The Grapevine - winter 2015

The

A magazine for NPT Homes’ Tenants WINTER 2015 ISSUE 20

Win £100 Page 2

Welcome Westward Page 9

WHQS in Sheltered Page 11

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In This Issue...

Competition Winner and Win £100 in time for Christmas

p2

And The Winners Are… and Gas Safety p3 Tenants Raise £660 for Macmillan

p4

Community Challenge 2016

p5

Four Community Projects Celebrate Cash Windfall

p6

Rent De-pooling Update and Tenant Assessors

p7

Gas Safety Week

p8

Welcome Westward

p9

WHQS Works Programme Progress So Far

p10

WHQS in Sheltered

p11

On The Board

p12

Pets in Your Property

p13

Meet the Financial Inclusion Team

p14

Changes to Disability Living Allowance

p15

Changes to Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) p16 Personal Safety Tips at Christmas

p17

Pets Corner and Puzzles

p18

Recipe: Christmas Cookies

p19

Christmas Opening Hours

p20

This publication can be made available in large print, braille or audio versions by contacting 0300 777 0000.

Competition Time with

Energy Services

Win £100 in time for Christmas

courtesy of Westward Energy Services, our new heating contractor.

Westward has kindly donated £100 worth of shopping vouchers to be won by one lucky tenant.

To be in with a chance of winning all you have to do is answer the following question:

What is the name of the new Vice Chair of our Board?

Contact the Communications Team with your name, address, contact number and answer by: Calling: 01639 505855 Texting: 07772 912064 Emailing: media@npthomes.co.uk Deadline for entries is Wednesday 16th December.

Congratulations Congratulations Mr Evans from Tonna, who was the winner of the £25 cinema voucher from the last edition of The Grapevine.

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And The Winners Are...

Direct Debits and Up to Date Accounts Congratulations to Mr Cokeley from Cimla who is the lucky winner of our £250 quarterly prize draw for paying

by Direct Debit and keeping his rent account up to date.

Mrs Maybury from Sandfields also had a smile painted on her face when she collected her Dulux Paint Pack for paying her rent by Direct Debit.

Mr Cokeley from Cimla the lucky winner of our £250 quarterly prize draw

bury from Mrs May s Sandfield

If you would like to be in with a chance of winning a £250 prize or a Dulux Paint Pack, all you have to do is pay by Direct Debit and keep your account up to date. If you would like more information about paying by Direct Debit, please contact the team on 01639 506041 / 01639 505991 or ddteam@npthomes.co.uk

Gas Safety

Energy Services

Carrying out an annual gas safety check is extremely important and it can save your life.

Tenants who keep their annual gas safety check appointment are entered into a monthly prize draw to win a £50 gift card, courtesy of our new contractor Westward Energy Services.

Each month, one winner is chosen at random.

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Tenants Raise £660 for Macmillan In September, residents from Tonna, Cadoxton and Pontardawe all held events to raise money for Macmillan.

Cysgodfa, Tonna Tenants held an afternoon tea and raffled a fabulous bird house which was made by Rev. Peter Jenkins who lives at the scheme. Residents also played bingo, took part in a quiz and a competition was held to guess the number of spots on a cake raising £145.86.

Godrecoed, Cadoxton Every year, with help from other tenants and local residents, Jean and Brian Wall hold a Sunday lunch to help raise money for charity.

This year, a whopping £265 was raised for Macmillan.

Riverside Court, Pontardawe Many residents got together to bake and buy sweet treats for Macmillan which raised £250!

With help from NPT Homes, Brian Fleming who lives at the scheme created invitations and posters to promote the event which helped make it a success! Brian also invited our Chief Executive, Linda Whittaker, who was pleased to join the residents on the day.

Welcome to Maeshir To welcome new residents to Maeshir Sheltered Scheme in Neath, a welcome party was held which included a lovely buffet and live music.

