Intouch 90 summer 2017 english

intouch SUMMER 2017 | ISSUE 90| FREE

The magazine for residents of Wales & West Housing

In this issue...

Making a Difference Awards Jane Hutt AM impressed with Boverton scheme Sponsorships Welfare benefit reforms Building your skills events

This issue celebrates the Making a Difference Awards for our residents. A big THANK YOU to all of our sponsors:

built-in independence

Group

DR AC Building Services and Sustainability Consultants

AV/IT Solutions & Services

Editor’s Letter and Contents| intouch | www.wwha.co.uk | 03

Welcome from Anne Dear Residents

Welcome to the Summer issue of InTouch – the magazine exclusively for residents of Wales & West Housing.

The theme for this issue is “Making a Difference”, following our ninth successful annual awards ceremony which celebrated the achievements of residents who go above and beyond to help others in the community.

We also hear about the individuals who have turned their lives round for the better – no one can fail to be moved by Iuestyn Basset who is on our front cover, who brought the floor to a standing ovation.

We also feature sponsorships, where we have helped to make a difference to local communities across Wales.

I’m also proud to say that we were double finalists in this year’s UK Housing Awards – firstly as Outstanding Landlord and secondly as Outstanding Repair & Maintenance, for which we were Highly Commended.

This is a result of our staff listening to you, our residents, and doing the right thing.

Also featured in this issue are: the resident participation strategy where your views matter to us, the Building Skills workshops which have helped give young people an interest in learning a new skill, and an update on our complaints process.

The Wordsearch has proved popular again so we have kept it – this time the theme is Summer!

We love hearing from you so if you have any stories you would like to share, please email them to us (along with a photo where possible) or simply ring us and we’ll have a chat with you.

Your feedback is important to us so if you have any ideas or comments, please let us know. We do listen to you. Simply email contactus@wwha.co.uk or speak to our PR & Communications Team on 0800 052 2526.

Happy reading and have a great Summer!

Anne Hinchey, Chief Executive

Contents

Making a Difference Awards 04 Summer Wordsearch 13 Development Update 14 Complaints: Our Approach 16 A Day in the Life of…

17 Going Green 18 Warm Nest for Squirrels 20 Quarterly Report 21 Resident Participation Strategy 28 Making a Difference to your Communities 30 Money Matters 34 Summer Recipes 35 Making a Difference to Your Future 36 Charity Update 38 What’s On 40 Social Media 42 Your News & Views 43

Follow us on twitter

@wwha

Did you know that you can now get more news and updates online?

Other languages and formats If you would like a copy of this edition of In Touch in Welsh or in another language or format, for example in large print, please let us know and we will help you.

Contact Us Wales & West Housing, Archway House, 77 Parc Tŷ Glas, Llanishen, Cardiff CF14 5DU Telephone: 0800 052 2526 Text: 07788 310420 Email: contactus@wwha.co.uk Website: www.wwha.co.uk You can also contact members of staff direct by their email. For example, joe.bloggs@wwha.co.uk

04 | www.wwha.co.uk | intouch | Making a Difference

Making a Difference Awards 2017

Here are your heroes!

Over the last 18 months we have been asking you to tell us about the unsung heroes in your community – those individuals who’ve gone above and beyond to help others or even turn their own lives around for the better.

On Friday 3 March we recognised these extraordinary individuals at our ninth annual Making a Difference Awards at the SWALEC Stadium in Cardiff.

Before we unveil the winners, we would like to thank everyone who took the time to nominate someone special, and a big well done to all of our winners and finalists.

This year the ceremony was bigger and better than ever before, with more than 200 of us getting together from across Wales to celebrate true community spirit.

We were also joined by a number of representatives from our contractor partners, including main event sponsor Gibsons Specialist Technical Services.

Altogether they donated more than £40,000 in sponsorship – allowing us to host the event and also put money back into our Making a Difference funding pots to help you, our residents, improve your community, environment and future.

Gwobrau

Making a

Difference Awards

Making a Difference | intouch | www.wwha.co.uk | 05

Good Neighbour Award sponsored by Cambria Maintenance Services

Fay ms Willia er Winn

Wrexham resident Fay, who has a four year-old son, Alfie, works full time but helps her neighbours in many ways.

- a small trowel and a plastic box lid and cleared the pavements and road of snow so other residents could get out.

Fay loves to bake and always shares the cakes she’s baked with her neighbours.

Always happy to take them shopping or to hospital appointments, Fay has been known to take one neighbour 50 miles to deliver Christmas presents to their grandchildren! She has also invited a neighbour to spend Christmas with her family when she heard they would otherwise be on their own.

Fay said: “I feel overwhelmed and loved. I’m really pleased to win the award. I’m the lucky one to have been nominated by my neighbours.”

When the residents had snow, despite not being in the best of health, Fay grabbed the only tools she could find

Well done to all our finalists in the Good Neighbour Award!

• Christine Voyle, Terry Govier & Christine Hipkiss, Mountain Ash • Pat Winterbottom, Prestatyn • Gwenda Evans, Cardigan • David Price, Merthyr Tydfil • Joanne Edwards, Bridgend

06 | www.wwha.co.uk | intouch | Making a Difference

Green Fingers Award sponsored by Contour Showers

St Mellons Community Garden

Winners

The St Mellons Community Garden brings together residents of all ages and backgrounds to grow fruit, flowers and friendships in the centre of one of Cardiff’s biggest housing estates.

thrilled to win the award. Many of the gardeners have some sort of disability.

I have had two hip replacements and suffer from arthritis, but working in the garden brings us all together.”

Some of the volunteers have overcome personal difficulties and found friendship through the garden.

They have extended the support by developing a therapeutic social area.

They have also designed and built a market garden at the prestigious RHS show in Cardiff for the last two years.

Well done to all our finalists in the Green Fingers Award!

One of the gardeners, Glenys Vandervolk, 68, said: “We were all

• Hanover Court Gardening Group, Whitchurch • Robert Smith, Ceredigion • Cwrt Andrew Buchan, Rhymney • Richard Whittaker, Ystrad Mynach

Making a Difference | intouch | www.wwha.co.uk | 07

Fresh Start Award sponsored by Anwyl Construction

K Dar osar w Win ish n er

Father-of three Kosar Darwish lives in St Mellons, Cardiff. Kosar came to Wales from Kurdistan, Northern Iraq, in search of a better life when he was 17. His determination to succeed and find a secure job has been driven by his desire to provide a secure future for his wife and three children aged between nine and four.

He speaks three languages and has worked hard and qualified as an interpreter and translator. He is the only person in Wales qualified to translate the Sorani dialect of Kurdish and has completed two months of training and mentoring as a Police

Community Support Officer with Gwent Police.

Kosar said: “It was amazing to win. It has given me the push I need to get more experience and find a permanent job to provide for my family. “ Well done to all our finalists in the Fresh Start Award!

• Lisa Jones from Connah’s Quay, Flintshire • Rachel Parker, Wrexham • Andrew Evans, Llys Ben Bowen Thomas, Rhondda

08 | www.wwha.co.uk | intouch | Making a Difference

Steps to Success Award sponsored by Envirovent

ryl Che field h Litc ayne P ner Win

Merthyr mother Cheryl Litchfield-Payne, of Twyn Carmel, turned her hobby of painting pets into a full-time business, known as Litchfield Crafty Creations.

Cheryl was the first resident to benefit from WWH’s Making a Difference Future grant to help her with the cost of starting her own business in 2014.

After 15 years working as a Community Education Teacher for Merthyr Tydfil Borough Council, she had her hours cut and decided to be her own boss.

Since launching her business she has sold 2,000 portraits with regular

customers from all over America and Europe.

Cheryl said: “I’m so glad to have won, although everyone deserves to win here. My business is moving on well and my daughter will also be working from home as she has also been successful.”

Well done to all our finalists in the Steps to Success Award!

• Natalie Rohman, St Mellons, Cardiff • Jade Evans, Aberystwyth • Jodie Payne from Waun Fach, Cardiff

Making a Difference| intouch | www.wwha.co.uk | 09

Local Hero Award sponsored by Solar Windows

Wh Lily Wi itle nn y er

Lily Whitley, 81, lives at Nant y Môr extra care scheme in Prestatyn. Lily has always been a fantastic neighbour to residents there, from the smallest of activities of sharing ‘Blondie’ her little dog with other residents to walking other dogs when her neighbours were unable to do so. And despite being diagnosed with breast cancer five years ago, Lily has selflessly raised thousands of pounds for charity by holding afternoon teas and knitting 100 scarves to sell.

