Autumn 2010

Wythenshawe’s got Talent

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We want you!

Theparkway

0300 111 0000

Preparing for winter

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Robert the Rhino

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You are invited... ...to our Tenants Conference, see page 2

On course for new skills or hobbies? F i n d o u t a b o u t M a n c h e s t e r C o l l e g e

Wythenshawe Campus’s range of subjects in their special newsletter enclosed.

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Improvements Delivered –

20 Months Ahead of Schedule

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Page 1

Be part of our Involvement reviewOur new Resident Involvement structure has been up and running for almost a year, and we would welcome your feedback as we review how successful it is.

The structure includes our Tenants’ Scrutiny Committee (TSC) and Neighbourhood Performance Panels (NPPs), which, together with other customer groups have really made a difference, contributing to:

• Parkway Green’s new Strategic Plan• Wythenshawe’s Got Standards, and how we

develop our local offer• our Customer Service Standards and performance

reporting• Status Survey feedback and the extended opening

hours pilot• repairs appointment time changes• policies, leaflets and the design of the annual report

If you want to get more involved we’d love to hear from you. Please contact our Resident

Involvement Manager, Dean Slavin, on 946 6312 or d.slavin@parkwaygreen.co.uk

Our Tenants’ Scrutiny Committee (TSC) has helped develop a pets policy which was approved in August. Some of the key points are:

• customers need our permission to have a domestic pet, like a cat or a dog, and should look after it well

• some exotic pets will not be allowed• permission will not be given for properties, such

as flats, with shared entrances and gardens• residents who want to keep a pet will be

asked to sign a contract detailing which pet is permitted

For further information, please contact your Neighbourhood Officer.

... fectly clear

Wordy Worm competition

Congratulations to Jacqueline

Langshaw, winner of our last

word worm. The answer was

LOCAL HELP FOR YOUR

NEIGHBOURHOODS

Find five chunky green words JUST LIKE THIS in this issue to make up a word worm sentence, and send it to Word Worm, Parkway Green Housing Trust, Parkway Green House, 460 Palatine Road, Northenden, Manchester, M22 4DJ, or email to info@parkwaygreen.co.uk by October 30th 2010. All correct entries will be entered in a prize draw and one lucky person will win £50. Don’t forget to include your contact details.

Wythenshawe’s Got Standards In the last Parkway, we told you about the Tenant Services Authority (TSA) standards for social landlords, and how we are responding. We will be giving you an update in every issue.

So far we have:• held a joint meeting with Willow Park tenants to

agree how to work on the standards jointly• set up our Wythenshawe’s Got Standards (WGS)

Panel of tenants to help us develop our local offer• carried out a self assessment against each of the

standards with the WGS Panel

Coming next:• an assessment of how we meet each standard in

our annual report• consultation events to obtain as much feedback

as possible on each standard • launch of the draft local offer at our Tenant

Conference in NovemberIn discussion: from left, Wytheshawe’s Got Standards (WSG) Group members, Bernard Caine, chair Steve Thompson and Dean Slavin

Have you got a neighbour who has gone the extra mile to help out or contribute to your local community? Why not nominate them for our Your Good Neighbour Awards using the form you will find in this issue.

The Park Way | Autumn Page 2

newsour

Nominate a neighbour

John Donaghey receives his Good Neighbour Award last year

You are invited...

RSVP By Friday 1st October: Tel: 0161 946 6315; Email: p.odjidja@parkwaygreen.co.uk or write to

TRC 2010, Parkway Green House, 460 Palatine Rd, Northenden, Manchester, M22 4DJ

To our Tenants & Residents Conference

At Wythenshawe ForumOn Monday November 1st

Arrivals – 9:30 Conference 10:00am – 2:30pm

Lunch – 12:00

The Lord Mayor of Manchester will be launching the conference and awarding the prizes for the Garden Competition and Good

Neighbour Awards

Shortlisted for successWe have been shortlisted for three prestigious National Awards in the Chartered Institute of Housing 2010 UK Housing Awards in November. Nominations are in the Equality and Diversity, Customer Excellence and Resident Involvement categories.

your window on safety

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Our contractors, Bagnalls, have carried out external repairs and painting to 512 properties in Northenden and Brooklands and are due to start on a further 607 properties in the area.

Painted up

your window on safetyA programme to improve homes with new windows and doors has now been completed.

