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SUMMER 2018

OFFICE INFO 355 TORMUSK ROAD, CASTLEMILK, GLASGOW G45 0HF TEL: 0141 634 8016 FAX: 0141 634 9016 E-MAIL: info@ardenglen.org.uk A RECOGNISED CHARITY NO. SC032542 PROPERTY FACTOR REGISTRATION NO. PF000168

Ardenglen News

• Doing what matters most to our customers • Investing in our homes and communities • Making us stronger for the future

OUR OBJECTIVES:

TOP CLASS HOMES FROM ARDENGLEN!

Ardenglen’s welfare rights help soars by 29% to hit new financial high of £636,000BENEFITS help for our tenants in Castlemilk has hit a new high thanks to the work of our welfare rights service.

We can reveal that we have now helped almost 300 people in the last financial year.

We have calculated that the amount of money we have helped you obtain between April 2017 and March 2018 has topped £635,800 – up from £494,000 in the previous year and a rise of almost 29 per cent.

The Association is “working flat out” to help our tenants with many unaware they are entitled to certain State benefits.

Last year 275 people were assisted by Ardenglen in the 12 month period with help given to obtain such benefits as Disability Living Allowance, Housing Benefit and Council tax reduction.

FULL STORY PAGE 3

HELPING OUR TENANTS TO MAKE ENDS MEET

*Architect’s imagery reproduced by kind permission of arm architects

Former playing fields to become new homes in £3.6 million housing boostFAMILIES in Castlemilk are in line for £3.6 million housing boost after a

major new housing development was

announced.

Twenty two new homes are to be built by Ardenglen

bringing much needed new housing to the community.

The homes will be built on the vacant site of the former St Martin’s Primary School playing fields in Ardencraig Road.

Work is expected to begin in the autumn and take around a year to complete.

Chief Executive Audrey Simpson said: “Everyone will welcome this exciting new development of homes – it is just what the community needs. Ardenglen Housing Association is deeply committed not just to making our communities great places in which to live but to building new homes which people really want.”

FULL STORY PAGE 2

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Chief Executive’s MessageWelcome to our Summer Edition of Ardenglen News. We have already had some fantastic weather with plenty of sunshine and I am sure we are all hoping there will be more to come, particularly during school holidays. On the subject of school holidays, you can find information in this newsletter about our fantastic summer activities and trips.

I attended a local event last month, Castlemilk Fun Day, and enjoyed meeting tenants and residents. A significant event is taking place in Castlemilk on 7th August - The European Mountain Bike Championships. We are looking forward to welcoming competitors, organisers and spectators to Castlemilk.

We continue to lobby against the roll out of Universal Credit, however, the full roll out in Glasgow is being phased in, with Castlemilk going to full service in December 2018. We understand this is a significant change to how benefits are accessed and managed and we want to work with our tenants to support them through this major transition. More information can be found in page 6 of this newsletter.

We are really excited to announce that our Board have now approved our new build development. We will be going on site later in the year to build 22 new homes on Ardencraig Road. This is our lead story in the newsletter where you can find out more about the plans. We are committed to ensuring

high quality affordable housing is available for local people and others and are proud to be able to contribute to the Scottish Governments target of providing 50,000 new homes in Scotland by 2021.

Our Annual General Meeting (AGM) is approaching and we are always on the lookout for new Board members. If you are interested in finding out more about what is involved I would love to hear from you. Please get in touch for an informal chat.

Ensuring a quality environment is a key priority for our tenants. We have appointed Caledonian as our new contractor to provide landscape services. Tenants have already told us how happy they are with the new contractor and their high standards.

We really welcome feedback, we want to hear about what we are doing well, but also where we could do things better. Feedback from our tenants and customers is the best way to learn, improve and ensure we are delivering accessible high quality services. Please get in touch with us to tell us how we are doing. Pop into the office, call or e mail. Our contact details are at the front the newsletter.

We hope you have a great summer.

Audrey Simpson

Chief Executive

Our exciting new housing has come about with generous financial assistance in the form of grant funding from Glasgow City Council and the Scottish Government of just over £2 million

The rest is being funded by borrowing by the Association which is common practice when a housing association builds new homes.

