Tenants` Newsletter Autumn 2012 Viewpoint

Tenants’ Newsletter
Autumn 2012
Viewpoint
Introducing Broadacres
Property Services
R
ROVE
D
PP
A
Freephone 0800 587 5291 (24 hours)
www.broadacres.org.uk
TOME
US
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Broadacres Housing Association Limited is an exempt charity
Day In The Life...
...of the Customer Service Centre
The Customer Service Centre is the first
point of contact for all customers contacting
Broadacres by phone and email. The team
currently has ten members, half of whom
have over five years’ experience of working
for the organisation in a customer services
role. The customer service centre operates
from 8am to 8pm, Monday to Friday, and
8am to 2pm on a Saturday.
Generally, the phone lines are very busy
between 8:30am and 11:00am and can often
go quiet after 6pm. We can handle on average
between 200 and 300 calls a day depending
on such things like the weather. Extreme
The Customer
Service team
weather can cause an increase in calls, so we
always keep a close an eye on the weather
forecast! It is also essential we know what is
going on elsewhere in the organisation, for
example a large mail shot, a new development or the launch of a new
service can often lead to an increase in customer enquiries.
Our team aims to deal with your calls at first point of contact. This means that in most cases we will
no longer pass you on to another team, allowing the other Broadacres staff the time to get out on to
the estates and provide a more focused service.
Around 45% of calls received are repair related. We also take rent payments and provide rent advice,
assist customers who want to apply for housing and make bids, deal with calls relating to anti-social
behaviour and general estate management issues. Our development department has been very active
in recent years and local residents often learn of developments long before the first brick is laid.
Ensuring we keep up-to-date with the new developments is therefore very important.
Daily, the advisors deal with a wide range of enquiries. Every enquiry is logged through our internal
customer management system, which means the advisors can see the full call history of any customer,
plus the repair and rent history for the property.
The service we offer our customers is continuing to develop and improve. From the 6th August
2012 the customer service centre has been playing a key role in the success of the new inhouse maintenance project. The main difference for us now is that for the first time ever, when
a customer reports a repair to us, we are able to make an appointment and give the customer
the date and approximate time the operative will be with them. This is already proving satisfying
for us at our end, and we very much hope that it will prove beneficial to you.
Page 2
BROADACRES NEWS
Broadacres Property Services goes live!
Our new in-house maintenance team, Broadacres Property Services, was launched on 6th August.
If you haven’t had any direct contact with the team you may have seen our new vans in the area.
■ An operative collecting stock for his van
In the first month of operation we
completed more than 2,800 repairs
and safety checks. Almost 800 tenants
filled in a survey, giving an overall
satisfaction score of 9.7 out of 10.
We are delighted with this response
but recognise that we have not
provided the required level of service
to all tenants – but we are working
extremely hard to iron out the inevitable
teething issues.
The aim of the new service is to deliver
better value. One of the ways we are
doing this is by working with Jewson
Builders Merchant. Jewson will provide
a ‘one-stop-shop’ for our building
materials that our operatives can collect
from local branches or have delivered
to site. As part of this partnership our
Maintenance Focus Group has
approved a new kitchen range that
we will be introducing in 2013.
■ An operative using the
new mobile technology
Page 3
DEVELOPMENT UPDATE
The development at West End Avenue, Appleton Roebuck is now complete and all properties are
now occupied.
At Farm View in Norton, Malton the first few properties have been completed and the first residents have moved
in. There are two and three-bedroom properties for sale on a shared ownership basis to people with a local
connection to Malton. If you are interested, please contact Fiona Coleman on 01609 767900 for more details.
Also available are a number of two and three-bedroom homes in Coupland Court, Selby. There are 5, threebedroom houses available for sale on a shared ownership basis to people with a local connection to Selby.
Please contact Andi McLoughlin on 01609 767900 for more details.
Coupland Court
Appleton Roebuck
Farm View, Norton
A scheme at Bridge Street, Bedale has brought new life and a revitalised street scene on a major
route through the market town. The scheme replaces the old shops and derelict drill hall, which
stood on the site, with 27 new apartments.
The apartments are a mixture of 2-bedroom and 1-bedroom and will be both rented and shared ownership
properties. They are due for completion in late November 2012. The scheme is also offering business
opportunities with three retail units available. The apartments for rent will be advertised through
northyorkshirehomechoice.org.uk and our sales team will be advertising the shared ownership properties
through my4walls.org.uk who are the local homebuy agents for North Yorkshire or contact Kath Stansfield
on 01609 767972.
■ Bridge Street, Bedale - Before
Page 4
■ Bridge Street, Bedale - After
TENANCY RELATIONS NEWS
Footy Fest Celebrating Euro 2012
This year’s Footy Fest celebrated Euro 2012, with teams given the names of the
countries in the European tournament. The tournament took place on Sunday
27th May at Bullamoor School. It is the fourth year the event has taken place
and it was a major success. Over 70 young people made up the teams. The
teams were split into age groups and given an adopted nation for the day.
Denmark won the 11 – 14 age group Sunbeck Trophy. England won the 15 –
19 category and the Broadacres Shield. There were no WAGs but plenty of
FAFs (family and friends) to cheer on the players, and we also had great
support from the local community.
There were also bouncy castles, face painting, bungee running and ice cream to
keep the rest of the family entertained when the football got too much to handle.
The event was organised by ActDivertz, a local group made up of many agencies
including North Yorkshire Youth Support Service, North Yorkshire Police, Broadacres Housing
Association, Hambleton and Richmondshire Community Partnership and Hambleton and
Richmondshire District Councils whose aim is to organise and arrange evening and weekend activities
for young people who live in Northallerton and its surrounding villages and divert them away from low level
anti-social behaviour.
Page 5
HOW ARE WE PERFORMING?
