Spring 2013 - Broadland Housing Association

Spring 2013Banking with Universal CreditAs part of the changes to the benefit system, the government are encouraging the use of bankor building society accounts to receive the new Universal Credit payments. This will becomecompulsory for all new claimants by April 2014 and all claimants by 2017.With so many options available, it can be confusing which account could be right for you.With that in mind, we have created three stages to follow to help make the process easier.What you should do tomake sure youcontinue to receiveyour benefit payments3 Make sure you have a bankaccount or an account that willreceive electronic payments.3 Compare accounts and select thebest one to suit your needs.Websites such aswww.moneyadviceservice.org.ukare a good source of informationfor this.3 Decide whether you need a jointaccount or an individual account.3 Check whether you can makeautomated payments for your rentand other bills from the account.3 Make sure you have access to theinternet so that you can manageyour benefit payments (yourBroadland Housing Area Office orlocal library can offer free access ifyou need it).3 Draw up a monthly budget to helpyou plan for regular paymentssuch as your rent and other bills.What you need to receive paymentsTo receive your new ‘Universal Creditpayments’ you will need an accountthat can receive electronicpayments. There are a number ofdifferent options available including:• Current Account• Basic Bank Account• ‘Jam Jar’ Account also called aBudgeting Account• Some types of Credit Unionaccounts• Post Office® card account.You may want to check that youraccount allows you to makeelectronic payments out of youraccount for your rent and other bills.It is worth noting that a Post Office® card account does not allow youto make outgoing electronicpayments.There are a number of banks whocan help you open an accountdepending on your circumstances.Helpful checklist of items needed to open a bank accountThere are many sources ofinformation to help you open a bankaccount. Advice can be sought frombanks or online. The checklistopposite has been created usinginformation from the Money AdviceService. Please note it is onlyintended as a general guide and isnot intended to be an exhaustive list.Readers are encouraged to carry outtheir own research. Here’s a quickchecklist of things that you’ll need toopen a bank account.Things to show who you are• Current UK photo card Driving Licence or UK full paper Driving Licence• Passport (UK or International)Things to show your address• Council Tax bill• Utility bills such as water, gas or electricity• Benefit book or Benefit entitlement letters includingPension, Child Benefit, Income Support, Disability andJob Seekers allowance• HMRC Tax Notification or Assessment letter• Tenancy AgreementBENEFIT CUTS SPECIALDON’T GET CAUGHT OUT0303 303 0003Contact us on 0303 303 0003 • 9

Door to Door - Broadland Housing Association Tenants MagazineBHG launch brand new policyto tackle damage to propertiesAt Broadland Housing (BHA) we carry out around 17,000 repairs to propertiesevery year and complete approximately 660 ‘Change of Tenancies’, thecombined cost of which is in the region of £2.5m. We estimate that of that,unfortunately, around £300,000 of damage is caused deliberately by the occupants.Over the past year a team at BHA has been putting togethera new policy and set of procedures which will challenge thebehaviour of our customers who cause damage to theirhomes.This team was made up of a cross section of staff fromdifferent parts of the business including: Housing, IncomeRecovery, Property Services,Repairs and Maintenance,Customer Services and Finance.This was to ensure that all of thoseinvolved in dealing with therepercussions of the damage toour properties, had an input in tohelping decide the new ways oftackling the issue.In addition to staff, the tenantswho are part of the ‘MaintenanceForum’ in Norwich have also hadan active involvement in shaping the new policy. They haveshared their views over the course of a number of meetingswith staff; all have been widely supportive of the introductionof the policy and its principles.Why is BHA introducing this policy?All tenants are responsible for looking after their own homesand we are making a commitment to enforcing this elementof our Tenancy Agreements in order to ensure that ourcustomers fulfil their responsibilities to treat their homes withreasonable care.The level of damage that is caused to properties can varygreatly; most commonly it is quite small and can be rectifiedby the tenant at a minimal cost. On some occasionshowever, tenants have left their property in a very poor stateof repair and it has taken substantial amounts of time andmoney to bring the property back to a standard suitable forre-letting to a new tenant.Getting involved early!The new policy sets out our intentions to tackle damage toThis unlawful damage which is caused toproperties, costs BHA a great deal of money;the introduction of this policy will reduce thecost of repairing this type of damage.property when it first occurs; working with tenants to repairthe damage caused early on, and therefore, at the lowestcost to them. Vulnerable tenants, who may require additionalsupport, will be identified and then directed to varioussupport services to receive the extra help they need early on.We hope that this new policy will prevent the reoccurrence ofsimilar behaviour and enable that household to live in apleasant home; whilst also reducing costs to both the tenantand BHA.If a tenant should fail to engage with us and repair thedamage to their home, this would be considered a breach oftheir Tenancy Agreement. As a consequence of this, theNeighbourhood Officerwould be required to takelegal action; this wouldinclude the issue of a‘Notice of Intent to SeekPossession’ and might, inextreme cases, result ineviction.When a tenant moves outWhen a tenant gives BHA notice to move out of theirproperty, they will have an inspection within the one monthtermination period. At this inspection any damage will beidentified and the tenant will have the opportunity to repairthe damage. If any of the necessary repairs identified are notcompleted, the tenant will be recharged for the cost ofrectifying the damage; this will be at a higher cost than itwould have been for them to carry out this work themselves.In exceptional circumstances, properties are left in a poorstate of repair without our prior knowledge; in every one ofthese cases the previous tenant will be recharged for thedamage done and this debt will be passed to a debtcollection agency if it is not received.Saving CostsThis unlawful damage which is caused to properties, costsBHA a great deal of money; the introduction of this policy willreduce the cost of repairing this type of damage. In caseswhere BHA does have to pay the initial cost of carrying outthese repairs, the charges will ultimately be recovered fromthe tenant who caused the damage.Savings made as a result of the introduction of this newpolicy will be much better spent improving our propertiesand the services offered to all tenants.10 • www.broadlandhousing.org

