North edition - Nottingham City Homes

Issue 52 December 2012 

from Nottingham City Homes 

Homes and places where people want to live 

Including: 

New 

Lease 

the newsletter for 

leaseholders 

Pictured: Clearing the site at Wendling Gardens, Bestwood Park... 

Building a better 

Nottingham 

350 new council homes 

Housing associations to 

build many more 

Derelict sites 

transformed 

Hundreds of jobs and 

apprenticeships 

More than 500 new 

council and housing 

association homes are to be 

built in Nottingham over the 

next five years. 

Inside: 

Improving 8 

Nottingham’s 

neighbourhoods 

See page eight to find out more 

…to build four new bungalows. 

Our new house building 

programme will be the biggest in 

the city in a generation – creating 

much needed new family homes 

and hundreds of jobs. 

Plans for sites are now being 

drawn up, transforming 

neighbourhoods across the city 

– starting this month with work 

underway on 26 new energy 

efficient homes in Bestwood Park, 

Aspley, Top Valley and St Ann’s. 

By 2017 we’ll have built 350 new 

council homes – with housing 

associations building more for rent 

and low-cost ownership. Together 

we’ll also bring 45 long-term 

private empty properties back into 

use for affordable housing. 

Good 

Neighbour 2012 

See page nine to find out more 

Nottingham City Council Leader 

Jon Collins said: “Building 

affordable homes for Nottingham 

people is a top priority for us and 

I’m delighted to see the progress 

on these sites across the city. 

“We have ambitious plans to 

provide hundreds of new houses 

which, as well as providing muchneeded 

homes for people to live, 

will also create jobs and training 

for local people”. 

The council has already 

supported the building of more 

than 200 affordable homes over 

the last two years. 

Read more about our plans 

to transform Nottingham’s 

neighbourhoods inside. 

9 Black History 11 

Month 2012 

See page 11 to find out more 

North Edition • Aspley • Bestwood • Bilborough • Bulwell 

Reducing 

fuel bills 

Our success improving 

Nottingham’s council homes 

has helped us secure £10m 

from energy companies to 

insulate hundreds of ‘hard to 

heat’ properties. 

The Government requires gas 

and electric suppliers to spend 

a share of their profits improving 

the warmth of older homes. 

Our Chief Executive Nick 

Murphy was invited to meet 

Housing Minister Mark Prisk 

MP in November to discuss 

what we have achieved so far. 

Nottingham North MP Graham 

Allen said: “Nottingham City 

Homes has done some fantastic 

work making homes green 

and energy efficient. I want 

the Minister to learn from our 

success and help 

us sustain it.” 

Find out more 

on page five.

2 News from Nottingham City Homes December 2012 North Edition: Aspley•Bestwood•Bilborough•Bulwell 

to your edition of the Nottingham City Homes 

newspaper for tenants and leaseholders 

a message from the 

Chair 

It’s great news that we’re now 

starting to deliver on our promise 

to build new homes. 

I’m delighted about the investment the city 

council is making – the first of many new 

council homes over the next few years. And 

the programme for demolishing older, energy 

inefficient flats is going well too. 

Even more good news is that energy 

companies had the confidence to invest 

£10m in 2012 to make your homes even 

more efficient. 

They have to spend some of their profits 

improving homes – but they could send 

the money anywhere. They’re investing in 

Nottingham because they know we can 

deliver the best value. 

And the 

external 

cladding work 

– as you can 

read on page 

four – really 

does make a 

difference to 

those houses 

where heat 

‘leaks’. 

All this 

adds up to us doing what we said we’d 

do – investing in our properties across 

Nottingham, creating jobs and a boost to the 

local economy. 

This is in addition to our promise to you to 

help cut your energy bills by making sure you 

live in a warm home. 

It just remains for me to say, on behalf of 

everyone at Nottingham City Homes, I hope 

you all have a fantastic festive holiday. 

Janet Storar MBE 

Chair, Nottingham City Homes 

161 likes 

667 followers 

124 photos 

and counting … 

We’ve been on Facebook and Twitter for a 

while and some of you already either ‘like’ our 

Facebook page or follow us on Twitter. 

It’s a great way to keep up-to-date with the 

latest Nottingham City Homes news, as well as 

being another means of making contact with 

us about any queries or questions you might 

have. 

a message from 

Jean 

As you know from previous issues 

of News, there’s lots happening in 

the world of tenant involvement 

– and lots more opportunities for 

you to get involved with NCH. 

One of the biggest changes is how we, as 

tenants and leaseholders, can now scrutinise 

in greater detail the work NCH does. I am 

delighted that Tim Morton is now on board, 

helping us with these new rules – you can 

find out more about him on page five. 

This time of year is a time of celebration as 

we mark Christmas and the New Year. But 

it is also an expensive time – which is why 

there’s lots of money saving tips throughout 

this issue to help you out. 

And while you’re celebrating don’t forget to 

also think of your neighbours. Don’t disturb 

them with 

noisy parties 

– you can be 

breaching 

your tenancy 

if people 

complain. 