The development will consist of 15 one, two and three bedroom flats,

four two-bedroom houses and three wheelchair-accessible flats.

Audrey Simpson added: “We are very grateful to Glasgow City Council and the Scottish Government who share our vision of creating affordable new homes and are helping to fund this development. We are all working together to bring real benefits to the communities we serve.”

The construction work will be carried out by McTaggart Construction which won the contract.

New homes from Ardenglen…..what the new homes will look like

TOP CLASS HOMES FROM ARDENGLEN(continued from front page)

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Our welfare rights service continues to benefit the people who need our help.

In some cases claims were backdated providing a windfall for tenants who received cash they didn’t even know they were entitled to.

Audrey Simpson, Chief Executive, said the figures proved beyond doubt our vital role in helping the

Castlemilk community but warned that they were an “illuminating insight” into the struggles some people face.

Audrey said: “We are very pleased indeed to have helped our tenants to access this money to which they are entirely entitled. But they come with a warning. When Universal Credit is rolled out in December we expect further pressure on household incomes and we must

be prepared to deal with what we anticipate will be a rise in requests for help.”

Ardenglen revealed that the biggest amount we obtained for tenants was in Personal Independence Payments at £163,742 while Employment Support Allowance topped £125,327.

Working tax credit accounted for £19,414 in claims while Carer’s

Allowance accounted for £21,808.

Child Tax Credit claims accounted for £20,013 and Child Benefit of £3,536 – both of which are benefits which help families with dependent children.

Audrey added: “We are totally committed to delivering a welfare rights service which we believe is an important aspect of the work all of us do within housing associations.”

HELPING OUR TENANTS TO MAKE ENDS MEET (continued from front page)

We are delighted to introduce our NEW landscaping team. Ardenglen have entered into a 2 year contract with Caledonian who will be taking care of our estate on a day to day basis providing the following services:

• Fortnightly grass cutting

• Fortnightly litter picking & sweeping of hard paved areas

• Weekly bin store cleaning

• Weekly bulk pull out (tenement closes, bin lanes & open space areas)

• Weed, moss & slime control as required

• Shrubs and plant pruning throughout the year

• Hedge maintenance 3 times a year

• Tree maintenance inspected monthly and pruned annually in the winter

Maintenance Officers Peter Boyle and Colin

Robertson with support from our Assistants Heather Sokolov and Kerri Downie will be monitoring the contract with planned weekly inspections, day to day observations and investigation of any complaints received. In addition we have some added help from Harry Couper who will provide clerk of work services, reports and performance monitoring.

Since the contract began on 4th June we have received lots of compliments that you can read about on page 9.

CALEDONIAN LANDSCAPE CONTRACTORS

Caledonian Landscapers Ardenglen teamHarry Couper

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Three Board meetings have taken place since the last newsletter where our Board debate, challenge and make decisions on our delivery of strategic objectives, financial viability and compliance. In April the Board acknowledged our challenging departmental plans for the year and approved these for implementation.

The Board are committed to making sure they work effectively and that collectively they have the knowledge, skills and experience to lead

Ardenglen Housing Association. Our Board are currently taking part in an appraisal, where we are looking at the skills, knowledge and any training requirements members may have. The Board will receive a report in August to highlight the findings with any recommendations.

In May the Board approved our management accounts and our quarterly performance against targets. As mentioned in the Chief Executive’s welcome, Universal Credit is being introduced in Castlemilk in December 2018. The Board are regularly kept informed about what we are

doing to support tenants and mitigate the risk and approved our Welfare Reform Strategy. The Board also approved various policies and procedures linked to the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) as well as a revised Anti-Social Behaviour Policy.

Much of the Board meeting in June was spent on carefully considering the new build development, including close scrutiny of costs and build standards. After much debate the Board approved that we progress with the new build.

All members of Ardenglen are welcome at the AGM where refreshments will be served.

