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Winter2012
news
issue 23
Christmas Opening Hours
Most of our offices will be closed from 5pm on
Monday 24th December 2012 and will reopen on
Wednesday 2nd January 2013.
Christmas Cover Office Opening
The reception at Mile End Housing Centre will be open
to all visitors on the following dates:
Thursday 27th December
Friday 28th December
Monday 31st December
Open 9am to 4.30pm
To report emergency repairs during office hours on
these dates only phone
020 8880 7055.
To report an emergency repair outside office hours
phone the Emergency Call Centre on
0300 123 0728.
Our mission:
EastendHomes will provide a
local housing service which is
efficient, gives value for money
and meets the needs, priorities
and aspirations of all residents.
Our vision:
To achieve the
comprehensive regeneration of
our estates and to bring about
a sustained improvement in
the homes and quality
of life for residents.
Our core values:
The core values which support,
inform and guide our work at
all levels in the organisation
are:
In this issue...
Award-winning Residents
Not one, not two, not three, but four!
Apprenticeships
Creating opportunities for young people
We value and support resident
involvement
We recognise and value the
commitment and hard work by
our staff
We always strive to provide
the best possible service
We welcome and support
diversity and we are committed
to equality
We want to improve and
succeed in all aspects
of our work
Residents’ Open Day
Pictures from the event
Extra help from EastendHomes
Energy Help - Gas Servicing
T.H.E. Community Power
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newsWinter2012
Extra Help from EastendHomes - 1
Responding to youth unemployment
The Evening Standard has been running stories on the issue of youth
unemployment. It is working with Tower Hamlets-based charity, City Gateway,
to urge businesses to take on young apprentices. With one in four young
Londoners unemployed, EastendHomes continues to work with local agencies
to provide opportunities for local young people.
K & T Heating, our heating and hot water contractor, has created two new
apprenticeships, aimed at local young people. Ring K&T on 020 8269 4500
or email your cv to [email protected]
Ever since EastendHomes started, we have given local young people chances. We employed both our
caretaking apprentices, and a former apprentice is employed at our Head Office. Moreover, numerous staff
joined us through the successful Skillsmatch or Skillsladder scheme.
Looking for a break or simply want to share your view on youth unemployment?
Please get in touch by calling 020 7517 0409.
Extra Help from EastendHomes - 2
Senior Service
If you would like to know more about activities on offer for our senior citizens you don’t have to be an OAP to join in - please get in touch. Afternoon tea,
bingo, lunches, craft sessions and lots more - Ho, Ho, Ho!
For more details on the ways EastendHomes provides extra help, please contact
Paul Wilson on 020 7517 0409 or email [email protected].
Energy Help from EastendHomes
EastendHomes is working with East
End Energy Fit to bring you help.
East End Energy Fit have helped local
people claim £13,000 worth of grants
in the last six months. To make an
appointment, call into your local
EastendHomes office or ring
020 7392 2916 or email
[email protected]
If the Bromley-by-Bow Centre is more
convenient for you please email
[email protected]
To get help at
Bromley-by-Bow Centre
St Leonard’s St, E3 3BT,
nearest tube - Bromley-by-bow
To get help at Toynbee Hall
28 Commercial St, E1 6LS,
nearest tube - Aldgate East
Call
Call
020 7392 2916
020 8709 9745
or email
or email
[email protected]
[email protected]
Bromley-by-Bow Centre
Or text “yes” to
07507 850417 - we will call you back
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Money, money,
money
Financially Inclusive Tower Hamlets (FITH) is introducing a new
Tower Hamlets-wide money support service; a one-to-one service
that can help people who would like to have support in order to
manage their money. If you need help opening a bank account,
or accessing financial products, or even understanding a bill,
FITH’s money trainers can work with you to help you get the
most from each pound.
One-to-One Money Support
Money support workers will be available to give confidential
support sessions at the Bromley-by-Bow Centre, at Toynbee Hall,
Quaker Social Action and the Limehouse Project. So why not plan
financially for Christmas and for the winter months now? To find
out more please get in touch and we can show you how.
Money Mentors
The Money Mentors project needs you! Would you like to help
people in Tower Hamlets make the most of their money?
The FITH project is recruiting for Community Money Mentors. This
is a unique opportunity for residents, workers and students of
Tower Hamlets who are passionate about their community and
want to make a real change.
Learn new money management skills. Gain a greater understanding
of financial products. Develop confidence in dealing with financial
matters to get the most out of each pound.