As part of our specification, a fire exit window has been supplied to each first floor habitable room. This window has a green button on the handle and allows the window to open fully in the event of a fire or similar escape requirement.

A simple child restrictor is fitted, but unhooked easily for escape purposes.

We recommend all tenants try out the window, to make sure you would know how to use it in a real emergency. If any part of the window is not working properly call our contact centre on 0300 111 0000 and we will arrange for it to be repaired.

Adding ValueBrighter futureWe have reduced the amount of waste we send to landfill by identifying waste streams and using alternative disposal procedures.

Homes and housingThrough market comparison we have reduced prices of our raw material by 5% for our day-to-day repairs

Being open, honest and transparentWythenshawe’s Got Standards’ makes progress – page 2

Developing colleagues and our businessOur Saturday Opening pilot has begun – page 4We are LOOKING for new members of the Neighbourhood Performance Panel and Tenant Scrutiny Committee – page 15

Safer NeighbourhoodsPets Policy Report and Contracts developed for residents to prevent neighbour nuisance – page 1

Page 3

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Evenings ‘by appointment’We are now offering evening and Saturday

morning appointments for urgent multi-skilled

repairs, minor electrical and gas repairs, like

loose and dripping taps or a broken light.

We have also altered appointment time

options. They are now:

Monday to Friday:

A1 8.00 am to 10.30 am

A2 10.00 am to 12.30 pm

P1 12.00 noon to 2.30 pm

P2 2.00 pm to 4.00 pm

E1 4.00 pm to 5.00 pm

In addition, on Tuesdays and Thursdays

E2 5.00 pm to 7.00 pm

Saturdays

S1 9.00 am to 12.00 noon

To book an appointment contact PG Direct

on 0300 111 0000.

Check it out – winter tipsAs winter draws near there are a few simple checks you can do to make sure you are getting the most out of your central heating system.

If you have recently had improvement works at your home, you will have had a Potterton Pro-Max boiler fitted. If, after checking the list below, you are not getting heating or hot water ring PG Direct on 0300 111 0000.

DO DON’T

• ensure main electrical isolator switch is “on”• check the gas meter has sufficient credit• check the time clock is set correctly• set the heating programme to desired positions/times.• set the room thermostat (normally located in the hall) to the desired

temperature• contact PG Direct 0300 111 0000 if the pressure gauge drops to zero AND

the boiler will not ignite• report a leaking pipe, valve or radiator to PG Direct on 0300 111 0000

immediately

• attempt to vent the radiators• remove a radiator, part of the

system or alter the heating system in any way

• you must not turn off the electricity or gas supply to the boiler. (Unless in case of an emergency – gas leak, fire etc.)

Servicing, area by areaWe are currently servicing gas appliances in the Northern Moor area and will begin in Brooklands at the end of October. You will hear from us three weeks before your allotted appointment date and again one week before. There is always the opportunity for you to arrange an alternative date. Remember to let us in first time to carry out the safety checks and you will automatically be entered into a prize draw to win £100!

Gas guidesA number of Gas Safety Guides are available at your Neighbourhood Office and on www.parkwaygreen.co.uk. Alternatively contact our Gas Servicing Team on 0300 111 0000 and we will send you one.

Titles are:

Tenants sleeping in living roomsCarbon Monoxide Gas EscapesTenant installed appliances.

Page 4The Park Way | Autumn

Parkway Green has hosted the Manchester School of Excellence for the South of Manchester for a second year.

The four-week programme, funded by Aim Higher and run by Education Business Solutions, provides gifted and talented school leavers with skills sessions in presentations, CV writing and enterprise activities, as well as a professional two-week internship.

This year we invited Manchester United’s Enterprise Academy to take part and participants worked on a new exhibit for the Manchester United Museum, pitching it to MU bosses ‘Dragon’s Den’ style on the final day. Some of the participants also worked from Manchester United’s Enterprise Academy at Old Trafford on their internship.

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Eliana takes her place

Eliana de Silva is the latest Wythenshawe resident to complete a placement with Parkway Green.

Originally from Brazil, Eliana wanted to improve her English FOR work, and spent seven weeks with us in the PG Direct/front of house, Business Improvement, and HR teams.

She says: “I now feel more confident in a business environment. I have achieved all the goals I set out to achieve at the start of my placement.”

