Photographer: Kamil Albert
OUR NEWS / YOUR VIEWS // SUMMER 2018
LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION! We’ve been filming with ITN! Find out more on Page 5
In this issue: We only went and won a Tpas Award - Page 2 Carbon Monoxide Safety - Page 6 Your data is important to us - Page 8 Introducing Universal Credit - Page 11
Streetwise Summer 2018
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WE ONLY WENT AND WON! WELCOME
TO YOUR SUMMER EDITION OF STREETWISE.
Hello Everyone, We really hope you enjoy your summer edition of Streetwise. This is the first fully-fledged digital edition… how exciting! However don’t forget that if you would still like to receive a hard copy you can pick one up from our Reception, Short Street Cafe, Wishes for Winshill or Chestnut Grange. The winter edition of Streetwise will be available on Monday 3rd December. In this issue we have some exciting news to share with you including a couple of awards, filming with ITN Productions and an important update on Universal Credit. We want to hear what is going on in your communities or if you have any other news that you would like to share with us, please contact us via the details below. We’d like to thank those at Trent & Dove who have supplied us with their stories for the edition. As always, we welcome your feedback and really hope you enjoy the read. Best wishes,
Sarah & Laura
The Communications Team
CONTACT US
01283 528 528 communications@trentanddove.org @trentanddove @TaDHousing
Trent & Dove are thrilled to announce that their Annual Report for 16/17 created in conjunction with design agency Katapult has won a Tpas Award for the Central Region. The award was presented at a prestigious awards ceremony at St John’s Hotel, Solihull on 20th April. Tpas are England’s leading tenant engagement experts, bringing landlords, tenants and contractors together to find solutions to improve services, save money and bring lasting change to communities. The annual Tpas Awards showcases the compelling and inspirational success stories of tenants, landlords and contractors working together across the communities of England. They celebrate and reward the people, ideas and organisations that shape the tenant involvement work of tomorrow.
Back for the 11th year the Tpas Awards seek to recognise and reward on a national platform the ‘unsung heroes’ in our communities for their contribution to driving up standards in social housing. As winners of the central region, we were entered in to the national finals. The awards evening was held in Warwickshire on Thursday 12th July and we were up against the winners of the Northern and Southern regions. Unfortunately we were pipped to the post by Blackpool Coastal Housing, however we should still be very proud of our regional award. Winning a regional award is a fantastic achievement and a huge well done to everyone involved, let’s aim for a national award next year!
If you would like to get involved with this year’s annual report please email communications@ trentanddove.org
Streetwise Summer 2018
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TRENT & DOVE RECEIVE PRESIDENT’S AWARD
The RoSPA Awards scheme, which receives entries from organisations around the world, recognises achievement in health and safety management systems, including practices such as leadership and workforce involvement.
Trent & Dove are delighted to have received a President’s award for achieving 10 consecutive golds, in the internationally-renowned RoSPA Health and Safety Awards, the longestrunning industry awards scheme in the UK.
Anna Hickman, Head of Health and Safety/CDM Compliance said: “The RoSPA Awards provide us with a great opportunity each year to review our health and safety performance and think about how we can continue to add value to the way we manage health and safety risks to our staff, customers and supply chain. Our health and safety success has been achieved through the continued commitment of our leadership team and the full engagement of staff to drive improvements in systems, processes and behaviours.” The health and safety audit team were presented with the award during a ceremony at Hilton Birmingham Metropole hotel on Thursday, July 5, 2018. The Awards celebrations, climaxed with the prestigious RoSPA Awards Gala Dinner, which are rightly regarded as the ultimate celebration of health and safety management excellence. Afterdinner entertainment was provided by comedian Ed Byrne.
A fantastic achievement and well done to everyone involved.