Community Housing Officer Lauren Jones, Business Support Assistant Laura Benjamin and residents Ronnie and Robert entertained the crowd who danced and sang the afternoon away.

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Do You Know a Community Project That Needs a Little Helping Hand?

Our Community Challenge is now open to give another three lucky projects/community groups the opportunity toWhat benefiis t from a day of free building and maintenance work. the Community Challenge?

Our Community Challenge is a partnership project with Spotless Recruitment and our main contractors Mi-space, Jistcourt and Warmplan. The Community Challenge provides projects in Port Talbot, Neath and Pontardawe with a day of free maintenance, building and/or renovation work.

Tenant Liaison Officer’s – Estelle and Ria.

What Could We Do? • Communal space makeovers • Community hall redecoration • Kitchen and bathroom refurbishments • Community clean ups and • Much, much more

The Rules: • The project must take no longer than one day to complete • The project must not need any on-going maintenance from the contractors or NPT Homes • The project must not need any planning permission or building regulations and cannot affect statutory authorities such as highways or service boards

In this picture – NPT Homes staff and Spotless Recruitment.

To Apply Visit our website www.npthomes.co.uk before Friday 12th February 2016.

Alternatively, application forms can be found in any of our offices.

If you have any questions about this year’s Community Challenge, please contact Funding Officer Andrew Hall on 01639 506603 or email regeneration@npthomes.co.uk

NPT HOMES - TO REPORT A REPAIR CALL 0300 777 3000

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Four Community Projects Celebrate Cash Windfall Thanks to NPT Homes

Four community projects across the Borough have been given a share of £17,000 thanks to this year’s Community Development Fund.

Tenants, residents, schools and other community groups applied for their chance to get up to £5,000 for a project idea that they will manage and deliver.

The £17,000 investment has been split between four successful applicants.

• Rhos Primary School • St Joseph’s Comprehensive School • Forward 4 Fairyland Community Group • Tonna Primary School Our Community Development Fund is funded through the environmental programme which forms part of our major improvement work.

All of the successful projects are focused on environmental improvements which include the development of outdoor learning spaces, communal space redecoration and memorial, sensory and eco gardens for pupils and members of the community to enjoy.

Assistant Head Teacher Mr Steven Jones and pupils from St Josephs School with Our Funding Officer Andrew Hall.

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Members of Forward 4 Fairyland Community Group and our Funding Officer Andrew Hall.

Forward 4 Fairyland Group Member, Emma Marvelly, said:

“Since being told we were successful in our application to NPT Homes’ Community Development Fund, myself and the other group members are so excited to start the transformation. At our meetings it was noted that we are a large estate with plenty of space but we don’t have anywhere attractive outside for the children to play. With this money we are having a large open space painted with designs created by the families in the area and games painted on the floor so the children have somewhere safe to play. We will also be creating a community garden so we can plant flowers and have a space for neighbours to interact.”

Assistant Head Teacher at St Joseph’s Comprehensive School, Mr Steven Jones, added:

“The new outdoor learning space and community garden will become a vibrant, interactive space for students to learn and develop. For some students in Year 12, this project falls within the skills challenge part of the curriculum and will see many of them getting involved with the makeover as part of the community section of their course.

The £5,000 we received from NPT Homes’ Community Development Fund is fantastic and will help us to get our environmental project off the ground.”

NPT HOMES - FOR GENERAL ENQUIRIES CALL 0300 777 0000

Rent De-Pooling Update In the last edition of The Grapevine we told you about the Welsh Government’s social rent policy and how it requires landlords like NPT Homes to ‘de-pool’ or show separately service charges from rent. This affects tenants who live in flats or sheltered schemes and those who share facilities that are maintained by NPT Homes.

Since July, we have consulted with and visited 662 tenants throughout the Borough and have visited all of the sheltered schemes.

We still have a number of tenants to consult with regarding this. However, by March 2016, we will have contacted all tenants who are affected in writing followed by an opportunity to discuss face to face.

