Leazes Homes newsletter Oct / Nov 2017

www.leazeshomes.org.uk

October/November 2017

LeazesHomes & People Building for the future see page 6

Twelve highlights for twelve months see page 5

Building on the past see page 7

New services available online see page 9

YHN Housing Services Housing management services to Leazes Homes are provided by Your Homes Newcastle.

YHN Housing Services @ East End

0191 278 1566

YHN Housing Services @ Kenton

0191 277 4360

YHN Housing Services @ Outer West

0191 277 7940

YHN Housing Services @ Walker

0191 278 8455

YHN Housing Services @ West End

0191 277 1484

Other numbers Adaptations

0800 091 1255

Leasehold

0191 278 7725

Ostara

0191 278 8699

Envirocall

0191 278 7878

Newcastle Furniture Service (NFS)

0191 278 1888

HASBET (Housing Anti-Social Behaviour Enforcement Team) 0191 278 8740

Repairs centre and gas servicing

0191 277 8888

Housing Advice Centre

Young people’s service

0191 277 1190

0191 277 1711

If you would like this information in your own language we will arrange for an interpreter to help you. Please call us on 0191 278 8600 to arrange. This information is also available in easy read, large print, Braille and audio tape. We can also arrange for you to see a British Sign Language interpreter.

Your landlord has its own new home!

The registered head office for Leazes Homes is now at Jubilee Court, in Coxlodge, Gosforth, after we moved from YHN’s main office on Benton Park Road at the end of September.

This is good news for us as it means we’re based nearer to our Leazes Homes communities and we’ll be able to see some of our tenants a little more often. It doesn’t mean that you’ll need to do anything different to contact us or use any alternative phone numbers or anything like that though – as far as you’re concerned, everything will just stay the same.

You should continue to contact Leazes Homes and Your Homes Newcastle in the same way as you have done previously and the services you’re used to will be provided in the same way as before.

We know it can be quite confusing when there are so many organisations involved in your tenancy, so, just as a reminder, Leazes Homes is your landlord (i.e. we own your property) and Your Homes Newcastle provides housing management services on our behalf (like

helping you to sign up for a property, collecting rent, dealing with anti-social behaviour complaints etc).

If you live in a Leazes Homes property – and you will only receive this newsletter through your door if you do – you are not a Newcastle City Council tenant. You may, however, have had some involvement with the council, possibly if you live in supported accommodation and have contact with adult social care, for example. You may also have a member of staff from the city council come to your house if you report a repair, as YHN contracts this work to Newcastle City Council.

And, if you live in supported accommodation, for example in one of our extra care developments Trevelyan Court, Kilbourn House, Lawson House or Dewley House, you may also have care staff on site who help with certain needs – in these cases, the care contract is organised by Newcastle City Council and the care staff have a different role and different responsibilities to the staff from Your Homes Newcastle who are also based there.

Leazes Homes Limited, Jubilee Court, Kenton Road, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE3 3BW. Designed by: barkingdog design and layout.

Printed by: Mosaic Print Management plc.

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Twelve highlights twelve months

Leazes Homes has well continued to perform operating financially and is well within its financial

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Building for the future

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Building on the past

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Don’t take a risk: fireproofing your home

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New services available online!

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Newbiggin Hall residents of all ages come together through golf

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Walker residents grow their own!

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I need some help with...

A new way to report anti-social behaviour

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throughout complaints received – all of There were only four of anti-social behaviour length the year and 38 cases average successfully. The 28.2 days, which were resolved an ASB case was of time taken to resolve a maximum of 45 days. of well within the target

covenants

four complaints

that One of the factors this is our has impacted on arrears – work around rent by £5k these were reduced overall this year.

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year, During the financial a Leazes Homes added its further 63 units to This property portfolio. of included a number with homes for those including additional needs, an extra care development House, in Byker, Lawson and several bungalows via in Blakelaw available for shared ownership those with disabilities.

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into This year we entered another charity, partnership with services at JET, to provide catering Kilbourn our extra care scheme, JET provides House, in Kenton. training and employment those from opportunities for so the ethnic minority groups, for the news partnership is great news for charity but also great get to benefit our tenants, who food! from some fantastic

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in Dinnington that work on new properties people – including We continued to of homes for older will provide a number n at Hartley Court and special sheltered accommodatio dementia – as well as adding with bungalows for people at the several more properties City Edge site in Blakelaw. on We also started work Denton, new sites in West all of Throckley and Benwell, valuable which will provide with a housing for people range of needs.

