Summer 2010
Housingmatters Good Neighbour Awards PAGE 25 Tackling housing fraud PAGE 22 TENANT TALKBACK The experiences of an involved tenant PAGE 9 Keeping you informed | www.northtyneside.gov.uk
Cutting the cost of your telephone calls PAGE 5 widening
horizons
How to contact us We want to make it as easy as possible for you to get in touch with us. We provide a wide range of ways to contact us: Telephone us You can contact any of our services through one phone number.
You can also email our teams directly, using the email addresses below.
0345 2000 102
What is your query about?
Email address
Simply ask to speak to the team you want to deal with.
General enquiry, comments, complaints or compliments
housing@northtyneside.gov.uk
Repairs
nt.repairs@kier.co.uk
Improvements to your home
betterhomes@northtyneside.gov.uk
How to get a council home
nthomefinder@northtyneside.gov.uk
Text us Unfortunately our text messaging service is currently out of order. This does not affect the Homefinder or Kier numbers. We apologise for any inconvenience and will let you know when the service is up and running again.
Website Visit www.northtyneside.gov.uk to find information on all our services and to download forms and leaflets.
Text relay The Royal National Institute for the Deaf supports the text relay service that is provided by British Telecom. If you have a textphone, you can contact us on 18001 0345 2000 102
Out-of-hours emergencies If you need to speak to someone urgently (outside office hours) please ring the numbers below: • Emergency repairs (0191) 200 7258
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Email us
Text: 07781 486 808 To express an interest in a property Your home, your estate or to report anti-social behaviour
estates@northtyneside.gov.uk
Your rent account or debt advice
housingincometeam@northtyneside.gov.uk
Leaseholder enquiries
housing@northtyneside.gov.uk
Wanting to help improve our service
getinvolved@northtyneside.gov.uk
Advice on homelessness
housingoptions@northtyneside.gov.uk
Visit us If you prefer to visit us, you can call in to one of our customer services centres: White Swan Centre, Citadel East, Killingworth NE12 6SS Opening times:
Park House, Park Road, Wallsend NE28 6QY Opening times:
• Monday - Thursday (8.30am to 4.30pm) • Friday (8.30am to 4pm)
• Mon/Tue (8.45am to 4.30pm) • Wednesday (8.45am to 1pm) • Thursday (8.45am to 4.30pm) • Friday (8.45am to 4pm)
A Customer Service fast track desk is located on the 2nd Floor; staff can deal with quick enquiries that do not require a private interview. • Monday - Friday (8.30am to 7pm) • Saturday (9am to 5pm)
• Emergency re-housing (Care Call service) (0191) 200 6800
Unicorn House, Suez Street, North Shields NE30 1BB Opening times:
• Northumbria Police anti-social behaviour hotline 03456 043 043
• Monday - Thursday (8.45am to 4.30pm) • Friday (8.45am to 4pm)
44 – 46 Victoria Terrace, Whitley Bay NE26 2QW Opening times: • Same as Park House above
North Tyneside Homes – the housing service for North Tyneside Council.
Welcome to Housing Matters I am delighted to be the new Cabinet Member for Housing and would like to thank Ian Macaulay for the excellent work he did over the last year. As Cabinet Member, I am keen to listen to your concerns and ensure we deliver the best quality housing services possible.
Make a e t a t s e r you e c a l p t a e gr to live
We have a busy year ahead of us. We are spending £39m improving homes which will see over 1,000 homes brought up to the Government's decent home standard. I know how important a good quality fast repairs service is to you so I will be working hard with Kier North Tyneside to ensure the service improves. We will shortly be launching our new Area Housing Forums to give you more say and we have provided each of the forums with some money to spend on improving the environment. Later in the year we will be agreeing a new local service offer which sets out clearly what you can expect from us. Our services were recently inspected by the Audit Commission and I look forward to reading the published report in September as I know that this will help us get even better.
Cllr John Goodfellow Cabinet member for Housing
Gas safety pays off Gas Safety is very important. We are required to do an annual gas safety check on your property – it’s the law! Kier North Tyneside carry out these checks and will contact you to arrange a convenient time.We hold prize draws each quarter for those that keep to their first arranged appointment time. You could be in the running to win £100 cash like Mrs Byers of Backworth who was the lucky winner of the June draw.
Mrs Byers pictured with Bill Steel, Repairs Co-ordinator, North Tyneside Homes
Join us on an estate walkabout and have your say about how your area might be improved. We can look together for anything which may make the estate look unsightly, such as litter, fly tipping, graffiti or unreported repairs.The walkabouts are also an opportunity to discuss ideas for small environmental improvements that could be funded through the new Area Housing Forum budgets (see page 8) We hold walkabouts on your estate every three months. If you can’t manage the whole route, join us for just part of it. Numbers for our housing offices and the details of forthcoming walkabouts are on pages 28 to 30. We look forward to seeing you!
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Strengthening our Safer Estates team The Safer Estates team has been strengthened with community support officer Pauline Allman joining the team. The move shows the commitment of both the council and the police to work together to tackle anti-social behaviour. Pauline will help to make more effective use of criminal and civil law against the people who commit anti-social behaviour. She will also improve information sharing. Chief Insp Max Black, of North Tyneside Area Command, said: "Having one of our community support officers work with the Safer Estates team on a day-today basis will significantly improve how we work together to reduce anti-social behaviour.” Pauline said: "This is a great opportunity to build stronger links between North Tyneside Council, Northumbria Police and our communities. “Working in the Safer Estates team, I am able to co-ordinate action with units across the North Tyneside Area Command. By sharing information between the agencies, we can work together to make our communities safer.” The move follows the expansion of Operation Childsafe, with the Safer Estates team attending patrols with police. Operation Childsafe tackles youth disorder and underage drinking by targeting anti-social behaviour hotspots; giving advice to young people; confiscating alcohol and, where necessary, taking young people home to get them off the streets.
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Saving you time and money Making the right call
Cutting the cost of your call
We know that it was taking too long for us to answer the phone in the contact centre and to tackle this we have now got 10 more people answering your calls. We are delighted that we are now answering 92% of housing enquiries within 30 seconds.
We know that 40% of all the calls into the contact centre are made from a mobile phone. You told us that ringing the council from a mobile was costing you up to 40p a minute so we have introduced new telephone numbers to help cut the cost of your calls.
The Contact Centre is open from 7.30am to 8.00pm, five days a week, and is the first port of call for thousands of people on a huge range of subjects. Each month almost 50,000 people phone the contact centre and last year a total of 582,927 calls were made.