This is a huge piece of work but we believe it is important for tenants to speak to us about the changes they may see.

If you have any questions on the de-pooling project, please contact Special Projects Assistant, Jen Howard on 01639 505905 or email involved@npthomes.co.uk

Tenant Assessors As part of the de-pooling project, we are keen to involve tenants in monitoring and assessing the services they pay for.

Currently, tenants have the opportunity to provide feedback and complete satisfaction surveys on a number of services they receive.

Tenant Assessors would go a step further by becoming the ‘eyes and ears’ on the ground.

This could include monitoring the frequency and standard of cleaning and grounds maintenance services to make sure the service standards are being met. It may also mean working with NPT Homes to identify where new services are needed.

A number of tenants have already expressed an interest in becoming a Tenant Assessor so, if you are interested in getting involved, it is not too late to pick up the phone and let us know.

Over the coming months we will start by introducing Tenant Assessors in blocks of flats and sheltered schemes to assess the condition of internal and external communal areas.

If you would like more information about becoming a Tenant Assessors, please contact Tenant Empowerment Officer, Lynsey Hargreaves on 01639 5066662 or email involved@npthomes.co.uk

NPT HOMES - TO REPORT A REPAIR CALL 0300 777 3000

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Gas Safety Week In the last edition of The Grapevine we invited all tenants to our various Gas Safety Week events throughout September.

These events were a great opportunity to find out more about the importance of gas safety and to also find out when your next gas safety check was due.

With help from Keep Wales Tidy, Groundworks and our contractors, we also carried out community clean ups in Cwmavon and Neath.

Residents enjoying Ground Works’ sustainable play.

NPT Homes staff taking part in a community clean up.

£50 W inner

As an extra bonus for tenants, everybody that came along and spoke to us were entered into a prize draw to win £50. Our lucky winner was Linda from Neath who happily visited us at our head office to accept her prize.

NPT Homes is responsible for carrying out gas safety inspections at all of its properties and we have recently appointed a new contractor, Westward Energy Services, who will be carrying out all your gas safety checks.

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Property Compliance Officer Daniel Wagstaff and tenant, Linda.

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Welcome Westward Pontardawe based Westward Energy Energy Services Services has taken over from Colin Laver as our preferred gas contractor for the next seven years.

What Will Westward Do?

Westward will carry out high quality servicing, repair and maintenance works to gas, oil and solid fuel systems and appliances.

As part of the annual visit they will also check smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms to ensure these potentially lifesaving devices are in good working order.

NPT Homes’ Head of Property and Maintenance, Gareth John said:

“We are looking forward to working with Westward Energy Services, who were selected following a rigorous tender process undertaken to identify the most suitable contractor for this essential work, which must be carried out at every property.

They have considerable experience in the social housing sector and it’s a real positive that one of our largest maintenance contracts has been awarded to a local company which keeps the pound local.”

What Changes for You?

Westward Energy Services will be carrying out heating maintenance work on behalf of NPT Homes.

Appointments for servicing will be made directly by Westward and all engineers will have identification.

Please ask to see it when the engineer calls.

You don’t need to remember a new telephone number! You can report all new repairs or enquire about previously reported repairs in the same way you always have by calling 0300 777 3000.

NPT Homes staff and Westward Energy Services.

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WHQS Works Programme Progress So Far (up to October 2015) Kitchens 5,897 Completed

Our six year programme to bring all of our properties up to the Welsh Housing Quality Standard (WHQS) is just over four years in and so far we have:

Bathrooms 5,422 Completed

67% complete

65% complete Window and Door Installations 2,096 Completed

84% complete

External Wall Insulation and Rendering 1,539 Completed 47% complete 10

Rewires 3,613

Completed 78% complete

Heating Systems 4,634 Completed 79% complete

Roof Replacements 1,338 Completed 58% complete

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WHQS in Sheltered

(up to October 2015)

As part of the improvements to our sheltered schemes we have visited Riverside Court, Llys Nant Fer and Pant Y Fedwyn. We are currently working in Maes Y Darren and Mozart Court and here is what one of the residents had to say about the work.