Eliana has since taken an IT course at Forum Learning, and is doing voluntary work.

For more details about placements contact Helen Hawxwell on 0300 111 0000.

Entering the Dragon’s Den

Four go permanentFour of the eight participants in a six-month Future Jobs Fund initiative at Parkway Green have found permanent posts. We will continue to track the progress of the other participants. More news in our Winter newsletter!

Boosting employabilityWe have hosted another Get Hired! event, and launched our Talent Pool as part of the Greater Manchester Get Into Housing Initiative to fill 25% of entry level housing vacancies with local applicants.

Around 36 people attended the event which was centred around searching, applying, being interviewed for and getting a job. Local prominent employers and training providers were on-hand to give advice and guidance.

Help For Job Seekers at Get Hired! from left, Steve Shawcross, Customer Service Manager from Jobcentre Plus Wythenshawe and Parkway Green Staff Satvir Sohal and Karen Wellington

Dragon’s Den contenders at Old TraffordEliana takes part in the placement

programme at Parkway

Parkway Green has become an ‘Investors in People Champion’, only the second Housing Association in the UK to achieve this recognition. It recognises us for leading by example in the way we manage and develop our people, and it comes hot on the heels of the Investors in People gold award reported in the last issue.

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Along with Willow Park Housing Trust, Parkway Green invited pupils from local primary schools to meet a new character called ‘Robert the Rhino’.

Robert is a football-mad rhino and is the main character in a new children’s book called ‘Robert’s bright idea!’, created and written by Paul Hodson and illustrated by Tina Jackson.

Each school was presented with 50 copies of the books as part of our commitment to supporting literacy.

Aiming for

The Park Way | Autumn

Nigel Wilson with Rob the Rhino and Chief Executive of Willow Park Joe Doherty

Author Paul Hodson and Tina Jackson launch the book

Congratulations if you were one of the 1,502 pupils from Wythenshawe who improved their school attendance last year.

As the new school year starts we want every pupil in Wythenshawe to improve their chances of getting good qualifications and a well paid job in the future. 90% attendance might sound good but it is the same as taking half a day off school every week, and that means you will be missing out, so aim for 100%.

lifeyour

Wyn Casey, Vice Chair of Parkway Green, with Robert the Rhino

Manchester Adult Education Service offers a range of leisure-style courses and some which will improve your employment skills. They start in September. Find out more:Forum Learning (Wythenshawe): 0161 935 4080 Rackhouse Learning Centre (Northenden): 0161 998 4728 Chorlton Park Learning Centre: 0161 254 7421 Withington Learning Centre (Withington): 0161 234 5691

New term – new course?

Letting your chiLdmiss schooL couLdend up teachingyou a Lesson.

It’s called truancy. As a parent, you are legally responsible for making sure your child is at school – otherwise you could face a fine. www.truancythefacts.com

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communityyour

Mirrors aid door step safety

These include a wall mirror so residents can see callers when the front door chain is on, and a magnifying card reader to help them check identification.

The idea comes from the Merseyside Residents Network who successfully piloted the idea in Liverpool after a bogus policeman broke into a pensioner’s home.

FOCUS On Community Safety Parkway Green Housing Trust’s Community Safety Team is celebrating after securing a 2-year Injunction Order against a tenant and obtaining immediate possession of a different tenant’s property. Both had persistently caused a nuisance to neighbours.

In the first case, the team proved 11 allegations of anti-social behaviour in court against a tenant from Baguley who was given a two-month prison sentence, suspended for 2 years. On the 25 June the courts made an order for possession, and the tenant left on 14 July, the date ordered by the Court, and handed his keys in.

In the second case, a man from Northern Moor broke a previous Undertaking agreeing not to cause any further problems. Eviction was a final resort.

DON’T BE CONNED BY BOGUS CALLERS. Remember to always ask for ID when our operatives call round. We don’t mind you asking!

Reflecting on safety: Neighbourhood Officer Janet Power and Chair of the Shenton TA, Jackie ButterleyWorking together to boost security for elderly residents

Parkway Green, in partnership with the Merseyside Residents Network, Greater Manchester Police and Manchester Working Limited, has been fitting free security measures for elderly residents in the Shenton Tenants Assocation, in the Brooklands area of Wythenshawe.

Parkway Green, along with partners Manchester Equipment and Adaptation Partnership (MEAP), is able to supply aids and adaptations to help disabled and older tenants live independently around their home.

