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Staff and Board at Ashton Pioneer Homes would like to wish all our customers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year Winter 2017 Bobbies on the Beat page 2 Paying Your Rent page 4 Pioneer People page 6 Rough Diamonds page 8 Maintenance News page 10 People making the news in the St.Peters area of Ashton-under-Lyne NEWS THE Pioneer It’s that time of the year to share some Christmas... Cheer! On the 20th of December we will be inviting residents to join us for a fun filled afternoon of Christmas Cheer!! We will be holding a Party with Christmas Dinner and all the trimmings!! We had some amazing feedback from last year’s party and residents enjoyed getting to know their neighbours and joining in with the Christmas spirit! Staff and Volunteers worked hard to make it an afternoon to remember with Bingo, pass the parcel and Christmas music. As you can see from the pictures a cracking time was had by all!! Christmas can be a lonely and difficult time of the year for some but we aim to tackle that by coming together and having a right good time! If you or someone you know would like to come along please get in touch with a Nicola from the Resident involvement team! (Please note that places are limited) e Inside this Issue... Follow us Facebook: www.facebook.com/ashtonpioneer and you can follow APH on Twitter: @AshtonPioneer

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Page 1: NEWS It’s that time of the year ... - Ashton Pioneer Homes › wp-content › ... · Staff and Board at Ashton Pioneer Homes would like to wish all our customers a very Merry Christmas

Staff and Board at Ashton Pioneer Homes wouldlike to wish all our customers a very

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Winter 2017

Bobbies on the Beatpage 2

Paying Your Rentpage 4

Pioneer Peoplepage 6

Rough Diamondspage 8

Maintenance Newspage 10

People making the news in the St.Peters area of Ashton-under-Lyne

NEWS

THEPioneerIt’s that time of the year to share some Christmas...

Cheer!On the 20th of December we will be inviting residents to join us for a fun filled afternoon of Christmas Cheer!!

We will be holding a Party with Christmas Dinner and all the trimmings!! We had some amazing feedback from last year’s party and residents enjoyed getting to know their neighbours and joining in with the Christmas spirit! Staff and Volunteers worked hard to make it an afternoon to remember with Bingo, pass the parcel and

Christmas music. As you can see from the pictures a cracking time was had by all!!

Christmas can be a lonely and difficult time of the year for some but we aim to tackle that by coming together and having a right good time! If you or someone you know would like to come along please get in touch with a Nicola from the Resident involvement team!

(Please note that places are limited)

e

Inside this Issue...

Follow us Facebook:

www.facebook.com/ashtonpioneerand you can follow APH on Twitter:

@AshtonPioneer

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Pioneer News - Winter 2017Page 2

HOUSING

Ashton Pioneer Homes would like to welcome our new St Peters Neighbourhood Policing Team and we look forward to our continued partnership with Greater Manchester Police.

The roles focus on providing visible patrol within the area of St Peter’s, developing community links and attending community events and meetings.

Tameside MBC recently had a clamp down on recycling. Bins will not be collected if they are contaminated with unrecyclable waste.

Please note yoghurt pots, lids from bottles and jars, plastic carrier bags all should go in the green waste bin.

Extra recycling bins are free; you can order a bin by using the following link https://public.tameside.gov.uk/forms/f1251DomesticRefuseRequests.asp

If your green bin is not sufficient for your general waste, Tameside Council do operate an Exceptional Circumstances Policy. Large households (6+) or those having to dispose of medical waste can request an extra green bin free of charge. Other households would need to complete Tameside Council’s waste diary and the Council will give consideration to the request. Full details of the Exceptional Circumstances Policy are on the following link: https://www.tameside.gov.uk/binswap/exceptionalcircumstances You can also telephone Tameside Council on 0161 342 8355for full details regarding recycling and waste collections.

Can residents of hi-rise blocks please ensure that you recycle in the large green and blue bins outside your blocks, and following the same recycling rules.