Wendy Brenan from Mozart Court, said:

“I was a little hesitant to have the work done as I was settled in my home but now I have had the work done I would never look back. I am so happy with it.

The work to my home included removing and rebuilding new internal walls which changed the layout to make it easier to get around. I also gained an extra bedroom.

I had a brand new kitchen and bathroom which I chose the look and feel of from a range of options and the new heating system I have had put in is fantastic! So much better that the old one I had.

My tenant liaison officer (TLO) Nadine and Natasha, the relocations coordinator, were so helpful and answered all of my questions before, during and after the work.”

In the first year of working in our schemes we have upgraded nearly 150 properties and plan to transform all communal lounges.

Between January and March 2016 we will be starting work at Hafan Brynheulog and Ty Llansawel.

If you have any questions about our WHQS Programme or the work in your home, please call the team on 01639 315315.

Tenant Wendy with TLO Nadine.

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On the

Board

As we approach the end of 2015 I would like to thank all of the Board, involved tenants and staff for their hard work over the past year.

A special thank you goes to Councillor Ted Latham for his commitment and dedication in his position of Vice Chair over the last three years. As Ted steps down from his role as Vice Chair, I look forward to working more closely with Helen James who has replaced him.

Helen said: “I welcome taking a more active role within the Board and I am looking forward to being involved in the future of the business as Vice Chair.”

Helen James Welsh Housing Awards 2015 We are all aware how hard NPT Homes work to enhance the lives of tenants and those living in the Borough and this has been acknowledged by the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH). I am proud to announce that our new Furnace Place development in Melin, Neath and the partnership project with Swansea City Football Club were shortlisted for two CIH awards. More information on this is available under the news section of our website www.npthomes.co.uk Board Training Our newest Board members, Sam Jones and Dan Smith, are settling into the Board and as part of their induction process are attending several training sessions.

The latest finance training at Board gave members a really good insight into our finance policies and will help us when reviewing the company’s accounts.

Board training is key to assisting Board members to make sound, informed decisions about the future of the organisation.

Board Performance The Board recently undertook a whole Board appraisal and The Governance Forum’s Governance Assessment Process (GAP) was part of this review.

The purpose of this was to review NPT Homes’ governance framework and practice against an externally validated standard. This ensured NPT Homes comply with Community Housing Cymru’s (CHC) Code and identified areas for improvement.

NPT Homes has all of the documentation in place to comply fully with the requirements of the CHC Code.

Our regulator from the Welsh Government also attended Board in September and our Audit and Risk Committee in November. They are pleased with the progress of NPT Homes and its future plans for 2016.

I look forward to an exciting 2016 where I know we will continue to deliver our promises and enhance the communities within Neath, Port Talbot and Pontardawe.

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and New Year and I look forward to an exciting 2016 where I know we will continue to deliver our promises and enhance the communities.

Roger Williams, Chair Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from all of the Board.

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Pets in Your Property Staff and tenants have been working in partnership with the RSPCA to develop new guidance on keeping pets in sheltered housing.

A total of six tenants worked with staff to develop the new guidance through a short term task and finish group where ideas were shared, suggestions made and topics discussed.

Sheila Johns from Riverside Court said:

“The session was really positive and it is great that steps are being made to support sheltered tenants to have pets.”

If you are a tenant at one of our sheltered schemes you may be able have a pet in your home. To ask about having a pet, submit a request to your Community Housing Officer.

Applying for a pet

Permission granted

Permission denied

Submit your written request to have a pet to your Community Housing Officer. Make sure to include the type of pet you would like and explain how the pet will be looked after.

If you are granted permission, you will need to complete a pet welfare form. This makes sure that we have a record of contact who can look after your pet in an emergency. It will also help us keep a record of whether your pet is microchipped and neutered.