TRENT & DOVE CALENDAR Postage and general costs to produce the calendar has risen considerably in recent years, and it is with regret to inform you that we will no longer be producing our customer calendar. Thank you to everyone who has sent us their photographs over the years, we’ve loved receiving your images. We are however, still looking for images to be used on the front cover of Streetwise and will pay £10 for each image we use. Please send your high quality jpegs to: communications@trentanddove.org
Streetwise Summer 2018
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NOMINATIONS ARE NOW OPEN FOR IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY AWARDS 2018
This year marks our thirteenth year of holding the Impact on the Community Awards which recognise and celebrate the positive contributions made by many individuals and organisations to their local communities and support our aim of making our neighbourhoods better places to live. Last year’s event was highly successful and highlighted the wealth of good work that is being done by both organisations and individuals.
Do you know somebody who goes out of their way to make a difference to your community? Then why not nominate them for one of our influential awards?
If the person or organisation you have nominated is chosen as one of our finalists, you and your nominee will be invited to a red carpet awards ceremony at the Pirelli Stadium, Burton on Trent on Friday 2nd November… So what are you waiting for?
Reward that someone special today. NOMINATIONS ARE NOW OPEN! To nominate please visit our website www.trentanddove.org or if you would like a nomination form to be sent out to you – please call 01283 528 693. You may nominate yourself, your own organisation or someone else, but please ensure you have their permission. The closing date for applications is Monday 3rd September 2018. Shortlisted applicants (and those who have nominated them where appropriate) will be contacted and invited to attend the awards evening on Friday 2nd November where we will announce the winners.
Best wishes and good luck!
BURTON BRIDGE MAJOR WORKS We would like to thank you for your patience during the Burton Bridge closure. Please continue to bear with us whilst we negotiate the traffic to get to you. If you have any concerns about an appointment time - please call us on 01283 528 528.
Streetwise Summer 2018
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SERVICE CHARGES As part of our commitment to value for money we are currently in the process of reviewing our service charges.
More details of the review will be in the Winter edition of Streetwise.
LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION! The Chartered Institute of Housing commissioned ITN to produce a film to be shown at this year’s CIH conference to highlight the current housing crisis and shine a light on the value of social housing.
Thatcher who works for ITV and some of you may recall as former presenter of East Midlands Today.
Trent & Dove contributed to the film with an emphasis on some of the extra things that we do that provide social value, support and community engagement.
Laura McCready, Marketing & PR Co-ordinator said “We are delighted to have
Filming for the documentary took place on Monday 23rd April at various locations around Burton including Community Café - Wishes for Winshill, Beresford Close, Warwick Street Allotments and Masefield Crescent. Interviews were also captured with Ursula Bennion, Chief Executive, our customers and volunteers. The reporter for the day was Nick
Over 8 hours worth of footage was edited down into a 4 minute piece for the programme and highlights were shown at a premier launch at Housing 18, a conference held by the Chartered Institute of Housing from June 26th-28th in Manchester.
been part of Solving the Housing Crisis, which truly underlines the value of social housing. Our segment was unique as it highlighted the extra services that we provide making us more than just a landlord and helps our customers to sustain their tenancy with us. We are excited to share our piece with you and really hope you enjoy it!”
To view Trent & Dove’s segment please visit www.cih.org/ solvingthehousingcrisis or our Facebook page.
@trentanddove
Streetwise Summer 2018
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IMPORTANT STEPS TO CARBON MONOXIDE SAFETY Carbon Monoxide poisoning is a subject that people know very little about. Not only can it kill you, it can cause permanent neurological damage in the long term. In the short term, it can make you feel ill and inhibit your life potential. Here’s what to do to protect yourself. Please read all of the 7 steps, it may be that the following five minutes could save your life, or the life of someone else. 1. Check the flame colour of your appliances, if it’s yellow/orange you do have a problem. However, blue does not necessarily mean it is safe. Please ensure you check your appliances annually. 2. Check the flue, is it blocked? Do you have creeping plants growing up your walls? Do you have birds nesting in your flue? Completely remove these obstructions from the flue area and fit a guard to stop
any birds nesting. Make sure you get your flue checked! Is it drawing properly? Was it fitted correctly in the first place? 3. Do you have a horizontal gas grill? They can be particularly hazardous. Is yours working correctly? Older appliances can be problematic and it is recommended that you use an electric toaster instead. Have you had your cooker checked recently? 4. Is there adequate ventilation? Check your air bricks or trickle vents. Have you had double glazing fitted? If the appliances in your home do not have enough air they will produce carbon monoxide. 5. When were your appliances last checked? Make sure they are checked every year, don’t leave it to chance. Remember, the engineer can only check the conditions on the day that he attends.
to check the appliances in your home. Did the engineer do a thorough check? How long were they in the house for? If you are unsure or would like more information please contact Gary Hill on 01283 528 592.
