Inspire Magazine - Spring 2017

Spring
2017
homes | health | community | support
MAGAZINE
Manchester
International Festival
Page8
Rentorbuy
-you choose!
Smart meters
are coming!
Page 6
Page12
facebook.com/inspiremagazine

Welcome
Welcometothe Spring 2017 edition of Inspire
Magazine from One Manchester.
There’ssomuchgoing on with our community groups and support
teams at the moment and you can find out all you need to knowabout
manyofthese projects in this issue.Whether youhave ahousing-related
query,you’re looking for work, hoping to start anew business, or have a
community group that needs support, we’reheretohelp.
In the last edition of Inspireweupdated you on our brand new
developments in Hulme,whereweare building 172apartments and
houses. We arestill on track for these to be completed by Autumn
2017,along with arange of other developments in Levenshulme,
Openshaw and Gorton. In fact we arenow looking to build morethan
1,000 newhomes in the next fiveyears. For moreinformation on these
developments, takealook at pages 10 and 11.
And it’s not all about newhomes; we’realso investing in our existing
homes too.Takealook at page 13 whereyou can read all about our
planned spend programme for the next fewyears. Thanks to the
money raised from building homes for rent at the standardmarket rate
and homes for sale,we’ll be able to spend moreonimproving your
neighbourhoods, making them betterplaces to live.
We hope you enjoy this issue of InspireMagazine.
The Inspireteam
www.facebook.com/inspiremagazine
@onemcr
Congratulations to
DeniseSouthworth from
Have yougot an interesting Fallowfield who is the
story from your community winner of the £20 Asda
that youwould liketotell us voucher from last issue’s
about? We’realways looking loan shark awarenessword
forneighbourhood news and search competition.
storiesofachievement to
shareinthe magazine and on
our website, so if you’dlike
your news to be considered
email inspire@onemanchester.co.uk
The best story in each issue will win a£20 Asda gift card.
Howto
contactus
Email
info@onemanchester.co.uk
Call us on
0330 3551002
Call Monday to Friday
8am-5.30pm.You can
also phonethisnumber for
emergencyrepairs (where there
is adanger to healthorsafety),
24 hours aday,seven days a
week to be transferred to the
out-of-hours service.
Useful numbers
We get lots of callsabout issues
dealtwithbyManchesterCity
Council.Hereare someuseful
numbers which might save you
time.
Permits car parking:
0161 2344199
Flytipping:
0161 2345000
Bins /recycling:
0161 2345000
Pest control:
0161 2344928
CouncilTax:
0161 2345000
Housing Benefit:
0161 2345003
Aids and adaptations:
0161 2771704
2
@onemcr

In thisissue...
5 6
Will you be
affected
by benefit
changes?
Smart Meters
are coming
Smart Meters are being
installed in homes across
Great Britain.
8
update
Manchester
International
Festival
The festival returns to the
city for its tenth year.
9
Teamsnominated
for TPAS Awards
OneMoney and Youth
Intervention teams
nominated for awards.
10
New homes for
Manchester
12
Rent or buy
-you choose!
We want to improve your
neighbourhoods, making
them better for everyone
who lives there.
Shared ownership, rent
to buy and market rent -
what does it all mean?
13 14
Improving our
existing homes
New homes and
improving housing.
Shop volunteers
to the rescue
We’re always proud of
the volunteers at the
Anson Community Shop.
15
update
Cooking up
astorm
OneManchester’s
cookery club held its
first class in March.
16
Linda’s
fundraising
award
One resident has recently
raised over £1,000.
17
Work placement
success stories
19
Are you agreen
champion?
Training and work
placement opportunities
give you ahelping hand.
Ourcommitmentto
improving the local
environment.
0330 355 1002
3

Want to save time with amore
convenientway to pay?
Our call
centres are
nowone
Followingthe merger of
Eastlands Homes and City
South, youwill have phoned a
differentnumber depending
on which tenancy contract
youhad.
We have nowmerged our
two call centres to benefit you
and provide amoreefficient
service.All customers, including
leaseholders, can nowcontact
us on our One Manchester
number 0330 355 1000.
This number is free to call from
alandline and amobile phone.
Our call centreopening times
are8am-5.30pm Monday –
Friday.Opening and closing
times may vary on Mondays,
Wednesdaysand Thursdays.
Direct Debit
Receiving and making payments
through your bank account is the
simplest way to pay your rent so
you don’thavetoworry about
remembering to pay.The Direct
Debit Guarantee means that we
can only collect the amount on
the day we agreed with you.
If this needs to change then we
will alwayswritetoyou to let you
knowinadvance.
Online
Visit www.onemanchester.
co.uk to pay your rent easily
online.You will need the tenancy
reference number which is on your
rent statement.
At aPayPoint outlet or
Post Office
You can use your rent payment
cardtopay at anyPayPoint
outlet displaying one of the
following signs:
Paybycash at any
storedisplaying the
PayPoint logo
Payatany Post Office
with cash, cheque or
debit card
Telebanking
Ask your bank for details of this
convenient way to pay.You will
need our sort code and account
number,depending whether
you areatenant of City South or
Eastlands Homes.
The account numbersare below:
City South tenants:
Sort code 20-55-13
Account number 13345165
Eastlands Homes tenants:
Sort code 01-05-11
Account number 36686794
You must quotethe tenancy
reference number which is on your
rent card.
Post
City South tenants can post a
cheque made payable to City
South Manchester Housing Trust.
Eastlands Homes tenants can
post acheque made payable to
Eastlands Homes Partnership.
Cheques should be sent to:
One Manchester,Cornbrook
House,217 Stockport Road,
Ardwick, Manchester,M12 4DY.
Please writeyour name and
addressonthe back of your
cheque with your tenancy
reference number –whichison
your rent statement.
Need help?
To discussyour payment options
or if you have anyquestions about
your rent card, please call our
Customer Services team on
0330 355 1002.
We have extraservices for
tenants with reduced or no
hearing or vision.
4
@onemcr