Spring 2013Senior tenants’ newsRobert Kett CourtThe snow and ice may seem like a distant memorynow, but here are some great pictures of iciclestaken at Robert Kett Court in Wymondham.Crafting fun at Lisbon CourtResidents at Lisbon Court recently got ‘green fingers’ when Norse carer Becky hosted asession helping tenants make ‘Cress Heads’. To make the heads, compost and cress seedswere put into tights and decorated with eyes and feathers. In time these cress heads will growa lovely head of cress hair. The residents all had great fun and are now enjoying watching themgrow, they are looking forward to an egg and cress sandwich soon!Carer Becky & tenant Mrs ShaulForeground: Mrs Jackson & Mrs LucraftContact us on 0303 303 0003 • 11

Spring 2013How Andrew turned his life aroundBroadland Meridian, the training arm of Broadland Housing, help tosupport people back in to training and employment. The followingstory is the true account of how, even when things seem at theirworst, there is always the possibility for a fresh start with a bit ofhelp and support. Many thanks to Broadland tenant AndrewBhagat who chose to share his own story with us to helpencourage and inspire others.In autumn of 2012, through no fault ofhis own, following a period of ill health,Andrew, found himself without a home.There was no doubt he was in a verychallenging situation and hisconfidence was understandably atrock bottom. During this time heaccessed help from ‘Julian Support’who work across the Eastern region.Mick from Julian Support, who wasworking with Andrew, helped himcontact West Norfolk Borough Council(WNBC) (Andrew’s local council) to seewhat they could do to help. Gemma, aHousing Officer for the council,contacted Broadland Housing (BHA) tofind out about temporaryaccommodation at St James Lodge, ascheme run by BHA to provideaccommodation for homeless peoplein Kings Lynn. Ady Lockwood,Scheme Manager at the Lodge, thenmanaged to secure temporaryaccommodation for Andrew within 2hours of being contacted!St James Lodge is designed to be asafe, ‘stepping stone’ to preparetenants for taking on more permanenthousing and provides a time for themto prepare for this responsibility withhelp budgeting, shopping and setting adaily routine. Andrew immediately feltsome of the pressure being taken offby being offered a place at the Lodgeand knew that this was his first steptowards being able to liveindependently in his own place.Following his move in to St JamesLodge, Ady referred Andrew toBroadland Meridian (BM) to chat abouthow he could move forward. Andrewwent on to meet with Kate, an‘Information and Career GuidanceAdvisor’ at BM, following theirdiscussions they identified that Andrewwould really like to work outside ratherthan in an office or shop setting.Through BM, Andrew asked for helpfinding outdoor voluntary workexperience, which would thendemonstrate current work experiencefor his C.V. Andrew and Kate agreedthat she would get in touch withBroadland Housing’s Estate ServicesManager, John Bannister. John isresponsible for managing the GroundsMaintenance Operatives (GMO) atBHA, he immediately spoke to John(another John!) and Kevin the GMOsbased at the Kings Lynn office.Andrew worked with Kate to producea new C.V. and his own personalaction plan to help take him forwardstep by step. Andrew’s C.V. was thensent on to John Bannister, who askedfor a meeting to give everyone theopportunity to get together and talk. Asa result of this meeting, it was agreedthat Andrew would start a 12 weekplacement, doing one day per weekworking in the gardens and communalareas at Broadland schemes alongwith GMO’s Kevin and John mentoringhim. Kate continued to have regularmeetings with Andrew over the 12week period; Andrew’s confidence inhis ability towork grew witheach week ofthe placement.In the end,Andrew was sosuccessful that his placement with theBroadland GMO’s was extended afurther 6 weeks!Andrew continued to work with Kateuntil he agreed that he felt ready to moveon to a new voluntary placement withanother organisation. Andrew visited the‘Do it’ Volunteers website; where heidentified two possible voluntaryopportunities with local organisations,again working outside. Andrew went onto be successful in gaining new voluntarywork and is now working outdoors, in avoluntary post he enjoys.During this time Andrew also found anew home, he put a bid in on aBroadland Housing flat and wasdelighted when his bid was accepted.He is now living happily in his new flat.Andrew really feels now that his life isgetting back on track, through his hardwork and the support of a number ofdifferent organisations and people, hehas really turned what seemed like ahopeless situation in to a very positiveone.If you are facing a difficultsituation don’t be afraid to ask forhelp, there are always peoplearound to help you.Contact information for theorganisations mentioned above:Broadland Meridianwww.broadlandmeridian.org0300 111 1450enq@broadlandgroup.orgJulian Supportwww.juliansupport.org01603 767718info@juliansupport.orgWest Norfolk Borough Councilwww.west-norfolk.gov.uk01553 616200contact@west-norfolk.gov.ukDo-It Volunteering Made Easywww.do-it.org.ukContact us on 0303 303 0003 • 13

