Key News Spring/Summer 2016

key news Spring/Summer 2016

Summer fun Turn to page 20 to see events in your area

Westcliff developments A first look as work begins on site

Get involved

The latest Panel vacancies

Board pay?

Have your say

A message from Andy Orrey, CEO

2

015 was a difficult year for Ongo Homes with four years of rent reductions to manage and many changes stemming

from the Welfare Reform Policy, which affects 2 in every 3 of our tenants. Despite this, we are pleased with our strong financial performance and even more pleased that your satisfaction with us as a landlord has actually increased. This improved performance comes from the feedback we receive from you.

The many tenant panels we have, including Community Voice, the Resident Scrutiny Panel and our Tenant Inspectors help to provide valuable information for us to continually improve our services and provide a better experience for you. Turn to page 12 & 13 for more information about being involved with our panels.

Last but not least, we’re asking you to vote on some consultation with our Ongo Homes Board members on the idea of paying them a fee for the time and expertise they lend to us.

Have your say and find out more on page 4.

I hope you have a wonderful Spring & Summer.

Andy

A message from Terry Chatwin, Community Voice Vice Chair

P

ride comes in many forms. For me, it’s helping to represent the views of our communities; planting

the seeds towards positive change, and having them appreciated and recognised. Community Voice is designed to help sew those seeds of change; expressing our views to Ongo of what’s been done well for tenants like you and I, what could be improved, and what more Ongo Homes could be doing.

Terry

For the first time ever, Community Voice is open to all Ongo Homes tenants, and I’d really encourage you to come along, even if it’s just to observe what’s been said. If you are interested, call 01724 279900 and ask for the customer engagement team to confirm your place. You can even download previous meeting minutes at www.ongo.co.uk.

2

In this issue 4

Board update

5

In the headlines

6

Join the conversation

8

Money matters

10

VFM savings

11

Housing news

12

Get Involved

14

Cheaper than a takeaway

15

Jobs & Training

16

A word with...

18

Your neighbourhood

20 Events 22

Money matters Check out pages 8 & 9

Get involved

Check out pages 12 & 13

Housing news Check out page 11

Kids corner

23 Wordsearch

Get in touch Call

Contact Centre 01724 279900 Text 07500 077829 Please note that we record all calls for training and research purposes.

Online

visit us at www.ongo.co.uk

(remember to sign up for your do it online account where you can manage your tenancy online)

Facebook www.facebook.com/OngoHomes Twitter @ongoUK or @ongoBear

Pop in

Andy 速

Customer Centre 15-19 Cole Street, Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, DN15 6QY

We are open

Monday 9.00-5.00 Thursday 10.00-5.00 Tuesday 9.00-5.00 Friday 9.00-4.30 Wednesday 9.00-5.00 Saturday 9.00-12.00

3

Board news This is your Board

Y

our Board is a group of highly skilled and experienced people from housing and other professional backgrounds who have the job of making sure Ongo Homes is well run and financially secure.

They also ensure Ongo Homes meets the requirements of the Government’s Homes and Communities Agency (HCA).

The HCA regulates all social housing. Part of their job is to carry out assessments to check that landlords, such as Ongo Homes, are meeting the standards set by them.

During March and April, the HCA will be carrying out a routine assessment of Ongo Homes.

Chair of the Board is Matthew Spittles, who has worked in housing for more than 25 years.

He said:

Our role is to provide assurances,

not just to the HCA, but just as importantly to all our tenants, that Ongo Homes is a strong and safe company which follows the high standards it is set, and consistently delivers value for money and excellent housing and community services.

Your Boar

d

ur Board Find out more about yo bout-ongo www.ongo.co.uk/all-a ard pay.

Share your views on Bo .uk Email: prdept@ongo.co rt, or write to Erika Stodda e, Ongo, Meridian Hous Normanby Road, Scunthorpe, DN15 8QZ.

Your views on Board pay

I

n common with many other professional organisations, and most housing associations, we would like to pay our Board members.

They have a high level of responsibility; not only in governing a financially strong company, but in the personal liability they hold. Their job is getting more complex as they work hard to meet new Government expectations.

We have carried out a lot of research and know that ÂŁ4,000 a year is, on average, the amount paid by others. We would like to offer the same to our Board members and welcome your views.

