V2C Summer News 2015

Call 0300 123 2100 if you wouldlike help with this newsletter

the

voiceof change

SUM

MER

201

5

the voice of change

Welcome tothe summer edition of the Voiceof Change

Count the icecream conesWe have hidden lots of icecream cones in this edition ofthe Voice of Change.

Tell us how many, not includingthe ice cream cone on the right,for your chance to win £50 of highstreet vouchers (first prize) or £25 ofhigh street vouchers (second prize).

Closing date is 12 October 2015 and acompetition entry form can be found on page 15.

Get in Touch0300 123 2100

[email protected]

Customer Service CentreNolton Court, Bridgend, CF31 1BX

www.v2c.org.uk

www.twitter.com/valleystocoast@valleystocoast

You can also call into our Customer ServiceCentre at Nolton Court.

In this issue...Helping Friends in Nepal 3

Universal Credit: Are you ready for the journey? 4-5

Reggie on the Road 6-7

Putting You At The Heart Of V2C 8-9

Community Skip 10

A catch up with Rhianna 11

National Give and Gain Day 12

It’s an Invasion! 13

The Big Step Against Bullying 14

Iced Berry Smoothies Recipe 15

Competition Entry Form 15

Dream a little dream for V2C 16

2 0300 123 2100 [email protected]

Have we let you down? Tell us.We know we do not always get things right butonly by hearing from you can we do better.If we have let you down;• Tell the person you are dealing with at thetime- they may be able to changesomething

• Telephone our customer service team on0300 123 2100 and let them know as soonas possible.

• Email us at [email protected] or visit ofwebsite at www.v2c.org.uk/complaints

• Write to us at our Customer Service Centre,Nolton Court, Bridgend. CF31 1BX

To help us reach a quick conclusion pleasecontact us as soon as possible. If too muchtime has passed it may be too late to doanything about it. Be as specific as you can,including as much detail as you can, includingnames of people involved, times, dates,damage, etc. Tell us what you would like us todo to resolve your problem. If you feel we havedone something particularly well, or you wantto make sure on of our staff deserves a specialthank you, then let us know.

This publication can be made available in alternative formats on request, including audio tape, large print & translations. Please call 0300 123 2100

summer 2015

www.v2c.org.uk follow us on Twitter: @valleystocoast 3

Manbuja, with some of theknitting ladies

Last Editions Survey WinnersCongratulations to tenants that filled out our surveys and wonthemselves £50 worth of vouchers!

Mrs Bevan from Llys Cynffig, told us: “It was lovely to win; I wasable to spend it on a nice bit of shopping for myself.”

Mrs Gledhill commented; “I was totally surprised, it was something Iwas not expecting. You never hear of anyone actually winning. It wasso nice to win.”

You too could be a winner by sharing your views when you receive a survey,or by entering the competition in this edition.

Helping Friends

in Nepal

Nepalese tenants of V2C have recently beenaffected by the earthquakes in Nepal, that hasleft many without homes and communities inruins.

Chandra, Dikkumari, Prem and Manbuja havelived at the sheltered accommodation in DinamClose for five years and have been closelyfollowing the disaster on the television. Recentlytheir nephew and translator Deb Rai, made thebrave decision to fly back home to check onfamily and offer help to those who were affected.

It has been great to see the community really pulltogether during this tough time for residents nearand far. V2C donated 80 dust masks, localdistrict nurses donated sterile dressing and

disposable gloves for them to take with them aswell as friends and neighbours generouslydonating money to the emergency aid.

Chandra, Dikkumari, Prem and Mabuja are verygrateful for donations made by all, includingNantymoel knitting club and Dinam Closeresidents.

If you wish to help you can donate at:Actionaid.org.uk

the voice of change

Q. What is UniversalCredit?A. Universal Credit replaces certain benefitsand the money that you claim from thesebenefits will be paid to you directly eachmonth. It is then your responsibility to payyour rent, and prioritize your bills until thefollowing month.

Q. What benefits willUniversal Creditreplace?A. Universal credit will eventually replacethe following benefits and tax credits for allpeople of working age that receive:

• Income Based Jobseekers Allowance

• Income related Employment and SupportAllowance

• Income Support

• Child Tax Credit

• Working Tax Credit

• Housing Benefit

Any benefits you receive which are notincluded in the above list will continue to bepaid as usual, such as Child Benefit, CarersAllowance, Personal IndependencePayment, Council Tax Relief and so on.