Figures from the Carbon Monoxide and Gas Safety Society show that there is an average of 40 deaths a year, with a further 300 people injured or permanently disabled. Symptoms include severe headaches, chest or stomach pains, drowsiness, nausea, dizziness, general lethargy - signs which can often be mistaken for other illnesses or ignored with fatal consequences.
As winter arrives and we start using gas appliances such as boilers, gas fires and cookers more frequently, it is important to make sure that they have been serviced and checked for their safe operation. This will help to reduce the numbers If you suffer from any of the above please visit given above. your doctor and get a CohB test, make sure you go directly from your house and do not go elsewhere If your annual service is due, please let us have as the CO in your blood will deplete and may not access to your property. Should you experience be picked up. any of the above symptoms, please contact Trent & Dove Housing immediately. We will give you 7. Do you have a current safety certificate? As safety advice and ensure your appliances are your landlord we have a legal responsibility thoroughly checked for safe operation. 6. Do you suffer from unexplained illnesses, fatigue, muscle pains, upset stomach, lethargy, dizziness, headaches?
Streetwise Summer 2018
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TRENT & DOVE SPONSOR BURTON ALBION COMMUNITY TRUST IN GHANA Burton Albion Community Trust has offered the chance of a lifetime for volunteers, by organising a trip to Ghana to help the African community. Whilst in Africa volunteers will be teaching in schools, coaching sports and building new classrooms and facilities for the children to learn and develop their skills. Most importantly the trip is about raising funds for those children in Africa who don’t get clean water to drink or food on the table each day, or even have the chance to go to school and learn.
Burton Albion Community Trust will be taking a team of around 15 people from our local community made up of young leaders, local organisations, school teachers and other community members. Each of these young people needed to raise £2,500 to cover costs of the trip and raise those all important funds for the children, as well as supporting community work within Burton and surrounding areas. Trent & Dove are proud to sponsor Antoine (17) who came through the BACT NCS programme last summer. Dawn Maddin, Community Engagement Manager said “The Federation of Residents Associations has been happy to support many young people
over recent years who have had the opportunity of a lifetime to go to Ghana with BACT. This year we are pleased to support Antoine and hope that he enjoys the experience and makes the most of the life changing project in West Africa”
If you would like to follow Antoine’s journey please check out our social media pages.
@trentanddove @TaDHousing
Streetwise Summer 2018
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YOUR DATA IS IMPORTANT TO US It is important that your data is used only in ways that you would expect and that it stays safe.
You may have heard there is a new Data Protection Law in town. The new law provides everyone with better protection for their personal data. It’s been 20 years since the Data Protection Act was introduced and there have been a lot of changes in technology. There are now stricter rules about how organisations can gather, use, store and share your information
- Speak to someone face to face - Request a copy in a different language or in large print
Our aim is to provide you with assurance that protecting your information is at the heart of everything we do, making sure that it is handled fairly and in line with the law.
Nearly every exchange we have when we are purchasing something, visiting our GP or Dentist, or sending an email, we have to provide our personal data like our name, address and date of birth. More and more people are now using the internet, visiting websites and using social media. To help you to understand how we look after your data we have updated our Privacy Policy. This gives you all the information you need on the kind of information we keep about you and why. We want this to be easy for you to access, you can; - Visit our website – www.trentanddove.org - Request a copy by telephoning, emailing or using our online contact us form (details are provided on page 2)
01283 528 528 communications@trentanddove.org
ARE YOUR CHILD CAR SEATS SAFE? Choosing and fitting the right child car seat can seem very confusing, especially given the very wide range of different types of seats on the market. To help parents and carers select the seat that matches the weight and height of the child, and avoid the most common fitting problems, RoSPA has produced 16 short films - you can view them by visiting www.childcarseats.org.uk/films. It is not necessary to watch them all, simply click the title of the ones that match your personal circumstances.