Door to Door - Broadland Housing Association Tenants MagazineSave money and eat well –grow your own vegetables!(even if you don’t have a garden)With spring upon us, now is the time to start thinking about growingvegetables. Food prices are rising along with everything else andthere has never been a better time to grow your own veg.Even in you don’t have agarden there are stillplenty of vegetables thatgrow well in containersfor example: beetroot,broad beans, carrots, dwarffrench beans, lettuce, herbs, peas,potatoes, radishes, runner beans,peppers, spring onions andtomatoes.Pots, troughs and grow-bags can allbe used to grow veg. Vegetablesgrown in containers such as thesecan be started off in a glasshouse,conservatory or porch for earliercrops.You could use smaller pots to growyour veg, but watch out as they canresult in a lack of moisture andnutrients for plant roots. Try to usecontainers with a depth and width ofat least 45cm (18in), otherwisefrequent watering and feedingwill be necessary.If you are new togardening, for bestresults always follow thegrowing instructions onthe seed packet. If youhave access to acomputer, you canfind lots of advice onthe internet, justtype ‘vegetablegrowing’ into Googleand there will be plentyof information to choose from.Whatever size pot you use, checkmoisture levels frequently as pots dorequire more watering than plantsgrown directly in the soil. Plastic potsretain moisture for longer than claypots. A feed of general-purpose liquidfertiliser can be applied every twoweeks. If frost is likely, cover the plantswith horticultural fleece and move thepots to a warm, sheltered spot.If you are keen, but havelittle or no gardenspace yourself, thenallotments are a goodoption. The averagecost is about £40 a yearfor a 250 square meter plot.Contact your council for informationon where the allotment sites are inyour area and how to apply; be awarethough, there may be a waiting list.Alternatively, you could register thatyou are looking for a piece of land togrow vegetables with the ‘Landshare’website (www.landshare.net), they linkup those looking for land to peoplewith spare land available.At the time of writing this, mid March,the weather is still unseasonably cold.I hope that by the time you arereading it, spring has definitely sprungand we can enjoy spring flowers andthe promise of freshvegetables to come.Just rememberhome grown vegalways tastes better!Roger SteelePersonal Development AdvisorNew wildwoodlandBroadland are trialing adifferent form of plantingdesigned to encourageanimals, insects and birds tosome communal gardenareas.As part of Broadland’s ‘New habitatand Biodiversity Plan’ the GroundsMaintenance staff have been hardat work introducing this form ofplanting to both brand new andolder schemes. Rather than themore commonly used ‘formal’planting or landscaping, these areasare used to create both wildflowermeadows and Woodland areas.So what are the benefits ofthis type of planting?Currently communal areas of grassare cut to a short, standard lengthwhich gives little scope to allowbiodiversity. When ‘wild’ areas areintroduced, a wide variety of birds,mammals and insects will follow, asthis type of planting allows them thehabitat they need to thrive. Thelook of an established meadow orwoodland area can be beautiful, butpatience is required, as they cantake some time to establish fully. Anadded benefit is, that the grassshould only be cut twice a year atmost, which greatly reduces bothcosts and theLodge Breck completed.14 • www.broadlandhousing.org

