Get Connected Spring 2017

THE MAGAZINE FOR RESIDENTS
Spring 2017
Evolve
New activities for
men in Kirklees
£2,240,000 funding
for new homes
Latest benefit cap
help and advice
1

2
In this issue:
3 High Five
Latest news and events
4
Affected by the
benefit cap?
Help and advice about
the benefit cap
6 The CRF helped
our heroes
A special guest joined
the CRF general meeting
8 New build
developments
Including £2,240,000
funding for new homes
10
Happy birthday
Our COPS group
is 10 years old
12 Stay safe online
Internet safety tips
14 Evolve Kirklees
New activities group
for men in Kirklees
18 Wrap up for
Winter
Helping those in need
and homeless charities
19 Engage Leeds
Introducing a new
housing support
service in Leeds
Welcome
It’s Spring again – the
season that brings new
growth, longer days and
hopefully blue skies.
On that theme, we have lots
of new developments and
opportunities to share.
We’re delighted to welcome
new staff to Connect, who
will be working with us as
part of Engage Leeds, which
you can read more about on
page 19.
We have been allocated
over £2 million funding to
build another 68 new homes
across West Yorkshire.
We’re also using new
technology to develop 10
energy-efficient homes in
Leeds. You can find out more
about this on pages 8-9.
We’re looking for new
tenants to join our Board
– take a look at page 3 to
see how you can help run
Connect and have your say.
The CRF is looking for new
members and you can find
out more on page 6.
Thank you
If you’re over the age of
50 then COPS need you!
They want new people to
help shape older people’s
services – see page 11.
It’s also a year since we gave
Get Connected a new look.
We’ve had great feedback –
thanks to everyone who got
in touch. If you’d like to be
part of the next issue or give
us feedback we’d love to hear
from you.
Share your
thoughts
Get in touch by
phone, email,
Facebook or Twitter
0300 5000 600
communications@
connecthousing.org.uk
/ConnectHousing
@ConnectHousing
Tenants, volunteers and community partners have all been
involved in this issue of the magazine and we’d like to say
a big thank you to the Connect Residents Federation (CRF)
and Kevin Mitchell (Help for Heroes); all of the Connect
Older People’s Strategists (COPS) especially Annette and
Chris; everyone from the Hidden Memories Café; Kane and
Kara from Swan Lane; Evolve football coach Jonny Morgan,
volunteer Glen, Kieran and all the Evolve participants; and
Louise Venton who helped us Wrap up for Winter.
High Five
News you can use
Easter closure times
We will be closed on Friday 14th April and Monday 17th April.
For all emergencies including repairs and anti-social behaviour
incidents during this time please call 0300 5000 600.
Be appy!
The allpay app is a free
mobile app that allows
you to make rent payments
from your phone anytime, anywhere.
It’s available to download from the
Apple App Store, Windows Phone
Store or Google Play.
The allpay app is completely secure –
all you need is a payment swipe card.
If you would like to know more or need
to order a payment swipe card just call
us on 0300 5000 600.
May Bank
Holidays
We will be closed
on Monday 1st May and
Monday 29th May. You can
still call 0300 5000 600
and speak to our out-ofhours
service to report
anti-social behaviour or
an emergency repair.
Help run
Connect!
Keeping
Leeds tidy
Connect is proud to be involved with the
Litter Free Leeds movement after attending
the Clean Leeds Conference in February.
The event was run by Leeds City Council
and explored ways in which issues such
as graffiti and littering can be tackled.
Connect will be working with other
organisations to help keep your community
and Leeds litter free. For more information
please visit: www.twitter.com/clean_leeds
We’re on the lookout for another tenant to join
our Board, due to one of our current tenant Board
Members stepping down later this year. It’s an
opportunity for you to help shape the way we deliver
services and have your say. The Board is made up of
volunteers who are responsible for making sure that
we are properly managed and set our future direction.
“Being a Board Member is an opportunity to learn
how Connect is run and to have a say in that yourself.”
Robert Chamberlain, Connect tenant and Board Member
Contact Sobia Iqbal on 0300 5000 600 or
email sobia.iqbal@connecthousing.org.uk
3