By paying our Board we can guarantee we attract, and retain, the most skilled and qualified people to safeguard the future of Ongo Homes and lead its continual improvement.

4

IN THE HEADLINES

Generous tenants raise thousands of pounds for charity

S

taff and tenants from Market Hill, Scunthorpe have raised over £2,200 for charity during the last year.

Through events such as Easter, Summer & Christmas raffles, name the polar bear & teddy competitions, a fun day and a cake sale, the Concierge Team and residents have raised £2,213.53. This will be split between Macmillan Cancer Support and Help for Heroes.

Local businesses Clive Smith Butchers and Cook & Co also got involved by donating vouchers for use at their stall in the market.

Each year, the tenants nominate charities they wish to support then events are held to raise as much money as possible. For 2016, money will be raised for NSPCC and Lindsey Lodge Hospice.

Barry Hammond from the Concierge Team said: “It’s great to see so many of our tenants coming together to raise money for such wonderful causes. There is a real community spirit here at Market

Pictured: The Market Hill fun day.

Hill and by raising so much money each year; we are sharing that same spirit with others.

“The residents donate lots of lovely things for the raffles and tombolas throughout the year and local businesses have also got involved too.

We could not do any of this without them so thank you.”

Fundraising started at Market Hill in 2010 and since then £5,500 has been collected for charity.

News in brief Coffee mornings held across the region by Ongo Support staff helped to raise £127.00 for Dementia UK. Ongo staff members have been busy dressing sporty and doing a bake off for Sport Relief at the Meridian House HQ, raising over £130.

Crosby Employment looks back

C

rosby Employment, part of Ongo, looked back on a successful year of securing apprenticeships as part of National Apprenticeship Week, which ran from 14-18 March 2016.

In the last 12 months, Crosby Employment has supported 70 apprentices in apprenticeship schemes across North Lincolnshire. Out of the 23 completed apprenticeships in the last year, 19 have gone on to secure full time employment.

As well as placing young people into apprenticeships, Crosby Employment supports them in completing qualifications relevant to their apprenticeship. Over the last 12 months these have included business administration, housing qualifications, HGV mechanic courses and IT qualifications.

Read more about Crosby Employment on page 15.

5

Join the conversation

We love to hear from you – get in touch with your stories Letter to the Editor

Tenant Ron Bartlett shares with us a touching message.

I am Ron Bartlett, a 29 year old tenant at Ongo Homes. I am a transgender man, and have been for a while now. I confided in my Tenant Support Worker in the very early days, and they helped me to feel ‘normal’, putting me at ease throughout the process and treating me no differently to anyone else. I have even undertaken a 12-week work experience with the Ongo Caretakers; who treated me as one of them. It’s great to work with staff who value equality and diversity so highly, and the support from other tenants has been more than I could have wished for.

Clear up success Clare Robinson says:

I’m really impressed that Ongo have taken my comments on board; the clear up behind Enderby Road shops, next to the park access, is brilliant. I saw the guys there and stopped for a chat and explained what a difference this will make to the surrounding community.

Thank you very much.

Editor Emily Meridian House, Normanby Road, Scunthorpe, DN15 8QZ

@ongoUK

facebook.com/OngoHomes

pinterest.com/ongouk

Sgt. James Main,

Communities Sergeant for the area wrote in to share his top tips for keeping safe: As we have entered the lighter evenings and hopefully signs of the sun, we see an increase in the numbers of sneak-in burglaries.

These types of burglary account for 33% of burglaries recorded and in most cases can be easily avoided.

Please always ensure doors are locked, even when you are in, and windows closed within rooms you are not using. It takes seconds for someone to sneak into your property and quickly remove small items like handbags, purses, wallets or even your vehicle keys.

Awards Ongo has been placed 23rd in the Top 100 not-for-profit companies to work for in the UK. This is our best result following a placing of 39th last year.

For the third year in a row we’ve made it into the Top 100. The Sunday Times newspaper made the announcement at a special ceremony in London in February.

Ongo has been ranked 33 out of 600 organisations for a commitment to equality and diversity and we’ve maintained our Investors in Diversity Accreditation.

