Issue 38 - Summer 2012 - Wigan Council

Helping residentsBEAT THE COWBOYSA council-backed service that provides older The team can even draw up a schedule thatpeople with access to trusted workers to help will tell your builder exactly what to do. Theywith home repair and DIY jobs has been can also help directly with many repair jobshailed as ‘excellent’.from dripping taps to broken gates at a smallThe Wigan Borough Care and Repaircost of £15 per visit, plus the cost of anyService has received an ‘Excellence inmaterials.Commissioning Home ImprovementAgency Services’ Award for itsoutstanding contribution to thecommunity.Part of the larger ManchesterCare and Repair, the service isbased at Pennyhurst Mill in Wiganand sends a team of skilled workersto homes all over the borough.The service offers free expert advicethat can help with everything from what todo to stop those small repair jobs from gettingworse, right through to choosing a builder andhow to avoid the cowboys.A summer campaign whichencourages young people tostay safe and out of troublewhilst having fun over theschool holiday period isback.safe4summer encouragesyoung people to think aboutthe impact of antisocialbehaviour, as well as thedangers of starting deliberatefires or the effects of makinghoax calls to the emergencyservices.The project is apartnership betweenGreater ManchesterFire & RescueService, WiganCouncil, GreaterManchesterFor moreinformation, visit:www.wigan.gov.uk/safe4summerPolice and variouscommunity groups.As well as signpostingyoungsters to positiveactivities, the campaignalso gets them toconsider some of theissues that are importantto them, from healthyeating and alcoholconsumption to sexeducation and bullying.And it encouragesyoung people to checkout things to do – fromlearning new skills totaking part in a raftof free sports,Care and Repair began life inWigan Borough just over a yearago and now has more than 100regular clients on its books.The service was presentedwith its award by Leigh MP andShadow Secretary of State forHealth Andy Burnham.Mr Burnham said: “We need toget word out about this service whichprovides that key ‘little bit of help’ to ourolder residents. This service helps reduce theisolation of older people with practicalassistance.”To find out moreabout Care and Repairyou can visit the website:www.careandrepairwigan.org.ukor callthe service on01942 239360.Summer safety campaign launchedactivities andvolunteeringopportunities.Help forwhen thenoiseannoysWIGAN Council and itspartners have pledgedto help peoplesuffering with theworst noisyneighbours.In one case in theBorough, a womanwas subjected to morethan eight years ofantisocial behaviour bya raucous neighbourwho regularly shoutedverbal abuse andplayed loud music intothe early hours of themorning.This bad neighbourwas recently handedan AntisocialBehaviour Order fortwo years, stoppingthem from usingabusive, aggressive orinsulting language orbehaviour.And if they don’tabide by these rules,they could faceprosecution.It’s a positiveoutcome but it stillcame at a cost – yearsof heartache for theperson on thereceiving end.In this case, thevictim was unaware ofthe support availableto those who live infear of this type ofintimidation andharassment.So what can you doif you’re the victim ofa nuisance neighbour?● For advice and helpwith unacceptablelevels of neighbournoise, members of thepublic can call thecouncil’s EnvironmentalProtection Team on01942 827110 forWigan and 01942733349 for Leigh.● Council tenantsshould contact Wigan& Leigh Housing on01942 705040.● You can reportantisocial behaviour bycalling 01942 404364.BOROUGH LIFE Summer 2012 21