Spring 2010 www.melinhomes.co.uk

Melinnews editi

on

5

WIN!

Inside

A fabulous weekend break away in Devon

Youth Olympics

Homeimprovements

Grants to help youstudy

Money Advice

and more!

Welcome... to your latest copy of Melin News

Welcome to another edition of Melin News. This edition is packed full of interesting stories and useful information and I hope you enjoy it.

You can find out about the exciting activities we have organised for our younger residents. We work very hard with adults and young peope alike, helping them to develop their own communities. Melin is not just about providing houses, we want you to feel proud of where you live.

You can also find out how we can help tackle anti-social behaviour and tips on being a good neighbour.

Gas safety is very important to us and you can read about how you can keep “gas safe” in your home.

Our maintenance work for the coming year needs very careful planning so that we maintain your home to the highest standard and also keep within our allocated funds. Find out what work we are planning for the year ahead.

Our Communities and Enterprise Team have been very busy recently with several new and exciting projects which will benefit residents. Read our “Money Mentors” and “Get connected” articles to find out more.

You can also register to borrow one of our OWLS which will help you to check the cost of running your electrical appliances and may change the way you think about energy use in your daily life.

Happy reading and don’t forget to enter our competition to win a weekend break.

May I end with wishing you all a very happy Easter.

Mark GardnerChief Executive

Melin news

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Young residents bowl us over

Melin’s community Olympics and calling all rugby fans

Life café and news in brief

Low-cost healthy food and reduce your food waste

Residents’ Panel update and competitions

Jump fund winners

Improving your home

St David’s day celebrations and education bursary

Good neighbours

Gas safety checks and bridging the generation gap

Money Mentors and tax credits

Competition - win a weekend break for two

Helping people to get connected

Low-cost homes for sale

Saving energy with an OWL

Future Jobs Fund success

If you need the information in this newsletter in large print, Braille, on CD or explained in your own language, please contact Paula on 01495 745907.

Our offices will be closed on Good Friday (2 April) and Easter Monday (5 April). Should you need any emergency repairs during this time (only those that pose a risk to you, your family or your property) please call 01495 325333.

If you have any suggestions about how we can improve Melin News please let us know. You can write to us at the address on the back page, call 01495 745907 or email editor@melinhomes.co.uk Your suggestions could help you win a weekend break in Devon. Find out more on page 14.

Easter opening hours

02

Melin news

03

Young residents bowl us over

Some of Melin’s young residents from Hillside, Abergavenny went to Bowlplex in Cwmbran recently to test their skills in the bowling alleys.

Melin arranged the trip during half-term as part of our on-going work developing local communities by bringing residents together.

Nadine Vale, 14, told us why she likes attending Melin events: “I enjoy everyone from Hillside being together, especially the younger children. We do lots together, fishing, picnics and now bowling. We get to know each better on every trip.”

Alan Hughes, Melin’s Community Development Officer told us: “Events like these can have a huge impact on local communities. Similar trips have meant that we have seen youngsters grow together from the ages of six, or seven to groups of teenagers who respect and look out for each other. Our work is not just about taking young people on trips; it’s about building a sense of community so that everyone works together and enjoys each other’s company.”

“In a few weeks time we will be asking for volunteers to help with a litter pick and general clean up at Hillside and everyone who came bowling has promised to take part.”

Our Communities and Enterprise Team will be out and about over the next few months helping to give your communities a spring clean.

If you would like to take part in a litter pick or want our help to arrange a clean up or any other community project please call us on 01495 745905.

Give your community a spring clean

Enjoying an afteroon at Bowlplex

04

Melin’s Olympics

Tell us what you want

Calling all young rugby fans

Do you ever dream of playing rugby for your region or your country?

Well now is your chance to start making that dream come true by seeing how the professionals do it.

Our ongoing partnership with Newport Gwent Dragons will give 36 young residents the chance to visit Rodney Parade to take part in activity days during the half-term and summer holidays. The day will include a look behind the scenes in the club dressing rooms, taking part in a training session, watching a coaching video and meeting the players.

If you are aged between 8 and 12 and would like to spend the day with the Dragons phone us on 01495 745907 or email editor@melinhomes.co.uk. The training sessions will take place on 3 and 4 June with a further one this summer.