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Our housing management Homes organisation, Your Building Newcastle, manages Enterprise at and Commercial to carry Newcastle City Council behalf. out repairs on our taken to The average time has reduced complete repairs to last year. by a day compared

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We have worked with our construction partners to help people living near our developments the better understand the build process and their Walling work going on in children from Thomas Homes community. This year, with our partner Barratt Primary School worked the City Edge site in Blakelaw so at what the to bury a time capsule it in future will understand that whoever finds in 2016. local area was like

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Twelve highlights for twelve months three

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This year, we were our delighted to celebrate into 500th tenant moving Joan their new home.

Toward, a grandmother of 15 from Scotswood, moved into our extra in n care accommodatio House, Kenton, Kilbourn and we marked her with a milestone move in her and tea party for her fellow residents.

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from

year, 2016-17 A review of our

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New additions to our board!

to We have continued work with other local sure organisations to make to access our tenants have at Station Court, as possible. Staff as many opportunities people with learning disabilities n for a community our accommodatio up with Food Nation, teach residents in Walker, teamed in Newcastle, to help The residents food initiative based fruit and vegetables. their own fruit about cooking with by this that they planted were so inspired cooking sessions! and veg for future

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to provide we have continued with Throughout the year opportunities together training and employment Over the last year, three new partners. a number of our development been created alongside apprenticeships have training initiatives. employment and

38 cases of anti-social

behaviour

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In July 2016, all of our tenants were invited to a summer fun day that took place at our supported accommodation, Trevelyan Court, in Newbiggin Hall. a miniature Tenants enjoyed the rain!), visits from outdoor games (despite several games of of creepy crawlies, pony and a range lunch. bingo and a free packed

Statement of Comprehensive Income For the year

2017 ended 31 March

Restated

property Gain on disposal of Interest receivable Interest payable and financing costs and

sive Total comprehen year income for the

face the that a number of challenges policies We are very aware our tenants as Government housing sector and at finance We’ve been looking continue to change. sure we’re remodelling to make changes, prepared for any potential to ensuring and our commitment for money our tenants get value for money remains – our value published on assessment has been our website.

4,286 (2,980) -

Operating surplus

Surplus before after tax

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Year ended 31 March 2016 £’000

Year ended 1 March 2017 £’000

Turnover Operating expenditure Other Income

1,306

3,563 (2,650) 12 925 8

3 3 (752)

(652)

560 560

281 281

Want to know more? about our to learn more If you would like can read our quarterly at performance you on our website performance reports k www.leazeshomes.org.u other queries or if you have any For further details, in this regarding the information contact us via document, please info@leazeshomes.org.uk 8784. or call 0191 278

Welcome to the latest edition of Leazes Homes & People The new season is bringing a lot of change at Leazes Homes – we have two new trustees and a new office! I’d like to take this opportunity to welcome Dawn Keightley and Mick Brady to our Board, they bring some really useful skills and experience and I know they’re going to be great assets.

It’s an exciting time for myself and the Board and we’re looking forward to seeing some fantastic properties develop over the next few months.

We’re in a great position after a successful year during 2016-17 and you can read more about that on page five.

Recently, work has completed on lots of really valuable properties for older people, and we were pleased to provide numerous homes in Dinnington and Throckely as a result. You can read more about them on page six and, if you

turn to page seven, you can also learn about the fascinating finds at one of our other sites…!

We know that fire safety has been a concern for many people since the tragic events at Grenfell Tower in London earlier this year, and we provide some useful advice about this on page eight.

There’s some good news from a couple of our developments towards the end of the newsletter and some information about how to get involved online on the back page.

We hope you enjoy reading!

Bill Midgley - Chair of Leazes Homes

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New additions to our board!

We’re delighted to announce that two new trustees have recently joined the Leazes Homes Board.

Dawn Keightley, an expert in housing and care services, joined as an independent trustee and Mick Brady, who has lived in a Leazes Homes property since 2013, joined as a tenant trustee.