We now use the dialling code 0345 for all our contact centre numbers. Using this number means that your calls are charged a local rate even from a mobile phone. We have calculated that this will save tenants a whopping ÂŁ40,000 a year.
The new numbers are: 0345 2000 101 General Enquiries 0345 2000 102 North Tyneside Homes and Kier Repairs 0345 2000 103 Envirolink 0345 2000 104 Council Tax and Benefits 0345 2000 105 Reporting Racial Incidents 0345 2000 107 Payments 0345 2000 108 Families Information Service
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Making money matters count Help us to help you
Myth buster
Hopefully you will have noticed as you opened your copy of Housing Matters, the Making Money Matters Count questionnaire.
There are lots of rumours and myths around loan sharks and what they do.These are some of the most common ones, along with the truth.
Completing the questionnaire helps us get a better understanding of your requirements so we can tailor our services. It’s also a fantastic opportunity to get important information about the financial help available, become involved in one of our workshops, or to find out more about other agencies that could help you. Return your questionnaire to us by July 31 and you will be entered into a free prize draw to win £100 of Argos vouchers.
Illegal money lending A ‘loan shark’ is anyone who is lending money without having a licence from the Office of Fair Trading (OFT). These unlicensed money lenders are working illegally.
Spot the signs Loan sharks tend to work in similar ways: • They rarely give any paperwork to the people they've loaned money to – making it very difficult to keep track of how much is owed. • They often use threats and violence. • They charge very high interest rates and add ‘other charges' to loans whenever they want. • They take away your bank cards or benefit books as security. If you spot any of these signs, you probably are a victim of a loan shark. Do not worry. If you want to put a stop to this happening in your neighbourhood, call the Illegal Money Lending Team on 0300 555 2222 in total confidence and they will offer you free help and advice.
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Myth: is not illegal. g in d n e -l y e n o Unlicensed m money-lending a Truth: te ra e p o to nyone It is illegal for a ence from the c li a e v a h 't n o d business if they ding. Office of Fair Tra Myth: If you borrow m oney from a lo an shar k, you are breaking th e law. Truth: It's the loan sha rk not the per son who is breaking the law wh money. You can o has borrowed the 't b taken a loan fro e prosecuted for having m a loan shar k . Myth: the loan shar k t a h w k c a b y a You have to p says you owe. Truth: one without a e m so y b e d a Any loan m this means you – ' le b a e rc fo n licence is 'une pay it back. to e d a m e b y ll a cannot leg Myth: Loan shar ks are providing a rea sonably priced ser vice to people who need it. Truth: A loan from a lo an shar k is, on ave three times the cost of the sam rage, e loan from someone opera ting legally. Inte rest rates of between 8,000 % and 117,000 % have been uncovered.
Your top 10 standards March 2010
1
We aim to carry out emergency repairs within 24 hours of being reported Target: 98% | Actual: 97%
2
We aim to carry out urgent repairs within five days of being reported Target: 96% | Actual: 93%
3
We aim to carry out non-urgent repairs within 42 days of being reported Target: 92% | Actual: 92%
Service Standards performance Our Service Standards set out the level of service you can expect to receive from us. These standards have been agreed with tenants. We have more than 60 standards, which we monitor closely to make sure we do what we say.
4
We aim to answer your telephone calls within 30 seconds (10 rings) Target: 60% | Actual: 55%
5
We aim to deal with your complaints within 10 working days Target: 100% | Actual: 60%
6
We aim to respond to Category 1 (urgent) anti-social behaviour reports within one working day Target: 90% | Actual: 95%
7
We aim to respond to Category 2 (serious) anti-social behaviour reports within five working days Target: 90% | Actual: 99%
8
We aim to carry out a home visit within six weeks of you moving into your new home
☺ ☺ ☺
Target: 100% | Actual: Information available in June
We asked you to choose the top 10 standards that matter to you most. These standards, and how we are doing against them, are set out here. There is also information on our website. For more information, contact the Service Development team on 0345 2000 102, or email: housing@northtyneside.gov.uk
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We aim to remove racist or offensive graffiti within one working day of it being reported to us Target: 100% | Actual: 94%
10
We aim to give tenants a minimum of 21 days written notice before improvement works start in their home Target: 100% | Actual: Information available in June
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Changes ahead to
area housing forums Area Housing Forums are being reorganised to give tenants a bigger voice on local housing issues. The changes follow a review of the forums carried out with councillors and tenants. There are four area housing forums, covering North Shields,Wallsend,Whitley Bay and the North West area. In the past, tenant membership of the forums was restricted to elected tenants representatives. Unfortunately, there has never been enough people to fill this role, and only small numbers of tenants took part. In the future, the forums will be opened up to allow tenants involved in service development groups to become members alongside councillors.The tenants’ main role will be to bring their experience of being an involved tenant to the discussions. Tenants would not be expected to represent all tenants in their area. In addition, all tenants will be encouraged to attend their local meetings and raise issues under a ‘Tenant Talkback’ item on the agenda.
Training programme Summer 2010 How your rent is spent Tuesday, June 29, 10am –1pm Quadrant East (room 4.01)
Finding a home Friday, July 2, 10am –1pm Quadrant West (room 1.70)
Understanding the differences Thursday, July 8, 10am –1pm Quadrant East (room 2.27)
DIY Tuesday, July 13, 5.30pm – 7pm Wallsend B&Q store
Making the most of your repairs service Thursday, August 19, 10am –1pm Kier North Tyneside, Killingworth
Anti-social behaviour awareness
Each forum will also have a small budget to carry out carry out small environmental improvement schemes to benefit residents.
Wednesday, September 8, 10am –1pm Quadrant West (room 2.27)
Ian Conway, Head Of North Tyneside Homes, said:“More and more of you are helping us to improve housing services across the borough through our involvement activities and events.
Gardening
“These new arrangements for the area housing forums will make it easier for you to take part in discussions about your housing services at a local level.” Meetings will take place every three months and will be widely advertised. If you would like more information about the new arrangements, and how you can get involved, contact us on (0191) 643 7749 or email getinvolved@northtyneside.gov.uk
Tuesday, September 14, 5.30pm – 7pm Wallsend B&Q store
Booking is essential. Please contact the involvement team for more information on (0191) 643 7749.
