Newsletter
“Welcome to the latest issue of our
newsletter, which aims to keep members
informed of the latest developments
from NWHS. We hope you find the
newsletter informative.”
New Co-operative
Development Fund
Co-ops UK have launched a new initiative, The
Hive, aimed at helping new-and existing coops. Free mentoring is available for successful
applicants for up to two days of professional
support including governance, business
planning, growth and finance. If you know of
any group that may benefit, please direct them
to http://www.uk.coop/the-hive/about/
advice-and-training
August 2016
Rain – Again!
NWHS hosted its’ thirteenth annual
barbecue in July, and true to form, we
battled the elements as we contended
with heavy downpours of rain. Over 100
guests braved the weather, and enjoyed
the delicious food and excellent networking
opportunities on offer. Thanks to all who
came along and with your support, we
raised £550.00 for our nominated charity,
the Make a Wish Foundation. Let’s hope
for some sunshine next year!
HOLYLAND COMMITTEE MEMBERS DANIELLE, DEBBIE
AND SANDRA TAKING COVER FROM THE RAIN WITH
MARGIE FROM RUSLAND ROAD.
New Government
Ministers Appointed
Following June’s EU referendum result and the
elevation of Theresa May to the position of Prime
Minister, there have been a number of ministerial
appointments which will affect housing
providers.
Sajid Javid has been appointed as Secretary of
State for Communities and Local Government
and will be supported by Gavin Barwell, the
new Housing Minister. It remains to be seen
whether there will be a shift in Government
housing policy away from its current emphasis on
expanding the level of home ownership but this
seems unlikely.
Damian Green has been appointed as Secretary
of State for Work and Pensions and will assume
responsibility for the Government’s welfare
reform programme. In a statement on 20th July,
Mr Green confirmed that the Government plans
to proceed with the gradual rollout of Universal
Credit and we will continue to advise members
on the impact of this policy and assist tenants
affected.
For more information, contact Phil Earl
on 0151 726 2219 or email
[email protected]
CCH Member Forum
Following the successful event held last year
at the Adelphi Hotel, CCH has arranged
another forum, which will be held at the
offices of North West Housing Services
on Friday 7th October. This will be an
opportunity for co-op members to discuss
issues relevant to the sector, including
Government Policy and Financial Viability.
Places are limited, so please book early.
ALT COMMITTEE MEMBERS ENJOYING A RARE MOMENT OF SUNSHINE.
Maintenance Service –
Service Improvements Update
Alongside the work we have completed
reviewing our Approved Contractors we have
also been improving how we deliver services
to our Members and reviewing the existing
processes we have in place.
Inspections
The introduction of our Duty Property
Surveyor system in March 2015 has resulted
in our Surveyors having an increased physical
presence on site as they are less office based.
This benefits Members tenants in respect of
increased pre & post inspections and timely
void inspections. It also allows Surveyors to
monitor work in progress and the quality of
work completed by Contractors.
Reporting Repairs
Our dedicated Repair Line continues to
be serviced between the hours of 9.00
am – 5.00 pm by Val Weston, Repairs
Administrator and Jeanette McCormack,
Property Services Administrator.
At times we experience a high volume of calls
which tend to be between 9.00 – 10.00 am
each morning, 12.00 – 2.00 pm and 4.00 –
5.00 pm. Whilst we strive to answer every
call, on occasions you may ring and the line
is engaged. In these circumstances, please
leave a detailed message on our voicemail
service which is checked every hour each
day. All messages are picked up and actioned
and you will receive a return call if you
request one.
Co-operative Maintenance Officers also
have the option to email non-urgent repairs
to [email protected].
These emails are also picked up regularly
throughout the day and will be dealt with
accordingly.
We would ask Members to appreciate that
we are going through a period of change
and would ask for your support during this
time. By supporting us you will assist us to
deliver an enhanced service to you and your
tenants in the longer term and deliver the
improvements we have set out to achieve.
Should you wish to discuss this update or
changes to the service, please do not hesitate
to contact Emma Moran, Head of Operations
on 0151 726 2259 or by emailing
[email protected]
Visit www.nwhousing.org.uk to find out more about what is happening at NWHS.
North West Housing
Services Training
Programmes
North West Housing Services (NWHS)
offer training programmes to assist
Management Committee Members to
refresh or obtain the skills required
to fulfil the role of a Management
Committee Member. The programme
provides an overview of the services
delivered by NWHS and demonstrates
how these are linked to your business.
These sessions are free and can be taken as a
full programme or Members can choose specific
sessions to suit their needs.
