchers. Have a go at our quiz, kindly written by Newport resident Bill Fouweather. If there are a number of correct entries the winner will be drawn from a hat. Good luck!
1
What is the collective name for: a. An _______ of tigers? b. A _______ of starlings?
10 Since 1952 the Queen has met every President of the USA except one, which one?
2
Which queen was Henry VIII married to for the longest time?
11 Who wrote the novel ‘Lord of the Flies’?
3
Complete this proverb – “The devil makes work …”
12 Who was the maternal grandmother of Jesus?
4
Who wrote the novel ‘Watership Down’?
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Jeff Hoardley appears in which TV soap?
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If you were going to watch sport at Grace Road, Leicester which would it be?
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Who wrote the song ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’ recorded by Sinead O’Connor?
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In the binary system of maths what are the only numbers used?
9
What is the capital city of Fiji?
You can post your answers to Melin News Quiz, Ty Felin, Lower Mill Field, Pontypool, Torfaen NP4 0XJ or email them to news@melinhomes.co.uk We’ll announce the winner in the next issue. Congratulations to Anne Thomas from Tredegar who won the last quiz. £25 high street vouchers on their way to you soon.
Check www.melinhomes.co.uk/news for last issue’s answers
Your answers 1a
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
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12
b
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Volunteer visits V
olunteers on our Disability Group have been busy visiting our new builds. They are working closely with our development team to ensure that we are building homes which are accessible. The group who all have personal experience of disability, are trying and testing disabled facilities that are already on site and aim to raise awareness of the needs of our disabled residents. If you are interested in joining the group get in touch with Caroline Morgan on 01495 745910 or email her at enquiries@melinhomes.co.uk
A bigger Jump I
n the last edition we told you about our bigger and better community fund Jump2. The fund provides money for community projects, groups, equipment and room hire as well as help to support educational activities.
We are now pleased to announce Jump2+, which offers the opportunity for larger grant funding applications between ÂŁ250 and ÂŁ1,000. If you would like more information and an application form please look at our website at www.melinhomes.co.uk/the-jump-fund. Alternatively you can contact Helen Seymour on 01495 745910 or enquiries@melinhomes.co.uk
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Melin News
A day in the life of one of our money advisors O
ur Money Advice team has put more than £1.1m into your pockets over the last year. This is thanks to our dedicated team of money advisors who are here to help you make every pound count. To give you a flavour of what they do we followed one of our advisors. This is a day in the life of AJ, one of our money advisors. We went with her when she visited two residents in Newport one afternoon in May. Both residents had recently moved into their Melin home. The first residents AJ visited were looking for advice on managing their finances and help with the costs of moving in.
“ Many residents come to us after we promote the service to them when they move in. This is really good timing for us to be able to help as finances and budgets can be organised and support is available from day one.” AJ told us. The resident was working full time and was not in receipt of any benefits so was hoping AJ could help in finding an affordable bed. After going through their income and expenditure, AJ suggested a number of places locally that provide affordable second hand furniture. She also helped set up their gas bill and apply for grants for electrical goods. AJ went through the many ways the couple could pay their rent and change their Direct Debit payment to match up with their weekly pay day. Our finance team was told of this change and the residents felt much happier.
“ Just being there to listen and understand can go a long way.”
“This resident was in full time employment but he needed help to set up new payments and get him on a more even keel financially” said AJ. “Being able to help and make a difference to residents’ lives is really satisfying, even if it’s just a case of helping through applications.”
The second person has recently separated from an abusive expartner and was understandably nervous and concerned as this
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was the first time in years she had lived alone with her children. “ My first priority was reassuring the resident that we are on hand to help.” AJ said. “Just being there to listen and understand can go a long way in these situations.” While she was awaiting furniture from a family member to use, AJ was able to immediately apply for numerous grants available for essential household items. “ Many people find themselves in these situations and simply don’t have the things we take for granted like household furniture and white goods. We make sure these are applied for as a priority.” Next AJ was able to set up payment with the most affordable tariff with Welsh Water and explain income support “ Many people are and the Discretionary Assistance Fund. She said: “I was able to apply for a grant to get white goods put into these such as a fridge freezer and cooker. Perhaps more importantly as the resident was looking to get back situations and simply don’t have into work as a hairdresser, I was able to go through how this impacts on her benefit payments and to the things we make sure she speaks to us if she does go back to take for granted.” work.” No day is typical, but we hope this gives you an idea of what our dedicated money advisors do day in, day out for you – our residents. If you need support from the Money Advice team, get in touch via enquiries@melinhomes.co.uk, our social media or call 01495 745910.
