Newsletter - December 2006
Annual General Meeting 2006
Arawak Walton held its Annual General Meeting on 13th September 2006.
During the meeting shareholders and other guests heard that the association
had had another good year with turnover tipping £3m and an asset base
of over £39 million, despite a small fall in numbers of homes due to
right to acquire. The association had made a healthy surplus of £133,000
(2005 - £95,000).
However, the Chair noted that these surpluses would be used in future years to assist the association in achieving the government’s target rents.
The association’s Chair, Mr Andy Forbes took the opportunity to launch the association’s new logo which takes our new look right into the 21st century! Mr Simpkin, Board member
gave a vote of thanks to the Board members and staff for ensuring the association had achieved another successful year. Mr Forbes also took the opportunity to launch the
association’s Annual Report 2006 that continues to highlight the international flavour of our customer base!
As we always have so many tenants and colleagues join us for the event, we decided, despite the weather forecast to have a marquee outside again, to accommodate the
refreshments for everyone. So we were pleased that the rain held off until proceedings ended in an otherwise extremely wet and windy week!
Four Green lights for our Housing Corporation Assessment!
The
Chief Executive was pleased to announce to the board that the association's
Housing Corporation Assessment 2006 contains four green lights. It is
a clear indication of the hard work and commitment in ensuring Arawak
Walton meets the requirements of its lead regulator. You can see the
full report on http://www.housingcorp.gov.uk/upload/pdf/HCA_Arawak_Walton_HA.pdf
Winter Warmers
Fuel poverty affects over 2 million residents of the UK every year.
Here are some handy hints to help you save some money on your fuel bills
this winter:
>> Turning your thermostat down by 1 degree C could cut your
heating bill by up to 10 per cent and save you around £30 per year.
>> Don’t leave appliances on standby and remember not to leave appliances on charge unnecessarily.
>> Only boil as much water as you need (but remember to cover elements if you’re using an electrical kettle).
>> Replace your light bulbs with energy saving recommended ones; just one can reduce your lighting costs by up to £78 over the lifetime of the bulb—and they last up to 12 times longer than ordinary light bulbs.
Making your home more energy efficient could save you up to £200 a year on your fuel bills. Now that the dark nights have arrived, don’t forget to keep an eye out for your neighbours, especially if they are elderly or frail.
Outstanding dedication from Sandra McKenzie
Sandra’s service with Arawak Walton stems back 20 years when she first became a volunteer with Walton Housing Association. Walton Housing went on to employ Sandra as their 2nd member of staff, as part time office administrator. Sandra has seen the association grow from managing 18 homes to its current 820 homes in management.
In 1994 Arawak and Walton Housing Association merged. She then became the Office Administrator for Housing. Sandra has since progressed through the organisation in various positions as Lettings Officer, Housing Officer, Housing Team Leader and now to her current position as Housing Services Manager.
In her position as Housing Services Manager she supervises, supports, and monitors the Housing Services Team’s performance in the delivery of Housing Management Services. She is responsible for policy implementation that takes into account the continuing changes in legislation that affect housing services. She tells us she continues to get great satisfaction from working at Arawak Walton and is looking forward to the challenges that continue to lie ahead of her for many years to come.
On behalf of the Board, tenants and staff we would like to recognise her commitment and loyalty to achieving the aims and objectives of the association.
Have you met our new Technician ?
Meet Janice Ashworth. Janice is our new Technician, who, we are sure many of you have met already. Janice carries out many of our minor repairs and the Association is hoping that her position will help reduce waiting time for routine repairs and also increase customer satisfaction.
Scheme visit news
Lily Hardman SCHEME VISITS TO MOSS SIDE, WHALLEY RANGE AND OLD TRAFFORD
I carried out my first round of organised scheme visits to these areas of my patch since I became a Housing Officer and would like to thank all those tenants who made an appointment to meet me. It is good to put a face to the voice and to see the pride you take in your homes.