Unfortunateley, not everyone applying for permission will be able to have a pet. This could be for a number of reasons but is important that you work with your Community Housing Officer.

We will provide guidance on what options are available.

Maureen who has benefited from the change said:

‘’My dog Fflur is like a little celebrity around the scheme. Everyone stops to fuss her. She’s made friends with other pets at the scheme and while it has improved the little dog’s life, I feel so much happier having the company in my flat.’’

NPT HOMES - TO REPORT A REPAIR CALL 0300 777 3000

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Meet the Financial Inclusion Team Our Financial Inclusion Team help tenants in a number of ways such as giving advice on how to manage their money and helping them to apply for benefits.

The team can help with money matters including:

• Benefit problems • Income maximisation • Budgeting • Home contents insurance • Problems paying utility bills • Digital advice and support • Advice on welfare reform, benefit changes and Universal Credit

If you are struggling to make ends meet and feel you could benefit from the support of our Financial Inclusion Team, please speak to your Community Housing Officer or call 01639 506623 to speak to a member of the team.

NPT Homes’ Financial Inclusion Team Leader, Nerys Rees, said:

“There are so many changes to benefits it can be difficult to know where to turn.

I would urge anyone who is struggling to contact the team. We are here to help.”

Our Financial Inclusion Team: (L-R) Kathryn Cook, Emma Williams, Peter Southall, Fflur Parri Thomas, Lowri Woodley, Antonella Needs and Nerys Rees.

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Changes to Disability Living Allowance Personal Independence Payment (PIP) For people aged 16 to 64, PIP is replacing Disability Living Allowance (DLA). It was introduced in Neath Port Talbot in June 2013 for people claiming for the first time.

For the time being, those currently on DLA have kept this benefit. However, DLA will gradually be stopped and instead, those on DLA will need to claim PIP.

Who’s Affected?

Those currently on DLA aged between 16 and 64.

Do you get DLA? People whose fixed DLA awards have ended over the last year or so have been invited to claim PIP. If you are still on DLA you will get a letter about claiming PIP.

I Was Given a Life or Indefinite Award of DLA! Even those on indefinite awards will need to claim PIP instead of DLA.

Have You Received Your Letter Yet? It is expected that everyone will be contacted by September 2017.

What If I Get Less PIP Than I Get On DLA? If you are not happy with you PIP decision you can ask for it to be looked at again.

If they do not change the decision or you are still unhappy about the new decision then you can appeal and have your claim decided by an independent tribunal.

Is There Help For Me? NPT Homes has a team to help with benefit claims and appeals. If you would like to speak to a member of our Financial Inclusion Team, please call 01639 506623 or email financialinclusion@npthomes.co.uk

If you are affected you should receive a letter explaining that DLA will be stopping and explaining how to make the PIP claim.

What Happens If I Ignore My Letter?

If you do not claim PIP your DLA will stop.

How Do I Get PIP? Wait until you get a letter inviting you to claim PIP. The PIP claim is a three stage process: 1. You will make a telephone call to register the claim and give basic details 2. Complete a claim form – you will need to supply details of health problems and difficulties with daily living (care) and mobility 3. Have a face to face assessment – Most claimants will have to attend an assessment centre to be assessed by a health care professional

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Changes to Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) There have been some important changes to claiming ESA again if you have previously had an unsuccessful decision.

Old Rules: It was possible to claim ESA again after six months of failing a medical assessment even if your medical condition was still the same and hadn’t changed.

New Rules: You may submit a claim again for ESA after failing a medical assessment only if your condition is accepted to be considerably worse or you have a new health condition.

If you cannot show either of the above you will NOT be paid ESA although you should still be allowed to make a claim. You may then have a long wait without any ESA whilst waiting for a medical assessment.

What Can You Do? If you are affected by these changes and wish to make a new claim for ESA, it is vital to have medical evidence showing your condition has got worse or that you have a new condition.

