Gateway Magazine

014 SUM MER 2

The magazine for residents of Watford Community Housing Trust.

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Summer

in your Community

2

Have your say

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Watford 2014

Britain’s Got Talent stars are coming to the Colosseum!

Welcome

to our new-look Gateway Magazine Welcome to our new-look Gateway magazine. It’s a fresh design but inside you will still find the same useful information about what’s going on in your area, how you can take part in our activities, and how you can have a say in what the Trust is doing.

If you are a member of the Trust you will also receive our membership newsletter, Membership Matters. This also has a brand new look, but again it still contains useful information about opportunities to get involved in your local community.

If you’d like to receive Membership Matters and other member benefits, joining is easy. Simply go to wcht.org.uk/membership, call us on 01923 209183 or email communitydevelopment@wcht.org.uk.

Below you can see why becoming a member is so important: it means you can vote in our Gateway Leadership Team elections, which are taking place right now. Do take this opportunity to vote. You can also have your say at our Annual General Meeting on Monday 8 September!

I hope you enjoy these magazines. We’d love to hear what you think of them – send your comments to communications@wcht.org.uk.

Tina Barnard, Chief Executive

Vote Now! Did you know that the Gateway Leadership Team is here to represent you?

This is a group of residents who work with us to help improve our services.

They give us their views on what we are doing, and have direct access to our Board of Management. We are holding elections for three members of the GLT right now, so please vote using the form you’ve received in the post.

The candidates

Mary Daniel-Fearon “I am passionate about the local community, I want to make a difference.”

Avril Barclay “I believe GLT is the voice of tenants and I want to put the word out.”

Mazie Gibson “Involvement in community work has always been a major part of my life .”

Karen Bell “I am a good communicator and I speak up for what I believe.”

Cara Smalley “I want to make sure all residents have a voice in their local community.”

Watford 2014

It’s going to be big!

Saturday 11 October, Watford Colosseum We’re holding our annual community event at the Colosseum this year and are thrilled that our star performers will be Britain’s Got Talent stars Twist and Pulse!

Since appearing in the hit show in 2010 the duo, also known as Ashley Glazebrook and Glen Murphy, have become role models for young people around the UK. They are dedicated to tackling social issues through their own genre of dance they call ‘Streetomedy’, which combines streetdance and comedy. “We love seeing little kids getting into dancing. We just want to teach them everything we know and pass on all our passion! We want to show kids that you can come from nothing and make it with hard work and a dream.”

We’ll also be joined by Granny Turismo – the world’s first ever shopping trolley dance display team – plus a host of local arts performers. There will also be stalls where you can find out about opportunities to volunteer, stay healthy, take part in local community groups and much more!

We look forward to seeing you at this free event in October. Keep an eye on our website, www.wcht.org.uk for updates, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

WatfordCommunityHousingTrust watfordgateway

Fix it Days:

dates for your diary We are coming to an area near you to help with repair queries, estate services, property queries and much more this Summer! The team will be out in the community from 9am until 4pm on the following days:

news

Friday 1 August – Hillside Estate Office Tuesday 5 August – Meriden Estate Office Tuesday 19 August – Centrepoint Community Centre Friday 5 September – Boundary Way Community Hub Wednesday 10 September – Eastbury Court Wednesday 24 September – Leavesden Green Community Hub

Garage rentals!

Anyone can rent a garage with the Trust, and a lot of them are newly refurbished!

When you rent a garage from us you will be required to sign our terms and conditions and pay one month in advance which starts from as little as £10.64 per week if you are a tenant. If you are not a tenant, you can still rent a garage from £12.77 per week! This is a lot cheaper than paying for storage.

If you would like to rent a garage please call 01923 209162.

Living in your house illegally? We’re closing in!

YOU COULD BE BREAKING THE LAW IF YOU ARE SUBLETTING, OR IF YOU DO NOT LIVE IN THE PROPERTY WHICH HAS YOUR NAME ON THE TENANCY. Housing fraud is a criminal offence, and we’ve been working with Three Rivers District Council to track down the fraudsters right across Watford and Three Rivers.

We have held an ‘amnesty’ until 15 July, to give housing fraudsters a final chance to return their key. If you’ve missed this date you can expect to hear from us soon.

If you suspect someone may be living in one of our homes illegally, contact 0800 458 9200 or tenancyfraud@threerivers.gov.uk in confidence.

Keep rockin’ for Trusty!

Well done to Kristopher Potter, Joe Farry and Hadyn Cole, students at Bushey Academy, who entered our ‘Song for Trusty’ competition.