MONEY
MATTERS
MONEY
MATTERS
Affected by the
benefit cap?
About
the service
Money Matters is a free
and confidential service
that provides:
Help with welfare reform
and benefits
Budgeting and debt advice
Ways of reducing fuel
costs and improving
energy efficiency
Digital skills training
Help creating CVs, job
searching, volunteer
and apprenticeship
opportunities
Health and wellbeing
support
We’re here to help
The benefit cap is a government policy that
restricts the total amount a household will be
able to claim in benefits. The cap only applies
to people of working age and does not affect
people of pension credit age.
The first cap was applied in April 2013 and the new
lower cap was rolled out between 7th November 2016
and 30th January 2017. In some cases, families will
see a reduction of their entire Housing Benefit award,
leaving them with just 50p.
What are the rates?
£384.62
Couple, with or
without children
£384.62
Single parent family
(children living with you)
£257.69
Single person
v
Which benefits are included in the cap?
• Bereavement Allowance
• Child Benefit
• Child Tax Credit
• Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) –
Assessment or Work Related Activity Group
• Housing Benefit (unless you live in
supported/‘specified’ accommodation)
• Income Support
• Job Seeker’s Allowance
• Maternity Allowance
• Widowed Parent’s Allowance
• Widowed Mother’s Allowance
• Widow’s Pension
• Universal Credit
Are any benefits excluded from the cap?
You should be excluded from the cap if you or
your partner receive any of the following:
• Pension Credit
• Working Tax Credit
• Support component of ESA
• Industrial Injuries Benefits
• War Disablement Pension/Armed Forces
Compensation Scheme
• War Widow’s/War Widower’s Pension
• Carer’s Allowance*
• Guardian’s Allowance*
You should be excluded from the cap if you or a
dependent family member receive any of the following:
• Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
• Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
• Attendance Allowance or Constant
Attendance Allowance
• Armed Forces Independence Payment
*Before 7th November 2016 these benefits were included in the cap.
Get in touch ›››
If you are concerned about how the benefit
cap will affect you please contact:
Michelle Cox,
Money Matters Team
T: 0300 5000 600
E: moneymatters@
connecthousing.org.uk
What to do if you
can’t afford your
rent shortfall
CHECK
Make sure that the
benefit cap has been
applied correctly. A lot
of errors are being made.
It is important that you
check whether any of the
exclusions apply to you.
APPLY
Some people don’t realise
they are entitled to certain
benefits (particularly PIP
and DLA) that exclude
them from the benefit
cap. Make sure you apply
for any benefits you are
entitled to. You may be
entitled to Discretionary
Housing Payments (DHP)
to help you cover the
shortfall and we can help
you apply.
LOOK
Take a look at your income
and outgoings. Can you
make any savings that
would help you pay the
rent shortfall? We can
help you look at this if
you’re struggling.
4 FIND
The cap doesn’t apply to
people who are working
enough hours to receive
working tax credits.
Finding suitable work
will stop the cap being
applied. We can help
with your job search.
4
5