Will youbeaffected
by benefit changes?
Thereare lots of changes
being made to the benefit
system by the government
thatmight affectyou.
Our websiteprovides lots of useful
information on Universal Credit,
Employment &Support Allowance (ESA),
the Benefit Cap, Personal Independence
Payments and changes for EEA nationals.
Thereare videos explaining the changes
as well as lots of useful links and contact
details to giveyou the advice you need.
www.onemanchester.co.uk/welfare-reform/
Ifound work through volunteering
When Ginka and her husband left their
home in Bulgaria and movedtothe
UK in 2011, it meant leaving behind
their young daughter and the lifethey
knew. Having trained as ajournalist
in her home country,Ginka lacked
the necessary experience to find the
type of work she wanted in the UK.
After travelling around the country in
search of work, she eventually settled
in Manchester doing anight shift as a
support worker so that she could earn
the money to allowher daughter to join
her in the UK.
After hearing from afriend about how
volunteering had allowedthem to gain
skills and improve their employment
prospects, Ginka decided that it could be
the routeshe needed to followtofind her
dream job.
“In the beginning, Ididn’tknowhow or
wheretostart trying to find volunteering
and job opportunities. When Ilooked,
Ionly seemed to find one type of job
but IknewIjust had to keep trying.
“I registered with Manchester Volunteer
Centretotry to find volunteering
placements. Isaw an advert for the Credit
Union who were collaborating with The
Place at PlattLane as away to recruit more
volunteersand so Itook the opportunity.
“During my volunteering Imet Lil, who
was atrustee for The Place at PlattLane.
She was so encouraging and really fought
hardfor the volunteerstobegiven job
opportunities within the Credit Union.
“While volunteering, Iwas still working
my night shiftsasasupport worker.For
nearly ayear it meant Ionly had Sunday
free to spend time with my daughter and
husband. Iwould come home from my
night shift on aSundaymorning to takemy
daughter to tennis lessons. We would be
out all day and then it would be straight
back to work again on the Monday!”
Eventually,after working hardinher
voluntary position, Ginka was offered
full-time hoursasacredit controller,giving
her the security she needed to giveupher
night shifts.
“NowIfeel so lucky,Ihave afull-time job
and work Monday to Friday,nine to five,
so Ican see my family and spend time
with them at the weekends. My next goal
is to passmydriving test so that Ican get
to work moreeasily.Then Iwill be the
happiest person in the world!
“I recommend volunteering to anyone.
Without it, Iwouldn’tbewhereIam
now. People can become educated, but
without work experience it is impossible
to progress. Volunteering gives people
choices and options. If people want to
find something, they will. If Ican succeed,
they can!”
0330 355 1002
5

Smartmetersare coming!
Smart metersare being installed in homes acrossthe UK, replacing traditional meters
(including prepay meters) at no extracost. They arecalled “smart”metersbecause
they automatically sharehow much energy you’re using with your energy supplier.
We’veprovided alittle moreinformation on what it might mean foryou.
An endtoestimated bills
Smart metersmean your bills will be
accurate, not estimated. You will no
longer need to have manual meter
readings, or be faced with trying to work
out your bill from your ownreadings.
Once you have asmart meter,you’ll get
accuratebills from your energy supplier,
just as you do with your telephone bill.
Smart meterscan help save
youmoney
With every smart meter you areoffered an
in-home display.This digital device shows
exactly howmuch energy you’re using
and tells you exactly what it’s costing
you. This means you can work out which
appliances areguzzling the most energy
and makechanges.
Asmarter future
Smart metersare paving the way for a
moreenergy-efficient futureand area
crucial step towards the development
of the smart grid, awhole newway of
running the energy network. This means
energy supplierswill be betterable to
plan and manage the UK’selectricity
and gas.
Do Ihavetopay extrafor an
in-home display?
No.The in-home display will be issued
at no extracost when the smart meter is
installed. You will be shown the functions
of the in-home display when your meter is
installed. If you move into ahouse that has
asmart meter,but no display,you should
contact the energy supplier who will issue
one for free.Ifthe display breaks within
12 months, the supplier will replace it
for free.
What should Iexpect during
my smartmeter installation?
Installerswill remove the existing meter
and replace it with the newsmart meter
in the same place as the old meter.Ifthe
newsmart meter won’tfitinthat location,
and needs to be installed elsewhere, the
installer will ask you first. The installer will
also check that the gas appliances in your
home aresafeifyou arehaving agas smart
meter installed.
Will IneedOne
Manchester’s permission?
If you areaOne Manchester customer,
you do not need our permission to have a
smart meter installed if you areresponsible
for paying the energy bill (although you
should inform us).
HowdoIget asmart meter?
You can contact your energy supplier
and will be told when an installation
appointment will be made,orthat your
details will be added to awaiting list.
Who can accessmysmart meter data
and howisitused?
Only your supplier and they won’tshareany of it without your
permission, for example,with relevant thirdparties. The meter
will keep your data secure. Dependingonhowoften you’ve
agreed to shareitwith your supplier,yoursmart meter will send
half-hourly,daily or monthly meter readings (your usage data).
You can change your preference for howoften you sharethis
information at anypoint by getting in contact with your supplier
directly.Your energy supplier may also use this information
to provide tailored energy-efficiency advice and improve the
service they provide for you, including the accuracy of your
billing if you have given them permission to do so.You can find
out morebywatching the educational films online:
youtube.com/smartenergyGBAbout smart
6
@onemcr