Lily was nominated by Housing Assistant Karen Boyce and fellow resident Jane Morris, who says: “It

would be very hard to enjoy Nant y Môr as much as we all do without Lily and everything she does for everyone.”

Lily said: “I’m over the moon to win.

I have a passion to help other people and be a good neighbour which has always been in my blood.”

Well done to all our finalists in the Local Hero Award!

• Nicola Smith, Blaengarw, Bridgend • Gemma Garbett-Davies, Bridgend • Jenny Burgess, Sydney Hall Court, Connah’s Quay • Debbie Walker, Sandra Crawford and Ann Buckley, Queensferry

10 | www.wwha.co.uk | intouch | Making a Difference

Community Project Award sponsored by CJS Electrical

Llys Jasminep Tuck Sho Winners

Llys Jasmine Tuck Shop was talked about by residents for some time.

Some residents were unable to get out into the community but wanted to buy small items such as sweets or milk. Resident Terry Moore decided to do something about it so asked people what they wanted, and, with agreement and support from staff on site, set up a tuck shop!

Terry said: “We’re absolutely delighted to win. It’s made a huge difference to residents who can’t always get out into the community but want small items.

The shop has also provided people with a purpose, as well as an excuse to have a chat and a cuppa.”

The shop has been doing a roaring trade and has grown from a tuck shop to sell fresh bread, eggs, butter, milk, tinned goods and stamps.

• Crafty Tuesdays, Hanover Court, Barry • Tŷ Curig Tigers football team, Capel Bangor, Ceredigion • PCSO Cherylin Pryor and Shelley Bird, Age Connects Morgannwg

Well done to all our finalists in the Community Project Award!

Making a Difference | intouch | www.wwha.co.uk | 11

Rising Star Award sponsored by Thorlux Lighting

er Pet ham t Ben inner W

Peter Bentham, 22, moved into Tŷ Curig supported housing scheme in Tan Y Castell, Aberystwyth, after dropping out of school at 16. He now manages the scheme’s football team, the Tŷ Curig Tigers, as well as working full time as a youth worker with Ieuenctid Cambria Youth (ICY) Ltd youth expedition company based in Tregaron.

they learnt both on and off the pitch have helped them to find work.

The team is made up of eight 16-25 year-olds, who live or have lived at the supported housing project, and finished fourth in the Aberystwyth 6-a-side league last season. Before starting the team nearly all of the players were unemployed but the skills

Well done to all our finalists in the Rising Star Award!

Peter said: “I was over the moon when I won as I didn’t expect it. There were so many other good people in the finals. Being recognised has brought us closer together as a team and has given us a boost to do better.”

• Thomas Collins, Merthyr Tydfil • Dominic Hughes, Henllan • Rhys Rogers, Merthyr Tydfil

12 | www.wwha.co.uk | intouch | Making a Difference

Special Inspiration Award sponsored by Days Rental

tyn Iues sett Bas ner Win

Five-year-old Ieustyn Basset from Bridgend has spent the last 18 months battling leukaemia. Ieustyn has Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia, a cancer where the bone marrow produces too many cancerous white blood cells, and has to have daily treatment.

He has been through several courses of chemotherapy and blood transfusions, spent Christmas in hospital and lost almost a year of school. The side effects of his ongoing treatment have left him weak and in pain and affected his immune system so that any simple infection can be life-threatening. But despite all this, he is always smiling

and his bravery earned him a standing ovation at the awards.

Ieustyn lives with his nan Toni John in Brackla, Bridgend. Gemma GarbettDavies, Ieustyn’s teacher at Ysgol Bro Ogwr, was also a finalist in the Local Hero category for her support for the family during their difficult times.

Ieustyn’s nan Toni, said: “We are so proud of Ieustyn. He goes through all his treatment and nothing phases him.

Now he has won a MAD Award, he thinks he is famous.”

Wordsearch | intouch | www.wwha.co.uk | 13

Summer Wordsearch Win £30 shopping voucher with our Summer wordsearch This issue's Wordsearch is all about Summer. All the words may be found backwards, forwards, horizontal, vertical or diagonal.

All correct entries will be put into a prize draw and one will be chosen as the lucky winner of a £30 Argos shopping voucher. Simply send your entry with your name, address and contact details to Jane Janaway, Wales & West Housing, Ty Draig, St David's Park, Ewloe, Deeside CH5 3DT. The closing date for entries is 30th June.

H O T

C

T

S

C

S

S U G E

S

S W

L

G

S Q A

Y U U T N P U E U A

Y

S

B

E

C

R N M I

G Z

Y

L

I

S N M M S O E

H N

I

A H R M I

C N

I

I

D

I

L

R A V

A

J

Q S N S B

P

E U B A A

S

S

R

R

S L

T O

G T N H W I

D E

R A A A G H C

P

E

K

L

B

I

K

P N A

C

C

X

S

B O F

E H A A W S

N

I

R

E

L

I

I

R A

E

R

E

C

C N D E

C

K

H U C A M P

I

S

A W F

G N

S

S N

K

E

L

B N E

I W O S W O S U A X

F M A

I

E

L

I

J

A

D

L

N G X

R D N

I

C

C

I

T

A

S

C H A

I

R

K

S

E

N G

I

N N E

T

S

A M I

Spring wordsearch winner

Congratulations to resident Theresa Howarth, of Restway Gardens, Bridgend, who won a £30 voucher in our Spring wordsearch competition.

L

Y

B

BARBEQUE BEACH BOATS CAMPING CARNIVAL CRICKET CYCLING DECKCHAIR FAMILY FISHING HOLIDAYS HOT ICE CREAM PICNIC RELAXING SAND SANDALS SEA SOCIALISE STRAWBERRIES SUMMER SUNBATHE SUNFLOWERS SUNGLASSES SUNSHINE SWIMMING TENNIS WALKING WASPS

14 | www.wwha.co.uk | intouch | Development Update

Jane Hutt AM visits new Vale of Glamorgan scheme

Vale of Glamorgan AM Jane Hutt met families whose lives have been transformed during a visit to our new affordable development at Boverton.

Jane Hutt visits Connor Roberts and his family in their specially adapted home at Redwood Close, Boverton The Redwood Close development comprises two three bedroom wheelchair-adapted houses, and 10 two and one bedroom houses and flats.

Jane Hutt met retired salesman Mike Parsons, who relies on a wheelchair.

He and his wife Moira, both 73, had been renting an unsuitable private house in the village so they could be close to their three children.

We adapted the house for his needs so that he had a downstairs bedroom with an electric hoist, a wet room with a level access shower and grab rails.

He also has ground floor storage for his new electric wheelchair and extra wide doors and corridors throughout.

Mike said: “This house is marvellous. It has given me back my independence.

Before we moved here I felt like a prisoner in my bedroom. We now have everything we need to make our lives easier.”

She also visited Lana Roberts next door who had been waiting 15 years to move from her three bedroom council house in the village to a more suitable home with her disabled 21-year-old son.

Lana said: “The house has changed our lives completely. In our old house, everything was a struggle and I was always stressed."

Ms Hutt also called in to see local mum Sian Davies, 23, and her 11-monthold daughter Isabelle at their two bedroom home at Redwood Close.

Following the visit, Jane Hutt said: “The homes I saw are excellent examples of the sort of home we are aiming to build in Wales, designed to be warm, secure, safe and energy efficient. They have been built to meet people’s needs and support is in place for those who need it; they will help residents maintain their independence and quality of life for longer."

Development Update | intouch | www.wwha.co.uk | 15

“New home has cut my bills by £90”

Grandmother Sharon Francombe was worried when she made the decision to downsize to a two bedroom house to save money on the Bedroom Tax. But when she walked into her new home at Waunwyllt Court, Abercanaid, Merthyr Tydfil, and looked out over the fields and mountains, she felt at home.

“The decision to move wasn’t easy.

But I have never regretted it. My old house was so cold. Here I can honestly say I have never felt cold.”

And when the first gas and electricity bills arrived and she was paying £30 per month instead of £30 per week, she knew she had made the right choice to move to a smaller, more energy-efficient home.

For neighbours Hana Serrano and Jonathan Warner, moving into one of the two bedroom flats in the scheme with their two-year-old son Isaac was an opportunity for them to become a family.

“I was apprehensive about moving here, but I had to do something. I couldn’t afford to stay in my old house where I was paying £11.42 a week in underoccupancy “Bedroom Tax,” says Sharon, who works as a part-time cleaner.

