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2Full house orNO HOUSENorthwards Rent Team are here to help. If you’re behind with yourrent we can make an affordable repayment agreement with you.If you have debts you can see our Money Advisor. As well as helpingyou to sort out your finances they will check to make sure that youare getting all the benefits that you are entitled to.However, if you do not make regular rent paymentswe will take legal action against you.In the last 12 months we have requested more than 410 court ordersfor rent arrears. If we are granted a court order by the judge it will affectyour credit rating which will make it difficult for you to get a loan.We also requested more than 70 evictions. The people who we haveevicted are classed as intentionally homeless, so it will be very difficultfor them to find other accommodation. They are very unlikely to berehoused by Northwards Housing, Manchester City Council or theirpartners. Having legal action for rent arrears hanging over you canbe very hard to cope with.Contact the rent teambefore a rent issuebecomes a crisis on:0161 795 1881.Pam AngelucciWe are deeply sorry to tell you that Pam Angelucciof our Fourways Area Panel passed away justbefore Christmas.Pam was a great friend to Northwards Housing. She enthusiasticallypromoted the older people’s play area at Dam Head Park and wasa member of the steering group committee for It’s a NorthwardsKnockout.She was an active member of Crosslee Tenants and ResidentsAssociation and a much loved member of her community.She will be sadly missed.FREElight timersLight timers are really useful for your lampsat home. You can time them to come onwhilst you are out and beat the burgler!For your FREE light timer, write to us:Light Timer Offer, Freepost, NorthwardsHousing HQ. Remember to include yourname and address!

THE STORY OF THESQUAREBarbara, Kim andthe Lord Mayor3VICTORIA SQUARE, Manchester’s first social housing developmentis the subject of a new book, written by residents enjoying theirretirement in this historic setting.“Victoria Square – The Dwellings” is packed with photos, anecdotes,facts and stories about life in the Square throughout its history.Victoria Square was built in 1894 to help clear slums in Manchester.It is one of the most iconic buildings in Manchester’s history and is nowa Grade 2 listed building with over 166 residents.The exciting project was brought to life by Kim Wiltshire, who works for thehealth charity, Lime. Kim was working with residents at Victoria Square andwas inspired by the enthusiasm they had for the building and its historyWith help from Barbara Pringle (Secretary of the Victoria Square TenantsAssociation) and Donna Ward (Northwards’ Scheme Manager at VictoriaSquare), residents secured an Arts Council Grant of £5,000 to help getthe book published.Barbara Pringle spoke of how happy they arewith the results; “The book gives a wonderfulinsight in to the life and times of this incrediblebuilding. We’d like to thank all the residents whohave helped make the project possible. Everyoneinvolved has worked really hard and we couldn’tbe happier with the outcome!”Victoria Square ‘The Dwellings’ was launched at Victoria Square in December 2008, Manchester’s LordMayor Mavis Smitheman was there to say a few words of praise to all involved in the project.It’s available in local schools and libraries.ARE YOU LIVING IN ANOVERCROWDED HOME?Is it making life difficult for you and your family?Or is it time for a smaller, easier to manage property?NORTHWARDS HOUSING IS KEEN TO REDUCE OVERCROWDING IN HOMES.Overcrowding can have serious effects on families’ health, education and wellbeing. Due toa shortage of large family homes it can be many years before we can move you to a larger property.To help tenants living in overcrowded homes we have a new Housing Options Officer,Frances McDermott.Frances will carry out home visits to look at the effect overcrowding has on families.She will be able to give advice on how to make life easier, like the different housingoptions available. She may be able to provide practical adaptations like fold downdesks or an extra wash hand basin. She can also refer tenants who need support tohealth agencies and mediation services.Frances is here to help overcrowded tenants achieve a better quality of life whileraising awareness of other housing options such as low cost home ownership.Frances will also be working with tenants who are looking to move into a smaller,easier to manage home.If you think that you could benefit from talking to Frances, then please get in touchwith her on 0161 953 2662 or email: housingoptions@northwardshousing.co.ukFrances can help you

