Peabody News

Peabody News YOUR MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2021

Get involved in decision making at Peabody Thanks for your feedback on our plans to join together with Catalyst - find out about our next steps.

WELCOME

Welcome

Need to get in touch?

Call us on 0300 123 3456 or visit www.peabody.org.uk/contact-us We know that some residents still prefer to visit us in person, and some of our offices are open for occasional visits. Please visit www.peabody.org. uk/contact-us/our-office-locations to find out more.

Hello and welcome to your newsletter. Here you’ll find the latest news from across Peabody communities as well as updates on our services.

In this issue 3

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Resident news 3 Hello from our new CEO 4 Joining together with

Get involved 7 G et involved in decision

Save money and get advice 10 Sustain-ability 11 Are you winter ready?

12 P eerUp: tips to take care

Your stories 14 C elebrating 150 years at

Catalyst – your feedback 4 Working with you to deliver better services 6 L et’s talk building safety 6 C hanges to our group structure

making at Peabody

8 L ooking for work? Join 8 9

our online jobs and apprenticeships fair Y oung people change the world A rtburst: free activities for kids

Staying green Please recycle this magazine when you have finished with it.

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of yourself and your money Help when you need it

Blackfriars estate

14 H avering: our newest food pantry opens

14 M ore colour and joy to 14 15

Third Avenue R eturn of the Posh Clubs L et’s get quizzical

Use the camera on your smartphone to scan the QR codes throughout this magazine to access weblinks and videos.

WELCOME

Hello from our new CEO Ian McDermott

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ello, I’m really excited to have joined Peabody as Chief Executive. As you may know, the Peabody and Catalyst Boards have agreed to progress with our proposal to join together, and we will be working towards the two organisations coming together on 1 April 2022, with Catalyst joining Peabody as a subsidiary.

We believe that creating a larger organisation will enable us to invest more in our homes, communities, technology, and people, and deliver better services to customers. We now have a lot of work to do to make this a reality, and we will be involving you as we shape our plans.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to respond to the merger consultation. In this magazine, you’ll find a summary of the consultation results, our plans, and next steps. Your feedback is very important to us, and there will be lots of opportunities for you, as well as Catalyst residents, to get involved in shaping our services and the priorities for the new organisation. I’m looking forward to this, and to meeting many of you as we head into our 160th year.

As we head into the colder months, we know that many people are concerned about the prospect of higher energy bills as prices increase. We’re committed to improving the energy efficiency of our homes to help tackle climate change but also to help you reduce your fuel bills and keep your home warm.

You’ll find enclosed with this magazine, some information on our energy advice service, delivered by our partner, Agility Eco. You can save an average £140 on your energy bills through their free, impartial advice. Our teams can also provide help and support if you are in financial difficulty, please do get in touch to find out how we can help.

Best wishes, Ian

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RESIDENTS NEWS

Joining together – your feedback

In July we announced our proposal to join together with Catalyst housing association and launched a six week consultation. A big thank you to everyone who took the time to respond.

What you told us We wrote to all Peabody residents – including tenants, leaseholders and freeholders – to consult on the proposal. You could also provide feedback through our website and by email, and around 100 of you attended our two online residents’ meetings to hear more about the proposals and ask questions.

We received 1,069 responses which is around 1.8% of all residents.

30% of those who responded were positive about our proposal, 22% were neutral and 42% disagreed with our plans. 6% of responses were blank or made no reference to the merger.

Those in favour of the proposals were optimistic that the merger would be a platform to provide better services in future. They were happy that we would provide more homes and improve opportunities to move.

Customers who were not in favour of our plans expressed concerns about the impact on our services. Some had concerns that the new organisation would become too big and remote, and many of you would like to have local contacts and a stable and visible neighbourhood management team.

In your responses, many of you took the opportunity to let us know about specific service issues around repairs and our team is getting in touch with everyone who raised a current repairs issue.