Previously they had both been living at home with their parents. Since moving to Waunwyllt Court Jonathan has started a new job too.

“It was a big jump as I had lived on the Gurnos for 44 years and all my friends and family were there, but as soon as I moved here, it felt like home.”

Sharon was the first person to move in to the development of 19 two bed houses and 12 one and two bed flats homes on site of the former St Peter and St Paul’s Church and the former Abercanaid Primary School a year ago. She shares her home with her 19-year-old son, her new husband Russell and their pet cat.

Hana said: “We enjoy living here. Isaac settled in really well. He has a garden to play in and he sleeps in his own room. And Jonathan gets to see him all the time.”

Hana with two year old Isaac

16 | www.wwha.co.uk | intouch | WWH News & Info

Complaints: our approach Since 2012 we have followed the Public Service Ombudsman for Wales advice of "investigate once and investigate well". Since then we have welcomed a number of new residents across Wales so this is a good time to keep you up to date on the process.

56

• Formal: These are not 'everyday' issues - they have been brought to our attention before and either we failed to deliver a service; or you are unhappy with the level of service; or there has been an unreasonable delay in providing the service.

During the complaint process we:

What you can expect with a formal complaint

We accept that sometimes things can go wrong and we want to learn from that. complaints were received and investigated in 2016, covering issues such as property maintenance, housing management, antisocial behaviour, staff attitude and lettings.

• Make sure the complaint goes to the right member of staff who can resolve the issue • Ask the resident what they want to happen to fix the problem (if it's possible to fix) • See the problem from the resident's perspective and understand how it has affected them • Say sorry where we need to • Deal with first time and lower level issues 'informally' - making sure these are dealt with quickly and effectively, but also closely monitored so they don't get worse.

What do we mean by a complaint/ concern?

• Informal: If you approach us for the first time about an issue, eg reporting a faulty boiler, or requesting a transfer, you should give us a chance to respond.

If there is a simple solution, such as where you asked for a service and we see you should have had it, we will provide it as soon as possible. For other problems, once we have investigated we will explain how and why we came to our conclusions. If we got it wrong we will apologise and explain what we will do to put it right and plan to stop it from happening again. We value your feedback, so if you have any anything to say please let us know!

How can I make a complaint?

Letter or in person at our offices: Head Office: Archway House, 77 Parc Tŷ Glas, Llanishen, Cardiff, CF14 5DU North Wales Office: Tŷ Draig, St. David’s Park, Ewloe, Deeside, CH5 3DT West Wales Office: Cwrt y Llan, Church Lane, Newcastle Emlyn, SA38 9AB Email:contactus@wwha.co.uk Phone: 0800 052 2526 Website:www@wwha.co.uk

WWH News & Info | intouch | www.wwha.co.uk | 17

A day in the life of ...

a Repairs Co-ordinator Richard Campbell is a Repairs Co-ordinator with our property services team based in our head office in Cardiff.

“It’s my job to be on the end of the phone taking calls from residents who need to report repairs. I work as part of a team of seven taking calls from 8.30am to 5.30pm. Outside of those hours the emergency calls are dealt with by our call centre.

"Mornings are always the busiest as we deal with the emergencies from the night before and take calls from residents who are reporting things that need fixing. Each day the team can take anything from 120 to 270 calls on a range of things from a dripping tap to electrical faults. We also work with housing officers, Cambria Maintenance, external contractors and our development team, dealing with defects and snagging fixes on newlybuilt homes.

"It always gets busy at the end of the day as we assign jobs for the next day.

Our aim is to carry out the repairs the resident wants at a time that suits them wherever possible. For nonemergencies we try to book them in within seven days, but sometimes they can be done as quickly as the next day.

"Winter is the busiest with storms and bad weather bringing problems.

I once took a call from a lady whose neighbour’s shed had blown into her garden and flattened her fence. We also

get a lot of calls from people who have lost their keys or are locked out of their homes and need the lock changed. One of the more unusual calls was from a woman whose child had stuffed a potato down the toilet and blocked it.

"We are not a call centre - we deal with people. Sometimes I can be on a call for a minute, if it’s easy to solve. Other times I can be on a call for 45 minutes if the caller is upset, which sometimes happens if they have had a flood or other damage to their home. It’s my job to reassure them and get their repairs fixed.

"I have worked in social housing for many years and was a housing officer in Neath & Port Talbot housing for 12 years. I joined WWH a year ago and really enjoy working here and being in contact with residents every day.”

18 | www.wwha.co.uk | intouch | Going Green

Early Summer gardening tips Here are our top tips for preparing your gardens for Summer: 1. Begin to feed, water and deadhead bedding plants 2. Feed and deadhead roses after the first flush of flowers 3. Earth up potatoes, and promptly plant any still remaining 4. Plant out Summer bedding 5. Water early and late to get the most out of your water; recycle water when possible 6. Regularly hoe off weeds 7. Open greenhouse vents and doors on warm days 8. Check for nesting birds before clipping hedges 9. Lift and divide overcrowded clumps of daffodils and other spring-flowering bulbs

Making a Difference to your Environment grant This year more than 15 resident groups have already received grants from our Making a Difference to the Environment Fund.

The projects we have supported range from buying soil to filling raised beds so that our residents can grow their own vegetables. They also have relaxing seating areas for those who are unable to take part in digging, but enjoy sitting out in the communal gardens.

If you are interested in applying for a grant for your environmental project please see our website under Residents Area and Making a Difference Grants; here you will find guidance on the type of projects we support along with a funding application form.

Or you can call Sarah Willcox (Environmental Assistant) T: 02920 414097 M: 07823 342292

10. Make sure your compost heap isn’t drying out. It needs to stay damp so that the materials actually break down and to prevent ants and cockroaches from moving in.

Cyfarthfa Greenhouses receiving their cheque

Going Green | intouch | www.wwha.co.uk | 19

Making a Difference Winning streak for

in Merthyr St Mellons A community gardening project at Merthyr Tydfil’s historic Cyfartha Gardens is growing – thanks to a WWH Making A Difference to Your Environment grant.

Four years of hard work and determination is certainly paying off for the volunteers at the St Mellons Community Garden, who seem to be on a winning streak.

Volunteers at Cyfarthfa Gardening Group were granted £1,320 towards buying automatic plant watering systems which will help them to grow more plants, fruit and vegetables.

They started off the year by winning the Going Green Making A Difference Award. Then in April they were part of the Grow Cardiff and Dusty Shed feature garden, which was commended at the Royal Horticultural Show in Cardiff. The volunteers grew some of the edible and wildlifefriendly plants which made up the display garden on the theme 'myths and legends'.

Local WWH residents visited the project to pick up tips from the expert gardeners, and to purchase shrubs and plants for their own gardens from a Social Services-run scheme in one of the adjoining greenhouses.

Set in the historic Cyfarthfa Park, the Cyfarthfa Greenhouses were once part of the walled gardens that kept the Crawshay family fed in the 1800s.

Now the 20 volunteers, all over the age of 65, use the gardens and two of the greenhouses to grow fruit and vegetables, which they also distribute to elderly residents in the area.

WWH's Sarah Willcox and Alison Chaplin presented the group with a cheque and learned more about the benefits of the project. Sarah said: “It was a pleasure to visit the greenhouses and see the hard work the volunteers have put in. The gardens keep them fit and give them a place to go and make friends. The project is open to our residents and some of them use the greenhouses to buy plants.”

And they recently won a wellbeing award from East Cardiff Llanedeyrn & Pentwyn Communities First for the good work the volunteers do in their community.

The garden is open every Friday between 1-4pm in Newent Rd, St Mellons, so please come along, learn new skills, meet new people, and take home some freshly grown produce.

20 | www.wwha.co.uk | intouch | WWH News and Info

A nice warm nest for the Squirrels A community workshop which helps men and women in south Wales to deal with loneliness and mental health problems, has a warm future, thanks to WWH and our partners.

Since winning the Community Project category in our Making A Difference Awards 2015, the Squirrel’s Nest community workshop has grown and now has a membership of 25 men and five women.

Among the regulars are residents like Alan Rose from Bettws, who was suffering from long-term depression when he joined.

But after moving into a new, larger workshop in Tondu, they discovered their gas boiler was condemned and faced a cold winter.

Luckily we were able to offer our help and contacted our heating specialist suppliers Vaillant Ltd who donated a new boiler. Gas fitters from Cambria Maintenance Services then installed it, saving the volunteers more than £2,000.

