CRF Newsletter
January 2014
Catalyst
Residents
Federation
Representing Catalyst residents
Welcome
Welcome to the winter 2014 edition of the
Catalyst Residents Federation (CRF) newsletter.
We’re happy to report that
Christina Tom-Johnson is now
the CRF representative on the
main Catalyst board. Christina
joined the board following the
departure of Richard Mwangi.
We would like to thank Richard
for all his hard work and the time
he spent championing the needs
of residents. We’d also like to
wish Christina good luck in her
new role. So you know a bit more
about her, page 2 includes an
interview with Christina.
We would like to thank all the
residents who turned out to our
conference in September 2013.
Over 100 residents came and
got the chance to find out about
the benefit changes and how
Catalyst can help. A big thanks
also to Catalyst’s staff and
contractors who were on hand
throughout the conference to
answer residents’ questions. See
pages 4–5 for editorial panel
member, Sindy Jassal’s report
from the day.
With the welfare reforms now well
and truly underway, everybody
could do with some advice on
how to save money. So pages 6–7
include our top money-saving tips.
Finally we would like to wish you
a happy new year!
CRF editorial team
Dave Hicks
Sindy Jassal
Abu-Baker Senankya
Go to page 4 to find out how our residents’ conference went
New CRF member on
Catalyst board
Christina Tom-Johnson is now the CRF representative on the main Catalyst board following
the departure of Richard Mwangi. Christina is a Catalyst leaseholder and lives in west
London. We caught up with her to find out why she joined the board.
What does your role involve?
I feel my main task is to represent the interests of
all residents when Catalyst is making decisions on
policies and programmes. I will also be bringing
forward issues of concern from residents.
Why did you decide to join the Catalyst board?
For many years I have been involved in representing
residents at all levels within Catalyst Housing. I have
been the chair of the West London Residents Forum
and vice-chair of the Catalyst Residents Federation.
I feel that being on the main board is the next step
to understanding the governance of the business and
this can only help when dealing with local issues.
What skills will you bring to the board?
My experience of course! I’ve been representing the
views of residents for many years in many different
roles; as a trustee/director of Pathways, a member
of the advisory committee of Reaching the Isolated
Elderly, a trustee of Voluntary Link Services and a
director of the Welshore Community Hub.
What are you most looking forward to in your
new role?
Working with other board members, being involved in
decision-making and learning more about the business.
Do you feel residents should get involved
at Catalyst?
Yes definitely! It’s very important that residents
get involved and argue positively about things that
concern them, particularly where they live. This can
only help Catalyst in continuing to improve the living
standards of residents. I would encourage everyone to
get involved; the more understanding there is on both
sides on what to expect, the easier life will be because
knowledge is power.
Do you think Catalyst listens to residents?
Oh yes. I have personally met John Foxall (Catalyst’s
director of customer services) and Rod Cahill (Catalyst’s
chief executive) many times before joining the board.
At all times they have listened to my concerns and I
have been able to draw their attention to the things
that need their attention. They have personally
intervened and sorted out problems for residents.
“Catalyst is one of the few social land lords that
encourages residents to participate at every level of their
business and listens to their concerns”
2
Up close with
John Foxall
Catalyst provides many services to residents. So we spoke to John Foxall,
Catalyst’s director of customer services, to find out how Catalyst works with its
residents to provide these services.
What does your job involve?
I’m responsible for most of the services Catalyst
provides to residents. These include planned and
day-to-day maintenance, cleaning and caretaking,
the customer services centres, sheltered and specialist
housing as well as general housing management.
What housing experience do you have?
I’ve worked in housing for over 35 years and have held
senior management posts in many local authorities.
I joined the Catalyst group of companies in 2002 and
worked in two roles as managing director. When the
companies merged in 2011 to form Catalyst Housing,
I became director of customer services.
How do your teams work with residents?
It’s part of everyone’s job to work with residents. We
do this so we can tailor our services to what people
want. We also have a specialised resident involvement
team which encourages residents to give their
feedback and supports the residents who are involved.
How do you personally work with residents?
I work with residents who are on Catalyst’s
local boards and main board. I also try to attend as
many residents’ events as I can. This gives me the
chance to speak to people who matter the most –
you guys. Remember that if you don’t give us
your feedback, we can’t get better. So I would
encourage as many residents as possible to get
involved and work with Catalyst.
“Listening to and working
with residents is a top
priority for Catalyst”
3
Residents’ conference
The CRF organised the very successful residents’ conference
in September 2013. Sindy Jassal, CRF member, writes about
her experience on the day.
We had a grand time at the
residents’ conference 2013! Here
are some of the highlights and the
exceptional feedback we received
from Catalyst residents.
The turnout on the day was
brilliant with about 100 residents
coming along. Catalyst staff and
contractors were also on hand
to talk to residents about many
important topics, especially the
benefits changes.
4
Feedback from residents was
generally positive:
nYou liked the venue and felt the
atmosphere was positive
nYou felt the conference was
well organised with information
easily available
nYou said the volunteers
and Catalyst staff were
helpful and very attentive to
residents’ needs
‘See you next year’ said one of the
residents. ‘I had a great day. I met
so many other residents and we
exchanged numbers to see what’s
going on in west London and
elsewhere so we can improve our
own estate’ said another.