Young residents from Lime Crescent in Newport tested their fitness levels recently when they visited Abergavenny Leisure Centre for a Melin Community Olympics afternoon.

They took over the main sports hall to complete their marathon task which involved playing as many different team sports as possible in one afternoon. The youngsters beat the previous record by packing in 11 team activities in one afternoon. Well done to them.

Last year our younger residents enjoyed a variety of activities and this year we want you to join us for more fun and games. Feel free to contact us and tell us what activities you would like us to organise for you. Call us on 01495 745910 or email us at info@melinhomes.co.uk.

We are also looking for volunteers to help out with events and activities. If you want to help make a difference to your local community please give us a call. All our volunteers have a CRB check.

Enjoying an afteroon at Bowlplex

Lime Crescent’s Olympic sports session

Melin news

05

Care and Repair Monmouthshire are looking for 20 people who are 60 or over and live in Monmouthshire, to take part in a new pilot scheme called Life Café which is taking place in and around Abergavenny in April.

Life Café is a new idea for older people which will help them to make small changes to their lifestyles and improve their independence and their quality of life.

Life Café will involve a series of six sessions and each session will be based on a particular theme. The themes will cover areas such as; safety at home, diet and nutrition, fitness and financial advice, although these subjects are not definite as the Life Café is lead by those taking part.

The original idea for Life Cafés comes from Sweden and is now spreading throughout the world.

At each meeting attendees will be asked to take away one thing they are going to do to improve the quality of their life. They will also be encouraged to “spread the word” about the good tips learnt to all their friends and family so that good advice is passed in a ripple effect and those who did not attend can still benefit.

Shona Martin, Monmouthshire’s Care and Repair Manager said: “By making a number of small changes it is possible to make a real difference to quality of life. We hope that providing the chance to learn and share experience in a relaxed and friendly environment will encourage and inspire people to help themselves and others in a number of small ways.”

To find out more please call Sue on 01873 854195.

Life Cafés

Applying for a home in Blaenau Gwent will be much easier from June this year when a new common housing register is launched.

The new system will enable you to complete just one application form to register for a rented home with all of the following: Blaenau Gwent Council, Melin Homes, Linc Cymru and United Welsh Housing Association.

Until then, if you would like to apply to rent a home in Blaenau Gwent please call us on 08453 101102..

Homes in Blaenau Gwent

News in brief

We currently have vacancies at some of our sheltered housing schemes.

Sheltered housing provides self-contained homes, for those aged 55 and over, with 24 hour emergency support.

Some also have an on-site manager during normal office hours and offer shared facilities such as a lounge, laundry, guest room and communal kitchen.

If you would like more information about current vacancies, call us on 08453 101102.

Have you considered sheltered housing?

06

You now have the opportunity to enjoy fresh fruit and vegetables at discounted prices thanks to co-operative schemes across Wales.

In Torfaen, the Garnsychan Partnership runs the “Growing the veg box” project. The not-for-profit scheme is run by volunteers and gets its produce wholesale which allows them to keep prices down. Examples include:

• Vegetable Packs: • Fruit Packs: • Salad Packs:

For more information or to order your delivery of fruit and vegetables, please contact Becky or Glyn at the Garnsychan Partnership on 01495 774453 or visit www.garnsychan.info

In other areas, the Rural Regeneration Unit, which is funded by Welsh Assembly Government, help to set up co-operative schemes across Wales. Their bags of fruit and vegetables are priced at between £2.50 and £3. To find out about schemes in Torfaen, Newport, Monmouthshire and Blaenau Gwent contact Hannah James on 029 2023 2943 or you can email her on Hannah.james@rru.org.uk.

For schemes in Powys contact Jeni Moorhouse on 01597 829719 or you can email her at jenni.moorhouse@rru.org.uk.

Low-cost healthy food

full bag £3.50 half bag £2.00full bag £3.50 half bag £2.00full bag £3.50 half bag £2.00

Did you know that 8.3 million tonnes of food is thrown away by households in the UK every year, and most of it could have been eaten?

Some of the waste is made up of peelings, cores and bones, but most is, or once was, perfectly good food. Recent research suggests that we throw away around a third of the food that we buy. Financially it is costing the average household up to £400 a year.