CRF
The CRF helped
our heroes
On Tuesday 14th February, the Connect Residents Federation (CRF) held
their bi-monthly general meeting at Hawthorn Mill in Leeds. Their guest
speaker was Kevin Mitchell, a volunteer from Help for Heroes, who spoke
about his experiences and the work of the charity.
Kevin told the CRF about
how the funds they raised
are used to build and support
recovery centres, create
specialised hospitals, provide
travel for families to visit
injured loved ones, deliver
mental health support,
as well as physical and
educational programmes.
He also shared stories of
how the charity helps injured
servicemen and women get
their life on track and live
independently.
This inspired the CRF to
donate generously to the
charity raffle, resulting
in a record breaking CRF
donation of £101!
After a delicious buffet,
members spent the
afternoon chatting and
crafting. They also got
creative and decorated
candle holders and
stained glass ornaments.
It was a great afternoon and
the CRF invite you to come
along and try it for yourself.
I’ve had
the best
afternoon!
I’m really
surprised at
how fun the
meeting was
and I will
definitely
be attending
again.
First-time CRF attendee
Try a taster
session
The CRF is holding a taster
session on Tuesday 16th
May, 11am to 1.30pm in
Leeds. The session will
combine fun activities and
the group will tell you, in
their own words, about the
role of the CRF and what
it means to be a member.
Lunch and transport will
be provided, all you have
to do is book your place.
So if you’re not currently
a member of the CRF, then
this taster session might be
just what you need to help
you decide whether to join.
If you’d like to attend a meeting or find
out more about joining the CRF contact:
Lisa Longbottom, Tenant Involvement Officer
T: 0300 5000 600
E: lisa.longbottom@connecthousing.org.uk
Join the CRF
The CRF is an independent
organisation run by tenants
for tenants. They scrutinise
Connect, help to shape and
improve services and they
want you!
• You don’t have to
attend every meeting
to be a member
• General meetings are
bi-monthly for two hours
• Transport to and from
meetings is provided
by Connect
• The meetings usually
feature a guest speaker,
refreshments, a fun
activity and a charity
raffle
• It’s a great way to
meet other tenants
in a relaxed social
atmosphere
Diary dates
2017
General meeting:
Tuesday 13th June, 6-8pm
Huddersfield
AGM 2017:
Tuesday 11th July, 4-7pm
Venue TBC
6
7

HOMES
HOMES
funding to build
68 new homes
8
We are delighted to announce
that we have been allocated
£2,240,000 from the Homes
and Communities Agency.
With this funding we are planning
to build another 68 new homes
across West Yorkshire as part of
the Shared Ownership Affordable
Homes Programme 2016-2021.
Our programme will also include more
homes to support people experiencing
mental health problems.
We’re thrilled to secure
this funding which helps
us to continue to create
affordable housing in
West Yorkshire. We’re
committed to helping
people who want to step
onto the housing ladder
through our innovative
home ownership options.
Phil Lacey, Senior Development Officer,
Connect Housing
Eco-friendly
living for an
affordable
future
In a first for Connect Housing and
the City of Leeds, we are excited to
share the news that we are building
ten new energy-efficient homes for
low rent in East Leeds.
These two-bedroom properties, located on
Boggart Hill Road in North Seacroft, are
being built to the Passivhaus Low Energy
Building Standard. They will be highly
insulated and airtight with a whole-house
energy-efficient ventilation system. The
homes will have solar panels with battery
storage and an intelligent heating system.
All of which will deliver lower bills for
residents, with energy use for a typical
household expected to be in the region
of £200* per year.
We will work with residents to help them
get the best out of their new home and to
understand the dos and don’ts of living in
a low carbon property.
The new homes will be ready in September
2017 and the tenancies will be allocated
through Leeds Homes. The scheme is 100%
Affordable Housing and funding of £280,000
has been received as a grant from the
Homes and Communities Agency.
For updates on the progress of
these unique homes visit our blog at
www.connecthousing.org.uk/Boggarthill
*Based on current energy costs and standard industry
modelling.
Connect is really
pushing the
boundaries of low
energy living with
these new properties.
I’m really excited to
see how they turn out
and perform for the
lucky tenants that
get to move in.
Martyn Broadest,
Director of Home, Connect Housing
9

