54North Homes Customer Bulletin

April 2024

Welcome to our April Customer Bulletin. It would be lovely to be talking about beautiful Spring weather, but it's still great to see the spring flowers and blossom starting to appear.

Communicating and involving you, our customers, is key and these Customer Bulletins are a chance for us to share our latest activity and update you about our plans.

If you would like to receive this Customer Bulletin in another language or format, please let us know. Or if you have any feedback or suggestions about content you would like to see in future bulletins, please contact: georgina.thompson@54northhomes.co.uk

Please, please make sure you have contents insurance

We are very sad to be sharing this photo but unfortunately it was taken from one of our customers' homes who recently had a house fire as a result of an electric bicycle being charged inside. Thankfully, nobody was hurt. However, it highlights some important fire safety messages. If you have an electric bike, scooter or vape, please be very careful charging it inside your home. Make sure it isn't plugged in where your escape route would be and don't leave it charging unattended while you go out of the house or overnight. It also underlines the importance of ensuring we can access your home to carry out our safety checks. We ensure all smoke detectors in homes are checked annually, so please allow us access when requested.

This incident also shows the importance of having home contents insurance which sadly this customer didn't have. If you don't already have it, please take out a home contents insurance policy - some are very low cost indeed (starting from less than £1 per week). You can find out more on our website.

The quick and easy way to raise a non-emergency repair

You can request non-emergency repairs quickly and easily through our My54North customer portal. Simply click on the button below to login or register.

If you've not registered already, you simply need an email address and your tenancy reference number which you can get by contacting us at hello@54northhomes.co.uk.

Visit our Customer Portal

Please pick up after your dog

If you have a dog, please make sure you always pick up after it. Dog fouling is inconsiderate to your neighbours, including children playing outside, and may stop us being able to cut the grass as it poses a risk to our gardening team and contractors.

If you know of anyone who is not picking up after their dog, please report it. You can report dog fouling on your local council's website and councils have the power to fine irresponsible dog owners up to £1,000 if prosecuted, or issue a fixed penalty notice.

54North in Bloom 2024

Get your rakes at the ready and plant pots prepared – it’s time for 54North in Bloom!

2024 will see us once again holding our annual 'in bloom' competition as we had such a great response from you all last year.

Our customers' gardens make a wonderful contribution to our neighbourhoods. No matter how big, or even if you've no garden at all, there is a category for everyone, from pots and hanging baskets to shared community gardens and vegetable plots.

The categories, chosen by our customers, celebrate the work and creativity of everyone who livens up their own outdoor space or tends to a space they share.

Categories we will be judging are:

Best small garden area, balcony or window box
Best hanging baskets
Best children’s garden on a plate or tray
Best themed garden
Best community garden
Best vegetable plot
Spot prize
Best first time entry

More details to follow shortly about how you can enter.

Community safety this summer

As we approach the summer months, everyone wants – and deserves – to be able to enjoy the lighter nights and hopefully warmer weather. Check out these tips to help encourage safe play and understanding in your neighbourhood.

Tips for adults

Try to be understanding and remember we were all young once
We need to support children being active as it's important for their health and wellbeing
Some children can't always play inside their home
Playing outdoors helps children to develop and become aware of boundaries

If there is a problem

Talk to the children and explain the problem. See if you can suggest a positive alternative
Avoid confrontation and arguments
Try to speak to the parents/guardians before reporting a problem

Parents/guardians

You are responsible for your children's behaviour
Be aware of behaviour which may disturb others
Ask your children to respect other people and property
Discussion and compromise are the best way to resolve disputes

Did you know … you can get cheaper mobile and broadband packages if you receive certain benefits

Ofcom is encouraging companies to offer these social tariffs, which are delivered in the same way, just at a lower price. Click here to find out more.

Social tariffs are available if you’re on Universal Credit and some other benefits – this usually includes Pension Credit, Employment and Support Allowance and sometimes Personal Independence Payment and Attendance Allowance.
They are cheaper than a regular package.
They include superfast broadband speeds.