Here are some easy ways to reduce food waste:

Use your freezer - You can keep loads of food that could have otherwise gone off and you can cook meals in advance.

You can freeze some fruits and vegetables. Frozen bananas that are on the turn are great for baking.

Frozen vegetables will keep in the fridge for making soups, even if they are cooked leftovers from meals.

You can even freeze leftover wine for cooking. Freeze it in ice cube trays and just drop it in the pan for any dishes that call for wine.

Plan Ahead - Shopping wisely is key to cutting down on your food waste. Writing a list is a surefire way to shop in an organised way. Write a meal plan and then only buy the ingredients you need for those meals.

Get Creative - Using up leftovers can be a good way to come up with new recipes. For one night of the week have a “fridge clear out” meal. It might not sound too appetising but some families come up with their favourite new recipes that way.

Top tips for reducing food waste

Achievement Awards

Melin news

07

Calling all budding poets and novelists!

Every year the Residents’ Panel recognises the achievements of residents with our youth and adult achievement awards.

One young boy, one young girl and one adult will be awarded a trophy and given a £50 voucher at our Annual General Meeting in September.

We want you to send us your nominations telling us who you think deserves to be given a special award. Who do you think has made a contribution to your local area?

Nominees for the youth award must be under 18. The adult award recognises the voluntary work of our adult Melin residents.

Their work can be in any field including sport, education,

art, the environment, people, families or the community.

We are sure that there are hundreds of people in our communities who deserve recognition for their good work, so don’t be shy, tell us who you think should win.

The winners’ names will also be engraved on a master trophy displayed in Melin’s Office in Pontypool. Past winners can also be nominated.

Please send your nominations, including your contact details and the name and address of the person you are nominating to the address below.

Mark your entries Achievement Awards. Closing date is July 30 2010.

We are launching a new competition for our younger residents. We would like you to write an essay or poem about where you live. There are two sets of prizes; for under 11’s and for those aged 11 to 17. Your poem should not be longer than 30 lines and your essay should be less than 800 words.

There will be 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes of high street vouchers for each age group. • 1st prize will win £50 • 2nd prize will win £25 • 3rd prize will win £10 Send your poem or essay entitled “Where I live” to us with your name, age, address and telephone number.

Mark your entries “Literary competition”. Closing date for entries is 16 April 2010.

Here is our contact information

Melin Residents’ PanelFreepost Melin Homes RRJZ KYKH YLAE NP4 0XJ residentspanel@melinhomes.co.uk

Melin’s Residents’ Panel works hard to help provide excellent services by giving a voice to all residents. You can contact us with any issues you may have and we will do our very best to help sort it out for you.

We speak to Melin staff regularly about a variety of topics which we think need to be addressed and work on your behalf to make sure your views are heard and acted upon.

We also have our own budget which we offer as small grants to improve local communities.

We would love to hear from you and if there is anything we can help you with, please get in touch. Our contact details are on this page.

Residents’ Panel

Update

Last year’s achievement award winners

Achievement Awards

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Last year’s achievement award winners

Two local football clubs are the latest recipients of Melin’s Jump fund. Both Goytre Junior Football Club and the Neon Community Youth Club received funding to help them improve their game.

Goytre Junior Football Club, from Monmouthshire, used their funding to buy speed and agility equipment to help them with their training and the Neon Community Youth Club from Blaenavon used their funding to buy a much needed seven-a-side kit.

Matt Sims from Goytre Junior Football Club said: “We are delighted with our new equipment. It will allow our teams to improve their fitness and agility in training which will hopefully, result in us winning lots of matches.”

Dean Whitcombe who coaches the Neon Community Youth Club football team told us: “ With this new kit from Melin, we can take part in tournaments and you never know we may win some silverwear as well.”

We asked John Gwillym aged 12 from Blaenavon what he thought of his new kit. He told us: “I love the new kit, we look like a proper team now and I am looking forward to our next game”

Our Jump fund provides grants of up to £250 for groups and organisations that benefit our

residents and the communities in which we operate.

If you think your local group could benefit give us a call on 08453 101102 or go online at www.melinhomes.co.uk.

