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Welcome to the October edition of the Bury Housing Services Newsletter
As the leaves start to change, we’re excited to share the latest updates from Bury Housing Services. This month, we have information on communal cleaning, fire prevention week, energy saving tips, events happening in your neighbourhood and much more!
Changes to communal cleaning
Following feedback from tenants, from October 1st 2024 as part of our service improvement plans, the Council has increased the frequency of cleaning of the communal areas in blocks of flats to a fortnightly basis.
Fire Prevention Week: 6-12 October
Fire Prevention Week is running from October 6 – 12 and we want to remind residents of the importance of fire safety. The theme this year is smoke alarms, and we aim to educate everyone about the importance of having working smoke alarms in the home.
Spooktacular Energy Saving Tips!
With the spooky season upon us, there’s no need to be frightened by high energy bills! We're sharing some simple but effective tips to help you save energy and keep your home cosy this autumn and winter.
Community Safety in Bury – Autumn Survey
Bury’s community safety strategy is being reviewed and local resident's views will shape this. The Bury Community Safety Partnership (CSP) includes partner organisations across the Borough who work together to make Bury a safer place. Our aim is to build safer, stronger, more resilient communities across Bury. Let us know which community safety matters are the most important to you, your friends and family; what makes you feel safe; and how we can work together to make the Borough a safe place for all.
FREE Courses for tenants and volunteers
Emergency First Aid (level 3) - Monday 14th October, 9.30am - 4.30pm, Trinity Baptist Church, Radcliffe, M26 3WD
Safeguarding children, young people, and vulnerable adults (level 2) - Friday 29th November 10am - 3pm, Topping Fold Community Centre, Bury, BL9 7NG
Register for our FREE Courses by contacting the Tenant Engagement Team on 0161 686 8000 or tenantengagement@bury.gov.uk.
Community Grant Fund Applications now closed
We received 19 applications from Tenant and Resident Associations and groups to our Community Grant Fund. Thank you to everyone who took the time to submit an application!
A panel made up of tenant volunteers will meet very soon to discuss and award successful applications. Keep an eye in next month's newsletter to read about our successful groups and their projects!
How are we performing and how satisfied are you with us?
We collect information every month based on certain property checks that we have to conduct periodically and we create monthly Tenant Satisfaction Measures scorecards to find out what you think of our service. View them below.
Tenant Voice Forum Update
Last month, The Tenant Voice Forum met with the Bury Housing Services Complaints Officer to discuss the improvements needed with communication between the council and tenants. If you have any suggestions on how to make this better or easier to understand, please think about joining the tenant voice forum. The group usually meet two times a month and travel expenses are reimbursed. Please contact the tenant engagement team at tenantengagement@bury.gov.uk for further details.
Contacting Bury Housing Services
The group has recently asked for reference numbers to be given when you contact the council. This feature has now been added to the contact us form.
Their advice to other tenants is to contact the council in writing (via the contact form online or email) or to keep a record of any phone calls if you ring the contact centre.
Complaints
You can raise a complaint to us using the complaints process here. The Housing Ombudsman is a country wide complaints process outside of Bury Council and can be used if your issues haven’t been sorted out using the Council Complaints process. Visit their website here.
Our new compliments page 🙂
We've just launched our new compliments page on our website. Here you'll be able to read compliments we've received from tenants and submit your own via our new compliments form.
Racecourse Walk Community Action Day
On Wednesday 25 September, we held a Community Action Day on Racecourse Walk in Radcliffe to bring the community together and raise awareness of the new Community Group being set up for the local area.
Chapelfield Tenants and Residents Association Community Meeting
A public meeting is being held to discuss the future of Chapelfield TRA. Please come along if you are interested in getting involved. The meeting is being held on Monday 4th November 2024, 6pm, at the Bay Pub, Stand Lane. For more information, please contact Debbie Standring, Tenant Engagement Officer on 0161 686 8000 or tenantengagement@bury.gov.uk
Upcoming Estate Walkabout
We are going to be conducting an estate walkabout on the Red Bank estate, Radcliffe, 15th October 2024, meeting at 10am at the corner of Lowe Street and Hampson Fold. Come along to raise any issues you've noticed in your area!