Q. Who will it affectfirst?A. Initially UniversalCredit will onlyaffect you if you aresingle and haverecently becomeunemployed. Youwill now be askedto claim UniversalCredit instead ofJobseekers Allowance.


UniversalCreditArrived in Bridgend on 29th June 2015.Are you ready for the journey?

Wise upto

Universal Credit willnot affect you or yourpartner if you are atPension Credit age

If you already receive one of the benefitsUniversal Credit is due to replace, you willcontinue to do so as normal until you aretold you need to claim Universal Creditinstead. This change will take several yearsto complete, so it could be a long timebefore you hear anything.

Q. When willit be paid?A. Universal Credit willbe paid once a monthinto an account of yourchoice,including:

• Post OfficeCard Account

• Basic BankAccount

• Credit UnionCurrent Account

• Current Account

• Prepaid Card Account

Q. Paying rentA. If you get help with yourrent, this will be includedin your monthly payment –you’ll then pay yourlandlord directly.

Q. How do I claimUniversal Credit?A. Universal Credit will be claimed online. Ifyou don’t have access to the internet, askat your Jobcentre and they will tell youwhere you can get online. Or pop into yourlocal library, most of them have computerswhich you can use free of charge.

I need helpIf you would like tospeak to someoneregarding Universal Credit,please get in touch with ourmoney matters team:

Telephone: 01656 762582E-mail: [email protected].


summer 2015

You will get your first

payment of Universal

Credit one month and

seven days after you

make your claim

the voice of change


on the road

REG61E

Welcome

“I think the design is attractive and distinctive. I like the colours and

graphics. It stands out. Perhaps the V2C brandingat the rear of both sides could be made to standout more. If I had a need to talk to V2C I wouldvisit Reggie. It is a good idea to go out to the

tenants rather than they have to come into youroffices. It would help those with young children

who might find it difficult to come to your offices.”

Our ‘Chitter Chatter

group’ gave their views

on the new design, this

is what you told us:

Now you can see what he looks like lookand keep an eye out for him in your area!

Reggie, the consultation van hasbeen touring the County far andwide to speak to local residentsand help with queries they had.Throughout May and June we have beenvisiting local communities to talk about

repairs, housing, and money matters as wellas taking advantage of the free WiFi.

One tenant told us: “Reggie being in my areawas great. It saved me a bus trip to Bridgendas staff were really helpful and showed mehow to do a bid on MyChoice online.”

“I think the van looksgreat. I have not seenit, but if I did, I would

certainly pop in.”

summer 2015



the voice of change

Putting The He

V2

Getting to Know You

To put tenants at the heart of

V2C we need to know who

you are and how to get in

touch with you…

Getting to Know Us

There are numerous ways

you can get involved

including...

We have up to dateinformation for

78% of our tenants

Tenant ScrutinyWork with V2C to review

a service area andpropose

recommendations onhow we can

improve

We have

815 email addresses

We have

5,265 phone numbers

Prefer to be contacted via email? Then please

ensure we have your email address ☺

3

Policy GroupWork with us on short

projects to reviewpolicies which effect

you such as pet or repairs

3

Chitter, ChatterCommunications

GroupProvide us feedback on our

letters, posters and vandesigns, by email, post,

phone or informal meetings

3

Have your Putting tenants at the heart of V2

V2C. Do you think that V2C are p

heart? Contact Michael on 0165

michael.hughes@v2c.

We value what

you tell us…

summer 2015


You At eart Of

2C

GettingInvolved

During the summer V2C will be running a filmproject for young people

throughout Bridgend.It’ll be a great way to learn new skills and meet new friends!

Since 2012 V2C have workedwith Blake Morgan solicitorsto provide 8 young tenantswith work experience

Interested in Stepping Out withV2C in your community? ContactMarie Kiff on 01656 762487

say! 2C is a priority for

putting you at the

56 727948 or via

org.uk

Interested?Get in Touch!