Part of the Men’s Shed movement, the Squirrels Nest, is a volunteer-run “supershed” where members meet to chat or

to make wooden items such as garden furniture, pens, bowls, clocks, children’s toys and even dog beds, which are sold to raise funds for the project.

Treasurer Don Thomas said: “We are so grateful to WWH and Vaillant for their support. We didn’t know how we would pay for a new boiler as the money we raise from selling our items already goes towards our monthly rent.”

Peter Jackson, Head of Cambria, added: “The Squirrel’s Nest is helping not just the men and women who come here for support but also their families, friends and carers who know that they are being supported in a happy, productive environment. We were delighted our gas engineers were able to fit the new boiler in a day and make a difference to those who use the Squirrels Nest for support and friendship.”

Gas engineers Mike Sanders, Brian Driscoll and apprentice Dewi Davies of Cambria Maintenance with Rhys Morgan, Key Account Specification Manager Vaillant Group UK Ltd, and members of the Squirrels Nest project, Tondu.

Quarterly Report| intouch | www.wwha.co.uk | 21

Quarterly Report:

keeping you in the picture Our quarterly report is designed to keep you updated on how we’re doing as an organisation and what we’re doing to improve our services for you – our residents.

These six infographics give key information on how Wales & West Housing is performing in North and South Wales, as you’ll see over the next few pages.

There’s information provided for each of our main systems. These are: • Fix my home • Help me pay • I want a home • Anti-social behaviour • More homes • How we run our business So you can find out everything – from how many homes we’ve built so far this year to how long it takes to fix a repair.

Fix my home Performance

7416 Repairs we’ve completed

Satisfaction

9.5 out of 10

is the score residents gave us for the repair service they received

% 64%

0-5 days

days 17

Repairs fully complete on our first visit

6-10 days 11-15 days 16+ days

The average days we took to complete a repair

Feedback from residents What residents like The quality of work | Polite and friendly operative | That repairs stay fixed What residents want to see improved Repairs completed faster | Easier to report repairs | More repairs to stay fixed

Complaints

24

complaints out of

7416 repairs completed

Which is about one complaint for every 310 repairs completed

Please take a good look and if you have any comments, let us know by emailing contactus@wwha.co.uk or calling us on 0800 052 2526.

You told us that you wanted it to be easier to report repairs. In response we’ve been working hard to ensure that it’s easy to call us and make arrangements for repairs to be carried out. We have tried new ways of managing our workload to make sure any time spent waiting on the phone during busy periods is kept to a minimum. As a result of this, things have improved during our busiest time of the year- just after the Christmas holidays. We are continuing to focus on this in the coming summer months.

You have also told us that it really matters that we finish repairs within a reasonable period of time. So to do this, we’ve tried new ways of managing the work load of staff who carry out repairs. These staff now have more flexibility to arrange their work schedules so they can come back quickly and complete work they started.

We’ve seen good results and will continue to develop this approach in other areas, so the benefits can be felt by everyone.

Quarter 1 (January - March 2016)

Did you know…?

We want you to find all information regarding our performance and future plans easily.

As a result, we’ve put all our reports in one place on our website for you.

This includes our infographics, annual report, financial statements, Welsh Government financial viability judgement and Welsh Government regulatory report.

To view these reports, visit our website www.wwha.co.uk and click on the ‘our performance’ link on the bottom right of the homepage.

Fix my home Performance

8568 Repairs we’ve completed this quarter

Satisfaction

9.2 out of 10

is the score residents gave us for the repair service they received

% 68%

days 8.8

Repairs fully complete on our first visit

6-10 days 11-15 days 16+ days

The average number of days we took to complete a repair

Feedback from residents What residents like Quality of work | Polite and friendly operative | Appointments are kept What residents want to see improved Repairs completed faster | More repairs stayed fixed | Easier to report repairs

You have told us previously that what really matters to you about the way we deliver the service boils down to wanting repairs to be completed faster, that they remained fixed and if we say we are coming, we do. We have been focused on achieving this and feel like we have made real inroads into getting the right man who has the appropriate skills and tools to undertake the work. What this has meant is that sometimes being able to get the same man to our

0-5 days

Complaints

20

complaints out of

8568 repairs completed

Which is about one complaint for every 428 repairs completed

empty properties hasn’t been easy and this has sometimes meant a delay for people moving in.

The focus in repairs in the next quarter will be to make those worlds work well together.

Getting the right man to the job is important, so employing the right man is equally important, we have therefore focused our attention on how to do this well through our recruitment and ensuring we always carry enough of the right skills.

Quarter 1 (January - March 2017)

Help me pay Performance

1118 Tenancies not in an arrangement to pay off their arrears

We helped residents to: •Challenge decisions to end their disability benefit •Manage the debt issues they are facing •Apply for grants to furnish their homes

87% Tenancies paying their rent on time or paying off their arrears

The number of evictions because of rent arrears

Residents paying by Direct Debit Residents

Support

TWO

TENANCIES

4000 3500 3000 2500 2000 1500 1000 500 0

Complaints

2

complaints Jan

Feb

Mar

Direct Debit is the easiest way to pay, with payments taken from your bank 50 account on a fixed weekly or monthly 40 date that’s most suitable for you, so 30 you don’t have to worry!

1118

out of

tenancies in arrears

20 10 0

Jan

When we have spoken to you regarding your rent or service charge payment, you have told us that the option to pay the right amount at a time which suits you was very important. We have put in place a flexible Direct Debit system which allows residents to set up payments on any day, at a frequency which suits them. This flexible Direct Debit system has also been made available to our new residents in West Wales in the last few months. We now have over 4000, almost 40%, of our residents paying by Direct Debit.

We know that sometimes people need an extra bit of help to manage their money, not only to pay their rent, but with other outgoings or debt. We also know

Feb

Mar

that struggling with money or debt can be stressful, and it can sometimes be difficult to know what to do first.

We would encourage anyone to talk to their Housing Officer or Tenancy Support Officer, who can offer advice and assistance to help you find a solution.

Changes to welfare benefits have been affecting many of you over the last few years, and recently the changes to the Benefit Cap has seen more families have their benefits reduced. We have talked to families all across Wales who are likely to be affected by these changes to help them prepare for them. We have helped families to maximise their income by applying for benefits to which they may be entitled, but aren’t claiming, and also working with residents to move into work.

Quarter 1 (January - March 2017)

I want a home Performance General needs

Extra Care

50 40

days

239

Retirement

30 20 10

50 40

Homes we’ve let during quarter 1

30

0

On average it takes 40 days to let a property and support residents to set up a home

52%

of the time, the home is suitable for the first person who views it

20 10 0

Satisfaction

9.3 out of 10

is the score residents gave us about our service when finding them a home

Feedback from residents What residents like Help and support we provided | The location of their home | Property suits their needs What residents want to see improved Repairs completed faster | Cleaner properties | Given a little more time to move

We have seen that over the last five years, our turnover rate, that is, people moving out of their homes, has been reducing, which means that people are staying in their homes for longer. We know that changes in circumstances, such as a new child, new job or health, means that people will always need to move, but we want to make sure that when you move into your new home it is right for you for as long as you need it.

We ensure that we have a conversation with all potential residents to understand if the property available is right for them, somewhere that they could call a home for as long as they need it. For

Complaints

2

complaint out of

239 homes let

many people this may be their first permanent home, and we can help them, if they need it, with money and budgeting advice or accessing furniture and other items.

We have seen on some occasions that the property available is not right for the person, particularly where they feel that they are under pressure to accept an offer or lose their position on a waiting list. We ensure that we support applicants in situations such as this to enable them to keep their position on a local authority waiting list until a more suitable property becomes available, whether that be with us, or another landlord.

Quarter 1 (January - March 2017)

@!

$%&

Anti-social behaviour

$%&

@!

Performance

50

NOISE

61

THREATENING BEHAVIOUR ALCOHOL RELATED

Anti-social behaviour cases we opened or reopened

Satisfaction

7.9 out of 10

is the score residents gave us for the antisocial behaviour support they received

Anti-social behaviour cases we resolved

Most common anti-social behaviour issues

Feedback from residents What residents like They were able to play a role in resolving the problem | WWH take account of personal circumstances | Able to speak to the right person What residents want to see improved Quicker response | Feeling safer at home | Being kept informed

You have told us that resolving the right problem, first time, is important to you when an issue occurs with your neighbour, or in your community. We have seen in this quarter that we have an increase in the number of cases that have been reopened where, when we have spoken to residents, they have told us that the original problem had not been fully resolved.