Being a Community Money Mentor will give you the chance to improve your financial
awareness and learn new ways to save money. You will also gain an ‘Open College Network’
qualification at entry level 3 (six credits) as well as help your community by sharing your
knowledge with others. The course is initially being run during school hours at different
locations across the Borough. These include The Limehouse Project, the Bromley-by-Bow
Centre, Quaker Social Action and Toynbee Hall. The course is free and each participant will be
supported by specialist and professional trainers. Help Tower Hamlets to be a better, more
prosperous place to live for everybody!
If you would like to find out more about Money Mentors or just have a chat about money,
please contact Gary Wells (FITH coordinator) on 020 7392 2989
or e-mail [email protected]
www.eastendhomes.net
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newsWinter2012
www.gassaferegister.co.uk
Gas servicing
- a matter of life and death
GAS
safe
You cannot smell, see or taste carbon monoxide (CO). It can kill without warning.
Even if it does not kill you, it can cause major harm to your health, and can lead
to paralysis.
Faulty gas appliances can kill. And if you are renting out your property, then you
have a legal obligation to provide a yearly gas safety check. EastendHomes
recommend K&T Heating for gas safety inspections and maintenance. It offers
three levels of cover starting from £7.15 per month.
Around twenty people die
each year in Britain from
carbon monoxide poisoning
caused by gas appliances
and flues that have not
been properly installed or
looked after.
let’s talk
gas safety
Win a gas
care package!
For your chance to win a year’s gas care cover and
to hear more about K&T Gas Care, please email
[email protected] with your name,
address and contact number. ‘Small print’ conditions
apply, available upon request.
www.gassaferegister.co.uk for more info
Housing Benefit
changes
The National Housing Federation (www.housing.org.uk) has
published a leaflet offering
advice to tenants about the
upcoming changes to Housing
Benefit. You can also download
a copy of this leaflet from our
website.
Please remember that
EastendHomes hosts free
independent financial advice
sessions. Contact your local
office for details of the next
session and to book an
appointment.
REGISTER
Service Charge
Payment Options
Depending upon your lease, your service charge
is either due immediately in four quarterly
instalments or two per year. Paying by Direct
Debit means that you can stagger your payments
over ten easier instalments. To arrange this
please contact us.
And don’t forget, you can get help with paying
your service charges by contacting us on
020 7517 0424. The Home Ownership team will
be able to assist or refer you to other agencies
that can help. Please get in touch and don’t
ignore the problem!
If you’ve a query or need more info please do get
in touch.
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Help bring your energy bills
There’s still time for Tower Hamlets residents to sign up
to a new energy co-operative that could mean
cheaper energy bills in future.
Tower Hamlets Energy – Community Power
down
By buying energy in bulk, T.H.E. Community Power will give local people the chance to switch energy providers and benefit
from a cheaper energy tariff.
££
£££££
£
£
££
Residents only need to express an interest in the scheme and there is no obligation
to switch provider at any stage.
Once 5,000 households have expressed an interest, the co-operative will negotiate
with energy providers to secure a cheaper deal for everyone.
There is no obligation for residents to switch provider – now or in the future – and the
scheme is open to all residents, regardless of their household income.
Mayor Lutfur Rahman launched the scheme this summer to support residents as
living costs increase and to help reduce fuel poverty.
Cllr Rabina Khan, Cabinet Member for Housing, added: “The best thing about the
scheme is that the more people that sign up, the more everyone saves. So we need
residents to encourage their neighbours and friends to sign up too.”
T.H.E Community Power will also offer members free and impartial advice on grants,
insulation, fuel debt, and energy efficiency schemes to help residents keep their bills
down.
Registering your interest only takes five minutes to do, online at
www.towerhamlets.gov.uk/energy or by calling freephone:
0800 5088364 (9am – 5pm on weekdays).
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newsWinter2012
Residents’ Open Day
Ghouls, ghosts, werewolves, zombies, skeletons, Frankenstein, Dracula and
various undead creatures took over the British Estate Community Centre last
Halloween for the annual Open Day. EastendHomes’ senior managers chatted to
residents whilst staff from all our departments were available to provide
information about our services in a relaxed if noisy setting! Our key repairs and
maintenance partners were also present, and the
evening was a great mix of information and fun.
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More Open Day Ghouls and Ghosties
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British Volunteer Awards: Mile End tenant
receives accolade
Bede Estate tenant Avril Coughlan was stunned in early
December to win a British Volunteer Award.
The awards were created by The Sunday Telegraph in partnership
with Waitrose, to highlight the work of those who give their time to
help others.