You can find a list of frequently asked questions about the merger on our website at www.peabody.org.uk We got the go ahead At the end of September, our Board carefully considered the feedback from 4

the consultation and the concerns raised. We know that maintaining good services, continuing investment in existing homes and ensuring that people have visible and accessible local contacts will be vital. The Board is fully committed to delivering this and making customer service the top priority for the new organisation.

Being more local and connected to our communities is one of the benefits that joining together with Catalyst will bring and we must absolutely make this our priority.

Being a larger organisation with more homes in many of our communities will mean that we can improve our local services. It also means that we will have more local teams working with residents to get things done more quickly.

Considering all of this, the Board gave our proposals the go ahead, as did the Board at Catalyst.

What’s next?

We will now work towards Catalyst joining the Peabody Group as a subsidiary from 1 April 2022. We need the agreement – or consent – of some of the organisations that we work with before we can legally complete the merger. This includes the banks with whom we have loans and our regulator.

We expect to merge fully and become the new Peabody by April 2023.

We want to involve you, as well as Catalyst residents, in shaping our services and the priorities for the new organisation.

We’ll continue to share information with you on our website and in our magazine and use all the feedback you gave us through the consultation to improve our services and shape our plans.

If you have any questions, please get in touch by emailing get.involved@ peabody.org.uk

RESIDENTS NEWS

Working with you to deliver better services We’re continuing to improve our services and ways of working to be more efficient and ensure that you have a simple and effortless experience. we can more quickly help them answer their query. You will also no longer have to give us your date of birth and postcode before speaking to someone for simple requests like repairs. We will now only ask for this information if you would like a balance enquiry or to make a payment. This is just one of the many ways we are improving our service as we continue to listen and adapt our customer services.

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e’re doing all we can to continue to offer a safe and effective repairs service. As well as continuing our essential gas, electrical and building safety work, we are committed to investing in our existing estates and homes.

If you have a non-essential repair booked, please bear with us, as it may take a bit longer than expected to complete. We’re working with our contractors to overcome challenges with the supply of parts and labour caused by the pandemic.

We are reviewing all our repairs to make sure they are progressing as they should. We’ll keep you updated with information as soon as possible.

Our Investment programme We do also recognise that there has been a pause in our investment programme in properties. We spent some time surveying our homes to understand what exactly needs to be done. We now have developed a full programme of work to maintain and improve our existing homes. The start of this was delayed due to lockdown and the pandemic, but we are now moving forward with it and have significantly increased our activities.

Improving your complaints experience As well as improving our contractor processes around managing repairs, we’re working on ways to communicate better and update residents frequently when there are delays. We have completed intensive training and monitoring with our teams around

managing complaints and review all survey feedback regarding an incomplete repair. We’re also contacting residents to discuss and address any issues.

We’ve also made some improvements to our website to make it clearer on how to raise a complaint. You can also see the latest stats and information around complaints for this year.

If you’re not happy with a service we’ve delivered, please let us know by visiting https://bit.ly/3vvp1HC or scanning this code:

Housing ombudsman consultation The housing ombudsman for complaints is asking residents to give their views on its plans for the next three years. The consultation is open until Friday 12 November 2021.

Visit www.housingombudsman.org.uk or scan here to find out more:

You can now reach us more quickly We’ve been listening to feedback about it taking too long to speak to us when you call the customer hub. As a result we’ve changed the way we manage your calls so you can speak to one of our customer hub advisors more quickly. We know who most residents are from their phone number so that

Tackling condensation, damp and mould We understand the impact that living with damp and mould has on health and wellbeing, and are doing everything we can to tackle this in our homes and provide support.

We have a specialist team that manages some of our more complex damp and mould repairs. The team is working to review and agree an action plan to resolve cases that are reported to us.

Keeping you and your neighbourhood safe It’s important to us that our residents live together in a respectful environment. Over the last few months, we have been looking at improving how we manage your reports and concerns about issues such as anti-social behaviour, domestic abuse and safeguarding.

Our Customer Hub now has six specialist advisors who will provide tailored advice to residents. When you call us to make a report, this team will make an assessment so that cases are logged and referred to the right person or team to ensure we take the appropriate action.

To make a report, please call our customer hub on 0300 123 3456.