Happy
Birthday
10
OLDER
PEOPLE
This year our Connect Older People’s Strategists (COPS) are celebrating
their 10th birthday. COPS are a group of tenants aged 50 years and over
who are young at heart and are interested in improving services for older
people at Connect.
The group have achieved a
lot in 10 years. They have
created informative sheltered
housing promotional videos,
leaflets about exercise and
healthy eating and developed
a ‘keepsake of my wishes’
booklet, which many people
have found invaluable.
Members of the group
meet up to three times
a year to discuss areas
in older people’s services
that residents think are
important. Involving tenants
in the design and delivery
of Connect’s services is
an important part of our
strategy. At the meetings
we listen to the group to
discuss any changes they
would like to make to the
services we offer.
The group are extremely
proud of what they have
achieved so far and so are
we! We are grateful to them
for their dedicated work on
behalf of older people and
value the work they do.
To say thank you to the
members, we organised
a celebratory meal to mark
their birthday, which took
place on Thursday 16th
March at Manor Golf Club,
Drighlington.
It was a full house and
all members were in a
celebratory mood. The
group welcomed Sue
Hendry, founder of COPS,
as the guest of honour.
They looked back at the
achievements of the past
10 years and planned a time
capsule (a box containing
items such as the leaflets,
photographs and DVDs)
intended to be opened in
five years by future COPS.
COPS give
people of our
age group a
great service.
We have a good
laugh at every
meeting and
pull each other’s
legs. It’s the
bees knees!
Chris, COPS member
COPS
need you!
Rather than reflecting on
the past, COPS feel it is
important to move forward
and work towards what can
be achieved in the future.
In order to do this, they
would like your help.
If you are a Connect tenant
over the age of 50 and
interested in the services
and wider issues affecting
older people, COPS is
the group for you. You’re
welcome to join a session
and meet like-minded
people, have fun and help
design the services.
The group meets three
times a year (usually at
Hawthorn Mill in Leeds) and
tenants from all areas and
walks of life are welcome.
Connect can arrange free
transport to and from the
meetings and lunch and
refreshments are also
provided.
Each session involves a
bit of ‘work’ together and
a bit of fun thrown into the
mix. It’s a time to chat and
make new friends.
If you are interested in
joining COPS, contact:
Sarah Lumb, Senior
Scheme Manager
T: 0113 2311 561
E: sarah.lumb@
connecthousing.org.uk
MERRY MEMORIES
Back in December, our Hidden Memories Café
hosted their annual Christmas party. It was
bigger than ever before, with entertainment,
a huge banquet and fun activities.
The success of the party was all down to a generous
volunteer, Donna, who raised £200 towards the
Christmas bash. There was live entertainment from
a fantastic singer who got everyone on their feet, singing
their hearts out and dancing like nobody was watching!
There were Christmas games with many presents, festive
activities and fabulous food.
Fortunately, you don’t have to wait until next Christmas
to join in the fun – the Hidden Memories Café happens
on the first Thursday of every month from 1pm until 3pm
at Hawthorn Mill in Leeds. It’s designed to support people
who suffer with Alzheimer’s disease, dementia or any
form of memory loss. It’s proven to help with isolation
and loneliness amongst its participants.
The café also welcomes people who care for dementia
sufferers, such as carers and relatives, who may find
it beneficial to chat to other people in similar situations.
If you would like to attend the Hidden
Memories Café or find out more, contact:
Louise Clark, Scheme Manager
T: 0113 2311 561
E: louise.clark@connecthousing.org.uk
11

SAFETY
COMMUNITY
Stay
safe
online
We spoke to two young residents,
Kara and Kane at our Swan Lane
scheme, who have recently taken
part in some internet safety sessions.
They’ve put together some helpful
tips on how to keep your private
information safe and protect
yourself from computer crime.
The internet can be a valuable and fun
resource for entertainment, making
friends, keeping in touch and learning.
However, there are also a number of
risks associated with going online so it
is important to learn how to stay safe
when you’re ‘logged on’.
Most of us are connected via our laptops,
mobile phones, tablets or personal
computers, which means there are
many potential risks and dangers
of being online. These can include
inappropriate content, communicating
with people you don’t know, fraud or
identity theft and sharing personal
information with unsafe sites.
There are a number of simple measures
which you can take to protect yourself
against these risks. The precautions are
as simple as choosing safe passwords
and ensuring you have the right security
software installed, to learning how
to distinguish between genuine and
fraudulent websites and emails.
10 golden rules
for being cyber smart
Don’t give out personal information
such as your address or phone
number.
Don’t give out your password.
Your bank will never ask for your
password via email or on social
media but there are a lot of scams
that will do.
On social media, be careful who
you accept as a friend. Only add
people that you know.
Check that a website is secure and
genuine before entering personal
information. Secure sites such as
banks will have a small padlock
symbol in the address bar or in
your browser window and a web
address beginning with https://
(the s stands for ‘secure’).
Don’t open emails or attachments
from people you don’t know. They
could contain harmful viruses.
Use a strong password. Use a
mix of numbers, lower-case and
upper-case letters and avoid
words connected to your name
or date of birth.
Be aware when you post personal
pictures or videos on social media
– once you put a picture online it
can be viewed by most people.
Do not bully anybody online.
Be respectful to other people,
even if you don’t agree with them.
If you’re using a public or shared
device, make sure you log out of
any accounts you have used in
the session.
Never arrange to meet someone
who you’ve met online alone.
Made for men of all ages, Evolve is a new way
of getting active and trying something different.
Find out more on pages 14-17 >>>
12 13