FILM FOCUS FOR KAREN

Karen takes a break from filming

at the Maureen Cope Hall

Our

Annual General Meeting (AGM)

will be held in the office on

Tuesday 11th Sept. at 6.45pm

If you are interested in becoming a member of Ardenglen for just £1.00 please ask a member of staff for more information.

One of our Board members Karen McDonagh was chosen to feature at the recent Scottish Federation of Housing Associations Annual Conference in Glasgow.

Ardenglen is a member of the SFHA.

It took place in June and Ardenglen’s

work was also featured along with Karen’s commitment to the community.

It was a useful opportunity to showcase the activities of our hard-working COMMUNITY COMMITTEE who do so much and work so hard. Thank you Karen and everyone!

Tenant voice and landlord self-assurance were the focus of the Regulator’s opening session at the Tenant Information Service (TIS) national conference in Cumbernauld. Lisa Peebles, Scottish Housing Regulator Board member, gave the conference’s opening address and spoke with tenants about the future of social housing regulation.

Lisa highlighted the Regulator’s on-going commitment to a strong tenant voice. She shared feedback from the early discussion phase of the regulatory framework review. She said: “Many of our stakeholders stressed the importance of us continuing to promote a strong tenant voice and to support tenants with accessible and useful information about their landlord.

We’re looking at how we can get good information in useful formats to as many people that want it as possible.”

Lisa explained the Regulator’s proposal that each landlord would confirm through an annual assurance statement that it meets regulatory standards and requirements. She posed some questions for delegates to consider: “One really important consideration for us is the role for tenants in the annual assurance process. How should landlords capture and use the tenant view in their assurance processes? What if tenants don’t recognise their landlord from the Annual Assurance Statement?”

The Regulator will continue its dialogue with tenants, landlords and stakeholders as it firms up proposals for consultation later in the year.

Spotlight on GovernanceAn update from your Board

Regulator talks tenant voice and landlord self-assurance at national tenant conference

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Floral tribute…..some of the impressive flowers on the railings

Ardenglen was proud to play its part in the annual Castlemilk Fun Day. Sensational sunshine helped make the day a big success and it was, as usual, well attended (and brilliantly organised) by the Castlemilk community. Thank you to everyone who visited us on the Ardenglen stall!

*Thank you also to Lord Provost Councillor Eva Bolander who took time to chat to us while attending the fun day.

YES, WE HAVE SOME BANANAS!

Bowled over…….Allana and Nicole from our office with the first delivery of fruit.

TOUCHING TRIBUTE TO A COMMUNITY’S LOST LIVESA TOUCHING memorial to members of the Castlemilk community has taken place once again.

“The Flowers on the Railings” event also known as “Lost Lives Day” is an annual occasion organised to share memories of

people who have died.

Some will have been family members who have died over the years while others have been lost in tragic circumstances.

It receives huge support from local residents reflecting the closeness

and community spirit generated across Castlemilk. It is wonderfully organised every year by a team of volunteers.

Ardenglen Housing Association again played its part by purchasing flowers and adding them to the display.

GREAT FUN IN THE SUN

Ardenglen plays its part in remembering Castlemilk residents

We are doing our bit to promote healthy eating.Ardenglen now takes delivery of regular fruit aimed primarily at encouraging healthy eating among staff AND people who call into the office.

We have placed the fruit in a bowl at reception and there is no charge. If you happen to be in our office please take a piece of fruit.

Fresh fruit and vegetables will now be available from the foodbank at the Maureen Cope Community Hall thanks to donations from a leading supermarket

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Stock SurveysOur maintenance officer Peter Boyle is currently carrying out a stock condition survey in our properties at the following numbers 2 to 16 Ballantay Road and 264 to 288 Tormusk Road. This is a short survey which should take no longer than 30 mins of your time.

The purpose of this survey is to ensure that the Association’s major component budgets and timescales are on track and correct.

If you stay in any of the properties in the above addresses and haven’t already had this survey carried out please contact Peter on 0141 634 5051 or pop in to the office to have this arranged.

Glasgow City Council now has an online facility to book an appointment if you have a query relating to housing or council tax benefit.