And please 

spare a 

thought for 

elderly and 

vulnerable 

tenants – be a good neighbour and keep 

an eye on them. Why not make this into a 

regular thing as well – you could be next 

year’s Good Neighbour! Read about this 

year’s winner Peter Reynolds on page nine. 

Have a great Christmas and New Year! 

Jean England 

Chair, Tenant and Leaseholder Congress 

To ‘Like’ us on Facebook, simply search 

‘nottinghamcityhomesinvolvement’ and follow 

us on Twitter @nottmcityhomes. 

And that’s not all. You can now see our films 

at www.youtube.com/nottmcityhomes, 

and see photos of events that we’ve been 

organising or supporting at www.flickr.com. 

Search ‘nottinghamcityhomes’. 

News from Nottingham City Homes 

Communications & Marketing Team 

Nottingham City Homes, Head Office, 

14 Hounds Gate, Nottingham, NG1 7BA 

Telephone 0845 330 3131 

Minicom 0115 915 7447 

Email marketing@nottinghamcityhomes.org.uk 

www.nottinghamcityhomes.org.uk 

Like us on: 

nottinghamcityhomesinvolvement 

Follow us on: 

@nottmcityhomes

News from Nottingham City Homes December 2012 North Edition: Aspley•Bestwood•Bilborough•Bulwell 3 

Pictured right: Afzal Hussain receiving his 

apprenticeship award. 

Making the 

difference 

How we make a difference to your lives 

was the focus of our AGM this year. 

We took a close look at our vision of creating 

homes and places where people want to live – 

and our three goals: 

To be a first class housing 

organisation in the eyes of our 

tenants and leaseholders 

The meeting heard how customer satisfaction is 

increasing, how we’re getting ready for welfare 

reform in 2013, about our new customer service 

strategy and how we’re involving you with our new 

tenant and leaseholder involvement strategy. 

To be a major player in transforming 

the quality of life in our 


Our success in fitting solar panels to more than 

2,600 homes to help save you money was 

highlighted, along with our plans to regenerate 

areas and build new homes. 

To be a great place to work, widely 

respected as an efficient and 

professional organisation 

Chief Executive Nick Murphy highlighted the 

achievements of staff over the year, presenting 

apprentice Afzal Hussain (pictured top left) with 

a certificate to recognise his commendation 

in the East Midlands Apprentice of the Year 

awards, accountant Jason Straw with his 

Association of Chartered Certified Accountants 

qualification and team leader Suzanne Cousins 

with her long service award. 

Pictured: Tenant Board Member Margaret Pugsley (right) 

listening to the AGM. 

Our new equality and diversity strategy was 

then presented before we all watched the film 

of our involvement in the Nottingham Carnival 

– which you can see on our YouTube channel 

(www.youtube.com/nottmcityhomes). 

All a – Board! 

Tenant Janet 

Storar MBE was 

re-elected as 

Board Chair with 

independent 

Board member 

Mike Khouri-Bent 

being voted in as 

Vice Chair for the 

next year. 

Janet and 

Margaret Pugsley 

have been 

re-elected as 

tenant board members 

– and are joined by Loretta Seymour. 

Ade Aderogba MBE has been 

re-appointed as an independent 

board member. 

Councillors Alex Ball, Rosemary Healy 

and Toby Neal represent Nottingham City 

Council on the Board. 

William Blincoe and Patricia Nixon also join 

the Board as our Co-opted members. 

Avoid a 

Christmas 

debt 

hangover 

Don’t forget the everyday bills 

Rent, utility bills, food and other commitments 

still have to be paid for. If you don’t the 

consequences can be severe. 

Don’t bank on an overdraft 

If you need more money don’t just go 

overdrawn at the bank without talking to them 

first. It will work out more expensive. 

Keep it simple 

If you can afford to pay for your presents 

by cash, debit card or cheque don’t be 

persuaded into taking out credit agreements. 

They will often work out more expensive. 

Shop around 

Try as many different places as you can 

to find the best price for your goods. You 

can get great bargains online. And don’t be 

convinced by extended warranties – they can 

cost more than a repair. 

Buy safe to be safe 

Whatever the deal is, don’t buy from 

unauthorised traders and don’t borrow from 

unauthorised lenders. You may be buying 

illegal counterfeit goods – or be paying 

extortionate rates of interest. 

Make your own 

Many people will appreciate homemade 

presents and the effort that has gone into 

making them. Check out craft and recipe 

books at your local library for inspiration. 

Start planning for next Christmas 

Look at what you did well and what you didn’t 

do well. What did you learn And you can 

always start saving now! 

And they’re not just for Christmas – 

follow these and you’ll find it easier to 

manage your money 

throughout the year. 

Make a seasonal 

spending plan 

Knowing what you can afford at 

Christmas is even more important than 

putting together the perfect shopping list. 

Create a simple budget of what you can 

afford. Spend sensibly and stick to it!


Pictured below: Designs for the new bungalow sites 

New Homes! 

Last year we told you about ambitious plans to 

build hundreds of new council homes – the first 

time in a generation we’ve been able to do it. 