Something
great is
evolving
Evolve Kirklees offers sporting and creative activities for all men,
no matter what their skill level, ability or experience. This new project
was created by our very own Support Services team and is run by
volunteers. We went along to one of the weekly football sessions
at The Zone in Huddersfield to see what it was all about.
The first thing that struck
us when we arrived was
the friendly, buzzing
atmosphere. The staff
and volunteers warmly
welcomed the participants
as they made their way onto
the pitch.
To kick things off Coach
Jonny warmed up the
players with various
exercises and taught the
group a new skill. Then
it was time to play some
matches and for the teams
to put their new skills to
the test.
When the teams are on the
sideline, it is an opportunity
for them to catch their
breath, have refreshments
and chat to other players
and volunteers.
Feedback shows that these
sessions are helping people
make new friends, providing
hours of weekly escapism,
improving fitness, teaching
new skills and offering
support.
These football sessions
are just the start. The word
Evolve means to develop
gradually – and that’s the
plan for this project, that it
will be shaped by feedback
and ideas. Future activities
planned include rugby,
photography and gardening
– all things the men taking
part so far have said they’d
like to see happening.
Evolve Kirklees is run by Connect
Housing and funded by Kirklees
Council, NHS North Kirklees
Clinical Commissioning Group, and
NHS Greater Huddersfield Clinical
Commissioning Group.
KIERAN
Kieran has been playing
football with Evolve for eight
weeks. He spoke to us about
his experience so far.
Q. How did you hear
about Evolve?
A. I found out about Evolve
from my brother. I’ve been to
every session. I keep coming
back because I enjoy it.
Q. There are lots of teams
out there – why Evolve?
A. It’s fun and I enjoy meeting
new people from different
countries. I get to mingle with
new people instead of seeing
the same old faces. I learn a
lot from different cultures, so
it’s really good. Everyone joins
in and has a laugh, everyone
talks and gets along – that’s
what football does.
Community is all about team
work, it’s how it is. For the
love of the game of football,
that’s what we do it for.
Q. What Evolve activity would
you like to try next?
A. Anything that is a new
experience and is good for my
CV and to build opportunities.
I wouldn’t mind playing a bit
of badminton. I’m a sporty
person, I like to run and keep
myself fit, that’s my number
one priority.
Q. Would you recommend
Evolve?
A. Yes, definitely. I’ve already
recommended it to a few
friends and they now attend.
We keep getting more people
to join as we’re advertising
through word of mouth and
Facebook. It’s going to get
bigger and we’ll have to book
more pitches!
Get in touch
If you’re interested
in getting involved in
Evolve, please contact:
0300 5000 900
evolve@connect
housing.org.uk
Get social
COMMUNITY
Keep up to date with
Evolve via social media
/EvolveKirklees
@EvolveKirklees
It’s fun and I enjoy
meeting people from
different countries.
I get to mingle with new
people instead of seeing
the same old faces.
Kieran
14 15