There are two kinds of adaptations, Minor and Major, and we have dedicated staff who can help you decide what you need.

Tina Smith, Adaptations Coordinator, will assist you with the referral process and keep you updated on the progress of your adaptation.

Mike Ashley, Surveyor, will work with MEAP technical staff to help with any issues and will visit you to inspect the work when completed. To find out more about Parkway Green Housing Trust adaptations service call 0300 111 0000 or contact MEAP directly for an assessment on 0161 255 8250 or 277 6500.

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A helping handGreater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service has already fitted over 200,000 free smoke alarms and given occupiers a free fire safety check known as a Home Fire Risk Assessment.

To book a free Home Fire Risk Assessment call 0800 555 815 or visit www.manchesterfire.gov.uk for further details.

J918

Did you know you can also buy Gift Cards and Vouchers to...

• SAVE for a party, Christmas or special occasions

• USE AS CASH at M&S, Boots, Comet, Sainsburys plus many more

• SAVE even more at Sale time • GIVE as Gifts • PLUS FREE Postage • Order ONLINE

• PLUS Standing Order Facility • Order by PHONE on the Voucherline: 0844 576 3494

member numberexpi ry date

countdown

®

thegreencard

All entries must be received on or before 30/09/10. Winners will be picked at random, with a prize allocated to each. If the prize is not collected/accepted before 30/10/10 the prize will be withdrawn and allocated to someone else. *Costs: Standard text rate according to your service provider. †Calls to 0844 phone numbers cost up to 5p a minute from landlines at all times of the day. Rates from mobiles may vary. Terms & conditions apply.

For more information and a chance to WIN £50 B&Q Gift Card contact us by:SMS: Text “CDOWN” to 84555*, including your name and postcode.OR TEL:Call 0844 576 3493† quoting “Parkway Green Info”, stating name, postcode and phone number.

The green card is a reward card for goodtenants which gives them savings at anumber of local and national shops.They have been issued to all eligible tenants. If you are not sureor would like to find out more talk to your NeighbourhoodOfficer or Pedro Odjidja on 0161 946 6315.

The Park Way | Autumn

FREEsmoke alarms

Mike Ashley, Surveyor

Tina Smith, Adaptations Coordinator

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performanceour

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How we are doing

PG DirectPhone calls answered within 30 Seconds 95%

Target of 95%

Letting and managing empty propertiesAverage number of days to re-let empty property 18 days

Target of 25 days

RentCurrent rent arrears 6%

Target of 5.75%

Repairs% of repairs completed on time 100%

Target of 98%

% of customers satisfied with Repairs service 96%

Target of 95%

Improvement ProgrammeNumber of homes we have 5726

We have now improved all our properties (Where residents have allowed us in to do the work)

Target of 100%

It’s important to us that you know how well we are doing on the things that matter most to you.

We use a number of key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure ourselves against. We constantly monitor our performance and challenge the way we do things so we can improve our services.

ComplaintsComplaints received and dealt within 14 calendar days 100%

Target of 100%

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Question Number of surveys % scored

How quickly was your call answered?

403 99.7%

Was the operator cheerful and polite?

399 98.7%

Was your issue resolved?

373 92.3%

What was your overall satisfaction of the call?

401 99.3%

Responding To Your Feedback

In our last issue we said we would develop extra services based on your feedback. As 72% of you said you wanted to contact us on a Saturday, we are delighted that our Saturday morning opening pilot has started. Call us on 0300 111 0000 and you can even have repairs done on a Saturday morning – more appointment details are on page 4. We will decide in November whether it becomes a permanent feature.

We have also launched ‘PG Plus’ – extra services available to tenants at a reasonable cost which can be paid weekly. We used the survey feedback to decide which three areas were most important to our tenants, and these are:

• Gardening – bookings being taken now for the service to start in April 2011 at a monthly cost of £30

• Internal decorating – from £165 for repainting an average room to £740 for stripping and re-papering your hall stairs and landing including materials

• Handyperson – for those little DIY jobs that you can’t do yourself. Charges as follows

In order to keep costs down and not have administration charges, we are using a voucher system for payment and will ask for the vouchers upfront so we don’t have to chase payment. To find out more please contact your Neighbourhood Officer. This scheme is separate to our concessionary services.