Just visit the link below and follow the steps

https://www.glasgow.gov.uk/booking

• Select reason for appointment

• Choose location of appointment (City Centre 45 John St or select other which will give the option of Castlemilk 15 Dougrie Road)

• Select an available date (this will show in green)

• Select time of appointment

• Complete contact information (you need an email address to confirm)

• Check summary information and if happy confirm

• You will receive email confirmation of your appointment

This is not the only service that the Glasgow City Council website offers; you can set up an account to view every aspect of your claim by using the web address below:

https://youraccount.glasgow.gov.uk/publicaccesslive/selfservice/citizenportal/myservices.htm

If you have a change in your circumstances you can report this online, you can also upload documents of proof if required by using the web address below:

https://www.glasgow.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=20412

If you need to make a new claim for housing or council tax benefit you can also do this by using the web address below:

https://glasgow.teamnetsol.com/

HOUSING BENEFIT ONLINE SERVICES

Legionnaire’s Disease Advice Legionnaire’s disease is a potentially fatal form of pneumonia. It is caused by the inhalation of small droplets of water from contaminated sources containing legionella bacteria.

All hot and cold water systems in residential properties are a potential source for legionella bacteria growth. The disease most commonly affects elderly people or those with chest or lung problems. It is not contagious and not everyone exposed to the bacteria becomes ill.

Taking the following simple precautions will help you keep safe:

• Flush through showers and taps for 10 minutes following a period of non-use (i.e. after you have been on holiday). Inform Ardenglen if you are going to be absent from the home for a substantial period of time

• Keep all shower heads and taps clean and free from a build-up of mould or algae growth

• Keep hot water on your boiler system at a temperature of 60°C or greater

• But please: BE AWARE OF SCALDING!

• Report any deposits such as rust or any unusual matter from your taps or showers to our office and our maintenance staff will investigate the issue.

If you need any help with any of your water systems please contact our office.

COUNTDOWN TO

From 5th December 2018 Universal Credit will be phased in, affecting residents in Castlemilk.

In this first bulletin we can confirm if you are of working age and on any of the following benefits you will at some point move onto Universal Credit:

• Income Support.

• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance.

• Income-related Employment Support Allowance.

• Housing Benefit.

• Working Tax Credit.

• Child Tax Credit.

It’s good to be prepared and important to note that in order to receive universal credit you will require a bank account, access to the internet and the ability to complete forms online.

Find out how prepared you are and where you can get help by completing the following survey online:

http://ucpp.dwp.gov.uk/universal-credit-preparation/

In future bulletins we will provide information on services and support that will be available locally but meantime, if you have any concerns or questions please contact a member of the housing services team.

To keep updated on all things Universal Credit please like our facebook page to access regular updates.

Asbestos issuesThere is a possibility that some old vinyl floor tiles predating 1980 may contain an asbestos substance in the adhesive used to bond them to the floor. This is completely safe as long as the tiles remain undisturbed so there is no cause for alarm.

If your property still contains any of these old floor tiles or you have any questions regarding this please don’t hesitate to contact our office and a member of our maintenance team will be happy to answer any questions or concerns you may have.

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Street Size Property type Applicant category Applicants’ Points