Spring 2013flower meadow andareas at Broadlandamount of time GMO’s need to beon site. Additional advantages tothese areas are their overall ease ofmaintenance and their relativecheapness to create.What type of flowersdo we plant?Meadow areas will be seeded withnative species such as: Ox EyeDaisy, Red Clover, Birds Foot Trefoiland Yarrow.Woodland areas will be seededwith native species of plant whichare happy to be in shaded areassuch as: Foxglove, Sorrel and StJohn’s Wort.We will also mix the ‘meadow mix’with some annuals such as:Poppies, Corn Marigolds andCornflowers. These will give lots ofnice colour in the first year, but willreduce in subsequent years as theperennial plants establish.How can Tenants getinvolved?Tenants living at the schemes canhelp to decide the type of wildlifethey would like to encourage, as wecan select particular seed mixes toencourage certain wildlife.Tenants are also the perfect peopleto monitor comings and goings ofwildlife to the planted areas,feeding/nesting sites can be installedand managed by tenants.Which schemes are weworking on?Established schemes identified forwildflower meadows/ woodlandareasThe Elms (Norwich)Wildflower meadow - seeding Britishwild flora into established grassalongside existing woodland.George Fox Way woodlandand wildflower.Woodland area to be seeded forshade tolerant species. We havealso planted a section of hedge withnative species.The Lawns (Yarmouth)Wildflower meadow - seeded ontoprepared ground.Lodge Breck (Norwich)Hedgerow area - manage nettlesand seed hedgerow wildflower mix.We have interplanted the hedge witha native hedgerow mix.George Fox Way (Norwich)Establish wildflower meadows onneglected areas. Increase speciesmix within established woodlandarea.St Katherine’s Court (Kings Lynn)Establish a small area of wildflowermeadow.The Elms cleared and seeded.New sites where meadows havebeen planned – it doesn’t alwayswork first time!These new build schemes wereplanned as wildflower areas, butsome have failed or need reseedingfor various reasons:Vanguard Court (Norwich)Rockland St MaryEast RudhamFreethorpeThurltonThese areas will be prepared andseeded as soon as the conditionsare right, some areas will need to besprayed beforehand. This meansspring sowing for some and autumnfor others, but all plans should be inplace for next year.A final thoughtThis is a new initiative and the GMO’sare all new to this, none of us areexperts (yet!), but we are reallyenjoying working on this new way ofplanting and it does give us a freshoutlook on the work that we do.John Breame –Grounds Maintenance OperativeContact us on 0303 303 0003 • 15

GARDENINGCOMPETITION 2013Enter Broadland’s 8th annualgardening competition forthe chance to win £50!As always, we were very impressed with the standard of all of last year’sentries and look forward to an even bigger and better competition this year.There are four main categories for this year’scompetition, along with a special award for ‘bestinnovation of space’. The categories are as follows:• Best garden (houses or bungalows)• Best courtyard or small garden• Best balcony or window box – for people withouttheir own garden, e.g. flats• Best community garden – groups of tenants whocollectively maintain a communal gardenSo, who will be crowned 2013 winners? Entrants willhave to wait until August to find out. The deadline forentries is Monday 10th June 2013 and the judgingpanel hope to view all entries on Monday 1st andTuesday 2nd July 2013 (subject to change).We are delighted to confirm that Broadland tenant and‘allotmenteer’ Jane Graham (member of theSustainable Living Initiative) will again be heading upour judging panel and she will be joined by BroadlandMeridian’s horticulture expert and regular writer forDoor to Door, Roger Steele.If you would like to enter this year’s competition pleasecomplete the entry form below and return it to us byMonday 10th June 2013.Good luck to all the green fingers!2013 Gardening Competition Entry FormName:Address:Tel.Email:I / we would like to enter the competition in the following category:Best garden nBest courtyard or small garden nBest balcony or window box nBest community garden nAll entries must be received by Monday 10th June 2013. Please post to: 2013 Gardening Competition, BroadlandHousing Association Ltd, Freepost RRBC-GYGZ-XYEE, NCFC, Jarrold Stand, Carrow Road, Norwich, NR1 1HU.Send back the form or call 0303 303 003 to enter now16 • www.broadlandhousing.org

