Spring 2017 THE LATEST NEWS FROM CHP HOME IMPROVEMENTS. What we're spending this year WIN A FAMILY TENT COMPETITION BECOME ONE OF OUR

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1 YOURhome Spring 2017 THE LATEST NEWS FROM CHP HOME IMPROVEMENTS What we're spending this year WIN A FAMILY TENT COMPETITION BECOME ONE OF OUR apprentices

2 Contact us CONTACT US Phone: (a cas charged at oca rate) Press one for heating breakdown / gas servicing; Press two for repairs; Press three to make a rent or easehod payment using our automated Apay system; Caing shetered scheme residents Look out for the consutation etter we ve sent to you about the changes to the management of our shetered schemes foowing Essex County Counci's decision to cut funding for scheme managers. If you've a view, pease share it with us by caing us, emaiing enquiries@chp.org.uk or post it to our Myriad House office. In this issue... WHAT WE'RE SPENDING ON HOMES 4 10 GET GOING IN THE GARDEN Career opportunities BEComE one of FIVE apprentices Looking for a career in housing? Do you want to earn whie you earn? Then become one of our apprentices. 4 Press four for our customer services team. Emai: enquiries@chp.org.uk Text reay: Write to: Myriad House, 33 Springfied Lyons Approach, Chemsford, CM2 5LB PHOTO COMPETITION 12 RESULTS IMPROVING YOUR HOME 14 Starting in June 2017 we re ooking for: 2 apprentices to work in housing and property management; 2 apprentices for business administration and customer service; 1 socia media and digita marketing apprentice. Former eectrica apprentice, Amy Humberstone, who joined us in 2012 and is now one of our eectricians, said: I oved my apprenticeship at CHP and the fact I ve become an eectrician with the company because of it is fantastic. Apprenticeships are a great way to earn money whie earning a trade. I reay woud recommend them to anyone. More detais and a job pack for the five apprenticeship opportunities wi be avaiabe on our website from Monday 17th Apri Interested? Then start appying. We can visit you in your own home if you need us to. Simpy ca our customer services team and make an appointment. Pease contact us if you woud ike a copy of this document in arge print, on CD or in another anguage. Proszę się z nami skontaktować, żeby otrzymać ten dokument w wersji dużym drukiem, na płycie CD ub w innym języku. (Poish) 倘若您需要本擋以大字體 音頻格式 (CD) 或另外一種語言提供 請聯絡我們 (Cantonese) Bu begeyi büyük boyutu baskı oarak, CD ortamında veya başka bir dide edinmek istiyorsanız ütfen bizime irtibata geçin. (Turkish) Kreipkitės į mus, jei norėtumėte gauti šio dokumento kopiją stambiu šriftu, jo garso įrašą kompaktiniame diske arba jei norėtumėte jį gauti kita kaba. (Lithuanian) (Bengai) Amy is now an eectrician foowing her apprenticeship We re aso going to be hoding an open event on Tuesday 25th Apri......at our Myriad House office from 12:30pm 3:00pm. You can come aong on the day and tour our offices, meet our empoyees, see what we do as a company and we answer any questions you may have. 2 SPRING 2017 SPRING

3 Budget news This year we re going to be SPENDING THE FOLLOWING on your homes... Budget news Despite an uncertain economic cimate we're sti going to be investing heaviy in and around your homes. Beow gives you an idea of what we're spending. Be it cycica programmes to repairs to deveoping new properties to meet oca housing needs we want you to be proud of your home. Over 40 miion on deveoping new homes throughout Essex 2,526,000 on gas repairs, servicing and repacements 1,605,000 on repairs and maintenance and void property works Smith Hughes Cose, Chemsford 1,426,000 on externa decorations and pre-paint repairs 1 miion on kitchens and bathrooms 870,000 on eectrica works (incuding the seven year programme) 600,000 on fire prevention works Goojerat Road, Cochester Oak Drive, Southminster 275,000 on communa heating (renewas) 221,000 on fences and was 200,000 on adaptations 40,000 on estate improvement works 4 SPRING 2017 SPRING