Avril, 61, who was recently elected as Chair of the Bede Estate
Tenants & Residents’ Association, was presented with her award
at a ceremony in central London, accompanied by Helen Goody,
Resident Association Secretary, community worker Penny Wilson,
Cathy Page from EastendHomes, and Paul Bloss, Chief Executive
of EastendHomes. The award recognised the marvellous work
undertaken by Avril and others for bringing fun and friendship to
the estate and the wider neighbourhood. Street parties, cream
teas, bingo and craft sessions now enrich the Estate, based from two community facilities
created by EastendHomes as part of our regeneration programme.
“The day before picking up her well deserved
award, Avril was up before first light getting a
Christmas dinner ready for more than thirty senior
citizens”, said Paul Wilson from
EastendHomes,“Avril is tireless in her enthusiasm
for helping others, and the events laid on by her
and others are truly uplifting, bringing warmth and
joy to so many local people.”
Judges praise the 'sheer
quality' of nominations
From the Daily Telegraph website:
Olympic gold medallist and Britain’s most successful female rower,
Katherine Grainger, was one of the independent panel of seven judges
instrumental in picking the winners. She said: "It’s been an agonising
role as one of the judges. There are just too many wonderful people
doing incredible things
"I think we forget just how much volunteering takes place in Britain,"
said fellow judge, Dr Andrew Hartle, a consultant who treated victims of
the London bombings in 2005. He added: "It’s been incredibly difficult.
The quality of work that people have been doing is amazing."
On the day of the awards, The Daily Telegraph’s Cole Moreton wrote:
“And the winners are… all of us, frankly. The twenty men and women
[named] as the first recipients of The Sunday Telegraph/Waitrose
British Volunteer Awards each bring something valuable to the lives of
those around them. Our society is a better place for having them in it.
They give their time and energy selflessly, in an age when it is so often
said that people are selfish. They buck the trend. They are not alone.
There were more than 850 nominations for these awards, each one a
200-word letter of love in celebration of someone who offers hope,
inspiration and a challenge. They show the British at our caring,
compassionate, campaigning best.”
Avril and Katherine Grainger, Olympian
“People are doing just
unbelievably
important things all
over the country, and
they don't expect
anything from it.”
Olympic gold medallist and judge,
Katherine Grainger
The other members of the judging panel
were Camilla Batmanghelidjh, founder of
the charity Kids Company; disability
rights campaigner Baroness Campbell of
Surbiton; General Lord Dannatt, former
head of the British Army; Ian MacGregor,
Editor of The Sunday Telegraph and
Christine Watts from sponsors Waitrose.
www.eastendhomes.net
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10 newsWinter2012
EastendHomes residents sparkle
at STAR in the Community Awards
Inspirational residents in Tower Hamlets
have been recognised at a community
awards ceremony for their dedication to
helping others. The third annual STAR in the
Community Awards took place on Monday
26 November with the worthy winners
revealed at a celebration in the Marriott
Hotel, Canary Wharf. A panel of independent
judges selected the winners, who were put
forward by residents, from eleven different
housing providers based in the Borough,
which included EastendHomes.
The audience of over 150 guests saw
nineteen year old EastendHomes’ resident
Daisy Buchanan-Cook pick up the Young
Person of the Year Award and Mrs Margaret
Hughes acknowledged as the
EastendHomes’ Inspirational Resident award. Daisy has
worked tirelessly on local community events, including the
Big Lunch, the Diamond Jubilee, Tower Hamlets Food
Growing Network and also at a Senior Citizens’ dance. She
also runs a community enterprise fruit and vegetable stall
on the Bede Estate in Mile End.
Award-winner Margaret Hughes with her daughters
More at: www.facebook.com/starinthecommunity
The Borough-wide Environmental Award was awarded jointly
to Mrs Onjona Begum and Mrs Forhana Begum, both involved in Grow Your Own
projects. In receipt of three awards, EastendHomes residents were the most
successful of any housing provider, and a great recognition of the many residents who
get involved throughout the year in the wide variety of EastendHomes community
activities and events.
“It’s great to see our winners highlighted for their work helping others. So many
EastendHomes residents underpin the community activities supported by us.
They are all community stars.”
Paul Bloss, Chief Executive.
The ceremony was
hosted by the Chief
Executive of the
National Housing
Federation, David Orr,
with the awards
presented by Jim
Fitzpatrick MP and
Tower Hamlets Lead
Member for Housing,
Councillor Rabina Khan.
“I was really pleased and surprised
to have won such a prestigious
award.”