4Down the drainDid you know one of the problems in theNorthwards area is blocked drains! We spenda fortune each year on unblocking your toiletsand drains which could easily be avoidedwith a bit more care.Every day unsuitable items are flushed down toilets andwashed down sinks causing all kinds of nasty blockages.Take a look at our handy check list and if in doubt – throwit out!These things must be wellwrapped and put in the bin:NappiesIncontinence productsCondomsRazor bladesTightsPlasters and bandagesBaby wipesTampons/towelsCotton buds/woolDental flossFeeling the benefitGoing back to work? Make sure you’regetting all the benefits you’ re entitled to!You could claim more than £2,000 in Return toWork Credits if:• You have been claiming sickness benefit for over 13 weeks• You are starting work for 16+ hours a week, in a jobexpected to last more than five weeks, with a wageof less than £15,000 per yearBut you MUST make your claim at the Job Centrewithin five weeks of starting work.Return to WorkCredits pay an extra£40 a week on top ofyour wage, tax creditsand housing benefitsfor the first 12 monthsin your new job.Don’t forget to claimwithin five weeks ofstarting work.FACING REDUNDANCY? IF YOU GET SOME MONEY, IT’S WORTH GETTING PROFESSIONAL ADVICE ON WHAT TO DO WITH IT.You could be entitled to job seekers allowance, income support, housing and council tax benefits and tax credits.Ask at the Job Centre as soon as possible!If you are already getting tax credits remember to tell the Inland Revenue straight away about your change in circumstances.Otherwise you might receive payments you are not entitled too, which you will need to pay back.Say hello to David LeahDavid is one of ourindependent board members.He joined the NorthwardsBoard in September 2008,and we thought it was abouttime we got to know hima bit better.David has spent most of his working life in socialhousing. He grew up with his 13 brothers andsisters in Higher Blackley in one of Northwards’very own properties! Before moving to Londonto study Applied Social Sciences at university.So what happened after university David?I went straight into the construction industry,training first as a bricklayer and then as a buildingsurveyor. I married a fellow student and we havetwo wonderful children.What special skills and experience canyou bring to the Northwards board?I have worked in public sector housing for over 25 years,for Local Authorities, housing associations, and privatedevelopers, and have lots of experience in buildingand renovating houses. I think these practical skillscan contribute to the work of Northwards.Why did you decide to join our board?For the last six years I have been a Partner in asuccessful company, called Red Loft, which providesdevelopment services for public and private sectorclients throughout England.Staff at Red Loft are encouraged to give something backto the sector we work in. When Northwards advertisedfor new board members I decided to offer my services.Northwards manages the house I grew up in andcontributes to neighbourhood improvements in thecommunity that gave me an excellent start in life.It’s great to be able to give something back!

YOUR NORTHWARDS5By now you should all know about ourquarterly prize draw Northwards Xtra.It’s a unique reward scheme for people who have been tenants for at least12 months, pay their rent on time, and keep to their tenancy agreement rules.If you fit the bill you’re automatically entered into the four-times-a-yearprize draws, with the chance to win up to £1,000.£50Since we launched the scheme in September 2008 we have given away a total of £6,000! Plus awhole host of special prizes like LCD TVs, digital TV recorders, lap top computers and dab radios.We’re keen to hear what you think of Northwards Xtraand would love to hear your ideas for good prizes!The best three suggestions will receive a £50 shoppingvoucher and the winners will be invited to join us fordrinks and nibbles at our next prize draw celebration!We’re looking for ideas for prizes suitable for men andwomen of all ages, family prizes are great too.Write to us at: Northwards Xtra, Freepost NorthwardsHousing HQ and don’t forget to include your address!Hot Cross Bun PuddingEaster is just around the corner and the shops are full of hot crossbuns! Make the most of this tasty, cheap teatime treat and try ouryummy spin on bread and butter pudding!IngredientsFour hot cross bunslow fat spread½ lemon, grated rind2.5ml/½ tsp ground cinnamon2 eggs450ml/¾ pint milkbrown sugarMethod1 Cut each bun into three slices, put the top slices to one sideand spread the rest with low fat spread. Arrange them in around, deep oven proof dish.2 Sprinkle with the lemon rind and cinnamon and finish withthe four bun tops.3 Beat the eggs with the milk and strain the mixture overthe buns.4 Sprinkle some brown sugar on the top. Bake at 180C/350F/Gas 4 for about 40 minutes or until the top is crisp andgolden and the pudding is risen and set. Serve hot withloads of custard!