Contact your provider and ask if they provide a social tariff. You can usually switch at any time. Some providers will let you leave your current contract without exit fees.

Our Money Matters Caseworker offers money guidance and benefits advice. You can get in touch with Liz on T: 0191 2238633 or E: money.matters@54northhomes.co.uk

Bursaries to support learning and employability training

The Northern Housing Consortium is offering bursaries of up to £500 to help social housing customers develop learning and skills to support future employment through their Unlocking Success Bursary Scheme. A bursary award can go towards the cost of learning itself or help fund items like books, equipment, travel or childcare.

We have had a number of customers benefit from this scheme previously. To find out more, please click on the link above or ask to speak to one of our Housing or Income Officers. Applications must be submitted by Friday 5th July.

Easter Competition

We recently held an Easter competition for the families at Kealia Court to decorate either an egg or an Easter bonnet.

We had some fantastic entries and here's a photo of one of our winners with his fabulous bonnet.

All children entering received an Easter egg and activity pack for taking part.

Meet the 54North Homes Team

We'd like to use these Customer Bulletins as an opportunity to introduce you to some of the 54North Homes team. First up two new Housing Officers, Karen Dickens and Richard Mealing, who have recently joined the business.

Name: Karen Dickens

How long have you worked in housing? I have worked in housing around 8 years, most of those as a Housing Officer.

What areas do you cover? The

customers I support all live in properties for over 55s, mainly in Leeds and a few in Wakefield.

What do you enjoy most about your job? I love the sense of

community you find in people, especially when I’m out and about. For example, I recently signed up a new customer and by the end of the visit, neighbours had already introduced themselves and made the resident feel welcome and part of their new community. I have seen so many of examples of this already and I’ve only just joined 54North Homes.

What is your favourite thing about living/working in Yorkshire? Ooh, that's a difficult one as there is so much to do, see and enjoy. I love a café, a pub lunch, a stroll around a reservoir, a hike through the woods, a shopping trip, a museum and it's all on my doorstep.

Where would be your ideal day out in Yorkshire? A bike ride on the canal ending up in Leeds city centre for a riverside bite to eat.

If someone was visiting Yorkshire just for the day, where should they go? I'd suggest they definitely make a visit to the Yorkshire Sculpture Park and the Hepworth.

Name: Richard Mealing

How long have you worked in housing? 7 years.

What areas do you cover? Leeds, Wakefield and Barnsley.

What do you enjoy most about your job? The most rewarding part of my job is helping customers when they are in difficult circumstances. It’s amazing how even the little actions you take to improve a situation can have such a positive effect on someone when they are at a low point.

What is your favourite thing about living/working in Yorkshire? I love that even when you are living in a Yorkshire town or city you are never very far away from spectacular countryside.

Where would be your ideal day out in Yorkshire? Going for a long hike around Marsden Moor on a lovely summer's day topped off with a well-earned pub lunch.

If someone was visiting Yorkshire just for one day, where should they go? I would recommend visiting my hometown of Wakefield as there’s so much to offer for everyone.

If you like sailing and watersports you can pop over to Pugneys Country Park. Newmillerdam and the Yorkshire Sculpture Park are great for a nice walk. If the history of coal is more your thing, there’s the National Coal Mining Museum. There are many awesome restaurants in Wakefield as well.

And finally......

Customers are at the heart of everything we do here at 54North Homes, and we would love more of you to share your feedback with us and get involved in shaping and improving the services we provide.

You can get involved in many ways: online, from the comfort of your home or taking part in friendly get togethers. We recently sent out a dedicated email which you can read here. If you are interested in getting involved, you can contact our Customer Experience Team: Abida Jamil and Liam Sullivan, E: connectwith54north@54northhomes.co.uk

54North Homes | Tel: 0345 521 1993 | Email: hello@54northhomes.co.uk

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