Winter newsletter web

Photo by Erika Kilic

Welcome!

Welcome to this Winter edition of the Tenants' Newsletter. This is my first as Chair of SBTO, and I would like to thank Dominic Brookes for his leadership over the past few years. Dominic's determination to keep everyone involved and connected during challenging times has been vital in ensuring that SBTO has continued to fulfill its role of supporting SBHA.

Over the past year, we have very much enjoyed being able to participate in face-to-face meetings and events again. Recognising that digital is still the preferred option for many people, we held our recent AGM in hybrid format, allowing those who wished to meet in person to do so, while still providing an option for those who wished to join us from home. We will continue to hold SBTO meetings in this way for the foreseeable future.

Next year, we'll be continuing to help SBHA to create new opportunities to get involved. With the challenges that we're all facing, there's never been a more important time to take part and have your voice heard. If you would like to find out more, please get in touch for a chatcontact Louise McNeilage, Tenant & Community Engagement Facilitator. Louise's contact details are on the back page.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from all at SBTO!

Hill, Chair of SBHA's Board of Management

Thank you to everyone who took the time to take part in our recent rent consultation. This year's consultation has been one of the most important we have ever carried out as we face difficult decisions to balance rent affordability and the need to maintain services and invest in homes. We wrote to all of you in November, seeking your feedback on the options we are considering for rent setting in 2023. We also held a number of rent consultation roadshows across the Borders, inviting you to come and talk to us, and find out more.

We will bring you more news of these plans in our next edition.

We know that many people are worried about rising costs just now, and we remain committed to supporting you throughout this time. If you are concerned, our dedicated Financial Inclusion Team can give you advice on claiming benefits, budgeting and heating your home affordably. Please get in touch - we can help get you the best advice and support for your situation.

On behalf of the Board and the SBHA Team I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

We are closed for the festive period from:

2.00pm on Friday the 23rd of December, and will reopen at 8.45am on Wednesday 4th January.

If you have an emergency repair during that time, call our 24-hour repairs line on 0800 0193 222.

If you smell gas, call 0800 111 999 immediately.

SBTO's 2023 calendar

Thank you to everyone who took part in SBTO's calendar photo competition. Choosing our final selection was very difficult, and we think this year's calendar has some of our best-ever shots. We hope you enjoy them - your calendar is enclosed with this newsletter.

Gordon Saunders, SBTO Chair, on behalf of the Editorial Panel

Robin

Latest updates Supporting Tenants, building communities

Making a Stand against domestic abuse

Everyone deserves to feel safe in their home. We at SBHA, along with three other local Registered Social Landlords, have restated our commitment to the Chartered Institute of Housing’s Make a Stand pledge, helping to challenge domestic abuse. As housing providers, we are ideally placed to spot the signs of domestic abuse and work with other agencies to support those impacted.

If you need help, you can call Women's Aid Scotland's helpline on 0800 027 1234, or locally, call the Domestic Abuse Advocacy Support Service on 01835 825 024.

Chief Executives of (l-r) Eildon, Berwickshire, SBHA and Waverley, with Callum Chomczuk, National Director of CIH Scotland

You Can Cook - cooking in the community

In our Summer edition we shared the great news that we are working in partnership with local company, You Can Cook to deliver the Scottish Borders Rural Food Club. Empowering people to make informed food choices, the Rural Food Club offers sessions to local communities of all ages to come together to learn about healthy eating and cooking on a budget. You Can Cook's Executive Director, Bosco Santimano (left), says: "Having a healthy diet is key and the first step to leading a successful life and I am delighted to be working with SBHA to deliver these community sessions."

Sessions are now underway in Peebles, with more to follow in the new year. If you would like to join a session, please contact your Neighbourhood Housing Officer for more details.

Meeting housing need in the Borders

We are committed to playing our part in ensuring that everyone in the Borders has a safe, secure and affordable home.