Connect Washing machine

Connect new gas cooker

Fix shelf or curtain track

Miscellaneous jobs per hour

£28.00 £55.00 £12.00 £28.00

Faster FeedbackYour feedback helps us to do things better, so, in consultation with tenant groups, we have made a few changes to get feedback faster.

For instance, if you have ordered a repair, we now send a text acknowledgement instead of a written acknowledgment, and carry out a phone survey; if your Neighbourhood Officer visits you, you may receive a follow up phone call to ask how satisfied you were, and we have installed an automated survey onto our phone system so that when you call PG Direct, you can give us your feedback by pressing a couple of buttons.

The Park Way | Autumn

I’d just like to say that whenever I call Parkway Green I’m always treated with efficiency and respect and they

are very quick, I think it’s an excellent service, GoodbyeCustomer comment.Customer feedback helps us improve our services even

more.

To make sure our customers are receiving a high-quality service from PG Direct, we have set up an automated customer satisfaction survey that enables customers to tell us how they think we performed. It also gives customers the opportunity to leave any comments for the management team to review.

Out of the first 404 surveys completed, you told us:

Did you know we are open Saturdays?

performanceour

I’m very happy with what happened today it was very well dealt with, my call, Thank you.Customer Comment

Tell us how we did

Page 11

In the last issue you may have read an article about bailiffs and Council Tax. We would like to clarify that Council Tax is a priority debt along with your rent.

If you struggle to pay your bills, you need to know which ones to prioritise. To do this, consider what will happen if you don’t pay any of them. For example: Rent: Your landlord could take you to court, add costs to your account, obtain a Money Judgement Order, which can make it difficult to get credit, apply for deductions from your benefits and even evict you from your home. Council Tax: The Council can take you to court, add costs to your account, make deductions from your wages or benefits; send bailiffs to visit your home to remove goods, make you bankrupt and you can even be sent to prison, although this is very rare. Speaking to creditors can often stop any enforcement action. If you want advice contact Parkway Green on 0300 111 0000 or Manchester Council Tax on 0161 907 9400.

money pagesthe

Are your belongings insured?

Your guide to...

homecontentsinsurance

A special service

for tenants and

leaseholders

of Parkway Green

Housing Trust

Home contents insurance cover A5:Layout 1 21/07/2010 10:44 Page 1

We have launched our own Home Contents Insurance scheme. Prices start from £1.56 per week and you can pay with a weekly payment card or direct debit.

For more information, or to request an application pack, please ring 0300 111 0000. Or call into our offices and pick up one our new Home Insurance Leaflets.

Priority debts made clear

Helping make the pennies countParkway Green and Manchester Credit Union, Willow Park’s Money Matters Team, and Manchester City Council worked together to create Wythenshawe Money Week.

As part of the week, events took part all over Wythenshawe Town Centre to show what help is available to everyone in Wythenshawe.

There was everything from the chance to sample good food on a budget through live Cook and Taste sessions, to a market stall where you could pick up free advice and put your money questions and problems to Parkway Green’s debt advice service.

We had over 35 referrals for support (from all agencies) and advisors spoke to over 200 people during the course of the week.

Cllr Glyn Evans teaching Lenny the Loan Shark a lesson

Financial Inclusion Officer Sarah Maguire discusses support options available locally

Opening Times Tuesday – 10am till 3pm

Wednesday – 10am to 3pm

Thursday – 10am to 3pm

or Telephone

0161 437 0845

A big ‘thank you’ to all the leaseholders who responded to the recent satisfaction survey.

Parkway Green were happy to discover that the majority of our leasehold customers were satisfied with the following services. – The Service of the Leasehold

Team

– Repairs Completed On Time

– Information Provide Before Start of a Scheme

– Opportunities to Get Involved

– How Your Service Account is managed.

To find out more please contact our Leasehold Officer Tom Porter on t.porter@parkwaygreen.co.uk or 0161 946 6332

The Tree of Life Centre has expanded and a second centre has opened in the old Greenbrow Road Primary School Building on Greenbrow Road, Newall Green, selling large furniture items and electrical items as well as some toys and clothes at value prices. There is also a cafe.

Tree Of Life Centre Opens Up

leaseholders news

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The Park Way | Autumn

More than 250,00 pension credit claimants are expected to benefit from a new Energy Rebate Scheme available to eligible households.

