Are you ready for - Kirkleesknh.kirklees.gov.uk/publications/pdf/doortodoor/door-to-door... · to help establish the Kirklees Federation of Tenants ... 4our money & life Y March 01

DOOR TO DOOR For tenants & leaseholders

KNH communitieswww.knh.org.uk

Quality homes & services in successful communities

Your communityGet involved to make a difference

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Your moneyWin with direct debit

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Your homeFixed term tenancies - how you may beaffected

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Spring 2017

Quality homes & services in successful communities

Are you ready for ...

Find out what you need to do see page 4.

Door to Door 2017 Jan.indd 1 31/01/2017 14:57:58

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Door to Door is published by KNH and is printed on paper recycled from 100%

consumer waste. Information is correct at time of going to print Quality homes and services in successful communities

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Find us online www.knh.org.ukKNH Communities facebook page

@KNHKirklees twitter address

KNH Communities YouTube Channel

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Garden competition Entries now open for our annual competition

Victim SupportNew service for victims and witnesses of crime

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Strong communitiesWorking together to help our communities thrive

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Brilliant neighboursRecognising those who go above and beyond

CompetitionsWin prizes with our brain teasers

Gas safetyHelp us to keep you safe

Reporting repairsNow you can do it online 24/7

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Changes to tenanciesFind out how you may be affected

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A helping hand We can help if you need money or job advice

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Welcome to the Spring edition of Door to DoorIn this edition, we’ve got details of the latest benefits changes, including an important update on Universal Credit. You’ll also find a range of other helpful information about your home and community, as well as our popular competitions for all ages. And with Spring on its way, we’ve got tips to help you get your garden in shape for our annual garden competition.

If you would like to comment on Door to Door or other services, or if you would like to win a copy of A Girl Called Jack, a great budget recipe book (see page 6), please use the feedback form on the back page.

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Subletting a council home or telling lies to get a council tenancy is a crimeIt also deprives people of a much needed home

Report any suspicions in confidence at

[email protected]

or call 0800 7311705

To stay up to date with all our news and events, you can find us on Facebook (/KNHCommunities) or follow us on Twitter (@KNHKirklees).


Quality homes and services in successful communities

3

Cora Carter MBEOn 2 November 2016, we lost a true

housing hero, with the passing of Cora Carter MBE at the age of 82.

Cora was a true pioneer of the tenants’ movement, not just in Kirklees, but nationally too, starting in 1984, when she set up a

tenants' group in Cowlersley as a way to lobby the council on behalf of her neighbours. She went on to help establish the Kirklees Federation of Tenants and Residents Associations in 1987 (which became Communities Who Can) and which she chaired until her death.

Cora was a founding member of the KNH board, serving as chair for five years and continuing to play an active role until her death. Under her leadership, KNH was recognised nationally for tenant participation and was accredited three times by the Tenant Participation Advisory Service (TPAS) for resident involvement.

As a founder member and former chair of the Tenants' and Residents' Organisations of England (TAROE), Cora was an influential figure nationally as well as locally. She met regularly with government ministers, senior civil servants and national housing

organisations, and through TAROE she was involved in European social housing projects. Cora was a down-to-earth Yorkshire woman, friendly, approachable but unafraid to speak her mind – no matter who she was talking to. She was as comfortable addressing ministers as her local tenants group and seemed to know everyone in the housing world.

In 2000 Cora was awarded an MBE for her work, which was all done on a voluntary basis. She was voted by the Chartered Institute of Housing as one of the top 25 people in the country to change the face of housing over the last 25 years and was recognised with a lifetime achievement award at the inaugural Women in Housing awards in 2013.

Cora was a devoted local activist throughout this time, working tirelessly to give tenants and residents a say in the decisions that affect them. She made a massive difference to the lives of thousands of people, many of whom will have no idea how much they have to thank her for. Very few people leave behind them such an exceptional legacy and we are all privileged to have known and worked with her.