Dawn brings a huge amount of experience to the role, having spent over two decades in the social housing sector, in a range of strategic roles.

Dawn’s background is in marketing and customer research and she is currently working with NHS England Transforming Care Programme focusing on increasing housing choices for people with learning disabilities and/or Autism. She is also the Chair of the North East Housing Learning and Improvement Network (LIN), which explores innovative housing solutions to support older people and people with long term health conditions.

Dawn feels her position on the Leazes Homes Board is a natural extension of her previous work and experiences. She said: “From a personal point of view, I spent the first eighteen years of my life living in social housing and I took the secure, safe and healthy home for granted. It was only when I started working in housing that I realised how different my life and that of my parents and grand-parent could have been without that security of tenure and the sound build quality of the property.

“I’m very much looking forward to seeing and being a part of the difference Leazes Homes is making to tenants’ lives.”

Dawn and her fellow trustees were also recently joined by a new tenant trustee, Mick Brady, following an invitation to all tenants to put themselves forwards.

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Mick worked as a bus driver for over 25 years and was a union official for 18. Following his retirement, Mick became heavily involved in community work in the Pendower area of the city, where he has lived since 1960, including being Chair of the Pendower Good Neighbourhood Project and the Pendower Tenants’ and Residents’ Association.

Mick said: “I have been heavily involved in community work for many, many years and helping others is something I have strived to do my whole life – since my childhood days in Benwell, where there was a real sense of community spirit, I’ve always tried to carry this through.

“I’m looking forward to working on important issues for the benefit of all Leazes Homes tenants and I feel that my personal approach to working with people will help to make a difference.”

Chair of Leazes Homes, Bill Midgley, who welcomed the new trustees at to recent Board meetings, said: “Dawn and Mick are fantastic additions to our strong team at Leazes Homes and their wide range of experience will help to provide vital insight as we continue to develop.

“Leazes Homes is fully committed to providing the best possible housing for those who are most in need in our wonderful city, something I know both Dawn and Mick feel very strongly about and understand fully.

“Myself and my fellow board members look forward to working with them both, building on our shared values to realise our ambitions for Leazes Homes and its tenants.”

Twelve highlights from twelve months A review of our year, 2016-17

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Leazes Homes has continued to perform well financially - you’ll see our financial results for the year April 2016-March 2017 below.

This year, we were delighted to celebrate our 500th tenant moving into their new home. Joan Toward, a grandmother of 15 from Scotswood, moved into our extra care accommodation in Kenton, Kilbourn House, and we marked her milestone move in with a tea party for her and her fellow residents.

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There were only four complaints received throughout the year and 38 cases of anti-social behaviour – all of which were resolved successfully. The average length of time taken to resolve an ASB case was 28.2 days, well within the target of a maximum of 45 days. four complaints

One of the factors that has impacted on this is our work around rent arrears – these were reduced by £5k overall this year.

38 cases of anti-social behaviour

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During the financial year, Leazes Homes added a further 63 units to its property portfolio. This included a number of homes for those with additional needs, including an extra care development in Byker, Lawson House, and several bungalows in Blakelaw available via shared ownership for those with disabilities.

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We continued to work on new properties in Dinnington that will provide a number of homes for older people – including sheltered accommodation at Hartley Court and special bungalows for people with dementia – as well as adding several more properties at the City Edge site in Blakelaw.

We also started work on new sites in West Denton, Throckley and Benwell, all of which will provide valuable housing for people with a range of needs.

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This year we entered into partnership with another charity, JET, to provide catering services at our extra care scheme, Kilbourn House, in Kenton. JET provides training and employment opportunities for those from ethnic minority groups, so the partnership is great news for the charity but also great news for our tenants, who get to benefit from some fantastic food!

Our housing management organisation, Your Homes Newcastle, manages Building and Commercial Enterprise at Newcastle City Council to carry out repairs on our behalf.

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ten

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In July 2016, all of our tenants were invited to a summer fun day that took place at our supported accommodation, Trevelyan Court, in Newbiggin Hall.

Tenants enjoyed outdoor games (despite the rain!), visits from a miniature pony and a range of creepy crawlies, several games of bingo and a free packed lunch.

Financial results

The average time taken to complete repairs has reduced by a day compared to last year.