Daisy Buchanan-Cook
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Noticeboard
Christmas Dance
Such a nice time was had at our Diamond
Jubilee Dance earlier this year that we have
been asked to host
another dance at Calder’s
Wharf. With dancing to live
music and a spiffing buffet
to enjoy, why not come
along and have a lovely
evening? Our dance is on
Friday 21st December at
7pm. Tickets are available
by ringing 020 7517 0409.
Get your dancing shoes on
we will see you there!
Lettings
Surgeries
Monthly Lettings Advice
surgeries - why not find out
about our exchange list.
Details from your local
office.
New Year Resolution? Do not smoke in
communal areas, please.
Please do not forget that communal entrance lobbies,
staircases and enclosed corridors are no-smoking areas.
Carelessly disposed cigarettes cause the highest number of
fires in Britain.
And if stopping smoking is going to be your New Year
resolution, call the Tower Hamlets Smokers' Helpline
on 0800 169 1943. http://smokefree.nhs.uk/
Better off online
If your household lacks a computer and cannot afford one but
wants to get online, please call into your local office and let the
staff there know (before Monday 4th February 2013). Those that
applied last time will stay in the 'hat'. We've another basic
computer system to give away which will get you started on the
internet.
Visit Race Online at
www.go-on-uk.org
CommunARTY
has been unveiled by the Chief
A new community art installation
l Bloss, in Eric Street, Mile End.
Executive of EastendHomes, Pau
wned Cow Garden, is a
The art project, based in the reno
Community Project (MCP) and
partnership between the Mile End
work of local artists.
EastendHomes, and will feature the
ork and design inspired by the
The current exhibition features artw
local artists Jilad Miah and
Olympics and is the work of two
e graphic designer Rajul Islam.
Zakirul Choudury, working alongsid
ed that the project will help
Nurull Islam from the MCP explain
in the art industry. Featured
local artists who are star ting up
said,“This will give other young
artist Jilad Miah also agreed, and
r doorstep and will hopefully
people the chance to exhibit on thei
open doors for them in the future.”
If you would like to see something
similar near to where you live,
please let us know.
Jilad Miah, Nurull Islam and Paul
Bloss at the opening
Get in touch
If you’ve got something you’d like us to write about,
please let us know as if we don’t write about what
matters to you in your newsletter perhaps we should
save the paper and not bother in the first place!
Email [email protected]
with your comments, ideas and suggestions.
‘Tis the season to be jolly!
If you’d like to nominate an EastendHomes employee
as being especially jolly, whether throughout the year
or perhaps even just occasionally, please email
[email protected] or ring 020 7517
0409. Fa la la la la-aa, la la la, lah!.
Happy 80th
Birthday
to Len of
Mile End
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newsWinter2012
Frozen Planet
For a chance to win a copy of Frozen Planet, the book of the
landmark BBC series about the frozen wilderness of the Arctic
and Antarctic, please email [email protected] with your
name, age and if you’ve attended an EastendHomes event this
year, please let us know which one(s). Fingers crossed we don’t
have a frozen Tower Hamlets this winter!
Contacts
Closing date 14th January 2013 - good luck!
At your service
Out of Hours
Emergency Repairs
You can contact us by Text Phone 07961 941584
0300 123 0728
EastendHomes
Head Office
St George’s & Glamis
Housing Centre
Tayside House, 1st Floor,
31 Pepper Street, London E14 9RP
61a Swedenborg Gardens,
London E1 8HP
Email:
[email protected]
Phone: 020 7517 4700
Fax: 020 7515 0218
Email:
stgeorges&glamis@eastendhomes.
net
Phone: 020 7680 8640
Fax: 020 7680 8641
Freephone: 0800 0281587
Island Gardens
Neighbourhood Centre
137 Manchester Road,
Isle of Dogs, London E14 3DN
Email:
[email protected]
Phone: 020 7538 2340
Fax: 020 7537 0512
Mile End Housing Centre
38 Wager Street,
London E3 4JE
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 020 8880 7055
Fax: 020 8880 7810
Rents
020 8880 7811
Right to Buy and
Home Ownership
020 7517 0424
Holland Housing Centre
26-28 Toynbee Street,
London, E1 7NE
Email:
[email protected]
Phone: 020 7456 6700
Fax: 020 7456 6737
Moved from
Commercial Street
All our housing centres are now open from 9am to 4.30pm.
Other languages and formats that this newsletter is available in
If you ask, we can provide copies of this newsletter in a range of languages and formats, including:
• in languages such as Bengali and Somali;
• in Braille;
• in large print;
• on audio tape.
To ask for a different format, please contact your local housing centre.
This newsletter is printed on paper that is 50% recycled and 50% from sustainable forests.