We are excited to have sumitted plans for 12 new homes at Fairhurst Drive, and 4 at Leishman Place in Burnfoot, Hawick. Fairhurst Drive will include single storey and wheelchair adapted homes, while Leishman Place will provide 4 family homes, two of them suitable for larger families. And there's more...

We have also submitted plans to turn a block of 8 low demand bedsit properties in Newtown St Boswells into 4 x 2-bedroom homes, as there is a much higher demand for this type of home in the area.

Thank you to everyone who joined us at our recent consultation events in Jedburgh and Hawick on our innovative housing, Garages to Homes. We are reviewing your feedback, which will be incorporated into designs where practical, to bring much needed accessible homes to these areas.

We look forward to bringing you more news about these exciting projects soon!

The

SBHA and SBTO Annual General Meetings Members enjoy meeting in person again

We were delighted to welcome people back to our Head Office on the 8th September for SBHA's twentieth Annual General Meeting.

SBHA's Chair Robin Hill thanked Gordon Saunders, who stepped down as Elected Tenant Board Member. Philippa Brosnan and John Paton-Day were both re-elected as Non-Tenant Members. Since the AGM, the Board as also Co-opted Matt Foreman as Non-Tenant Member and Liam Scott as Tenant Member, until the next AGM.

Our special thanks to Allen Tills, who recently stood down from the Board having served 5 years as an Elected Tenant Member. As a dedicated Board Member and member of the Customer Board, Allen made a significant contribution to SBHA over the years, and as an active SBTO member, helped shape services for Tenants. We wish Allen all the very best for the future.

At SBTO's AGM on 25th October,

Dominic Brookes gave a short speech before stepping down as Chair, which highlighted SBTO’s achievements over the previous year, including campaigns and work to support, involve and improve services for all SBHA Tenants. The meeting was held in hybrid format, allowing people to participate from home if they preferred to.

The new Office Bearers were confirmed as:

• Chair – Gordon Saunders

• Joint Vice Chairs – Dominic Brookes and Ralph Nichol

• Treasurer – Doris Charlton

• Secretary – Tiffany Ward

All other members were re-elected, and three new members were welcomed (clockwise from top) Laura Glover, Mary Saunders and Gregory Theocharis.

National Panel of Tenants and

The Panel is one of the ways that the Scottish Housing Regulator can hear what tenants and service users think and make sure it focuses on the important things. Members receive occasional surveys and invites to take part in other feedback exercises. Participation is always optional and you can leave at any time.

Ready to join?

Online at www.bit.ly/shr-panel, call 0800 433 7212, or get a printed form on natpan@engagescotland.co.uk

SBTO's Christmas corner

Recipes and puzzles - just for fun!

Christmas Quiz

1. Which British monarch delivered the first ever Christmas message?

2. According to 1946's Christmas classic It's Wonderful Life, what happens every time a bell rings?

3. What was the gift received on the 4th day of Christmas?

4. Which famous US political figure and celebrity makes a cameo in Home Alone 2?

5. In which children's classic is it 'always winter but never Christmas'?

6. Cliff Richard had his 12th number one hit with his sing-along Christmas classic Mistletoe and what?

7. What is the name of Kristoff's reindeer in Frozen?

8. Which celebrity won the first ever Strictly Come Dancing in December 2004?

9. Good King Wenceslas looked out on the feast of which saint?

10. Which classic comedy's Christmas special in 2003 ended with Tim and Dawn finally finding love?

Ingredients

175g self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

175g unsalted butter, softened 3 eggs

175g golden caster sugar

2 tbsp milk, plus a splash 1 tsp vanilla extract

40g ground almonds

Find our robins!

There are 10 robins hidden in this issue - but where are they?

Find the Christmas carols!

Find the Christmas carols hidden in these anagrams. Answers on the back page!

Honest filter

Coyly send Victorian aid The Greeks win Len begs Jill Linen tights

Favourite biscuit cupcakes

a large bowl and beat with an electric whisk until smooth. Put a spoonful of batter into each paper case. Crumble a biscuit into each case – use one type of biscuit for each case colour, so you remember what’s in each one. Divide the remaining batter between the cases (they should be about half full), and bake for 20-25 mins or until golden and just firm. Leave to cool on a wire rack.