New Bobbieson the Beat

Recycling What to put in each binWe are not able to recycle Plastic Bags, Yoghurt Pots and Plastic Food Trays at this time. These should be disposed of in your green landfill bin.

Use this page to find out what you need to put in your bins.

PC Darren BratbyEmail: [email protected]: 07393 782305

PCSO Stella HodgkissEmail: [email protected]: 07391 860228

PCSO Ian BarlowEmail: [email protected]: 07393 145348

Neighbourhood Beat Officer

Police Community Support Officers

RENT PAYMENTS OVER THE CHRISTMAS PERIODThere are 2 non collection weeks over the Christmas period in which rent is not being charged on to your account.

The weeks are as follows:

Week beginning 18th December 2017

Week beginning 25th December 2017

If you are in rent arrears we urge you to take advantage of this time to reduce your rent arrears. Tenants who currently have an agreement or Court Order must continue to adhere to the agreement or Order; failure to pay will put you in breach of your Court Order and put your tenancy with Ashton Pioneer Homes in serious jeopardy.

Direct Debits will be automatically stopped over the Christmas period for those residents who have a clear account. Please remember to put weekly standing order payments on hold until week commencing 1st January 2018.

If you have any queries or difficulty paying yourrent please contact your Housing Services Officerat the earliest opportunity.

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Pioneer News - Winter 2017 Page 3

I’m Katy and I’m the Welfare Advice Officer here at Ashton Pioneer Homes. I’m a qualified debt adviser and I can help with all things money.

Whether it’s a quick question relating to your gas and electricity bill or you’re struggling to

make ends meet, it’s important to get in touch, remember, a problem shared is a problem halved!

You can make an appointment by calling in to the office or speaking to your Housing Officer.

ARE YOU READY FOR THE CHANGE?

COUNCIL TAX SUPPORT IS NOT INCLUDED IN UNIVERSAL CREDIT - YOU MUST CONTACT THE COUNCIL TO CLAIM THIS BENEFIT

More people than ever are now moving on to Universal Credit. There are some very simple things you can do to make sure that your claim for Universal Credit is dealt with quickly.

IF YOU ARE OF WORKING AGE, CLAIMING BENEFITS OR ARE ABOUT TO CLAIM BENEFITS, THIS COULD AFFECT YOU.

IF THIS IS YOU…PLEASE READ ON.

MANAGEMENTMONEY TALKS

UNIVERSAL CREDIT -

Universal Credit replaces the following benefits:

Housing BenefitIncome Related Employment And Support

AllowanceIncome Based Job Seekers Allowance

Income SupportChild Tax Credit

Working Tax Credit

ACT NOW AND GET READY FOR THE MOVE TO UNIVERSAL CREDIT

Follow these 6 steps...Make sure you have an email address. Your claim depends on it- this is something we canhelp with at the Tenant’s base.

Make sure you have a bank account in YOUR name.

You will need a bank account for your Universal Credit to be paid into.

You need to prove your identity.This should be photographic ID like a passport or driving licence.For more information visit https://www.gov.uk/universal-credit

Make sure you have got your rent details to hand – you will need to tell the DWP what your weekly rent is, if you’re not sure please ask at the office.

As a tenant you must answer ‘YES’ to the question ‘Do you pay rent to live in your home?’ even if you have been claiming Housing Benefit.

You will also be asked who your landlord is – remember to give the full name ‘Ashton Pioneer Homes’

Make sure you know how many weeks your rent is due. You will be asked if there are any ‘rent free weeks’ – Ashton Pioneer Homes have 2 non-collecting weeks each year.

1

2

3

4

5

6By making sure you have all the information above, your claim will be dealt with much quicker

REMEMBER:

IF YOU NEED ADVICE OR NEED MORE INFORMATION ABOUT UNIVERSAL CREDIT

CALL 0161 343 8128 TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH KATY OUR

WELFARE ADVICE OFFICER

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CUSTOMERNew Starters

Pioneer News - Winter 2017Page 4

Hi, my name is Kim and I started working at Ashton Pioneer Homes in June. I am doing an apprenticeship, and alongside that I am doing a level 2 NVQ in Customer Services.