We’ve been shortlisted for

a Tenant Participation

Advisory Service (TPAS)

award for Excellence in

Digital Involvement. We’ll

found out soon whether we’ve been successful at an awards ceremony in Manchester. £100,000 has been successfully secured to support 18-24 year olds back into employment or training as part of the Talent Match programme.

The young people will work on a one-to-one basis with an assigned mentor to prepare for interviews, apply for jobs and build confidence.

What’s trending on Ongo social channels Building homes

Brilliant Barton

6

A new name

A new way to contact us

Now you can text us Text 07500 077 829 with your queries, or request a call back.

Texts to this number will be responded to on the same working day, or the next day if sent after 5pm, by a dedicated Customer Advisor.

Please note that texts to this number will be charged at your usual rate. We’re not able to answer calls directly to this number, but to speak to an advisor you should continue to call 01724 279900.

7

Money matters

Rent reductions

S

ome of you will begin to see a weekly saving on your rent from this year, as part of the Government’s latest budget plans to reduce rents by 1% per year, for four years, starting in April 2016.

Those of our tenants who receive either full or partial housing benefit won’t directly benefit.

Although this seems like good news, it means that as a landlord, we face a shortfall against our anticipated income over the next four years. We have made a commitment to continue to invest in excellent homes and services for you as our tenants, and so far we have been able to minimise any reductions in services.

However, it means that we have to look at how we can provide our services more efficiently, which is something we’ve always done as part of our commitment to offering value for money.

Our plan to build 700 new homes over five years has had to be put on hold, but we’re going back to the drawing board to have a rethink.

One of our priorities is not to minimise the support we give our tenants, and any developments which are set to impact on you will be consulted beforehand.

PayPlan

W

e’ve recently been working with PayPlan, a free debt advice service. They provide free debt management plans and help over 100,000 people every year with their money problems. Because we can’t advise on debts, we’ll refer people to PayPlan to do this and we’re looking forward to more partnership working.

Housing Benefit enquiries? Speak to North Lincolnshire Council on 01724 297000.

Financial Inclusion Team

Success stories

O

ur Financial Inclusion Team work hard to ensure that you as tenants are receiving everything that you are entitled to, including extra benefits. These extra benefits can really help towards extra support and ensuring that you have enough money to pay for bills.

One such tenant was supported by the Financial Inclusion Team.

Financial Inclusion Officer - Christine Fowler explains:

I’ve been helping with an elderly couple who were

struggling to manage on a low income and had multiple debts, including high rent arrears. The couple have poor physical health and their money worries had begun to seriously affect their mental health & general wellbeing.

I arranged for them to receive help from the Citizens Advice Bureau to manage their debts, identified the benefits they were missing out on and supported them with their applications.

They have been successfully awarded with: • £95.31pw Housing Benefit • £18.86pw Council Tax Benefit • £5.10pw reduction in Housing Benefit Instalment Recovery • £164.60pw Attendance Allowance • £65.38pw Pension Credit • £560.56 backdated Housing Benefit payment • £849.94 backdated Pension Credit payment • £313.08 Discretionary Housing Payment • A disabled badge for parking • Aids & Adaptations to their home including double stair rails, grab handles and bath aids • Rent Arrears of £707.25 have been cleared.

If you feel you need some advice, call us on 01724 279900

8

r e n n la P t e g d u Monthly B r which prov

udget planne e our handy b

Us

g.

onthly spendin

wn of your m ides a breakdo

u al t c A

t e g how much s Bud

ink Expense what you th it will cost

0 3 £

e n o h p Mobile 0 10 £

y it ic Electr 20 £

r Wate

Income 1

+

Total Actu al Expenses

Total Income

Other Income

Income 2

+

it really costs

=

-

Remaining Balance

= 9

Value for money savings

W

e are always looking for ways to improve our services, whilst keeping costs low, so we have a Value for Money Strategy which is a plan to make sure we are running our business in an economical, efficient and effective way.

During the last year we have saved over ÂŁ335,000.

We know we are on track when we can spend less, still offer services that work and you are happy with and that give us something in return for our investment.

Here’s how:

So what does this mean to you?

We are able to build more new homes.

We are able to make more improvements to homes to make them more cost effective for you to run.

We can invest more money in supporting people.