4 Receiving Your Home RECEIVING YOURhome magazine Photography competition time SPRING SUMMER AUTUMN We've changed the way we're deivering our magazine to you, now we' be sending it digitay and it's avaiabe on our website and socia media. Of course, if you d sti prefer to receive a hard copy we have them avaiabe too, et us know by contacting us (see page two). Competition time! WIN A FAMILY TENT To ceebrate the arriva of spring, find the six daffodi icons hidden throughout the magazine (the one on this page isn t one of them) and you coud win a tent for a famiy of four. Simpy send them via our website ( or emai communications@chp.org.uk, contact us on socia media or post your answers to our Myriad House address by Monday 1st May 2017 to be in with a chance to win! Terms and conditions: To be eigibe to enter you must not owe us any money nor have any antisocia behaviour compaints against your tenancy. Three seasons in one PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION Due to the popuarity of our photography competition we re aunching another one! This time the theme is seasons and we announce the winner in the winter edition of Your Home meaning you ve got the whoe of spring, summer and autumn to submit your entries. We re ooking for you to send us your imaginative seasona images be it a summer s sunset or an autumna afternoon the choice is yours. Your images can be of animas, andscapes, peope, transport, in fact you can send us anything as ong as it has a seasona theme. The winner wi receive a 50 high street voucher and the runner-up a 25 voucher. Framed prints of the winning and runner-up photos wi be dispayed in our Parkside Community Hub, Chemsford, for a to see. TO ENTER THE COMPETITION... Send your name, address, age and photo by Tuesday 31st October 2017 to: Debbie Wison, Parkside Community Hub manager, Myriad House, 33 Springfied Lyons Approach, Chemsford, CM2 5LB. Aternativey you can emai parksidecommunity@chp.org.uk, share your image(s) on our website, ( photographycompetition), contact us on socia media or post your answers to our Myriad House address to be in with a chance to win! Pease note that ony amateur photographers may enter the competition (stock or professionay taken images wi not be accepted). If you re emaiing your picture it need to be of a high resoution (300 dots per inch). 6 SPRING 2017 SPRING

5 Green fingered competition Green fingered FUN! Dust off your trowe and dig out your spade it s time for our annua gardening competition! We re ooking for you to highight your green fingered credentias by showcasing your gorious gardens of bountifu booms and uscious awns. And you coud win a 50 gardening voucher and certificate. Enter by sharing your pictures with us on our Facebook or Twitter pages, sending them via our website ( or posting them to us with the entry form beow by Friday 16th June RULES: A entries must be with us by Friday 16th June 2017; You, or your famiy, must have done the gardening yourseves and you must not be a professiona gardener; ony one entry per CHP househod; Winners must agree to take part in pubicity; Communa gardens must be shared by more than one property; Judging wi take pace week commencing monday 26th June 2017 and gardens wi be visited; The competition is not open to CHP empoyees or Board Trustees; The judge s decision is fina. Not ony is dogs mess a heath hazard, it's unsighty and unpeasant (you aso risk being fined if you don't cear up after your dog). If there's dog mess on a communa awn we can't mow it as it causes it to spread. Remember... This year we ve three categories for you to enter and one s soey for chidren (there s no prize for guessing which one it is though!): Best garden; Best communa garden; Best cress head. Entry form name: Address: IT ONLY TAKES A MINUTE TO BAG IT AND BIN IT 8 SPRING Postcode: Teephone no: If you suspect someone of not picking up dog their mess, dog s mess, ca us on or emai enquiries@chp.org.uk. Your report wi be treated in the strictest of confidence and can be given anonymousy.

6 Gardening GET GOING...in the garden...and GROW YOUR OWN VEGGIES With summer approaching now is a great time to get out in your garden and start growing your own veg. Here, our Grounds Maintenance team eader, Charotte Wech, gives you some top tips for growing your own. Gardening You don t need an aotment or a garden to start growing your own. If you don t have a garden, there are severa community aotments throughout Essex where they show you how to grow veg. In return for your hep you receive a share of the produce search for counci or community group aotments or gardens in your oca area. Potatoes are reay easy to grow; a you need to start growing your own is a container on the patio. Pace six inches (or 15 centimetres) of soi or compost at the bottom of your container; Add some potato seeds; Add compost/soi as the stems grow unti the container is fu; When they re ready to harvest either tip them out of the container or dig out a few at a time. An extremey simpe way to add some pizazz to your potatoes (and your summer drinks) is to grow some herbs. mint and mixed herbs are easy to grow. Put some in a pot near your kitchen door so they re easiy avaiabe and add some extra favour to your cooking. Tomatoes grow quicky and can even be panted in hanging baskets if you re acking space. If you go for a bush variety, a you need to do is feed, water and then wait to pick them. Compement and spruce up your saads with home-grown radishes and spring onions. not ony wi they hep you eat your five-a-day they go great with saad eaves and they grow in as itte as four weeks. And you don t need a ot of space as they grow in pots. Again if you sow some seeds every fortnight you have an ongoing suppy. Peas, mangetout and sugar snap peas can be sown directy into the ground or containers from Apri to June. much ike runner beans, peas need support. Soon you be enjoying ovey sweet tasting peas and, again, the more you pick them, the more they produce. Remember: when growing your veg it s important to keep your pot weed and sug and snai free. Whatever you choose to grow, simpy foow the instructions on the seed packet but with most veg you need to wait unti after the ast frost before you pant them outside. Pease remember: if you ony have access to a communa garden and woud ike to grow your own veg, you need to gain permission from us before beginning any work. If you decide to grow your own and produce a curious ooking veggie - or one you re particuary proud of - then emai a picture to communications@chp.org.uk or share them with us on Facebook or Twitter. We d ove to see your efforts. 10 SPRING 2017 SPRING