It’s the event everyone is talking about …
The 2010 Gold Ticket Event Tuesday 27 July | 9.30am to 3pm 8
For more information, contact the Involvement team on (0191) 643 7749 or email: getinvolved@northtyneside.gov.uk
Tenant
Talkback Magda Kirtley When and how did you become involved? y 2009 I attended the Better Homes Exhibition at the White Swan Centre in Januar Housing and said I was interested in being involved. I was then invited to attend the about Investment Panel. It sounded very interesting, as I’d be able to find out more much improvements. I’d only been a tenant for two years, so I didn’t really know about how housing services worked.
How have you been involved? choices I am on the Housing Investment Panel and the Product Panel looking at the Better available to tenants when work is done in their homes. I helped out at the Homes Exhibition this year. We I joined the Involvement Group after they produced the Tenant Compact. ’ work groups ment consider how we can involve tenants, look at how all the involve meeting for and measure the outcomes in the Tenant Compact. I recently chaired this they’re once s tenant by the first time, as the council want all the groups to be chaired group proper ly up and running.The experience wasn’t too bad, as I knew all the members. we are still I am also on the Value for Money panel. This group has only met twice so working out our remit. useful and I also attended a session on how your rent is spent. This session was very mend all recom highly I really helped me to understand where our rent money goes. tenants to attend this session.
Venue: Langdale Centre, Langdale Gardens Wallsend, NE28 0HG There will be a free shuttle bus from Howdon Metro Buffet lunch and child care will be provided Booking is essential and your invitation is included with this issue of Housing Matters. Please detach the tear off slip and return it to us by 12 July. We expect the event to be popular and we may have more people wanting to come along than places available. We will let you know whether or not we can offer you a place by Friday 16 July.
What difference has being involved made to you? I have a much better understanding of how the housing service works. I have met a lot of very nice people, both tenants and council staff.When I first started going to the meetings, I said very little until I had a better understanding of what my role was. Now I am happy to chip in with my thoughts and consider other tenants’ views to improve services for us all. Basic travelling expenses are paid on the day of the meeting or taxis are organised for us.Tea and coffee are always provided.
Do you think your involvement is making a difference to services and what has been achieved since you have been involved? I feel quite strongly that the council are listening to tenants and acting on what we say. Tenants are making a difference to the Better Homes service by having a say in the new choices available in paint, wall and floor tiles and kitchen units. We have helped other tenants at the events and have also reviewed all the letters sent out and the booklets about home improvements, to ensure that everyone will understand them.Tenants are also involved in staff training and the Gold Ticket Events.
The day will include:
A range of fun activities for al l ages. A chance to m ee from North Tyn t officers e and discuss issu side Homes es involving yo ur home and neig hbourhood. Some useful in formation to take away.
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At your service! In recent months, a new independent watchdog has been looking out for your interests. The Tenant Services Authority (TSA), which took over as the new regulator for social housing in April, aims to make sure you get a fair deal from your landlord.
Tenants Together Fund
New standards The TSA has set out standards that it expects all social landlords to meet. These cover the standard of your home, your tenancy agreement, your community and neighbourhood, and value for money.Tenant empowerment is at the heart of all these standards.This means we have to show we are giving you a real and meaningful say in how your housing services are run.
Local service offers Landlords must discuss and agree with tenants how these standards might be tailored to meet local priorities. These are called ‘local offers’. We have to introduce the local offers you would like to see by April 1, next year. We welcome the TSA’s emphasis on tenant empowerment and we are already working hard to involve more and more of you in discussions and decisions about your housing service.
Making a difference There are lots of different ways you can get involved. More than 1,000 of you took part in involvement activities during the last year and over 130 are part of our service development groups that meet us regularly to discuss how housing services are delivered and identify improvements. Your involvement so far has helped bring about many improvements, including new service standards, improved letters and leaflets for tenants, more choices for tenants getting improvements, a new witness support scheme and more help during improvement work. Over the next few months, we will be discussing local service offers through the service development groups and other involvement events and activities.We will set out our plan for developing the offers and our performance against the TSA standards in an annual report published in October. In the meantime, if you would like to know more about the TSA, or how to get involved, contact the Involvement team.
Are you part of a Tenants and Residents group? Are you interested in getting a new group started? A new Tenants Together Fund has been set up to encourage more council tenants to join tenants and residents associations. The fund can help groups with running costs such as paying for meeting rooms, crèches, leaflets and stationery. It can also pay for activities to get more people involved in your group. The amounts can vary, depending on the needs of your group but most groups will be able to get around £150. Contact the Involvement team on
(0191) 643 7749 or email:
getinvolved@northtyneside.gov.uk 10
Bridging the generation gap In our last edition, we featured a group of youngsters from Seaton Burn who carried out some junior estate walkabouts to improve their local environment.
Rene Ferguson, 87, from Wideopen, said:“I think it’s a great idea that the children have come in to speak to us.
Now they’re branching out and have been trying to bridge the generation gap by meeting older residents at the Chapelville sheltered housing scheme.
If anyone under 16 would like to get involved in their community, please contact the Involvement team on (0191) 643 7744.
Callum Bothwick, 13, from Seaton Burn, was one of the youngsters that took part.
“Young people today often get a bad reputation but it’s only a few that give the rest a bad name.”
He said:“I really enjoyed the day. It’s interesting to come and chat to people who have lived through things I’ve only learnt about in school. “They’ve told us stories about what it was like when they were young, and compared it to what we are doing now. “I think it’s fun for them too because they get to talk to people who are not the same age as the people they normally live with.”
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Listening to what you have to say We welcome all your views and comments. Your feedback helps us to shape and improve our services We have a range of ways of gathering your views – here are just a few.
Formal • • • • •
Service development groups Gold ticket events VMS Surveys STATUS surveys and residents surveys Formal complaints
Informal • • • •
Telephone calls Emails Letters Face-to-face discussions in our offices and on our estates
We look at all the comments we receive and take all your views into consideration. This means we get to know what you like about our services, so we can do more of this. We can also see the things that you aren’t happy about. We can then do something to avoid other customers having the same experience. If you have something to say about our services, either good or bad, please contact the Service Development team on 0345 2000 102.