4 Your money & life

March 01Eight months to go

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April 02Seven months to go

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August 06Three months to go

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September 07Two months to go

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October 08One months to go

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November 09You’re ready to claim

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May 03Six months to go

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June 04Five months to go

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July 05Four months to go

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If you need help with computer training, finding a bank account or setting up a direct debit to pay rent, please call 01484 414886 or email [email protected]

Other benefits changesThe Government has announced a number of other benefits changes, including:

• Reducing the maximum amount of benefits that families and individuals can claim (benefit cap)

• Restricting the amount of time you can claim Housing Benefit while abroad

• Removing Housing Benefit for some 18-21 year olds (there will be exemptions for particularly vulnerable young people)

• Capping Housing Benefit for under 35s (local housing allowance cap)

We’re doing our best to make sure you’re kept informed about these changes as and when we get details, but you can also keep up to date by visiting the ‘Benefits Changes’ section of our website – www.knh.org.uk

Don't lose out on your benefits

Universal Credit (UC) is the new single monthly payment that replaces the most commonly-claimed benefits. It will be rolled out across Kirklees from this November.

Because of the way it’s paid, you will have to wait several weeks for your first payment. Following these steps and planning ahead will help make sure you’re not caught

short!

apply online , apply on time


Your money & life 5

Ready

March - Step 1Check if you’ll be eligible for UC – are you aged between 18 and pension credit age and do you claim:

• Income based Jobseekers Allowance

• Housing Benefit

• Working Tax Credit

• Employment and Support Allowance

• Income Support

• Child Tax Credit

If so, you may have to claim UC if your circumstances change after 1 November 2017.

April - Step 2You will have to wait several weeks for your first UC payment.

You need to start putting a bit of money aside to tide you over during the five or more weeks you will need to wait before you receive your first UC payment. Putting even £1 or £2 a week into a bank account will help.

May - Step 3Consider how you will apply for universal credit online.

Do you have internet access at home, on a smartphone or via a family member? Do you need help with computer skills? Free computer access is available at your local library and training is also available at several community centres in Kirklees – see page 16 for details.

June- - Step 4How will you cope with budgeting on a monthly basis?

If you think that you might struggle, seek help early to build your confidence and make sure that you’re ready. Remember that your UC payment will include an amount toward your housing costs and it will be your responsibility to pay your rent.

July- Step 5Decide who is going to receive the payment - UC is a single payment per household into a nominated bank account.

If a couple are claiming UC, the bank account can be in the name of either partner or a joint account in both names.

August - Step 6If you've done all this, take a break and enjoy the summer!

September - Step 7If you don’t have a bank, building society or credit union account then get one, otherwise you won’t receive UC payments. Try one of the new basic bank accounts available from high street banks that don’t allow overdrafts and won’t make charges for returned direct debits. Ensure the account is in the name of whoever you want to receive the single UC payment for your household and that it allows direct debits to be set up.

October - Step 8Check that the household members listed on your tenancy agreement are up-to-date. UC is split equally between joint tenants.If your partner moves out and the tenancy agreement is not changed you will only receive 50% of your rent payment in UC. If your agreement isn’t up-to-date you should contact KNH straight away.

November - Step 9You’re ready to claim UC! When you are told that you will be moved onto UC, contact KNH as soon as you know your payment date to set up a Direct Debit to pay your rent. This should be done as a monthly payment as close to your Universal Credit payment date as possible.

Apply at www.gov.uk/apply-universal-credit

What do you need to do?Universal Credit will differ from current benefits in several ways. By planning ahead, you can make sure you’re ready for the changes.


6 Your money & life

Free money and career adviceIf you’re struggling financially or need a bit of

help to find work or training, our specialist money and employment advisors can help.

Our Money Advice team provide free, confidential advice on budgeting and managing debts.

They can check that you are claiming the right benefits, provide budgeting advice and help

you get in control of your finances.

For more information or to get in touch with the Money Advice team,

email [email protected] or call 01484 414 975

Our Tenants into Work team can provide advice and support if you

want to find work, are looking at a career change or need

help with further training.

The team provide 1-1 support and also run

regular jobs clubs.

Call 01484 225 332

Win a money-saving recipe book!

Enter our prize draw to win a copy of A Girl Called Jack. See back cover for details. Developed when Jack had only £10 a week to feed herself and her son, the recipes make use of supermarket budget ranges and will certainly give you food for thought!

You will also find a range of advice online at

www.betteroffkirklees.org.uk

You can use the site to find out which benefits you’re entitled to and the guidance you need to apply online, or even make an appeal against a benefit decision.

There is advice and tips on creating CVs and preparing for interviews, and you can use the site to search and apply for a range of local and regional jobs and to access Universal Jobmatch.