Photo: Paul Tibbs, Lynn News.Spring 2013Residents areaThis month we look at Nordic Walking with Mark Richardson,the Tenant Scrutiny Panel, Conservation Volunteering, have moreTop Tips from Heather and Shane reviews ‘Paranorman’.Nordic walking for fitnessLast year Broadland Tenant Mark Richardson of King's Lynnwas made redundant from his job. After spending timesearching for work, Mark had the idea of advertising his searchfor work on the back of his cycle shirt. This caught the eye ofthe media and the story appeared almost worldwide with Markeven being interviewed live on Australian TV.Unfortunately despite the coverage,no offers of employment were madeand Mark decided that he wouldcreate his own work and go selfemployed. Nordic walking instructorseemed the obvious choice for himas he was a passionate Nordic(cross country) skier earlier in his lifeand had enjoyed some success.What is Nordic Walking? It is anenhancement of ordinary walking –making it twice as effective. Nordicwalking uses poles in order to addtwo major benefits to walking;The use of poles means the upperbody muscles are used as well asthe legs.The poles help to propel the walkeralong - this means you work harderthan usual but the support given bythe poles makes it feel easier!Nordic walking is a specific fitnesstechnique and is not to be confusedwith trekking, hill walking or trailrunning as the poles are not plantedin front of the walker/runnerbut in a specific way thatincreases the use of the upperbody. It is important to learnhow to do this correctly to gainthe maximum benefit.Now a fully qualified Nordicwalking instructor Mark issetting up classes and walksaround West Norfolk includingKings Lynn, Sandringham,Leziate and Hunstanton just tomention a few locations.Mark is running classes andwalks for all ages and levels offitness. No matter what age orability, there is a class to suitall.For a free taster session or tobook classes contact Mark on07443421089 or emailmarktaoh@hotmail.comFacebook: West Norfolk NordicWalking or visit his website throughwww.nordicwalking.co.uk and typein Kings Lynn or Mark Richardson. Iflive outside West Norfolk, thiswebsite will lead you to your nearestinstructor and classes.‘Tenant ScrutinyPanel’ updateWho we are:The Scrutiny Panel is a group ofresidents that look at various areas ofBroadland Housing, what theorganisation does and generally how itoperates. This gives Broadland aunique tenant perspective and helpsidentify areas where improvementscould be made.What we are working on:The latest project that the panel hastaken on is reviewing the BroadlandHousing Website. They have identifieda couple of areas that they are goingto focus on initially. The first is to helpcreate a new area on the websitewhichspecificallylooks athomelessnesse.g. offers helpand sign postsservices forthose inextreme housing need and alsofeatures Broadland’s ‘Dibden Road’homeless hostel created to supporthomeless men, which was opened inNorwich last year. The second is tocreate a new area for reporting on thework of the Scrutiny Panel itself, withupdates, information and opportunitiesfor tenants to join the panel.How can you get involved:If you are a Broadland tenant andwould like to really have a say in theway in which Broadland operates andmaintains its properties, why not havea chat to a member of the ScrutinyPanel and ask about how you couldget involved. The Scrutiny Panel selectareas of the business they would liketo look at and their reports andfindings are presented to BroadlandHousing’s Board, so it really is able toinfluence the way in which things aredone!To find out more about the ScrutinyPanel and the work it does, callCustomer Services on 0303 3030003Contact us on 0303 303 0003 • 17