Ardencraig Drive 3 x 3apt New Build x 1Rehab tenement x 2

Internal Transfer x 1Homeless Referral x 2

26 pointsna

Ardencraig Gardens 2 x 4apt New Build x 2 Internal Transfer x 2 37 points

Ardencraig Street 2 x 3apt New Build x 2 Waiting List x 2 33 - 35 points

Ardencraig Road2apt x 63apt x 34apt x 1

New Build x 9Rehab x 1

Internal Transfer x 3Waiting List x 5Homeless Referral x 2

10 - 27 points30 - 52 pointsna

Ardencraig Quadrant2apt x 63apt x 24apt x 1

New Build x 4Rehab tenement x 5

Waiting List x 5Homeless Referral x 4

20 – 38 pointsna

Ballantay Road2apt x 53apt x 104apt x 5

New Build x 3Rehab tenement x 17

Internal Transfer x 6Waiting List x 14

15 – 33 points20 – 40 points

Ballantay Terrace2apt x 13apt x 14apt x 4

Rehab tenement x 6Internal Transfer x 1Waiting List x 4Homeless Referral x 1

5 points12 – 45 pointsna

Ballantay Quadrant 2apt x 1 New Build Internal Transfer 15 points

Hoddam Avenue 3apt x 144apt x 2 Rehab tenement x 16

Internal TransferWaiting ListHomeless Referral

27 points20 – 43 pointsna

Scarrel Road 3apt x 5 Rehab tenement x 5 Waiting List 20 – 33 points

Scarrel Terrace 3apt x 1 New Build x 1 Internal Transfer x 1 20 points

Tormusk Place 2apt x 3 New Build x 1 Waiting List 5 – 33 points

Tormusk Road

1apt x 82apt x 13apt x 74apt x 1

Rehab tenement x 17Internal Transfer x 3Waiting List x 12Homeless Referral x 2

6 – 33 points10 – 48 pointsna

Tormusk Drive 3apt x 1 New Build Homeless Referral na

Ardenglen also owns properties in other areas where there has been no turnover in the last year

This table gives information about all the properties that were relet over the last financial year and the points range that applicants had. This will give you an idea about our turnover in each of our streets and what points you may need to get an offer.

If you have any questions about this, please contact Lauren Docherty on 0141 631 5047. Please note we can’t discuss any aspect of the points or application of individual applicants who were let properties.

POLICE TASK FORCE UNIT BASED IN CASTLEMILKA new Anti-Violence/Disorder unit is based at Castlemilk Police Office and will be led by Sergeant Mark Donnachie and six Police Constables.

The unit is an extension of the Problem Solving Team based at Cathcart Police office with its main purpose being to impact on violent crime and anti-social behaviour within the Castlemilk area.

The unit will be working with partner agencies such as Ardenglen Housing Association and will tackle a variety of anti-social behaviour problems affecting the communities of

Castlemilk. The Police Officers will be out patrolling the communities of Castlemilk on a daily basis, they may be deployed in high visibility on foot, cycle or in a marked police car or you may also see the Officers carrying out plain clothes patrols.

If there are any issues affecting your community please do not hesitate to stop and report it to the Officers while they are on patrol, you can also report any issues at the Castlemilk Police Office during office hours or alternatively call “101”, unless it is an emergency then dial “999”.

LETTING INFORMATION FOR PROPERTIES LET BY STREET FROM 1 APRIL 2017 – 31 MARCH 2018

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Area Target Performance

Emergency repairs To complete 100% within 4 hours 91% completed on time

Non-emergency repairs To complete 95% within 10 working days with a first appointment being offered within 3 working days

91% completed on time

Appointments To attend 97% of appointments on time 97% attended on time

Complaints To have no more than 3 upheld complaints in any month

2 upheld complaints in February & 3 in March

Customer satisfaction To have 95% satisfaction on completion of repairs 96% satisfaction

Recalls to workmanship To have no more than 3 recalls in any month 2 recalls in February

% repairs completed right

first time

Target achieved?

% gas services completed within

a year

% of satisfaction with repairs

Average days taken to relet

empty houses

% rent due lost through properties

being empty

Current & former tenant rent arrears as a % of rent due

Performance Quarter 4 Performance Year to date Target

92.1%

96%

0.48%

13.1

4.1%

100%

95.3%

96%

0.37%

13.9

4.1%

100%

96%

96%

0.25%

10

3.5%

100%4

4

7

7

7

7

A repair is right first time if it is completed on time and without the need for a recall visit.

For safety reasons procedures ensure access is provided on time.

Target is met. Return rate of satisfaction surveys is 35%.

Target not met due to higher than expected turnover of properties.

We are working with our contractor to minimise the time each house spends in repair.

We are investigating a new computer system to identify rent arrears at the earliest opportunity.