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Melin News
Walking football tournament scores big for Velindre Hospital M
elin Homes’ Board and Residents’ Panel member Lyndon May recently organised a walking football match and scored £2,000 for Velindre Prostate Cancer Fund. The match was held on 4th June at Tranch FC and eight teams took part including Newport County Old Boys, who opened the tournament against women’s side The Sally’s Sex Bombs. The ladies commented how Newport County legend John Relish and his team were perfect gentlemen. The tournament was won by last year’s winners, Tranch Old Boys, who beat Newport Old Boys in the final. Due to numerous donations, including some from the local Tesco store, his fundraising efforts raised £2,000 for the charity. After the event everyone was invited for a drink and buffet at The Sally Inn on the Tranch. Mr May said: “Tranch Football Club members did the local community proud and were instrumental in making the day so successful. As soon as the final total is available, a cheque will be presented to Velindre Hospital.”
Will you be coming to Party in the Park? W hile you plan your summer fun, you may want to put this date in your diary. Pontypool Party in the Park takes place on 9th July and we will be bringing our special touch of Melin Magic Kingdom; with fun games, prizes and a range of advice. Our health and wellbeing group Zest! will be joining us with tips on living well and some great freebies. Representatives coming on the day include our Chief Executive and they will be on hand to help you enjoy the day. The following Melin teams will be coming along and they’re looking forward to meeting you: Care & Repair Torfaen and Monmouthshire
Home Ownership and Torfaen Help to Own
Torfaen Carers
Residents’ Panel
Communities
Being Greener
Melin Works
Money Advice
Housing
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Melin News
Homes tailored to your life. If you’d like help to decide whether moving is right for you, we can help. Care & Repair will help you to work through the pros and cons of moving or staying. They will also give advice about other services too; from organising removals and finding out what social opportunities exist in your new community, to sorting out gas, electric, phone and other services. With 15 sheltered and extra care schemes Melin have homes designed with people aged 55 and over in mind. Give the teams a call on 01495 745910 or email enquiries@melinhomes.co.uk to see how we can help.
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Are you a carer? Do you need support? If so we can help Here at the Carers Centre we are able to offer you, as a carer the support and information you will need to continue in your caring role. Whether you just need somewhere to shout, laugh and cry or wish to socialise with other carers you will always be welcome. We offer you some much deserved ‘me time’. If you feel you would like to come to the centre just to relax, talk to other carers or to take up some of the opportunities and groups that are on offer please don’t hesitate to come and see us. Information of upcoming events, groups, and sessions can be found on our website, Facebook and Twitter.
01495 753838 3 Crane St Pontypool Torfaen NP4 6LY Email: torfaencarers@gmail.com www.torfaencarerscentre.org
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Melin News
Enjoy your summer BBQ – how to stay safe! W ith summer upon us we all like to enjoy a barbecue. Here are our top tips to keep safe:
● Keep a bucket of water, sand or a garden hose nearby for emergencies. ● Follow the safety instructions provided with disposable barbecues. Never use a barbecue indoors or in a tent. ● Never leave a lit barbecue unattended. ● Make sure your barbecue is well away from sheds, fences, trees, shrubs or garden waste. ● In the countryside or public park areas, only use disposable barbecues where there are specially designated areas and carefully follow the safety guidance. ● Use enough charcoal to cover the base of the barbecue, but not more (normally around five centimetres or two inches). ● Keep children, pets and garden games away from the cooking area. ● After cooking, make sure the barbecue is cool before moving it. ● Empty ashes onto bare garden soil, not into dustbins or wheelie bins. If they’re hot, they can melt the plastic and cause a fire. ● Enjoy yourself, but don’t drink too much alcohol if you are in charge of the barbecue. ● Never use petrol or paraffin to start or revive your barbecue; use only recognised lighters or starter fuels on cold coals.
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It’s not just outdoors… K
eeping alert to fire dangers in your home is always important as fires come from little things. Did you know…?