Six groups of Academy students entered our competition to write a song for Trusty House and we were really impressed with the results. Judging will take place over the summer and the winners will get to perform their entry live at the Colosseum in October during Watford 2014!

You will be able to listen to some of the entries online over the coming weeks – follow us on social media to find out more!

Our winner from Spring...

We would like to congratulate Amanda Cerasale from Rutland Lodge on being randomly selected as last quarter’s prize draw winner!

Help us go digital and win a PRIZE! Did you know that it can cost a business over £12 to answer a letter it has received, but an online transaction costs less than 10p?

That’s why we want to move more of our communications online – it means we can invest more of our income into better services.

How will my communication improve? f Get the latest news from us straight to your computer, tablet or phone

Going digital Your full name Your home number Your address Your mobile number

We will never misuse your email address or send you any spam. For your peace of mind, have a read of our privacy policy: www.wcht. org.uk/privacy-policy

f Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to get updates and talk to us f Check out our online tenant portal at www.wcht.org.uk for your rent account and more What’s in it for me?

If you supply us with your email address by Monday 22 September, we will enter you into a prize draw for £100 in intu Watford shopping vouchers! More details of the prize draw at www.wcht.org.uk/ godigital

Here’s how you can win For your chance to win £100 in shopping vouchers, all you need to do is update your details by 22 September. There are three ways you can do this: f Call us on 01923 209068 f Complete the online form at www.wcht.org.uk/ godigital f Fill in the form below and send it to us by Freepost

Post your completed form to (no stamp required): FREEPOST RRXH – LZUR – LKHG Communications Team Watford Community Housing Trust Gateway House 59 Clarendon Road Watford, WD17 1LA Your email address

Please tick here if you still want to receive Gateway magazine by post.

feature

On your bike Sky Ride Watford is a great way get some exercise while enjoying a free guided ride through your community!

Open to all ages and abilities from easy to challenging... and located in a range of areas!

Sign up at www.goskyride.com/watford, or call Caroline Roche on 01923 278242 for more information.

Don’t forget to grab your space in our Bike Back to Work scheme – one resident is already on his way to starting a business! Call Nazma on 01923 209114!

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7 WHATEVER YOUR AGE, THERE’S PLENTY TO DO THIS SUMMER IN YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY. WE’VE CREATED THIS DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD TO HELP YOU PLAN YOUR EXCURSIONS – BUT DON’T FORGET TO WEAR SUNBLOCK IN THE HOT WEATHER!

Summer 2014

What’s happening near you Stay active Enjoy a FREE game of cricket, rounders, football, dodgeball and much more at one of your local parks!

Street dance You won’t believe how much fun you’ll have learning to dance like Diversity in this action packed session.

These activities start from Tuesday 29 July for one month, and are open to 8 to 16 year olds between 4pm and 6pm at the following locations:

f Monday 11th August, 10am to 10.45am (Under 7’s) and 11am to 11.45am (7-14 year olds)

f Tuesdays at Goodwood Recreation Ground (Goodwood Avenue, Greenbank Road) f Wednesdays at Woodside Playing Fields (Horseshoe Lane) f Thursdays at Leavesden Recreation Ground (Clarke Way) f Fridays at Riverside Recreation Ground (Riverside Road)

This activity costs just £2 per person, per session.

There are limited places available, so please do try and book in advance!

Contact the Holywell Community Centre on 01923 216950 or email holywell@w3rt.org for more information.

Cassiobury Park There’s plenty for kids to do in Cassiobury Park, and most of it is absolutely FREE! Definitely worth popping down for the play area – which includes a granite stone maze, a trampoline, climbing frames and slides!

Quiz night Disability Watford are hosting a Charity Quiz night with some fish and chips!

It’s happening at Watford Colosseum on Tuesday 29th July from 7pm for just £5!

Email info@disabilitywatford.org.uk or call 01923 245944 to purchase tickets!

There is also a special guest quizmaster!

Party by the Pond – FREE The Parade, Watford Town Centre, Saturday 13 September 4pm-9pm Vibe 107.6FM is proud to present a great live music event featuring top local bands throughout the afternoon, and a very special celebrity DJ set in the evening!!

Find out more If you’re a member of the Trust, you’ll find many more events listed in your free edition of Membership Matters, enclosed with this magazine.

in your community From

Sheila’s Meals WE’VE JUST LAUNCHED A BRAND NEW LUNCH CLUB AT LEAVESDEN GREEN COMMUNITY HUB!