Help Available!

The rules can be complicated so if you need any help with your ESA claim or any further information about benefit changes, please contact the Financial Inclusion Team on 01639 506623 or financialinclusion@npthomes.co.uk

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Personal Safety Tips at Christmas Time We all want to go out and enjoy ourselves at this busy time of year however, it is also important that we stay safe!

Christmas Shopping • Don’t get loaded down with too many bags. Always try to keep one hand free.

• Be careful where you park your car.

As the evenings are darker try to park in a well-lit area.

• Don’t leave presents on show in a parked car as they could tempt thieves.

Christmas Parties Most of us like a drink or two but remember that alcohol can affect your judgment.

• Never leave your drink unattended.

• Know your own limit.

• Stay with friends.

• Pay attention to your instincts.

Getting Home • Book a taxi in advance to pick you up right outside the venue.

Always sit in the back of a cab and if chatting to the driver, do not give away personal details.

• If using public transport, have your ticket or change ready in your hand so that your wallet or purse is out of sight.

• Always wait for the bus or train in a well-lit place near other people.

• On trains, avoid empty carriages.

NPT HOMES - TO REPORT A REPAIR CALL 0300 777 3000

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Pets Corner Amanda Llewellyn Name(s): Bubbles the King Charles and Bluebell the cat Age(s):

Bubbles - 5 years old and Bluebell - 11 months old

From:

Neath

Likes:

Cuddling and cwtching.

Bubbles loves her treats and Bluebell loves chasing flies

Dislikes: Bubbles doesn’t like other dogs and Bluebell hates being snubbed

If you would like your much loved pet to appear in the next edition of The Grapevine, please send your photos to media@npthomes.co.uk

Sudoku Picture Puzzles 2

1 4

9 6 3

5

7

4 2 8

5

4

Can you put the pictures together to come up with the right answer?

1. SPORT

8

1 2 6 9 3 5 8

6

6

4 2. PLACE

9 9 8

1

3. POLITICS

3 1. Rugby World Cup. 2. Christmas Island. 3. Winston Churchill.

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Recipe: Sparkling Vanilla Christmas Cookies (www.bbcgoodfood.com)

Hang these from the Christmas tree or give them as gifts to family and friends.

Makes: 20 biscuits Prep time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 12 minutes

Ingredients: • 140g icing sugar, sieved • 1 tsp vanilla extract • 1 egg yolk • 250g butter, cut into small cubes

Method: 1. Tip the icing sugar, vanilla extract, egg yolk and butter into a mixing bowl. Stir together with a wooden spoon or pulse in a food processor until well combined. Add the flour and mix to a firm dough. Shape the dough into two flat discs and wrap in clingfilm. Chill for 20-30 mins. Heat oven to 190˚C/fan 170˚C/gas 5 and line two baking sheets with non-stick baking paper.

• 375g plain flour, sieved

To decorate: • 200g icing sugar, sieved • Edible food colouring, optional • Edible gold and silver balls • Thin ribbon

2. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to about the thickness of two £1 coins. Cut out Christmas shapes (use a cutter if you like) and place on the baking sheets. Make a small hole in the top of each cookie. Bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly golden.

3. Lift the biscuits onto a wire rack to cool.

Meanwhile, mix the icing sugar with a few drops of cold water to make a thick but still runny icing.

Colour with edible food colouring or leave white.

Spread it over the cooled biscuits, decorate with edible balls and thread with ribbon when dry.

NPT HOMES - TO REPORT A REPAIR CALL 0300 777 3000

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Christmas Opening Hours Our offices will be closed from 1pm on Christmas Eve until 9am on Monday 4th January.

Contact Centre – 0300 777 3000 Our Repairs Contact Centre will be closed from 1pm on Christmas Eve until 8am on Monday 4th January.

However, during this time emergency repairs can be reported 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by calling 0300 777 3000.

Merry C hristmas and a Happy New Year

from NPT Homes!

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