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Aged 13-19 and want to find out about activities over the Summer? There are cool and interesting youth sessions in your area. Staffed by qualified youth workers, they offer all sorts of activities, including DJ’ing, graffiti art, team sports, arts, music, advice and support, somewhere safe to hang out, and much more. This is just a taster of what’s going on in North Tyneside. If you want more details or to find out what else might be on offer, get in touch with the North Tyneside Families Information Service by calling 0345 2000 108 or drop into your local sports centre or youth club. For more information on your local youth club, contact the North Tyneside Youth Service in your area: North West South West North East South East
(0191) 643 7334 (0191) 287 8618 (0191) 643 8710 (0191) 643 2372
Check out the council website at www.northtyneside.gov.uk or our Facebook group What’s for me in North Tyneside
Transforming our Orlit homes Orlit homes are houses that were built in 1948 and mainly constructed from concrete. North Tyneside owns 168 Orlit homes across North Shields and Shiremoor. While Orlits are structurally safe and sound, we needed to improve the energy efficiency and external weatherproofing, and give them a facelift. The solution – a ‘brick slip’ system that transforms the Orlit to look like a traditional brick-built home. By adding extra insulation, we also save Orlit tenants around £235 per year in heating costs. To transform these homes will take us approximately three years and will cost around £4.6m. Work started on phase one in North Shields in November 2009 and was completed last month. The before and after pictures show the difference the work has made. Phase two started in Shiremoor in April and should be finished by the end of this year. To complete the scheme, phase three will start in October and is due to be finished by next summer.
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d a e h a r yea
Planning for the
We are planning even more improvements to our service and have set these out in our Service Business Plan 2010-13, which can be downloaded from our website. We are paying particular attention to those areas that you have told us are a high priority for you, including: •
Working with Kier North Tyneside to get a faster, more responsive repair service.
•
Reducing the number of empty homes and the time taken to let them.
•
Helping to put more money in your pockets by improving the energy efficiency of your homes, helping you get all of the benefits you are entitled to and working on initiatives to create more jobs.
•
Spending more than £39m on improving council homes across the borough.
•
Agreeing a local service offer – setting out the standards of service you can expect from us.
Services inspected The Audit Commission last month inspected the council’s housing services. 14
We are now waiting for the results to find out the areas where we are performing well and our weaker areas, where we can improve. We will tell you about the key findings in the next issue of Housing Matters.
s w e n
Leaseholders Our recent leaseholder forum and drop-in session proved to be a success. Here are some of the comments from the leaseholders who attended . . .
“I found the staff helpful and informative. It was nice to put faces to names. They listened, advised and were sympathetic to various minor problems.” “I found the drop-in session very useful. It answered the questions I did not know.” “The session was handy to drop in for queries and the staff were friendly and helpful.The leaseholder handbook is useful for reference.”
Help us to help you who completed a ‘help ne yo er ev to u yo k an th A big ese surveys are very us to help you’ survey. Th n understand your needs important to us so we ca ices. better and tailor our serv er s; Mr Christianson inn w ky luc r ou to ns io lat Congratu 5 d Mrs James who won £2 who won £50 and Mr an hers in our prize draw. uc vo t ee str h hig of th or w
ete a survey, If you would like to compl ailing you can request one by em gov.uk housing@northtyneside. 643 7740. or by calling us on (0191)
Leaseholders did you said, we you said
Kier North Tyneside vans are often parked inconsiderately.
we did
Drivers have been reminded to be more considerate when they park and not to block access.
you said
It would be useful to have more drop-in sessions on a six-monthly basis.
we did
The next drop-in session will be held on Thursday, August 19 at Howdon Community Centre, between 10am and noon.
you said
Tree roots are causing potential problems to the foundations.
we did
An inspection has been arranged to find out the extent of the damage and to determine remedial action.
you said we did
Communal lights were not working.
A repair to the lighting has been requested.
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It’s
S ’ D L I CH
A team of play rangers will be hard at work during the summer weekends – leading a range of activities at parks throughout the borough. The team will be providing activities for children and young people (aged 8 to 13) including badge-making, card-making, painting and modelling.They will also be supervising sports such as football, cricket, volleyball and skipping.
Under-8s are welcome but need supervising by a responsible adult who is over 16. The sessions are due to take place in all weather (unless extreme!) and therefore children should be aware it could be hot, cold, wet or muddy! See the play rangers timetable for events at a park near you. The venues are staffed between 1pm and 7pm, however, children are free to come and go as they please.
p
Killingworth Lake Park Howdon Park Springfield Park Churchill Playing Fields Richardson Dees Park Norham Playsite
For more details on the play ranger sessions or the summer playschemes, contact Dawn Murray or Steve Thompson on (0191) 643 8382/8383 or email: steve.thompson@northtyneside.gov.uk or dawn.murray@northtyneside.gov.uk 16
Whitley Park Tynemouth Park Northumberland Park
! y a l Sun, July 25; Sun Aug 29 Sun, June 27; Sat, July 31; Sat,Aug 21 Sat, July 3; Sun,Aug 1; Sat, Sept 11 Sun, July 4; Sun, Sept 12
SUMMER
PLAYSCHEMES Do you struggle to keep the kids amused in the summer holidays? There are a number of playschemes running between August 2 and 27 for young people aged between 8 and 13. (Again, under-8s are welcome but must be accompanied by a responsible adult, who is 16 or over.) The playschemes offer a wide range of activities including arts and crafts, sports and team games, swimming, bell boating, wall climbing and bowling, as well as a new ultimate sports craze street/urban surfing. There are also trips and outings to local attractions. At only 50p per day, for each child, it’s a great way for young people to get active or learn something new! The schemes run from 10am to 3pm with a supervised lunch break between noon and 1pm (lunch is not provided). A parent or carer must complete a consent form on the first day a child attends a playscheme. Please note: playschemes operate on an open access policy whereby children are free to leave if they choose. There are schemes running at various locations across North Tyneside, so there’s bound to be something happening near you. To find out more, contact the council’s Play & Urban Games section (see details opposite).
Sat, July 10; Sun,Aug 22 Sun, July 11; Sat,Aug 14 Sat, July 17; Sun,Aug 15; Sat,Aug 28
Family Fundayyside Centre
Sun, July 18; Sat,Aug 7; Sat, Sept 4
Thursday, August 19 ) (between 11am and 2pm
Sat, July 24; Sun,Aug 8; Sun, Sept 5
at the
Rising Sun Countr
nal Children’s Playday’ io at ‘N s te ra leb ce t en ev This free es and entertainer s as and includes bouncy castl and games. well as ar ts, crafts, spor ts
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Funding boost for CAB will help more people North Tyneside Citizens Advice Bureau is expanding its debt advice service to meet increased demand as a result of the recession.
Last year, North Tyneside CAB advised clients with a collective debt of more than £26m, of which almost £4.5m was written off.
A new full-time debt caseworker has joined the existing team of seven debt advisers at the bureau.
CAB director Mark Almond said:“The recession has had a big impact in North Tyneside and we have seen a sharp increase in demand for advice on debt and other related issues.