Good news! We’re about to start work on 26 new 

homes across four sites – and include bungalows. 

As News went to print we were about to 

start work on new homes in Bestwood Park 

and Aspley. 

All the four chosen sites are where garages 

have been demolished or are cleared sites 

owned by Nottingham City Council. 

The properties will be built by 

Nottinghamshire construction company 

Robert Woodhead Ltd – and among those 

helping to build the new homes will be 10 of 

our apprentices. 

The total investment in the new build is 

£2.85 million. All the homes will be built to 

high levels of energy efficiency. 

You can find out how our programme to take down old blocks of flats 

and regenerate areas with new homes is progressing on page eight. 

The sites are: 

• Wendling Gardens, Bestwood Park 

– four bungalows 

• Keverne Close, Aspley – two bungalows 

• Henning Gardens, Top Valley – eight houses 

• Windmill Close, St Ann’s – 12 houses. 

Apprentices 

One of the great things about building these new homes is it gives a 

great opportunity for some of our apprentices. 

Ten of them will be able to work on the project – giving them greater 

skills and experience which will help them get a full time job once 

they’ve finished their training with us. 

Our trainee bricklayers, for example, will get the opportunity to work 

on building new properties for the first time. 

We’ll tell you more about our apprentices and how they’re 

benefitting from working on the new build project in a future 

issue of NCH News.


Tim helps 

tenants make 

the ‘right tin’ 

Deck the walls 

with insulation 

The money has come from the 

Community Energy Saving Programme 

– CESP – and is funded by energy 

companies. 

It’s on top of the multi-million pound 

improvements we are making to your 

homes through the Secure Warm 

Modern programme. 

The energy companies can send 

their money anywhere in the country. 

But they’ve worked with us because 

they know we can be trusted to put 

it to the best use – both saving 

you money and employing local 

people. 

Internal or external wall insulation 

could save you around £300 a 

year on your fuel bills. Homes 

are not only warmer but easier 

to keep warm – so you use less 

energy. 

In Aspley, Nottingham Energy 

Partnership and Scottish and Southern 

have funded internal wall insulation to 

650 properties – with the work being 

done by our contractors FHM. 

British Gas has funded internal wall 

insulation in another 150 homes across 

the city, with the work being done by 

FHM, Wates and Bullock. 

Grants from E.ON mean that 450 

homes in Bulwell Hall and another 750 

across the city are having external wall 

insulation fitted. 

These are some of the 

comments we’ve received from 

those who’ve already had the work done and are reaping the benefits … 

“The work has made a world of difference to me – I’d 

recommend it to anyone. The end product is fabulous.” 

“The insulation has made a huge difference, before I was 

always cold. I used to have my heating on and gas fire. Now 

I only need my heating on for shorter amounts of time.” 

“My kitchen was so cold before I didn’t like cooking – 

now I do. My family enjoys the new dinners 

I’m cooking them!” 

“There used to be damp and 

mould in my kids’ bedroom – 

now it’s nice and warm they 

enjoy playing in there. They 

even do their homework!” 

Your involvement with us is changing – you now have 

a much greater role in making sure we do what we say 

we’ll do and that we’re performing to our best. 

As part of that we’re setting up two new panels 

– Customer Excellence and Complaints. To help 

support tenants with these, we’ve taken on Tim 

Morton from Engage Associates. Tim was chosen by 

tenants and works independently from Nottingham 

City Homes to give them specific independent advice. 

“Until this year outside 

organisations – like the Audit 

Commission – had a role to 

play in Nottingham. If they 

thought NCH was doing a 

good job they would say so. 

But they were abolished earlier 

this year. 

“So who is going to hold the 

council and NCH to account 

in future Well the short 

answer is you! It will be up 

to tenants and leaseholders 

to work with NCH to make 

sure services continue to be 

delivered efficiently and are 

Pictured: Tim Morton. 

the right ones. 

“Tenant inspectors have been around for a while and will 

continue into the future. Their job put simply, is to check 

to see if NCH does what it says on the tin. 

“The new Customer Excellence Panel will scrutinise 

NCH and check if it is the right tin! The Complaints Panel 

will hear complaints from tenants who are unhappy with 

NCH actions or decisions. 

“Our job is to help you to set up these new groups and 

encourage you to be part of the new panels. The roles 

are a bit different to how things have been done before. 

So whether you are an old hand, or this is your first dip in 

the water of involvement, we would like to hear from you – 

and see if you can help to make NCH even better.” 

You can email Tim at tim.m@engage3.org through the 

twitter account @EngageAssoc or by calling 

Freephone 0800 612 8280. 

Paying your rent 

must be top of your Christmas list 

When there are gifts to buy, it’s tempting 

to ignore the bills and not pay your rent. 

If you’re struggling to pay your rent, we can help. 

Call us on 0115 915 4920 for FREE 

money-saving advice.


Round your way. . . 

Creating great 

places to live 

September 2012 Results 

All of our neighbourhoods in Bestwood and Bulwell are rated 

at the highest ‘three stars’. In Aspley, two of our estates are 

rated at two stars, with Bells Lane slipping from the three stars 

it was awarded back in June. 