I previously went to Ashton Sixth Form College, studying Public Services. I am looking forward to working with Ashton Pioneer Homes in the future.

Lucy CainCustomer Services Officer

Hi, I’m Lucy and started working at APH in May.  I previously worked for SMBC managing finances for vulnerable adults living in the community and before that I worked for SDS in the housing Maintenance Team.

I’m hoping that working for APH will help me gain new skills and ultimately help me make a positive impact on people’s lives, knowing that I’ve made a difference.

In my free time I’m a busy mum of 3 cheeky children and enjoy spending time with my family, alongside running a Neighbourhood Watch Group for my local community and helping to organise social events for my local Cricket Club.

There are many ways you can pay your rent at APH!

We currently take payments in the forms of:

- Cash - Cheque - Direct Debit - Standing Order - Debit Card (Telephone payments) - Credit Card (Telephone payments)

Please note that if you are paying by Credit Card an additional 2.15% is added on to your total payment due to credit card charges.

Remember, you can pay by cash or cheque at any time day or night with our Neighbourhood Services Team based at Flat 5, Margaret House.

PAYING YOUR RENT

We are currently looking at introducing Chip & Pin payments at APH. Watch this space!!

I took the post of Director of Finance & Administration in 1998 to assist in the transfer of around 900 homes to Ashton Pioneer Homes and started the most satisfying job I have had in my 41 year career in housing.

The changes on the estate have been exceptional from demolishing over 100 homes to creating new houses, and establishing a professional staff approach to meet the needs of our tenants, all at a cost of over £80 million to date.

Success on the awards front has been exceptional starting with our first national award for ‘the best funding solution’ which we were awarded for that deal that enabled the transfer. Our housing and Customer Services teams have also won national awards for their activities. Given our small size in relation to other housing associations, this is remarkable to be recognised in so many areas.

My role in the above successes has mainly been to secure the future of the Company in financial terms to enable our vision to be achieved.

Amongst my final efforts has been the securing of cheaper funding for APH which will add to the strong financial base we have established.

When I look at the estates now, I see new homes where there were dilapidated maisonettes, better security and support to tenancies and a completely different atmosphere following the improvements.

A word to describe my stay at APH is ‘satisfaction’ in that whilst I may have done better, I am certain that I did not fail in my efforts.

The future? Personally I will be taking it easy and enjoying retirement but I know that with the team Tony has around him, I know APH is in safe hands with Tony and my colleagues continuing the good works.

Farewell JOHN

AQ

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You can follow APH on Facebook:www.facebook.com/ashtonpioneer

You can followAPH on Twitter:

@AshtonPioneer

Pioneer News - Winter 2017 Page 5

In August this year, we were contacted by a production company who asked if they could use one of our flats to film a music video.

The song is by up-and-coming band Pales Waves and is called ‘Television Romance’. The Director of the video is none other than Matty Healy of the hugely successful band The 1975!

Thanks to the kindness and patience of two of our tenants in Portland House, Steve and May, the filming took place over 2 days and the end result looks brilliant!

Steve even got a visit from Matty’s Dad; Tim Healy of Auf Wiedersehn Pet and Benidorm fame!

Take a look at the finished product by visiting https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ot1j5M5PTC4

APH HOSTS FAMOUS FACES

May meeting Matty Healy

SERVICES

Over 30,000 heart attacks happen outside of hospital every year in the UK. Treating a person in cardiac arrest with a defibrillator can increase a person’s chance of survival dramatically and is an important link on the chain of survival.

On 14th June 2017, 8 members of staff were trained to use an AED (Defibrillator) by The Oliver King Foundation. Ashton Pioneer Homes now own an

AED which is located in Flat 5 Margaret House where staff are available 24/7. We also have 9 members of staff who are qualified First Aiders.