Turnover (rent and service charges) Running costs

This year £’000

Last year £’000

4,286

3,563

(2,980)

(2,650)

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20

(752)

(652)

560

281

We have worked with our construction partners to help people living near our developments better understand the build process and the work going on in their community. This year, children from Thomas Walling Primary School worked with our partner Barratt Homes to bury a time capsule at the City Edge site in Blakelaw so that whoever finds it in future will understand what the local area was like in 2016.

Throughout the year we have continued to provide training and employment opportunities together with our development partners. Over the last year, three new apprenticeships have been created alongside a number of employment and training initiatives.

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Want to know more?

We have continued to work with other local organisations to make sure our tenants have access to as many opportunities as possible. Staff at Station Court, our accommodation for people with learning disabilities in Walker, teamed up with Food Nation, a community food initiative based in Newcastle, to help teach residents about cooking with fruit and vegetables. The residents were so inspired by this that they planted their own fruit and veg for future cooking sessions!

We are very aware that a number of challenges face the housing sector and our tenants as Government policies continue to change. We’ve been looking at finance remodelling to make sure we’re prepared for any potential changes, and our commitment to ensuring our tenants get value for money remains – our value for money assessment has been published on our website.

If you would like to learn more about our performance you can read our quarterly performance reports on our website at www.leazeshomes.org.uk

Sundry items Net interest cost Funds available for future investment in services

A full breakdown of our financial results is available from www.leazeshomes.org.uk – please just contact us if you’d like us to explain anything in more detail too.

For further details, or if you have any other queries regarding the information in this document, please contact us via info@leazeshomes.org.uk or call 0191 278 8784.

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Building for the future We’ve made lots of progress with several new buildings in recent months and this is proving particularly beneficial for older people and those with additional needs in our city.

We partnered with Keepmoat and Newcastle City Council to develop land in Dinnington to create lots of valuable homes for older people, and this was launched in July.

The Sheraton Court site, which also includes homes for private sale, is now home to our sheltered housing accommodation, Hartley Court, four apartments, four older person’s bungalows, and five five-bedroomed bungalows for people with dementia.

Hartley Court will be run by our housing management partner, Your Homes Newcastle, and the Brunswick Village based Dementia Care will manage the five fivebedroomed bungalows.

The bungalows have bespoke interior and exterior design, making them more comfortable for people with dementia, and are fitted with remote technology that links them to Dementia Care’s head office, providing extra reassurance and enhancing the support given by the staff, who are always on site.

The streets on the new estate have been named after men from the village and surrounding areas who died during World War I, and who are named on the local war memorial.

The Leazes Homes development is on Holmes Close, which is named after Private Robert Holmes (Fifth Northumberland Fusiliers), who was killed towards the end of the Battle of the Somme. Members of Private Holmes’ family joined veterans of the armed forces at the launch event.

The Retired Major, Graeme Heron, Vice President of the RRF Association of Northumberland, performed the emotive poem For the Fallen, by Laurence Binyon, before a minute’s silence was observed in remembrance of all those who gave their lives in World War I.

We’ve also built an extra care development in Throckley, similar to the ones we already have in Newbiggin Hall, Kenton and Byker, but with more of a focus on caring for people with dementia.

Dewley House, which is part of Keepmoat’s The Pinders development, will provide 46 apartments, with four older persons’ bungalows also nearby.

Bill Midgley, Chair of Leazes Homes, added: “Leazes Homes has a strong track record of working in partnership with Keepmoat and Newcastle City Council to realise our collective vision for the city.

These developments follow a number of others we’ve worked on together and will add to the fantastic supported accommodation available from Leazes Homes across Newcastle.

“As our population continues to age and increasing numbers of people are diagnosed with a form of

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dementia, it is vital that we have relevant accommodation and services in place to help; we are very proud to be able to provide this.”

Anyone wishing to find out more about Hartely Court or the accommodation for people with dementia in Dinnington or Throckley should contact Your Time Your Space on 0191 278 8585 or via yourtimeyourspace@yhn.org.uk

Building on the past Work on one of our other new building sites recently unearthed something quite surprising – a Roman civilian settlement!