6Environmental MattersHere at Northwards we want to keep your neighbourhood looking its best. A well caredfor estate helps us to take pride in the neighbourhood and attracts new people to thearea. We have special Environment Officers to keep our estates clean and tidy.Our Environment Officers (EOs) are out on the estates every day, working closely withtenants and residents. They check gardens, communal areas, blocks of flats, green spacesand alleys, to make sure everything is clean and tidy. By being out and about every daythey can deal with problems quickly.Managing yourNeighbourhoodTo make sure that all tenants and residentscan assist us in keeping the estates tidy,we have published a leaflet “Managing yourneighbourhood” which has help and adviceon all things environmental.It’s available to download from ourwebsite www.northwardshousing.co.uk,and on our DVD, if you would likeus to send you a copy, please call0161 953 2662.FLY TIPPINGEach year in the UK, households throw away almost30 million tonnes of waste, that’s the same as4.3 million African elephants or 109,000 of theworlds largest passenger aircraft!Dumping unwanted items causes a real eyesore. Our EOs are onthe lookout for dumped rubbish and can arrange to have itremoved by Manchester City Council.If you have unwanted bulky refuse, the City Council will remove itFREE OF CHARGE from outside your home. Just call 0161 954 9000,or report it online at www.manchester.gov.ukIf the items can be reused, why not donate them to charity?The following charities will call and take away your unwantedfurniture and most electrical items FREE OF CHARGE.The Mustard Tree 0161 244 5493Age Concern Manchester 0161 833 3944Scoop that poop!Dog fouling is a real problem in some areas and it’s something we want to stop.Did you know that you can receive an on the spot Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) of £80for allowing your dog to foul the pavement? Our Northwards Wardens are equippedto serve FPNs and will be out and about in areas where fouling is an issue.If dog fouling is a concern in your area,you can report the matter to ManchesterCity Council on 0161 954 9000 and wewill work with the Street EnvironmentManagers and the Dog Wardens tostop it once and for all!

Graffiti really spoils how our estates look. We will dealwith graffiti quickly and in the case of racist or other“hate” graffiti, will make sure it is removed within24 hours of being reported.If you see graffiti, simply call 0161 954 9000and we will come and clean it off.Garden Competition2 9To encourage residents to take pride intheir gardens and to reward those withgreen fingers, Northwards will be runninga garden competition this year.We will be looking for bright, colourful and original displays.Why not make an unusual feature, or turn your hedge from aboring boundary into a work of art?Make the most of the space you have and get extra points forthinking about the environment too. We will be looking forthose planet saving features, such as composters, water butts,wormeries and use of environmental friendly products.Our judges drawn from our three AreaPanels will be out and about later in the year.If you are interested in enteringyour garden please write to:Northwards Natter Gardening Competition,Freepost, Northwards Housing HQ,and we will send you an application form.7Baby carrotsBaby carrotsGreen spacesWe want the area around your home to bekept neat and tidy throughout the year.Delicious tender, bite sizedDelicious tender, bite sized, baby carOur regular Estate Walkabouts mean that you can meetwith us to discuss concerns and point out to us areasthat need extra attention.If you would like details of the next walkabout inyour area, please call 0161 953 2662, or visitwww.northwardshousing.co.uk