Streetwise Summer 2018
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TRENT & DOVE INSTALL GAS CENTRAL HEATING AT RETIREMENT HOMES Trent & Dove have recently installed Gas Central Heating to properties in Branston and Yoxall after a recent survey discovered the properties had no gas supply since they were constructed in the 1960’s. Residents of Palmer Close, Branston and Reeve End, Yoxall were approached by our Gas Contract Supervisor last year to give them the option of moving from electricity to gas. Checks were carried out to discover if there was a live gas supply near to the properties and after an extensive search, which included a temporary road closure, it was discovered that gas could be supplied. Each resident was fully consulted throughout the process by Trent & Dove and our approved contractor J Tomlinson and were given the opportunity to choose where they would like their new radiators to be fitted. They were also provided with decorating vouchers after the heating installation was installed, in case of any upheaval.
The bungalows were originally fitted with old fashioned electrical storage heaters. However, these were expensive to run and residents found it difficult to control their heating. Ruth Spalding of Palmer Close said “I am so much warmer and so glad that I had it done, I wouldn’t have coped otherwise. One storage heater was only half working and the one in the kitchen didn’t work at all. I am so pleased, it is so useful. You put your thermostat on and then you don’t have to worry when you go out. With the storage heaters it was hot in the day but it had all gone in the evening. I can now go out and back in again and the house is warm within 10 minutes. Before, I had to wrap a blanket around me whilst I was sitting in the living room, it was that cold.”
Ruth also confirmed that she has already seen a decrease in her monthly electricity allowance due to the switch and that her utility bills had gone down by around £30 a month. Ruth helped her elderly neighbours liaise with their energy companies to make sure they were on the correct tariff.
Trent & Dove are pleased that the residents are much warmer and cosier in their homes, however due to the glorious weather we are experiencing at the moment we are sure that they won’t be switching their heating on anytime soon!
Streetwise Summer 2018
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THE IMPORTANCE OF REGULAR ELECTRICAL TESTING IN YOUR HOME HOW WOULD YOU FEEL IF YOU LOST EVERYTHING YOU HAD IN YOUR HOME DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL FAULT?
It’s been widely reported that the Grenfell Tower fire was started by a faulty electrical appliance.
WHY DO YOU NEED TO KEEP TESTING?
BUT WHAT CAN I DO? Most importantly if we’ve arranged an appointment with you please let us in. We understand that things can crop up, so if you need to reschedule your appointment please call us as soon as possible on 01283 528 528.
We have a duty of care to you, our customers, and must ensure that electrical installations in your property are safe and are maintained. Over time Yet just over 12 months on from this tragedy many things such as, wear and tear, corrosion, Trent & Dove are still struggling to gain access excessive electrical loading, ageing and There are also some things that you can do to properties to carry out necessary electrical environmental influences can all cause electrical yourself at home: installations to deteriorate. inspections. • Do not use appliances with worn or damaged flexes. Don’t wire flexes together BUT MY ELECTRICAL As your Landlord, Trent & Dove are required • Keep portable mains-operated appliances out INSTALLATIONS LOOK FINE, to carry out periodic inspections and associated of the bathroom THEY’RE OK RIGHT? testing to check whether an electrical installation • Have electric blankets serviced and checked is in a satisfactory condition for continued service. regularly, and replace them every 10 years It is your responsibility to allow us access to do Yes, they probably are, but why take the risk? • If an appliance appears faulty, stop using it and this. have it checked at once by a qualified electrician No-one wants to see their property and all their belongings go up in flames, yet in 2017 13,877 • Look for the CE mark when you buy At Trent & Dove, electrical testing is carried out fires in England were caused by an appliance, electrical equipment - this mark shows that every 5 years or when a property becomes void, that’s an average of 38 fires every day! the manufacturer has checked that the product whichever ever is sooner. Once the necessary meets EU safety requirements inspection and testing has been carried out you • Never overload an electric socket will be given an Electrical Installation Condition • Report any faulty or cracked sockets to us Report. The report will detail any observed damage, deterioration, defects, dangerous Should you wish to talk to us about electrical conditions and any non-compliance with the testing please contact us. present-day safety standard which might give rise 01283 528 528 to danger.