The speeches by Michael Gelling
(chief executive of the Tenants and
Residents Organisation of England)
and John Foxall (Catalyst’s director
of customer services) were very
informative. I gained a lot of
insight into Catalyst’s services and
how I can get help in regards to the
welfare reforms.
The bingo was fun-filled as
the cheers filled the room when
prizes were won by residents.
Even I managed to get a bingo
and win a prize.
Catalyst giving awards to residents
who have given up their valuable
time was a very positive gesture
indeed. In total 15 awards were
given to resident volunteers.
Christina Tom-Johnson received the
special recognition award for the
time and energy she has devoted
to increasing resident involvement
and improving services at Catalyst.
Many thanks and congratulations
to the other winners: Doris Van
Der Heyden, Sindy Jassal, and Pam
Goodchild who continue to
work with Catalyst to improve
our communities.
I made many friends that day
because it was a relaxed and
friendly environment. A big
thank you to Catalyst’s resident
involvement team who made this
possible for Catalyst residents.
We’re now looking forward to the
next conference.
It was nice to see and meet
John Foxall as I have never had
the chance to meet him in person.
It shows he really cares about what
Catalyst residents are going through
in these tough financial times.
It was also inspiring to see
a Catalyst resident deliver a
presentation on No Limits – a
community project led by residents
from Hounslow. I definitely feel
more motivated to get involved in
resident volunteering.
5
Money-saving tips
Everyone could do with more money in their pocket, especially at this time of the year.
So it’s good to know what changes you could make to reduce your outgoings or to free
up some money for special occasions or unexpected crises. Here are our top tips:
Travelling
Travel to places by walking or getting on the bus
or coach. The train may take a third of the time
but costs a lot more. If you must take the train
buy a discounted railcard. You can get cheaper
family and friends, student, senior, disabled
persons or network railcards.
You can also look for cheaper travel using the
following websites:
n www.railcard.co.uk
n www.nationalexpress.com
n www.moneysavingexpert.com
Price comparison websites
Visit price comparison websites to find out who is
offering the lowest price. You can compare gas,
electricity, water, insurance and even mortgage
prices or rates.
Here are some useful websites:
n www.confused.com
n www.moneysupermarket.com
n www.pricerunner.co.uk
n
www.mysupermarket.co.uk
nwww.shopstyle.co.uk
n www.eastcoast.co.uk
If you live in London go to the Transport for
London website and check on journey planner
to see whether you are travelling via the most
economical routes:
n http://journeyplanner.tfl.gov.uk
If you need to travel to places by car visit:
n
www.petrolprices.com to get the best price
for your fuel
n
www.ukmot.com to get your MOT as cheap
as possible
Shopping
When shopping sign up to store award schemes.
Stores like Boots, Superdrug, Tesco and
Sainsbury’s offer bonus points schemes where you
accumulate points that you can spend in-store.
They’ll also give you money-off vouchers.
Consider buying cheaper own brand clothes and
food. In some cases the difference between
the quality is minimal. Also, think about buying
certain foods rather than making them. Cakes
and juices are often cheaper to buy than
making from scratch. It may also be cheaper to
buy a new pair of cheap shoes than reheeling
expensive ones.
But regardless of what you’re buying, remember
to compare. See above for a list of price
comparison websites.
6
Calling
When your mobile or landline contract runs out,
look around for the best deal. New customers
often get discounted rates. Or call up your
existing supplier and ask for a loyalty discount.
Going on holiday
If after all of these money-saving tips you can
afford a holiday, here are some websites where
you can get the best exchange rate as well as
getting the money delivered to your door:
When calling businesses try calling from your
landline as most calls are usually charged at local
rates. But if you call from your mobile you may
be paying a premium rate for dialling the same
number! Visit www.saynoto0870.com to find
alternative numbers that you can call from
your mobile.
nwww.travelex.co.uk
nwww.travelfx.co.uk
nhttp://travelmoney.moneysavingexpert.com
Join the policy forum
Scores of residents signed up to Catalyst’s policy
forum during the residents’ conference and now
you too can join the forum!
Members get the chance to give their views on
Catalyst’s policies and procedures before they are
formally approved and implemented. You’ll also get
some experience of improving services and reviewing
company policies which you can put on your CV.
WIN an iPad mini!
For every review you take part in we’ll put your name
into a quarterly prize draw. The first name to be drawn
at random will win an iPad mini. So the more reviews
you complete, the more chances you have of winning
the prize!
How to sign up
Call Sharmake Abyan on 0300 456 2099
or email [email protected]
Inspect your estate
Is your neighbourhood clean and kept in
good condition? Do you feel there is more
Catalyst can do to improve your area?
Then walk this way and join your neighbourhood
manager on an estate inspection. It’s the perfect
time to take a look around and tell Catalyst what
you think of its cleaning and caretaking services.
You’ll be able to identify any issues in your
neighbourhood, and check whether Catalyst is
meeting its standards. This is also a great chance to
meet Catalyst’s staff and get to know other residents
living in your area.
If you would like to inspect Catalyst
neighbourhoods, please call your neighbourhood
manager on 0300 456 2099 (London customers)
or 0300 456 2090 (south east customers).
Catalyst Housing Ltd
Ealing Gateway
26–30 Uxbridge Road
London W5 2AU
Tel: 0300 456 2099
(London customers)
Tel: 0300 456 2090
(South East customers)
www.chg.org.uk
CRF015 Newsletter Jan 2014
A charitable housing association, IPS no.16561R