We are currently reviewing the way we deliver our anti-social behaviour service, based on the conversations we have with residents. We recognised that the first conversation we have is crucial, and if we start responding to issues

Complaints

1

complaints out of

50

anti-social behaviour cases reported

in the ‘wrong’ way, it is very difficult to then put it ‘right’. This then also helps us to help you resolve potential issues before they escalate.

We have recognised that in some areas, the problems affecting you cannot be dealt with in isolation. Some problems are as a result of issues in the wider community, and a wider partnership approach is vital in resolving problems that occur in our properties. We have worked with the police and the local authorities in North and South Wales to tackle serious criminal activity in some of our areas, and this work is ongoing.

Quarter 1 (January - March 2017)

More homes

Homes we were building in quarter 1

Satisfaction

8.7 out of 10

is the score residents gave us about their new home

On site Completed

2017

351

2016

Performance

We completed 49 new homes this quarter

Feedback from residents

What residents like A good size home | A safe and secure house | A nice quiet location | Being close to amenities

Complaints

0

complaints out of

49

new homes completed

Demand for new aordable housing remains strong across Wales and we continue to look for opportunities. Residents have told us how important location is as well as the quality of design and that homes are defect free when they move in.

In order to help us achieve this we are changing our staďŹƒng structure to focus more sta resource on our development service, particularly in relation to how we manage our contractors and ensure high quality timely delivery of new housing.

started and one in Flintshire to start in the summer. We will also be using our increased staffing to investigate new and innovative ways of procuring and building energy efficient homes, with the aim of building homes more quickly and in larger numbers than is possible with more traditional methods. You have told us that it matters to you that your home is affordable to run and easy to use, so we will continue to make this a priority in all our development work.

As the housing market has picked up we have seen the cost of building new homes increase. We are trying different approaches with contractors to try and limit cost increases with two projects, one in Cardiff that has

Quarter 1 (January - March 2017)

How we run our business Performance All other calls

Repair calls 4

Minutes

30,323

3

3

2

2

1

1

10am 9am

500 The 400

4

9am

11am

0

Calls we answered this quarter

10am

11am

Jan

Feb

Mar

average time it took us to answer your calls

Our busiest call periods

300

3

Money spent

200

2

100

1

£ New developments People Maintenance New kitchens, bathrooms & equipment Interest on loans Major repairs Overheads Repayment of loans

0

500

500

400

400

300

300

200

200

100

100

0

0

Value for money

Complaints

£ spent per home Q1 2015Q2 2015Q3 2015Q4 2015Q1 2016Q2 2016Q3 2016Q4 2016

27

complaints Q1 2015Q2 2015Q3 2015Q4 2015Q1 2016Q2 2016Q3 2016Q4 2016

Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 2015 2015 2015 2015 2016 Management

Q2 Q3 Q4 2016 2016 2016

Maintenance

Other

in

total this quarter

How much it costs per home to run our business

We continue to focus on answering calls quickly as we know this is important to residents. Repair call answering times have remained consistently well below one minute on average. Non-repair call answering times rose to just over one minute during the colder weather in February, which tends to be a more demanding time with a higher volume of emergency repair calls outside of office hours, when both repair and non-repair calls are handled by our Customer Service Centre. We continue to see the busiest periods during mornings, so please do call later in the day if this is possible, in order to minimise your waiting time.

We received 27 complaints during this quarter, and it is important to us to swiftly and effectively resolve all

complaints received. Out of the complaints received this quarter, 18 were upheld, and the majority of complaints received related to repairs (18)]. As always, if you do have a complaint, please remember that you can call, e-mail or speak to any member of staff.

We focus on achieving value for money for our residents in all that we do. Our average cost of maintenance per home has fallen once again in the quarter, alongside reductions in both management and other costs per home as well. Once again, we spent more than two-thirds of cash received from all sources on the maintenance of and reinvestment into our residents’ homes and on building more housing.

Quarter 1 (January - March 2017)

28 | www.wwha.co.uk | intouch |Resident Participation Strategy

Making a Difference Together We love it when you talk to us! You tell us what matters to you and we use what you tell us to keep on improving our services.

We call this resident participation or getting involved.

We’ve recently updated our Resident Participation Strategy, Making a Difference Together, based on what matters to you.

We spoke to over 300 residents and your feedback was positive. Three quarters of you are satisfied that you are kept informed, that you can give your views in the ways you want and that we listen and act on those views.

You told us that you want to be asked 1.

Residents’ views are heard, welcomed, valued and considered.

and give your own views, rather than be represented by others.

There are also things that you want us to get better at, such as supporting people to get involved in the ways that they want to and feeding back on what we have done as a result of your input – we will improve on these areas.

The main things you said matter to you about getting involved are: 2.

Residents know how their views are used to shape service design and delivery.

id...

You sa d...

We di 3.

Residents know how they can get involved and can give their views in a way that suits them.

4.

Residents know that we offer practical and financial support to help them get involved.

££ £

We have brought these “What Matters” themes together to form our purpose for resident participation: “to engage with residents in a way that suits them, in order to develop services that deliver what matters.”

Resident Participation Strategy | intouch | www.wwha.co.uk | 29 Resident participation is central to all our staff roles and part of our Operating Principles – our core principles for carrying out our work.

The main ways that we hear what matters to you are: • Conversations / chat with you • Your feedback when you have experienced a particular service, eg a repair or moved into your home • Have We Listened - conversations with you about your community • Only Residents Aloud – residents who give their views on single issues • Resident Participation Steering Group – our sounding board for resident participation matters • Board of Management – we always have four residents as members • Residents’ associations – local, elected residents groups who discuss scheme/estate issues and organise social activities.

Our Making a Difference grants can help you put on activities in your community – you don’t need a committee to access these. We can meet you to help get your activities going.

We can offer you lots of support if you’d like to get more involved: eg transport costs, child care and carer costs or overnight accommodation.

Our Resident Participation Steering Group, our sounding board of residents from across Wales, have worked hard to help us develop our new strategy.

We update you on how we are constantly redesigning and improving our services through our Quarterly Report which is featured in each edition of In Touch – see page 21.

You will also find this on the Our Performance pages of our website.

You can read our Resident Participation Strategy in full on our website - http:// www.wwha.co.uk/Residents-Area/ Getting-Involved - or if you are not online, please ask us for a printed copy.

You can also let us know if you have something to tell us – turn to page 3 for details. Some residents have been supported to create their own Facebook groups - we have three: Get Growing, Get Crafty and Get Together.

Claire Hammond, Resident Participation Strategy Officer

If you’d like you’d like a chat about resident participation or getting involved please get in touch. We’d love to hear from you!

30 | www.wwha.co.uk | intouch | Making a Difference to Your Community

Making a difference to your communities As an organisation we help to make a difference to people’s communities with our sponsorships. It is our vision to ‘make a difference to people's lives, homes and communities and we do this in lots of different ways, including offering grants to our residents, charitable donations made by our Board of Management and staff volunteering days.

We also sponsor individuals and organisations that are not part of our organisation. Here are some examples of our sponsorships.

No more hand-me-downs Newtown Rugby Football Club’s 13 and 14 year-olds are proudly playing in new tops thanks to our sponsorship.

The club has been together for nine years, with around 40 players who train on a regular basis. As new kits are expensive, the youngsters were wearing second-hand tops handed down from the older players.

Alfie Betton, 13, who has played with the club for three years, heard about WWH having recently built Llys Glan yr Afon, Powys’s first extra care scheme in Newtown. He approached his coach, Paul Herdman, to see if he could request help. The answer was a resounding yes!

Alfie, wearing his new top for the first time, said: “It’s brilliant – the new tops look and feel great. And it’s my own!”

Coach Paul Herdman said: “Our objective as a squad is to instil the values, ethics and morals of rugby union into the youngsters to make them better people and better players.

Alfie Betton proudly wears his new top

"Our values mirror those of WWH, so we are delighted that they have sponsored us. There is no better sight than seeing a rugby team of children getting off a bus at an away match all dressed the same and looking smart.”

Making a Difference to Your Community| intouch | www.wwha.co.uk | 31

Pitch pays off for new kit

Three junior hockey teams were also delighted to receive their first ever kit thanks to our sponsorship.

The under 9s, 11s and 13s were the only teams at Colwyn Bay Hockey Club without a club kit, so asked for our support.

