Meres NewsFor all the local news about your community | Issue 18 – Autumn 2011

Tel: 0300 303 1190 Email: enquiries@mmha.org.uk Web: www.shropshirehousing.org.uk

In this issue... TARCA Garden Competition winnersPage 11

Fun Day PicturesPage 5

Millington Close Gardens Open DayPage 3

Autumn already!See what’s happening in Shropshire this Autumn

Stephen Donkersley MMHA Board Member

2 Meet The Board/Our Services to you3 Gardens Open Day/Birthday celebrations4 Oil Tank Loans/Downsizing5 Group Pages9 Toilet Blockages/Your Feedback10 Taking A Closer Look/Board Size11 TARCA12 Competitions

If you require this document in audio, braille, large print or if English is not your first language then please contact us.

Si vous avez besoin de ce document en audio, braille, gros caractères, ou si l’anglais n’est pas votre langue première veuillez nous contacter. French

Jeśli wymagasz tego dokumentu w audio, Braille’a, duże wydruku, lub jeśli angielski jest nie pierwszy język prosimy kontakt. Polish

Если вам требуется этот документ в аудио, Брайля, крупных печатных, или если английский является не ваш первый язык напишите нам. Russian

Os oes angen y dogfen hon mewn ffurf wahannol, er enghraifft Braille, llythrennau mawr, tâp audio neu iaith wahanol, gadewch i ni wybod os gwelwch yn dda. Welsh

Se ha bisogno di questo documento in audio, Braille, grande stampa, o se inglese è la prima lingua contattaci. Italian

You can contact us in a number of ways:

1 PHONE 0300 303 11901 FREEPHONE 0800 43462891 EMAIL enquiries@mmha.org.uk1 IN WRITING by sending your letter to us at

Meres and Mosses Housing Association, Talbot House, High Street Wem SY4 5AA

1 IN PERSON by coming along to the reception desk at Talbot House.

OFFICE OPENING HOURSOur normal office opening hours are:8.45am - 5.00pm Monday - Thursday8.45am - 4.30pm Friday.

STEPHEN DONKERSLEY lives in Wem and has been a Board Member of the MMHA Board of Management since December 2007. Stephen had a 33 year career as a probation officer and social work manager. He currently sits on a panel of independent persons investigating complaints against local authorities.

meet the Board

Tenant Involvement and Empowerment

standard

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2Neighbourhoods

and Communities standard

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2

Value for Money standard

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2Tenancy standard

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Governance and Financial Viability

standard

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2Home standard

Our regulator, The Tenants Services Authority has asked all social landlords to produce local offers through six standards that cover the services we provide. Our current offers and the progress we have made are set out in the Tenants Report 2011 sent to you with this newsletter.

All updates on the local offers will be marked with the appropriate sticker (see below) for the standard it applies to.

2 | Meres News Autumn 2011 | Tel: 0300 303 1190

CONTENTSH

OW T

O C

ON

TACT

US

www.shropshirehousing.org.uk | Meres News Autumn 2011 | 3

A loan of £300 from Just Credit Union will cost £7.51 per week. £1.00 a week of this will go into your own personal savings account.

So take advantage of a Just Credit Union Oil Loan

Just Credit Union are available at MMHA’s office in Wem, Tuesdays 10am – 12noon or call them on 01743 252325.

Are you struggling to pAy for your oil tAnk to be filled?

IS YOUR HOME TOO bIG?OPTION 1A no strings attached cash grant of £2000 which is paid to you when you move. You make all the arrangements connected to the removal yourself, and you can spend the money as you wish.

OPTION 2 A removal package, a named officer to arrange the move, and a smaller cash grant.

The removal package includes:• Advice and assistance• Packing and transportation of furniture• Reconnection of utility services • Furniture removal and unpacking

The total cost of the removals package will be deducted from the £2000 grant and any remaining money will be paid when you move.

If you owe and rent to MMHA, this will be deducted from your grant. There is a limited amount of money available for the scheme, so payments will be made on a first come, first served basis.

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Have you completed your Resident Census yet?

If not, please go to our website, print off the form, and

return it to us as soon as possible. Alternatively you

can call us and we can take the details over the phone.

The more we receive back, the better we can plan our

services to meet your needs.

STOP PRESS!