Visit www.peabody. org.uk/condensation or scan here for tips and advice about reducing condensation, damp and mould in your home:

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RESIDENTS NEWS

Changes to our group structure You may know that Peabody and Family Mosaic merged in July 2018. At that time we also created a subsidiary called Peabody South East (PSE) to manage homes and services in Essex, Kent and Sussex. In 2018 Peabody had a historical rule and a geographic boundary, which meant it could not manage some homes and contracts held by Family Mosaic further out of London.

the consents required, to transfer the properties in PSE to Peabody. Peabody and Peabody South East largely acted as one organisation, so the impact on our teams and residents will be minimal. The changes will be felt mostly in our back office, as it will make our financial and accounting procedures much simpler and also save on the costs of running a separate legal entity.

We have extended this boundary for when Catalyst Housing Association joins the Peabody Group as a subsidiary in April 2022. This means PSE will no longer exist as a separate landlord and we are proposing, subject to consultation and getting

What does this mean for Peabody South East residents?

This means that Peabody would become your landlord as of 31 March 2022. We don’t expect customers to experience any changes as a result of this proposal and want to reassure you that:

tenancy or lease agreement • Your remains the same.

• The way that your rent is set remains the same.

• All your rights and responsibilities remain the same.

Have your say Your views are important to us and we will always consult you on matters that affect you. If you would like to comment on these proposals, you can let us know by emailing us at haveyoursay@peabody.org.uk or completing a form at www.peabody. org.uk The consultation will close on Wednesday 10 November 2021 so please make sure you tell us your views before this date.

Let’s talk building safety

Making sure our homes are safe is our absolute priority.

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mmediately after the Grenfell tragedy, we started assessing the external wall systems of our buildings. As some of our buildings need remediation works, we prioritised those which had aluminium composite material, or ACM, which was the cladding used at Grenfell Tower. We have now removed all ACM from the few high rise buildings which had it.

We also monitor all government guidance on building safety including progress of the new Fire Safety Act 2021 and Building Safety Bill.

What we’re doing to keep our buildings safe Our teams are currently doing indepth investigations into the external wall systems of around 500 of our residential buildings which are higher priority according to government criteria. There are lots of factors which have been considered including the heights of buildings and the materials used in the existing cladding. We expect to complete investigation of these first 500 buildings by the end of 2023.

Over 120 investigations completed We have made good progress so far and completed over 120 investigations. For

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over 70 of these, we have either finished all remediation works or are finishing them off. In the next few weeks we’ll be writing to residents who live in the remaining buildings to let them know when investigation activities will start.

Supporting our leaseholders We understand that many leaseholders are feeling anxious about potential costs if remediation works are needed.

That’s why we’re fully committed to doing everything we can to support and protect them and to explore all possible funding avenues. We’re also lobbying government through our membership of the G15, an influential group of London’s largest housing associations, to better support leaseholders through these changes.

Firework fun The autumn nights might be drawing in but the night skies are about to be lit up once again as Diwali and Bonfire Night are almost here!

Whether you’re celebrating with sparklers or going full-on firework party, check our website for top tips for keeping everyone safe. The safest way to enjoy fireworks is at a public display, so why not check your council website and see what’s on in your local area.

Visit www.peabody. org.uk/fire-safety or scan here for the latest news on fire and building safety:

GET INVOLVED

Get involved in decision making at Peabody Watch a short video about some of our resident group members or visit: https://bit.ly/2YVtqI8

Here’s what some of our involved residents had to say: Strategic resident group members L-R: Adam (Waltham Forest resident and Strategy and Policy member), Aisha Kimbugwe (Resident Involvement Officer, Peabody), James (Hackney resident and Scrutiny Panel member) and Lisa Rae (BedZed resident and chair of Strategy and Policy Group).

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ould you help us improve our services? Want to work with other residents to make a difference?

We’re looking for residents from all backgrounds and ages to improve and shape our services and policies. You can get involved through feedback, scrutiny and partnership working.

Join our strategic resident groups Our strategic groups are one of the ways in which we support resident to provide feedback on our work and activities.