7 Competition resuts Competition resuts Barry Teader s winning image Photography COMPETITION RESULTS Congratuations to phenomena photographers Barry Teader and Stuart Cements the winner and runner-up in the annua photography competition. Barry's wonderfu winning image of a weir in winter narrowy beat Stuart's image of a Bue Tit drinking. Barry received 50 high street shopping voucher whie Stuart received 25. They both coected a trophy and their images are on dispay at the Parkside Community Hub in Chemsford for a to see. Aso we'd ike to offer a we deserved congratuations to Gavin Wiiams and Harry muir who both received a 20 voucher for their fantastic highy commended images. Gavin Wiiams's highy commended image Harry Muir's highy commended image Stuart Cement s runner-up image 12 SPRING 2017 SPRING

8 Home improvements IMPROVING your home We want you to enjoy your home but we aso need to make sure that any DIY or aterations you make don t put you and your famiy in danger or damage the property. Property news We d ike to remind you to make sure your insurance poicy covers you adequatey for any damage. Get COVERED You may need to contact your insurance company to see if you re covered for accidenta and/or storm damage. As most home cover poicies won t incude this as standard you may need to add it on. Last year we had 94 cases where work was carried out but permission wasn't given (an increase of over 60 cases based on the previous year) this cost us 41,000 to fix fauts and bad workmanship. That's why we want you to ask us first. So what changes do you think we'd aow you to make to your property? See beow to find out how many you got right. Instaing a wood burning stove? Erecting a shed, summer house or scooter store? Buiding a conservatory or ean-to? We work with Crysta Insurance to provide home insurance at reasonabe rates. Visit or contact them on Aternativey emai crysta@thisteinsurance.co.uk Removing a chimney? Fitting a cat fap? Creating a pond? Constructing a garage? Converting a oft? Instaing a water butt? Charging Fitting a shower over a bath? Amy is now an eectrician foowing her apprenticeship YES Erecting a shed, summer house or scooter store*; Fitting aminate fooring; Instaing a water butt*; Fitting a cat fap*; Fitting a shower over a bath; Constructing a garage*. NO Instaing air conditioning; Instaing a wood burning 14 SPRING 2017 finstaing air conditioning? Fitting aminate fooring? For a fu range of what we do and don t give permission for pease visit our website and view the Home Improvements and Aterations eafet. Unsure if you need permission? Then emai us on enquiries@chp.org.uk. stove; Converting a oft; Removing a chimney; Buiding a conservatory or ean-to; Creating a pond. *Unikey to be approved for communa areas FOR EXTRAS Pease remember that bocked sinks, basins, baths or showers are your responsibiity bockages are normay caused because debris has washed down the pughoe and buit up unti water can t get past. As part of our Chargeabe Extras service we sti come out and fix this for you if you want us to; but we have to charge you. From fitting ight bubs to repacing interna doors to changing ocks (as we as much more) we come and do it. For a fu ist pease see the Chargeabe Extras eafet on our website ( SPRING

