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10 <strong>News</strong>-N-<strong>Views</strong> / Spring 2013 No shabby here – only shabby chic! Furniture Mine has been working with PM Training in Stafford to “upcycle” certain items of furniture, giving them the “shabby chic” look. When people first hear about a furniture recycling organisation, they wrongly believe that the items will be second best, looking shabby and tired, rather than high quality and good enough to suit all homes, whether modern or traditional. This is not the case at Furniture Mine. Visit their soon to be launched website at: www.furnituremine.org.uk to see the types of items that are in the showroom in Stoke or shop in Newcastle. Olivia Bennett, 19, enjoys her sofa that only cost £30. If items do look shabby but have potential to last a long time, apprentices at PM Training in Stafford have worked hard to turn them into the “shabby chic”look. Mark Roe, transformation manager at Furniture Mine, said: “We saw the potential to improve certain items of furniture, turning what looked like shabby, tired looking drawers into the shabby chic style that appeals to customers.” PM Training tutor Bryan Edwards said: “We’ve been delighted to take on this project. Not only is it great to recycle donated furniture but it has also been an excellent opportunity for our apprentices to learn new skills at the same time.” Olivia Bennett, 19 from Audley, had just moved into an Aspire home and needed furniture for her living room, so she visited Furniture Mine. “I was really impressed with the range of styles and quality of furniture that was available,” she said. “I wanted a sofa for my living room, and only had to pay £30 for it. I love my new sofa – it makes my flat look like a home now. The staff at Furniture Mine were also really helpful and provided an excellent service. I’m glad I went there - it’s so much cheaper than visiting shops like Bright House or taking out a loan.” Please note that wheelchair access is available at the front of both sites. Where is Furniture Mine? Newcastle Stoke-on-Trent Opening hours Furniture Mine Registry Street, Stoke Monday –Thursday: 9am-4.30pm Friday: 9am-4pm. Furniture Mine, Bridge Street, Newcastle Monday –Thursday: 10am-4.00pm Friday: 10am-3.30pm. Saturday: 10am-2pm. Website www.furnituremine.org.uk www.facebook.com/furnituremine Phone 01782 846111
www.aspirehousing.co.uk / 01782 635200 Aspire cracks down on bad behaviour Aspire Housing takes complaints regarding antisocial behaviour (ASB) very seriously and since it launched its new procedure to tackle complaints in October 2010, 83 court injunctions have been issued and six evictions have taken place. The new procedure offers a victim-focused approach combined with zero tolerance to those who continue to cause a nuisance or behave in an antisocial way. When a customer reports an incident of antisocial behaviour they are contacted by a member of the neighbourhood services team within three days, or within 24 hours for serious cases. An action plan is agreed with the customer and they are provided with a named officer who will manage their case. New approach to ASB Action plans are revisited and agreed throughout the case so that customers are clear on what action is being taken and what they need to do. Aspire has also reduced the number of warnings given to perpetrators and take swift legal action where behaviours do not change. Aspire’s head of housing Caroline Baggaley says: “I am pleased with the results of our new procedures as Aspire does not tolerate antisocial behaviour. We work closely with the police and local community to ensure that residents feel safe in their homes.” Since the launch of the new procedure Aspire Housing has seen increased engagement in our satisfaction survey and positive customer satisfaction. Performance measure Satisfaction survey Apr - Dec 2011/12 How quickly were you interviewed about your case? How satisfied were you that you had been kept up to date with what was happening throughout your case? How satisfied were you with the outcome of your case? How willing would you be to report ASB to us in the future? Number of respondents 202 202 202 202 Satisfaction survey Apr - Dec 2010/11 % Satisfied Number of respondents % Satisfied 91.9% 84.2% 84.5% 95% 62 62 62 62 87.6% 84.4% 73.4% 85% 11 “I want my neighbours to know the truth” Siobhan Coleman, 31, was so fed up with her next door neighbour who was behaving in an antisocial way that she contacted Aspire Housing to report their behaviour and recorded everything that was happening which helped to get them evicted. “I’d had enough,” said Siobhan, from Beasley Avenue in Chesterton. “A woman, Zoe Bayley, moved in with her partner Kevin Davies and family last June and right from the start they were trouble. “Visitors were coming and going all the time, slamming doors, drinking, and smoking joints. There was shouting, arguing, swearing and fireworks.” Aspire Housing secured an antisocial behaviour injunction against Zoe Bayley and Kevin Davies but they both breached the conditions and received a suspended prison sentence of 28 days. Possession proceedings followed and they were evicted in January. Aspire’s neighbourhood housing officer Lee Flackett said: “The antisocial behaviour injunction gave Zoe Bayley a chance to change her behaviours and remain a tenant however she continued to behave in a way which is unacceptable and possession proceedings were taken by Aspire’s legal team. I look after customers in Chesterton and we don’t tolerate antisocial behaviour. We want to make the area a better place for people to live in.” He added: “This case went smoothly because Siobhan recorded every incident so that she would be able to recall events accurately.” Siobhan said: “I want neighbours to know the truth about what was really going on behind closed doors. Don’t suffer in silence – record everything talk to Aspire.”
Page 1 and 2: Aspire Housing customer newsletter
Page 3 and 4: www.aspirehousing.co.uk / 01782 635
Page 9: www.aspirehousing.co.uk / 01782 635

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