All of our communities are 

inspected by our team of tenant 

services inspectors. They grade 

them between zero and three stars. 

Where improvements are needed, 

we work with Nottingham City 

Council, the police and others to 

improve the area. This means that, 

for example, the streets are cleaner, 

there’s less graffiti and rubbish, 

Estate 

Estate 

Jun 

2011 

Jun 

2011 

Sep 

2011 

BULWELL 

Sep 

2011 

Aspley 

gardens are tidier and paths are 

clear of weeds. 

Since we first asked our 

tenants to get involved in these 

inspections, back in 2007, 

we’ve seen huge improvements 

– with a total of 41 out of 43 

neighbourhoods now at a three 

star standard across Nottingham. 

Dec 

2011 

Dec 

2011 

Mar 

2012 

Mar 

2012 

Jun 

2012 

Jun 

2012 

Sep 

2012 

Bulwell 

Bulwell Hall 

Crabtree Farm 

New Highbury Vale 

Snapewood 

Old Highbury Vale 

Estate 

Jun 

2011 

BESTWOOD 

Sep 

2011 

Dec 

2011 

Mar 

2012 

Jun 

2012 

Sep 

2012 

Bestwood 

Bestwood Park 

Heathfield 

Leen Valley 

Stockhill 

Top Valley 

Whitemoor 

Basford 

Sep 

2012 

Aspley 

Bells Lane 

Broxtowe 

Southwold 

Beechdale 

Bilborough 

Strelley 

Inspecting 

is ‘ACE’! 

We’re working hard to get 

both Bells Lane and Broxtowe 

estates back to the highest 

ratings. And we’ll soon be 

introducing a new ‘four-star’ 

standard, along with the 

launch of our new ‘Achieving 

Customer Excellence’ – or 

ACE – inspectors. 

This will build upon the 

great work our Tenant 

Services Inspectors have 

been doing for the last few 

years to drive up the quality 

of our communities and 

local housing offices. We’ll 

tell you more about our fourstar 

standard and the role 

of the ACE inspectors in the 

New Year. 

In the meantime, if you 

want to find out more about 

how you can be part of a 

dedicated team that sets 

standards and reviews our 

services, get in touch! 

Call the Involvement team 

on 0115 915 7380, 

text INVOLVE to 80800 

or email gettinginvolved@ 

nottinghamcityhomes.org.uk 

Protect your home 

this Christmas 

1. Take down the serial number of all 

electrical goods such as TVs, DVD players, 

computers and camera equipment. 

2. Don’t leave presents under the tree in full 

view of burglars 

3. Don’t put your empty Christmas present 

boxes out until your next recycling 

collection day 

4. Don’t store keys near the front or back 

door – and never leave a spare key in 

a‘hiding place’ such as under a mat or 

flower pot 

5. Mark your goods with Smartwater – this 

makes it harder for a thief to sell items 

and easier for the police to identify them 

if they are stolen. To get Smartwater call 

Nottinghamshire Police on 0300 300 99 99. 

Changes to your 

Christmas and New Year 

bin collections 

On the public holidays, many green and recycling 

bin collection days will change. Remember to 

have your bin out for collection by 7am on your 

collection day and don’t forget that bad weather 

may affect Nottingham City Council’s ability to 

empty your bin. 

Scheduled day 

Monday 24 December 

Tuesday 25 December 

Wednesday 26 December 

Thursday 27 December 

Friday 28 December 


Tuesday 1 January 

New collection date 

Saturday 22 December 

Sunday 23 December 


No change 

No change 

Saturday 29 December 


From Wednesday 2 January, normal collections resume. 

Recycle your real Christmas tree 

When Twelfth Night is over and you want 

to recycle your real Christmas tree, why not 

use Nottingham City Council’s special real 

Christmas tree collection service 

Their free service will collect and recycle real 

Christmas trees from 7 – 11 January 2013. 

To book your collection time, go online and visit 

www.mynottingham.gov.uk/xmastree or call 

0115 915 2000. 

Don’t forget that your Christmas cards and 

wrapping paper can be recycled in your 

grey-lidded brown bin. And if you have extra 

Christmas household waste, bag it and leave out 

for collection with your green bin on collection day.


Round your way. . . 

Tell us once 

Becoming a parent or dealing with the loss of a loved one can be a 

stressful time in your life. 

In the past, letting individual Government departments know about a 

change in your circumstances – such as a birth or bereavement – might 

have taken a lot of time and effort. Not anymore. 

Nottingham City Council has teamed up with Nottinghamshire’s other 

councils to launch ‘Tell Us Once’. 

What does it mean 

It means you will only need to tell Nottingham City Council JUST ONCE 

about a change in details and, with your permission, they’ll 

pass these on securely to any local and central government 

departments who need to be notified. You won’t have to make lot’s 

of phone calls to various offices. 

They’ll give you more details about the new service, including 

the agencies they can contact on your behalf when you book 

your appointment. 