Your money & life 7

KNH tenant wins national direct debit prize draw!One lucky KNH tenant has won £1000 in a national prize draw to encourage people to pay rent by direct debit. At the end of October, we entered all our tenants (over 8,000 of you!) who pay their housing rent by direct debit into a national prize draw. The draw is run by BACS in order to promote payment by direct debit and is open to all social landlords.

Five prizes were up for grabs and Mr Fenwick, a tenant from Brockholes, was chosen at random as one of the lucky winners.

He was presented with £1,000 of Love2shop vouchers in time for Christmas. He plans to use some to help support the work of the Salvation Army and spend the rest on his family.

Mr Fenwick set up a direct debit in June 2016 having previously paid his rent weekly at the Post Office. Explaining why he decided to change the way he pays his rent, he said; "times change and it’s just easier. I don’t have to worry about paying my rent - it's all done automatically."

If you want to be in with a chance to win in the 2017 prize draw, all you need do is set up a direct debit. It’s quick and easy – just call 01484 414886.

Fixed term tenancies are coming

The government has decided that new tenants and most current tenants moving home will no longer have the right to a lifetime tenancy.

Instead, they will be offered fixed term secure tenancies between two and ten years.

How will it affect you?Government guidance has not yet been published but this is what we know already:

• All new tenants will have a fixed term tenancy

• The changes are not expected to affect existing tenants who remain in their current tenancy but may affect tenants if they choose to move.

• Spouses and civil partners who succeed to a tenancy after the death of the tenant will get a lifetime tenancy. Other family members who meet the criteria for succession will be offered a five year tenancy.

• Fixed term tenancies will generally be between two and five years, although some tenants, such as people with long term health needs or a disability, may be offered 10 year fixed term tenancies.

• Households with children may be offered tenancies of up to 19 years, depending on the ages of the children.

• There are likely to be exemptions for tenants with disabilities and those affected by domestic abuse.

We are waiting for more guidance on: • Which tenants will be able to keep their lifetime

tenancy if they transfer.

• The full details of who will qualify for a 10 year fixed term tenancy.

• When we will have to start offering fixed term tenancies.

What can you do?If you think you will need to move in the near future, for example, because your home no longer meets your needs, please get in touch with us so we can help you explore your options.


8 Your home

New way to report repairsWe aim to provide high quality housing that is in good condition, but sometimes you may need to order a repair.

To make it easier for you to do this, we’ve developed a simple online tool for ordering routine repairs* that gives you more control over when the repairs are carried out

and that’s available 24/7.

To register, go to www.kirklees.gov.uk/reportarepair

When you register for the system you will need an e-mail address and your Tenant Reference Number which is printed on most correspondence from us.

Once you have registered and chosen a password you can log in and use the tool to report your repairs.

* If your repair is an emergency, you should still call Kirklees Direct.

Not happy with a repair?It’s increasingly common for no win, no fee law firms to cold call social housing tenants, advising them to claim compensation from their landlord for not carrying out repairs.

At KNH, we deal with repairs as quickly and as thoroughly as possible. We sometimes make mistakes, but even so, genuine disrepair claims are unusual.

However, we are starting to see cases in which tenants are claiming compensation, even when they do not have a genuine claim. Dealing with disrepair claims is very costly, so if this happens, we will pursue the tenant for costs, which can amount to several thousands of pounds.

If you have a problem with the way a repair has been done – or not done – please get in touch with us. We will do all that we can to put it right. If you feel you have exhausted all other options and still aren’t happy, by all means seek legal advice, but make sure you use a reputable company. You can also get free help from Citizens Advice.

Home surveysDuring 2017 we will be carrying out surveys of all of our properties. The information from these surveys will help us plan what we need to do to maintain your homes in the future. We’ll need access to your home to do the survey, which should only take about 30 minutes.

We will write to you to let you know when the surveyors will be working in your area, and, where possible, we will make appointments to keep any inconvenience to a minimum.


Your home 9

A new chapter for KNH and Building ServicesWe’re delighted to tell you that in October, KNH officially merged with Kirklees Building Services to become one company.

KNH was set up by the council in 2002 to manage all of its residential properties. We currently look after

nearly 24,000 tenanted and leasehold properties.

Kirklees Building Services takes care of the repairs and maintenance of your homes and manages public buildings and many schools in the borough.