Volunteers who
make it work
Q. What did you enjoy about
your first session last week?
A. I was amazed at the
amount of people who
showed up to the football
session. It’s only been
going for about two months
and they’re getting a good
response. Some of the
people that are here are
going through problems, so
it’s good escapism for them.
Q. Would you recommend
volunteering?
A. Yes, I would recommend
it because it’s a very good
experience. It all came to
light because of Cheryl,
she saw something in me
that I couldn’t see. That’s
why I am here.
When you see them playing
football, it’s like the world has
been lifted off their shoulders.
They look happier. Football is an
international language – half of
the players can’t talk to each other
because of a language barrier,
but they point and understand.
Glen, Volunteer
COMMUNITY
If you’d like to find out more about
becoming a volunteer please contact:
Tom Dunn, Volunteer Services Co-ordinator
T: 0300 5000 653
E: tom.dunn@connecthousing.org.uk
The Evolve project is possible because of the volunteers who generously
give their time to help run it. These volunteers are part of Connect’s
volunteering scheme - which helps people gain valuable experience and
make positive changes to both their own lives and the lives of others.
GLEN
We caught up with Glen (pictured left)
a Connect tenant who helps out at the
football sessions through our volunteering
programme.
Q. How did you find out about Evolve?
A. Cheryl from Connect‘s Money Matters
team put me onto the possibility of doing
social work. I mentioned that I wanted to
try something different as originally I was
an engineer but I got made redundant, so
I was trying to work out what type of job
I wanted to get into. She said because I’m
a people person, that I should give it a try.
She put me in contact with Tom, the
Volunteer Services Co-ordinator at
Connect, who interviewed me.
He felt that I was good at talking and
expressing myself, so I might be good at
volunteering. I thought I would give it a try.
Q. How are you finding volunteering
at Evolve?
A. The more I am doing it, the more I’m
thinking, “yeah, there’s something really
good here”. The reason I got into social work
is because men don’t usually talk about their
problems, so I wanted to be someone who
could help men to be more open and talk
about themselves.
My CV looked a bit empty, so the more things
I do, the fuller it will get. My friends always
come to me with their problems, I am like
a psychiatrist sometimes! I never knew,
but Tom saw it in me.
16 17

Wrap up
for Winter
Wrap up for Winter was a successful project that collected warm clothes for
several local homeless charities in December 2016. It was a collaboration
between Connect Housing, Leeds and Yorkshire Housing, Yorkshire Housing,
and Leeds City Council.
Engage
Leeds
Housing support services in Leeds are changing.
Connect is proud to be part of a new city-wide
visiting housing support service which launched
on Monday 3rd April 2017.
The new service is called Engage Leeds and we will
be working alongside our partner organisations, GIPSIL,
BARCA and Riverside, to help people reach their goals
and move towards independence.
This represents a significant increase in Connect’s
provision of support services in Leeds. We look forward
to telling you more about the Engage service in the next
edition!
COMMUNITY
Engage Leeds
will help:
• Prevent homelessness
• People sustain their
accommodation
wherever possible
• People integrate into
their local communities
Get in touch
www.engageleeds.org.uk
@Engage_Leeds
Winter is an especially
tough time for those who
are vulnerable, homeless
or in fuel poverty, and with
an estimated 3,569 people
sleeping on the streets every
night in the UK, we wanted
to do our part and help out
in any way we could.
Each organisation
collected donations from
their tenants, staff and
contractors. The collections
were shared with several
charities at an event at
Leeds Civic Hall on 20th
January. The charities were
Leeds Street Outreach, St
Georges Crypt, St Anne’s
and Emmaus and they all
distributed the warm clothes
to people who access their
services.
In total, we collected
over 40 bags of winter
clothes and coats! But the
collection didn’t stop there.
After speaking with the
charities involved, it became
apparent that there was a
great need for toiletries too.
Bradford-based company
McBride stepped in and
donated a whopping 15
bags of toiletries. A huge
heartfelt thank you goes out
to everybody who donated
and helped make this
project a huge success.
The project
has made a
real difference
to those in
need and it’s
great to hear
such positive
feedback from
the charities.
We were all
overwhelmed
by the donations
we received –
thank you!
Lisa Longbottom,
Connect Housing
18
19

Get in
MONEY
MATTERS
touch
0300 5000 600
www.connecthousing.org.uk
hello@connecthousing.org.uk
Connect Housing is
a charitable housing
association.
Our passion is for a
fairer society, where
people’s homes, health
and happiness matter.
/ConnectHousing
@ConnectHousing
Leeds Office
205 Roundhay Road
Leeds, LS8 4HS
Mon, Tues, Thurs: 9am - 5.30pm
Weds: 10.30am - 5.30pm
Fri: 9am - 5pm
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Weds: 10.30am - 5pm
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