David Atkinson, Chair, said: “The club feel that by providing proper playing kits for the juniors, it will give them a real sense of belonging and pride in representing the club. The new kit is well timed as the players will be able to test out a brand new hockey pitch, the first hockey specific facility in Conwy and North West Wales, in Eirias Park, Colwyn Bay. Club President-Meryl Roberts said: "Colwyn Bay Hockey Club are extremely grateful to Wales & West Housing for their generous sponsorship. The U13, U11 and U9s have all received new playing kit with the company logo. The juniors look forward to promoting the organisation at matches in and around North Wales, and at the Welsh Finals in Swansea."

The club hosts the 360 Hockey Centre for the area and are involved with the implantation of 4689, which is the newly developed route into hockey for junior players.

Anne Hinchey, WWH Chief Executive, said: “We’re only too pleased to be able to support the junior teams, and encourage them to be active and enjoy their sport. They are, after all, the future of the club. As well as providing much needed affordable homes in Conwy, we also strive to improve people’s lives. ”

WWH Commercial Manager Andrew Richards celebrates with some hockey players

32 | www.wwha.co.uk | intouch | Making a Difference to Your Community

Merthyr Town FC nets support from WWH We have also made a difference to more than 1,000 junior footballers across South Wales who took part in the annual Merthyr Town MiniFootball Festival.

take part in healthy competition and have fun.”

Merthyr Town Business Development Manager Philip Jones said: “We are delighted that Wales & West Housing have once again supported the festival at Merthyr Town FC. Their continued support is valued at the club and their generosity will ensure that every player will receive a medal.”

Under 16s dress for success

Newcastle Emlyn Football Club’s Under 16s girls are now dressed for success in their new kit thanks to our sponsorship.

The festival is South Wales’s largest junior festival with teams travelling from West Wales as well as the local communities across the Heads of the Valleys.

Now in its seventh season, it was held over two consecutive Sundays in May at the Loadlok Community Stadium. As well as competition on the pitch, there were family fun activities such as face painting.

WWH Chief Executive Anne Hinchey presented prizes during the tournament. She said: “The festival is an excellent example of Merthyr Town FC’s work in the community.

I am pleased we have once again been able to support the club as it encourages these young people to

When the U16s won through to the FAW’s Welsh Cup 2017 finals, they launched a community fundraising campaign to kit out the girls for their big day and contacted Wales & West Housing’s Newcastle Emlyn office.

We were able to sponsor the U16s squad kit by providing £480 for new rain jackets, which they proudly wore out onto the pitch for their cup final match in April.

Making a Difference to Your Community | intouch | www.wwha.co.uk | 33 Fundraiser Joanne Lote-Williams, whose 15-year-old daughter Megan plays in the team, said: “We want to say a big thank you to WWH for sponsoring the full amount for the rain jackets. Wearing them makes the girls feel professional and even more supported than ever.”

Chief Executive Anne Hinchey said: “The girls have done well to reach

the final, and as neighbours in the community we were delighted to support them.

“The club is an important part of the community in Newcastle Emlyn and gives many children and adults the opportunity to take part in sport. It is inspiring to see how the girls’ teams have grown and we wish them every success in the future.”

Nikki’s newspaper letter pays off for rugby team and a handful of girls. With hard work and gruelling commitment, we are now an established team, sitting at the top of division two.

Pictured are WWH Housing Officer Lindy Brettell with (from left) Georgina Cohen, Sami Robinson, Vice Captain, Beth Rose and Nikki Weldon-Jones, Captain.

Abergele Ladies rugby team were delighted when we heard their captain’s call for sponsorship in the Rhyl Journal.

Team captain Nikki Weldon-Jones said: “We are one of the few ladies’ rugby teams operating in North Wales. We started the team ourselves in 2012 with very limited support, one coach

“We badly needed sponsorship for a new playing kit as ours is now four years old, and has been sewn back together numerous times at the hands of players’ mothers! We’re really pleased that WWH responded to my letter!”

Team player Eleri Davies, 24, said: “This is the first proper team shirt that we have ever had – we wore men’s old rugby shirts before. This is much better!”

Anne Hinchey, WWH Chief Executive, said: “We’re delighted to be able to support Abergele Ladies, and encourage them to be active and enjoy their sport.

As well as providing much needed affordable homes in Conwy, we also strive to improve people’s lives. I wish the team all the best for the season.”

34 | www.wwha.co.uk | intouch | Money Matters

Welfare benefit reforms

In April, there were a number of changes that affect residents now or in the future, the main ones of which are highlighted here.

Tax Credits and Universal Credit two children limit Support for children through Tax Credits and Universal Credit is now limited to two children. This will mean that anyone who has a child after 6th April 2017 will not get an additional amount for this child either through Child Tax Credit or Universal Credit if they currently have two or more children. However their existing award will remain the same, regardless of how many children they currently have (so if they currently receive an award for three children this will remain the same).

Universal Credit (UC) Housing Costs Element removed for young people In early March regulations were laid removing the Housing Costs Element included in Universal Credit for 18-21 year-olds from April 2017. There are a number of exceptions, one of which is that it only affects people in a ‘full’ UC

service area which doesn’t apply to any areas in Wales other than Flintshire at this point in time.

Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) Work-Related Activity Component abolished People claiming ESA fall into two categories, the work-related activity group or the support group, depending on their ability to work. Depending on which of the two groups a person is in will depend on the amount of benefit they will receive, both of which are higher than if in receipt of Jobseekers Allowance (JSA).

Since 1 April 2017, new ESA claimants who are placed in the Work-Related Activity Group receive the same rate of payment as those claiming JSA and the equivalent in Universal Credit. The new rates from April for those in the ESA Work group and JSA are £73.10 per week which means a new ESA claimant will receive £29.10 a week less than they previously would have.

Summer Recipes| intouch | www.wwha.co.uk | 35

Eton Mess (Serves 4) This dessert could not be simpler and is perfect to get children helping in the kitchen as the goal is to make some mess!

Ingredients 4 meringue nests 300g/10½oz strawberries. halved 300ml/10fl oz fresh cream or natural plain yoghurt Method Pop the meringue nests into a freezer bag and scrunch them up until broken into pieces.

Mash half of the strawberries with the back of a fork until almost smooth.

Layer the ingredients into serving glasses.

Start with some strawberries, along with a spoonful of their juices. Mix half of the

crushed meringues through the cream/ yoghurt and add some of this.

Top with a bit more fruit and some of the crushed meringues. Repeat until all the ingredients are used up and the glasses are full. Serve immediately.

Recipe Tips • Replace the strawberries with any fruit of your choice.

• Using frozen, rather than fresh fruit is a great way to get an even prettier and cheaper dish.

• You can often find broken meringues in the reduced section at the supermarket - perfect for Eton Mess and also saves you money.

Spaghetti with Bacon, Tomatoes, Olive Oil, Garlic and Chilli (Serves 2) Ingredients

Method

8 oz (225 g) spaghetti or linguine 2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 pkt bacon or pancetta 15 cherry tomatoes, halved 2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped (or dried chilli flakes to taste) (optional) (For a vegetarian meal, omit the bacon/pancetta.)

Put the pasta on to cook in boiling water.

Heat the olive oil in a small frying pan and, when it is hot, add the bacon/ pancetta, cherry tomatoes, garlic and chilli. Cook very gently until bacon/ pancetta is cooked.

When the pasta is cooked, return it to the saucepan after draining, then pour in the hot oil/bacon mixture. Mix well, then serve straight away on warmed plates with a side salad.

36 | www.wwha.co.uk | intouch | Making a Difference to your Future

Building your skills

Young residents keen to secure apprenticeships have been given an insight into the world of building work with the help of WWH. Residents and young people living in the communities around our schemes have taken part in two-day Building your Skills workshops across Wales.

Nineteen young adults, ranging from 16 to 26, started with little knowledge of the building industry and left having learned a new trade and interview skills to help them on their way to gaining apprenticeships.

The first session, held in March at Bridgend College, South Wales, focused on painting and decorating skills and was held in partnership with decorating contractors Ian Williams Ltd, who have worked closely with WWH to fund community projects.

During the course Darren Hamling, foreman at Ian Williams Ltd, taught the six attendees how to wallpaper and paint to a professional standard.

A second workshop was held at Cambria Maintenance’s workshop in Ewloe, North Wales, in April and was attended

by eight youngsters and a third event was held in May for four residents at Cambria Maintenance office in Wentloog, Cardiff. Both these initiatives focused on carpentry, plumbing and basic electrics.

All workshops featured a Dragon’s Den design challenge, where participants had to construct an object and then pitch it to a panel of professionals, which helped to develop their confidence and interview techniques.

Cameron Russell, 16 from Abergele, said: “It was great to try a trade and learn something new – I particularly liked plumbing.”