If you find your current home too large to cope with, we can help you move to smaller more suitable accommodation. MMHA are currently running a downsizing scheme that will help you move to a smaller property.

4 | Meres News Autumn 2011 | Tel: 0300 303 1190

The Your Viewpoint Funday was held at the Shrewsbury Sports Village in August and enjoyed by all who attended.

Attendance was nearly double from last year and staff received some really good feedback from tenants about the

day. If you have further feedback visit shgcommunity.co.uk. Here are some of the tenants who got involved.

www.shropshirehousing.org.uk | Group News Autumn 2011

From March 2012 giro cheques will no longer be paid out by the Post Office to welfare recipients. Instead PayPoint will provide welfare payments (free of charge to customers) over the counter at PayPoint outlets in newsagents, community stores, and other local outlets.

You could have your benefits paid into a Bank Account instead.

Group News Autumn 2011 | Tel: 0300 303 1109

Basic Bank accounts

With a Basic Bank account you

◆ Don’t get a cheque book

◆ Don’t get an overdraft

◆ Can pay in cheques for free

◆ Can take money out at cash machines

◆ Can pay bills by Direct Debit or standing order (which usually means services are cheaper)

Basic bank accounts are usually free UNLESS you don’t have enough funds in the account when a direct debit is drawn. Then you will receive a charge - which can be up to £20 a time.

When choosing a Basic Bank account

check you can use cash machines near where you live or work for free (ask the bank or building society if you aren’t sure).

check there is a branch of the bank/building society near you where you can pay in money and check your account.

check you can pay money in or get money out at a Post Office® branch, if this is important for you.

check you will get the services you need like a debit card, Direct Debits or standing orders.

training!

Shropshire Housing Group plans to work with the Citizens Advice Bureau to provide some simple training courses on how to manage your money. These courses will be FUN and easy.

We will look at bank accounts, budgeting and simple ways to save money. If you have money worries we can also help you get some specialist support and help.

If you are interested in attending any of these courses please contact our Customer Services team to put your name down, and we will contact you to let you know where the nearest one is in your area.

Shropshire Housing Group works with Just Credit Union. They offer a basic bank account, training on how to use it and they have community branches at:

LudLoW

Mondays & Thursdays office hours: South Shropshire Voluntary Action, Corve Street Thursdays 10.00 - 11.30: Rockspring Community Centre, Sandpits Estate

craven arms

South Shropshire Housing Association, The Gateway Tuesdays 14.00 - 16.00

Wem

Meres and Mosses Housing Association, Talbot House Tuesdays – by appointment:

market drayton

Community Information Centre Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday 9.30 - 1pm and 1.30. - 3pm; Saturdays 9.30.-1pm:

You can also contact them on 01743 252 325 or go to: www.justcreditunion.org

www.shropshirehousing.org.uk | Group News Autumn 2011

FLexiBiLityInstead of carrying all of your money with you, you can use a debit card to make purchases or withdraw a small amount of money from various locations.

saFetyMoney left in a home or on your

person can be stolen or lost. Money in a bank account is

insured against loss so even if your bank goes bankrupt, your

money is still safe.

convenienceMany employers insist on paying

wages into a bank account.

You can have all your welfare benefits paid into a bank account

which means that you do not have to make time to go to a

post office to cash a cheque.

advantages

There is much publicity around carbon monoxide poisoning and gas installations. However research shows that the risk of dying from carbon monoxide exposure is up to ten times higher from a faulty solid fuel appliance.

Shropshire Housing Group are required under the Heath and Safety at Work Act to ensure all types of heating systems in its properties are safe to use and that records are kept in relation to annual servicing and safety checks.We will carry out a full annual service of your appliance and carry out a visual and smoke test on your flue. If required, further tests may be carried out and remedial action taken to ensure your appliance and its flue is functioning safely.

This work is completely free to our tenants, however access is needed to the property to carry out the works. In addition to this, the appliance will need to be out of use for the work to be carried out. An appointment will be made with you at your convenience and to give you time to ensure your appliance is out of use. TRL will carry out this work.

Solid fuel servicing

Apprentice of The Year Michael Monteith has been awarded Apprentice of the Year

(electrical) from Shropshire College.