Target
Sept
11
Dec
11
March
12
June
12
% of emergency repairs
completed within timescale
100%
99%
100%
100%
100%
% of urgent repairs
completed within timescale
>99%
99%
99%
99%
99.2%
% of routine repairs
completed with timescale
>99%
99.8%
99.6%
99.8%
97.4%
% properties who have a
valid gas servicing certificate
100%
99.9%
100%
100%
99.9%
% of handled calls answered
within 20 seconds
>75%
77%
79%
79%
75.5%
% Customer Service Centre
Customers satisfied
>8
9.4
9.6
9.6
9.7
<21 days
19 days
20 days
21 days
20 days
% of correspondence responded
to within 5 working days
100%
96%
96%
97%
100%
% of resolved Stage 1
complaints responded to in
full within target time
>96%
98%
99%
98%
100%
Measure
How does this
Are we on
compare to
target?
last quarter
Repairs
Customer
Service Centre
Other Measures
Average time to re-let
a property
Better
Same
Worse
On track
Near to
target
Missing
target
If you would like to know more about how we’re performing, including any other areas you would like us
to report on then please contact Carl Doolan (Housing Services Manager) on 01609 767 935 or email
carl.doolan@broadacres.org.uk
Page 6
Thinking Money
Oil Clubs
Money issues...
Oil clubs run in rural areas where homes don’t get
mains gas and instead have oil fired heating. Clubs
are organised by groups of local people who agree
to purchase heating oil in bulk, together, meaning
they take advantage by negotiating lower prices.
“Millions miss out on £billions” or so they
say. You may get more money in less than
a day!!
One of these is Alne Heating Oil Co-operative who run
a very successful partnership with and for local people.
To find out more email alneoil@btconnect.com.
Broadacres also offers an oil scheme which allows
customers to spread the cost of their oil monthly by
direct debit.
You can find useful information about energy advice,
fuel poverty and oil clubs/schemes at:
www.broadacres.org.uk
www.hambleton.gov.uk
http://www.ruralyorkshire.org.uk/newsletter
/book/ask-ray-fuel-co-ops
Are you aged over 61? Or getting on for 82?
Claim some pension credit – it’s there for you.
Working?... Got children?...
Bills a problem some of the time?...
Get in touch, claim Tax Credits on
the telephone enquiry line
Council tax and rent can be
a bit of a bore
Claim benefit to help...
but wait, there is more...
Electricity, gas and oil costs are up
but what if you check it out on-line
to get the best tariff?
You can get help from your
local council’s benefits section,
Citizens Advice Bureau or the
Pension Service or contact your
Broadacres Housing Officer or
Debt & Welfare Benefits Advisor.
For tips on how to swap energy
suppliers and reduce costs, just
type 'energy saving' into the search
on www.broadacres.org.uk.
Gifts
We know that many of our customers think very
highly of our staff and that sometimes you may
want to show your thanks by giving them a gift,
especially at Christmas time. However, in order
to protect customers and our staff, we do have
some strict rules on what staff can and cannot
accept as a gift. For example staff are not
permitted to accept gifts of cash or vouchers.
If you have received a service that you are
pleased with and would like to say thank you,
then please let us know by either phoning,
writing, sending an email or thank you card.
Getting a thank you is not expected but
always welcome.
New App - allpay
The allpay App is a brand new mobile application available
to download from the Apple App Store and the Android
Market for customers with an Apple or Android Smartphone.
The App is also available free of charge from our website.
The App will allow customers to pay bills easily at
the touch of a button. What’s more once they have
logged into their account via the App, they can
store all their payment reference numbers, bank
card details and payment amounts so they don’t
have to enter them every time. Plus a 4 digit pin
number can be created to access the App so no
need to go through a lengthy login process every
time. More details can be found on the website
http://www.broadacres.org.uk/Residents/
Your rent and charges/How-to-pay/
Page 7
Broadacres Bonus
our way of saying thank you
Do I qualify for Broadacres Bonus?
Have a look at the following conditions to see if you are eligible.
✔
✔
You have been a Broadacres tenant for more than 12 months
You have a clear rent account, or if you are in rent arrears of less than £500, you have been keeping
to a repayment agreement for a minimum period of 13 consecutive weeks
✔
You do not owe any other debts to Broadacres, for example any garage payments or rechargeable
repairs. If you do owe any other monies to Broadacres then you must have been keeping to a
repayment agreement for a minimum period of 13 consecutive weeks (again you must owe less than
£500 to remain eligible to enter)
✔
There have been no other breaches of your tenancy agreement, for example for Anti-Social Behaviour
If you can answer yes to all these conditions then you qualify for the scheme which in turn allows
you to enter the exclusive Broadacres Bonus competition.
✘
If you cannot answer yes to all these conditions or you have any questions regarding the criteria then
please contact us and we will be happy to tell you what steps you will need to take to qualify in future.
Your chance to win one of the following fantastic prizes.
y
Luxur
er
Hamp
iPhon
e
f
£500 o t
tree
High S rs
e
Vouch
Lapto
p
Simply answer the following question: What was Santa’s most famous reindeer called?
❏
Rudolf
❏
Ray
❏
Carl
Name ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................
✁
Address.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Telephone number ............................................................................................................................................................................................
Closing date: 1st December 2012.
Winners from the last Broadacres Bonus competition were:
• Miss J Walker, Northallerton
• Mr M Talbot, Northallerton
• Miss L Watson, Seamer
• Mr J Durham, Stokesley
If you qualify just answer the question and cut out the coupon and then post to: Freepost RRBZ-TATA-BYHL Broadacres Housing
Association, Broadacres House, Mount View, Standard Way, Northallerton DL6 2YD or email us at info@broadacres.org.uk quoting
‘Broadacres Bonus Competition’ with your answers, name, address and telephone contact number. Please note that winners may be
asked to appear in the next edition of Viewpoint. You are only eligible to win one prize in each 12 month period.
Page 8
Race
Online
Bringing the benefits of the internet
UK
to everyone and every organisation
“8.2 million UK adults remain off-line which compounds existing social exclusions.