Jumping for joy!

John Gwilym, Alex Bond and Shaun Gwilym show off their new kit

Following a huge investment of £800,000 in home improvements over the past 12 months our asset management team are preparing for another busy year.

Over the next 12 months residents in Blaenau Gwent, Newport, Monmouthshire, Powys and Torfaen will benefit from a whole host of improvements to their homes thanks to a further £2.1 million of planned maintenance and upgrades.

These include:

· 77 new doors· 204 bathrooms and showers· 115 new kitchens· 262 sheds and outside storage· 326 properties redecorated externally· 616 services of boilers, central heating and

electrical wiring and testing

Dave Cook, Director of Customer Services said: “We are committed to maintaining our residents’ homes to a high standard and our continual investment ensures that we achieve this.”

All of our improvement work is carried out on a planned basis and we will contact you by letter when work is due to be carried out at your home.

We went to visit Frank and Sandra Lambert who have been living in their Melin home in Gifford Close, Cwmbran for over 15 years. Frank and Sandra have recently had new windows and doors fitted and new garden fencing.

Frank told us “We are really pleased with the end result. The new windows keep the heat in and the noise out. I also feel more secure in my home now that the old doors and windows have been replaced. He also told us: “When the contractors came to replace our fencing they did a fantastic job. Quick, professional and an excellent end result. I can’t compliment them enough.”

Frank and Sandra both agreed: “We love our home and can’t wait to come home each evening.”

Melin news

09

Continually improving your homes

Frank and Sandra Lambert show off their new

windows and doors

10

Melin staff raised over £70 for our Jump Fund by taking part in a host of activities on 1 March to celebrate St David’s Day.

We were joined by local primary school children and a star rugby player who all joined in the activities throughout the day.

New Inn Primary school choir were chauffeur driven in the Melin mini bus to our Pontypool offices to help staff raise the roof with a rendition of the national anthem.

Newport Gwent Dragons and former All Blacks scrum half Danny Lee encouraged staff and children to join a target kicking competition in the office gardens.

Melin has been a keen sponsor of the Newport Gwent Dragons for the last two years and supports the work they do with many young people who live within our communities.

The St David’s Day events were organised in line with the Welsh Language Board initiative to boost the profile of Welsh.

Mark Gardner Chief Executive of Melin Homes said: “This series of fun events demonstrates our commitment to building partnerships in our local community as well as encouraging staff to gain an interest and knowledge of Welsh language and culture.”

Staff celebrate St David’s Day for a good cause

New Inn Primary School choir visit our offices

Would you like to return to education or training to help further your career opportunities or personal development goals?

If so, our Education Bursary could help you on your way. Every year, we award up to £3,000 to our residents to help them with their studies. In the past, our bursary has helped pay course fees, buy books and computers and fund travel expenses to or from university and college.

If you are a Melin resident over 18 and considering a further education course, interested in re-training, need help with equipment to allow you to study or wish to improve your employment or education opportunities the Education Bursary could help you achieve your goal.

To apply please write to us telling us why you think you should receive a grant explaining what you would you use it for and how it will benefit you. Mark your letter “Education Bursary” and send it to the address on the back cover of this newsletter.

The closing date for applications is 28 May 2010.

Grants to help you study

Melin news

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We cannot deal with:

• Children playing in the street • Children arguing • Riding bikes or skateboards • Events in the home such as; flushing toilets,

cooking smells, smoking in own home, washing machines, babies crying or playing.

• Staring or looking at someone. • Pets straying across garden areas. • One off noise nuisance such as a one-off

party or BBQ

We can deal with high level complaints such as:

• Any hate related incident about a person’s race, sexual orientation, gender, religion, disability or age.

• Domestic violence • Physical violence e.g. physical abuse,

assault, fighting • Drug dealing • Arson • Criminal Offences • Prostitution

Everybody Needs

Good NeighboursWe all want to live happily in our homes but sometimes we can experience problems with our neighbours.

We are committed to helping you and your neighbours live in harmony but there are some incidents that we are unable to deal with.

These include children playing in the street and noise from household appliances. We appreciate that these things may be annoying but they are not classed as anti-social behaviour.