Dale Vass, Senior Electrician

Group News Autumn 2011 | Tel: 0300 303 1109

Following the harsh winter of 2010 we received a complaint that a tenant’s water pipes were continually bursting. This was because they were not properly insulated, and had been installed by a previous contractor. The tenant that complained received £50 for the cleaning of carpets that had been stained due to the water leak, this was because responsibility for

the source of the leak could not be agreed upon. As a result of this complaint and the high numbers of households that experienced burst pipes during the winter, the Asset Managers held a review.

They decided that TRL will now insulate all pipework as standard, and this will be included within the Empty Homes Policy. 1

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2www.shropshirehousing.org.uk | Meres News Autumn 2011 | 9

I think cutting the size of the MMHA Board is a good idea because:

I think cutting the size of the MMHA Board is a bad idea because:

YOUR NAME:

YOUR ADDRESS:

Are you interested in taking a closer look at our services?If so, you might be interested in joining our resident scrutiny panel. We are looking to improve how we involve tenants in reviews of our services and performance. We already involve tenants in carrying out surveys and doing ‘spot checks’

in some areas. The Scrutiny Panel offers the chance for you to dig a bit deeper.

The panel will carry out short reviews of parts of our service and would be able to make

recommendations to our Board members for changes to improve the service.If you want to know more and think you might want to get involved in scrutiny

contact either Jen Hayball (Assistant Director – Performance & Governance)

or Sarah Platt (Resident Involvement Manager) on 0300 303 1190.

how Big Should the Board Be ?

MMHA has agreed to look at cutting the size of its

Board of Management. At the moment there are 12

places on the Board; MMHA is thinking of reducing it

down to 9 members. Importantly, the Board has no

plans to change the proportion of the Board who are

tenants. They would still make up 1/3 of the Board so

if it was reduced to 9 members, 3 would be tenants.

There is no typical number for the size of a Housing

Association Board, the National Housing Federation

(an umbrella organisation for housing associations)

suggests Boards should have at least 5

members and no more than 12 members.

However, more and more associations are

finding that smaller Boards work better and

can be more effective.

We want to know what you think about this. If you

want to send us your views about the size of the

MMHA Board – please fill in this reply slip, cut it out

and send it to us at: Corporate Services,

The Gateway, Craven Arms, Shropshire, SY7 9BW

OR drop your replies into one of our offices at Talbot

House, Wem or at The Gateway, Craven Arms.

#

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Taking a Closer

www.tarca.org.uk Tel: 01630 652953 Mobile: 07530 002771 email: tarcashropshire@yahoo.com

A Front Garden and Overall Winner: C Gaughan from Ash

B Front garden runner up: E Edwards from Baschurch

C Back Garden winner: C Thomas from Baschurch

D Back Garden runner up: Mrs Harmer from Baschurch

E Pots Winner: D Thomas from Market Drayton

F Pots runner up: E Fleming from Market Drayton

G Baskets winner: O Peppiat from Baschurch

H Runner up baskets: D Leah from Wem

I Group garden winner: Normanbrook Court,

Market Drayton

J Group garden runner up: Millington Close, Baschurch

K Environmental garden winner: P Bradbury from

Higher Heath

L Environmental garden runner up: Mrs Jones

from Baschurch

TARCA garden competition winners

E

I

F

J

G

K

H

L

AB

CD

www.shropshirehousing.org.uk | Meres News Autumn 2011 | 11

Childrens Competition: Find the autumn leaves. How many leaves can you find hidden throughout this edition of Meres News?

Write your answer for a chance to win a £30 toy voucher.

Answer

Name

Parent/Guardians name

Address

Postcode

Telephone number

CompetitionsCompetitions

#

This time’s competition requires a sharp eye, we want you to find the phrase below within one of the articles in meres news, then all you need to do is send in your entry form to win £30 in vouchers.

Phrase: At the moment there are 12 places

Answer

Name

Address

Postcode

Telephone number

AdultsAdults

ChildrensChildrens

The winner of last time’s summer word spotter was Vicki Ashley from Whitchurch who won a £30 love to shop voucher.

The winner of the children’s spot the ice cream competition was Amber Higgins from Market Drayton who also won a £30 love to shop voucher.

Previous winnersPrevious winners

The closing date for the competitions is Friday 21st October. Send your entry to Vicki Coleman, The Gateway, The Auction Yard, Craven Arms

SY7 9BW

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