Do Ineed aWi-Fi signal for
the meter to work?
No.Though it uses awirelesssystem,
smart meter technology does not use
Wi-Fi. Smart metersuse an entirely
separate, securewirelesssystem.
Ihave aprepay meter.Can I
still get asmart meter?
Yes. Anew smart meter will makeprepay
as easyaspay as-you-go on your mobile.
You will have the ability to switch easily
between credit and prepay modes. If you
wish to change from asmart prepay mode
to smart credit, or vice versa, therewill be
no need for aphysical meter change.
Can Iget some energysaving
tips?
Yes. You will be given energy-efficiency
advice as part of the installation visit. This
should include howtoread the in home
display and change household behaviour
to efficiently use energy.
Moreinformation can be found at:
youtube.com/smartenergyGB
Be energy smartwiththese tips
Don’twait until youget your smart meter to start making savings –hereare afew top
tips forreducingenergy usage in your home.
Kitchen/utility
• Only boil the water youneed in your kettle.This can
save £7 ayear.
• Line-dry clothes whenever possible.This could save
over £18 ayear.
• Wash clothes at 30°C rather than at higher
temperatures. This uses around 40% lessenergy and
could save £6 ayear.
• Keep pan lids on when boiling vegetables
–it’squicker and cheaper!
Bedrooms
• Don’tleave your mobile phone on charge all night
–most only need acouple of hours.
• Use the right togduvet forthe weather (lowtog in
summer and high toginwinter) to avoid having to
use the heating unnecessarily.
• Draw curtains at dusk to keep the heat in forwhen you
go to bed.
• During winter,set the heating to switch off shortly
beforeyou go to bed. It takes time forhouses to cool
down as well as warm up.
Living room
• Turn down the room thermostat by one degree.
This could save over £85 ayear,every year!
• Don’tleave things on standby.Acomputer switched
off instead of being on standby can save £6 ayear so
imagine if youswitched off all the appliances youleave
on standby!
• Get intothe habit of turning off the television at the
socket or on the set, and not leaving it on standby.You
can buy mains controllersthat do this by remotecontrol.
• Switch off lights when not in use as this could save
£15 ayear.Ifyou need extralighting use alow
wattage energy-saving lightbulb.
• Close internal doorstokeep the heat in the rooms you
arein.
Bathroom
• Use ashowertimer to reduce the amount of time youuse
your electric shower. Afour minuteshowercan save £15
ayear.
• Makesurethat rechargeable shavers and toothbrushes
arenot charged forlonger than necessary.
• Fit low-energy lightbulbs around the house.
Every low-energy lightbulb saves£3ayear if it
replaces atraditional lightbulb.
Information sourced from Energy Savings Trust, March 2016 energysavingtrust.org.uk/domestic/energy-saving-quick-wins
0330 355 1002
7

ManchesterInternational Festival
The Manchester International Festival (MIF) returns to thecityfor
itstenth year from 29 June -16July,bringing together audiences
and artists from differentwalks of lifeinvenues right across
GreaterManchester.
Amongst the highlights on this year’s
schedule is CottonPanic, amusical
drama by Jane Horrocks who comedy
fans may remember as Bubble from the
massively popular TV series ‘Absolutely
Fabulous’.
The whole festival looks set to be
afantastic event, and hereatOne
Manchester we aredoing our part to
try and connect our customerswith as
manydifferent community and cultural
experiences as possible.Wewill be
offering anumber of free tickets to various
events throughout the festival to anybody
who would liketoget involved in our
Cultural Ambassadorsproject.
The Cultural Ambassadorsare agroup of
volunteerswho help us spread the word
about the benefits of getting involved in
art and culture. They help us with projects,
takepeople to the theatreand givetheir
views about howwecan encourage more
One Manchester residents to enjoy the
brilliant cultural arts activities the city has
on offer.
Denise,who has been aCultural
Ambassador for three yearsdescribed the
role that they play within the community:
“Wetry and takecareofthe social side
of things, alot of the people in the
community need the opportunity to
connect with othersand that’s what it’s
all about. We do things to work with the
community likearrange theatretrips [to
the Royal Exchange and HOME] and visit
people who might not get to see many
other people.
“I think we all have aresponsibility where
we can to help people or givesomething
back, and although Imight have started
off thinking ‘I can get afreetheatretrip out
of this’, it’s become so much more!”
To see afull schedule of events during the Manchester International
Festival, please visit www.mif.co.uk
If you’dliketoget involved with our Cultural Ambassadorsproject,
email culture@onemanchester.co.uk for moreinformation.
On Topofthe World
Residents of four of One Manchester’s
towerblocks took to the stage in Gorton
and Hulme in March, performing works
as part of our project with the Royal
Exchange,‘On Topofthe World’. The
idea behind the project is to introduce
residents in the towerblocks to aworld
of performance and theatrethey might
not previously have had accessto.
Residents of Hopton and Meredith Court
bravely stepped forwardand delivered a
performance demonstrating their hidden
talents and skills to an audience at the Yard
TheatreinHulme,whilst residents from
Abbey and Cornwall Court performed
their work in the Gorton Monastery.Their
shows combined singing, dancing, and
even some fantastic impressions of wellknown
TV charactersand celebrities.
The debut performances were warmly
received by all. One resident who
performed at the Gorton Monastery
described his experience of the day:
“I was alittle bit worried the night before,
but Ifeel great nowthat I’ve done it. It’s
given me moreconfidence and IknowI
need to do moreofthese things.
“[Performing] helps to get something out
of me that Iknowisinthere, it helps me to
feel morelikethe person Iwant to be”.
The project will nowfocus on getting
morepeople in the blocks and
surrounding areas involved. Local artists
will be leading groups and therewill be
moreperformance workshops, leading to
afinale performance later in the year.
If you’dliketojoin the fun with ‘On
Top of the World’ and discoverhidden
talents of your own, please get in touch
with our One Cultureteam at
culture@onemanchester.co.uk
for moreinformation.
8
@onemcr

