e-bulletin

Hello and welcome to our Chief Executive and Chair’s e-bulletin.
 

Since our last update, the Government’s welfare reforms have started to take effect with the introduction of the bedroom tax and other changes. As part of our Big Benefit Shake Up campaign, Plus Dane is working to do all we can to support tenants and this month, we launched a brand new film explaining the changes and encouraging customers to talk to us if they have concerns about any of the changes affecting them.
 

We are continuing to work to lobby Government about the widespread hardship that welfare reform will bring, but we know that we also need to ensure that customers are as well prepared as they can be to manage the changes, and the film is just one of a number of measures we have put in place.
 

You can find out more about our Big Benefit Shake Up campaign, along with a round-up of the latest news and stories about our Neighbourhood investor work in this month’s bulletin.
 

Best wishes

Ken Perry                                       Linda Minnis
Chief Executive                               Chair

Plus Dane launches new Big Benefit Shake Up film

Since 1st April, what is commonly known as the Bedroom Tax has taken effect and customers who are classed as under-occupying their homes face a reduction in the amount of housing benefit that they can claim towards their rent.

This is one of a number of major changes the Government is introducing to the benefits system, which will impact on many Plus Dane customers.

As part of our Big Benefit Shake Up campaign, we have this month launched a brand new film outlining the changes and encouraging customers to contact us for help and advice.

The film is available at NiTV, Plus Dane’s You Tube channel www.youtube.com/plusdanegroup, and on our website www.neighbourhoodinvestor.com.

It has been developed working closely with Plus Dane’s youth forum and our tenants communications group, with the voiceover recorded by local Liverpool actress Eithne Browne.

It will be promoted in neighbourhoods by Plus Dane’s Big Benefit Shake Up champions, a group of tenant volunteers who have been trained on welfare reform changes and are working hard to help to spread the work in their communities about the support available.

Tony Kiely, Plus Dane Neighbourhoods Director, said: “The aim of this new film is to summarise the changes in an accessible way. We know that nearly 3,000 of the people we serve face significant challenges now that the Bedroom Tax has taken effect and we are continuing to lobby government to demonstrate the impact of the changes but we also need to make sure that tenants and residents are well prepared to manage their income and understand where they can access support if they face difficulties. Our key message is that Plus Dane is here to help.”

Liverpool in the running for a share of £100m funding pot

Liverpool could receive a significant investment to support people with multiple and complex needs such as homelessness, mental ill health, addiction and reoffending.
 

The city submitted a partnership bid led by Plus Dane Group for a £10m share of the BIG Lottery Fund’s £100m project, which would spearhead the delivery of new, joined up and personalised support services for people with multiple and complex needs.
 

The partnership, which includes Liverpool City Council, NHS Mental Health Commissioning, Merseyside Probation Service, Liverpool Clinical Commissioning Group as well as a broad range of organisations from the voluntary and private sectors, has been awarded £26,000 to develop a detailed business plan.
 

The business plan will outline how the partnership will improve and better coordinate services in Liverpool to tackle the needs of people living chaotic lives, in order to receive the full £10m investment.

New milestone in Castlefields regeneration

Partners in Castlefields regeneration gathered earlier this month to mark another milestone in the Runcorn neighbourhood’s transformation, the start of works by Plus Dane to take down the last of the Group’s deck-access flats at Shepherd’s Row.

Representatives from Plus Dane and Halton Borough Council gathered to watch the demolition get underway at the site, over 10 years on since regeneration work first started in the area.

Plus Dane Group has been working as part of the Castlefields Regeneration Partnership, which also includes Halton Borough Council, The Homes and Communities Agency and Liverpool Housing Trust, to invest in creating new homes, new public spaces and new opportunities for residents in Castlefields.

Since regeneration work began in Castlefields in 2002, Plus Dane has demolished eight unpopular and unattractive deck access blocks containing 432 flats and built nearly 400 new high quality affordable homes in the area. The Group also led the development of the £11m new Village Square which was officially opened by HRH the Duke of Kent in November last year.

Wellbeing Matters

Plus Dane Group is working with community engagement specialists Our Life to drive a new project in Congleton’s Bromley Farm neighbourhood called Wellbeing Matters: The Bromley Farm Inquiry.

Taking place between April and June, the aim of the Inquiry is to deliver discussion sessions with a range of residents to encourage debate on what ‘wellbeing’ means to them and to get local people’s views on how it can be improved.

The feedback from these sessions will be used to develop local recommendations on the issues that matter to Bromley Farm and inform the actions that need to be taken to improve the wellbeing of the local community.

Andy Tester, Health and Wellbeing Officer at Plus Dane, commented: “This project aims to put the community in the driving seat and get their views on wellbeing and what they think needs to be done to make a difference in their neighbourhood. The great thing about the consultation phase is that the next steps are completely up to the community and will be driven by what residents tell us during the discussion sessions.”

Community enterprise celebrates 10 years of growth in Dingle

A local community enterprise that works to provide a vital community transport service has celebrated its 10th anniversary by achieving ownership of the building it operates from.
 

South Central Community Transport (SCCT), based in Dingle, Liverpool, provides affordable transport solutions for local people. It was set up in 2003 through leasing a former derelict garage on Mill Street from Plus Dane Group (then CDS Housing) which had been earmarked for demolition as part of a Housing Improvement Programme. After approaching Plus Dane for support, the Group purchased the building to lease to SCCT for a nominal rent to allow them to establish themselves as a stand-alone business.
 