81% of computer literate older people, for example, say they feel more part of modern
society” (Age UK research).
Go ON UK aims to bring the benefits of the internet to every individual and every organisation in every
community across the UK. Broadacres has signed up to being a partner of Go ON UK and have pledged
our commitment.
Broadacres is committed to expanding its digital inclusion strategy to as many customers as possible.
We will:
■ Look to expand the number of wi-fi hotspots to customers, with access provided free of charge.
■ Continue to develop the Broadacres' website in conjunction with our involved customers to ensure that
its ease of use meets with their approval.
■ Promote at local housing events the benefits that customers would reap from getting online.
■ Provide access through communal computers at our head office and help train customers wishing to
access the internet, enabling them to use services via the Broadacres website.
■ Broadacres will promote opportunities for customers to buy their own computers through schemes such
as www.getonlineathome.org
■ Promote staying safe online through https://www.getsafeonline.org
Get Online at home
The easy place to get your first, very affordable and
internet-ready computer
Get Online@ Home – at a cost you can afford
Don’t miss out. It’s now easier than ever to join the internet revolution with your own ready-to-go computer
at a truly affordable price.
• Easy affordability – with one all-in price for a well-powered, refurbished computer with flat screen,
keyboard and mouse, plus 30-day warranty and support, for a fraction of the cost of a new computer
• Easy to get started – with all the latest Microsoft® software that friends and families know, and can
help you with, already set up for you. Also included is a suite of free accessibility software
• Easy to stay in touch with friends and family – join in the conversation through email, instant
messaging, Facebook and much more
• Easy to make your money go further – do your shopping, pay your bills and get
the best deals online to save hundreds of £££s a year
• Easy to pick up IT skills – necessary for everyday life and almost any job.
Start now: visit, www.getonlineathome.org or phone 03719 100 100
© 2011 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Microsoft and the Microsoft logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States
and/or other countries. The names of actual companies or products mentioned herein may be the trademark of their respective owners.
We are running an event in Northallerton on 30th October to help customers get online.
The event is part of the national ‘get online week’ campaign. If you would like further information
on the event please contact Emily Thomas on 0800 587 5291
Page 9
IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT THE BRICKS
My VIP Olympic experience
Pa
rt 2
By Sarah Beniams, mental health scheme manager
Not many people get
to be in the presence
of the First Lady of the
United States, Microsoft
founder Bill Gates,
The Duke and Duchess of
Cambridge and tennis
superstar Andy Murray,
but unbelievably I did
during my week as an
Olympics Games Maker.
It was only when I went to London for orientation and
training that I discovered I would be working in the
VIP lounges at Wimbledon, doing everything from
opening doors for people, through to answering any
queries they had.
Before I even started at Wimbledon I was able to sit
in the Olympic Stadium with the other volunteers and
watch the dress rehearsal for the opening ceremony,
which was fantastic to see.
On my very first day at Wimbledon I was in the
lounge when Michelle Obama came in to talk to the
Williams sisters and even though she was
surrounded by Secret Service agents I was still only
yards awards from her.
Over the course of the week I helped people such as
the Duchess of Gloucester, Bill Gates, Princess
Michael of Kent, Lord Coe and pretty much all the
tennis players who were taking part in the Olympics.
Although I was working when Andy Murray won his
gold medal, I was later able to sit behind the Royal
Box while he played his doubles final match with
Laura Robson and then receive his Gold and Silver
medals. We then formed a guard of honour for him
and I was able to touch the Gold medal.
Even when my time as a Games Maker came to an
end after Wimbledon, I was not done with the
Olympics just yet. All Games Makers were entered
into a ballot to be present in The Mall at the Olympics
and Paralympics Parade, and I was among the 9,000
people selected.
From start to finish it was an amazing experience
and something I will never forget.
Page 10
Olympic Torch Relay - Northallerton
The sun was as bright as the smiles when the Olympic Torch made its way through
Northallerton on Wednesday 20th June, and staff from Broadacres were up bright and
early to decorate South Parade in preparation for the once in a lifetime event.
Six hundred helium filled balloons transformed the street into a sea of colour, adding to the
party atmosphere of the day.
During the run-up to the event residents of South Parade, Leyburn Lodge and Maggie Neil
House worked with a professional artist to produce some imaginative, interactive pieces of art
that were used to animate the route. The artwork got plenty of use throughout the morning
and at one point even stopped the Olympic Torch Relay, as some of those involved left the
official parade to pose for their photographs taken with the pieces.
A fantastic time was had by all and it was great to see so many residents and visitors to
Northallerton enjoying the amazing atmosphere and glorious sunshine.
f member
Broadacres staf
s out
nd
Sally Baxter ha
e Relay
th
g
balloons durin
Three visitors to the Olympic
Torch Relay enjoy the
atmosphere
Jason Fun
nell, Broa
dacres
staff mem
ber and O
lympic
Torch Rela
y voluntee
r joins
in the fun
The event was successfully marshalled by Sally and other staff volunteers.
Page 11
FOCUS on...
Winter
Preparing for Winter
With winter fast approaching here is some guidance,
which will hopefully help prevent some of the problems which
can happen if we have severe weather.
There are many ways you can contact us if you need to report a repair: through the website
portal (ihousing.broadacres.org.uk), via the freephone number 0800 5875291 (free from a landline) or
01609 767900, or by calling into our offices.
Things to check in preparation of the winter weather...
Outside the home
■ Are your pipes exposed? If so, pipes
require insulating to prevent freezing
particularly if you are using an unheated
outhouse as a utility room.
■ Check your guttering for leaks, broken sections
or any blockages – if you find any please report
them to us.
■ Are there any roof repairs needed at your
property? If so, report them.
What to do if your pipes freeze
If your pipes are frozen up. You should:
■ Turn off the stopcock and open all taps to the
sink, basin and bath.