Often these issues can be sorted out before they escalate by calmly talking to your neighbours as they may not be aware that their behaviour is bothering you.

If a low level problem is causing you a constant nuisance, please discuss it with your housing officer.

In incidents of genuine anti-social behaviour, we take a firm but fair stance and we will give you support to deal with any neighbourhood dispute before it gets worse.

Please report any anti-social behaviour to us as soon as possible.

Our Dispute Resolution Team responds to high level complaints within 24 hours.

Tell us about incidents of anti-social behaviour

• During office hours please call Melin on 01495 745919, email asb@melinhomes.co.uk or visit www.melinhomes.co.uk

• Out of hours and to report serious acts of anti-social behaviour please call the Police non-emergency number - 101.

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Everybody Needs

Good Neighbours We are legally obliged to carry out annual safety checks on gas appliances in your home to make sure they are working correctly.

To be able to carry out our job, it’s vital that you keep the appointments we arrange with you. Last year we made over 2,000 appointments but over 250 of these were missed as residents were not at home when our qualified gas engineer called.

Around 600 people are admitted to hospital each year due to carbon monoxide poisoning. The most common problems are; blocked flues or chimneys, inadequate ventilation and leaks from faulty gas appliances and central heating systems. You can protect yourself and your family by

keeping your annual gas safety appointment.

David Bolton, Melin’s Assistant Director of Asset Management, explained why it is so important that residents have the annual gas safety check. He told us: “We don’t want to scare our residents, but the reality is that faulty gas appliances can kill. We want all our residents to be safe in their homes so please make sure that you keep your appointment.”

If you repeatedly miss your appointment it could lead to

legal action and we may seek possession of your home.

If you wish to check when your service is due or rearrange an appointment, please call 01495 745947 and speak to David Pettitt or Tracy Sullivan.

Gas safety checks

An ongoing project that brings together some of our older residents with young people in their community was shortlisted for an intergenerational award by Monmouthshire County Council recently. The award was in recognition of the collaborative work between Deri View Primary School and the residents of Lavender Gardens, our Extra Care Scheme in Abergavenny, who have

worked together on a number of projects since the scheme opened last August. The school helped name the scheme, performed a Christmas carol concert, donated an electric piano and are currently producing artwork for the lounge.

Extra Care helps people over 55, who need extra care and support, to continue to live independently. To find out about vacancies at Lavender Gardens please call Abergavenny Social Services team on 01873 735900.

Bridging the generation gap

Melin news

13

Residents of Torfaen will soon be able to get financial advice from local Money Mentors based in their own communities.

Money Mentors is a new project that provides expert financial advice to local people.

The brilliance of this scheme is that the Money Mentors have been chosen from the local community and have vast knowledge of the local area and its residents.

Another benefit to the scheme is the creation of seven new jobs in the Torfaen area for previously unemployed people.

The new Money Mentors have had three weeks of intensive, tailor-made training looking at all areas of personal finance such as benefits, savings and managing debt.

They will be out into the local community in late March talking to people in places such as local schools, libraries and adult education centres, maybe even the local pub.

Although Melin Homes run the project it is a joint partnership between Gateway Credit Union, Torfaen Citizens Advice Bureau and Torfaen Council and is funded by the Job Match project.

Sarah Freeman, Melin’s Financial Inclusion Officer said: “Having local people as Money Mentors will make a huge difference to the help people receive. Research has shown that people are far more likely to take advice from someone they know and trust. Our aim is to make this scheme a success so that we can expand it into other areas.”

To find out more about your local Money Mentor please call 01495 745927.

What are tax credits?Tax credits are payments from the government. If you’re responsible for at least one child or young person who normally lives with you, you may qualify for Child Tax Credit. If you work, but earn low wages, you may qualify for Working Tax Credit.

The amount of tax credits you get depends on things like how many children you have, how many hours you work, if you pay for childcare, if anyone who lives with you has a disability and your income. The lower your income, the more tax credit you can get.

If you’re married or living with a partner you need to make a joint claim. You can only make a single claim if you don’t have a partner.

How to claim:To claim tax credits you have to fill in a claim form. You can order a tax credits claim pack from the Tax Credit Helpline on 0845 300 3900 or Textphone 0845 300 3909. It’s a good idea to have your National Insurance number handy before you call. More information is available at www.direct.gov.uk.