The remains were discovered at Dorcas Avenue in Benwell, where Keepmoat are developing a site on behalf of Newcastle City Council that will include homes that we’ll be renting at affordable rates.

They have been described by Richard Carlton, the archaeologist who unearthed them, as “perhaps the most significant find in the region for over 50 years”.

So, quite the discovery really!

Although small scale archaeological trenching was carried out before the building work began, it was only when a local firm, the Archaeologist Practice, carried out a detailed excavation of the site as it was being prepared for build that the real importance of the find became apparent.

Obviously there is a long history of significant Roman remains being found in this region, but this is a very significant discovery. What makes this site particularly special is that, unlike other civilian settlement or “Vicus” buildings previously excavated in Newcastle, these were made of stone rather than timber. One of the buildings has substantial buttresses indicating that it was probably a two storey warehouse – the first of its kind to be found in Newcastle.

The Vicus is located to the West and South of Condercum Fort and includes a number of open fronted buildings, cobbled surfaces and water channels indicating that this was the commercial or industrial area of the settlement.

Archaeologists from The Archaeological Practice Ltd revealing walls of Roman buildings.

As well as the buildings, the archaeologists found coins and Roman pottery including an almost complete amphora, a vessel that was used to transport liquids such as wine and olive oil. While the finds are still being analysed, they are believed to date back to the second or third century and it is hoped they will improve our understanding of what life was like for people living under Roman rule.

Councillor Kim McGuinness, Newcastle City Council’s Cabinet Member for Culture and Communities said “Although we knew there was likely to be Roman remains it wasn’t until they were uncovered that we realised the importance of the site. We believe these finds could be of national significance.

“We are working closely with the developers and archaeologist so the remains can be carefully examined and analysed. We also hope to raise funds so some of the smaller artefacts can be put on display in the local community for everyone to see.”

Work has restarted at the site and should be complete by Summer 2018.

Roman Vicus buildings looking south towards Jennison Avenue.

Photos courtesy of The Archaeological Practice.

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Don’t take a risk: fireproofing your home Understandably, with the terrible fire at Grenfell Tower in London, we are aware that tenants may have some concerns about safety. Here are a few simple things you can do to reduce the risk at your home.

Electrical safety Overloaded sockets, or faulty electrical products such as mobile phones and tumble dryers, can cause fires. Our partners Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service have a simple Socket Overload Calculator linked from their website. This will help you see whether you are overloading your socket.

Some white goods may have to be recalled by the manufacturer. The best way to stay informed is to register them when you buy them. If you are worried about any of the appliances in your home, visit www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk Don’t leave mobile phones or e-cigarettes charging overnight, and make sure you have the correct charger.

Night-time routines • Close all doors; • Unplug electrical items that can be switched off; and • If everyone sleeps upstairs, make sure you have at least one working phone with you.

Cooking Half of all domestic fires start in the kitchen, as a result of cooking (particularly when intoxicated) or because of faulty appliances. Don’t drink and cook.

Escape plan Everyone in the household should know what to do in the event of a fire. If you have children, get them involved. They will be used to fire drills at school, so should not be surprised.

Documents One of the biggest risks in the event of a fire is people delaying getting out of the home because they are rushing to find documents such as passports, driving licences etc. You can buy a fireproof safe for as little as £20.

Check your sofa It should have a permanent safety label, usually found under the cushions, which should state clearly that the furniture complies with the 1988 Furniture Regulations. Sofas that are old, or bought outside of the UK, will not necessarily have the same level of protection.

Our housing manager, Your Homes Newcastle, has set up a fire safety team in response to the concerns of their customers. If you have any concerns about fire safety or, if you would like more information, please contact Janice Gallagher on 0191 278 8578 or via Janice.gallagher@yhn.org.uk

Could you afford to replace your possessions if they were stolen in a burglary or damaged by a fire, flood or accident?

You won’t need to if your things are protected by contents insurance.

premiums added to your rent so you don’t need to worry about keeping your payments up to date.

Many customers believe that their furniture, belongings and decorations are automatically insured, but this is not the case.

The scheme is very flexible, you don’t have to pay any excess if you make a claim and you can make easy weekly payments with your rent.

So we strongly advise all customers to take out household contents insurance. You can do this either through a scheme arranged by Newcastle City Council or by making your own private arrangements.