■ Warm the pipe with a hairdryer, working along its
length from the frozen tap or valve until the water
starts to flow again. Alternatively, drape a hot
water bottle over the pipe or soak hand towels in
hot water, wring them out and wrap them around
the pipe.
■ Insulate any outdoor taps.
■ DO NOT use a blowtorch.
■ Make sure that pathways are clear and safe.
■ Turn water back on to check nothing is leaking.
Inside the home
■ During the cold weather please
try and keep your heating on a
low setting or on a regular timer
to prevent freezing and damp problems.
■ Make sure you are aware of how to turn off the
water, gas and electricity to your home. If you are
unable to turn off water stopcocks due to a
disability please contact us.
■ Report any existing problems with heating or hot
water systems.
And if you are going away
■ Please contact our Customer Services Team
who can provide you with further information
about preventing frost damage to your home.
■ Ask a neighbour, friend or family member
to check on your home whilst you are away
and leave a key with a trusted person in case
of emergency.
■ If you can safely access your loft hatch, it can be
beneficial to leave it open whilst you are away to
help prevent freezing.
Page 12
■ If problems still persist please contact us.
What to do if your pipes burst
■ Turn off the water supply.
■ If the water is near to an electrical
supply/ wiring, turn off the electricity at
the mains.
■ Contact us.
If you have a gas or oil
condensing boiler
For those customers where the condensate pipe is
already run externally (in simple terms this is the
waste pipe that carries condensation from the boiler
to your drain outside), you can help us in severe
weather by taking the following action to prevent a
heating breakdown:
■ Operate the boiler with a higher flow temperature
during very cold conditions.This will reduce the
amount of condensate generated by the boiler
and help prevent freezing. So turn up the
thermostat on the boiler to maximum during
freezing conditions and back to its original setting
when the outside temperature increases.
■ Operate the heating programme continuously
over a 24 hour period with the room thermostat
set to a minimum of 18⁰ and the boiler set to
maximum. At night time reduce the thermostat
to 15 degrees before going to bed.
■ Make sure that snow is cleared away from the
end of the condensate discharge pipe where this
discharges into a drain or a gulley as this will
make the condensate fluid freeze more quickly.
■ If the condensate pipe does freeze then follow
the same steps highlighted earlier to help thaw it
out again.
Make an emergency kit
You might want to consider keeping an
emergency kit and keep it somewhere
safe and easily accessible. Some items
to think about including are:
■ A torch with spare batteries.
■ A mobile phone which is fully charged.
■ First Aid Kit with an essential medication.
■ A list of useful contact numbers and any key
personal information such as details of your
insurance company.
■ Blankets.
■ Essential items for your children such as
nappies, baby food, spare clothes and toys.
■ Drinking water and non-perishable food
(remember the tin opener).
■ A kettle for boiling water and matches.
... and an emergency plan
What would you actually do in the case of an
emergency? Have you thought about this and
discussed it with your family?
■ If you needed to leave your home, where would
you go and how would you get there?
■ What would you need to take with you and what
could safely be left behind?
■ What would you need to do before you left
your home?
■ What arrangements would you need to make
for any pets?
And if you think it won’t happen to you it just
might. In the past we have had to temporarily
rehouse tenants who have returned from holiday
to find their home damaged.
Are you covered? Broadacres do not insure the
contents of your home. For example if you have a
burst pipe due to the cold weather and water
damages your carpets or furniture it is your
responsibility to replace these items. So why not
consider the My Home contents insurance scheme,
one of its main benefits is there is no excess! For
more information please phone us or visit our website.
Snow and Ice
Although we had a mild winter last year,
we thought it would be useful to remind
you what action we can take when we
have freezing or snowy conditions.
In most areas Broadacres is not responsible for taking
any action, even if the roads or footpaths belong to us.
If they have been in public use for more than 20 years
they will have become a public right of way and
Broadacres does not have any legal responsibility to
clear snow or spread salt.
What you can expect from us if we have bad
weather this winter.
Extra-care, sheltered and supported housing
schemes (blocks of apartments)
Between Monday and Friday our staff (either those
based on site or our estate caretakers) will try to make
sure that a path is cleared and treated from the main
entrance to the car park and / or the public footpath.
The area to be cleared will be shown on a plan and
displayed on the scheme notice board.
We will also try to provide a supply of salt / grit on the
site for use at other times.
Common rooms
(that are not part of the above schemes)
We will try to make sure that a path is cleared and
treated from the main entrance to the car park and /
or public footpath on weekdays that the common
room is booked for events.
We will liaise with the hirers/users of the room so that
we are notified if events are cancelled because of the
weather. This will save us clearing and treating areas
when it is not required.
If the weather is particularly severe we may be
restricted in what we can do because:
■ our staff cannot get out to all schemes because of
the condition of the roads; or
■ salt is in limited supply; or
■ the amount of snow is too much to clear or it
would be more dangerous to clear it because of
the icy conditions underneath.
Estates
Where we have salt bins on estates we have
consulted you about keeping them and including the
cost in your ‘estate services’ service charge. Only a
few areas have chosen to do this.
We have also consulted the Town and Parish Councils
and, in many cases, we are pleased to say that they
have agreed to take over the responsibility for the bins.
We have informed you if this is the case.
In areas not covered by the above some salt bins
remain as they still have salt in them from last year. We
will, however, not refill them and will arrange for them
to be removed, when empty.
Page 13
FINDING A HOME...
Mutual Exchange
Are you looking to swap your home?
(a mutual exchange)
If you are looking for an exchange you now need to advertise your property through the website
www.Northyorkshirehomechoice.org.uk. Once you are registered other applicants are able to express an
interest in your property and through this process you can contact them to consider an exchange.
A national search facility is also available where you can search for exchanges outside of the locality. Some
searches may link you to other exchange registers, please note there is a charge to register with these services
and North Yorkshire Home Choice is not responsible for content or services provided through these websites.