HOW WE ARE PERFORMING • HOW WE ARE PERFORMING

Mears Quarterly PerformanceWe have been working in Partnership with Mears for reactive repairs since September 2017, and since then we have been gathering information on their performance and comparing it against our targets. This is what we have found for the period January 2018 to March 2018.

762 works orders have been completed by Mears and the following performance achieved.

Where performance is below target we are working with the Contractor to improve services.

Performance Quarter 4January 2018 – March 2018

Mears Corporate Design Guidelines Section 1.1 | April 2008

Mears Limited logo

There are various elements which come together to help form the overall identity, however the logo is the most recognizable component.

The logo comprises a black logotype within a red block with a white and red boarder. See the colour specifi cations opposite.

Under no circumstances should the logo be altered in any way other than described in this document.

This logo should be used on all material which relates to Mears social housing business.

Mears Group PLC logo

The Mears Group PLC has its own logo which is differentiated by the strapline ‘GROUP PLC’ in black beneath the logo block.

This logo should be used on Group material only, eg: annual reports, letterheads and compliments slips.

No other variations of the Mears logo are acceptable.

Under no circumstances should the Mears logo be modifi ed or elements added. Any version of the logo which is different to those in this guide should NOT be used.

Digital fi le names:

Mears_Logo_CMYK.eps

Mears_Logo_PMS.eps

Mears RedPMS: Pantone 186CMYK: C0 M100 Y80 K5

BlackPMS: Pantone Process Black CMYK: C0 M0 Y0 K100

Digital fi le names:

MGPLC_Logo_CMYK.eps

MGPLC_Logo_PMS.eps

Core brand elements

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We recently installed new play equipment for younger kids at our play area in Ballantay Terrace. It has been well received and is proving to be popular with the kids.

Also, replacement benches have been ordered for the entire park. These new benches will be stainless steel to replace the existing timber benches.

YOU SAID, WE DIDArea Target Performance

Emergency repairs To complete 100% within 4 hours 91% completed on time

Non-emergency repairs To complete 95% within 10 working days with a first appointment being offered within 3 working days

91% completed on time

Appointments To attend 97% of appointments on time 97% attended on time

Complaints To have no more than 3 upheld complaints in any month

2 upheld complaints in February & 3 in March

Customer satisfaction To have 95% satisfaction on completion of repairs 96% satisfaction

Recalls to workmanship To have no more than 3 recalls in any month 2 recalls in February

Complaints Upheld

Complaints Not Upheld

Complaints Partially Upheld

Complaints Responded to within timescale

63%

32%

5%

89%

• HOW WE ARE PERFORMING • HOW WE ARE PERFORMING

YOU SAIDA few tenants residing in the Ballantay Terrace area expressed a desire for play equipment suitable for the younger children in the play park and that this would be much appreciated during the school summer holidays.

WE DID

COMPLIMENTSComments from applicants at Housing Options Interviews.

“All good” “Was very stressed about coming for interview

but Claire made it very relaxed and explained

everything.”

“Very pleasant & helpful.”

“This was a positive step forward for my family. Our advisor was helpful and explained everything properly. Great service.”

“Claire was very

pleasant, helped me

to see how to best suit

my circumstances by

clearly explaining my

options.”

“Very informative and helpful. Also accommodating as I got appointment times mixed up. Very grateful for this.”

“I felt that Claire

explained things

clearly about the

different options

and associations

that I can apply

to.”

“Very helpful. I have high points and I am hopeful for an

offer with Ardenglen.”

COMPLAINTS RECEIVED

Between January and March 2018 we received

19 COMPLAINTS

Timescales to resolveWhen a complaint is received we aim to resolve the matter within 5 working days however if the complaint is more complex and requires a full investigation we aim to respond within 20 working days.

Complaints Upheld & responded to within timescaleOf the customers who responded 92% were satisfied with the complaints handling.

COMPLIMENTSArdenglen recognises that customers may wish to give a

compliment for services they have received or thanks to a

staff member or team.

Here are some compliments received recently and we’d like say thank

you for these kind words.

• The new grass cutters are amazing! They even moved my garden

furniture in order to cut the full garden whereas last contractor cut

around the furniture.