Ten years on, and SCCT has established itself as a thriving social business servicing multiple clients and offering a wide range of services from door to door transport trips to recruitment open days, drop-in advice sessions for the local community and community events. As part of the ten year celebrations earlier this year, Plus Dane officially handed over the lease of the building to SCCT to enable the organisation to continue to develop its business.
 

Gerard Murden, Managing Director at Plus Dane Group, commented: “I am delighted to be celebrating the significant achievements of SCCT ten years after the business was first set up.
 

“I am proud that Plus Dane has been able to provide its support and help SCCT grow from a small operation to the thriving business it is now, offering a valuable and much needed affordable transport solution for local people. As a Neighbourhood investor, Plus Dane recognised the difference that SCCT could make and we are delighted to be able to put the final piece of the business together by handing the building back over to the team to enable them to continue their great work.”

Renaissance for affordable homes in Neston

Plus Dane has secured funding to offer new affordable homes for over 55s in Neston.

The £2.2m scheme, which has been awarded a £500,000 grant from the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), has enabled the Group to purchase 25 apartments at Renaissance, the town’s former Police Station which has been converted into housing for aimed at people aged 55 and over.

The apartments, a mix of one and two bedroom properties, are available for affordable rent and sale and are being offered through Plus Dane’s Homeshub Team. As well as providing self-contained apartments, the Renaissance scheme also offers a number of communal facilities including a lounge, library and IT suite, providing opportunities for residents to meet and socialise.

Hayley Hulme, New Business and Partnerships Director at Plus Dane Group, commented: “Renaissance is a great development offering a range of facilities for over 55’s in a great location close to Neston town centre. We are pleased to have secured funding to enable us to purchase a number of apartments at the scheme which will help us to improve the provision and choice of affordable housing for older people in the town.”

Makeover for Neston play area

An underused play area in Neston’s Ringway estate is set to be transformed thanks to a £40,000 grant.
 

Cheshire West and Chester Council’s Greenspace Team, Councillor Andy Williams and the CAN Group have secured the funding for the improvement scheme, which will include soft landscaping, the installation of new play equipment, seating areas, natural play features and a new gate.
 

Local residents have been involved and consulted over the plans and are very excited about the project. Once work has been completed, it is hoped that the new space will give a sense of belonging and pride to the community.
 

Plus Dane attended a planning session to meet with the project team and help with ideas for how the community could be involved in the project, where a number of ideas were put forward and it was decided that the community would help to design a sign for the play area to make it their own.
 

Emma Sneyd, Engagement Manager at Plus Dane, said: “This is a great project that will develop a vibrant new community space at the Ringway. We are looking forward to working alongside the CAN Group to support the scheme and help to create a play area that local residents can call their own and enjoy for years to come.”

The Bridge jobs plan scoops social enterprise award

A new charity working in Cheshire and Warrington has been named the North West New Social Enterprise of the Year at the 2013 Social Enterprise Awards for its ground-breaking plan to provide work for the long-term unemployed.

Called The Bridge, it is bringing together investment from private and public organisations, together with wealthy individual backers, to set up new businesses which generate jobs.

It has already secured investment to establish Bridge Community Farms – a network of up to five sites growing vegetables and herbs in areas of high unemployment, which will create five permanent jobs in its first year. The first will be in Ellesmere Port. A further two new social enterprises are expected to provide six jobs in the first year.

The Bridge’s Business Director and Plus Dane Board Member, Anne Davies, said: “Our plan is to invest in up to 25 social enterprises in the next five years. The return on that investment will be at least 150 new jobs for people who cannot find work.

“The Bridge’s aim is to provide the start-up finance and know-how to create sustainable new businesses that can stand on their own feet. There are plenty of organisations involved in ‘getting people ready for work’. Our role is to help provide new jobs for them to go to.”

East Cheshire Business Awards

Plus Dane beat of strong competition to receive the Commitment to Training award at the Cheshire East Chamber of Commerce Awards last month.

The awards, which took place at Cranage Hall in Holmes Chapel on 22nd March, recognise excellence and best practice in the East Cheshire Business Community.

Following a rigorous judging process, Plus Dane was named as the overall winner in the training category and was recognised by the judges for its many initiatives that promote learning and development across the Group. This included the success of the Group’s apprenticeship scheme which has a 90% retention rate. Judges were also impressed by Plus Dane's Beartown Apprenticeship Scheme, a unique concept developed by the Group that aims to help local small businesses in Congleton recruit an apprentice free of charge.

Seddon Group spreads some Easter joy

The Seddon Group very kindly donated 200 Easter eggs to Plus Dane over the holiday period to help to spread some Easter joy to families in need.
 

The eggs were distributed to children living in Plus Dane neighbourhoods across Merseyside and Cheshire whose families have been hardest hit by the challenges of welfare reform.
 

In Merseyside, some of the were eggs provided to year 6 pupils at St Silas School who were working through the Easter half term to do their SAT exams. Eggs also went to Holy Family School in L8, where they were distributed through the Family Link Worker to families in need. Pinehurst Green Community Association in Anfield also gave the eggs out as prizes for children at their Easter event.
 

Julie Andrews, Customer Liaison Officer at Plus Dane who worked with Seddon to ensure their donation went to neighbourhoods that would benefit, said: “I am always amazed at Seddon’s generosity in these austere times and would like to thank the team as they truly understand the meaning of putting back into local communities.”