8Colin Campbell (left) accepts £500 fromLarry Patrick, Director of Property ServicesCHRISTMAS PRESENTS!Northwards Xtra is a scheme that rewards tenants who keepa clear rent account and have no history of anti social behaviour.These tenants are automatically entered into a quarterlyprize draw to win fantastic prizes.We held our second prize draw in Decemberand celebrated with a party to thank someof north Manchester’s model tenants.Colin Campbell was the lucky winnerof £500. Colin said:“The money came as a great surprise; I havewanted to decorate my daughter’s bedroomfor a long time – now I can finally do it!”Kevin Heywood, who attended thecelebration with his family, won alaptop and said:“Now I can keep in touch with my familymore easily, because some of them live inAustralia! But I don’t know how to use it yetso my daughter is going to teach me how!”WINThree digitalcamera packagesPrizes may differ from images shown

9“It is nice to give something back to tenants,especially at Christmas time! By rewardingthose who keep to the conditions of theirtenancy we are hoping more tenants willbe encouraged to do the same.”Robin Lawler, Chief Executive of NorthwardsSheila Winstanley (left) accepts £250 fromJoan FitzGerald, Tenant Board MemberWinners in full:£1,000 – Samuel Haines – Charlestown£500 – Claire O’Conner – Cheetham, Colin Campbell – Cheetham£250 – Sheila Winstanley – Newton Heath, Mr Davies – Charlestown,Irene Simpson – Moston, Duane Aaron – City CentreLaptop – Kevin and Kathleen Heywood – CharlestownWii fit – Joseph O’Hara – MostonDigital TV recorder – A Holmes – Blackley, Agnes Draper – Newton HeathLCD TV – Jack Wolfenden – Monsall, Alan Ashton – CharlestownDab radio – George Benson – Charlestown, Kerry Deblo –Cheetham,Angela Gibson – HarpurheyHamper – Patrick Bonner – Higher Blackley, Lynne Holloren – Higher Blackely,Peter and Sandra Sykes – Newton HeathKevin Heywood and familyResidents enjoyingthe presentationThe next draw will take place on 25 March 2009,and we have even more fantastic prizes to give away!The top prize of £1,000Two cash prizes of £500Four cash prizes of £250Two flat screen TVsA laptop computerA camcorderThree digital camera packages including camera,digital photo frame and printer.Two Asda £100 shopping vouchersThree sets of gardening tool.

The ApprenticeManchester City Council and ManchesterWorking Limited are offering apprenticeopportunities in the following trades:• Mechanical Engineering• Electrical Engineering• Plumbing• Multi Trades• Joinery• Bricklaying• Site Management• Quantity Surveying• Administration / Back OfficeApplicants must be over 16. If you are interested pleaseapply via your local Connexions office or ConstructionIndustry Solutions based at Manchester College(MANCAT) Openshaw.Or join us for an informal discussion at ManchesterTown Hall, (Conference Hall), on 15 April 2009between 10am and 4.00pmYOUR HIRED!To find out a bit more about apprenticeships, we caughtup with Northwards tenant Tom Hancock who is trainingas a Heating Engineer with Manchester Working.How did you find out about the apprenticeship Tom?My Connexions advisor told me about it, I found them really helpful.What were you doing before you started?I had some experience of working as a plumber for a differentconstruction firm, but they didn’t offer a qualification like theapprenticeships with Manchester Working.Are you enjoying the work?Yes definitely! I’ve found something that I really enjoy doing.My supervisor is brilliant and I always feel like I get the supportI need.Do you think it will help you get the job you want?At the end I will have a recognised qualification that will be abig help. It’s also helped me build up confidence working as aheating engineer and dealing with people. I’ve learnt some usefulcommunication skills.11The start date for these positionsis Tuesday 1st September 2009.Well done Tom and good luck withthe rest of your Apprenticeship!BeforeChanging Rooms!Manchester Working and Northwards Housing haverevamped the community room at Kentmere Courtin Blackley. The tired old kitchen units have beenreplaced with stylish new ones turning the room intoa bright and welcoming place to stop off for a brew!AfterThe original idea came from the chair person of MoorwayTenants association, Charlotte Grant. Charlotte, (pictured)helped to choose the design and worked closely with MWLand Northwards to see the project through from start to finish.The community room was only able to open three times aweek with room for about 10 people. Now the room seats15 and the residents hope to open every day!As you can see from our before and after shots, the residentsat Kentmere can now enjoy a friendly , bright meeting space!