There are two main groups you can join: • Scrutiny Panel • Strategy and Policy Group Both groups are independent of Peabody and made up of residents who volunteer to help improve our services.

parking policy, Rent to Buy policy as well as our approach to building and fire safety and much more.

The Strategy and Policy Group also has sub-groups which focus on specific topics, including: • Resident communications • Community development • Improving the customer experience • Modern

methods for homes (living sustainably) • Managing our empty properties Make a difference You can help to shape our policies and strategies which can help to make a difference to residents and communities.

What do the groups do?

Scrutiny Panel The Scrutiny Panel review, scrutinise and monitor Peabody’s residentfacing services. Last year, they did an in-depth review of our complaints handling process and then put forward a set of recommendations to Peabody to improve how things were done.

Nearly all their recommendations were implemented. The Panel is currently reviewing our approach to service charges.

Training and development You can develop new, transferable skills while building your confidence to speak in public, give constructive feedback and influence people around you. There are lots of training opportunities too, including: • How to chair and organise meetings • Mastering public speaking • Understanding performance information and data • Report writing • General

professional skills including English language, computer skills etc.

Strategy and Policy Group The Strategy and Policy Group review Peabody’s strategies and policies which have an impact on residents.

For example, they have reviewed our

Grow your network by meeting other residents Expand your network by meeting and working with other residents and Peabody employees.

Adam, Waltham Forest resident and member of the Strategy and Policy Group “ A few years ago I saw an ad for residents to join one of Peabody’s residents group which could provide regular feedback on their strategies and policies.

It’s been a really rewarding experience being able to work with Peabody to share my perspective as a resident on how they can improve their services.”

James, Hackney resident and member of the Scrutiny Panel “ I saw the ad and I thought actually this is the chance that I’ve been looking for to get involved with how Peabody does things. I’ve had good and bad experiences with Peabody over the years, and I really believe in the concept of social housing and believe Peabody does really work. I want to help make things better.”

Lisa, Sutton resident and Chair of the Strategy and Policy Group “ I’ve been involved in Peabody resident groups for about seven years now because I want to help find improvements for where I live and also for all residents. Being a on resident group means you can actually make a difference – you can help solve problems for all residents.”

Visit www.peabody. org.uk/ri-recruitment or scan here for more information and to apply

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GET INVOLVED

Looking for work or training opportunities?

Join our online jobs and apprenticeships fair!

Choose from 20 online sessions over two days all designed to help you boost your career and land that next great job.

We've got sessions covering how to: - make your CV shine - make the most out of LinkedIn - find and apply for jobs online We'll also have employers joining us from range of sectors including technology, construction, hospitality and others all offering insights and advice on how to kickstart your new career.

Sign up today: http://bit.ly/PeabodyJobsFair2021 Or scan this code:

Free, fun online activities for all the family

We've partnered with Artburst to provide free, fun educational resources for families. Our range of resources for parents with children under five is online now.

Artburst will be adding new resources for older children (five to eight year olds) this month and options for eight to twelve year olds in January 2022.

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Sign up online at www.peabody.org.uk/artburst or scan here:

GET INVOLVED

Young people changing the world E ach year we work with hundreds of young people to create positive change – developing their skills whilst improving communities across London and beyond.

Young Leaders Young people come up with an idea for a project, campaign or event that they think will benefit their peers or their community. We help them to make these ideas a reality with a £500 grant, professional partnerships and access to community venues. Last year we worked with our Young Leaders on a range of projects, from accessing creative careers and improving digital skills, to tackling domestic violence in our communities and more.

Young Ambassadors Young Ambassadors are trained to represent young people and their wider community, building their skills in communication, collaboration and developing ideas for change. Last year we worked with young people in Islington, Lambeth and Newham to develop their leadership and communication skills. They also learnt how pitch for grants to deliver solutions to community challenges.

Peabody Advisors Peabody Advisors complete a Level 3 training qualification to develop skills in peer mentoring, research and design thinking. Our advisors have been working with teams at Peabody to find new ways to engage our younger residents.