Payments take the form of a one-off £80 rebate on eligible households' electricity bills. Steve Webb, Minister of State for Pensions, said: “This cash will help thousands of pensioners get help with their fuel bills who might otherwise be struggling to make ends meet. As many rebates as possible will be awarded automatically, however this will not apply in all cases. If anyone gets a letter from us asking them to call our Helpline they should ring straight away to make sure they don't miss out.”

NB – pensioners are eligible if, on 26 March 2010, all of the following applied to them, or their partner • they were aged 70 or over; • they were receiving the guarantee credit element of pension credit but not the savings credit element; and • they were responsible for the electricity account where they live and were not receiving a social or discounted

tariff on their electricity bill.

Energy Rebate Scheme

Congratulations to Northern Moor tenant Mrs Olive Unsworth who has turned 100.

Olive has lived in Wythenshawe for 55 years, and to help mark the very special landmark occasion she was presented with a bunch of flowers from the Chair of the Parkway Green Board, Councillor Tony Burns and Director Of Communities and Investment, Ian Gregg. The Lord Mayor Of Manchester, Councillor Mark Hackett, also stopped by to wish her all the best.

“The secret is to keep busy and keep using your hands,” said Olive, who in her spare time knits penguin suits to help sick little penguins off the southern coast of Australia.

Director of Communities and Investment at Parkway Green, Ian Gregg, said: “I really enjoyed meeting Mrs Unsworth and hearing how Wythenshawe’s changed during her time here. From all of us here at Parkway Green we wish her all the very best.”

Page 13

Olive marks a century

communityyour

The demolition of 50 Parkway Green Orlit House ins Newall Green has finally begun after being put on hold because of nesting birds in the area.

Demolition was due to start in summer after a survey found that it would be too costly to bring the homes up to a standard that is sustainable for the future.

All the 50 TENANTS living within them were re-housed just before Christmas, but only very limited work was allowed to be carried out due to the nesting birds.

Chief Executive Nigel Wilson said:

Birds delay demolition

At Parkway Green we care about all our residents, even the winged variety! And we will take every step we can

to make sure the area is safe before the demolition begins.

Parkway Green would like to take this opportunity to thank residents for their understanding and patience during what was a very difficult time for them.

Spotted: starling

Here is a list of birds spotted on the site: starling, magpie, house sparrow, blackbird, great tit, gold finch, wood pigeon, blue tit, great spotted woodpecker.

The Lord Mayor of Manchester, Councillor Mark Hackett, and PGHT Director of Communities & Investment Ian Gregg with Olive

wythenshaweyour

More than 300 applications have been handed out and nearly 50 acts have already signed-up to take part.

The show is run jointly by Parkway Green and Willow Park, and is open to people of all ages who have an M22 or an M23 postcode.

Poppy O’Neil was just nine-years-old when she won last year’s event and was one of the first to commit to taking part in this year’s show. Since winning, she has gone on to star in a dance production, taking part in 16 shows across the UK.

Parkway Green Housing Trust Chief Executive, Nigel Wilson, said: “The event brings the Wythenshawe community closer together and

provides the perfect opportunity for residents to show their pride in the town and celebrate everything that is good about the area.”

The closing date for applications is the 24 September. Auditions are being held on the 9 October at Wythenshawe Forum and the 15 acts will be chosen to perform in the grand final on 6 November.

More details are available online at www.wythenshawesgottalent.co.uk

Jason backs Wythenshawe’s Got TalentTake That star, Jason Orange, is backing this year’s Wythenshawe’s Got Talent Variety show which was launched in style in the town centre.

Jason sent a message to say:

This is a fantastic opportunity for people from my home town to showcase their talents and perhaps go on and have careers in the entertainment business.

Knowing Wythenshawe and the people who live there, I’m sure it will be a great event and I’d encourage everyone to get involved and most importantly, really enjoy it!

Launching Wythenshawe’s Got Talent

Variety Show 2010

2009 winner: Poppy O’NeilLaunching Wythenshawe’s Got Talent Variety Show 2010

Page 14The Park Way | Autumn

We want YOU!!!Are you interested in making changes to the way we operate? Do you think your ideas will improve the way we work? Then why not join us on our Tenant Scrutiny Committee or one of our Neighbourhood Performance Panels?