● You’re four times more likely to die in a fire if you don’t have a smoke alarm that works. ● Around half of home fires are caused by cooking accidents. ● Two fires a day are started by candles. ● Every six days someone dies from a fire caused by a cigarette. ● About two fires a day are started by heaters. ● Faulty electrics (appliances, wiring and overloaded sockets) cause around 6,000 fires in the home across the country every year. For further fire safety information visit www.southwales-fire.gov.uk
The dangers of fake electrical chargers S
ub-standard and fake electrical chargers can be deadly and we ask you not to use in them in your homes. We are seeing an increase in the number of incidents being reported about fake, cheap and unbranded chargers – many of which don’t meet safety regulations and can lead to electric shock, injury and cause fires. We have recently had a fire in one of our homes that was caused as a direct result of these types of chargers – please do not use these. For further information on how to stay safe visit www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk
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Melin News
You said, we did – cleaning review A
s a result of the STAR (Satisfaction of Tenants and Residents) surveys we have completed over the last couple of years, we have been reviewing the way we provide our cleaning services. This is because in 2015:
Improving services You said We did
● 30% of residents thought there was room for improvement in the way we provided internal cleaning services. ● 35% of residents thought there was room for improvement in the way we provided external cleaning services. ● As a result, we invited feedback from all our residents and consulted directly with our Residents’ Panel on how we could improve our cleaning services.
Clear information You said We did
● It was clear that residents were concerned about a lack of information surrounding when their cleaner(s) would be at their scheme and what they would be doing whilst they were there. ● We have taken this feedback on board and have begun to place two signs in the communal areas at all our schemes. The first sign makes clear: Who your cleaner is The hours they work What their duties are. The second sign makes clear: The work carried out when your cleaner(s) was at the scheme last. Our aim is that this will address some of the concerns you told us about but please contact Denise Cook (Neighbourhood Team Leader) or Caroline White (Independent Living Team Leader) on 01495 745910 if you have any queries. We will be letting you know about some further changes to our cleaning services in future editions of Melin News.
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Get insured in case the worst happens W
hat would you do if you lost everything in your home in an unexpected event like a burglary or a fire? While these events are very rare in our homes, we ask you to get your home contents insured in case the worst does happen. Home contents insurance will make sure you are covered for all of your personal belongings such as furniture, electrical goods, clothing and jewellery for loss or damage.
Legal case success O
ur Community Safety Team had been receiving reports from people regarding the smell of cannabis at a property in Pontypool. They were encouraged to contact the police directly, and we also passed intelligence through to the local police officer. Several months later the team received a call from the police to say a warrant was being executed at the address – we were invited to attend. We were able to take photographs at the property where it was evident that a cannabis factory was being operated. We applied to court for possession of the property and were successful at the first hearing. This case illustrates what can be achieved when residents work with our Community Safety Team and the police in respect of anti-social/ criminal behaviour. You can report anti-social behaviour to us in the following ways:
● Fill in the form to the right of our website home page (choose the ‘Report anti-social behaviour’ option from the drop down); www.melinhomes.co.uk ● Use the chat facility at the bottom of our website; ● Email us at asb@melinhomes.co.uk ● Call us on 01495 745910 Please note: Any criminal matter should also be reported to the Police on 101, or 999 if it is an emergency.
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Melin News
Around the schemes Making Melin a Dementia Friendly organisation
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e are working towards becoming a dementia friendly organisation. More than 42,000 people in Wales are living with the disease so we want to make our services as accessible as possible. We recently marked National Dementia Week with awarenessraising sessions, memory boxes, and a book in a bid to make our communities more dementia friendly. Trained Dementia Friend and Living Well Manager Shona Martin delivered informative, myth-busting sessions helping staff to understand what life is like for a person living with dementia. Our Communities Team is using a book written by Caerphilly parents who didn’t know how to explain dementia to their children. The team bought 20 copies of the book called ‘The
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Elephant Who Forgot’ to spread the word amongst our younger residents. People living at our sheltered schemes have been getting the benefit of Memory Box reminiscence sessions that the team has been running in conjunction with the Museums Service. Scheme Manager of Victoria Court in Abergavenny Laura Denyer said: “The residents were really focused and positive; people who are normally reserved and don’t speak really got engaged and enjoyed themselves.”
The Queen’s birthday celebrations
R
esidents at sheltered schemes in Ebbw Vale and Abertillery marked the Queen’s 90th birthday in style and shared their photos with us. Residents at Llys Ebwy in Ebbw Vale marked the occasion with an indoor street party dressing in vintage clothes and fancy dress. The residents were joined by an officer from the local police station and guests were thrilled to hear stories from resident and former Welsh Guard Thomas Edwards. You can read his full story on page 25. Further up the valley in Abertillery people living at Howell Griffiths Court were helped by the Communities Team with their celebrations. The team funded a buffet and a pamper session which was enjoyed by everyone who joined in.
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Melin News
Around the schemes Sing along at Lavender Gardens
A
lan and Helen from our Communities Team hosted a social afternoon at Abergavenny Extra Care scheme Lavender Gardens. They were joined by refelexologist Petrina, who gave residents relaxing head massages or reflexology treatments.