Door to Door - Broadland Housing Association Tenants MagazineVolunteer spotlight:Conservation VolunteersNorwich tenant Gordon Reid lifts the lid on some of thevolunteer work that he does with The Conservation Volunteers.I started work with The ConversationVolunteers, formally British Trust forConservation Volunteers, in March2011. The Conversation Volunteersare a registered charity helping toreclaim and maintain green spacesthroughout the UK.The first job given was hedge laying.This is an old way of creating a wildlifehedge which will house insects andsupport animals better. Small treesabout 12ft high are cut along one sidebut still just connected through theirstems to their roots. Posts arehammered in using ‘helmets’ andwillows were used horizontally in andout the posts inlength of three,called willowing tofinish the fence.Old fallen or felledtrees are shreddingand new onesplanted in theirplace.Heathlands areanother area thatneeds maintaining.We remove topsoil too rich in nutrientsfor the surrounding heather to grow.The Heather helps the pollinatinginsects like bees and butterflies. Apollen cafe! In the summer, thebracken on the heathland gets quitehigh and needs cutting back at theroot to ensure the heather is notobscured from the sun.The invasive species of HimalayanBalsam need to be removed from theriverbanks and wet marshland aroundNorwich. If left, it could spread easilyand take over. A Balsam bash party!In particular hogweed is a plant whichneeds removing from fields and thereis a special tool for this.Tasks vary throughout the yeardepending on season but include:• Coppicing• Metal post fencing• Mowing and raking marshlandgrass and strimming and cuttingweeds on meadow banks• Pulling saplings (sycamore andsilver birch in particular)• Pond cleaning with waders• Litter picks (mostly woods).By volunteering, I have gained a FirstAid certificate and have a betterknowledge of safety in the workplace.I had a safety talk, happened to bemy 50th birthday as well, which hashelped me stay safe since. Safety tip:Keep the safety official insight!Great YarmouthCemeteryConservation with theGreen Gym.The ConservationVolunteers run ascheme called the‘Green Gym’ whichhelps to improve healthand fitness byvolunteering on outside projects. OnOctober 1st, I left Norwich for GreatYarmouth to work 1 day a week(Mondays) at the cemetery. I wasworking in a small team of about 3-5leaving from Norwich to work withother volunteers from the GreatYarmouth area.We were clearing up the grave yard ingeneral. Felling trees, cutting backplants and clearing grave stones ofIvy. This was to improve the area andalso that historical records could bemaintained from the inscription on thecleared stone.It was really great exercise andwidening overgrown paths was agood one to strengthen the back!”Gordon Reid, Broadland Tenant.Dibden Roadtenants cookup a storm!Tenants at Dibden Road, Broadland’snew homeless hostel in Norwich, havebeen cooking up a storm on a Sunday!The ‘Sunday Lunch Club’ started up inOctober last year, originally it was every2 weeks, but suchhas been thesuccess of the clubit has become aweekly Sundayevent.The tenants don’tjust sit down andeat their lunch; they really get theirsleeves rolled up and help with allaspects of creating the perfect SundayRoast, from preparing the vegetables tocooking and serving the food. Everyonegets involved; those that didn’t help withcooking get stuck in to the washing anddrying up afterwards. Everyone that sitsdown to eat has a hand in creating themeal.The club has helped prove that thetenants can work well together as ateam and has also helped to developsome new cooking skills too. Sittingdown for a Sunday Roast together, alsogives the chance for tenants and staff tochat in a relaxed and informal way andis the perfect opportunity for tenants tomeet each other too.Dave Pullen a tenant at the scheme,said, “It’s great, and we get to eat goodfood on a Sunday!” Another tenant,Shaun Button commented, “It is goodto have aproperSundayRoast andto help tocook it.”“It is good to have a properSunday Roast and to helpto cook it.”18 • www.broadlandhousing.org

Spring 2013Kids corner - Colouring competitionWell done to everyone who entered our Christmas Colouring Competition. As usual the standards wereexceptionally high and as such we awarded two winners for the over 5’s category. The under 5 winner is JaidenYoungs and the over 5’s winners are Shayler McClure and Shernice Prins. If you weren’t lucky enough to win thistime then please keep trying.For your chance to win, colour in thepicture and send to us at the addressbelow by Friday 14th June 2013,stating your name, age and address. Asbefore; we will pick winners for 5 yearsand under, and 6 and over, both will wina colouring set and get their pictures inthe next edition of Door to Door.Colouring Competition, FREEPOSTRRBC-GYGZ-XYEE, BroadlandHousing Association, NCFC JarroldStand, Carrow Road,Norwich, NR1 1HUShernice Prins, Shayler McClure and Jaiden Young with their pictures.Contact us on 0303 303 0003 • 19

Door to Door - Broadland Housing Association Tenants MagazinePuzzle pageWordsearch WinnerCongratulations to CarolynDurrant, Fakenham, for thewinning entry in our WinterWordsearch Competition.For your chance to win a £10gift voucher, find and circle allof the hidden words in theWordsearch and send it to usat the address below, alongwith your name and address.Wordsearch Competition,FREEPOST RRBC-GYGZ-XYEE,Broadland Housing Association,NCFC Jarrold Stand, CarrowRoad, Norwich, NR1 1HUAll entries to be returned byFriday 14th June 2013.Spring wordsearchN R Y T W T W P S S Y S N R TC A H L I A O I U P U A L R LN A R B F R R N N C O G M R RW E B C D R S M O D A R L A MX A S W I H E R I R Y A C I CR Y O T I S C T D N M R T N AB N H N I E S E T B G N D C DS L E R N R N U J U N E R O HU P O T E I D C S T B N N A OE L O S N H Y A C I N T H T HG P E G S S T E L O P D A T MM O O L B O E A S P R I N G RC L O U D S M E E F L O W E RI K E E I M E H D W D A U A HO S A E T R S I W R A F S E TNARCISSUSNESTSNOWDROPSUNSHINEWARMINGWEATHERWINDYBLOOMTADPOLEBLOSSOMHYACINTHRAINCOATLAMBRABBITCROCUSCLOUDSGARDENINGFLOWERBUTTERFLYJUNEMAYTHAWSEEDCROPSSPRINGNew prize sudokuLots of you said you enjoy filling in theSudoku Puzzle, so here’s another one.For your chance to win a £10 gift voucher,complete the sudoku and send it to us atthe address below, along with your nameand address.Prize Sudoku, FREEPOST RRBC-GYGZ-XYEE, Broadland Housing Association, NCFCJarrold Stand, Carrow Road,Norwich, NR1 1HUAll entries to be returned byFriday 14th June 2013.5143 74 9 263 42 9 7 5 19 8 52 8 95 1 4 6820 • www.broadlandhousing.org