Tenant Scrutiny Committee (TSC): scrutinises all our strategies and policies and influences the high level direction of the Trust. It is chaired and made up entirely of tenants.

Neighbourhood Performance Panels (NPPs): as important as the TSC, but more concerned WITH what is happening ‘on the ground’ within our 10 neighbourhoods. They monitor local services such as grass cutting and anti-social behaviour and allow you to make recommendations based on your own experiences.

If you’re interested in getting involved in either of these two groups then give Dean or Pedro a call on 0161 946 6315.

lifeyour

Page 15

Our greenfingered winners were:

Best GardenWinner – Sonya CativoRunner up – Barry Gooch

Communal GardenShenton Communal Garden

Blooming great – garden winners announced! Tenants were encouraged to ‘go green’ in our annual gardening competition which had an added eco-friendly twist for 2010.

Home OwnersWinner – Anne FindlayRunner up – Neville Tonkins

Front Garden (only) Winner – Vincent MacCaffrey Runner up – Ian Brownhill

Parkway Green Community and Resident Involvement Officer, Pedro Odjidja, said: “The gardening competition often attracts a very high standard of entries from tenants and this year is was no different. It was great to see the pride that people take in their gardens and a massive thank you to all those who entered!”

Best garden award Sonya Cativo, from Brooklands, said: “Gardening is a passion and labour of love for me so I was delighted and honoured to have won this gardening award. I have received massive encouragement from my neighbours and local children so I intend to put the prize monies towards planting bulbs in communal boarders to brighten up our close.’’

The prizes will be presented by the Lord Mayor of Manchester at Parkway Green’s tenants’ conference in November.

On show: Sonya Cativo’s prize winning ‘Best Garden’

Page 8The Park Way | Autumn

Forum Leisure in conjunction with

On Ya Bike Theatre Company

presents

The Christmas Pantomime

Saturday 4th Dec, 2.00pm and 7.00pmSunday 5th Dec 2.00pm only

Saturday 11th Dec 2.00pm and 7.00pm

Family £18.00, Adult £6.00, Concession £4.00

The Forum Centre, Forum Square, Wythenshawe, Manchester M22 5RX Telephone: 0161 935 4020 / 4010 / 4013

email bookings-forum@serco.com www.wythenshaweforum.co.uk

ALADDIN

Do you have a question for the Boss? Write to: Ask Nigel, Parkway Green House, 460 Palatine Road, Northenden M22 4DJ

When a Northern Moor tenant wrote to Nigel about a continuing problem with high privet hedges and a large tree, Nigel was delighted to arrange to visit the tenant and agreed for the hedges at the back of the garden to be cut back.

Unfortunately, since the tree is on land that we do not own, we are limited in what we can do.

Nigel wrote back to say:

“We will contact the residents in the surrounding properties to assess what can be done about the tree... This will involve checking whether there are any tree preservation orders on the tree, and the wishes of the resident... as we do not own the property that the tree is on, we will have to comply with the wishes of the resident in that property, but we will endeavour to do what we can to resolve any issues.”

Tailoring services to meet your needsInformation you have provided us with has already helped us tailor our services around your needs.

For instance we: • adapt text to large print for

customers with poor sight and routinely provide magnifying strips

“I’m delighted with my magnifying strip, I use this to read the Park Way and many other things. This proves that Parkway Green’s customer profiling is helping customers to have a more accessible service” Mrs Edith Davis.

• provide bespoke literature for customers whose first language is not English

• conduct home visits to house bound customers

• allow extra time for customers to answer the front door when they have mobility impairments

• visit or telephone customers who have difficulty with reading or writing

• sign post customers to the relevant support agencies

• have mobile loop systems for customers with hearing issues

We are still gathering information and you may be asked about your

ethnicity, age, gender, employment status, language requirements, religion or belief, disability related needs, support issues, communication requirements and sexual orientation. There is no obligation to provide this information but it does help us relate and communicate to our customers and ensures that no group is excluded or under represented.

All details are kept in the strictest confidence, in accordance with the Data Protection Act. For further information call 0161 946 6405 and ask for Rana Holland.

Page 17

newsour

A Northern Moor tenant

Page 18

Keeping you posted

Thank you...

listeningto you

Fair...tastic!Another fantastic day and the star guest, Michelle Keegan (Tina

from Corrie), just added to the fun.