Teamsnominated forTPASAwards
We want to congratulateour One Money and Youth Intervention teams, both of
which were nominatedfor the TPAS NorthernRegion Awards 2017.The TPAS Awards
celebratethe successes and hardworkofsocialhousing tenants and landlords in
improving lives and bringing about positivechange in communities.
Our One Money team was nominated
in the ‘Team of the Year’category forits
dedication and commitment to helping
our customerswith money,debt and
benefits advice.
Our Youth Intervention team was
nominated in the ‘Excellence in Youth
Involvement’category forsupporting
young people to turn their lives around.
Last year our Opportunities team beat
off competition from acrossthe UK
to be named ‘Team of the Year’atthe
TPAS National Awards for the support
it provides including training and
employment opportunities, help settingup
or growing anew business, as well as
cultural opportunities and activities and
support for children and young people.
Let’shope we go all the way again this
year.
Your vote counts
On Thursday 4May an historic vote will
takeplace to elect the firsteverGreater
Manchester Mayor.
It’s all part of Greater Manchester’s new
devolution deal. The Mayor will have
various powers and responsibilities relating
to arange of important issues including
housing and planning, transport, policing
and fireand rescue services.
Areyou registered to vote?
If you’re already on the electoral register
at your current address, you don’tneed to
do anything else to ensureyou can have
your say.
If you’re not on the electoral register,and
want to takepart in the vote, then don’t
worry,registration is easyand should only
takeabout fiveminutes. You can register
in the following ways:
• Completeasimple online form at
www.gov.uk/register-to-vote
• Download and print aform at www.
gov.uk/register-to-vote, fill it in
by hand and send it in by post. Easy
read, large print and Welsh language
versions areavailable.
• Call (0161) 234 1212 and ask fora
form to be sent out by post.
To register you will just need your dateof
birth and national insurance number.
If you need to updateyour details
(for example if you have recently moved
house,orchanged surname through
marriage), you will need to email
esu@manchester.gov.uk
or call (0161) 234 1212.
If youwant to knowmoreabout the Mayor’s role and powers andthe mayoral
elections visit www.gmelects.org.uk
0330 355 1002
9

Newhomes forManchester
HereatOne Manchester,
we want to improveyour
neighbourhoods, making
them betterfor everyone
who lives there; both people
who liveinour homes and
the wider community.
Along with alarge plan forupdating
our current properties, we arealso
looking to build morethan 1,000 new
homes over the next five years. This
will help morepeople in different
circumstances to find ahome and also
add much needed funds intoOne
Manchester to help with other projects.
The Aaben and Baker Place
Split acrosstwo locations in Hulme,
The Aaben on Leaf Street and Baker
Place on Royce Road, these stylish new
developments made up of 172homes
will offer amix of 1, 2and 3bedroom
apartments and 3bedroom houses, all
available at the going market rental price.
All homes have been built to ahigh
specification and with energy-saving in
mind, to help reduce monthly energy
bills. They have also been designed so
that residents can enjoy communal green
open spaces, as well as all the benefits
of ahome just astone’s throwaway from
Manchester city centre.
Plus, with One Manchester as the
landlord, people can rest assured that
we’rearound for the long-term, so you
can rent ahome from us for as long as
needed, providing both security and
peace of mind.
Homes on these developments will be
available to move into from October 2017
and areavailable furnished or unfurnished.
For moreinformation on either
development and to register your
interest, visit www.hulmeliving.co.uk.
The Aaben,
Hulme
The Whitworths, Openshaw
This development of 34 market rent and
shared ownership properties, will be
split acrosstwo sites in Openshaw,on
Columbine Street and Lees Street.
The developments areamix of 2and 3
bedroom houses and the first residents
will be able to move in this July.Each
home will be available furnished or
unfurnished, making it easytomovein
whatever your circumstances.
For moreinformation on this development
and to register your interest, visit
www.plumlife.co.uk.
Atlas Place,Levenshulme
The disused Atlas Engineering works, on
Chapel Street in Levenshulme will soon
become 64 homes, amix of 2bedroom
apartments and 3and 4bedroom
houses. Work has already started on this
development and homes will be available
to move into in 2018.
Homes on this development will be
available with both shared ownership
and rent to buy (see page 12 for more
information on these schemes), giving
people of Levenshulme the chance to
buy ahome that they might not otherwise
have been able to afford.
The Whitworths, Openshaw
10
@onemcr