Warth Estate Action Day
On Tuesday 24 September, we held an Estate Action Day around Warth Estate in Bury which allowed tenants use of skips to clear any rubbish they had, and access support and advice from multiple partners and services.
Upcoming Estate Walkabout
We are going to be conducting an estate walkabout on Redvales estate, Bury, 5th November 2024, meeting at 10am at top of Tarn Drive. Come along to raise any issues you've noticed in your area!
Townside Community Meeting Update
Thank you to the many Townside estate residents who attended our community meeting to raise local issues. An action group has been set up to work in partnership with Bury Council, GM Police and local councillors to address neighbourhood issues. A gardening group has also been formed to help spruce up the communal areas of the estate.
If you were unable to attend the meeting but would like to get involved, please contact the Tenant Engagement Team on 0161 686 8000 or email: tenantengagement@bury.gov.uk
Brandlesholme Estate Action Day
Join us for our Brandlesholme Estate Action Day on Tuesday 22nd September, 11am - 2pm, where we can work together to improve the look and feel of your Neighbourhood!
Three skips will be provided for you to use on Garside Hey Road, at the top of Whitehead Crescent and at the bottom of Holme Avenue. Please bring proof of address to use the skips.
Advice and support will also be available for you to discuss issues about your home, neighbourhood or cost of living.
Upcoming Estate Walkabout
We are going to be conducting an estate walkabout on Leemans Hill and Moyse Ave, Tottington, 22nd October 2024, meeting at 10am on the corner of Moyse Ave. Come along to raise any issues you've noticed in your area!
Upcoming Estate Walkabout
We are going to be conducting an estate walkabout on Ainsworth Estate, 12th November 2024, meeting at 10am on the corner of Church Street and Sumner Avenue. Come along to raise any issues you've noticed in your area!
Free Youth Qualifications
Victoria Youth and Community Centre have announced this new training opportunity for individuals interested in pursuing a Level 2 Award in Youth Work Principles and a Level 3 Diploma in Youth Work Practice.
Scam Awareness Sessions
Our Tenant Engagement Team is working in partnership with Age UK to deliver scam awareness sessions in our Sheltered and Extra Care Schemes across Bury. The sessions cover how to stay safe online, how to spot a scam and what to do if you receive suspicious messages. So far, we have held the training to 3 schemes with 28 participants, and we have more sessions planned over the coming months.
MacMillian Coffee Morning at Top o'th Fields
Residents at Top o’th Fields and Volunteers from Mad Hatters Litter Pickers and Garden Maintenance Volunteers in Whitefield organised a successful Macmillan Coffee Morning fundraiser! The event took place on Friday 27th September and included a buffet, homemade cakes, DJ and raffles. The fundraiser raised nearly £600 for a wonderful charity which is close to many of the resident's hearts.
Lunch Club brings tenants together
Top o’th Fields Tenants and Residents Association (TRA) help bring tenants together with nutritious, homemade meals. Their lunch club, held on a Thursday and run by Jacqueline, Chair of the TRA, gives tenants the chance to get together, socialise and enjoy a meal, dessert and brew for just £3. Any profit made goes toward the cost of next week’s food.
Red Bank Memorial Garden
Tenant volunteers at Red Bank Extra Care Scheme help maintain the large communal gardens to make them brighter and more beautiful for all to enjoy. Tina, a tenant at Red Bank has been working hard to create a memorial garden at the entrance to the scheme, with dedicated plants to remember those tenants that have passed away. Some lovely, handcrafted signs have been made for the garden by Tom from A T Woodcraft and Design, kindly funded by a local councillor.