Spring 2013Paranorman (PG)Starring: Kodi Smit-Mcphee, CaseyAffleck, Christopher Mintz-Plasse,LeslieMann, Bernard Hill, Alex Borstein, JohnGoodman.Directors: Chris Butler, Sam FellAccording to the other kids at school, Normanis considered to be a 'weirdo'. When theyhear the stories and see him talking tonothing in particular on the streets of BlitheHollow, they instantly assume he's a little bit on thecrazy side and give him a wide berth. What they don't realise is thatNorman (Smit-McPhee) can talk to ghosts. Every single one of them in fact.His Grandma regularly has conversations with him to boost his confidenceat school, and she's been dead for years!Thankfully his friend Neil, a slightly overweight boy who is also bullied byhis peers at school, finds a kindred spirit in Norman and hangs out withhim at every possibility.Norman's family seem to thinkhe needs professional help,since he 'talks' to hisGrandma a lot and his sisterthinks he's a little unhingedanyway, what with his fixationwith horror movies, thesefactors don't help him at all.Without giving too much ofthe story away (and the factyou have to watch this filmso you can find out foryourselves) the film is full ofwitty jokes and plenty ofreferences to some classichorror films that will makeyou smile (obviously theadults will get these, notthe kids). It certainly got achuckle from me when Iheard Norman's ringtoneon his phone, as it's thesame as mine!There are some visual sequences in thismovie that will amaze you and to some of the younger kids will possiblygive them a little fright, but if you saw Coraline, you kind of know what toexpect. I give this film an 8 out of 10. Enjoy! - Shane SmithWe have had a special request to wishMr and Mrs Aldred of Ryeburn Closemany congratulations on their recentlycelebrated Ruby Wedding Anniversary.We hope they had a lovely day.Heather’s Top TipsSpring has finally arrived, sofor this edition ‘Heather’s TopTips’ have a special springcleaning theme!• Use vinegar as a cleaner – dilutedvinegar is a great, natural cleanerthat is also kind on the environment.Just keep a spray bottle with diluted50% vinegar and 50% water handyto act a spray cleaner for yourkitchens and bathrooms.• Vinegar can also be used to descalea kettle - pour malt vinegarand water (50/50 again) over theelements and boil. Then tip thecontents of the kettle away and swillout well with plain water.• Make your net curtains sparkleagain – you can whiten net curtainsby soaking them in water with adenture cleaning tablet.• Another natural cleaning option -keep pewter clean by rubbing with acabbage leaf (yes really!). Finish off,by polishing with a soft cloth.• Remember to keep the back ofyour fridge clean too; it will help tokeep your fridge working efficiently.Make sure you unplug it first, thenuse your vacuum’s ‘nozzle’attachment to remove dust and dirtfrom the back.• Take care - never use two differentchemical cleaners in the loo at thesame time – when mixed they mayproduce dangerous fumes (for amore natural alternative – you canuse undiluted vinegar for this jobtoo!).• Oven cleaning – the eco friendlyway – for a natural oven cleaner, mix¼ cup of baking soda, 2tbsp saltand hot water, so that it becomes apaste. Let the paste sit for fiveminutes, then scrub your oven withit. This will take a little longer thatusing harsh chemical cleaners, butthere are no dangerous fumes tocontend with and this mixture won’tburn your skin like the chemicalversion!Contact us on 0303 303 0003 • 21