Want to become a Peabody Advisor?

Our next programme starts in January 2022. There'll be 10 two-hour sessions all run online.

So, if you’re 18 to 25 years old and would like to build your skills in mentoring, research, public speaking and developing solutions, we’d love to hear from you. Please email: Young.People@peabody.org.uk

Maryam Chowdhury 23 years old

Loren 21 years old

“ I completed the Young Leaders programme earlier this year which really empowered me to voice my thoughts and opinions. So much so that I ended up creating a mentorship scheme connecting young workingclass BIPOC people with professionals across London.

“ After signing up to the Peabody Young Leaders programme I decided to focus my social action project on mentoring and supporting other young people.

By that point I had already built up a wide network and great relationships with lots of youth organisations so was able to signpost my mentees to local services.

I later completed the Peabody Young Ambassador programme which meant that I could access funding for a mural project that I led in Tower Hamlets. The mural was a way to recognise the had hard work of the people who work in the NHS, especially during the pandemic. I led 15 other young people to design and paint the mural that celebrates the 200 nationalities of the NHS. More than 100 community members have visited the mural as well as the mayor of Tower Hamlets.

If you’re thinking about joining any of the programmes I’d say go for it – I can’t recommend them enough!”

One of my mentees was a young person who was really struggling to find a job. Together we worked on her job hunting approach, CV and cover letter. When she next applied for her next job she got it the following week! I was just so happy for her. It felt amazing to help someone and was absolutely a highlight of the project for me.

I gained a Level 2 qualification in Project Management as part of the Young Leaders programme as well as a Level 3 qualification after joining the Peabody Advisors programme.

I've gained a lot of independence, confidence and trust in myself. I now know what I'm good at and this has helped me to figure out what to do next. Now I’m set on a career in HR and leadership and I’ve already got my first job in HR.”

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SAVE MONEY AND GET ADVICE

Sustain-ability

We’re on a mission to make Peabody a net zero carbon organisation by 2030. Here’s how we’re embracing greener choices in everything we do.

What does sustainability mean to Peabody?

Being sustainable is not only an essential part of tackling climate change, it also saves residents money, helps combat fuel poverty, boosts the economy and creates jobs. It can create a better environment for everyone.

We want to improve our buildings and our open spaces and support people to make greener choices. Net zero is all about 'balancing' or cancelling out any carbon we produce from our day-today business or homes.

We do this by generating renewable energy and increasing the biodiversity of our open spaces to remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere.

Our approach We will make sure our new and existing homes are environmentally sustainable, by reducing our carbon footprint and making the building materials, heating and hot water 10

systems as efficient as possible.

We’re also committed to buying products, materials and services that do not have a negative impact on the environment. And we’re keen to ensure we don’t pass the cost of sustainability to the people who are least able to afford it.

As well as our free energy advice service (see over page), we have a recycling partnership with Resource London to improve low rates of recycling in purpose-built flats.

By making it easier for residents, recycling rates have already gone up 26% across 12 of our estates. At one of our King’s Cross estates, we’ve saved 24 tonnes of bulk waste going to landfill while providing 148 hours of paid work.

Want to become an eco champion?

Having a local focus is very important to us and we want to work with you on

making decisions and finding solutions.

We will be working with residents to set up a network of Eco Champions across our estates. If you’re interested and would like to join one of our sustainability workshops, we would love to hear from you. Just email sustainability@peabody.org.uk Find out more You can find out more about our commitment to creating sustainable homes and communities, and how we’re doing on our website.

Visit www.peabody.org.uk/sus or scan this code:

SAVE MONEY AND GET ADVICE

Are you Winter ready?

Autumn is well underway, so this is a good time to check that your boiler is working and is set up to keep you warm and your bills affordable this winter.

Did you know you could save an average of £140 on your energy bills through having a free, impartial energy advice session?

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y turning your boiler on now, we’ll be able to address any issues now rather than you having to wait for a repair during a freezing cold spell. If you’re on a pension or certain benefits we can help you claim your Warm Homes Discount or your Winter Fuel Allowance to help keep your heating affordable. We can also give you advice on how to keep your electricity bills and water bills down.