The merger means we’re still a council-owned company but it removes the artificial divide that existed between us that sometimes got in the way of good service. We hope that the merger will give a more streamlined service for tenants and allow us to work in different ways.

Initially, you won’t notice any difference but over time, you’ll see new vans, uniforms and ID badges featuring the KNH, rather than the council logo.

As always, if you’re ever unsure about the identify of someone visiting your home, check their badge carefully and if in doubt, close the door while you ring us to verify the caller – details will be on their badge.

Gas safety - be in with a chance to win £100 of vouchersHelp us keep your home safe

We have a legal duty to ensure all our properties have safe gas appliances – and if you give us access on the first visit and

complete the satisfaction form included with your appointment letter, you will automatically be entered into a draw to win £100 worth of high street vouchers.

We carry out yearly inspections and services of all gas appliances and flues that we have installed and we check any gas appliances that you have installed.

Appliances that have not been serviced can increase your fuel bills. More importantly, they may be leaking carbon monoxide, which you cannot smell, see or taste. This is very serious as carbon monoxide poisoning can kill.

It is therefore extremely important that you let us into your home to do this vital work. It is also a condition of your tenancy that you do; otherwise we can take legal action and force entry into your home.

We will contact you when your next gas safety check is due. Please make sure that we can get in do the work or contact us to arrange another date as soon as possible. And remember – you could win £100!

If you have any questions about your annual gas service or your electrical safety test, please contact us on 01484 414886.

If you have missed an appointment and need to rearrange it, please call 01484 414800.


10 Your community

Our staff work hard to provide quality homes and services and to help build successful communities – that’s our job; but did you know we’re also involved in voluntary projects that help local families and raise money for good causes?

Toy store

Each Christmas, we run a ‘toy store’ that provides toys, games and hampers for customers who would otherwise struggle to buy gifts for their

families. All the items are donated by staff who work for or with KNH.

The store’s origins lie with KNH’s debt advice team, as senior advisor, Paul Watson explains: “We help hundreds of people every year who have serious financial problems and are really struggling to make ends meet.

“The idea of the toy store came to me when I was trying to figure out what more we could do to help our customers at what is such a stressful time of year for people with money worries.

“We ask colleagues for donations, and each year, we’re inundated with fantastic toys, games and gifts, which we wrap up and then give to those people who really need a bit of extra help.

“Since we began the toy store, we’ve been able to help more than 700 children and 260 families enjoy a brighter Christmas.”

If you are a council tenant or leaseholder worried about your finances, don’t wait and let the problems get worse. Call the Debt Advice team on 01484 414 975 to request a copy of the KNH “Money Worries” booklet or to speak to one of the team in confidence.

Charity fundraising

Every year, staff choose a charity to support through a range of fundraising activities – charities

such as Kirkwood Hospice, Macmillan Cancer Support, the Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund, British Heart Foundation and local food banks.

From sporting competitions, raffles, sales and quizzes to sponsored bike rides, car washes, tuck shops and cake sales, we’ve raised over £16,000 in the last three years alone.

Tenants living in and around our retirement living schemes have also got behind our fundraising, organizing their own events and supporting ours. Last year, they made a fantastic donation of over £1000 to the British Heart Foundation, our 2016 charity.

We’d like to say a huge THANK YOU to all those who have helped our efforts.


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Win £20Complete our seasonal crossword and you could win £20 in Love 2 shop vouchers!

Return your entry to the freepost address below. You don’t need a stamp.Freepost RTLA-BJJY-XEJX, KNH, Perseverance House, St Andrews Road, HUDDERSFIELD, HD1 6RZ

Conditions of entryKNH competitions are open to any tenant or leaseholder who: • is a secure tenant who has

successfully passed the introductory tenancy period

• has a clear rent account and/or service charge account

• has rent arrears BUT has made and maintained a suitable repayment agreement for at least 13 weeks and

• has no other breaches of tenancy that have resulted in a Notice of Seeking Possession (NOSP) being served.

• Anyone who works for KNH, Revenues & Benefits or KNH Board members can not enter a KNH competition.

If you have rent arrears and haven’t made a repayment agreement, please contact KNH on: 01484 414886If you want to enter both competitions, we will photocopy your entry form.