For more information about The Oliver King Foundation you can visit their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/theokfoundation/ or by popping into our office to read their story.

APH now have a Defibrillator!

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Pioneer

Pioneer News - Winter 2017Page 6

My name is Nicola and I am the Community Worker here at Ashton Pioneer Homes. I would like share Steve’s Story with you. Steve has been a part of the Resident Involvement Team for many years.

Constantly in and out of work due to redundancies, ill health and being laid off from agencies. Steve joined us once again after being let down again by another agency.

I could tell just by looking at Steve that he had become down and his spark had gone, he was at rock bottom.

I approached Steve and asked him if he would like to volunteer in the I.T Suite to help take his mind off his troubles for a few hours a day.

This gave him a boost he needed and he got stuck in.

The Linda Fletcher Community Base

In the Heart of our

Some says life is like a roller coaster ride, ups and downs, one minute screaming next laughing! Well that has been me for the

last few years. The initial highs of working and getting back on my feet to having it all taken away in a second. Illnesses, redundancies and work running out at agencies, 1 day here and there doesn’t pay the rent or buy food. I can honestly say this last year has been my lowest. Rent building up, no food no money for anything. Feeling looked down on by people because I was once again out of work.

The one stable thing I had in my life has been coming to the base and being around people that accepted me and kept me positive. Volunteering and helping others gave me a purpose and helped forget my worries for a while. I still felt down but got stuck in and helped others which lowered my feelings of worthlessness.

I joined in everything at the Base and helped out in anyway I could. I did a First Aid course as well! Talking, laughing and being around people in similar situations really helped.

We all need support at some time in our lives and I’m so grateful to have had a safe place to go.

Without it I think life would have got much worse for me. We are lucky to have the base and it’s needed by so many local people.

There are so many reasons why people come to the Base, it might just be to see a friendly face and have a chat and take a break from their problems, but it helps. I couldn’t be more grateful, I’m feeling much better and I’m on the up! I’m looking forward to a brighter future thanks to the community Base.

Steve (now in full time employment!)

Here’s what Steve had to say about his experience.

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People NEWS...

Pioneer News - Winter 2017 Page 7

The Digital DiamondsThe Linda Fletcher Community Base and I.T Suite is the heart of our Community. The Digital Diamonds Social Group work in partnership with Ashton Pioneer Homes to tackle digital exclusion.

We open our doors to local people offering a safe and warm environment for people to call in and benefit from what’s on offer.

We have a fantastic I.T Suite where people can look for work, learn the basics or brush up on their skills. With staff and volunteers to support people to get the best out of the internet. Anything from looking for work to online shopping, social media and hobbies! If you would like help getting on line please call in and speak to a member of the team!

The Linda Fletcher I.T Suite The Bottom of Ryecroft House

House

Please contact Nicola on 343 8128 for

more information or just turn up!

Free Internet and Support every weekday 11.30am-2.15pm

Thursday 6pm-8pm

Community!and I.T Suite…

We are always happy to help!

The Linda Fletcher Community Base

Day I.T Suite Community Room

MondayDigital Diamonds

Free Internet SupportDrop in 11.30am - 2.15pm

Room Available to Hire

TuesdayDigital Diamonds

Free Internet SupportDrop In 11.30am - 2.15pm

Room Availableto Hire

Wednesday

Digital DiamondsFree Internet Support

Drop In11.30am - 2.15pm

Coffee Morning10.30am -12noon

The Rough DiamondsFree Craft Activity

12.30 – 2.30pm

Thursday

Digital DiamondsFree Internet Support

Drop In 11.30am - 2.15pm

The Rough Diamonds Social Group 6pm - 8pm

Free Internet SupportDrop in

FridayDigital Diamonds

Free Internet SupportDrop In 11.30am - 2.15pm

Room Availableto Hire

The Linda Fletcher Community Base, Ryecroft House, Ashton OL7 0SA

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Pioneer News - Winter 2017Page 8

My name is Dee and I am a member of the Rough Diamonds Social Group and I am also a Digital Diamond. I love getting involved and helping others as best I can.