12Are you satisfied?Last summer we carried out our 2008 Customer Satisfaction Survey.Well the results have been counted and verified and the good news iswe are improving all the time and the vast majority of you are pleasedwith our performance! Congratulations to Mr. Yardley of EasingtonWalk, Lightbowne. He won £200 in shopping vouchers just forfilling in his survey and returning it to us on time. So look out forthe 2009 survey which will be coming through your letterbox soon,to be in with a chance of winning yourself!CONTACTINGNORTHWARDSMost of you get in touch with us over the phone(84%), so we were pleased to discover that 85%of you are satisfied with how long it took to answeryour call. And three quarters of you (77%) found iteasy to get hold of the right person. 85% of yousaid the person you spoke to had been helpful.For those of you who prefer tovisit us in person most of youfound our offices clean and tidy(90%), and 78% of you ratedyour visit as excellent orgood, which is a hugeimprovement on the2007 survey of 67%.85%are satisfied withour call response.Repairs and maintenanceThree quarters of you are satisfied with the day to day repairs and maintenanceservice, which is slightly less than in the 2007 survey. 88% of you are satisfiedwith the attitude of the workers who have visited your home. But 46% of yousaid that more than one visit was needed before the job was finished, whichis more than the 38% recorded in the last survey. To improve on this our repairsteam have started using hand-held technology, which links to a computersystem that records when jobs are complete and gives details of the nextjob on the list, it even gives the tenant the chance to fill in a satisfactionsurvey! We feel that this will improve communication and allow morerepairs to be completed at the first visit.Your neighbourhoodThree quarters (76%) of you are satisfied withthe area you live in, which is a slight increasefrom our 2007 survey (75%). And 68% of youfeel very safe or fairly safe in your area.This is also an increase on the 2007 survey.We were really pleased to hear that you havenoticed some of the improvements we havemade to the green spaces, gardens, fences,hedges and trees, more of you said that thiswas good than in our 2007 survey.Of course we don’t feel safe all the time andthe majority of your feel unsafe in yourneighbourhood because of gangs of youthshanging around the streets. Hopefully this willbecome less of an issue now the NorthwardsWardens are on patrol over the whole of theNorthwards area, and we hope to seean improvement in our next survey.88%are satisfied withour repair team.75%are satisfied with thearea they live in.WIN£200Just fill in our 2009satisfaction surveyWe discovered that three quarters of you are satisfied with the overall service provided by Northwards, whichis a slight increase on last year. We are really pleased that you’ve all noticed the improvements that have beenmade. These surveys really help us to see where we can do better and we thank you for your time in fillingthem in. Remember the 2009 survey will be through your door soon so please share your thoughtsand experiences and keep us on our toes!

13Resident ForumsGET INVOLVEDResident Forums are a great way for tenants and residents to get involved. The forums givetenants and residents their chance to have their say. You can get involved as much or as littleas you want, depending on the time you’ve got and the contribution you want to make.It’s up to you! on:If you are interested in becoming involved in any of our Forums, please contact:Julie Goreham on 0161 740 8332.Communications ForumThis group make sure all Northwards communicationsare tenant friendly, which means that they don’t usecomplicated language. Once the group approves,it gets a tenant friendly stamp!The Disability ForumThis forum helps Northwards improveservices for people with a disability.Access to Services ForumThis forum is for anyone who has an interest in helpingNorthwards look into new, more friendly ways of servingour customers.Resident Involvement ForumThe main aim of the forum is to encourage members toshare ideas, expertise and experiences with the group, tohelp improve Northwards’ resident involvement service.Repairs & Improvements ForumThis is a great way to find out more about the repairsand home improvement services and gives tenants theopportunity to make a real contribution to improvingthe services.LGBT ForumThis forum meets to discuss ways to improve servicesand customer satisfaction for lesbian, gay, bisexual andtransgender (LGBT) tenants.Retirement Housing ForumThis lively forum welcomes all residents who live inretirement housing.They make suggestions for improvements to schemes.The Complaints PanelLooks at how well Northwards respond tocomplaints and makes sure we pick up onproblems to improve our service.The BME ForumAnyone with an interest in issues facing black andminority ethnic people.They recommended that a newtenant friendly leaflet should be produced to encouragetenants to come forward to report incidents.Leaseholder ForumThe main aim of the forum is to listen to concerns andshare ideas for improving how Northwards Housingmanages leaseholder property, including any repairsand improvements.High Rise Living ForumThe forum meets to discuss issues involvingresidents of multi story blocks and helps todevelop and improve the services.Allocations ForumHelps us deliver one of our main services. They look at howto register for rehousing, how to access services and howto make sure we provide the best service.