In 2015 One Manchester purchased
alarge house consisting of 10 onebedroom
flats on Osborne Road. These
had previously been rented out at the
going market rent, but the quality of the
flats was poor.
The whole building has nowbeen
refurbished, reducing the number of
apartments to eight to provide amuch
higher quality of accommodation.
They will still be rented out at market rent,
with full furniturepackages available to
people if required. The interior is
finished to ahigher quality and with
One Manchester as their landlord,
customerscan enjoy long-term stability in
their leases and aproperty they areproud
to call home.
For moreinformation please call
Townhouse Lettings on 0161 401 1788.
Developments in planning
We arealwayslooking for new
development opportunities and have a
fewmoresites going through planning in
Openshaw and Gorton. Keep an eyeon
Osborne Road, Levenshulme
Refurbished apartments nowavailable
on Osborne Road, Levenshulme.
Atlas Place,Levenshulme
the ‘Find AHome’section of our
websiteasall newdevelopments will be
showcased therefirst.
Warming
thehearts
HereatOne Manchester,we
don’tlikewasteand when we
saw an opportunity to recycle
our old uniform we took it.
Having been washed and
patched up, the clothes have
been shared with vulnerable
Manchester residents
living in supported living
accommodation to provide
some much needed warmth
during the coldest months of
the year.
So far, morethan 70 fleeces
have been dropped off between
Victoria House and the Booth
Centre, which provide support
forhomelesspeople across
Manchester.
Mohamed Ali, is one of the
grateful residents at Victoria
House, who received one of the
revamped jackets:
“I’mvery grateful forthe new
coat.These arereally needed
by alot of the people who come
hereand Ithink it’s very kind of
One Manchester to think of us
likethis.
“I’mvery happytowear this now,
especially when I’mout cycling
as this has made abig difference
forme. Ithink it would be really
good to see this continued in
the future!”
Atlas Place,Levenshulme
0330 355 1002 11

Rent or buy - you choose!
Getting your head around all the differentterms forrenting and buying can be
tricky,sowe’ve put together aguide belowtohelpexplain the differentoptions.
Formoreinformation on anyofthe schemes listed below, or thedevelopments
on pages 10 and 11, please visit www.onemanchester.co.uk.
Shared ownership
If you would really liketobuy your own
home,but arestruggling to affordone in
your area, then shared ownership could
be for you.
Shared ownership is amoreaffordable
way to buy anew home because you
can just buy ashare(e.g. 50%) and pay
arent on the remaining share. The share
you can buy will range from 25% to 75%,
depending on what you can afford. It
means that you need asmaller mortgage
to buy ahome,and you will also need a
smaller deposit.
You can buy moreshares as and when
you can affordthem -this is called
‘staircasing’. As you buy moreshares you
will pay lessrent. You can eventually own
100% of the property,atwhich point you
will pay no rent at all.
To be eligible for shared ownership, you
generally need to be in employment and
have ahousehold income of lessthan
£80,000 per year.
Rent to buy
Rent to buy is abrand newscheme that
gives people currently struggling to save
for adeposit the opportunity to do so,
whilst living in the home that they could
eventually buy.
To be eligible for rent to buy,you must
be aworking household that would like
to buy your own home in the future, but
arejust starting to save for your deposit.
You must be afirst time buyer or returning
to the housing market following a
relationship breakdown.
For fiveyears, rent is set at 80% of the
market value for your area, allowing you
breathing space to savefor adeposit.
Market rent
We offer anumber of homes that are
available at market rent. Market rent is the
going rate for similar rental properties in
the area.
We have amix of apartments and houses
and will be gradually increasing the
number of market rent properties that
we offer in the next fewyears. We can
offer properties furnished or unfurnished,
depending on your needs.
We aim to makeour homes as
environmentally-friendly as possible and
add additional features wherewecan,
to help you save money each month and
to ensurethat our planet is protected for
futuregenerations.
12
@onemcr

Improvingour existing homes
Along with growing the businesstobuild 1,000 newhomes in thenext five yearsand
investments that we aremaking to improveneighbourhoods, we arealsoinvesting
in improving our current housing stock. To help us makethe best decisions about our
plan forimprovements in ourexistingstock, we arecurrently carrying out asurvey to
establish whereimprovements aremostneeded. Depending on the outcome of this
stock survey,our current plan forinvestmentinour housing stock is:
2017/18=£4.5m
2018/19=£7m
2019/20 =£12m
2020/21=£12m
The projects that you will see taking place in the next 12 months include:
Alexander Park and Clayton
roofing schemes
We arereplacing roof coverings to
improve insulation on homes and adding
newfacia soffits and gutters.Weare
currently on siteand will continue this
work throughout 2017/18.
StamfordCourt ground
source heat
We arereplacing old inefficient heating
and hot water systems with renewable
technology,providing ground source
heat solution which will significantly
reduce tenants’ fuel bills. This is due for
completion April 2017.
Cavity and party wall and
loft insulation scheme
We arecurrently carrying out insulation
work to improve the energy performance
of awide range of properties to help
reduce energy bills.
Adaptations
We areworking on improving properties
wheretenants aredisabled or have
mobility issues, working as lead provider
for One Manchester and other housing
associations. We have so farcompleted
149 minor adaptations and 52 major
adaptions since 2016, with manymore
still to come.
Making investment
decisions
When making investment decisions we
takeinto account several factors:
1. The condition of the property
2. The lifecycle replacement of
components (howlong different
materials last)
3. Howthe properties perform with
regardtoenergy usage (howenergyefficient
properties are)
4. Function and demand for certain
property types based on changing
social needs (the types of properties
people need)
We use the above criteria to makesure
we deliver the right improvements at the
right time.
0330 355 1002 13