For more information contact the City of Nottingham Registration 

Service on 0115 841 5554 or email 

office.register@nottinghamcity.gov.uk 

Ever thought of becoming a 

childminder 

Imagine a job that makes a real, 

positive difference to a child’s life – 

and one that can fit well with your 

other commitments. A job that has 

the flexibility of being in your own 

home, flexibility with the hours you 

work and the ages of the children 

that you care for. A job that gives 

you an income and the opportunity 

to be your own boss. 

These are all some of the real 

benefits of considering to be 

become a childminder. 

Top tips to cope 

with snow and ice 

Snow can be lots of fun for big kids and small kids alike, but it can also 

be a real nuisance – and dangerous. Here are a few tips to help you stay 

safe in the worst of the weather. 

• Don’t use hot water to clear snow – it turns into 

black ice, which is even more dangerous 

• Clear a public path with salt from our grit bins – if 

none is available you can use table salt 

• Concentrate on clearing a safe route through the ice – 

you don’t need to clear the whole pavement 

• Don’t go out on unnecessary journeys – and allow 

extra time when you do 

• Use public transport if possible – make sure it 

is running! 

• Wear sensible footwear, with a decent grip, to reduce 

the chances of slipping over 

• Take your mobile phone with you 

• Don’t forget to help elderly or infirm neighbours 

clear their paths – it’s a good way of making sure 

they are OK 

• Wear several thin layers of 

clothes to help keep the heat 

locked in 

• Try and have at least one hot 

meal a day and have plenty of 

hot drinks. 

What does being a childminder involve 

A childminder is someone 

registered with The Office for 

Standards in Education, Children’s 

Services and Skills (OFSTED) to 

look after one or more children that 

are not related to them. 

To become a registered 

childminder you will have to 

complete a Childminder Training 

Programme. The whole registration 

and training process takes 

between three to nine months. 

Registered childminders are selfemployed 

and must have the skills 

to provide play and learning for 

children of all ages. You must be 

able to run a small business, 

keep policies updated and 

be responsible for your personal 

and professional development. 

If you think you have these 

skills, the rewards are immense. 

You could help build a child’s 

confidence and help them develop 

into well adjusted, sociable children 

and young people. 

Childminders are dedicated 

professionals – entering this 

profession requires careful thought 

and preparation. If you would like 

to know more about becoming a 

childminder please contact the 

Families Information Service on 

0800 458 4114. 

Staying safe when you’re out and about 

1. Keep your bag zipped up, with wallets and purses out of sight. 

Pickpockets are always looking for easy pickings! 

2. Don’t carry all your valuables in one place – keep your mobile 

separate from your purse or wallet 

3. Don’t leave shopping on display in your car – keep it out of sight in 

the boot and make sure your car is secure.


GREEN 

Pictured: Councillor Dave Liversidge at the 

demolition of Highurst Court. 

On the move to 

improve 

Nottingham’s 


Our work to take down and re-build hundreds of 

homes in Nottingham is moving on quickly. 

Already tenants and leaseholders from Highurst 

Court in Radford have moved out – and those 

living in Clifford Court, Radford, Lenton Court and 

some tenants who live in the ‘Crosswall’ flats in the 

Meadows are in the process of moving out. 

Timetable of works 

They’ve all managed to find a new home in the 

city and – with help from our Relocation Support 

Team – are settling in nicely. 

In the autumn we sent a newsletter to all residents 

who are affected by our demolition and re-building 

programme. It contained lots of information about 

the process, the support we are offering and the 

latest timetable for the work (see below). 

This is a huge project – the biggest of its kind in a generation. So the timetable might change. 

Lenton high-rise flats 

We’re now helping tenants in Lenton Court to find new homes – we’re aiming to finish that by 

the end of the year. The rehousing of tenants at Digby Court has started and will be followed by 

Abbey Court next summer and Willoughby Court later in 2013. 

Re-housing of residents living in Newgate Court will begin early 2015. 

Demolition of the five blocks will follow in the same order as the re-housing – starting with 

Lenton Court early in 2013. 

Construction of the first new homes will start on site in summer 2013, completing March 2017. 

The Meadows ‘crosswall’ flats 

The demolition of the flats will be in two stages. Residents have already been informed if they 

fall into stage one or stage two. 

Re-housing has started and will be completed by the end of the year. Demolition will start at the 

end of the year and is due to be completed by spring 2013. 

The Meadows ‘Q-blocks’ 

Demolition of the ‘Q-blocks’ will begin towards the end of the city-wide rebuilding programme. 

Consultation with residents and local tenant groups has begun. 

Cranwell Road ‘crosswall’ flats, Strelley 

The emptying, re-housing and demolition of the flats will be in two stages. We’re writing to 

residents closer to the time to let them know which stage they’re in. Re-housing of residents will 

begin summer 2013, followed by the demolition of the flats. 

Radford high-rise 

Pictured: Cladding at 

Cranwell Road. 

Highurst Court – Residents re-housed and demolition of the flats has begun – completion spring 2013. 

Clifford Court – Re-housing of residents has started and is due for completion at the end of the 

year. Demolition will start in spring 2013. 