You can download an application form from YHN’s website, pick one up from your nearest YHN housing office or request one by emailing incomeyhn@yhn.org.uk or calling 0191 278 8600.

Royal & Sun Alliance has a scheme designed just for our customers. It’s a simple and affordable scheme which covers your furniture, belongings and decorations.

Prices start from as little as 40p per week with

When joining any insurance scheme, please make sure you know exactly what you’re covered for by reading your policy carefully.

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New services available online!

Looking for a quick and easy way to report a nonemergency repair? Look no further than YHN’s new repair reporting tool, My Repairs Portal!

The portal is a really handy way to report nonemergency repairs and can be easily accessed by a mobile phone. You can select a date and appointment time to suit you and track progress on ongoing appointments.

You’ll need to register via the My Council section on the Newcastle City Council website – you’ll need your rent number to do so, which you can get from your local housing office – then you just need to set up a username and password and you’re good to go!

YHN also has a new Online Rents Portal to help you monitor your rent account online in a much easier and more convenient way, which has replaced their online portal.

The new system will let you check your balance in real time, so you know it’s completely up to date. It will also provide you with access to your transaction history, your payment and balance history, and your statements. You can print from it too.

To access this handy new system you’ll need to go through a short registration process (even if you’re already registered on their current system). Click ‘View my account’ on the YHN homepage and follow the instructions - make sure you have your National Insurance number and also your Payment Reference (you can find this on your swipe card or your rent statement) handy as you’ll need these to register.

Check out the information below to see how YHN could support you to increase your confidence with computers and the internet.

Get online with YHN’s free training courses Learn My Way, Basic Computing Develop basic computing skills and learn how to access and use the internet with this two-part course.

When? Thursdays from 10.30am-1pm

Techy Tea Parties Bring your tablet or smartphone to our informal session and find out how to get the most from it!

When? The second and the last Thursday of each month, 2pm-3:30pm

Please note: If you have an iPad you’ll need to bring your Apple ID; if you have a tablet you’ll need your email address and password.

Details are on the homepage of the YHN website (scroll along ‘What’s happening at YHN’). You can also call 0191 277 4100 to book your place. You’ll need an email address to book online – if you don’t have one you can use getonline@newcastle.gov.uk Both courses are FREE and take place at Newcastle City Library.

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Newbiggin Hall residents of all ages come together through golf – and an understanding of the aging process!

Pupils from Cheviot Primary School and residents of Trevelyan Court, our extra care development, have been spending an increasing amount of time together following an important science project studied by the children.

Miss McClure’s year five class had been studying the aging process when they first met the residents of Trevelyan Court, and they wanted to find out what it was like to get older first hand. So they came to the development armed with questions relating to how everyone felt when they got their first wrinkle and a straw poll on who still has their own teeth!

In turn, the residents discussed things they enjoy doing, with one gentleman, Ken, showing the children his paintings, and inspiring them to do arts and crafts afterwards.

The meeting was so enjoyed by all concerned that it was decided another get together was a must and the idea of a Rookie Golf tournament was born. Several of the residents travelled to Cheviot Primary school to take on their old friends in a battle of golfing wills.

And they emerged victorious (their regular Rookie Golf sessions at Trevelyan Court certainly put them in good stead!).

Leazes Homes’ Managing Director, Jon Mitford, who joined the residents and pupils but considered his place better suited to the older of the two groups, said: “It was so much fun to attend the Rookie Golf tournament at Cheviot Primary and everyone really got involved – clearly my team benefitted from their past experience and it was good for me to be able to capitalise on that!

“The officers at our supported accommodation make a really concerted effort to help our residents feel like part of their wider community and it’s exactly these sorts of activities that make living in a Leazes Homes property so beneficial. It was fantastic to see everyone come together and enjoy each other’s company and I’m already hearing rumours of a rematch, so it sounds like the healthy competition and, most importantly, new found friendships, will be continuing.”

The Trevelyan Court team marked their success by taking the Rookie Golf cup home to show their fellow residents and holding a celebratory tea party.

Sheila, a resident at Trevelyan Court, said “They were very considerate and it was a very pleasant atmosphere. Everyone was out to enjoy themselves it was very good and well organised. Got to do it again!”