Name

Address & postcode

Phone

The closing date for

competition entries is

Friday 28 April

Across4. What March winds bring in April5. March comes in like one of these6. What April showers bring in May8. Not too hot10. Dark clouds often bring this

Down1. Rain leaves these behind on the ground2. A loud noise associated with storms3. You may need one of these if it rains7. Flashes in the sky8. It makes kites fly9. March goes out like this animal

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12 Your community

Win a cinema gift card For a chance to see the latest film with your family or friends, all you have to do is unscramble the words above. Hint: the theme is gardening

Return your entry by Friday 28 April. You can enter both competitions, we’ll make a copy of your entry - Send your entries in an envelope to Freepost RTLA-BJJY-XEJX, KNH, Perseverance House, St Andrews Road, HUDDERSFIELD, HD1 6RZ (you don’t need a stamp)

Kids’ Corner

Name

Address & postcode

Phone

Signed

I confirm that the entrant is under 16. (For conditions see page 11.)

PALRI

ELULLEBB

DIFFAOLD

SETEAR

GINDEGRAN

TOH SRCOS NUBS

MAHRC

AMY

PULDED

WEN TOWRHG

PIRRODNSA

WORSDPON

SISUHNEN

TUILP

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Your community 13

Pilgrim residents clean upVolunteers from the Pilgrim Action group were recently awarded a community grant to organise a community clean-up day.

With support from their housing officers and other residents, they helped clear 400 kg of rubbish and fly tipping from the estate, using a Comoodle van they had borrowed for free from the council’s sharing network. Another local group, Pilgrim Connectors, who run a holiday breakfast club on the estate, kept everyone fed and watered.

According to Starr Zaman, chair of the group, “we had a great day as lots of people came out to help. We’re looking forward to planning more events like these – they make a difference to our estate and are a great way for people to get to know each other.”

Thanks to everyone who took part – it’s great to see the community coming together to look after the environment they live in!

Good neighbour awardsSay thank you to a good neighbour

with £25 in vouchers.We believe good neighbours should be recognised and rewarded

Recognising the people who make our communities great!Hats off to Barbara Hunter from Mirfield, who was nominated for an award by Andrea and Terry Clapham.

71 year old Barbara is a great help to all her neighbours, cutting their grass, sewing and making alterations for people and generally doing whatever she can to help – nothing is too much trouble and she will take nothing in return. As Terry says, “She is a beautiful kind lady whose kindness is noticed amongst all that know her.”

Barbara is pictured with (L-R) Terry Clapham, neighbour Nigel Horne-Smith, daugher and granddaughter Emma and Holly Hunter and Andrea Clapham.

Community GrantsKNH grants up to £300 can help fund activities that benefit tenants and residents on your estate.

To nominate a neighbour or apply for a grant, call 01484 41886 or visit www.knh.org.uk


14 Your community

Dewsbury breakfast club

KNH works with Communities Who Can (CWC), local residents and a range of other partners to create brilliant, successful communities.

We support residents to earn, to save and to make the most of their money so that they and

their families can thrive and enjoy a decent standard of living.

We do this by nurturing the ideas and enthusiasm of local groups and volunteers to organise job clubs, children’s breakfast clubs, to distribute surplus supermarket food to people in need and to teach people to use computers and the internet, just to name a few.

Our highly trained staff can help people organise their finances or develop the skills and CV they need to find paid work, but most of all we bring the community together to help solve problems collectively.

By getting active and involved in your community you may also be able to join the growing number of people who have been able to use their voluntary experience to get into paid employment.

If you have an idea on how to help your community thrive, get in touch!

Facebook – KNHCommunitiesE: [email protected]: 01484 414886

Working togther to help your community thrive

Breakfast clubsFollowing the success of their holiday breakfast clubs, Pilgrim Connectors in Dewsbury are now planning other activities for young people on the estate as well as vocational training for residents. Their aim is to apply for grants to run initiatives, working with KNH, CWC, Kirklees Council and the local children’s centre.

Other tenants and residents groups across Kirklees have also had great success with breakfast clubs. These are so important for local families and are a great way of getting people involved in their community from a young age.

If you’d like to do something similar where you live, please get in touch with your local TRA or the KNH community engagement team on 01484 414886.


Your community 15

Regular jobs clubs are available at your

community centre

The latest foodle at Healey school

Spreading the word about Foodle - the food sharing revolution

Working togther to help your community thrive

Food sharingTenants groups in Howden Clough, Soothill and Healey are helping dozens of people make their money go further by bringing the Foodle revolution to their communities.