Locksley House and Robin Hood Chase, St Ann’s 

Pictured: Relocation 

Support Officer. 

Re-housing of residents will start at the end of the year. This will be completed in stages. 

ROUTES 

Hints and tips to save you 

money and live a ‘greener’ life. 

By now we’ll have had a fair few frosty 

nights – and the temptation is to turn the 

thermostat up. 

But you don’t always have to turn up the 

heating. Before you do, put on a jumper – you 

don’t need to walk round the house in t-shirts 

all year round. 

If you are too warm – turn the heating down 

a bit instead of opening the windows to bring 

the temperature down. 

Use your radiators to heat your home – not 

a gas or electric fire. And don’t dry clothes 

by putting them on radiators – use a clothes 

horse instead. 

Another way of saving money is to only set 

your heating to turn on 30 minutes before you 

get up in the morning – and time it to go off 

about an hour before you go to bed at night. 

Over Christmas, use low energy LED fairy 

lights for decorations – they use a fraction of 

the energy of standard fairy lights. And don’t 

forget to switch them off at night. 

If you want to know more 

about Green Routes 

contact: 

Alix Dale on 

0300 333 8100 or 

alix.dale@nottinghamcityhomes.org.uk 

green 

r o u t e s 

Apologies for the telephone number misprint in the last issue. 

Be fire safe 

this Christmas 

1. Check that the fuses in your fairy lights 

are the right type 

2. If a bulb blows, replace it 

3. Always switch your fairy lights off 

when you go to sleep 

4. Don’t let the bulbs touch anything that 

burns easily – such as paper or plastic 

5. Don’t overload power sockets 

6. Decorations made of tissue paper or 

card can easily burn – keep them away 

from lit candles and don’t attach them 

to lights or heaters.


Pictured: All the 2012 Best Garden Competition Winners. 

Blooming 

marvellous! 

Best Garden Competition 

2012 

In October we celebrated all of our marvellous Best 

Garden competition winners and their green fingers at a 

special event at Nottingham’s Council House. 

Despite torrential rain and poor 

growing conditions this summer, all 

the entrants managed to beat the 

odds and produce some spectacular 

displays of flora and fauna. 

Changes were made this year to 

the competition to make it easier for 

people to take part – and it worked! 

We had a bumper number of entries 

for the judges to choose from. 

Our tenant services inspectors 

were among the judges – along 

with representatives of sponsors 

Tesco Bulwell, Asda Hyson Green 

and Wates Living Space. BBC 

Radio Nottingham’s John Stirland 

judged the Special Cup – awarded 

to the best overall garden from 

winners of the area categories. 

The prizes were handed over 

by the Sheriff of Nottingham 

Councillor Merlita Bryan. 

NCH Chief Executive Nick 

Murphy said: “I am sure that the 

dedication of these tenants and 

residents will inspire others to 

get gardening. They are not just 

making their own houses and 

gardens look beautiful, they are 

helping to create homes and 

places where people want to live.” 

Pictured: Bulwell winners 

Mr and Mrs Marecki. 

Pictured: Special cup 

winner Mr Roone. 

Pictured: Radford and Hyson Green 

winner Andrew Jepson. 

Not one but four nominations for 

Good 

Neighbour 

Peter 

Bulwell man Peter Reynolds 

showed what a fabulous 

neighbour he is – with not just one 

but four nominations for this year’s 

Good Neighbour competition. 

Nothing is too much trouble for 

Peter – from fetching shopping 

for residents not in the best of 

health, collecting prescriptions, 

accompanying residents to doctor 

and hospital appointments, to 

putting the bins out and closing 

the curtains for people at night – 

he works tirelessly for the whole 

Duchess Gardens community. 

But it’s those who nominated him, 

who really put it best as to why 

Peter is such a worthy winner – 

here are bits of what they said: 

‘Peter is always cheerful and kind. 

He’s always there with a smile 

and a helping hand. I do not think 

anyone could ask for a better 

friend and neighbour.’ 

‘Peter is both kind and caring and I 

could not manage without his help 

– you only have to ask and he’s 

there for you.’ 

‘Peter is the best neighbour in 

the whole complex. He pops in to 

see me every day. He makes sure 

we’re safe in our homes and when 

I’ve been to hospital, he’s even 

been in and put the heating on for 

when I’ve come home.’ 

NCH Chief Executive Nick Murphy 

said: “We are fortunate to have so 

many wonderful people living in 

our properties, good neighbours 

who put so much back into the 

local community.” 

Peter said of his award: “It 

doesn’t seem that I do much for 

my neighbours until you put it all 

together – I never thought I would 

win this award.” 

Love thy neighbour! 

Christmas can be a lonely time for some of us – 

particularly for those who are elderly, frail or live alone. 

Keep a special eye out for those neighbours who are most in 

need this Christmas. 

Want to swap your home 

How does it work 

It’s really simple. If you live in a 

council or housing association 

house, you can swap your home. 

HomeSwapper will match you with 

tenants who want to move too. 