Money Mentors – a new

way to get financial advice Tax credits –

are you

eligible?

Money Mentors project board launch the new scheme

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In the last Melin News we ran a competition to win a trolley full of groceries. Our lucky winner was Margaret Davies from Garnteg School Close, Garndiffaith in Torfaen.

Margaret was delighted when we told her she had won the prize: She said: “I have never won anything before, I am thrilled to bits.”

“I always read Melin News when it comes through my letterbox as it has so many interesting stories. Now I have another reason to read it – to enter the competitions. I will certainly be entering more competitions in future.”

In this edition we’re giving you the chance to win a trip for two to Woolacombe Bay in Devon.

The 3-day weekend break will leave on Friday 21 May and return on Sunday 23 May. The trip will include return travel, pick up from either Newport or Magor, staying at the Royal Hotel with en-suite room and half board courtesy of Leisuretime. To enter please give us your suggestions for future articles for Melin News. What topics would you like to read about?

Travel insurance is not included and a condition of entering the competition is that the winner will be photographed for future Melin publicity. The closing date for entries is 16 April 2010.

Send your suggestions with your name, address and telephone number to:

editor@melinhomes.co.uk

Melin News CompetitionFreepostMelin HomesRRJZ KYKH YLAE NP4 0XJ

Win a mini break for two in Devon!

Margaret Davies with her trolley full of groceries at Asda, Cwmbran.

Margaret is our lucky winner

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Residents of Church View, Blaenavon were the first to benefit from a new Melin project called Universal Home Access. The project, the first such scheme in Wales, brings state of the art technology, broadband and training to Blaenavon and North Torfaen and will see Church View become a centre of excellence, offering digital support for local businesses and residents alike.

We went to visit Mrs Timothy who lives at Church View, as she took delivery of her new home computer.

She told us: “I am thrilled to bits with my new computer. Having access to a computer and broadband will help me in so many ways. I have been out of work for two years so now I can check the internet every day for the latest jobs. I am also going to try online shopping to see if I can make savings, Thank you Melin.”

Director of Communities and Enterprise Kellie Beirne explained: “Having access to digital services can bring many benefits such as job opportunities and saving money. We want to help as many people as possible get connected.”

Another part of the project, which is a partnership between Melin Homes, Torfaen Council and Heads of the Valleys Initiative is

nearing completion and involves refurbishment of the building and installation of fibre optic broadband at Church View. This has now paved the way for the building, which is owned by Melin, to become a centre for digital learning for both residents and local businesses.

A part of the work to help Blaenavon and North Torfaen residents “get connected” is the creation of digital champions.

These champions have agreed to volunteer to give advice and support to local people as they begin their digital journey. It may be something simple such as what day is my computer class?

If you would like to volunteer to become a digital champion contact Karen Green on 01495 745905.

Could you be a digital champion?

Helping people to get connected

Melin news

Mrs Timothy at home with her new computer

More low-cost homes for sale

In addition to providing homes for rent, Melin can also help people to buy their own home.

Last year we sold 33 homes, helping many people onto the property ladder, and we plan to build at least a further 47new homes for low-cost sale in 2010.

We currently* have a number of affordable homes for sale in Torfaen under our low-cost home ownership scheme.

Under the scheme buyers pay for just a percentage of the total house price, typically 70%, with Melin providing an interest-free loan for the remaining 30% percentage. Buyers do not have to pay any rent on the loan, they just need to meet their monthly mortgage payments.

The level of help available varies depending on where the homes are and how much the buyer can afford. Here are some examples:

• Two brand new one-bedroom apartments at our Burton’s Place development in Llantarnam Road, Cwmbran, priced at

£105, 000 will require a mortgage of £78,750 based on a 65% share.

• A two-bedroom terraced property on the popular Barratts St Josephs Meadow development on Llantarnam Road is priced at £135,000 and will require the buyer to find a mortgage of £81,000 for a 60% share.

• A re-sale property in the Croesyceiliog area of Cwmbran. This traditional two-bedroom terrace and is for sale for £84,000, based on a 70% share.