Basically it means we can continue to live up to our promise that everything we do is put back into

10

Housing news

Y

our Housing Officers are now split into two teams instead of three. It’s their job to ensure everyone keeps to their tenancy conditions and identify emergency issues in your neighbourhood, and work with others to resolve them.

Ever wondered who works in your patch? Here’s all you need to know.

Area 1 Becky Johns

Area Housing Manager

Paul Grimley

Senior Housing Officer

Laura Jones

Housing Assistant

Cheryl Wilson

• Top Riddings, Scunthorpe, Trent View House, Scunthorpe, Upper Poets Westcliff, Scunthorpe, Manor Farm, Scunthorpe, Althorpe

Paula Crawford

• Bottom Riddings, Scunthorpe.

Sharon Haigh

• Westcliff Closes, Scunthorpe, Lower Poets, Westcliff, Scunthorpe.

Neil Patrick

• New Westcliff, Scunthorpe, Selby Court, Westcliff, Scunthorpe.

Zara Coe

hns

• Lodgemoor, Scunthorpe, Beltoft, Belton, Craiselound, Haxey, Epworth, Gunthorpe, Haxey, Owston Ferry, Sandtoft, West Butterwick, Westwoodside, Woodhouse Belton, Wroot, Gunness, Burringham, East Butterwick.

Kathy Cairns

Sarah McCabe

Beck y Jo

• Hempdyke, Scunthorpe, Berkleley Estate, Scunthorpe, Newland, Scunthorpe, Althorpe, Amcotts, Crowle, Ealand, Eastoft, Garthorpe, Keadby, Luddington.

• Old Crosby, Scunthorpe, Park/Crosby, Scunthorpe

Andrea M

orley

Area 2 Andrea Morley

Area Housing Manager

Anne Farmery

Senior Housing Officer

Dawn Warwick

Housing Assistant

Kerry Button

• Hinman Street Complex, Scunthorpe, Lindum Street Complex, Scunthorpe, Market Hill, Scunthorpe, Town Centre, Scunthorpe,

Jo Sylvester

• Barton-on-Humber.

Nigel Moss

• Alkborough, Burton-on-Stather, Cliff Road, Flixborough, Thealby, Roxby, West Halton, Wintringham, Appleby, Barnetby, Bonby, Broughton, Elsham, Hibaldstow, Horkstow, Kirton-in-Lindsey, Messingham, Redbourne, Saxby-all-Saints, Scawby, South Ferriby, Worlaby.

Andrea Tinker

• Barrow-on-Humber, East Halton, Goxhill, Kirmington, New Holland, North End, North Killingholme, South Killingholme, Thornton Curtis, Ulceby, Wootton, Brigg, Howsham, Melton Ross, Wrawby.

Emma Kershaw

• Ashby, Bottesford, Yaddlethorpe.

Claire Haywood

• Bellingham Road, Scunthorpe, Pryme Road, Scunthorpe, Warley Road, Scunthorpe, Lilacs, Scunthorpe.

Joanne Oliver

• Lincoln Gardens, Scunthorpe

Emma Leaning

• Earl Street Development, Scunthorpe, East Common Lane, Scunthorpe, Frodingham, Scunthorpe, Kingsway, Scunthorpe, Queensway/Redbourne House, Scunthorpe.

Leasehold latest Leaseholder? Always make sure you are clued-up on gas safety.

It’s your responsibility to make sure the properties you look after are gas safe. Have all gas appliances regularly maintained and serviced at least once a year by gas registered engineers.

Ongo Homes’ nominated contractor provides a selection of gas servicing packages that are available to leaseholders.

Please contact the Home Ownership Team for further information on 01724 279900 or email: homeownership@ongo.co.uk

11

Get Involved

W

e understand that excellent services are achieved through the involvement of you as our tenants.

That’s why we’re always looking for you to get involved, whether that’s by representing one of our many Panels, or a Community Group in your area.

The Customer Engagement Team is here to help promote & support as many of these ‘getting involved’ activities as possible, and has even received a national accreditation for their commitment.

Residents Associations/Community Groups

got 12 Residents Associations/Community Groups.

We’ve These are mostly made up of our tenants who work together to increase community spirit, arrange fun events for people of all ages & campaign for or against something happening in their area. You can find out more about our groups at www.ongo.co.uk.