Foodle brings groups together to share good quality supermarket food that would otherwise be thrown away, 30-50 tons in Kirklees alone each week!

Volunteer Paul Burr, who has been involved in other food recycling schemes and Judith Hodgson, from Howden Clough TRA, set up the project to divert this food to good causes and have identified a number of supermarkets who want to take part.

To find out more, or to get involved please contact Foodle Batley & Spen on Facebook or call 07752 410464

Jobs clubs & moreEvery Tuesday afternoon CWC volunteers from Almondbury Central TRA, Anita Duce, Tracy Scarfe and friends open up a community room at Berry Brow to serve around 25 people with free refreshments and food to take home to.

Whilst at the café, residents can get advice from the KNH Money advice team; this includes help with accessing welfare benefits and managing their incomes. A KNH employment advisor is also on hand to help with job searches and CVs.

Regular jobs clubs are held across Kirklees. To find out more, please get in touch with your local tenants & residents group or the KNH tenants into work team on 01484 414886


16 Your community

We want to help as many of our tenants and residents as possible get internet access, so we have installed FREE wifi in seven

tenant and resident association (TRA) buildings, as well as in our high rise flats and retirement living schemes.

In return, the TRAs are hosting a range of activities aimed at helping people get the most out of being online, including free training, jobs clubs, coffee mornings, social media sessions and more - if you need support with online benefits forms, for example.

Each TRA building is open for at least 15 hours a week and the facilities are open to anyone – you don’t have to live on the estate to benefit.

For more information or to use the facilities, pop down to one of the TRAs, visit the Get Online, Get Ahead Facebook page – or call Helen O’Sullivan at KNH on 01484 221000.

Your local TRAs with wifi accessAlmondbury - Highlands Community & the Popin Centre

Batley Carr - the Cabin, 24a Howard Place

Deighton - Keldregate, 24 Colne Hurst

Meltham - Deacon Close

Netherton - 17 Rowan Avenue Mews

Salendine Nook - 25-39 PennineCrescent

Some of the #knhdigitalchampions who have been trained to help others with IT problems

Pop in Centre at Almondbury - Free wifi is available at many community centres (Image courtesy of the Examiner )

Free wifi You should see symbols like these on your device when you encounter a wifi network


Your community 17

Got some spare time?Danny Boyle is a Communities Who Can gardening volunteer who tends the communal gardens on the Newsome estate. According to CWC Fieldworker, Bev Taylor, “Danny is a super volunteer who is hard working, conscientious and really enjoys gardening.”

If you would like more information about different ways to volunteer, please contact CWC on 01484 225799.

Sarah's Easter event was a great success

How volunteering can work for you

When we first met Sarah (second right), she was out of work and lacked confidence. We helped identify some arts and crafts courses

at the local community centre and she used what she learned to organise a successful Easter event. She went on to help us on a summer play scheme and then after taking some more practical courses in first aid and safeguarding, the next year, she led a scheme herself.

With experience and qualifications, she soon found paid work and has since found a better job, doing what she loves - working with older people. She was successful because she was already in employment, had first aid and safe guarding knowledge through volunteering with KNH and a reference from us.

To learn how volunteering can work for you, please get in touch with our community engagement team: email [email protected] or call 01484 414886


18 Your community

Spring has (almost) sprung!

March is the beginning of the busy season for gardeners, and despite the likelihood of frost, there are plenty of jobs you can

do, especially if you’d like to enter our garden competition (see page 19).

If you’re a novice and aren’t sure where to begin, why not talk to some of your gardening neighbours or check out the huge range of books at your local library? Staff at your local garden centre should also be happy to advise.

Top spring jobs:• Improve your soil with an organic mulch or

compost.

• If you get on top of weeds now, while the beds are still empty, you will be ahead for the rest of the year.

• Prune roses, climbers and shrubs.

• Don't be panicked into sowing seeds outdoors. Wait until the soil is warm, when

they will have a good start. You can still sow seeds indoors on a sunny windowsill.

• Plant primulas, polyanthus, pansies, pots of dwarf irises and miniature daffs – they are all hardy enough to be outdoors now. But be sure to keep them moist and shelter them from drying winds.