Marie Kiff, V2C’s customerengagement officer canbe contacted directly on

01656 762487 or [email protected]

Step Out with V2CWalkabouts are back! So far this summer V2C havebeen out in Ynysawdre and Bettws. In Ynysawdre,residents pointed out that needles were being dumpedin a weeded area by a garage site. The CommunityCaretakers were called who cleared the needles,treated the weeds and will now closely monitor the site.

Email us via [email protected] Visit us

at Nolton Court

Call us on

03001232100

Follow us on Twitter

Look out for us andReggie in your

community

the voice of change


Community SkipComing soon to an areanear you!Local residents from Glasfryn Square, Pyleworked with V2C to dispose of general wastefrom their gardens during a local communityskip event. Rubbish in the gardens oftenants homes is a massive issue.

Making full use of the skip, whichwas supported by Keep Wales Tidy,residents removed a variety ofgarden waste and improved theaccess to their properties, ready forthe V2C external improvementprogramme.

Marc Jones, Project Officercommented: “It was great tosee V2C staff and residentswork together to clear gardensready for work to be done.Without clear gardens ourcontractors are unable to enterand make improvements totenant’s homes.”

Following the success of thisevent, V2C along with partnercontractor Wates Livingspace plan to run a series of communityskip days in other areas of Bridgend.

Bulky Waste Collection

To book your collection orfor advice on the Bulky

Waste service, call BCBCon 01656 643643.


summer 2015

A catch up with

Rhianna...Hello, my name is

Rhianna and I am 18 Years Old. I

joined Valleys to Coast housing as a

Business Admin

Apprentice in December 2013, and

spent up to 3

months working in each departme

nt, learning about all

aspects of the social housing busin

ess. Every

department offered me something d

ifferent in terms of

knowledge and experience, but co

mmon throughout

V2C was the support I received fro

m all the staff.

Towards the end of my apprentices

hip, an

administrator job was advertised f

or Wates. I

was encouraged by friends and co

lleagues to

apply and had been successful and

got the

job! Since being with Wates, not on

ly has my

confidence grown, but I have been

able to

take on more responsibility and exte

nd my

skills. I have a variety of tasks inclu

ding

organising and attending meetings

,

customer satisfaction surveys and

weekly

progress reports

Working with V2C and Wates gave

me the

inspiration to further my career and

I

recently applied for the Wates Prod

uction Management

Traineeship programme. The interv

iewing process was very tough. I w

as very

nervous on the day but I was able t

o speak about all my experiences

from my time

working for Wates and V2C. I was

over the moon when I was offered a

traineeship, which is in Cambridge.

There were over 1,000 applicants

that

applied, and so I feel privileged to

get it.

The Traineeship will start in Septem

ber,I am very excited to meet my n

ew

team and move forward in my caree

r. I will be studying towards a HNC

in

Building Studies. I feel that I have

achieved so much in a short time,

and

this would not have been possible

without all the help and support fro

m

amazing people in both V2C and W

ates.

the voice of change

National Give &Gain Day 201Give & Gain Day is the UK’s national day ofemployee volunteering...

V2C work all year round with their contractors todeliver benefits to the communities. We ran TWOgive and gain projects this year, which were:

The WildernessAllotment, PorthcawlLast year we supported this community groupwith Wates Living space and helped createopportunities for disabled residents, young andold to access the allotment and create their owngrowing space. The project was a hugesuccess, but unfortunately, it was laterdevastated by an arson attack.

As a result, V2C were determined to return thisyear with another partner contractor, UnitedLiving (formerly Bullock Construction) andmake good the fire damaged areas, alongwith sub-contractor AJ Civils. Staffsupported other allotment ownerscompleting small jobs on their plots and acelebratory barbeque was had to reflect onthe success.

Bridgend Judokwai,Cefn Glas This local sports club is widely used bythe community of Cefn Glas and has recently benefittedfrom new external cladding, using money raised by theclub to make the building water tight. V2C along withpartner contractor Wates Living Space and local sub-contractor Pioneer tackled the internal damp issues.

The club has also benefited from a new fire alarm system,provided by V2C supplier, Waveley Fire and Security, aSouth Wales based Company.


summer 2015

It’s an Invasion!Himalayan Balsam and Japanese Knotweedhas spread across the UK for decades,taking over more wild spaces, especiallyalong roads, railways and rivers.

Why is it a problem?These species crowd out our own native plantsand nothing here eats them, so there is nothingto keep them in check. They break up the soiland cause erosion, which can run into rivers,reducing water quality.