It’s completely FREE for our tenants to 

sign up. Just follow these instructions: 

• Register online at 

www.HomeSwapper.co.uk 

• HomeSwapper will match you 

to any potential swaps 

• They’ll email or text you with 

details of the matches 

• You can use that information to 

find your home 

Pictured left: Good Neighbour Award 

Winner 2012, Peter Reynolds 

You can do this for FREE by joining HomeSwapper – which helped 

more than 25,000 tenants move in the past year. 

HomeSwapper is just one of a 

number of housing options that 

our HomeLink team can advise 

you about if you’re looking to 

move home. 

Early in the New Year we’ll be 

holding a special event where 

you can talk to the team about 

what might be best for you. We’ll 

tell you more about that in our 

January edition. 

In the meantime, to talk to 

the HomeLink team, call 

0115 915 7167 or visit 

www.nottinghamhomelink.org.uk


Christmas Awareness 

Noise: What 

we really, really 

don’t want 

Parties play a big part of this time of year – but don’t let the 

noise levels get out of hand. 

Noise is one of the most difficult things to live with – and 

we treat it seriously. 

So seriously that we recently took action against a Digby 

Court resident for repeatedly playing loud music – particularly 

the Spice Girls. He was given a six week suspended jail sentence for breaching an 

anti social behaviour injunction. 

If you’re having a party: 

• make sure you tell your neighbours 

• keep your music and noise levels to a reasonable level 

• agree a time when you’ll turn the music down or off. 

And it’s not just parties that annoy neighbours – a survey found the most irritating 

thing was pet noise – so keep those animals quiet! 

Checking on 

neighbours 

Lots of us know people who are elderly or 

vulnerable and who live nearby – so why not 

make it part of your routine to make regular 

checks on them. 

If you haven’t seen or heard from a relative 

or neighbour for a few days you can also call 

the ASB helpline (0115 915 2020). They can 

arrange for a Community Protection officer to 

pop round and make sure the person is okay. 

The real deal 

It’s very easy to be tempted by what looks 

like bargain designer goods on the market 

stall that’s sprung up on the street corner 

– but they are often fake. 

Counterfeit goods can often be dangerous 

as well as being illegal – and those selling 

fake items can find themselves in court 

and at risk of imprisonment. 

Ring 0115 915 2020 

if you want them to 

call on someone. 

One case dealt with by Community 

Protection led to fake GHD hair stylers 

being seized that could have easily 

caught fire or burnt someone. 

And those selling the fake goods through 

a Facebook page called ‘Notts Clobber’ 

were fined and ordered to pay costs. 

Top 

turkey 

tips 

No one wants to be ill at Christmas – 

so make sure if you’re cooking turkey 

it doesn’t give you a dose of food 

poisoning. 

If you buy a frozen bird – make sure it 

is thoroughly defrosted before you cook 

it. Check there are no ice crystals in the 

cavity and no frozen meat. 

If you cook your turkey properly it’ll kill 

all germs – so you don’t need to wash it 

before popping it into the oven. 

To make sure your turkey is cooked 

through follow these tips: 

• the meat should be piping hot all the 

way through 

• no meat should be pink 

• any juices that run out when you 

pierce the bird or press its thigh 

should be clear. 

If there are leftovers, remove all meat 

from the bones, cool it for no more than 

two hours then store in the fridge and 

use within 48 hours. 

For recipes on how to use up leftover 

meat and other food, go to 

www.lovefoodhatewaste.com 

Make sure 

you’re insured! 

The property you live in is insured by 

Nottingham City Homes – but your 

contents and belongings are not. Call us 

on 0115 915 4920 to find out about our 

great value insurance scheme – starting 

at as little as £1.28 a week!


Pictured: Sheriff of Nottingham Councillor Merlita Bryan celebrating Black History Month in Radford. 

Celebrating Black 

History Month 2012 

We celebrated Black History Month in style during October, with two events 

held at the Mary Potter Centre in Radford and the St Ann’s Valley Centre. 

At both events we served some great African and 

Caribbean cuisine and had lots of entertainment, 

including: 

• guest speakers 

• african drumming and poetry 

• steel band music 

• traditional African / Caribbean costume 

fashion shows 

• african and Caribbean artefacts from 

Nottingham Museum’s ‘World Collection 

• children’s mask making 

• ‘from de sunshine to de snow’ – Caribbean 

memories project and lots more! 

Take a look at the pictures at www.flickr.com 

and search ‘NottinghamCityHomes’ to get a 

flavour of the celebrations! 

To find out more about Black History Month, visit 

www.black-history-month.co.uk 

Pictured: St Ann’s resident Mr Anderson. 

Bringing ‘HOPE’ this Christmas 

We told you all about how we were supporting ‘Hope Nottingham’ 

in the August edition of ‘News’. Thanks to your kind generosity and 

donations we were able to provide lots of food gifts to help needy 

families from across the city. 

But there are still many families that need our 

help. And with Christmas fast approaching, more 

and more people need our help to make the 

festive time that bit easier. 