Advice on motorcycles &off-roadbikes
Quad bikes, mini motorbikes and go-peds arereallypopularwithyoung people
around the city,and riding them in your local area can seem likelotsoffun. However,
there areafew things that youshould be awareofbeforeyou consider buying one
foryourselforachild.
These vehicles can only be legally
used on privateland with the written
permission of the landowner.
Thereiscurrently nowherein
Manchester to ride them legally.Ifyou
areriding amotorised bikeinapark or
public place you could be committing
one of anumber of serious offences.
Manyare sold as ‘toys’, but do in
fact satisfy the definition of amotor
vehicle.Some aresold as electrically
assisted bicycles and although most
of these types of vehicles satisfy the
definition of amotor vehicle,they are
not road worthyand so should not be
driven on roads.
If you ride mini motos, go-peds,
mechanical scooters, trial bikes or
quad bikes in apark, public place or
on open land you will committing
an offence.This could lead to
prosecution and your bikebeing
taken off you, along with your
driving licence and alarge fine.
Shop volunteers to therescue
We’realwaysproud of the volunteersatthe Anson
Community shop, but earlier this year they went
above and beyond the call of duty!
In February alocal resident of the
Anson community suffered astroke
outside the shop. Fortunately, two
membersofthe volunteering team
acted quickly to spot the signs and
givehim all the help they could
until an ambulance arrived.
Pamela and Sammywereopening
up as usual when they noticed the
man and could immediately tell that
something was wrong.
Pamela explained: “I could see
straight away that he was having a
stroke as my eldest son had astroke
and Irecognised all the signs. Icould
see his mouth had fallen to the side
and so we called an ambulance as
fast as we could.
“I laid him down and put my bag
and jumper under his head and just
held his hand to comfort him until
the ambulance arrived. It was an
upsetting experience but that’s what
we’reherefor,tohelp membersof
the community however we can.”
Sammy, who learnt first aid as part of
her volunteer training, explained the
importance of being able to identify
when somebody is suffering astroke:
“You’ve got to act fast, every second
counts. When you do your first aid
training you sort of think you’ll forget
it after awhile but all the important
information comes back to you in an
emergency.”
To help spot the signs of a
stroke, remember FAST:
Face: look at the person’s
face and ask them to smile.
Has their face fallen on
one side?
Arms:ask the person to
raise both of their arms and
keep them there. Arethey
unable to raise one arm?
Speech: ask the person
to tell you their name,
or say ‘hello’. Is their
speech slurred?
Time: if you spot any
of these signs, always
call 999.
14
@onemcr

Cookingupastorm
After much anticipation, One Manchester’s cookeryclub heldits firstclass in March.
With amenuthat included fun, food and friendship, the classcertainly seemed to leave
everyone hungry formore. The cookery club aims to teach people basic skills to cook
tastyfood on abudget, andeveryoneiswelcome regardless of theirlevel of experience.
The firstclassincluded exotic sounding
recipes such as vegetable soup, spiced
vegetables in atomatosauce served
with cauliflower and broccoli rice,an
“allotment (veggie)burger”with winter
coleslaw,and aThai redvegetable curry
and rice.
If you have an appetitetolearn newskills,
whynot come along to the next class?
In the meantime you can test your skills
with this recipe for adelicious Thai red
vegetable curry.Bon appetite!
For moreinformation on howtoget
involved please call 0161 230 1084
or email customer.involvement@
onemanchester.co.uk
Thai RedVegetable
Curry &Rice
Ingredients:
(makes 4servings)
1¼ cups brownjasmine rice or longgrain
brownrice,rinsed
1tablespoon coconut oil or oliveoil
1small whiteonion, diced
Pinch of salt, moretotaste
1tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
(about a1-inch nub of ginger)
2clovesgarlic, pressed or minced
1red bell pepper,sliced intothin 2-inch
long strips
1yellow, orange or green bell pepper,
sliced intothin 2-inch long strips
3carrots, peeled and sliced on the
diagonal into¼-inch thick rounds
(about 1cup sliced carrots)
2tablespoons Thai redcurry paste
1can (14 ounces)regular coconut milk
½cup water
1½ cups packed thinly sliced kale
1½ teaspoons brownsugar
1tablespoon soy sauce
2teaspoons fresh lime juice
Method:
To cook the rice,bring alarge pot of water
to boil. Addthe rinsed rice and continue
boiling for 30 minutes, reducing heat as
necessary to prevent overflow. Remove
from heat, drain the rice and return the rice
to pot. Coverand let the rice rest for at least
tenminutes, until you’re ready to serve. Just
beforeserving, season the rice to tastewith
salt and fluff it with afork.
To makethe curry,warm alarge skillet
pan with deep sides over medium heat.
Once it’s hot, add the oil. Addthe onion
and asprinkle of salt and cook, stirring
often, until the onion has softened and
is turning translucent, about 5minutes.
Addthe ginger and garlic and cook until
fragrant, about 30 seconds, while stirring
continuously.
Addthe bell peppersand carrots. Cook
until the bell peppersare fork-tender,
3to5moreminutes, stirring occasionally.
Then add the curry pasteand cook,
stirring often, for 2minutes.
Addthe coconut milk, water,kale and
sugar,and stir to combine.Bring the
mixturetoasimmer over medium heat.
Reduce heat as necessary to maintain
agentle simmer and cook until the
peppers, carrots and kale have softened
to your liking, about 5to10minutes,
stirring occasionally.
Remove the pot from the heat and season
with salt to taste. Divide rice and curry
into bowls and garnish with chopped
coriander and asprinkle of redpepper
flakes, if you’dlike. If you love spicy
curries, servewith sriracha or chilli garlic
sauce on the side.
0330 355 1002 15