To register your application log onto: www.northyorkshirehomechoice.org.uk
Guides are available on the website to help you through the process. To view these select the ‘Exchanging
Homes’ tab on the left hand side. If you require any assistance please contact our Customer Services Team
on 0800 587 5291. Please note: The paper mutual exchange register is no longer available.
This scheme does not apply to customers in Harrogate, Darlington, Durham and Redcar & Cleveland. If you
live in these areas and would like to advertise your property for an exchange, please contact our Customer
Services team on 01609 767900 or 0800 5875291. If you live in Scarborough or East Riding of Yorkshire,
Yorkshire Coast Homes will have contacted you to explain their process. If you have any queries please contact
Yorkshire Coast Homes.
North Yorkshire Housing
Allocation Policy Review
The North Yorkshire Home Choice partnership is consulting on its allocation
policy for an eight week period from 10 September to 2 November 2012.
In the first year of North Yorkshire Home Choice there were 2557 lettings. Currently
there are 17014 applications on the register. Only 15% of the applicants on the register are
likely to successfully acquire a property each year.
This consultation could affect you whether you are currently
registered or not.
The consultation covers:
• who should qualify to join the housing register
• extra preference to certain groups
• removal from the housing register
• the size of the property you can bid for
Your views are important to us. Please complete the online survey, which should only take
10 minutes. This survey is available on the North Yorkshire Home Choice Website
http://www.northyorkshirehomechoice.org.uk/
If you are unable to complete the survey online please contact our Customer Services
Team on 0800 587 5291.
Page 14
SUPPORTING YOU
Lifeline and sheltered housing service
satisfaction surveys
In a previous edition of Viewpoint
we explained that once we had analysed
the survey we would share the results
with you. We were overwhelmed with
the excellent response we received,
with almost 1,000 people responding!
Half of those that responded live in
a Broadacres property, the rest live in
a property they own or rent from a
private landlord.
Additional services that may be of use
GARDENING
HELP WITH ADVICE / INFO
ACTIVITIES/SOCIAL EVENTS
COMPANIONSHIP
ESCORTING TO APPOINTMENTS
The survey was split into different parts.
Firstly, we wanted to know more about our
customers and the difficulties they face.
Unsurprisingly
most
people
that
responded were over 80-years-old and
two out of three said they suffer from a
chronic medical condition or disability.
Most people said they use a walking aid
and have difficulty using stairs. A large
number have problems with their hearing
and two thirds said they sometimes or
often feel lonely, down or depressed.
Secondly, we were keen to find out how
satisfied you are with the service we
currently provide and which parts of it
you value most. You are very satisfied with
the service and these elements were
considered most important:■ The lifeline alarm unit – so you can
call for help at the push of a button
■ Broadacres staff available to respond
in an emergency
■ Regular visits from your support
worker to check you are all right.
99% said they would recommend the
service and 95% of you think it is value
for money.
%
SMALL HOUSEHOLD REPAIRS
SHOPPING
LAUDRY
CLEANING
DECORATING
0
10
20
30
40
50
Finally, we wanted to know what services you would find useful,
whether that is to help you remain in your home or whether you are
looking to move to a more manageable property. Almost everyone
is happy with their current home, with only 8% thinking of moving.
The chart above shows that almost half of you would like help with
small household repairs and help with advice and information.
Generally there was little need for assistance with shopping,
cleaning or laundry as support is already in place for those people
who find these tasks difficult.
Thank you for your time in completing the survey, as it helps us to
ensure that we are providing the services that you need. Please
remember that we are able to offer assistance with small household
repairs through our Vale & Dale Home Improvement Agency.
Telephone 0845 2008646.
Information and advice is available through our support workers and
Debt and Welfare benefits service.
If you have any queries about our Lifeline or support services
please contact Yvonne Pottinger on 01609 767978.
Over 50’s to be inspired!
With 2012 being THE year to get into exercise in one way or another, Age UK North Yorkshire and Hambleton
District Council have joined forces to help inspire the over 50’s age group.
Chris Cook, Olympic swimmer and Commonwealth Games gold medal winner, is to visit Stokesley on the 22nd
October, to inspire older age groups to keep active. His visit will coincide with ‘Older People’s Day’ events and
also the launch of Hambleton District Council’s brand new ‘50+ Club’.
The event is free and will include refreshments. Chris Cook will be available afterwards to
answer any questions along with representatives from Age UK and Hambleton Leisure.
To find out more contact Lisa Wilson, Hambleton District Council 01609 767149
or email lisa.wilson@hambleton.gov.uk
Page 15
THINKING GREEN...
Broadacres saving energy and money
Looking at ways to reduce energy costs and improve energy
efficiency is of vital importance, particularly in the current economic
climate when fuel and energy prices continue rising. Broadacres
continues to work with a number of partners installing energy saving
technologies in our schemes, customers’ homes and offices.
We had hoped to install solar panels on the roofs of some of our homes.
Unfortunately the Government changed the rules for the scheme and made
it financially unviable. However, we have been able to install them on two
of our buildings with the benefits of:
■ providing a free source of electricity throughout daylight hours
■ receiving money for the energy we generate; and for any surplus
electricity that is exported back to the grid
■ reducing CO2 emissions.
■
Contractors installing solar panels
on the roof of Broadacres House
At ABLE Day Care Centre we installed a 16-panel system. The centre, based in Colburn, provides a range of
support services to different client groups, including people with learning and physical disabilities. This helps
people to improve their well-being and quality of life, as well as enhancing social interaction and skills through
a number of craft based activities.
At Broadacres House in Northallerton we were able to install a much larger 200-panel system. A display unit
in the reception area shows staff and visitors the amount of power currently being generated, the total power
generated to date, and CO2 savings made.
The overall benefits of these two schemes are:
■ It is anticipated that the investment in solar
■ The panels are maintenance-free and have
■ The systems can generate the same amount of
■ We have seen in the past that electricity prices
systems at ABLE and Broadacres House will
be re-paid within eight years.
energy per year as that used by 12 threebedroom semi-detached houses.