14Cleaners: on the road!Northwards is pleased to welcome a brand new team and service! Ten staff join us fromManchester Housing’s Mobile Cleaning Team.They are now part of the Retirement Housing and Caretaking Service and will be helping to keepproperties sparkling and providing domestic help to some of the retirement schemes.When they are not on the road, they will be based at Riverpark in newly refurbished accommodationwith office space, changing rooms and storage for all their cleaning materials. This will help make surethat the Mobile Cleaning Team continues to provide the very highest quality services to residents.Tony Budgett, Caretakingand Retirement HousingManager said:“I am really pleasedthe team are joiningus - they have alwaysprovided a professionaland valued service.”Home improvementsupdateJudith Tchuisseu, of Sandyhill Court,Blackley, enjoying a brew in her greatnew kitchen.It’s all systems go with the home improvements team.They have been busy fitting stylish new kitchens,sparkly new bathrooms and secure new windowsover the whole of the Northwards area.So far we have spent a whopping £112 millionbringing homes up to the decent homes standard!And 97% of residents say they are satisfied orvery satisfied with the results!We’re really cracking on and all 12,500Northwards homes will enjoy the benefitsof major improvements by 2011.Here’s the story up to the end of December 2008:Number of improvements 14,315New kitchens and bathrooms 6,164New windows 7,208Other improvements(rewiring, boilers etc.) 943

Life less ordinary13 15‘Favourite Things’An exhibition celebrating25 years of the ManchesterJewish Museum.When: 24 March – 27 May10.30am – 4.00pmMonday to Thursday1.00pm – 5.00pm on Sunday£3.95 for adults£2.95 concessionsTel: 0161 834 9879Family History HelpdeskWant to trace your familyhistory, but not sure whereto start? Free, expert advicefrom the Manchester andLancashire Family HistorySociety.When: Every weekLocation: Central Library,Archives and Local StudiesTime: 11:00 – 15:00Address: Central Library,St. Peter’s Square,Manchester, M2 5PD.Tel: 0161 234 1900(switchboard)Cost: FreeA Celebration of Culturein North ManchesterFancy tasting food fromround the world? Want to seedancers from Bollywood to hiphop? Love to hear music fromBroadway to gospel?And want to do all thisfor FREE?Come along and help uscelebrate the diversity ofthe community in northManchester.When: 28 May 2009Location: Abraham MossCentre, Crescent Road,CrumpsallTime: 2pm - 5pmA Night Less Ordinary!Now here’s something youdon’t see every day – a freenight out at the theatre!If you’re under 26 and wantto try something different,then you can get free ticketsto some of the best showsaround.Visit: http://www.anightlessordinary.org.uk/to claim your free tickets.Street life footballWhen: 27 March 2009Weekly, 7pm to 9pmJust turn upFor children aged 12 to 16.Our Lady’s sports centre,Chain Road, BlackleyFor more information contact:0161 220 5910, after 5pm,Monday to FridayCost: Free

Extra services for customers with reduced hearing or visionTo get this newsletter in large print, Braille and on CD:Call 0161 953 2662 E-mail: info@northwardshousing.co.ukFax: 0161 953 2660 Text phone: 0161 953 2526AlbanianArabicChineseCzechFrenchKurdishPortugueseSomaliUrdu0161 953 2662Housing Publication 09/02/20 March 09 (newsletter) for Northwards Housing Ltd