Hire your local Community Hub!

£12

per hour

Hall and room hire from as little as £12 per hour Our community hubs are great for children’s parties, hobby groups, exercise classes, business meetings or just somewhere to meet up as a group.

Leavesden Green Community Hub Clarke Green, off Clarke Way Watford WD25 0BW Harebreaks Community Hub The Harebreaks Watford WD24 6NJ

Sheila’s Meals is a way to meet new people while enjoying a healthy, affordable lunch! It takes place every other Wednesday from 1pm, and you can get a two course meal for just £5! Both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options are available.

For bookings, contact Anne Sillwood on 01923 209186.

Boundary Way Community Hub 214 Boundary Way Watford WD25 7ST Call 01923 209186 or go to www.wcht.org.uk/ halls-for-hire

The Green Canteen

Edward Amey Hub

The Green Canteen is a place where you can pick up gardening skills, either as a volunteer or on a three-week course for just £10. You can also buy cheap gardening equipment and fresh produce there. For further Information please contact Caron Brennan, on 07554 428928 or at caron.brennan@ hertsmindnetwork.org

We were proud to celebrate the opening of the new Community Hub at Edward Amey Close. We installed the Hub using money from our Better Communities Fund, after the local residents’ association asked us to provide a place for them to meet up. Carol Fisken and Diane Spooner of the residents’ association who worked really hard to make this happen.

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money matters 9

Be careful who you buy from…

Whether you’re buying online or in person, it’s always good to check if the business is Trading Standards Approved. Herts County Council is running a scheme called ‘Buy With Confidence’ which helps businesses comply with the law and also improves your protection as a customer.

They have put together a list of gardeners, plumbers, builders and many other types of business and have checked that they are trustworthy and following consumer protection laws. Look out for the ‘Buy With Confidence’ mark and stay safe while shopping!

Beware bogus callers!

We have had a few reports of bogus callers in our areas recently, in Harebreaks, Garston and Rookery.

Be careful, and never let someone into your home if you are not expecting them. There are three simple steps to follow: Stop – before you open the door Chain – put it on!

Check – the caller’s identification before letting them in. …and remember, a genuine caller from the Trust will always carry ID. If you have any doubts about a caller who claims to be from the Trust, call us on 01923 209000.

Gas and Electricity – Prepaid Meters Check if you can get a £140 discount Energy suppliers are obliged to help those in hardship. One way they do this is by providing the Warm Home Discount. This is a £140 discount on your electricity bill if you qualify, during winter 2014/15. It’s available just for customers who receive pension credit, with either a prepay meter or a standard meter. The final decision still rests with your supplier, so make sure you check with them first!

For full help on this, go to www.moneysavingexpert.com and search for ‘grant grabbing’.

Below are some tips on how to use your prepaid meter the right way f Use less energy. It’s not just who you pay, but how much you use. For instance, turn down the thermostat, turn lights off when you leave a room, defrost the fridge and don’t leave electrical goods on standby. f Moved house? Tell your supplier immediately. If you’ve moved into a home with a prepayment meter, tell the existing supplier immediately and don’t use the old tenant’s top-up card. Otherwise you may end up paying someone else’s debt just to get an energy supply.

The supplier must, under their code of conduct, reset the meter as soon as possible. You can also ask for a standard meter to be installed by the existing supplier. If they say they can’t do this (or if they want to charge a fee to do it), you can switch to a supplier that’s willing to install one for free, as long as you pass a credit check. f Ignore doorstep sellers. This is very important. Don’t sign any documents and do not give your details to anyone.

For more information, read our energy booklet “Every Penny Counts” or speak to our Energy Surveyor, Jason Ademola 01923 209016.

our performance

You Said, We Did You said...

Our new grounds maintenance contractor had missed a few grass cuts that should have taken place on our land.

We did...

It is always difficult when changing grounds maintenance contractors, particularly when John O’Conner had been cutting the grass and maintaining the beds for five years and knew the areas well.

Glendale made a good start in April, especially with the wet weather which made the grass grow abundantly but made cutting difficult, and we received some compliments. However they then fell behind on the number of cuts they should have made. They have now added an additional crew and are working extra hours each day and on Saturdays to put things right.

Where quality issues have been identified, the Trust has asked Glendale to return to the area and put right any issues. Glendale has also retrained some of their staff so the Trust receives the right quality, first time.

If you have any comments on our grounds maintenance service, please contact Jane Pursey on 01923 209122 or at jane.pursey@wcht.org.uk.