I have passed on the concerns raised by you in respect of repairs and you should be contacted by the repairs team or contractor in the near future. If any issues remain unresolved, please let me know. Where I noted items of disrepair, I have also reported these to the repairs team and they should be sorted as soon as possible.
We have been told that Manchester City Council have carried out a big clean up of the Moss Side area and removed graffiti from walls and litter picked. There were also a number of untaxed cars removed from the area. If you see any more graffiti on your property or fly tipping in the area, please let Operational Services know on 0161 954 9001.
There were several complaints of noise nuisance and I would remind you that it is a condition of your tenancy agreement that you, your family and your visitors, do not cause noise nuisance. A noise nuisance is any noise that can be heard outside the walls of your home. Please be considerate of your neighbours, particularly if you live in a block of flats. Please remember that if you put your washing machine on late at night, people living in the other flats will be disturbed by it.
My next round of visits will be due in February 2007 and I will write to you all when the exact date is known. However, if you have any problems with your tenancy in the meantime please contact me at the office on 0161 272 6094 my allocated time for office appointments is Monday morning, so if I am unavailable when you call, please ask the Customer Services Advisor to make an appointment for you.
Maynette Fancis - Welcome to our new tenants at Arawak Walton!
In August I was out on my scheme visits. It was so nice to meet with my tenants again.
Cheetham Hill - Firstly, a big welcome to our new tenants who moved into the large 4 and 5 bed properties on Bignor Street in July. They have reported that they are very happy in their new homes.
Rusholme - It was such a delight to see how quite a few of our tenants have been looking after their gardens. I noticed some beautifully arranged gardens whilst out on my visits, with lots of plants and an array of colour. (Definitely competition for Alan Titchmarsh and his gang) Keep up the good work!
Hulme - I took a stroll around the area and was generally pleased with our properties. If you have any issues, please ring to make an appointment and I will be happy to discuss them with you.
Reddish - Again I have to say that the garden at this property is amazing. Precious time and effort has been taken into making this a property to be proud of.
Moss Side - It was nice to meet up with all my tenants in the Moss Side area. Special thanks to all the people who made time to make an appointment to meet with me to discuss various issues.
Natalie Rowen - Fallowfield, Rusholme, Ardwick, Longsight and Levenshulme
I have recently carried out a full scheme visit to all my areas and was very pleased with the results. Many thanks to all the everyone who made an appointment to see me, I always enjoy a good old natter! Whilst driving around the various properties I logged some external repairs, such as loose roof tiles and drain pipes etc. So you may notice that these have been mended for you over the next few weeks. I was particularly pleased with our Lloyd Street South scheme which looked extremely neat and tidy. Many of your gardens are looking lovely too.
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ASBI (Anti Social behaviour Injunction)
In October Arawak Walton secured an Injunction against a tenant who racially harassed another family.
The tenant had been asked to keep a diary sheet to record the dates and times of all incidents and log the effects that it had on the family.
After trying unsuccessfully to resolve the issues between both parties it was decided to involve the Neighbour Nuisance Team and other agencies.
The judge awarded the injuction, which will prevent the perpetrators from harassing or intimidating the family.
If you are on the receiving end of neighbour nuisance please do not suffer in silence. It is important that you inform your Housing Officer,
who will show you how to complete the diary sheet. This could be used as evidence should your complaint lead to court action.
However, if you feel intimidated or threatened you should call the Police immediately on 0161 872 5050.
As a rule most of our tenants live their lives and conduct their Tenancy in a satisfactory manor.
Arawak Walton Performance
As always we like to keep our residents informed about how we are Performing. See for yourself below.
| Jul 06 | Aug 06 | Sep 06 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Voids % (no. of properties) |
1.70% (14) |
1.70% (14) |
0.57% (7) |
| Rent arrears (as a % of weekly rent receivable) |
8.87% |
8.89% |
8.94% |
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