How is it treated?Japanese Knotweed needs to be sprayedwith weed killer. It is more effective to cutthe stem and inject the Knotweed inAutumn. Himalayan Balsam can just bepulled out of the ground but it needs tobe done in the summer.

What is V2C doing about it?It usually takes a minimum of three years,sometimes longer to clear HimalayanBalsam seeds. At the beginning ofJune, we held a staff volunteerday to go into the communityand tackle these. V2C arerecording and mapping asmuch as we can so wecan develop aprogramme of treatment.

Just remember!It is an offence to transportHimalayan Balsam andJapanese Knotweed off yourland, so it has to be treatedonsite.

Report to us if you think you haveJapanese Knotweed or HimalayanBalsam. Just contact your HousingOfficer on 0300 123 2100. Or send us apicture with the address/location [email protected]


Japanese Knotweed Himalayan Balsam

the voice of change


Over 50 people took a ‘Big Step’ to stand against bullying thisweekend by walking 18 miles from the Valley to the Coast.

On Saturday the 20th June, young people from across Bridgend tookpart in a sponsored walk to Stand Against Bullying (SAB). Dressed inbright green t-shirts the group walked from Nantymoel to KenfigNature Reserve, to stand against bullying and the affects it can have.

Bullying is something that can affect us all; it can be very traumaticand have detrimental effects on an individual’s life and wellbeing. ‘StandAgainst Bullying’ is a new group who have come together to carry on thework of the ‘Bridgend Says End Bullying’.

Jamie Uren, Chair of SAB tells us: "As a young person who wentthrough bullying, I believe everyone, no matter who they are, what theyrepresent, what age they are, size, gender or race they are,deserve the right to have their say and try to make a differenceas long as they are going to put the effort in to achieve it."

The walkers were given a warm welcome at Kenfig NatureReserve with live music being provided by Porthcawl RockSchool and a number of local artists.

A huge thank you to everyone who took part and supportedthe walk, without you it would not be possible! A special thankyou to the Western Beacons Mountain Rescue team, SouthWales Police and PC Paul Evans, staff at V2C, Wesley Centrein Tondu, Hugh James, for the t-shirts, and Kenfig Nature Reserve forallowing the group to use their facility.

Well done to everyone who took part and has the blisters as amemory of the day. We look forward to next year!

For more information on the group and how you can get involvedcontact Paige at [email protected]


summer 2015

Iced Berry SmoothiesThis cool smoothie is a real a treat - tasty, packed with berries (oneof the best super foods around) and great any time of the day.

Ingredients• 175g (6oz) frozen Black Forest fruits, partially defrosted (see tips*)• 200g carton Greek-style yogurt• 30ml (2tbsp) honey• 50-75ml (2-3fl oz) orange juice*Try substituting frozen summer berries or tropical fruit for a different flavour. Look out for 500gbags in the frozen food section of most large supermarkets.

Method1.Reserve a few of the berries for decoration. Place the rest of the fruit in a food processor orblender and process for a few seconds.

2.Add the yogurt and honey and process for a further 1-2 mins until smooth. Add enoughorange juice to give a thick pouring consistency. Divide between 2 glasses and decorate withthe frozen berries.

Calories 220(kcal)

I found................................................ice cream cones in the Voice of Change.

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Thank you for your time. Please return this completed form in thepre-paid envelope provided by 12 October 2015.

Competition Entry Form#

Win£100vouchers!

the voice of change

Dream a littledream for V2C…Are you under 16 years old?Then we need your help.This summer V2C and Keep Wales Tidy are on a mission to improve the environment and yourcommunity. We can all do our bit by saving water, recycling and getting involved in environmentalprojects.

Every year V2C sponsor Keep Wales Tidy awards to support and recognise the great work thathappens throughout Wales. This year we are sponsoring the ‘Transforming Communities Award’ andwould like you to help us design a logo for this award.

In the space provided, please draw what your dream place to play/hang-out would look like.

(It may include your favourite flowers, your favourite things to play, your best friends and family.)


WIN!

DEADLINE: 5th October 2015PRIZE: £50 High Street Vouchers!

Draw here

V2C Summer News 2015

Documents

Transcript of V2C Summer News 2015