Your kind words….

“I’d like to thank the Customer Service Team. I could not have asked for better assistance and in such an understanding and professional way.”

Meriden tenant “Very impressed with workers who fitted my new bath. Nothing damaged and they swept up when they finished.”

Woodside tenant “Repairs operative Colin very professorial, and I’ve never met a man as nice as him!”

Holywell tenant “Delighted with Hub for wedding reception & appreciate Anne’s help.”

Leavesden Green tenant

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Facts and figures… about our Homes Team We let 385 Trust homes in 2013/14.

Working with Watford Borough Council, we were able to let 30% of these homes to transferring Trust tenants.

It took an average of 20 days to relet homes after they had been vacated.

We narrowly missed our target turnaround time of 19 days, but did much better than the average for social landlords across England, which was 33 days.

Our target turnaround time for 2014/15 is 17 days.

Have your say in how the Trust is run We are holding our annual general meeting at 6pm on Monday 8 September at Gateway House.

All tenants and leaseholders are invited to this meeting, and if you are a member of the Trust you will be able to vote on the key decisions that will be made there.

For more information contact Karen Airey at karen.airey@wcht. org.uk or on 01923 209061.

In the weeks leading up to the annual general meeting we will be publishing our annual report to tenants, which will tell you how we performed in 2013/14. To save money we will make this available on our website instead of mailing it to everyone - however we can send you a hard copy on request.

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New homes update We are making good progress towards our target of 500 new homes in Watford and Three Rivers by 2017.

We have three new developments starting in West Watford, with nine flats being built in Moor View off Vicarage Road, 31 homes being built on the site of Rembrandt House, and 10 homes being built near the shops on Tolpits Lane.

We also completed 16 new homes in Croxley View earlier this year.

The site used to be occupied by 90 garages, which were largely empty and had become a magnet for nuisance behaviour. We visited the development in April for the official opening by Mayor Dorothy Thornhill and were delighted to see how happy the tenants were in their new homes.

School Mead celebration WE’RE REALLY PROUD OF THE WORK WE’VE DONE AT SCHOOL MEAD, ABBOTS LANGLEY, WHICH NOW HAS A NEW-LOOK GREEN. Hillside Residents’ Association applied to our Better Communities Fund to improve the area. We then worked together to ask local people what facilities they wanted to see. Based on their feedback we installed a new sheltered meeting space, planted wild flower meadows, created a ‘story circle’ opposite Tanners Wood School, and added new footpaths to make it easier to get across the green.

We had a fantastic event in June to celebrate the opening of the new space, when members of the community joined us to watch singing and football displays by pupils from Tanners Wood. It was great to see the space being enjoyed by people of all ages.

get in touch

Email us: enquiries@wcht.org.uk Postal address: Gateway House, 59 Clarendon Road, Watford WD17 1LA Useful contacts – the Trust General enquiries

01923 209 000

Repairs (free from a landline)

0800 218 2247

Rent enquiry

01923 209 111 01923 209 222

Disabled adaptations

01923 209 220

Useful contacts – other agencies Council Tax Three Rivers District Council

01923 226 400 01923 776 611

Refuse collection Veolia/Watford Borough Council Three Rivers District Council

0203 5676 900 01923 776 611

Water supply Affinity Water

0845 782 3333

Thames Water

0845 9200 800

Disabled parking badges Hertfordshire County Lost energy top-up card

Our Safer Communities Officer is always happy to help and there are several ways you can get in touch...

or 01923 209 247

Anti-social behaviour

Watford Borough Council

Problems with nuisance behaviour?

Council 0300 1234 050 Check with your supplier

Your Feedback is important to us. You can let us know what you think in many ways.

Via our website (www.wcht.org.uk/feedback) By email at feedback@wcht.org.uk By telephone on 01923 209000 In person to any member of staff In writing to Gateway House, 59 Clarendon Road, Watford, Hertfordshire WD17 1LA And by completing satisfaction surveys At the Trust we value your views on our services.

Your feedback not only helps us, but it could also win you money!

Anna Bates 01923 209192 asb@wcht.org.uk Step 1 Call us, email or fill out a form on the web here: www.wcht.org.uk/ report-anti-social-behaviour Step 2 We will respond to you within two working days to arrange a safe meeting place and time to talk to you Step 3 Together we will agree an action plan (what we can do for you and what we need from you).

Don’t forget you can check your account online. Simply go to www.wcht.org.uk and click ‘My account’.