• There's still time to plant shrubs and perennials, but give them a good soak beforehand. Now is also the time to lift and divide any overgrown clumps of perennials.

• Once it dries up a bit, you can start cutting your lawn. Clear any remaining leaves and debris and then put the mower on a high cut for the first few times, gradually lowering the height as the grass grows more vigorously. Think about a spring feed if it is looking peaky.

• Garden centres want you to buy summer bedding plants as soon as possible, but a late frost could kill them, so it’s best to wait.

Kirklees Supporting VictimsInformation and Advice for anyone affected by crime

Drop in: Brian Jackson House, Monday and Wednesday 10am to 4pmTelephone: 01484 415462

Call the Victim Support helpline on 0300 303 1971, 8am - 8pm Monday to Friday and Saturday 9am - 4pmOr 08 08 16 89 111, Monday to Friday 8pm to 8am, 24 hour service at weekendsEmail: [email protected]

In an emergency always dial 999

Safer Kirklees Working together for a

Victim support is an independant charity in partnership with Kirklees Community Safety

Partnership, working towards a world where people affected by crime or trauma get

the support they need and the respect they deserve.


The competition is open to anyone living on a KNH estate.

Send your entries in an envelope to Freepost RTLA-BJJY-XEJX, KNH, Perseverance House, St Andrews Road, HUDDERSFIELD, HD1 6RZ (you don’t need a stamp)

The closing date for this year’s competition is Friday 2 June.

Entries received after this date will not be included in the competition.

Final judging will take place on 17th and 18th of July.

2017 KNH garden competition entry formYour name …………………………………...................................……………...

Address & postcode ……………………………..............................………….

……………………………………………………………………………………………………..

...…………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Phone number …………………………………….…….....…………………...........

Category entered ……………………………………….....………………….........

If nominating a neighbour’s garden, please also include

Neighbour’s name ……………………………………………………………..........

Address & postcode ..……………………………….…………………................

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Category entered ..……………………………....……………………………………

Does your neighbour know you are nominating them Yes/No?

Neighbour’s phone number: ……………………………..………………….....

Spring is a great time to start getting your garden ready for our annual competition! You don’t need to be an expert or have a huge garden to enter. If you don’t know where to begin, there are dozens of websites and books – or why not talk to gardening neighbours.

We’ve a category for “Best Street” to encourage more people to work together to show off their street or estate. We will recognise the best street as well as the most improved on a KNH estate. The prize will be a community celebration event.

The categories are: • Best individual garden

• Best street

• Best food garden

• Best use of small space

• Best use of communal space

• Best hanging baskets and pots

There’ll be prizes of gardening vouchers for individual category winners, as well as a bumper prize for the overall winner of the competition.

* If you are entering the best communal garden category, make sure you have permission from KNH to use the area

How to enterCategories

Your community 19


Useful contacts

Community safetyCrimestoppers 0800 555111

FRANK, free confidential drugs information & advice 24 hours a day 0300 123 6600

Hate incident reporting 01484 416295

KNH doesn’t tolerate domestic violence

24hr national helpline 0800 0527222

Samaritans (Free call) 116 123

Local Police 101

Emergency services 999

Health questions 111

RepairsHousing repairs - www.knh.org.uk

Monday - Friday 8am - 6pm 01484 414800

Out of hours (emergency repairs ) 01484 414850

Environmental issuesBulky rubbish collection 01484 414700

Dog wardens 01484 414739

Flytipping, graffiti 01484 221000

Pest control 01484 414901

Noise pollution 01484 414739

Noise problems (night) 01484 414828

Contact the Neighbourhood Teams & Rent Assist:

01484 414886email: [email protected]

If you would be happy to read Door to Door online rather than receive a paper version, please let us know. email [email protected] or call 01484 416440

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Have your say!If you would like to make a comment about Door to Door or other KNH services, please let us know. You can also use this form to enter the prize draw for a recipe book. You don’t need a stamp, just an envelope:

Freepost RTLA-BJJY-XEJX, KNH, Perseverance House, St Andrews Road, HUDDERSFIELD, HD1 6RZ

Or you can email [email protected] with your comments and let us know if you’d prefer an online copy of Door to Door.


Documents

Are you ready for - Kirkleesknh.kirklees.gov.uk/publications/pdf/doortodoor/door-to-door... · to help establish the Kirklees Federation of Tenants ... 4our money & life Y March 01