Jon Mitford tees off.

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Walker residents grow their own!

Fruit grown in their own garden will provide the icing on the cake – and the crumble, and a whole host of other sweet treats! – for residents with learning disabilities in Walker.

Five Station Court residents have been working with Food Nation, a social enterprise based in Newcastle that provides innovative food and nutrition services across the city, on a twelve week course that taught them how to cook from scratch.

They were so inspired by the principles they were taught around eating healthily and using fresh ingredients, that they have decided to apply for funding from Food Nation’s Food Grant Scheme (funded by Newcastle Public Health at Newcastle City Council) to buy their own fruit trees.

A cherry, plum and apple tree were then purchased with the £250 received, along with blueberry and blackberry bushes, and the residents were joined

by Chair of Leazes Homes, Bill Midgley, who helped with planting in the gardens surrounding Station Court.

Lisa Anderson, Housing and Wellbeing Officer at Station Court, said: “Everyone loves

Lisa Anderson and Matty Ridley get to work.

to get involved and they all take pride in growing and making healthy foods, which is fantastic because it not only promotes wellbeing but also adds to their skills.

It’s really pleasing for me to see them taking such an interest and we’re all very keen to get cracking – we’ll be whipping up crumbles and all sorts in no time!”

Nicola Cowell, Community Food Engagement Coordinator at Food Nation, said: “This is such a fantastic project, which began with the residents coming to Food Nation for a cooking skills course where they learned new skills and tips on healthier eating. They are not only growing their own food now but are growing both in confidence and as a community too.

“The growing space that they are developing will not only provide delicious home grown fruit and veg, but it will also be an amazing communal space for everyone to enjoy together.”

Although gardening is the main project residents can get involved with at Station Court, there is a regular, wider programme of activities which also includes Rookie Golf, weekend communal meals and parties for Valentine’s Day, Easter, Halloween, Christmas and resident birthdays.

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I need some help with...

My money - Advice and Support team 0191 277 1144 Whether it’s help with money management, budgeting, benefit changes, paying your rent, or paying off debts, don’t worry in silence. Call us today or speak to your local tenancy and estates officer who can refer you if you prefer.

£

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Getting a job – Employability team 0191 277 3667 employabilityteam@yhn.org.uk We offer paid work-based training to unemployed customers. We also offer apprenticeships and a range of employment advice.

My energy use – Energy for the Future team 0191 278 3842 energy@yhn.org.uk Making a few changes in your home could reduce your energy bills.

Call us for more info or to arrange a home visit.

My garden – Garden Care service 0191 278 8600 gardencare@yhn.org.uk We can help keep your garden tidy, from one off jobs to regular maintenance. You might not even have to pay for this service if you are receiving certain benefits.

Getting online – help, guidance and training 0191 278 8600 Whether it’s the first time you’ve switched on a computer or you’re worried about dipping your toe into online surfing, we can help. Visit our website page www.yhn.org.uk/i-needsupport/help-to-get-online/ for more information.

Getting involved - Customer Involvement 0191 278 8600 getinvolved@yhn.org.uk By being involved you can help shape the decisions that affect you, your home and your community. To find out what we are talking to customers about and how you can give your feedback and share your views please get in touch.

Living independently and finding my feet - Young Peoples’ Service 0191 277 1190 youngpeoplesservice@yhn.org.uk We support young people, aged 16-25 years old, in Newcastle by helping them to find accommodation and providing the advice and support they need to live independently.

Living safely, remaining independent - Ostara 0191 277 7470 contactus@ostara.org.uk YHN’s 24hr response and support service enables you to live safely and independently in your own home. We provide alarm equipment such as pendant alarms and fall detectors that will alert the 24hr response centre if you fall, feel unsafe or unwell at home.

A new way to report anti-social behaviour YHN has launched a new way for our tenants to report anti-social behaviour happening in their area. This is an online system that will help you to tell YHN what is happening, upload any evidence you may have and track the progress of the information you’ve reported.

Because the system is online, it is available for you to use at any time, so you don’t have to wait until the next day to tell YHN by going into or calling the office. It will also allow you to track the case without having to make calls to the office to see if anything has happened yet.

Just go to https://asb.yhn.org.uk set up an account, and you’re good to go!