Venue
Sessions are usually held at 19 Devonshire Road,
Liverpool, L8 3TX, but can be delivered at a venue
of your choice subject to its suitability.
Content
Each session provides a general overview of each
topic or can be tailored to suit Members.
Delivery
All sessions are delivered by NWHS staff.
Duration
Sessions last between one or two hours
depending on the content.
Refreshments
Refreshments are available throughout sessions.
Topics
Down Memory Lane
Corn and Yates Streets
Housing Co-op
Amongst the first housing co-ops to
be set up in Liverpool, Corn and Yates
Streets Housing Co-op came into
being when the houses which were
previously owned by a private landlord
were transferred to the co-op in 1976.
The properties were originally built in
the 1870’s to house workers from the
local flour mill but prior to the transfer,
the houses were in desperate need
of modernisation. Kenny Gowland, a
committee member for over thirty years,
recalls, “Back in the 50’s and 60’s, you
couldn’t run the water if the neighbour
was using it. You had to knock next door
to ask them to turn their water off if you
wanted to have a wash!”
YATES STREET TERRACE LOOKING TOWARDS THE MERSEY.
Refurbishment works on the houses were
carried out between 1978 and 1980,
and the co-op now owns a total of 75
properties, including 12 flats above the row
of shops on Mill Street, which the co-op also
owns. Four flats for older people were also
re-built in 1982-3 to replace two houses
which were destroyed in the second world
war following a direct hit from a bomb.
Joan Holmes, who has lived in Yates Street
since 1968, remembers the rent man,
Mr Blower, knocking on doors to collect
rent, and if you missed him, you had to
go to the office in the City Centre to pay
the rent. She says that there has been a
dramatic improvement in the standard
of the properties as they all have central
heating and double glazing, and regular
improvement programmes are carried out.
However, Joan also felt that the community
is not as close as it once was. She told us
that when she first moved to the area, the
neighbours all looked out for one another,
and that doesn’t happen as much these
days.
The streets have also been used by film
and television companies many times over
the years, most recently for the TV Drama
“Cilla.” Billy Gowland, who has also been
an active member of the management
committee for over 30 years, said, “The
houses remind people of how Liverpool
looked many years ago, and we often get
asked by TV companies if they can film in
the two streets. A Little bit of Lippy and the
Violent Years were filmed here as well.”
Session topics include:
• The Role of NWHS
• Governance, Management Committee
Roles & Responsibilities
• Financial Services
• Rent Arrears
• Allocations & Lettings
• Maintenance Services
• Property Investment
If you would like to know more about the
training we offer please contact Emma
Moran, Head of Operations on 0151 726 2259
or John McGuigan, Client Services Manager
on 0151 726 2260.
Barbara Wilkinson
It is with great sadness that we report the passing
of Barbara Wilkinson at the age of 81 in June.
Barbara had held the post of Treasurer with Lodge
Lane East Co-operative Housing since 1986, and
will be sadly missed by her family, friends and
colleagues on the management committee.
CCH Conference 2016
Committee members from six of our coops attended the recent CCH Conference
which took place in May at Loughborough
University. Representatives from Holyland,
Princes Park, Holt Road, Rusland Road,
Langrove and Grafton Crescent joined staff
on the coach journey to spend the weekend
learning about what’s happening in the
sector, and also meeting other co-operators
from around the country.
John Fairhurst, Chair of Princes Park Housing
Co-op, said, “This was my first CCH
Conference, and it was very enlightening.
The workshops were informative, and it was
good to meet like-minded people and share
ideas with them. I would recommend it to
all of the housing co-ops, and I am looking
forward to next year’s conference, which will
be held here in the North West.”
Blase Lambert, CCH Chief Officer, told us,
“Our Conference this year was, once again,
a real hit with those who attended and
it was great to see so many co-operators
from Liverpool and colleagues from NWHS
attending. Next year we’ll be bringing the
Conference near to Liverpool so I look
forward to seeing even more of you then. If
you have any ideas for things you’d like to
see us debating or running workshops on at
the Conference do please let NWHS know
so they can tell me or send me your ideas
directly to [email protected]”
COMMENTS OR SUGGESTIONS
We welcome feedback on this newsletter. If you
have any comments or suggestions for future
issues, please contact: Phil Earl on 0151 726 2219 or
email: [email protected]
Thanks to all who contributed to
this newsletter, including writers:
Phil Earl, Emma Moran, Kerry Taylor,
Joan Holmes, Billy Gowland,
Kenny Gowland, John Fairhurst,
Blase Lambert and John McGuigan.
North West Housing Services, 19 Devonshire Road, Liverpool L8 3TX Tel: 0151 726 2200 Fax: 0151 726 2250