Fran Maclean, WWH Community Benefits Officer, said: “It was brilliant to see everyone attending the course grow in confidence over the two days."

Making a Difference to your Future | intouch | www.wwha.co.uk | 37

Great outdoor work experience for Gethin WWH resident Gethin Abbot was keen to find employment working outdoors.

So he asked WWH Site Superintendent Alun Rutherford and Cambria Maintenance Services Grounds Maintenance Operative Robin Lewis who look after the scheme where he lives in Powys.

He was then introduced to Fran Maclean, WWH Community Benefits Officer, who was impressed with the 17-yearold’s enthusiasm and attitude. With little opportunity in the area Fran worked with Cambria to secure a twoweek work placement for Gethin.

During the placement Gethin showed commitment and reliability and a thirst to learn. He turned up on time and in all weathers ready to start work. As a result he was offered a further two months' paid work with the team to give him experience of the busier spring growing season and more varied work.

In that time Gethin has been working alongside Robin and Alun, carrying out such jobs as litter picking, collecting leaves, clearing grass cuttings, helping to keep residents of WWH estates clean and well maintained.

Gethin, who lives with his grandmother at Mill View, Howey, said: “I’m not the type of person to sit down all day.

College wasn’t for me, I enjoy being outdoors and really want to work outside. Working with Cambria I am getting experience of gardening and outdoor work and can see how the team do their jobs and look after their tools and equipment. It’s everything I expected and more. I am learning something new every day.”

Head of Cambria, Peter Jackson, said: “Gethin is a very capable and keen young man. I was impressed by the way he wanted to work as an apprentice.

He has been a great asset to the team and is the type of individual we look for when recruiting apprentices.

“We have a five year recruitment programme for apprenticeships commencing each September and feel privileged to offer training to help young adults gain an accredited qualification that equips them for the job market. Gethin’s work experience will be invaluable when we advertise this year's apprenticeships.”

38 | www.wwha.co.uk | intouch | Charity Update

From couch to 5K

Residents and staff in West Wales are going from couch to 5K with their annual fun run on Friday 16 June in aid of Age Cymru.

The popular family event is open to all ages with races for under-sevens, 7-15 year-olds and adults. All races start from our Cwrt y Llan office in Newcastle Emlyn and take a route around the village and castle area.

The children’s races start at 6:30pm with the main race beginning at 7pm.

The race has been going for many years and brings the local community together.

Everyone is welcome to take part. Entry is £4 for adults and £1 for children. You can sign up from 5.30pm on the evening. If you would like more information or want to pre-register to take part, please contact us on 01239 712 000.

Join Age Cymru's Cardiff half marathon team

Any runners wanting to take on even more of a challenge are invited to join Age Cymru’s team to run the Cardiff Half Marathon 2017 on Sunday October 1.

Our nominated charity celebrates its 70th anniversary this year and wants to recruit 70 runners to run – or walk the 13 mile route. Along with securing a free place on the Age Cymru team you’ll get a fundraising pack with an Age Cymru running vest and access to the Age Cymru VIP marquee at the runners’ village on the day.

By joining Age Cymru’s team, you will be completing an amazing personal challenge and helping to support vulnerable older people across Wales.

All you need to do is simply contact the fundraising team on 029 2043 1555 or email fundraising@agecymru. org.uk and pledge to raise £150.

Charity Update| intouch | www.wwha.co.uk | 39

Get ready to

RIDE THE NATION

Do you enjoy a challenge? Do you want to make a difference to our WWH staff charity Age Cymru and see more of the beautiful Welsh countryside at the same time?

Then why not sign up for our new Ride the Nation cycle challenge?

and staff to cycle shorter distances as they reach each of our offices.

We’re looking for volunteers to join our team of WWH staff, residents, friends, family and contractors as they set off from our Ewloe offices on Saturday September 23 to ride the 200+ mile journey from North to South Wales.

And if you can’t ride a bike, don’t worry.

You can still take part as we’re looking for volunteers to help us raise money for Age Cymru before and during the event.

The route stops off at our West Wales office in Newcastle Emlyn and ends at our Cardiff office four days later on Tuesday 26 September.

This is a challenge, not a race. There will be no times recorded. It’s all about taking on a personal, and sometimes tough, challenge, getting fit and having fun. And everyone taking part will be there to support one another to the finishing line in Cardiff.

How great a challenge you take on is up to you. You can cycle the whole or part of the distance. Or you can join our residents

If you’d like to join in, or just cheer on the cyclists, please e-mail cycle@ wwha.co.uk to register your interest.

Funding boost for new school minibus appeal We are happy to be supporting our community neighbours at Coed Glas Primary School on their way to raising £15,000 for a new school minibus.

Eileen Wong, chair of the Coed Glas PTA, accepted a cheque for £500 from Chief Executive Anne Hinchey. Anne said: “As a new business moving in down the road from the school, we were happy

to support the appeal.

"We hope the minibus will give the pupils many opportunities to visit educational, sporting and cultural attractions.”

40| www.wwha.co.uk | intouch | What's On

Summer events to enjoy in Wales NORTH WALES

MID WALES

23-25 June: The Tournament, Conwy

13-17 July: Welshpool Country Music Festival

A great throng of knights, nobles, men at arms, archers, Vikings, musicians, strolling players, actors, jugglers, merchants and jesters will make their way to the walled town of Conwy to take part in one of the most entertaining historical re-enactment events to be seen!

3 July 2017 - 9 July: Llangollen International Music Eisteddfod Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod has welcomed the world to Wales every summer since 1947.

Ring: 01978 862001 www.international-eisteddfod.co.uk

Welshpool Country Music Festival Powis Estate Showfield, Red Lane, Welshpool, Powys, SY21 8RF www.countrywestern.org.uk 24-27 July: Royal Welsh Show Royal Welsh Showground, Llanelwedd, Builth Wells, Powys, LD2 3SY The Royal Welsh Show is one of the most prestigious events of its type in Europe, bringing together the farming industry and rural community. www.rwas.wales/royal-welsh-show

18 August: Field Day Festival, Prestatyn Bastion Road Field, Prestatyn, Denbighshire, LL19 9LR Tel: 07947 603834 A fun-filled free day featuring live entertainment, stalls, circus skills, bouncy castles & fairground rides.

Jousting at the Tournament in Conwy

Royal Welsh Show, Builth Wells

Lampeter Food Festival

What's On | intouch | www.wwha.co.uk | 41

SOUTH WALES

WEST WALES

14-16 July: Cardiff International Food and Drink Festival Roald Dahl Pass, Cardiff Bay

23 Jun - 24 Jun: Cardigan Beer Festival Cardigan Quay, Cardigan Tel: 01239 612259 www.pizzatipi.co.uk

The biggest free food festival, with over 100 local, national and international producers showcasing their goods. www.cardiff-events.com/event/cardiffinternational-food-drink-festival/ 8 August - 24 September: Poppies Weeping Window, The Senedd, National Assembly for Wales, Cardiff Bay The iconic cascade of thousands of hand-made ceramic poppies, originally part of the famous Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red at the Tower of London, comes to Cardiff. www.1418now.org.uk/commissions/ poppies-weeping-window-at-cardiff

24 Jun - 2 July: Pembrokeshire Fish Week Festival Milford Haven www.pembrokeshirefishweek.co.uk 30 June - 2 July: International Ceramics Festival Aberystwyth Arts Centre The UK’s leading festival of ceramics, returns with a host of international ceramicists demonstrating their work. www.internationalceramicsfestival.org 7 - 8 July: Gwyl Nol a Mlan Festival Llangrannog. A free festival for everyone of all ages in one of Wales’s prettiest seaside villages

29 - 30 July: Big Cheese Festival Caerphilly, South Wales

8 July: Tivy Side Show Newcastle Emlyn

A free extravaganza including street entertainers, living history encampments, music, dance, traditional funfair, folk dancing, falconry, fire eating, minstrels & troubadours. www.caerphilly.gov.uk/bigcheese

29 July: Lampeter Food Festival www.lampeterfoodfestival.org.uk

25 – 27 August: Pride Cymru Cardiff Civic Centre Wales's biggest celebration of equality and diversity with entertainment, a funfair, market and plenty of food and drink, plus a social hub, offering advice and support for LGBT communities. www.pridecymru.co.uk

2 August: Cardigan County Show, www.cardigancountyshow.org.uk 15 - 17 August: Pembrokeshire County Show County Showground, Withybush, Haverfordwest, SA62 4BW A family day out with something for everyone www.pembsshow.org 28 August: Aberaeron Carnival Aberaeron Harbour www.aberaeron.info/en/events/carnival

42 | www.wwha.co.uk | intouch | Social Media

NICE to know I.C.seEo.f

In ca cy emergen

There are a few ways to do this, such as: • Putting ICE (in case of emergency) as the surname or middle name of your emergency contact eg: Tom ICE Jones) – allowing someone to search ICE in your contacts to find your emergency contact, if your phone is not locked.