Crowle

C

rowle Community Group has some new members.

ueensway Community Group has some new members.

The committee includes Tim (Chair), Ian (Secretary), Roy & Paul, Leanne (Vice Chair), Deborah (Treasurer), Sarah & Ryan. The group has now extended its area of benefit to include some of Bushfield Road & Ashby Road. This means that more people can get involved with the group and can enjoy some fun activities.

T

here are some big changes in Haxey, and a new committee. Chair for the group is Frank, with brand new members Malcolm as Vice Chair, and Wendy as Secretary.

Ann remains as Treasurer and the group has some new members on its committee too. This group is planning to

We are looking for new members to join the following groups:

Resident Scrutiny Panel

Rep a requ irs Pane l me ired . mbe

rs To challenge,change & improve. B e inv Think you’ve got what disc olved i n u it takes? repa ssing th i e r Call 01724 279900. serv s/main tena ice. nce Feed b repa ack and irs e impr x Call 0172 perienc ove the e 4 27 9900 for othe rs. .

12

Q

Haxey

The committee includes Pat (Chair), Malcolm (Treasurer) Keith & Dennis and a big welcome goes to Margaret. The group is looking forward to another busy year of activities.

You’ll be investigating different parts of the business.

Queensway

rs Ordinary Membe

required

Have your say in major decisions affecting Ongo Homes. t decisions.

Voting on importan ce needed at Regular attendan tings.

AGM’s & other mee .

00 99 27 Call 01724

Community Voice members sought Want to represent the views of your community?

Have your voice heard by other tenants & Ongo staff.

Regular attendance is required at monthly meetings.

Call 01724 279900.

e post: Pop me in th me and a

With your na r to: contact numbe Engagement The Customer eridian Team, Ongo, M

by Road, House, Norman N15 8QZ Scunthorpe. D

13

Cheaper than a takeaway

That wa

s easy!!

e all love a takeaway, they’re quick, easy and tasty, however can be expensive and not very healthy.

At the Viking Resource Centre in Barton we are holding cooking sessions with the help of the North Lincolnshire Cook4life Team to create tasty, healthy meals for the whole family to enjoy as well as save money.

Fran Rhodes, Estate Co-ordinator, said: “We all know what we should and shouldn’t eat, but that’s easier said than done when you’re living on a tight budget. With the help of the North

Lincolnshire Cook4life Team, we’re offering you the chance to come and learn some new recipes which are easy to make and don’t cost a fortune. We recently had lots of fun making rustic pizzas with some mums and kids and they tasted great too.”

Christine Wood Cook4Life Officer said: “We love coming to the Viking Centre in Barton, the community here really enjoy getting involved in the cooking that we do. We have focused on learning how to make your own pizzas at a fraction of the cost of a takeaway one.”

Here’s how to make your own takeaway pizza: Ingredients: Base: 60g wholemeal flour 60g white Self-raising flour 25g margarine 4tbsp milk 50g low fat cheese

Sauce: 1 tbsp tomato puree 2 tbsp water 1 squeeze garlic puree Basil/oregano

Toppings: Low fat cheese, peppers, ham, onions, pepperoni, sweetcorn, mushrooms, chicken etc.

Method: • •

• • • • •

Heat oven to 180°C/gas 4 Mix flours together, add cheese, rub in spread. Add milk to make dough. Knead well Divide in half and roll out or knead into desired shape Mix all ingredients together for the sauce Spread onto base Add toppings Bake for 15 – 20 mins

Cooking sessions are held on a Thursday afternoon.

It’s a five week course, just give Fran a ring or send her a text to 07917636972 or pop into the Viking Resource Centre.

14

“

We love coming to the Viking Centre Barton, the community here really enjoy getting involved in the cooking that we do.

“

W

Jobs & Training

T

hinking about a new career? From training, to advice & support before and after the employment process, Crosby Employment, part of Ongo can help with that.

Current vacancies: • Crèche staff (Level 2 & 3 – temporary) Applicants will need an enhanced DBS Interested? Contact the team on: 01724 844848 for more information.

We love hearing your feedback.