The new service is being set up with money from the Northern Rock Foundation to fund face-to-face and telephone debt advice for people in financial crisis in the North East. The new debt adviser will help the bureau deal with the extra demand for its service, resulting from the recession.
“This much-needed funding boost will help us to reach more people who are struggling and make sure they get the practical and personalised advice they need.” The North Tyneside Debt Hotline is available Monday to Friday, 10am to 3pm. Telephone (0191) 270 4485.
Are you missing out on help with your rent payments? Did you know that you may still be entitled to Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit if you work, have private pensions or capital in the bank?
Don’t miss out -
check it out!
EXAMPLE Rose and John are a retired couple.They live in a council bungalow and pay £75 per week, and £989.93 per year Council Tax. They live on £250 per week, which is made up of state pensions and a private pension.
on the Use the benefit calculator uld qualify website to see if you wo /benefits www.northtyneside.gov.uk low to Return the tear-off slip be u. claim and we’ll contact yo
They have £10,000 capital in the bank that doesn’t affect their entitlement, as we ignore up to £10,000 of capital for pensioners. Rose and John qualify for more than £61 per week Housing Benefit and almost £15 per week Council Tax Benefit.
Ref: Housing Matters Campaign
Address
18
Contact number
Please return to North Tyneside Council Freepost RSAE-SHKR-JCKS Newcastle upon Tyne NE27 0BY
✁
Name
Free tools up for grabs!
Ever wanted to do a few odd jobs in the garden but just don’t have the right tools to do it? Well now help is at hand with our new tool loan scheme.
What is it?
What happens next?
The garden tool loan scheme is our new initiative to help you to maintain your garden. We know that equipment and tools can be expensive, so this is a way for you to get help to keep your garden clean and tidy.
Once your form has been received and approved, we will contact you to arrange the delivery of your tools.
North Tyneside Homes Garden Tool Loan Scheme Loan Request Form
Who can apply? Anyone over the age of 18 who can use the equipment can apply to the scheme.
How much does it cost? Nothing! This scheme is free of charge
What can you loan? We have 5 packs of tools available to loan. Each pack contains: • • • • • • • • • •
Electric lawnmower Electric strimmer Garden spade Garden fork Hand shears Soil rake Dutch hoe Loppers Extension cable Circuit breakers
How long can I keep the tools?
Name
All of the tools are loaned out for five days. We will drop them off usually on a Wednesday, between 9am and noon, and pick them up the following Monday.
Address
Do I have to be in to receive the tools? Yes. We cannot leave the tools at your home. When the tools are delivered, we need to explain how to use the equipment safely.You will be given safety documents and you must sign up to the terms and conditions.
How do I know the tools are safe?
Postcode
We carry out safety checks on the equipment before they are loaned out. Staff have completed all the necessary Health & Safety training.
Telephone Number
You can loan: • A full pack including all of the above • An electrical tools pack (lawnmower and strimmer only) • A non-electrical tools pack (all tools except lawnmower and strimmer).
I would require:
How do I apply?
A full pack (Lawnmower, strimmer, spade, fork, hand shears, soil rake, hoe, loppers, extension cable)
Simply fill out a loan request form. You can get a copy of this by:
Lawnmower and strimmer only
• Calling the Estate Caretaking Team on (0191) 643 7515. • Picking one up from your local customer service centre. • Contacting your local Patch team. • Downloading a copy from our website.
Referral taken by:
Date:
✁
Return your completed form to a customer service centre or post it to Tool Loan Scheme, 44-46 Victoria Terrace,Whitley Bay, NE26 2QW
Non-electrical items only
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Fire safety IN YOUR HOME What to do if there is a fire in your home: • • • • •
Close the door to the room where the fire is located Alert other people in your home Leave the premises and close the door behind you Remain at the front of the building so that you can direct the fire brigade to the floor with the fire Dial 999 and ask for the fire service
As a resident, you can help to avoid the risk of fire by: • • • •
Remember not to tackle the fire yourself.
•
What to do if you live in a flat with communal areas:
• •
•
•
Stay in your flat until you receive further instruction – it is designed to prevent fire spreading and stairwells can become filled with smoke Keep all doors and windows closed
Checking smoke alarms regularly Not storing flammable materials, like large amounts of paper in your flat or communal areas Not blocking escape routes with bulky items Not wedging fire doors open – they must remain closed to prevent the spread of smoke and fire Not leaving cookers unattended when using the hob Not using chip fat frying pans Not storing petroleum gas or paraffin
This information has been prepared by North Tyneside Homes in conjunction with Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service.
Pay your rent and win £250 The Clear Rent Account scheme is a great incentive for you to keep a clear rent account. Every quarter, we hold a draw of all clear accounts, with £250 going to the lucky winner.
20
Housing Income Officer Joanne Murray presented the cheque to the winner of the April draw; Mrs Whinney from Percy Main. Mrs Whinney was delighted with winning and said:“I am really happy to win the money and I am going to spend it on some kitchen improvements”.
Red hot partnership Your home will be safer from fire - thanks to a partnership between Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service and North Tyneside Homes. The fire service has trained 25 gas fitters from Kier North Tyneside to install the smoke alarms and to show you how to test them once they have been fitted. The initiative will see more than 4,000 homes become safer over the next 18 months. As part of our annual programme of gas safety inspections, we fit a smoke alarm if you haven’t already got one. Every year, we also check the systems already in place in more than 10,000 homes. Trevor Tague, of Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service, said: "We're delighted to be working with North Tyneside Homes on this project. “It makes sense to join forces and train the staff who are already going into these homes.The relationship they have with the occupiers, and the fact they will be returning on an annual basis to check gas fittings, will bring real benefits. “It means smoke alarms can be maintained regularly, in addition to staff encouraging occupiers to test them weekly.” He added there was no doubt that a working smoke alarm could make the difference between life and death - giving occupiers an early warning of fire and vital minutes to escape. “You are twice as likely to die in a house fire if you don’t have a smoke alarm,” he said.“Our aim is that every household in Tyne and Wear should have one fitted - this scheme is another example of our innovative approach to achieving this aim." Ian Conway, Head of North Tyneside Homes, said:“We take the health and safety of our tenants seriously. “Not only do we ensure gas appliances are serviced to reduce the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning but we can also help improve fire safety at the same time. “The partnership with Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service is great news for our tenants and it makes perfect sense fitting the smoke alarms while our gas fitters are in the home anyway.”