• If your phone is locked, developers of apps and some smartphones have included a feature to add your medical and emergency contact details so that they can be accessed on the locked screen. Here's what you do:

iPhone

1. Open the Apple Health app installed on the device (iOS 8 and later).

2. Tap on Medical ID in the bottom right corner or follow the on screen steps if it’s your first time using the app.

3. Tap Create Medical ID. 4. At the very top, make sure Show When Locked is turned on (to green). Fill in all information relevant to you.

5. Make sure you assign at least one person as your emergency contact person. (You must save that person's name and phone number in your Contacts for the Health app to include it.)

6. Hit Done to save.

7. Test your Medical ID - Lock your

If anything happens to you and you’re by yourself then it may be difficult for emergency services to identify you and know who to contact. Nowadays, smartphones are a handy way to store such information. phone. Press the home button to display the passcode.

8. Tap emergency to wake it up but don't fully unlock it with the passcode or Touch ID. When you slide to get to the passcode screen, you should see Emergency at the top.

Android

1. Some Android devices have built in emergency contact information. Visit the "Users" section in the Settings to see if your device allows it.

2. If your device doesn’t allow it, don’t worry as Android offers many apps that you can download ranging from free to £2.99 – search ‘Medical ID (Free) ICE contacts’ in the app store for the free app.

Windows

1. Windows phones don’t have a built in medical app but some of the devices will allow you to set some Lock Screen Text – Go to settings > Lock screen. Expand the application bar. Under Notifications, choose Lock Screen Text as the app to show detailed status and touch the back button.

2. Type in ICE followed by your details like a contact number or a medical condition. Tap the Check Mark and Done.

Your News & Views | intouch | www.wwha.co.uk | 43

Rita's Day Retired teacher Mary Oliver was inspired to write this poem when the warden at her scheme retired.

Rita Llwyd had been Scheme Manager at Gerddi Ffynon, Trefechan, Aberystwyth, for 14 years and was well-loved by the residents.

Mrs Khan is sew happy in her home

Resident Mary Khan wanted to thank staff at Wilfred Brook Court, Cardiff – so she said it in stitches. Now her beautiful hand-crafted cross-stitch picture of Wales hangs proudly in the communal area at the retirement scheme.

I’ll miss the daily greeting Of bore da each day We chat about the weather And clothes found on eBay Summer up at crack of dawn She walks around the block Casts eagle eyes on parking Checks all the doors and locks.

Cut out to be a warden She does it all with a smile It’s true to say of Rita She went the “extra mile.”

Uncharted waters lie ahead As you sail with the tide God be with you at the helm And always by your side.

Mrs Khan started the tapestry while visiting family in Pakistan and has spent 12 months working on it. She said: "I lived near Wilfred Brook House and thought how nice it would be live there, so I was surprised to have the opportunity to move in. I was made to feel very welcome and the flat is lovely, safe, warm and very manageable.”

Caring for carers

Rita is photographed with S4C presenter Alwyn Humphreys who recognised her dedication with a “Halen y Ddaer” (“Salt of the Earth”) plate on the S4C programme Pnawn Da.

Well done to residents at Llys Faen, Bridgend, who presented a cheque for £90 to the local Bridgend Carers centre. The money was raised from their weekly coffee mornings.

44 | www.wwha.co.uk | intouch | Your News & Views

Nigel is top shot with a camera Congratulations to amateur photographer Nigel Hodson, whose striking image of a monster wave crashing against Porthcawl harbour won Reader Photo of the Year on the BBC’s Countryfile programme.

Countryfile presenter Naomi Wilkinson said: “Seriously, wow. Just wow. What an astonishing moment to capture on camera. The drama in this picture is off the scale, as is the size of that crashing wave dwarfing the onlookers."

Nigel’s wife Carly is Learning and Development Manager at WWH and many of her colleagues voted for him in the competition.

Nigel, who works as a Project Manager for Wales & West Utilities in Cardiff, is notching up the accolades with his nature photographs. His photo of a puffin on Skomer Island entitled “Breakfast” has also been shortlisted in the world-famous Sony World Photography Awards 2017 as one of the top ten in the world in the awards’ Open Wildlife category.

"I could have kissed him!"

Widow Gwen Cubbage was delighted when Cambria electrician Jason Rowe came to fix her shower at her retirement flat at Byron Court, Llantwit Major.

As he moved a bathroom cabinet he spotted something shiny on the bathroom floor. It was Mrs Cubbage’s long-lost platinum wedding ring, which was a gift from her late husband to celebrate their 25th Wedding Anniversary, 37 years ago.

“I was so happy, I could have kissed him,” said Mrs Cubbage, 86, who runs local art classes.

“My ring had been missing for several months. It had fallen off my finger and I was sure it was in the bathroom, but couldn’t find it anywhere. I wear it all the time and as I was getting ready to move to a new property I thought I would never see it again. I want to thank Jason for his honesty and the quality of his work.”

Your News & Views | intouch | www.wwha.co.uk | 45

Glannant Community Garden During a recent Willow Weaving event at Glannant, some of the young children enthusiastically offered to help clear a large raised bed which had become overgrown.

While working hard, they said that they would like to learn how to grow things which they could pick and eat on their walk to school.

As a result, a further event was planned where the children would plant strawberries, blueberries, peas, herbs and lots more!

Llain Las residents celebrate St David’s Day was celebrated at Llain Las, a supported living scheme in Fishguard, West Wales, with a 'Cawl' lunch, followed by pancakes, Welsh cakes and bingo. Residents and their friends from the community enjoyed a wonderful afternoon.

One of the residents, Olive Carter, said: “What a great day, with a very good turnout, which was thoroughly enjoyed. These events mean the world to us - we look forward to them.”

46 | www.wwha.co.uk | intouch |Your News & Views

Stella times at Wales & West Housing

Residents at Lord Pontypridd House retirement scheme, Cardiff, were seeing stars when the cast of the hit TV comedy Stella were filming in their communal area.

Filming took place on two separate days in February and April. Asset Management Officer Glyn Smith said: "It was fascinating to see the detail as they dressed the room and filled it with extras.

"They filmed for two days but the final scene will be three or four minutes long.”

Laughing with Neil Our resident poet and all-round funny man Neil Davies has been using his comedy talent to raise money for Parkison’s UK. Neil, who lives at Limebourne Court, Whitchurch, Cardiff and has Parkinson’s, organised and starred in a stand-up comedy night at Chapter, Cardiff. Five comedians were on the line-up, all raising money for making a stand for the charity close to Neil’s heart.

Neil is now planning a similar event for our charity Age Cymru.

Lord Pontypridd House

Your News & Views | intouch | www.wwha.co.uk | 47

Lena celebrates her

99th birthday

Spring clean-up Jess O’Connell, Community Development Officer, is pictured below with Zeta Mancini and Cara Elyse Howell, young volunteers from Aberystwyth, who were keen to help litter pick on Aberystwyth Beach as part of the Keep Wales Tidy Spring Clean events.

Congratulations to Lena Charles of Blaengarw who celebrated her 99th birthday.

Local school children visited her at Danymynydd and presented her with a card, flowers and balloons and sang Happy Birthday to her.

Passage to India

Young Cardiff resident Leah Cullen went on a trip of a lifetime to teach Indian children about health and hygiene.

Leah of Hillfort Close, Caerau, and fellow WWH resident Shelby Richards, were part of a group from ACE – Action Caerau and Ely at the Dusty Forge community centre – who spent three weeks in India. There they ran health and life skills workshops in villages.

Leah, who is studying youth and community work at Cardiff Metropolitan University, said: “I enjoyed learning about the culture and the food. I also learnt a lot about myself.”

A popular place

to live!

Since Llys Glan yr Afon, Powys’s first extra care scheme, opened in Newtown last year, we have had lots of interest from the wider community.

Many people have asked us how they can apply to live there.

Our waiting list is now open for residents of Powys aged 18+, but if you are interested, you should also have a need for support to help you live independently.

Simply ring Wales & West Housing on

0800 052 2526 and ask to speak to the Housing Options Team.