Kerry Simpson wrote:

Today will be my last course through Crosby, and

because of all of their help, support and courses available, I now have a full time job. I haven’t worked in eight years due to having my six children, and they helped me 110% when I was ready to get back into work. Thank you so much Crosby and all the staff for all of your help.

Crosby Employment late night opening We’re open until 8pm on Wednesdays, so if our regular office hours don’t suit you, you’ll still be able to call in to see us.

We can help with extra work related support, including job applications, updating CV’s, interview prep and help with completing application forms.

Call us on: 01724 844848 to book your appointment with one of our trained advisors.

Case study - Luke Ackers Since leaving John Leggott College with good grades and qualifications in ICT and Science, Luke found it difficult to find a job. He’s been part of the Crosby Employment Talent Match programme since November 2014 and has since received support in developing his communication and social skills, and has attended courses aimed at developing his employability.

His new-found confidence and skills has helped him to secure a practical work placement at a local computer shop, and is now living in an Ongo Homes property.

Emma Cim from Talent Match and his Mentor; Narinder, have helped Luke to look for suitable employment opportunities and he has now secured work as a stock taker.

If you know someone that might benefit from Talent Match, call 01724 844848.

15

a word with...

A

ndy McFadden, Operations Manager Homes and Gardens, talks about his pride of managing the Choose to Reuse, the HandyVan and Gutter Cleaning services, what’s next for the services, and his ideal dinner party guests .

You’ve worked for Ongo for a number of years now, what’s been your proudest achievement? My proudest achievement is seeing a volunteer who was unemployed for over 10 years come to us for a 2 month placement and after gaining experience and confidence got themselves a full time job after they completed the programme.

What’s the big idea behind Choose to Reuse? We provide low cost furniture to those that need it and encourage people to donate their unwanted items rather than taking them to the tip.

What about the HandyVan and Gutter Cleaning service? The handyvan service was set up to help people with small DIY jobs around the home at an affordable price. These include: gardening, putting up shelves and painting and decorating.

The Choose to Reuse shop, based on Enderby Road in Scunthorpe, seems to always be full of hidden treasures. What sorts of things can people expect to be able to buy? We sell beds, mattresses, cupboards, wall units, sofas, dining tables and other furniture for the home and we have even sold a canoe!

Last year, through the Choose to Reuse service, you helped to save over 56 tonnes of furniture from landfill last year. Are there any items you wouldn’t be able to sell?

We currently don’t sell white goods and all our sofas and beds have to have the relevant fire labels attached.

Do you have any top tips for up cycling furniture? Even the smallest cupboard can be up cycled, cleaned, painted and given a new home. Some of our customers will paint the furniture to give it a new lease of life.

If you could look into the future, what project would you say is next on the list? We have recently added removals to our Choose to Reuse business and we are working on making that successful, but after that who knows! We will look at things that fit with our existing portfolio and see if we can make it work for us.

Where do you believe your passion for the job came from? I have spent most of my working life in the private retail sector where to succeed you need to be determined and continually striving to be better, although tough it provides you with a good attitude and mentality which I have tried to bring into my current role.

Where can people find out more? You can find information at ongo.co.uk on the services we offer, or alternatively you can pop in and see us at Enderby Road.

Up close and personal Who would be your top 5 ideal dinner party guests?

David Beckham, Tiger Woods, Mohammed Ali, Tom Cruise and James Cracknell.

You’re in a zombie apocalypse. What one item would you try and save? My golf clubs!

If you could turn back time, which one day would you re-visit? My wedding day!

Are you a do-er or a thinker? A do-er.

16

Spring cleaning?

Donate your unwanted furniture to Choose to Reuse – they can pick it up too.

Give the team a call on:

01724 279900

or visit facebook.com/Choose2Reuse

Your neighbourhood

Works at Westcliff

W

e’re starting building works on Bridgewater Road, Westcliff. There’ll be 20 new homes; four three-bedroomed houses and sixteen two-bedroomed houses.

Temporary youth facility, Westcliff

T

he Youth Service is now back up and running and can be found on Cowper Avenue next door to the Community Centre. There’s lots of stuff going on for local kids.

From 11 April, Little Owls Pre School will also be opening in the same building.