So, switch it on, check it’s working and get in touch if you need help.

Energy prices are going up Recently the news has been filled with articles about increases in energy prices.

But did you know there’s a lot that you can do to reduce your energy costs and live more sustainably?

Book a free advice session You can book a free energy advice session to learn how to save money on your energy and water bills and reduce your carbon footprint.

We are now working with Agility Eco to offer a free energy advice service to residents. On average Agility Eco have helped thousands of households

across the UK to save an average £140 on their energy bills.

What we can help with • Switching your energy supplier – this includes changing electricity supplier if you have a communal heating system • Applying for water-saving freebies • Checking eligibility and applying for the Warm Home Discount – this is a saving of £140 off your electricity bills if eligible • Checking to see if you're eligible for extra help • Advice on smart meters How do I sign up?

The easiest way to sign up is through our website.

Visit https://bit.ly/3C5VK8X or scan this code:

You can also call our Customer Hub on 0300 123 3456 and book over the phone.

Did you know that homes in England produce more carbon emissions than all of the cars combined in the country? If you want to help combat climate change, one of the most effective things you can do is to improve the energy efficiency of your home.

Since re-launching our Home Energy Advice Service recently, we've had over 150 residents sign up to our free service. Many of them have instantly saved £140 on their energy bills by signing up to the Warm Home Discount Scheme which is a one-off discount on your electricity bill which you may be eligible for.

Angela, from Bexley, is our first resident to use our new service and has already saved over £140 on her energy bills: " I signed up to get help keeping warm as my home is cold, and to save money as I'll have to start putting the heating on soon. Dave the AgilityEco advisor was great, we had a good conversation, he knew what he was talking about.

He signed me up to EOn’s Register my Interest for the Warm Home Discount grant so that'll save £140 – it helps a lot! I also received some water saving freebies.

I recommend it. It was good to go over it with someone and find out ways of saving money - simple little things like turning TVs off instead of standby and using energy saving bulbs."

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SAVE MONEY AND GET ADVICE

PeerUp: tips for taking care of yourself and your money

PeerUp is a new website to help you take care of yourself and your money.

You’ll find tips and advice on how to improve your career, finances and wellbeing.

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eerUp was created with residents and community groups. We have worked alongside Southern Housing and Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing to create PeerUp especially for social housing residents.

That’s why there’s no advertising or sponsored content. All financial advice shared is by benefits experts who help people to maximise their income. Most importantly, there are tips and advice by people like you who understand the challenges faced by others in the community.

You can contribute too!

If you’ve got tips, advice or a story about how to improve your career, finances or wellbeing, we want to hear from you.

Simply register as a member and go to Submit A Post: www.peerup.co.uk/ article/submit/ Sign up for special offers and discounts As a Peabody resident, you can register on PeerUp to sign up for special offers and discounts. All you need to do is click on ‘Log in’ on the top of the webpage and follow the prompts.

Coming soon: PeerUp Perks Want even more special offers and discounts for high street stores like Boots, Sainbury’s and Tesco?

Register your PeerUp account by clicking on ‘Log in’, tick to sign up to the PeerUp mailing list and we’ll contact you when the perks are ready!

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Be sure to visit peerup.co.uk in December for a month long series of discounts and giveaways as we count down to Christmas.

Visit www.peerup. co.uk or scan to find out more:

SAVE MONEY AND GET ADVICE

Help when you need it Could the removal of the Universal Credit uplift impact you?

extra help at the moment after the year we’ve had. It’s brilliant, really straightforward and I love the setup.

You’ve got fresh ingredients and tinned stuff.”

To become a food pantry member • Havering: https://bit.ly/2Xi8Pgo • Chingford: https://bit.ly/3aD5P1h One-to-one support This service is available for anyone living in Essex, Havering, Kensington and Chelsea, Southend-on-Sea.