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S U P L E H TO CATCH
THE CHEATS The government launched the fir st national crackdown on tenancy cheats last November. Tenancy cheats are people who earn thousands of pounds a year by illegally subletting the ir homes, charging high rents. Often those occupying the sublet homes do not know about the fraud. We have been awarded £30,000 to tac kle housing fraud. Working in par tnership with Your Ho mes Newcastle and Gateshead Housing Company, we wil l set up a joint fraud hotline for the Tyne & Wear region. A dedicated housing fraud officer wil l also work closely with the revenues and benefits team, housing patch teams, local housing associations and Kier North Tyneside to tackle housing cheats. Fraud can include: • Giving false information to get an offer of housing. • Not telling us something you should have done to get an offer of housing. • 'Sub-letting' the whole of your ho me to somebody else (this is not the same as taking in a lodger). • Remaining in a proper ty after a ten ant has left or died. In some cases there is a right to 'succeed' to a tenancy, but this only applies where cer tain conditions are met and we have been made aw are of this. • Paying money to someone to per suade them to exchange homes with you. If you are worried that you may have already unintentionally done one of the things listed above, you should contact us immediately.
Play your part Public tip-offs are vital – half of all ho mes recovered from cheats are done so afte r tip-offs from neighbours.The governme nt is offering a reward of £500 to anyone whose information leads to the recovery of one of the first 1,000 homes. Spotting the signs • Are you suspicious because the ten ants of a proper ty keep changing? • Does someone come to collect ren t from your neighbours? • Do you know that someone has giv en false information on a housing application? • Does someone own another home that we don’t know about? We have already had four anonymou s tip-offs from the public. Housing patch teams are checking who are living in these proper ties and who are the legal ten ants. As this initiative develops, we will tell you how many proper ties we recover. To report someone, or a proper ty wh ere you believe illegal sub-letting is taking place, you can contact us anonymously, and in confidence, by phoning the 24-hour Fra ud Hotline on (0191) 643 2300 or emailin g housing@northtyneside.gov.uk We will investigate and take the necess ary action.
Remember – if caugh t, tenancy cheats will 22
lose their tenancy!
R E D IN F E M O H E ID S E N NORTH TY
the low down North Tyneside Homefinder – the scheme that gives you more choice in where you live – has been operating for just over four months. We currently have 4,097 people signed up to the scheme. 2500
Number of people signed up 1951
2000 1551
1500 1000 581 500 0
50 Band 1
Band 2
Band 3
Band 4
Since January, we have had more than 24,000 expressions of interest, with 17,800 of these going through the North Tyneside Homefinder website – a staggering 89 per cent. While the web is quick and easy, there are a number of other ways to express your interest if you can’t get to a computer. • By telephoning our 24-hour multi-language automated line on 0845 230 4367 • Via text message to 07781 486 808 • By calling the North Tyneside Homefinder team on 0345 2000 102 All you need is your housing registration reference number, your PIN number and the property reference of the home you’re interested in.
160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0
Number of people rehoused 140 120
47
46
Band 1
Band 2
Band 3
Band 4
In total, we have rehoused more than 350 housing applicants. The chart above shows the number of people and their different bands. Just over half of those rehoused have been in bands 3 and 4. So it just goes to show, even if you are placed in one of the lower bands, it doesn’t mean there’s no hope of being successful in getting a home. It all depends on the kind of home you are looking for, and what expressions of interest are made by others. You can see the priority of successful applicants for recently-let homes on the website and in the weekly newsletter available in customer service centres. The North Tyneside Homefinder scheme doesn’t just advertise homes with the council. We have also advertised 77 homes on behalf of our 12 Housing Association partners, such as Home Housing Group and Riverside.
Are you 60 or over and looking to rent a home in North Tyneside?
We have sheltered housing available now Sheltered accommodation can provide a wide range of support to meet your needs. We currently have a number of sheltered homes available across the borough. If you would like more information, please contact us on (0191) 643 7681 or email: nthomefinder@northtyneside.gov.uk
23
Rechargeable repairs -
it’s pay back time! Your Tenancy Agreement says that you must keep your home clean, tidy and in a good state of repair. If you cause any damage to your home or its fittings (beyond general wear and tear), leave your home, garden or garage in a state of disrepair or leave behind rubbish or any belongings when you move out, we will do the work that’s required to fix it but will charge you for it. This is known as a rechargeable repair.
What will be recharged?
Effects of recharging
• Unauthorised alterations Apart from decorating, you must have written permission before starting any alterations or improvements to your home. It is important to check before you move to find out if you are expected to leave any alterations or improvements in place or whether you are expected to return the property to its original condition. • Moving out When you end your tenancy, your housing officer will explain your responsibilities. You must not leave any rubbish or belongings behind. The council will also recharge you for any repairs that are your responsibility. • Emergency repairs If emergency repairs are necessary due to deliberate damage, vandalism, neglect or botched DIY, the council will carry out the repair and recharge you. • Garages Garages must only be used for the storage of a motor vehicle.The cost of any clearance or repair work due to misuse will be recharged.
If necessary, legal action will be taken to recover recharge debts.You will be warned before any legal action is taken.
Tips on how you can avoid being recharged • Always report repairs and keep your property in a good state of repair. • Know your responsibilities as explained in your Tenancy Agreement. • Seek written permission from your housing officer before making any alterations. • Clean and clear your property before leaving (including floor coverings), do not leave any rubbish in your garden or outhouses or sheds. • Remember non-payment of recharges can result in court proceedings.
24
Your ability to transfer or exchange to alternative accommodation, or buy your home, may also be affected.
Payment methods Once you receive your invoice, you can pay for rechargeable repairs using any of the methods listed below: • Cash, cheque or debit card payment at any customer service centre. • Debit card payments via our website – www.northtyneside.gov.uk • By phone on 0345 2000 102. • Bank standing order. • Swipe card payments, where you see the PayPoint sign. • Cheque payment by post (made payable to North Tyneside Council).
Good Neighbour Awards 2010 Last year, we had a fantastic response to the awards and celebrated the winner’s community spirit at the Gold Ticket Event. It’s easy to get caught up in our own lives but when you need some help it’s reassuring to know you can rely on your neighbours. We would like you to tell us about yours. If you know an unsung hero whose kindness has made a real difference to your life, or that of another neighbour, why not show them how much you appreciate what they’re doing by nominating them for a Good Neighbour Award. Winners will receive £100 worth of High Street vouchers, with runners up taking home £50. Nominate and you could also win a £50 High Street voucher. Here are the categories . . .