What a busy year we have had! Nights out to the pub, trips to the theatre, cooking session’s fundraisers, games nights, training and projects! We are constantly on a mission to improve the lives of local people by providing things to join in with! We have attracted funding this year to pay for the activities we do and also to put towards the Christmas dinner on the 20th of December.

We are a very welcoming and friendly group that are always on the look out for new ideas and new members. We meet every Thursday evening in the Linda Fletcher Community Base at 6pm-8pm and every Wednesday for our Coffee morning at 10.30, followed by our craft group! Please see page 7 for opening times. Please feel free to drop in for a brew and find out all that we are up to and what we have planned.

Dee Wilson “My name is Maureen and I attend the Rough Diamonds Craft Group. I really enjoy coming and chatting to the friends I have made. The sessions are free and you get to take home what you have made. It gets me out of the house for a few hours. Everyone is nice and very helpful. You can also get help with the computer as they have an I.T Suite too. It’s a lovely place to come. You can relax, have a brew and biscuits and chill out!”

The Rough Diamonds

Craft Group

Social Group!

Here I am celebrating my birthday with the gang in the Base!

Coffee MorningThe Rough Diamonds – Working hard to Tackle Social and Digital Isolation in our Community.

We have been busy redecorating the Community Base in preparation for our new coffee mornings! We are working hard to create a relaxing atmosphere where local people can come and have a chat and a brew, a toasted tea cake or a crumpet! We are asking people to pay what they can and they will be welcome to stay all day and join in with the crafts or go through to the I.T Suite to use the free internet. If you would like to get involved please get in touch and you will be made very welcome.

[email protected] or call 0161 343 8128 Or just turn up for a chat you will be more than welcome.

Join us for our Coffee Morning every Wednesday at 10.30am in

The Linda Fletcher Community Base, Ryecroft House

Tea/Coffee/Toast/Teacakes/Crumpets/Biscuits!

The Bottom of Ryecroft House, All Welcome

PIONEER PEOPLE

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Pioneer News - Winter 2017 Page 9

TEA PARTY

OTHER NEWS...

The Civic Mayor attended a Tea Party in aid of Marie Curie hosted by the Rough Diamonds on 18 July 2017

The Rough Diamonds got involved in “Hate Crime Awareness Week” we designed a banner and poster to help End Hate Crime.

We then invited people to come and see what we had produced.

We enjoyed some lunch and talked about Hate Crime.

Some of our members were able to share their experiences of Hate Crime with us.

Here’s the Banner we designed outside the APH office!

The Rough Diamonds held a Tea Party to raise money for Marie Curie. We had a raffle and asked for donations towards refreshments.

We made £146.00! The Civic Mayor of Tameside and consort attended and had a lovely time! It really was a fantastic event.

Hate Crime

The Rough Diamonds

AWARENESS WEEK

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Pioneer News - Winter 2017Page 10

Generally the days and nights become colder residents are less likely to open windows to ventilate your property.

It is important you get rid of excessive moisture in the home by opening trickle vents or a window after having a bath/shower/cooking. If you notice water droplets on your window pane this is caused by condensation and can lead to black mould forming on window frames etc.

If you have any concerns regarding condensation or think you may have an issue please contact our Customer Service Team who will send you out one of our condensation guides.

Following on from the tragic events at Grenfell Tower, a number of landlords from across Greater Manchester have been attending fortnightly meetings to discuss fire safety in high rise buildings and those with communal spaces.

We continuously look at how we manage fire safety in high rise blocks along with assisting those residents in high rise dwellings who may be concerned.

We complete fire risk assessments annually to all properties required and would like to reassure all tenants of the ‘class 0’ rating of the render finish installed throughout our high rise blocks.