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he £20-a-week increase to universal credit, brought in to support those on low incomes during the pandemic, is being withdrawn. Universal credit is claimed by more than 5.8 million people in England, Scotland and Wales, almost 40% of which are in work. We know that removing the uplift will impact many people we support – either directly as recipients or indirectly through family or carers. If you receive Tax Credit, you could also see a reduction in income, amounting to £500 for a 6-month period too, which is the equivalent to the £20 per week UC reduction.

How we can help Tenancy and income support We offer free financial and wellbeing support and advice for Peabody residents and their family members who are at risk of losing their tenancy, or who need some extra support with

their home.

Our support workers can work with you to create a plan to overcome any problems you’re facing and can also support you to achieve your goals.

We can put you in touch with other agencies that can help too.

Email: tenantsup@peabody.org.uk Phone: 0300 123 3456.

Community food pantries Our pantries sell food at a much lower price than in the shops. This service is available to anyone in the community.

You pay a small amount each week your membership so that you can choose from fresh fruit, vegetables, frozen and canned food. Most of the stock is donated by large supermarkets through the FareShare programme. “ It’s a brilliant service – it really helps and takes the weight off and covers staples. We could all do with a bit of

Is something holding you back from having a happy and independent life? Our skilled support workers can provide free and confidential advice on a range of topics, including: • Budgeting and benefits • Employment, training and volunteering • Improving physical and mental health • Drug and alcohol problems • Learning IT skills " Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Honestly, situations that change people are the most difficult to deal with and you guys have truly given me hope and support. You have made me so happy to trust in good people like yourselves. I wish I could hug you all."

Email: careandsupport@peabody.org.uk Phone: 0300 123 3456 Residents who live in other places can still access a range of our other services. Just visit our website for more information: www.peabody.org.uk

Concerned about someone?

If you or someone you know is at risk of harm, or being harmed, please let us know. We can help them get the right support and will keep your concerns confidential.

Phone: 0300 123 3456 Website: www.peabody.org.uk/contact-us/raise-a-concern In the case of an emergency, call 999.

And if it isn’t an emergency but you still want to report it to the police, call 101.

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YOUR STORIES

Your stories Celebrating 150 years at Blackfriars estate We celebrated the 150 year anniversary of our Blackfriars estate in Southwark with resident-led community activities, history tours for Open House London and speeches from our outgoing CEO Brendan Sarsfield, the Mayor of Southwark and local resident and event co-organiser Carole Wright (pictured.)

Blackfriars estate was built in 1871 out of George Peabody’s original donation. The nineteen blocks were designed around large communal courtyards providing 384 homes and a safe place for children to play. “ Today’s the 150th anniversary of Blackfriars and my daughter’s birthday,” a local resident told us, “It’s a fantastic place to live – we are really happy to live here.”

More colour and joy to Third Avenue

Return of the Posh Clubs

Paul lives at Third Avenue, our supported living service in Chelmsford. Paul is partially sighted so our team helped him redecorate his room to make it a safer, more colourful and more enjoyable space to live in.

Pembury Estate in Hackney welcomed back Posh Clubs which are a unique social initiative aimed at tackling social isolation for people over 60. Everyone gets to enjoy live music, some dancing as well as an afternoon tea.

“ I’m very happy. I like the colour of the wall. I like stylish wallpaper. It’s safer.”

Doreth Adams, a Hackney resident aged 69, said “ I love getting dressed up and this gives a good reason to do this which makes you feel great. These events are a fabulous way of meeting people we know and making new friends too. Everyone is so friendly and it is a real party atmosphere.”

Our support team got samples of carpet and paint for Paul to choose from. He chose the wallpaper because he loves to wear tropical-print t-shirts. The paint has glitter in it and the bright colours are easier for him to see and help him find his way around his room.

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QUIZ TIME

Let's get quizzical Take a moment to relax and stretch your mind in a different way. Whether you’re a whizz with words, numbers of quizzes, we’ve got you covered.

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LEAVES • FIREWORKS • HALLOWEEN • CONKERS • HARVEST BRIGHT • FOGGY • JUMPER • SCARF • GLOVES

Can you spot the 5 differences in this autumn foods photo?

15

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