GOO NEIG D HB
a wa rd s
OUR
Get nom your inatio ns in by July 5 Appl icatio on p n form age 2 6
Young Person of the Year Award For a tenant or leaseholder, under 25, who has: • • • •
Made a positive difference to their neighbourhood or Made a positive contribution to promoting the views of young people or Overcome personal barriers to achieve success or Shown a commitment to intergenerational work.
Good Neighbour Award For a tenant or leaseholder who has: • Gone “over and above” what a neighbour would normally do or • Always been on hand to help a neighbour or • Been a good neighbour
Community Award For a tenant or leaseholder who has: • Encouraged the community to come together or • Encouraged residents to have a sense of pride in their community or • Promoted an initiative that has made the community safer, healthier and/or greener or • Worked on a project to benefit residents financially
The rules • All nominees must live in one of our homes. • Anyone can nominate. • You can make as many nominations as you like. • An individual or group can be nominated for more than one category. • There is no age limit (except the Young Person of the Year award where entrants must be under 25).
Judging A panel of tenants and staff will decide winning nominees. There will be one winner and runner-up in each category.
25
Nominate a good neighbour
GOO D
a wa rd s
NEIG HBO UR
Category in which you wish to nominate: Young Person of the Year Award Good Neighbour Award Community Award
Name and address of the person you are nominating (All persons nominated must live in one of our homes.)
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Your details Name Address Telephone no If you require any further information about the Good Neighbour awards, please contact the Involvement Team on (0191) 643 7749. Return completed forms to: Involvement Team, North Tyneside Homes, Quadrant West (2nd Floor),The Silverlink North, Cobalt Business Park, North Tyneside, NE27 0BY Or email: getinvolved@northtyneside.gov.uk
26
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spic and span! Our ‘clean-up’ days are proving to be a huge success. Many of you are now joining us on our estate walkabouts and helping to identify areas that need extra attention. These ‘hotspots’ are then targeted on our clean-up days. One of the clean-up squad, said:“The clean-up days are a great way for us to see how we can make a big difference to people’s neighbourhoods in a short space of time.” So far, we have carried out 12 clean-up days and have taken away more than 52 tonnes of rubbish. Here are some of the comments from residents who have recently had a clean-up day in their area:
“An absolutely great idea. It worked really well.” “The effort made to improve the estate has made a big difference.” “A great service. It’s quick and easy to phone with your issues.” Why not help to improve your area, and join us on an estate walkabout? Now we have introduced maps on our website, click on any walkabout and see the streets it includes. See pages 28 to 30 for upcoming dates. 27
Join us on a tour Walkabouts are a great opportunity for you to point out the things that you think need tackling in your area. They are held every three months. Join our staff as they go on a tour. The name of the estate is followed by the place to meet. If you are unsure which estate walkabout your street is in, please contact your local housing office (see numbers below) and they will be able to tell you.
North East estate walkabouts Whitley Bay and Shiremoor - (0191) 643 7591 Month
Date
Time
Estate
Starting Location
June
Thurs 29
noon
Parks
Spar Store – Park Lane
Thurs 29
1pm
Grange
1 Grange Avenue
Thurs 8
10am
Wellfield
Otterburn Court
Tues 13
1pm
Whitley Bay town centre
Margaret Road Roundabout
Thurs 15
10am
Backworth
Eccles Court
Thurs 15
11am
Castle Park
1 Killingworth Avenue
Wed 21
11am
Cullercoats Village
Community Centre – Bell Vue Street
Thurs 29
10am
Hillheads
Kingsley Avenue / Hillheads Road
Thurs 5
1pm
Monkseaton
Roseberry Court
Thurs 12
10am
Moorside
Pryce Ryte Store – Station Road
Tues 17
1pm
Broadway
1 Whittingham Close
Tues 24
10am
Seatonville
Roker Avenue / Hillheads Road
Thurs 2
1pm
Marden
Kirklinton Road / Hartington Road
Tues 7
10am
Parks
Spar Store – Park Lane
Tues 7
11am
Grange
1 Grange Avenue
Thurs 9
10am
Murton
Sherwood
Thurs 9
10.30am
West Allotment
Cheviot View
Thurs16
10am
Shiremoor – Brenkley Avenue
Health Centre – Brenkley Avenue
Thurs 16
noon
Shiremoor – Lesbury Avenue
Shiremoor Chippy – Lesbury Avenue
Thurs 23
1pm
Beaumont Park
Clifton Court
Tues 28
1pm
Wellfield
Otterburn Court
July
August
September
North West estate walkabouts Annitsford, Dudley, Fordley, Seaton Burn and Wideopen - (0191) 643 7620 Month
Date
Time
Estate
Starting Location
July
Tues 6
10am
Annitsford
1 Bridge Cottages, Annitsford
Thurs 15
5pm
Dudley
1 Weetslade Road, Dudley
Tues 20
2pm
Fordley
1 Fern Drive, Dudley
Thurs 29
10am
Seaton Burn
1 Oak Street, Seaton Burn
Tues 3
5pm
Wideopen
2 Gray Avenue, Wideopen
Thurs 12
5pm
Burradon/Camperdown
1 Allanville, Camperdown
Tues 17
2pm
West Bailey, Killingworth
1 Deepdale Gardens, Killingworth
Thurs 26
10am
East Bailey, Killingworth
1 Garth 20, Killingworth
August
28
Join us on a tour continued North West estate walkabouts Benton, Longbenton, Fairways and Forest Hall - (0191) 643 7632 Month
Date
Time
Estate
Starting Location
July
Thurs 8
10am
West Farm Avenue (1)
1 Chesters Court
Tues 13
10am
Goathland (1)
Block 68 – 78 Hailsham Avenue (flats)
Thurs 22
10am
Lansdowne/Granville Ave/Hillary/ Granville Dr
12 Granville Avenue (Bungalows)
August
September
Tues 3
10am
West Farm Avenue West (2)
1 Kingsdale Road
Thurs 12
2pm
Goathland (2) & Fairways
11 Ashleigh Grove
Tues 17
10am
Clousden Hill/Rocket Way
2 Ivy Road
Thurs 9
2pm
West Farm Avenue (3)
2 Charnwood Avenue
Tues14
10am
Balliol/Glebe/Lynholm Grove
2 Albert Terrace
Thurs 23
10am
Palmersville/Holystone
1 Palm Court
South East estate walkabouts Meadow Well - (0191) 643 7720 Month
Date
Time
Estate