Our home grown TALENT shone through. We have some young

women from our youth group, BCS, with beautiful voices, not to

mention the street dancers. The Morris dancers were just great too.

I do hope they enter the WGT this year.

I, Pat Higson, the chair of the Brooklands Tenants and Residents

Association, would like to thank all who took part, and those

who supported us, Parkway Green Housing Trust, MCC, Willow

Park, Connaughts, Forest, Bramhalls, Connect in Housing, Tesco,

Starsounds and the Church of the Nazarene who put on a brilliant

burger and cream tea stall, my friends and colleagues, Wyn Casey,

Brenda Hambleton, Stephen Thompson, not forgetting my right

hand man in this event my husband Graham.

An evaluation meeting is going to take place very soon. If you can

commit to all the hard work that is needed to put this show on,

contact me and offer your time.

Pat Higson, Chair Brooklands TARA

...from all at the Shenton Tenants

Association to the PG staff who came out

to help us fill the potted plants and flower

beds on the estate. It was a great day

and the everyone involved really enjoyed

themselves.

Jackie Butterley

Thank you...These photos are of the felling of the tree which was adjacent to Brookway Court in Baguley. According to a local resident the tree was here before the building went up in 1970. I moved into my 5th floor flat in 1993, and could just see over the top of the tree.

I like trees, but this one was in the wrong place, I now have a view of the park, and an extra couple of hour’s daylight!

Jim CarrBrookway Court, Baguley

Coming down

Over 50’s Club

Every Tuesday 1:30–3:00

£1.50 entry

Bingo, Raffle, Tea Coffee,

Bingo, Go Out on Day Trips

St Francis Church, Greenbrow

Rd, Community Centre

Come and meet new people

and have fun

Phone Jean 0161 282 6705

Chair Based Exercise St Michael’s Parish Community Hall, Orton Road, Northern Moor.Every Friday 2:00pm–3:00pmCost £1Exercises to improve your strength, mobility and balance.

Call 998 2461 or 217 3035

Are you sitting comfortably?

Group Contact Phone

Bideford RA Tracey Porter 0161 998 6635

Royal Oak Community Group Gina Hall 0161 374 6511

Brooklands Estate T&RA Community Spirit (youth group) Pat Higson 0161 998 4170

Shenton TA Jackie Butterley 0161 998 6855

Newall Green T&RA Wyn Casey 0161 998 4970

Royle Green TA Steve Thompson 0161 945 7601

Rackhouse & Northern Moor T&RA Bernard Caine 0161 902 9221

Tenant and Resident Group Contacts

Contact Us

Arabic

Chinese

Farsi

Pour recevoir ces informations dans d’autres langues, en Braille, en gros caractères, ou sur bande sonore, prière d’appeler le numéro de téléphone ci-dessous.

French

Hindi

Kurdish

Si aad u hesho macluumaadkaani oo ku qoran luqad kasta, tan indhoolaha, daabacaad balaaran ama cajal ku duuban fadlan telefoonka hoos ku qoran:

Somali

Urdu

Vietnamese

Extra service for customers with reduced hearing or visionTo get this letter in Braille, large print or on tape:

Phone: 0300 111 0000

Email: info@parkwaygreen.co.uk

Textphone: 0161 945 5730

Design &

Print: Astw

ood Design C

onsultancy T : 01789 778111 ww

w.astw

ood.co.uk

By phone: 0300 111 0000

For any Parkway Green service, 8am – 5:30pm, Monday to Friday. Phone this number in an emergency 24 hours a day, any day.

Text phone: 0161 945 5730

By email: info@parkwaygreen.co.uk

Website: www.parkwaygreen.co.uk

By post: Parkway Green Housing Trust, Parkway Green House, 460 Palatine Road, Northenden M22 4DJ.

By fax: (0161) 998 8851

By appointment: Arrange an appointment at a local office or in your home. Appointments are between 8:30am and 4pm, Monday to Friday and up to 6:30pm Thursdays. Make your appointment by phone.

In person: Visit our local offices at Parkway Green House, 460 Palatine Road, Northenden and 137 Bowland Road, Baguley. Monday, Tuesday & Thursday 8:30am – 5:30pm (up to 6:30pm Thurs by appointment only) Wednesday 8:30am – 2pm, Friday 8:30am – 4pm.

Please note we close at 2pm on Wednesday to allow staff training. You can still contact PG Direct on 0300 111 0000