12 mini Oreos, 12 mini Jammy Dodgers, 12 mini gingerbread

For the butter cream icing

225g unsalted butter, softened 400g icing sugar, sifted few drops vanilla extract, 1 tbsp cocoa and a pinch each of powdered ginger and cinnamon 12 cupcake cases (3 different colours if using 3 types of biscuits)

STEP 1

Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with three different coloured paper cases. Tip the flour, baking powder, unsalted butter, eggs, sugar, milk, vanilla and almonds into

STEP 2

Make the icing by beating the butter until soft, then beat in the icing sugar. Divide the icing into three. Add the vanilla to one batch, the cocoa and a splash of milk to another, and the ginger and cinnamon to the third. Mix them all well.

STEP 3

Spoon each batch of icing into a bag fitted with a star nozzle (or use one batch at a time) and pipe icing onto the cakes, matching the icing flavour with the biscuit inside. Add two of the same biscuit to the top as a decoration. Will keep for up to two days in an airtight container.

Useful info and reminders

The Post Office branch at our Head Office is open Mon-Thurs, 9am-5pm (last uplift 4.15pm)...

...And Fri 9am-3.45pm (last uplift 3.15pm)

Royal Mail strike dates:

Wednesday December 14

Thursday December 15

Friday December 23 Christmas Eve

The last uplift from the Post Office branch at our Head Office will be 12noon on Fri 23rd December.

Need to talk? Helplines and websites

Mental health helpline - if you're feeling low, stressed or anxious, call Breathing Space Scotland on 0800 83 85 87

Domestic abuse helpline - call Scotland's National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0800 027 1234, or locally, call the Domestic Abuse Advocacy Support Service on 01835 825 024

Helpline for elderly people - call Age Scotland for coronavirus help, advice or simply a friendly voice on 0800 12 44 222

Childline - support for children and young people on 0800 1111, or go to childline.org.uk

Information and support for young LGBTQ+ people - call Young Stonewall on 0800 050 2020, or visit youngstonewall.org.uk

Rape Crisis Scotland - confidential help and support for anyone who has suffered sexual violence, call 08088 01 03 02

Financial advice - find a range of advice and resources at moneyadviceservice.org.uk, or call 0800 138 7777

Samaritans (Borders) - call free from any phone on 116123 or go to samaritans.org if need someone to talk to, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Stay one step ahead of fraud this winter

Be on the alert for fraud this winter. Remember - your bank (or any other official source) will never ask you to supply personal information via email, or call and ask you to confirm your bank account details.

If you’re not sure about the tradesperson at your door, give us a call on 01750 724444.

Sign up at www.sbalert.co.uk for all the latest information on scams.

Reporting a power cut

Call 105 to report a power cut. Calling 105 is a free-of-charge call from any network.

Do not call your electricity supplier.

Electricity suppliers sell consumers energy and are not responsible for the power lines that connect to homes or businesses.

Distribution network operators (DNOs) own and maintain these power lines. When you call 105, you’ll be put through to your DNO.

Pipe care in cold weather

In very cold periods, keep your heating on low at all times to avoid pipes freezing over.

If you’re going away over Christmas, it might be a good idea to drain down your pipes to avoid them freezing. SBHA can give you advice on how to do this. Give us a call on 01750 724444.

In cold weather your condensate pipe that comes from your boiler to the outside of your property can become frozen. This can cause your boiler to shut down. This can be fixed by pouring warm water over the pipe.

If you wish to see anything featured in future newsletters, want to give us some feedback on this newsletter, have a story or photo to share, or are interested in learning more about how you can get involved, please contact Louise McNeilage, Tenant & Community Engagement Facilitator.

Just email lmcneilage@sbha.org.uk or send us a message on any of our social media channels, or call 01750 724444. Also, if you would like to receive this newsletter digitally, rather than in print, please let us know and help us to reduce our carbon footprint.

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