Starting Location
July
Thurs 8
9.30am
North Meadow Well
Avon Avenue shops
Thurs 29
9.30am
Percy Main & East Howdon
Junction of Burdon Street & Brunton Street
August
Thurs 19
9.30am
Minton Lane
Outside Riverside Centre
September
Thurs 23
9.30am
South Meadow Well
Outside 18 Banbury Way
North Shields - (0191) 643 7929 Month
Date
Time
Estate
Starting Location
July
Thurs 1
9.45am
Chirton
2 Simpson Street
Tues 6
9.45am
Alwinton Avenue
Junction of Alwinton Avenue & Whitehouse Lane
Thurs 8
9.45am
New York & Guisborough Drive
1 Guisborough Drive
Tues 13
9.45am
Balkwell 2
Junction of Heaton Terrace & The Quadrant
Mon 19
9.45am
Greenlea
Junction of Adderstone Gardens & Warenton Place
Thurs 22
9.45am
North Shields Town Centre
Morgan House
Tues 3
9.45am
Norham Road North
Junction of Norham Road North & Darras Drive
Thurs 5
9.45am
West Chirton 1
1 Craster Road
Wed 11
9.45am
Tynemouth & East End of North Shields
Spanish Battery
Tues 17
9.45am
Preston Village
Argyle Place
Mon 23
9.45am
Garrick Close & Phoenix Chase
Junction of Garrick Close & Drury Lane
Thurs 26
9.45am
Barnstaple Road
1 Barnstaple Road
Tues 7
9.45am
West Chirton 2
Junction of Wark Avenue & Langley Road
Thurs 9
9.45am
Whitehouse Lane
Junction of Whitehouse Lane & Sherborne Avenue
Tues 14
9.45am
North Shields
Outside Carlton Court
Thurs 16
9.45am
Balkwell 1
2 Central Avenue
Tues 21
9.45am
West Chirton 3
Junction of Chollerford Avenue & Falstaff Road
Tues 28
9.45am
Lynn Estate
Netherton Avenue Shops
August
September
29
Join us on a tour continued South West estate walkabouts Battle Hill and Wallsend - (0191) 643 7690 Month
Date
Time
Estate
June
Wed 30
4.30pm
Hadrian Park, Battle Hill, Coast Road Broadway Court
5.30pm July
August
Wed 7
Following on meet Jolly Bowman car part
4.30pm
Hedley Place and Town Centre
Footpatch leading to 1 Headley Place
5.45pm
and Rawdon Court/Carville Eden
Following on meet outside Eden Court
Wed 14
10am
High Farm North
Chicken Road shops
Wed 4
10am
High Farm South
Bedford Avenue shops
Wed 18
10am
Central Battle Hill and The Dene
Lidl car park
11am September
Starting Location
Wed 8
10am
Following on meet Bude Court Brighton/Bowness/Bodmin
Jolly Bowman car park
Battle Hill Wed 22
10am
Westmorland Estate
Junction Cross Avenue/Strawberry Gardens
Howdon - (0191) 643 7699 Month
Date
Time
Estate
Starting Location
July
Wed 7
5.30pm
Rosehill
Outside Fern Dene on Threap Gardens
Wed 21
5.30pm
Martin Rd/Willington Quay
Corner of Martin Road and Rosehill Bank
Wed 4
5.30pm
Churchill Street
Outside the library
Wed 18
5.30pm
Holy Cross
St Hilda’s Avenue shops
Wed 1
10am
Henley Gardens/Ridley Avenue
Corner of Denbigh Avenue and Windsor Drive
Wed 15
10am
High Howdon
Beal Gardens car park
August September
Communal standard The Living in Flats group has recently drawn up a standard for the cleaning standards in communal areas. Over 1200 tenants and leaseholders living in flats were consulted on the proposed standard. From the responses received, 76% agreed with the standard, 8% disagreed and 16% neither agreed nor disagreed.With a majority agreeing the standard, this has now been put in place and will be monitored.
The Standard • Notice boards will be provided in blocks of flats with eight or more properties • A “Living in Flats” newsletter will be delivered to all tenants and leaseholders of all blocks of flats on a half yearly basis • Annual fire checks will be carried out • Five year painting programme with a choice of colours • Repairs to communal lighting will be carried out within 5 working days – unless it is reported as a health and safety matter when it will be dealt with within 24 hours • Fly tipping will be removed within two working days of it being reported • Rubbish and litter will be removed within two days of it being reported • Inspection of blocks of eight properties or more will be carried out every month to identify any rubbish that needs to be picked up or if communal areas need any additional work. The inspection will identify any repairs that need to be reported along with any Health and Safety issues.
If you have any queries, please call the Estate Caretaking Service on (0191) 643 7515 or if you would like to be involved in the group, contact the Involvement team on (0191) 643 7749.
30
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k cor id n e s’
E A K L G C E S P A D E
E B S B D A A E I R A B
E O N B O I L A C R A B
T O W E L B E E N K L U
E K R A C A R A I N J C
W K T C A F F K C I L K
F I S H A B A G A S S E
K S U S L O C S C H A T
S A N D C A S T L E T N
A B C G U T A T B L C C
N N A E A E T B A L L A
D O N K E Y B N A S D A
Seaside Wordsearch Find all the seaside themed words in the grid above 3 LETTERS BAG HAT SUN 4 LETTERS BALL BOAT BOOK CRAB FISH RAIN SAND 5 LETTERS BEACH SPADE TOWEL 6 LETTERS BUCKET DONKEY PICNIC SHELLS 10 LETTERS SANDCASTLE
Design your own football strip There are lots of countries taking part in the football World Cup this summer and they all wear different football strips. Here is your chance to design your own unique shirt!
Let your imagination takeover, use any colours you like and be as crazy as you want. 31
We can provide Housing Matters in other languages and in different formats, such as large print, Braille or audiotape. For more details, please contact us on: Telephone: (0191) 643 7749 SMS(Text Messages): 07855 417 413 E.mail: getinvolved@northtyneside.gov.uk Hindi
Polish
(0191) 643 7749 07855 417 413
Tel.: (0191) 643 7749 SMS: 07855 417 413
Cantonese
Bengali
(0191) 643 7749 07855 417 413
(0191) 643 7749 07855 417 413
Albanian
Urdu
Ne mund ta ofrojmë këtë informacion në gjuhë të tjera dhe në formate të ndryshme si në shkronja të mëdha, në një formë të shkruari për të verbërit ose në kasetë dëgjimi. Për informacion të mëtejshëm, ju lutem na kontaktoni në Telefon: (0191) 643 7749 SMS(Mesazhe me anë të tekstit): 07855 417 413
(0191) 643 7749 07855 417 413
Russian
Farsi
(0191) 643 7749 07855 417 413
(0191) 643 7749 07855 417 413
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