■ The systems will save 22,000 Kg of CO2
emissions per year. This is equivalent to driving
nearly 70,000 miles each year in an average
family saloon car
What is Carbon
Balanced Paper?
It’s paper for which the carbon impact of
the production and distribution process
has been balanced, or offset, by the
World Land Trust – an international
conservation charity. Carbon Balancing
by the World Land Trust tackles climate
change through projects that both offset
carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and
conserve biodiversity. This copy of
Viewpoint is World Land Trust accredited.
Page 16
an expected lifespan of 40+ years (their
performance is guaranteed for 30 years)
increase year-on-year, so the savings
Broadacres will make will increase and we will
have certainty over the costs of at least a small
part of our annual electricity bill.
The Green Deal is coming
You may have heard or seen information about the ‘Green
Deal’. This is a government initiative to improve the energy
efficiency of homes and as a result reduce carbon (CO2)
emissions. Various organisations will be able to offer to install
energy saving measures that you will then pay for through your
future electricity bills – the golden rule being that you should
save more than it costs.
This new scheme kicks off in October. We are anxious that you
don’t commit yourself to paying for improvements that
Broadacres may be planning to do. You will need our
permission for any work so make sure you contact us before
you sign up or if you need some advice.
Customer Involvement
Investing in Communities
Broadacres has a small grant fund, the Community Development Fund, which is available for community
and voluntary groups to access. As you can see from the photos we have funded a range of activities that
bring varied benefits to communities.
If you would like more information on the fund please contact Emily Thomas, Community Development
Co-ordinator, on 0800 587 5291 or emily.thomas@broadacres.org.uk.
Harrogate and Area Council for
Voluntary Service (HAVCS) –
funding for a fundraising resource
library. Photo shows Liz Milner
from Disability Action Yorkshire
using the library. Liz says “This is
my wish list of books! The resource
room at HAVCS has proved an
invaluable resource for me
as a local charity fundraiser.”
Northallerton Broncos (RFL)
received funding towards new
kits for their under 11’s team.
The photo shows the team in
May at their first ever match in
Durham. Joy Carter, one of the
club’s organisers said: “they
loved the kits so much I had
a job getting them back to
be washed!”
Bedale Station Group received funding
towards new flooring for their waiting
area. The waiting area has been used
for its original purpose but also events
since improvements.
Stressed But Loving It, a youth
musical theatre group in Stokesley,
benefited from funding towards a
recent production. The photo
shows young cast members with
Bob Cook, Chairperson of the
Tenants’ Liaison Group, who decide
on awards from the fund, and
Broadacres' Emily Thomas.
Children at Osmotherly
Pre School enjoying
their breakfast. The
Breakfast Club for
children aged 2-11
years, was part funded
through the Community
Development Fund.
Congratulations to Cameron Peacock, aged 9 from Northallerton who won the Quiz.
Page 17
Customer Involvement
PIP Update:
Customer Access Review
The Performance & Improvement Panel
(PIP) recently undertook a review of
some of the ways that customers
access Broadacres services. Glyn
Mucklow, PIP Chairperson, said about
the review: “During the recent review I spent some time in the
customer service centre at Broadacres House observing staff as
they dealt with incoming enquiries. As a tenant I felt very
reassured to know that the staff employed were competent and
very knowledgeable in their role.”
“I also visited Stokesley office, which offers a ‘walk in service’, and
found it to be very well equipped with various information leaflets
and a computer which enabled people to ‘bid online’. The
Broadacres member of staff, Angela Dunn, was very professional
in the way she greeted people and also in the manner in which
she dealt with enquiries.”
A copy of the review report is available on the Broadacres website
- www.broadacres.org.uk - within the ‘Getting Involved’ section
and as part of the ‘Performance & Improvement Panel’ page.
The PIP have recently been involved in reviewing the
Customer Contract. A revised copy of this document is
shown on the opposite page.
‘Improving
the View’
Residents of Prospect View in
Northallerton have been busy
‘greening up’ their street
recently. Adults and children
took part in a hanging basket
workshop in late July. Children
also took part in a litter pick to
tidy up the street.
Photo shows:
Sienna Stooke, Coby Stooke
and Luke Sutherland
Page 18
Hambleton &
Richmondshire
District
LGB&TQ
Are you a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual,
Trans or Questioning (LGB&TQ)
person living in the Hambleton
and Richmondshire Districts of
North Yorkshire who would like to
take part in a youth group or
support and social group?
If you are interested and
would like to know more
please contact Pete
Blackburn, Community
Development Worker at
Yorkshire MESMAC, on 01904
620400 or email
p.blackburn@mesmac.co.uk
Customer Contract
Working together
We will provide a range of ways for you to be
involved in and influence our services.
We will provide feedback on how you have
influenced our services.
Your satisfaction
Looking after shared landscaping
We will, in shared landscaped areas:
We will carry out regular surveys to see if you are
satisfied with our services.
 cut the grass every two weeks between
April and October (if weather allows us to).
We will aim to achieve 95% of you saying that you
are fairly or very satisfied with our services (if we
use a five point description scale); or a minimum
score of eight (if we use a 10 point scale).
 cut the hedges twice per year.
Equality
We will monitor our services and your satisfaction
to ensure that we are treating you fairly.
If you phone us
We will aim to answer 75% of calls within
20 seconds. We will aim to keep abandoned
calls below a maximum of 10% (this is based
upon all calls abandoned by the customer after
30 seconds).
 Regularly maintain shrubs and flowerbeds
during the growing season and carry out
winter maintenance.
 Request that a Local Monitor (or a local
resident where there is no local monitor)
reports back that the service has been carried
out to their satisfaction.
Antisocial behaviour
We will contact you within the following timescales
to make an appointment to discuss your report of
antisocial behaviour:
 Violence and harassment - one working day.
If you write to us
We will contact you within five working days
in person, by phone or by letter on receipt of
your letter. We will keep you informed if we cannot
give you a full answer to your enquiry within 5
working days.