Door to Door - Broadland Housing Association Tenants MagazineHow are we performing?Your opinions matterThank you to everyone who has completed the ‘Your Opinions Matter’ Survey so far. We send themto all tenants on a rolling basis, each tenant should receive one survey every year.We will share the results once we have a full set of data from all tenants. We are required by our regulators to carryout this survey and the results will be used not only by us to make improvements but also to benchmark ourperformance against other Housing Associations nationally. Your views are important to us, so for your chance towin and to ensure your opinions matter please make sure you return the survey.Our survey winners!Thank you to everyone who has completed the ‘YourOpinions Matter’ Survey so far. Your views areimportant to us, so for your chance to win £25 in HighStreet Vouchers please make sure you return the surveyin the pre-paid envelope provided.Congratulations to the winners for the last quarter.These are as follows: Shirley Temple, Norwich, JackHuggins, Diss, Jean Fitton, Dereham, DavidLankaster, Norwich and Linda Grubb, Norwich.‘Your repairs’satisfaction‘Your new home’satisfaction(1st October 2012 – 31st December 2012)98% of customers told us that wearrived on time to their appointment98% of customers told us that weleft their home clean and tidy after theirvisit99% of customers were satisfied orvery satisfied with the service theyreceived from our Repairs team86% of customers were verysatisfied with the quality of the repaircarried out4444(1st October 2012 – 31st December 2012)77% of customers felt they weregiven enough time to decide if theywanted the property77% of customers felt they weregiven enough information aboutoutstanding repairs being carried out onthe property100% of customers felt ourexplanation of rent charges was ‘good’92% of customers were satisfiedwith the service we have provided themto date4444Although many customers appear happy with quality of the Repairs Service, the Team are continually seeking outfeedback on ways to correct things that are going wrong and ways to improve the service.The Repairs and Maintenance Forum looks at all aspects of the service from responsive repairs and gas servicingthrough to the delivery of large scale programmes of heating and kitchen refurbishments. The Forum is continuallylooking for new members and makes a significant contribution to service improvements. It was through the Forumthat the supplier of the kitchen units, that we currently use, was selected. So, if you want to get involved, get intouch and have your say.22 • www.broadlandhousing.org

Spring 2013Norfolk Credit UnionSAVINGSWhether you have something you’re savingfor or you just want an emergency fund,share in the success of Norfolk Credit Unionby opening a Savings account that gives yousomething back by paying you an annualdividend.• Get a Savings account with Norfolk CreditUnion and share in the success with anannual dividend• Are you saving for something? Takeadvantage of out ‘lock-in-Account’scheme and set a future date to accessyour moneyNational Credit Unionof the YearLOANSSometimes borrowing money becomes anecessity. The washing machine, the car orthe boiler breaks down and you don’t havethe money in the bank to pay for therepairs. If you’ve been turned down by amainstream lender, there is another way toborrow without paying the hefty interestrates that doorstep lenders can sting youfor.• Apply for any amount up to a maximumof £10,000 based on your ability to repay• Competitive interest rate of just26.8%APR• Easy repayments up to 2 years (24months)• Free loan protection in the event of yourdeathCompare our rates onLendersCompared.org.uk01508 533842 www.norfolkcu.co.ukYour LocalCommunity BankCURRENT ACCOUNTOur Current Account is much the same asany high street bank or building societyaccount, with one difference! We are a notfor profit organisation and are focused onhelping you stay within your limit and evenif we have to charge you, it is a lot less thanthe high street banks & building societiescharge.• Visa Debit Card to use in shops, over theinternet and over 30.000 Link ATMs• Get cashback from a number ofsupermarkets and shops• Set up Direct Debits or Standing Ordersso you can pay your bills automaticallyevery month and often get a discountfrom suppliers• Have your wages, benefits and/orpension paid in to the account withinstant access to your money• All for the small weekly charge of 98pEarn yourself a High Street GiftVoucher and help us to save theenvironment and our resources!We are looking for DeliveryVolunteers to distributeDoor to DoorYou can deliver to as many or as fewproperties as you wish, just your block orstreet, the whole estate, or anything inbetween.The value and frequency of your gift voucher will depend on howmany you deliver, but you will earn 10p per property.If you would be willing to deliver Door to Door toother properties where you live please email:communications@broadlandgroup.org orcall 0303 303 0003.If you would like to switch toa digital “Door to Door”please email ‘Go Green’,along with your name andaddress to communications@broadlandgroup.org.Door to Door isprinted on recycledmaterial; pleaserecycle thismagazine after use.Contact us on 0303 303 0003 • 23

Short of time?Why not manage your Broadland Account online?Visit ‘Tenants Online’ onthe Broadland Housingwebsite to• Manage your rent account• Report a repair• Update your personal details• Make a complaintAll you need to do to get online with Broadland is:1. Visit our website at www.broadlandhousing.org2. Click on the ‘Tenants Online’ icon in the top right hand corner ofour home page3. This will take you through to the Tenants Online registration page4. You will then just need to input a few details, name, date of birthetc. (note: you will need your Tenancy ID Number to hand)and you can get started!www.broadlandhousing.orgEmailYou can keep in touch with Broadland on email too– make sure we have your up to date email address– email us on enq@broadlandgroup.org or call us on0303 303 0003. (Note: if you are registered with Tenants Online,you can update your own details online if they change)