Linda’sfundraising award
Raising money forcharity is no mean
feat, but one resident of Thomas
Regan Court has recently collected
over £1,000.Linda Hodson’sfantastic
fundraising has since been recognised
with aBeProud award.
Linda has worked tirelessly over the
yearstoraise money for Macmillan
Cancer Charity by organising raffles,
knitting events, meals and other creative
sponsored events. After raising £1,040,
the money has been donated to
Tameside Hospital’sMacmillan Unit.
Linda saysofher awardand fundraising:
“I was overwhelmed to be nominated.
Ididn’tthink anybody was bothered about
what Iwas doing so Ireally couldn’tbelieve
it when Igot the phone call saying that I’d
be going to the awardceremony.
“I’ve retired now, but Ican’tjust sit down
and do nothing. Ineed to do something
with myself and so Iput on these
fundraising events and it’s doing some
good. We raised £800 from the fundraising
rafflebut my brother had got some money
for arecent birthday and so we pooled it
together for agood cause.”
Moregood news from the supported living schemes comes from North Road, whererecent
refurbishments have been warmly received. Meanwhile Winifred Massey Court welcomed
the addition of apool table and tennis table for the residents to hone their skills.
Free workshopsare just thebusiness
Areyou thinking of starting your ownbusiness, or have youalready set up and would liketoknowyou’re
on the right track? We have lots of free workshops available covering arange of topics over the next few
months. If you’re interested in attending anyofthe upcoming sessions and would likemoreinformation,
email wayne.wilson@onemanchester.co.uk or call the office on 0330 355 1002.
25 April, 10am-12pm - Introduction to starting abusiness - Turing House,Hulme
26 April, 1.15-4.15pm - Businesslegaladvice - The Pod, 143-145 PrincessRoad
27 April, 10am-4pm - Social mediabusinessskills - Turing House,Hulme
4May,10am–4pm - Selling skills - Turing House,Hulme
8May,2-4pm - Businessadvice drop-in - The Place,PlattLane,Fallowfield
9May,2-4pm - Businessadvice drop-in - East Hub, 27 GarrattWay,Gorton
18 May,1.15-4.15pm - Businesslegal advice - ThePlace,PlattLane,Fallowfield
12 June,2-4pm - Businessadvice drop-in - The Place,PlattLane,Fallowfield
13 June,2-4pm - Businessadvice drop-in - East Hub, 27 GarrattWay,Gorton
20 June,1.15-4.15pm - Businesslegal advice - ThePlace,PlattLane,Fallowfield
27 June,10am-12pm - Introduction to starting abusiness - Turing House,Hulme
16
@onemcr

Work placement success stories
We knowthat getting intoworkand accessing the right training or work placement
canbedifficult. That’s whereour training and work placement opportunities can
give youahelping hand.
One Future, (formerly known as Steps
2Success),offersafreeservice to help
One Manchester customersintowork,
by boosting skills, experience and
confidence through one-to-one advice
and accesstoawide range of training,
work placements, self-employment and
volunteering opportunities.
Working closely with major employersin
Manchester,the advisersunderstand what
skills customersneed and so help equip
people in our communities to accessreal
job opportunities.
We’d liketointroduce just afew of
the successful customerswho have
successfully completed training and
work placement opportunities available
through One Future.
Carl
Carl, from Openshaw,had been
struggling to find work for awhile.
After spending some time in the
hospital recovering from athroat
operation he couldn’tsee away
back intowork. His contact at the
Job Centretoldhim about work
placement opportunities through
One Manchester and Carl decided
to giveitago.
“I did the caretaking course work
placement with One Manchester,
which was an 8-week placement.
It was good experience and as
well as this they also helped me
with updating my CV so it’s been
really helpful.
“It definitely made me more
confident about applying for
jobs, and nowI’veactually got a
job lined up with the Manchester
College in Openshaw,soI’m
looking forwardtostarting there.”
Nabeela
Another of our customers,
Nabeela, secured full-time work
with Deichmann, ashoe retailer
in Stockport.
Nabeela contacted the team
last November after being
recommended to One Future
by her mother,who also did a
placement at One Manchester.
With no CV and some personal
challenges, the team helped her
to put aCVtogether and apply for
jobs. She lovesher newrole and is
feeling much moreconfident.
Fatima
Having recently completed Level 1
&2inHealth &Social Care, Fatima
was in the processofworking with
the One Futureteam to arrange
some work experience in the
caresector.Itwas at this time that
she found out that she had been
successful with ajob application
at UBU,acarecompany which
supports health and social care
needs throughout the North of
England. Fatima feels that this
outcome would not have been
possible without the support
given to her by One Future.
If you’dliketofind out moreabout
training courses and work placement
opportunities, please contact
onefuture@onemanchester.co.uk
or call 0161 2271360.
0330 355 1002
17