“ I’ve got only good things to say about Melin and their staff.”
Glyn Parry said: “While moving out of our house to Lavender Gardens was a hard decision, it has given me peace of mind that the carers are there if I need them. I don’t usually like to call them, I am a bit independent, but it’s good to know they are there if I need them.
Of the communities event Glyn said: “We had a sing along and a quiz. It really brightened my day. “ Marjorie Hopkins was also at the event. She added; “I’ve got only good things to say about Melin and their staff who are always here to help us. They make a nice job of everything and their response time is very good.”
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Money Box Budget for the summer holidays
T
he summer holidays are a great time for the kids to have off school, but it’s important that you don’t take a rent holiday. Plan your budget for the kids being home for six weeks and make sure your rent and household bills are paid for first. Remember your rent is due weekly, one week in advance.
Here are our top tips to help you save money during the summer: ● Supermarkets such as Tesco offer Clubcard holder tickets for free entry to many attractions. ● Contact your local council’s Family Information Service to see what free playschemes are available and many cinemas offer deals for kids to watch films at discount prices. ● Welsh Water Assist Scheme – Get in touch with our Money Advice team to find out more and apply for a reduction in your water bill. ● Home Heat Helpline – Visit www.homeheathelpline.org.uk to see how you can save money on your energy bills or call our Money Advice team. ● Food parcels – we can help, don’t go hungry. Get in touch with us to see how we can help. ● Debt advice – do not suffer in silence! The earlier you get in touch with us, the more we can do to help. We can give you advice on saving money, debt and budgeting. Your Money Advice team is here to help – call us on 01495 745910 or send us an email moneyadvice@melinhomes.co.uk
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Melin News
Are you a looking for jobs, training or placements? Get in touch with Melin Works on 01495 745910. Find out more about what we offer and how we can help at www.melinhomes.co.uk/melinworks
More opportunities available at Melin Works A fter recently receiving funding we’re pleased to announce that we can now offer even more opportunities to help you get into work.
This project involves lots of exciting new opportunities, like full time paid work placements, work tasters and the chance to gain qualifications. This is a European funded project through the Active Inclusion Fund. Give us a call if you’re over 25, and you live in Blaenau Gwent or Torfaen – you could be the next to benefit from some of these new projects. Call us on 01495 745 910 or email melinworks@melinhomes.co.uk
Are you on the jobs list? Weekly opportunities sent straight to your inbox
W
e send out a weekly jobs email to tell you all about the latest jobs, training and work placement opportunities across our areas. If you want to receive these emails, then all you need to do is email us at melinworks@melinhomes.co.uk to be added to our list.
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Community safety T
here has been a dramatic decrease in anti-social behaviour in the Abergavenny area thanks to the work of our Community Safety team. Our officer, Pam Russell joined local Police Officer Lauren Parker on regular visits to the Hillside area of the town in response to reports of an increase in ASB and issues such as off road bikes being a nuisance. The visits took place over the course of a year and are set to continue into the future. During the visits; cards were left for residents who weren’t at home, and a bike was seized. Some of you living on the estate told us you were grateful for the work we did. You helped us too; by giving priceless information on anti social behaviour in the area. Such was the success, other police officers across our communities are asking to be involved in similar work, with a whole raft of new plans to roll out this year. Please get in touch with the team if your community could benefit from this work.
Therapy service praised W
e began a project in 2010 called Be Me, which offered victims of anti-social behaviour up to 10 sessions of cognitive behavioural therapy with an accredited counsellor. Due to the success of the service we can now offer this service to any resident who presents a genuine need.
A resident who recently used the service told us: “What a wonderful service you offer, I can hardly thank you enough. You have helped me make decisions on where I go from here and adapt more readily to a new life I have to lead”. If you are interested in using the Be Me service please contact Michelle Kent, Community Safety Team Leader, on 01495 745910 or enquiries@melinhomes.co.uk or you can visit our website at www.icanbeme.co.uk for more information on what the service is about.
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Melin News
Soldier soldier W
e love meeting people at our sheltered schemes. We are always guaranteed to come across an interesting story. People whose memories make us laugh, bring history to life, or give us a warm nostalgic glow. Following the Queen’s 90th birthday celebrations we met a gentleman who had first-hand experience of our royal family. As 80-year-old Tom Edwards stood to welcome us to Llys Ebwy his expertly polished shoes and crisp suit already hinted to his military past.
“ I loved it; They made men of you. … The best thing about it was the camaraderie. You made friends for life.”