In addition, we are completing minor improvements in accordance with recommendations provided in our most recent fire risk assessment, if you are a high rise tenant, you may have noticed some initial improvements to signage and internal door upgrades. I am sure that you are aware that there has been a lot of Media speculation, in relation to sprinkler systems. We are awaiting the findings from the ongoing Grenfell enquiry and will action any recommendations offered.

Once again, please be assured that work raised by our Fire Risk Assessor is being completed in-line with their recommendations and if you personally have any concerns please contact our office and we will arrange an appointment to discuss further.

Natalie BuinDeputy Maintenance Manager

Ceri joined us from a Housing Association in Wales where she worked as part of the maintenance team since 2010. She is excited to learn and work in a new location.

New Starters... Ceri and Sophie

Condensation

REFURBISHMENT WORKS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED TO TWO OF OUR TOWER BLOCKS

Sophie was employed through the Positive Steps, ‘YES’ Programme, who help young people that are not in education or employment to get into work. During her time here she will be completing a two year apprenticeship with an outcome of a Level 2 NVQ in Business.

REPAIRS & MAINTENANCE

FIRE SAFETY

External render work has now been completed to Ryecroft and Grosvenor House, don’t they look fantastic. The connection of door entry systems will be complete over the coming weeks, and fall in line with completion of the foyer area upgrading.

Decoration of the internal foyer areas is also complete along with the installation of LED lighting.

New flooring to the communal foyer area of Ryecroft and Grosvenor House will be complete early 2018.

A comprehensive render replacement scheme will commence to Ellison and Portland House in 2018-2019.

This will be a substantial programme of work and see the replacement of the render finish to Ellison House, followed by the replacement of render and windows to Portland House.

Further information will be provided to all tenants benefiting from this work in due course and in advance of any repairs.

Initially a small programme of investigatory work will be completed to Ellison and Portland House, to allow us to progress with the above mentioned scheme.

RENDER PROGRAMME

Blocked Bin

CHUTERyecroft House

As those living in Ryecroft House will be aware the bin chute at Ryecroft House has been blocked for some time now. We have attempted to dislodge the refuse on several occasions but have been informed that it is simply not possible.

A toilet seat and cabinets are among the items that have blocked the chute.

Residents need to be mindful that the chutes were not built at a time when people had large bins and the chutes were never designed to take large items such as drawers etc.

APH are looking to construct an external bin store to allow refuse to be disposed of in a safe manner.

We will consult with residents in relation to the design and siting of the new bin store.

In the meantime, please continue to use the recycling stations located in the car park area at Ryecroft House and the general waste area located at ground floor.

Sophie Bardsley Maintenance Administration Apprentice

Ceri Williams Maintenance Assistant

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PIONEER NEWS UPDATE...

Pioneer News - Winter 2017 Page 11

You might recall that APH commissioned The Leadership Factor (TLF) along with our partners from the Community Housing Associations NW (CHANW) to carry out an in-depth customer insight survey.

Whilst the results were very reassuring there were clearly areas where APH needed to improve. As reported in a special edition of Pioneer News in October we undertook to focus on some key areas where our tenants felt we could improve.

With the help of staff, the Board and The Pioneer People Panel (PPP), APH has completed a new Resident Involvement Strategy, which is available to download on our website. Many of our tenants felt we needed to be more transparent about how we modify our services and so a new vulnerability policy was agreed with the Board in February 2017. Again this is available to download from our website.

Two of the key areas for improvement was general communication with our tenants and some of our repairs and maintenance processes. The senior Management Team are currently finalising the new APH Communication Strategy which will hopefully address some of our customers concerns. This will be shared with the PPP for consultation before the end and launched in February 2018.

Early in 2018, APH will be recruiting the services of an independent consultant to review our processes for repairs and maintenance. Pioneer News will continue to report on progress ….watch this space

Hello everyone. I’m Sara Sharrock and I started working for Ashton Pioneer Homes in November as the new Director of Resources, so it’s been a busy few weeks for me so far.