Getnoticed by employers
Is yourCVnot getting noticed by employers? Do younot have recent or relevant
experience on your CV? Work placements could giveyou theexperience youneed
to getnoticed.
Youwill get an insight intothe world
of work, receiveon-the-job training,
boost your confidence and it can be a
stepping stone intoemployment.
Placements arepart-time and typically last
between two and eight weeks. They show
potential employersthat by completing a
placement you have dedication, initiative
and apassion to succeed, and will
provide you with acharacter reference.
We can support youtofind awork
placement within avariety of work
settings such as:
•Admin
•Hospitality
•Health &social care
•Finance
•IT
•Construction
•Facilities
•Customer service
•Project assistant
•Warehouse and
manymore
If you’re interested and would liketo
find out morecontact Sarah Roberts
on 0161 2271360 or email
sarah.roberts@onemanchester.co.uk
Crowdfundingfor thecommunity
In January this year,webegan acrowdfunding pilot scheme to help community
groups raise funds forgreat projects in our neighbourhoods. Crowdfunding is away
of supporting aproject by raising money from alarge number of people who each
contributearelatively small amount.
Working with Anne Strachan, alocal
crowdfunding expert also working with
Manchester City Council, we held some
general awareness-raising workshops
and meetings with interested groups.
Employees from acrossthe business
devoted time to support groups setting
up their campaign. Therewas an initial
awarenesssession attended by
35 groups.
Therehave been lots of great ideas so far
including projects likeRodney House,
aschool for children with special needs.
This group would liketocrowdfund a
sensory garden for use by their children
as well as therapists working with
similar children from elsewherein
the community.
Other projects include Gorton
Horticultural Society who want to fund
acompost toilet for use by the diverse
groups who visit the allotments. There
was also St Agnes School who want to
design and develop anew playground
so that the children have as nice an
environment outside as they do inside.
With some exciting crowdfunding
projects developing, we arealso pleased
to say that the first Community Soups of
2017 areinthe pipeline.
Applications can nowbemade on our
websitefor community groups and
individuals to pitch their ideas at our Soup
events to be held throughout June.
Do you have agreat idea for your local
community? Want to come along to one
of our events?Find all the details at
www.onemanchester.co.uk/
community-fund/
18
@onemcr

Thegiftof words
Do youknow
somebody who
struggles to read
or write?
Things manypeople takefor granted such
as filling in forms or reading signs can be a
real challenge for many. Perhaps you have
aparent, relativeorfriend who has had
difficulties and often asks for help.
They might even find waystoavoid
reading and writing altogether.
Our literacy champions have given lots of
people the confidence to read and write
and areheretohelp anyone that needs a
little extrahelp.
To find out morecall our Customer
Involvement team on 0161 230 1013.
Are youagreen champion?
Our commitment toimproving the local environment covers arange of greenissues
from gardening projects, recycling,energy-saving, foodgrowing, community
clean-ups, environmental campaigns, groundsinspections and much more.
We can’tdothis without our fantastic
team of green champions working
acrossour neighbourhoods in south
and east Manchester.Tomakeour
environments safer,healthier and
cleaner foreveryone to enjoy,we’re
looking formorepeople to make
adifference to their community by
becoming green champions. Thereare
no set number of hoursrequired and
the role is completely voluntary so you
can be involved as little or as often as
youlike.
• Have asay about One Manchester’s
priorities for green issues
• Improve your neighbourhood by
working with other local people
• Be acommunity leader on
environmental issues
• Inspireotherstomakeadifference
• Visit inspirational venues, learning
centres and areas of interest with
One Manchester
• Take part in meetings with
One Manchester and other
green champions
• Help organise and influence
neighbourhood events
Becoming agreen champion will offer you
ahost of skills and all we ask is that you:
• Have an interest in green issues
• Can work effectively with othersand
individually
• Can attend training if required
• Work and support our neighbourhood
teams and other green champions
If you think you can makeadifference
to your neighbourhood, contact
Wendy on 0161 230 1013 or email
customerinvolvement@onemanchester.co.uk
to find out more.
David Horan with
caretaker SteveFiddler
proudly holding his North
West in Bloom Certificate
-Level 5, Outstanding -
Gold Standard
St George’s Court Gardening Club was set up in 2014 to encourage residents to
grow their ownvegetables. They nowregularly grow their ownproduce which
is shared with the residents. Since forming, the group have wonthe 2016 North
West in Bloom Outstanding Gold awardand last year wonBest Grow Your Own in
our annual gardening competition.
0330 355 1002
19

Calling all entrepreneurs,
business owners and
start-ups!
Win some fantastic prizes
for your business in our
prize draw.
1st Prize
3months free desk space
worth £120 atThe Pod
2nd prize
Free business mentoring for
half aday for 2lucky winners
3rd prize
Afree seminar on cashflow
forecasting for 12lucky
winners
4th prize
Afree seminar on business plan writing for 12lucky winners
5th prize
Abook on how tostart asocial enterprise
Everyone entering will receive invitations to free business networking meetings
and the weekly drop-in peer support for new business start-ups.
To enter:
Emailyour name,address, phone number and business category (e.g. catering,fashion, IT,cleaning)
to info@thepodmcr.co.uk or call in person on Wednesday mornings between 9am and 11am to register
your entry.
The drawwill take place at midday onWednesday 31May 2017 at The Pod.
The registered charity number forThe Pod Manchester is 1155230