• @Ardenglen_HA do excellent community work

• What a wonderful job the new contractors have done with the

grass cutting, it is night and day compared to the last and all the

neighbours are saying the same.

• I love my new home, I’m really grateful for all the help yous have gave

me

• Insights now from orgs participating in the research. First up, @

Ardenglen_HA “we don’t have service users, we have participants

and volunteers.” As ever, language is so important.

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• HOW WE ARE PERFORMING • HOW WE ARE PERFORMING

Ardenglen aims to be as transparent as possible, so with this in mind, we intend to keep you informed by publishing our quarterly financial results. During our financial year from April 2017 to March 2018 - the income receivable was £3.86 Million and from this the expenditure incurred to deliver our service was £3.39 Million.

This is how your rent has been spent over these twelve months.

Salaries

Office overheads

Reactive repairs

Planned maintenance

Management & maintenance administration

Regeneration

Interest paid on loans

Development

Other Fixed Assets

Money set aside for future investment

HOW YOUR RENT MONEY IS BEING SPENT

Total Staffing Costs

Window Replacements

Day to Day Repairs

Painterworks

Bathroom Replacements

Repairs to Empty Homes

Landscape Maintenance

Boiler Replacements

IT, Equipment & Telecoms

Gas Reactive Repairs

£806,634

£297,961

£258,637

£200,008

£174,572

£172,880

£151,559

£128,224

£83,274

£70,323

“TOP TEN” AREAS OF SPENDArdenglen would also like to publish our “Top 10” expenditure items, on a quarterly basis, which will hopefully give you an insight into our key areas of spend. If you have any further questions or would like additional information, please do not hesitate to contact Amy McQueen or Leanne McGowan from our Finance & Business Support Team.

Ardenglen has developed a robust Business Planning Model for investment in your homes and community. Any surplus we report will be re-invested at a future date in line with our business goals and objectives.

22%

9%

15%

8%

2%

2%1%

4%

9%

28%

£297,961

TOP TEN AREAS OF SPEND

£258,637 £174,572Window Replacements Day to Day Repairs Bathroom

Replacements

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Ardenglen’s Community Committee arranged its AGM on Friday 8th June to coincide with Volunteer Scotland’s celebration of the contribution of volunteers right across the country (Volunteer Week from 1st – 7th June). We took the opportunity to say a formal “thank you” with a small celebration event and Certificates of Appreciation for our amazing volunteers, without whom we could not provide the services and events we do from our Community Hall.

During her speech, Karen McDonagh (Chair) indicated that three members had stood down from the Community Committee across last year and she warmly thanked Lydie, Anne Marie and Fran for all their hard work and support.

All eight remaining members indicated that they wanted to stand for re-election. The meeting

chose to amend the Group’s constitution to open up membership to community volunteers (2 places) and the Group will continue to offer two Executive places to members from Ardenglen’s Board who attend meetings on a quarterly basis. The meeting therefore elected the following Community Committee membership:

Karen McDonagh (Chair)/ Anna Kilbride/ Elaine Macphail/ Mary Robb/ Madge McLellan/ Marie Cawley/ Margaret Linning/ Lesley Irvine/ Isabel McGeogh/ John Pillans (Community)/ Margaret Beattie (Community)/ Isa Brier (Ardenglen Board)/ Maureen Cope (Ardenglen Board).

Anyone with an interest in volunteering at the Community Hall should call Fiona on 631-5041 for more information. We welcome all contributions of support – no matter how big or small. Of course, whilst many hands make light work, all our volunteers also tell us they value the friendships formed and good old fashioned fun

involved! So, what are you waiting for?

Celebrating Volunteer Week at the Community Committee’s AGM

Page 12

Spring Definitely Sprung at the Maureen Cope Community Hall!

Community Committee members and staff gathered recently to refresh their knowledge around Fire Safety at the Maureen Cope Community Hall. The training was arranged deliberately on site so that we could look at “real life” circumstances during the course of the session.

Everyone agreed that completing the Fire Marshalling course was essential to their ability to support the running of the hall and it was good to bring everyone, including our new Committee members, up to the same level of understanding.