9 Keeping safe Persona detais Let us know your HOB COOKER safety warning! A safety reca notice has been issued by the Gas Safe Register and BSH Home Appiances Ltd for two gas hob cookers. The BOSCH buit-in gas hobs (product code: NGU4151DB and produced from ) and the Neff buit-in gas hobs (product code: T20S31N0 and produced from ) have a fauty gas connector. This coud crack, resuting in gas escaping. What do I do if I own one? Firsty check the mode number (E-NR) and batch number (FD) which can be found underneath the appiance or in the user manua. Then go to and check to see if your mode is affected. If you have one turn off the gas suppy and don t use it. BSH are offering every owner of an affected appiance a free repacement gas connector by a registered engineer in your home. If you re worried you may have an affected appiance you can ca BSH on Register your APPLIANCES A new website which makes it easier for you to register a of your domestic appiances has been aunched. registermyappiance.org.uk is supported by the Association of manufacturers of Domestic Appiances, the Home office, Department for Business, Energy and Industria Strategy as we as a number of safety and consumer groups. It s easy to register and you receive news about safety repairs, recas, or upgrades and after saes service advice. It aso means you can be contacted swifty if a safety issue with an appiance arises. LET US IN! We want you to be safe and warm in your home......so it s important that you aow access so that our gas servicing contractor, Aaron Services, can check your eectric, gas, oi and renewabe heating appiances. NEXT OF KIN We d ike to urge a of you to make sure that we ve detais of your next of kin. In some cases, after a resident has passed away we ve needed to urgenty speak to someone about the tenancy and what to do with the persona beongings eft in the property. When this happens we have to empoy a pubic trustee who acts as the executor. We want to make sure we tak with the person you nominated as your next of kin so pease et us know. If you ve changed your next of kin detais recenty and haven t informed us, pease do so immediatey by caing us or emaiing enquiries@chp.org.uk Apprenticeship opportunities An exciting opportunity has arisen to join one of our contractors (Aaron Services) as an apprentice pumbing/heating engineer. The successfu appicant wi compete a three year apprenticeship in pumbing/heating by the way of on-site training and day reease at a suitabe oca technica coege and on successfu competion wi receive a recognised nvq quaification. Aaron Services is part of the Lakehouse Group an asset and energy support services business focused on customers and their communities. This position offers exceent career opportunities, with the possibiity of progressing to become a fuy quaified gas engineer. The successfu appicant wi have a sound education, preferaby achieving a minimum C grade GCSE in Engish and Mathematics, however more importanty they wi demonstrate a desire to earn a trade and commitment to competing the apprenticeship. If you beieve you have the reevant skis, knowedge and experience to be a key contributor to the future of Lakehouse, pease appy now! TO APPLY: To appy, submit a CV and return it by emai to: recruitment@akehouse.co.uk or rebecca.bruce@akehouse.co.uk If you have any queries regarding this roe pease contact: Rebecca Bruce, HR Advisor. rebecca.bruce@akehouse.co.uk DD: mob: Interview date: Friday 28th Apri 2017 Lakehouse is an equa opportunities empoyer and vaues everyone as an individua. 16 SPRING 2017 SPRING

10 Estate management Estate management Keep it TIDY With changes to househod waste coections we ve noticed a growing probem and we need your hep... Loca authorities have changed their rubbish coection times and as such are encouraging more peope to recyce - or they risk receiving a fixed-term penaty notice being served on them. But we ve noticed that a ot of househod waste is being eft outside of bin stores (councis wi ony coect what is paced in the bin), which is not ony unsighty it s aso a heath hazard as it attracts vermin. As refuse coection is the responsibiity of your oca authority which you pay for through your counci tax if your rubbish hasn t been coected you shoud contact them immediatey so another coection date can be arranged. Pease make sure you report it to your oca authority otherwise we' have to arrange a contractor to cear any overfowing bin sheds and we may then have to recharge you and your neighbours. If you fee that you and your neighbours are recycing a you can but don t have enough refuse bins then ca your oca authority. You can aso visit for detais of what can and can't be recyced. It' aso te where your cosest recycing centre is. Poor waste management costs us and you which is why ast year our estate management team had to coect 1,168 cubic yards of rubbish incuding MATTRESSES 37 FRIDGES Dozens OF PIECES OF FURNITURE 18 SPRING 2017 SPRING

11 Hep and advice Hepfu ONLINE HINTS A FREE onine budgeting support too has been aunched by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) to hep you make the most of your money if you re on Universa Credit. The onine service can hep you with: Step-by-step questions that can hep you find financia guidance and support reevant to your circumstances; Hints and tips on how to manage your money and how to pay bis when you re receiving a monthy payment (such as isting a your incomings and outgoings and dividing your spending into essentia and non-essentia items); Signposting you to further support services, such as free debt advice, which can hep you. For more information pease visit or visit our website ( and see the Benefits and Debt Advice page. Aternativey ca our Income experts on or emai enquiries@chp.org.uk Need hep OR ADVICE? Then come aong to our award winning Parkside Community Hub. Visit for more information. ESSEX SAVERS Every Monday 10:30am to 12:00pm. need hep to start saving? Worried about paying for things? Then come and tak to a speciaist. JOB ADVICE Every Wednesday 1:00pm to 4:00pm. Looking for a job or work experience? need hep with your CV or appying for jobs? Come in for professiona advice and use the computers for free. Empoyment and training Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 1:00pm to 4:00pm. If you need somewhere to search and appy for jobs, or need advice on creating a CV and writing covering etters, come aong to the drop-in sessions. 20 SPRING 2017