E-bulletin November 2009

Welcome to our latest Chief Executive and Chairman's e-bulletin. We aim to bring you the top stories from plus dane group and to demonstrate the real impact that our neighbourhood investor philosophy is having on the ground.

We hope that you enjoy reading our e-bulletin. If you have any comments, or would like to find out more about our work, please contact us. May we also take this opportunity to wish you all a happy and healthy Christmas and holiday period.

Best wishes

Ken Perry                                                                     John Pollard
Group Chief Executive                                                   Chairman
ken.perry@neighbourhoodinvestor.com                   john.pollard@neighbourhoodinvestor.com

A fresh look for Ni website
Plus dane has launched a new-look website, designed in conjunction with our customers. www.neighbourhoodinvestor.com is bright, attractive, informative and easy to use – allowing 24 hour access to information and key services such as reporting repairs, paying rent and applying for a home.

John Kane from Alsager and Sandra Millet from Liverpool are members of the interactive group and plus dane tenants who volunteered to help develop the new site.

They said: "The whole process has taken about 12 months from start to finish and more than 10 tenants have been involved at some stage.  We are all incredibly proud of the final site and of our involvement in helping plus dane to decide on what information to provide and how it should look. We now hope that more and more people will have access to it and will find it helpful and informative." 

Residents like Sandra and John also went on to help train plus dane staff at drop-in sessions at our offices across Cheshire and Merseyside.

Helping our customers stay warm and well
Our second annual Beat the Chill campaign is helping our customers stay warm and well over the winter period. All of our residents have been sent a special booklet featuring helpful hints, energy saving tips, and advice on issues such as their finances. All staff are also involved in making home visits to selected customers, taking gift packs full of useful items.

A series of neighbourhood events was also being held to encourage people to look at ways they can Beat the Chill this year. The campaign reflects our commitment to tackling fuel poverty, and to supporting the good health of our customers. 

Go Penguins!
Plus dane group has sponsored its very own penguin as part of Liverpool’s latest public art project, Go Penguins. A follow-on from the hugely successful Go Superlambananas, it highlights green issues in a fun way as part of the city’s Year of the Environment. Plus dane’s five-foot penguin is called Sampson the Neighbourhood Hero, named following a competition open to all staff. Bearing his bright superhero colours, and designed by our in-house team, Sampson will stand on Lord Street near Debenhams until the end of the event on January 10. Afterwards, he will appear as a special guest at events across Merseyside and Cheshire. Sampson is a lighthearted reflection of plus dane group’s very serious commitment to sustainable housing. Sampson will also come with his very own pages on Facebook and Twitter.

New eco-friendly homes in Bootle
A £2.7m development of 24 new apartments for older people is now underway in the Queens Bedford area of Bootle.

Plus dane group has secured £1.5m of funding from the Homes and Communities Agency to deliver this ambitious project, in response to local customer demand. The apartments should be ready by October 2010, and will meet Level Three of the Government Code for Sustainable Homes.

Recognition for supported housing scheme
The National Housing Federation has chosen plus dane group’s Supported Housing team in Cheshire to feature in their forthcoming publication on homelessness in the North West. The publication aims to highlight to local authorities, agencies, housing associations and other stakeholders the work that housing associations do to tackle homelessness. A case study on the group’s specialist scheme to offer support to ex-offenders, High Risk and Need, will be featured.

Plus dane group at Northern Regeneration Summit
The group was proud to sponsor this year’s Northern Regeneration Summit at the City of Manchester Stadium in October. The exhibition and conference attracted a broad range of influential public and private sector regeneration professionals, bringing together key decision makers including central and local government, developers and house builders, housing associations, institutional investors, architects, engineers and consultants. 

Our Shaping Places, Changing Lives workshop attracted over 50 guests to a vibrant discussion around new flexible funding models for development and the creation of sustainable communities. The workshop panel included plus dane group’s Sasha Deepwell and Claire Griffiths, Sallie Bridgen - Regional Manager (North West), National Housing Federation, Bob Osborne - Deputy Director of Sustainable Regeneration, Salford City Council and Justine Hall - Director, Cede Regeneration.

New projects for Kensington residents
A joint project between plus dane group, Kensington New Deal police and contractors Crudens will result in greater feelings of security for elderly and vulnerable residents in the area.

Extra security devices such as locks, bolts and spyholes were provided by the police, and Crudens will be installing them free of charge. They have also offered to hold workshops for residents to help them with minor household maintenance issues.

Plus dane are also managing an innovative new project to improve the health of local people, in partnership with other social landlords, Liverpool PCT and community members. Health Advocates, initially staff and later within the community itself, will work alongside road shows, events and literature to promote healthy living, exercise, and the take-up of free health checks in the area.

Residents’ Academy launch
Our new Residents’ Academy is set to launch this December. The Academy offers a series of practical training course, in response to the ideas and requests of our customers. The course will boost confidence, improve skills and allow residents to experience something new. The subjects chosen for courses so far include Finding Out About Energy, Marvellous Meals in Minutes and DIY Skills for Beginners.

Key Event hailed a success
The Key Event: The First Time Buyers’ Show in Liverpool attracted around 500 home-seekers and positive feedback from exhibitors. The show, organised by plus dane group’s HomesHub, the Government HomeBuy agent for Merseyside and Cheshire, was held at the city’s waterfront Arena and Convention Centre complex. It offered the full range of support for first time buyers looking to find a place on the property ladder.

Princes Park event is a winner
The annual Princes Park Carnival and World in Princes Park event in Liverpool, which plus dane group delivers in partnership with Brouhaha International, has won a prestigious award.

The event was named as the winner of the Arts and Media category at the Black History Month Awards. It has also been shortlisted in the National Association of Neighbourhood Management Awards for its contribution and approach to strengthening the local economy.

Award for Evolve project
The Evolve Residents’ Advisory Panel and Youth Forum were presented with a Sefton Community Champions Award at a recent event in Bootle. The Awards, organised by Sefton’s Housing Market Renewal team, recognise the contribution that members of the community make to the neighbourhood. Evolve’s RAP and Youth Forum were rewarded for their efforts in the production of a DVD that reflects on the past, present and future of the area.