Our on-line service
We will acknowledge requests to sign-up for the
on-line service immediately and provide a secure
registration within five working days.
Looking after your home
We will make safe emergency faults within
24 hours.
When you report other internal repairs, we will
usually make an appointment with you. We aim to
keep 95% of the appointments that we make.
 All other reports within five working days.
Adaptations
We will complete 95% of all minor adaptations
within 14 calendar days.
Telecare
We will aim to answer 97.5% of emergency alarm
calls within 60 seconds.
If things go wrong (complaints)
We will contact you within three working days to
let you know who is dealing with your complaint
and, if required, obtain more information.
We will try to reply in full within 10 working days.
If we cannot do this, because we have to
investigate further, we will let you know when
you can expect a reply.
Page 19
2012 Gardening Competition
As there were fewer than ten entries into the traditional annual garden competition this year, which
represents less than 1% of Broadacres’ total stock, the tenant judges decided not to run this part of the
competition. We would like to thank the small number of tenants who did enter the competition and
encourage them to continue their great work gardening... HOWEVER!
We introduced some new elements to the competition, namely spot prizes to be given out by Housing Officers
with their Local Monitors and a primary schools art competition. Both these new elements were highly
successful and similar concepts will be repeated for the competition next year.
School’s ‘Fabulous Fantasy Gardens’
Art Competition
We wrote to all primary schools in areas where
Broadacres have housing and invited them to submit
a selection of the very best pictures that their budding
young artists could create, along the theme of
‘Fabulous Fantasy Gardens’. We were delighted to
receive nearly 100 pictures from children attending
eight different primary schools. Every picture we
received showed great imagination and revealed how
hard each child had worked on the competition. The
tenant judges Terie Acaster, Bruce Thomas and Philip
Craig found it really tough to pick two overall winners.
The two overall winners of the competition were:
• Joe Brennan, Stokesley Community
Primary School
Stokesley CP School overall winner Joe Brennan, age 7.
Photo shows classmates and Emily Thomas.
• Adam Pollard, Richmond Church of England
Primary School
They won an amazing art pack to keep them busy
through the summer holidays!
We sincerely believe that taking part in a competition
like this and trying your best is just as important as
winning, so well done to all the children that
submitted pictures. Every child received a ‘grass
head’ and certificate to thank them for their entry. We
are grateful to Northdale Horticulture for creating each
unique ‘grass head’.
We are planning to work with the winning schools on
environmental art projects in the autumn term.
Special thanks to Terie, Bruce and Philip for their help
with the competition this year, for both judging and re
invigorating it.
Richmond CE Primary School overall winner Adam
Pollard, age 6. Photo shows Adam, plus classmates,
Mr Thomas tenant judge and Emily Thomas.
Spot Prizes
Well done to all the customers who received
spot prizes for their gardens this year. These
include to date:
Mr and Mrs Cassidy, Northallerton (photo below)
Mrs Whatmore, Great Ayton
and many more...
Page 20
Congratulations....
60 Years on the Throne:
Diamond Jubilee Celebrations
We appealed to residents in the last edition of Viewpoint to send in photos and information about their
Diamond Jubilee Celebrations earlier this year. Residents at Rockliffe Court, Hurworth and Oswaldene,
Osmotherly, kindly sent in the following photos.
■ Residents at Rockliffe Court
enjoyed a jubilee BBQ.
49 people attended a street party at Oswaldene (27
residents & 22 guests). They enjoyed fish and chips, and
strawberries and cream tea. The fish and chips were
delivered by The White Horse in Northallerton. Dessert was
provided by two members of their residents’ committee.
Even the Queen put in an appearance!
A Diamond
Couple!!
A couple from Helperby had cause to
celebrate recently on the occasion of their
Diamond wedding anniversary.
John and Louie Hobson met in 1942 when John
was in the Navy and he and Louie became pen
pals. They corresponded for five years before
John moved from Yorkshire to Walsall to be with
Louie, and they married in 1952.
John worked in the timber trade all his life and
Louie had various jobs, including making flying
helmets for the RAF. They have one son,
Stephen, who still lives in the Midlands and a
grand-daughter, Melanie.
The couple moved back to Yorkshire into their
Broadacres’ property in 2000 where they have
lived ever since. Their hobbies include
gardening and John enjoys wood turning.
Our very best wishes to you both!!
60 Glorious Years!
Our very best wishes go out to Mr and
Mrs Robinson from Aiskew near Bedale,
who celebrated their Diamond wedding
anniversary recently.
Len was 15 when he met 14 year old Olive.
Len was working as a telegraph boy and
Olive was a shop assistant at a pet shop in
Harrogate. Len did his two years National
Service from 1948 – 1950 and in 1952 the
couple married in Bilton Church, Harrogate.
The couple moved to Aiskew in 1969 and have
two daughters, a son and three
grandchildren and
celebrated their
special day with
family and friends.
Congratulations to
you both!
Page 21
BOARD MEMBERS
Board Member
Allowance Payments
The policies and future strategy of Broadacres are decided by a Board
of Management. This board is made up of ten persons and includes four
Broadacres’ tenants.
Until now, members of the board have received no payment other than out of pocket
expenses which they incur when attending meetings. However, as the nature of the
organisation has changed in both size and complexity, an increased responsibility has been
placed upon board members as has the time which they are required to spend on
Broadacres’ activities. In recognition of this, it is proposed that in future board members are
paid an allowance. A situation not uncommon in many like organisations.
Before any decision is made however, the board would like your thoughts on the proposal.