During his time in the Welsh Guards, Tom had the privilege of standing guard outside many of the royal residences and even met various members of the royal family. The Ebbw Vale man served three years in the colours and four years in the reserves between 1955 and 1962. He was posted outside Buckingham Palace as one of the soldiers wearing the familiar bearskin helmets which draw so much attention from the tourists who visit. Tom said: “Do you know they are as light as a feather to wear? Inside they are all bamboo. The heaviest bit on them is the brass chin strap.”
Tom recalls; “We were posted by the entrance and this bloke stuck his little kid between my legs and the Beefeater Sergeant Major shouted at me ‘move, move’ I couldn’t though obviously because of this little one. I got put on a charge for that. I was confined to barracks for a day.” As part of his role he often came into contact with the then newlycrowned Queen Elizabeth who he described as a “smart woman”. “ The Queen would come out every night and they would walk the dogs in the grounds. On their return she would always look at us and say ‘Goodnight Guardsmen’.” Tom also guarded The Queen Mother and Princess Margaret. “We used to get a call when they were on their way back so that we were ready to salute when they came. Princess Margaret
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would come home to Clarence House late in the evening and she would throw her arms around us on her way back to her apartment.” Still wearing a Welsh Guards pin on his lapel Tom remembers his military career with fondness and pride. “ I loved it; They made men of you. It was all spit and polish. For the first three months in there I never went to bed. We would be up all night, by candlelight putting layers and layers of polish on our boots. But after that all you had to do was wipe them over with a cloth and they would gleam. We did the same on the buckles of our uniform with Brasso. The best thing about it was the camaraderie. You made friends for life.” Tom spoke of former colleague John Cox, a national service conscript: “He was a great mimic. He used to imitate one of the sergeants who used to drink a bit. By a strange twist of fate Tom met up with him years later. A few years ago in the course of her work, Tom’s daughter happened to knock on Mr Cox’s door. They got chatting and she realised Mr Cox and her dad served together. The pals were reunited. Still a confirmed royalist Tom said: “I’m a big fan of the royal family. People call them over but they work really hard. I’m proud to have served them. I have been a part of history.”
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Melin News
Residents’ panel member Jan on board O ur Residents’ Panel chair has been co-opted on to Melin’s board of management. Jan Harris was elected as chair of the Panel on 6th October 2015. She was co-opted onto our board earlier this year until the election at our AGM in September. Other new board members this year are retired lawyer Anne Hayward, and former Divisional Director with Aneurin Bevan Health Board Julie Thomas.
Would you like to join the Residents’ Panel? W
e are looking for candidates to stand for election to the Residents’ Panel. If this sounds appealing, you can register your interest via Facebook, email, phone or in writing (see our contact details on page 1). Everyone who has expressed an interest will be sent a Registration of Interest application. Please complete it and return to us by 29th July. If more than 10 residents express an interest an election will be held. The results of this election will be announced at the Panel AGM on 28th September. You could also be a part of the following groups; Customer Service Group – meet with Melin staff regularly to discuss how to improve our services to you. Disability Group – representing our disabled residents. Youth Forum – are you are a younger resident with views on how Melin works for you? This group could be for you. We are also keen to hear from leaseholders to join a proposed Leaseholders’ Group.
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Want to know more about the work of the Panel? T
he Panel is a group of up to 10 elected residents who meet once a month. Responsibilities of the group include:
● Having a budget to manage; ● Awarding grant funding to residents and community groups; ● Scrutinising our policy and reviewing our services, giving opinions and advice; ● Facilitating support for the Disability Access Group, Customer Service Group and Youth Forum.
The Panel also: ● Receive training to improve their skills; ● Attend conferences to share good practice; ● Sit on the interview panels for new members of staff; ● Arrange visits to our estates and meet residents; ● Take part in activities with our Communities Team.
The Panel’s vision: To involve you in monitoring the performance of our services. The Panel commissions reviews from the Customer Service Group to ensure that services are effective, delivering value for money and inclusive. The Panel gives you the opportunity to influence decision making and also to be involved in and support projects in your community. If you would like more information about the Panel please contact Caroline Morgan on 01495 745910 or email enquiries@melinhomes.co.uk
More opportunities to help get you into work We have recently received some funding that means we can offer you even more opportunities to help get you into work! This project involves lots of exciting new opportunities, like full-time paid work placements, work tasters and the chance to gain qualifications. This is an ESF funded project through the Active Inclusion Fund. Give us a call if you’re over 25, and you live in Blaenau Gwent, Monmouthshire or Torfaen. You could be the next person to benefit from some of these new projects! Telephone 01495 745 910 or email melinworks@melinhomes.co.uk