Broughton new builds

O

ur Broughton our development on Ermine grove is nearly complete. The 13 new homes are specifically aimed at people over the age of 50 and took 12 months to complete.

They’ve been built to the same high specification you’d come to expect, and make the best use of space on the site of our old sheltered scheme in Broughton.

18

Reporting a repair? Do it online!

Sign up for My Account, where you’ll be able to do loads of things, such as reporting a repair, paying your rent or checking your rent account balance.

Once you’ve reported a repair, you can check its status online too.

Sign up at: www.ongo.co.uk/ myaccount

Events for you

The Viking Resource Centre, Barton.

There are loads of things happening at the Centre this Spring/Summer. The Teatime Club continues to run at the Centre every Wednesday from 5pm, with families welcome. A Job Club takes place every Wednesday from 1-3pm, and Parenting Courses take place all day every Monday. Every Thursday it’s Cook for Life, with Crime Prevention drop-ins every other Thursday. Call 01724 279900 for more information or pop in to see Fran.

20

Key Family friendly Fun for the kids

Dementia Sessions

Market Hill

T

W

Events were held at each of the sheltered/retirement schemes for residents to get involved in. The events allowed residents and staff to come together to socialise and raise awareness and money for a great cause.

Clean for The Queen

he Ongo Support Team hosted 17 different events from 1-8 March to help raise awareness and money for Dementia UK.

During the events, Ongo Dementia Friends were on hand to answer any questions that tenants might have. Most staff members are Dementia Friends, which means they have undergone training to ensure they know the basics about Dementia. More training sessions are planned to take place later in the year.

ill have stood for 50 years this October. Look out for your next edition of Key News for an update on how the residents plan to celebrate such a significant milestone.

I

s a campaign in partnership with Keep Britain Tidy, encouraging us to keep our neighbourhoods clean & tidy to celebrate The Queen’s 90th Birthday, which takes place in June. Taking part?

Contact enquiries@cleanforthequeen.co.uk for more information and to obtain a pack.

en

Clean for The Que

Dementia Sessions Market H

ill

Stuck for something to do with the kids during the holidays?

T

here are lots of activities happening throughout North Lincolnshire, including:

Ongo Carnival

All the fun at the fair is back! 3 August, Burringham Fields.

Summer Fun Day & Children’s Festival

At Pink Pig Farm, 27-28 August 10-4pm. Call: 01724 844466

Horrible Histories

Performances at The Baths Hall: 10-14 May, various showings. Call: 0844 854 2776

Rescue Day

With all emergency services & support agencies in Crowle: 9 July 9-5pm. Call: 07742244349

21

Kids corner

U

se this handy guide to see if you can spot some of these things in your area. You might be lucky enough to spot them in your garden, or you might have to take a trip to the woods. Tick them off once you’ve found them.

Can you spot the following birds?

Black B

ird

Robin 22

Blue Tit

Magpie

Spot the following Spring/Summer words...

Word search wriantulanteionrs to

Cong r d Flowe Raymon all our g for f indin ords w r e t in W

Raymon

d Flowe

r

Name

ADVENTURE BEACH BIRDSONG BUCKET FUN LAMB LOLLIPOP SIZZLING SPADE SUNSHINE

win a

Address Postcode Daytime Telephone number Email address Tick if you’re happy to hear about other promotions and competitions.

£o3pp0ing

sh vourcwhebesiter see ou for T’s & C’s

Entries must be in by Monday 4th July 2016. The winner will be drawn from all correct entries. The editor’s decision is final.

Please return the coupon with your completed word search to:

Editor, Key News North Lincolnshire Homes Meridian House, Normanby Road, Scunthorpe, North Lincs, DN15 8QZ

23

If you want to explore what goes on behind the scenes, help Ongo Homes deliver better services to its residents, and can spare some extra time, read on.

The Resident Scrutiny Panel is looking for new members - whose main role is to investigate different parts of the business.

You’ll need to be able to: • Work independently and as part of a team • Undertake research and analyse reports and information • Communicate effectively with a wide range of people • Provide constructive challenge As this is a voluntary role, you will not be paid but any expenses incurred in carrying out the role will be fully reimbursed.

Interested?

If you’re interested in getting involved and would like further information about the role, contact: 01724 298868 customer.engagement@ongo.co.uk