So we’re asking for your support and donations 

once again of food items that could include; festive 

treats (no Christmas crackers please), sugar, fruit 

juice, tinned food, pasta sauces, cereals, tea bags, 

instant coffee, rice, pasta and jam. 

And it’s not just food that’s needed. If you have 

any bedding, clothes, towels or other textiles that 

you no longer use, and they are of good quality, 

then we’d love you to donate these as well. 

If you can spare anything at all, bring it to any of 

our offices up until Friday 14 December. 

Like last time, Nottingham City Homes staff 

will also be donating – so it will once again be 

a real team effort among staff, tenants and 

leaseholders. 

Anything you can donate will be greatly 

appreciated and go towards making 

life just that little bit easier for 

people who struggle the most. 

For more about ‘Hope’ visit 

www.hopenottingham.org.uk 

Pictured: Delicious Cameroonian curry at the St Ann’s Valley Centre. 

Competition 

This month we are giving away a 

slow cooker! 

To be in with a chance of winning, simply 

answer the following question: What is the 

name of this year’s Good Neighbour 

Award winner 

To enter by text simply type: NCH, 

followed by your answer, name and address, 

text to 80800 (all entries are charged at 

standard network rates)*. 

Alternatively, send your entries (with your 

name and telephone number) to: 

The Communications and Marketing Team, 

14 Hounds Gate, Nottingham, NG1 7BA* 

Or, e-mail your answer along with your name 

and telephone number to: marketing@ 

nottinghamcityhomes.org.uk * 

Deadline for receipt of entries is 

Friday 21 December 2012. 

*Only one entry per person 

We have 

a winner! 

Congratulations to 

Robin Stalvies from 

Carrington (pictured), 

who won a cutlery set! 

We asked: How 

much money will 

we be getting from 

Government to complete our Secure 

Warm Modern programme 

The answer was: £45m 

Love your leftovers! 

Every year 6.7 million tonnes of 

food is wasted in the UK – and 

80% of this is over the Christmas period! 

Make sure you use up any spare food 

(that’s still in date!) this festive season. 

Have a look at some recipes at 

www.lovefoodhatewaste.com


Office opening hours are 8.30am to 4.30pm Monday to Friday and 

10.30am to 4.30pm on Wednesdays 

Rents Call Centre 

Monday to Friday 8.15am to 6pm 

We offer a range of ways to pay your 

rent – and free debt advice if you need it. 

Ways to pay your rent: 

Direct Debit 

Via our website 

PayPoint 

By telephone 

At your local 

Post Office 

Ask us about setting up a Direct Debit or 

FREE debt advice. 

Tel: 0115 915 4920 

Minicom: 0115 915 4113 

Text: RENT to 80800, 

followed by your name and address 

Tenant and 

Leaseholder 

Resource Centre 

Tel: 0115 915 7222 

E-mail: resource.centre@ 


Info Point 

Nottingham Central Library, 

3 Angel Row, Nottingham NG1 6HP 

Tel: 0115 915 2828 

Mon-Fri: 8.15am to 5.30pm 

www.nottinghamcityhomes.org.uk 

Your local 

housing offices 

Aspley 

14 Strelley Road, Strelley, 

Nottingham, NG8 3AP 

Tel: 0115 915 3121 Minicom: 0115 915 3126 

E-mail: aspleyoffice@ 


Bestwood 

Elmbridge, Bestwood Park, 

Nottingham, NG5 5PF 

Tel: 0115 915 3301 Minicom: 0115 915 3407 

E-mail: bestwoodoffice@ 


Bulwell 

Bulwell Riverside,Main Street, 

Bulwell, Nottingham, NG6 8QJ 

Tel: 0115 915 3212 Minicom: 0115 915 3407 

E-mail: bulwelloffice@ 


Reporting antisocial 

behaviour 

Text: REPORTASB to 80800, 


Report it online www.nottinghamcityhomes. 

org.uk/anti-social_behaviour or contact 

your local housing office 

Repairs Call Centre 

24 hours a day, 365 days a year! 

Tel: 0115 915 2222 

Minicom: 0115 915 1826 

Text: REPAIRS to 80800, 


Email: repairs@nottinghamcityhomes.org.uk 

www.nottinghamcityhomes.org.uk/ 

your_repairs 

Get Involved! 

Tel: 0115 915 7380 

Text: INVOLVE to 80800, 


Email: gettinginvolved@ 


Secure Warm Modern 

Tel: 0300 333 8100 (calls charged at local rate) 

Email: SWM@nottinghamcityhomes.org.uk 

Nottingham On Call 

Tel: 0115 915 1640 

Email: housingoncall@ 


Translations 

If you are unable to read this tenant and leaseholder newspaper please 

contact your area housing office, or call us on 0845 3303131. We can 

arrange for an interpreter to explain it to you, or send you a spoken word 

version on tape or CD. If neither of these are suitable, we can translate this 

publication into your chosen language. This is also available in large print. 

Cantonese 

French 

Hindi 

Kurdish Sorani 

Portuguese 

Punjabi 

Czech 

Gujarati 

Polish 

Urdu

North edition - Nottingham City Homes

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