green charter update Green Charter, your new grounds maintenance service, has been running for four months now. Teams have been out and about in their new vans since March and are getting to know your estates. They are also getting familiar with new machinery and equipment. You may recognise some familiar faces but will also see some new members of staff. We’ve taken on nine seasonal staff and the teams are working well together.
During the week of good weather in March, the team successfully completed its first grass cutting. The service involves a new process called mulching, which recycles cut grass back into the ground rather than disposing of it.This is a much ‘greener’ way to cut grass but unfortunately it works best in dry weather! So, the teams are hoping for some better weather to improve this ‘cut and mulch’ system and be more environmentally friendly.
Feedback from you Thank you to all customers who gave their feedback on previous experiences with grounds maintenance. This highlighted areas we need to improve on, including picking up litter before cutting and tidying up after work has been done. We’ve had some very positive feedback on our Green Charter service so far and we’d like to thank residents who’ve taken the time to write to us. Green Charter is still a very new service and we know there are lots of things that we can do to get better. Please bear with us and be assured that we are committed to working towards the best possible service for you. The Green Charter team has undergone a huge training programme to make sure the work it does is of the highest standard.
Getting involved We already have 27 residents helping to check your estates and tell us how the Green Charter service is going. The TMT looks in detail at our services to make sure they are doing what they promise for tenants and standards remain high.ofThe makes suggestions on how could be improved. We’re keen for more you team to get also actively involved in monitoring our services service and become Green Charter monitors. knowthe you are has passionate about your neighbourhoods andayou the best to tell us Since our lastWe edition, team been continuing to work hard and here’s list are of what they people have been doing: what’s goingwith wellour andpartner what we need toAksa work on. and their Oldham tenants to help them set up a scrutiny panel of l worked company Homes their own If you’d like to be involved or learn more, please contact Les Crowther on 0161 331 2627 l In May, TMT attended a conference with the Northern Housing Consortium to talk to housing professionals about or email les.crowther@newcharter.co.uk the excellent work they have done to scrutinise grounds maintenance services at New Charter l Just last month, the team were also invited to a national housing conference in Manchester to share their experiences of being one of only 10 tenants’ teams in the country to gain champion status for the work they do l completed a scrutiny project into the work of New Charter’s resident involvement team and put forward ways to improve; - written communication with tenants to ensure effectiveness and value for money - sharing the good work done by the Tenants’ Panel (was RIMP) l looked at services for new tenants including how properties are let and carried inspections of properties to make sure the agreed standards were being met. about re-lets on this page) We (More ran a survey in the last issue of the newsletter, asking for your feedback on grounds maintenance.
And the winner is...
Everyone who filled in the survey was entered into a prize draw
Volunteers needed to inspect new homes and here’s our lucky winner, Miss Ashworth with her gift vouchers!
Thank you to everyone who completed the survey. Your views will help us to improve the Green Charter service for you.
Residents invited to bid for cash for local projects Residents have been invited to bid for money for community projects in a new ‘Dragon’s Den’ style project.
RIMP becomes Tenants’ Panel New Charter has set upthe its own ‘Community Dragon’s Den’ project based on the idea of the hit BBC2 TV show where contestants bid for cash by presenting their ideas to a panel of experts.
All communal hard surfaces, weed beds and drying areas have been sprayed. You will notice weeds are turning brown and will soon disappear.
Although New Charter’s version will not be televised, it will take a similar format with ideas presented to a panel made up of two tenants and two housing officers.
Meet the Green Charte
r team
Tenants or residents’ groups can apply for a share of the funding if they have a project or an idea that will promote community learning or teach people new skills. New Charter is currently looking through the first round of entries. The deadline for the next round of funding will be the end of October 2012. If you’d like to apply, please contact Sue Cox on 0161 331 2416.
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