I have worked in social housing for the last 16 years, and before that I worked in local government for a number of years. However, the opportunity to work for APH was too good to miss as I know how vitally important the work they do is to everyone, and I’m thrilled to be part of the team. 

Although I’m a qualified accountant I’ve also got plenty of experience leading many of the back office functions in a similar organisation, such as IT, HR and Governance, and I will bring all that to APH so that we can continue to provide the excellent services you all expect, and provide better places to live in an ever changing housing environment.

As the mum of an energetic 9 year old I don’t get much time to relax, although I’m sure I’m not alone in feeling that my home is the place where I should be able to do that. That is what we’re working towards for all our tenants; providing properties that meet your needs, where you feel safe and where you can create a home.

I’m aiming to get out and about over the coming months to become familiar with all our properties and hopefully meet some of you on the way too. I’m keen to know what you think about APH and I’m looking forward to getting to see the impact of the great work that all our teams do.

I hope to see you soon and enjoy the festive period. 

Sara

Doing best what matters most...

Customer Survey Update

Hello from Sara

Completed refurbishment works to two of our tower blocks Grosvenor House and Ryecroft House

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Pioneer news is published by Ashton Pioneer Homes,Margaret House, Margaret Street, Ashton-under-Lyne OL6 7TH

To get this newsletter in Braille, large print or on tapePhone: 0161 343 8128

Text: 07624 802412 Email: [email protected]

If you have any views, comments or recommendations please write to Tony Berry,Chief Executive at Margaret House.

TONY’S WINTER BLOG - A MESSAGE FROM THE CEO

As we move towards the end of Autumn and on towards Christmas it is always a good time to review what has happened in the last year before we start to plan for what is ahead of us here at APH in the year to come.

This year, 2017 has been a year of milestones for the Association due to the many changes in the politics of the country, the elections, BREXIT and the continued austerity affecting all of us, both you as tenants and APH itself.

The most tragic incident of the year has to be the Grenfell fire where so many people sadly lost their lives in the fire. As you know, we responded quickly to re-assure our residents that our rendered tower blocks were not of the same construction as the Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) cladding used in London and we also ensured that our fire risk assessments were updated that week. As I indicated in the letters sent out and at the tenant meetings we held, APH always has and will continue to place the highest priority on the safety of all our residents and staff.

On a less tragic level, another of the main changes which we have written to you all about is the move by APH to become a Community Benefit Society (CBS), which is an exempt charity. This “transition” will reduce the amount of tax the Association is required to pay and therefore release more funds for us to use on maintaining our properties and services. We hope to achieve the move to the CBS by the end of the year.

On the subject of maintaining and improving our properties, you can’t have failed to notice that the

refurbishment works have been completed to two of our tower blocks and that after major works contracts, the scaffolding which had become a local landmark has been removed. I would like to personally thank residents for their patience and support during these works and hope that the end result is one which everyone can appreciate. There are pictures of these works elsewhere in this newsletter.

We have also been working for several months on the upgrading of the CCTV and Concierge across the estates to ensure we can continue to provide a safe environment for residents and visitors and to explore how we can improve the services we are able to provide.

There have been challenges facing all of us during the year, not least the austerity measures from Government, the consequent threats to the welfare system and the impending further roll-out of Universal Credit and Local Housing Allowance caps.

At the time of writing this blog, some of the threats may be addressed by the current Government but others are still headed our way with inflation rising and incomes / benefits under increasing pressure.

Alongside examples I’ve mentioned, you will have noticed through previous editions of this newsletter that there is a long list of events and occasions where we celebrate the contribution to our local community, by the work of our volunteers, tenant groups, staff members, residents and their families.

This contribution is what I want to remember most about 2017 and to thank those who have worked towards making this a better place to live and work.

Seasons greeting to everyone from all the Board, staff and myself at APH!

Tony

YEARLY REVIEW