• A brand new two-bedroom semi-detached home in Talywain priced £120,000 requiring a mortgage of £84,000 based on a 70% share.

To be considered for our scheme, applicants must: • live within the relevant local authority area or

have a local connection• be able to access a mortgage • be unable to buy their own home without

financial assistance

If you are interested in finding out more or would like to apply to go on our waiting list please contact our Home Ownership team on 01495 745928 or 01495 745925.

*correct at time of print.

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Mrs Timothy at home with her new computer

Coming soon to Abergavenny!

A new development including one-bedroom flats and one and two-bedroom houses. Prices to be confirmed.

Melin news

17

Thanks to a free donation from British Gas, we have 20 OWLS to give to residents for a three month loan so that you can monitor your electricity usage.

An OWL is a wireless energy monitor which makes it easy to check the cost of operating your electrical appliances and aims to change the way you think about energy use in your daily life, helping you to save money and lessen your carbon footprint.

A sensor clips onto your mains supply, which then sends information, wirelessly to a remote monitor with an easy to read display.

If you would like to borrow an OWL for three months, to monitor your energy use, simply contact us and we will arrange for one to be delivered. If they are all on loan we will put your name onto a waiting list.

We will come back in three months time to collect the OWL and find out how much you have saved on your electricity bill. You may even be featured in Melin News.

Send your name, address and phone number to:

OWL offerAsset Management TeamFreepostMelin HomesRRJZ KYKH YLAE NP4 0XJ

editor@melinhomes.co.uk

01495 745907

Save energy and money with our OWL

· Turn your thermostat down. Reducing your room temperature by 1°C could cut your heating bills by up to 10 percent and typically saves around £55 per year.

· Is your water too hot? Your cylinder thermostat should be set at 60°C/140°F.

• Close your curtains at dusk to stop heat escaping through the windows and check for draughts around windows and doors.

· Always turn off the lights when you leave a room.

· Don’t leave appliances on standby and remember not to leave laptops and mobile phones on charge unnecessarily.

· If possible, fill up the washing machine, tumble dryer or dishwasher: one full load uses less energy than two half loads.

· Only boil as much water as you need (but remember to cover the element if you’re using an electric kettle).

· A dripping hot water tap wastes energy and in one week wastes enough hot water to fill half a bath, so fix leaking taps and make sure they’re fully turned off.

· Use energy saving lightbulbs. They last up to 10 times longer than ordinary bulbs, and using one can save you around £40 over the lifetime of the bulb.

Top tips to save energy, money and help prevent climate change.

Visit www.energysavingtrust.org.uk to carry out a home energy check.

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Melin recently became one of the biggest employers in Torfaen of young people on the Future Jobs Fund scheme.

Five more young people recently started their six month placement taking the total to 12 trainees at Melin.

The trainees, mostly aged between 18 and 24, have been out of work for more than nine months and have taken advantage of a Government initiative to tackle youth unemployment.

The trainees will be working in all Melin’s departments and in addition to valuable work experience, they will receive training and development opportunities.

Melin News spoke to Dan Heard, 19, from Cwmbran who has joined the IT department. Dan told us: “I am enjoying it alot. I have always wanted to work in IT. In my first few weeks I have been installing software and running scans and I hope to learn more as the placement continues.”

Louise Akehurst would have taken the number of trainees 13 if she had not been successful in

getting a full time post as a Housing Assistant at Melin. Her success will be a motivation for all Melin’s other trainees.

Louise explained: “Being a trainee at Melin definitely helped me get this new job. The training I received and the knowledge and experience I gained was invaluable.”

Kellie Beirne, Melin’s Director of Communities and Enterprise Team is delighted with the enthusiasm shown by our placements. She said: “These young people are gaining skills and confidence day by day. Hopefully, they will all follow Louise into full time employment.”

Melin forges ahead to help local young people

Melin Future job fund trainees

MelinTy’r Efail, Lower Mill Field, Pontypool, Torfaen, NP4 0XJ

T: General enquiries 08453 101102 T: Repairs 0800 9753149

E: e-mail enquiries@melinhomes.co.uk W: www.melinhomes.co.uk

Residents’ PanelT: 08453 101102 E: e-mail residentspanel@melinhomes.co.uk