communications@trentanddove.org @trentanddove
@TaDHousing
Streetwise Summer 2018
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SMALL STEPS, BIG CHANGE Universal Credit is going to be rolled out to all people claiming Benefits of working age on 21st November 2018. This may affect how you claim benefits. Do you currently claim one of the following benefits?
Job Seekers Allowance Income Support Employment & Support Allowance Housing Benefit Child Tax Credits Working Tax Credits
IF YOU DO, IT IS LIKELY THE CHANGES COMING TO UNIVERSAL CREDIT WILL AFFECT YOU. Universal Credit does not currently affect people of State Pension age. If you are of pension age and your partner is not, you can currently claim Pension Credit. The majority of Trent & Dove customers who claim Housing Benefit currently opt for rent to be paid direct to us – when Universal Credit Full Service arrives in November, the housing element of Universal Credit (help with your rent) will be paid direct to the claimant, who will then be responsible for paying it to Trent & Dove. Whilst rent is paid as part of your housing element, it is worth noting that if you are subject to service charges, NOT ALL service charges are eligible for the housing element of Universal Credit.
If you let your rent account fall into arrears, you could be at risk of losing your home – remember, RENT FIRST.
These changes which will mean moving from weekly or fortnightly to one monthly payment. If you think that you might find it difficult to manage or to budget the changes, we can help.
If you think this may affect you – please call 01283 528 528 and ask to speak with a member of the Income Team for further information. Alternatively, please feel free to contact Pam Bowley direct on 01283 528 664.
STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE TARTS Serves 4 20 mins to prepare, 5 mins to cook, 25 mins to cool
2. Divide the biscuit mixture between 4 x 10cm (4in) fluted tart tins with removable bases or 4 x 10cm (4in) cups lined with non-stick baking paper. Using the back of a spoon, firmly press the mixture into the base and sides of each container. Set aside to chill while you make the filling.
INGREDIENTS 200g (7oz) ginger biscuits 50g butter, melted For the filling 300g (10oz) light soft cheese 150g (5oz) greek yogurt 50g (2oz) caster sugar 1 lemon, finely zested, plus 3tbsp juice 227g strawberries, hulled and quartered 3tbsp seedless strawberry or raspberry jam
3. In a mixing bowl, whisk the soft cheese, yogurt, sugar, lemon zest and juice until combined and creamy. Divide the filling between the tart tins and smooth the tops. Chill for at least 1 hour. 4. In a pan, melt the jam over a low heat until liquid, then set aside to cool a little.
METHOD
5. Remove the cheesecakes from their tins or cups and arrange the strawberry quarters on top. Using a pastry brush, coat the fruit with the cooled jam until glossy and serve.
1. Put the biscuits in a food bag and crush with a rolling pin until fine (alternatively, whizz in a food processor until fine). Tip the biscuit crumbs into a large bowl and stir in the melted butter until combined.
Send us photos of your creations to communications@trentanddove.org and we will feature them in our next edition!
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Once you complete the word search there will be one word left over. Let us know which word is missing and you could win one of two ÂŁ10 Love2shop vouchers.
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Congratulations to Miss B M Hicklin and Master Juggins who were drawn as winners in the Spring word search competition. The missing word was Simnel Cake! Each have received a ÂŁ10 shopping voucher.
Communications Team Trent & Dove Housing GOOD LUCK! Trinity Square, Horninglow Street Burton upon Trent, DE14 1BL 01283 528 528 communications@trentanddove.org @trentanddove @TaDHousing