Although the actual amount of the allowances is still to be finalised, it would seem that the
‘going rate’ among similar sized organisations is as follows:
Chairman
Vice Chairman
Other board members
-
£10,000 per year
£5,500 per year
£3,500 per year
If you have any comments regarding the above, would you please write
to Guru Naidoo, Director of Corporate Services, Broadacres Housing
Association, Freepost RRBZ-TATA-BYHL, Mount View, Standard Way,
Northallerton, DL6 2YD. Postage is free. Or alternatively email him on
guru.naidoo@broadacres.org.uk
Board Member Elections
Following the association’s Annual General Meeting on Monday 10 September 2012, two new board members
were elected, namely Mrs Catherine Milbanke and Mrs Jane Osborne. Both are chartered accountants and
bring a wealth of financial expertise to the Board of Management.
Ms Aylia Atherley was also re-elected to the board as a tenant board member.
Aylia Atherley
Catherine Milb
anke
Page 22
Jane Osborne
Tom’s Torch Relay
My name is Tom and I live in Northallerton. I was selected by Samsung to
carry the Olympic Torch because of my achievements in my chosen sport
of Rock-It-Ball, my voluntary work in promoting and developing the sport,
and my community work with clubs and children.
The whole ‘torch experience’ had seemed
rather unreal and it wasn’t until a friend
carried the torch the day before me that
the infectious excitement started to kick in.
Even when we were travelling up to
Barnard Castle, where I was due to carry
the torch, it all still seemed somewhat
unreal. Arriving in Barnard Castle, we
located the assembly point and found we
were the first to arrive, but other
torchbearers soon began to turn up and
register. At this point my family and friends
left to go and take up their positions at my
changeover point which is where the
torches ‘kiss’ to pass on the flame.
The routine for a torch run is that each
torchbearer is ferried on a shuttle bus to
their ‘kiss’ point where they wait for the
flame to reach them. We all boarded the
shuttle bus apart from the lady who was to
be the first runner. It was at this point that
I really felt the excitement as we passed
through the town and saw the massive
crowds lining the street. As I stepped off
the shuttle bus, the wall of sound hit me
and that is when I really felt the magic.
My family and lots of friends had made the
journey to support me and I saw them
straight away but was immediately
inundated with requests for photos. Fairly
soon, however, we could hear the
approaching torch procession as the
Samsung, Coca-Cola and Lloyds Bank
Word Puzzle
Can you guess the word that could go
before or after these words to make a
new word?
buses paved the way, entertaining the
crowds and generating even more
excitement. After they had passed I took
my place at the changeover point to wait
for the previous runner to bring the flame.
As she arrived, we had to touch torches
and pause as the flame was passed from
her torch to mine, and to allow for all the
photos to be taken. Then we were off, up
round the loop, back down past where we
had just been and down the main street,
past the market cross and right down to
the river where the next torchbearer was
waiting to receive the flame. All the way,
crowds packed deep, lining the route and
cheering. Unbelievable!
After handing over the flame it was back
onto the shuttle bus and when the Barnard
Castle leg was over it was back to the
assembly point for dispersal.
And it hasn’t stopped there.
The
excitement continues as we have all had
to maintain ‘torchbearer duties’ in schools,
opening
sports
days,
attending
fundraising events and receptions. I am
very, very proud to have played a small
part in Britain’s Olympic experience.
Finally – why Barnard Castle, so far away
from home? I found out later my
grandfather, who I never met, was born
in Barnard Castle. Was this him just
letting me know he’s there?
(E.g. Blue / Table / Lady – the answer is
‘Bird’, Bluebird / Bird Table / Ladybird.)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Corn / Sun / Bed
Hospital / Country / Pie
Cream / Board / Cloth
Lights / Tooth / Tale
Bridge / Prize / Back
Page 23
Answers 1. Flower 2. Cottage 3. Cheese 4. Fairy 5. Draw
Pumpkin Pie
Ingredients
For the pastry
• sweet short crust pastry case (or a packet of ready
made sweet short crust pastry with 40g/1½oz
crushed pecans mixed in.)
For the filling
• 450 g/1lb prepared weight pumpkin flesh,
cut into 1in/2.5 cm chunks
• 2 large eggs plus 1 yolk
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
(use the white for another dish)
3 oz/75g soft dark brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ level teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
½ tsp ground allspice
½ tsp ground cloves
½ tsp ground ginger
10 fl oz/275 ml double cream
Preparation method
1. Pre-heat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
2. Use a shop bought sweet crust pastry case, about
9 inch/23 cm diameter and 1½ inches/4 cm deep.
3. To make the filling, steam the pumpkin then place
in a coarse sieve and press lightly to extract any
excess water.
4. Then lightly whisk the eggs and extra yolk together
in a large bowl.
5. Place the sugar, spices and the cream in a pan,
bring to simmering point, giving it a whisk to mix
everything together. Then pour it over the eggs and
whisk it again briefly.
6. Now add the pumpkin pureé, still whisking to
combine everything thoroughly.
7. Pour the filling into your pastry case and bake for
35-40 minutes, by which time it will puff up round
the edges but still feel slightly wobbly in the centre.
8. Remove the pie from the oven and place the tin on
a wire cooling rack. Serve chilled (stored loosely
covered in foil in the fridge) with some equally
chilled créme fraïche, but warm or at room
temperature would be fine
Feedback Survey - £50 Winners!
Your feedback is very important to us and in order to encourage a higher level of satisfaction surveys
returned to us we run a prize draw. All customers who return a survey with their name and address on it will
be entered into a monthly draw to win £50 (if you owe us money we will deduct this from the prize).
THE WINNERS OF PRIZE DRAWS ARE:
April 2012 – Mrs Williamson from Stockton May 2012 – Mrs & Mrs Fuller from Brompton
June 2012 – Mrs Rutland from Stockton
July 2012 – Miss Kendall from Hurworth
Thank you to everyone who completed a satisfaction survey. Your feedback helps us to know what we are
doing well and where we can make an improvement to our service.
If you ask, we can supply this document in large print, in Braille,
on CD, in picture format and in languages other than English.
Freepost RRBZ-TATA-BYHL Broadacres Housing Association,
Broadacres House, Mount View, Standard Way,
NORTHALLERTON, North Yorkshire DL6 2YD
Page 24
CBP0009791408125621