As with all fire safety, we were left with the strong message that prevention is better than cure and we were all pleased to note that there were only a couple of fairly minor areas for improvement in our existing fire safety procedures.

Next up - Gas Safety Awareness!

Safety First!

Ardenglen’s Community Committee was delighted to present Ardenglen’s annual Spring Fun Day which, as usual, was held during the Spring Break on Friday 6th April.

Our Chief Executive, Audrey Simpson,

welcomed everyone to the hall and invited our very own BLAZE Dancers (TEEN Zone) to kick-start a day packed with “magic” activities including tricks, tombola, face painting and balloon modelling.

Our Community Committee worked flat out in the kitchen preparing and serving delicious

hot filled rolls and tasty cakes whilst our “Sew Fabulous” group were on hand with their ever popular up-cycled products. Not to be out-done, our Happy Gardeners provided gardening taster sessions and marshmallow toasting over the fire pit out in the Hall’s gardens.

Dates for

your Diary!

• Young at Heart High Tea

– Tuesday 24th July

• Summer Family Trip –

Friday 27th July.

• Autumn Fun Day –

Friday 19th October.

Not got your tickets yet?

Then call into the office today

and ask for Jackie King who

will be happy to assist!

Page 13

Funding for The Only Way is Up runs across the “financial year” which means it starts in April and ends on 31st March! This explains why, once again, we held a community lunch to celebrate another wonderful TOWiU “year” on 29th March!

Following a short welcome, Lesley Macphee (our Regeneration Manager) talked through some of the memorable highlights and reminded everyone how consultation feedback and suggestions had helped to shape our service delivery across the year.

The focus then turned to consideration of our results for 2017/18 which were very warmly received by everyone present as they painted the picture of a project which continues to be relevant, outcomes focussed and has something for everyone!

Our volunteers were then recognised for their hard work and commitment with the handing over of their Community Achievement Awards from Chris Lang at Kelvin College who, with our peer mentors, had supported the Group throughout the process.

Finally, proceedings were brought to a

celebratory end with a few numbers from our All That Glitters group featuring songs all written by themselves, which won a huge round of applause!

Lesley Macphee said: “It has been another tremendous year of success and achievement! Everyone who has taken part in the programme deserves a big pat on the back and there can be no doubt from today that TOWiU is making a difference to the community we serve.”

Ardenglen Chief Executive Audrey Simpson added: “Keeping our TOWiU project going is a crucial part of our regeneration work within Castlemilk and many people rely on it. Ardenglen has always believed our role is to help our community in whatever way we can. And that includes developing initiatives like TOWIU which undoubtedly change people’s lives for the better.”

All that Glitters are in DEMAND!All that Glitters are in DEMAND!Our All that Glitters group (Creative Writing) continues to go from strength to strength and their diaries are rapidly filling up as news of their song writing prowess spreads!

Having already performed at the Mitchell Library’s Aye Write Festival on 21st & 23rd March, the Group entertained their fellow community members at Castlemilk Food Justice Network’s “Big Lunch” in Castlemilk Parish Church on Friday 1st June.

However, it was perhaps their performance at the Flowers on the Railings annual remembrance event on Saturday 2nd June which really struck a chord as they performed a poignant song which they had written for the occasion.

Next up is a performance at the Kelvingrove Bandstand’s Family Festival which is a three week extravaganza with free activities and starring a wide range of community groups and organisations from across Glasgow. All That Glitters will perform at the Bandstand on Saturday 7th July.

Community Celebrations At The TOWIU “End Of Year” Event

Page 14

You might remember that Ardenglen formed a partnership last year with One Parent Families Scotland to work with our local primaries - Miller and John Paul II to look at ways of reducing the “Cost of the School Day.”

The project was funded by the Scottish Government and encouraged the use of Participatory Budgeting which is where local people have a say in how public funds are spent in their area. In this case, each school community helped decide how to spend a £10,000 budget to reduce the cost of going to school. One year on, we have revisited our primaries to see how they got on.

Our partners at John Paul II told us how important the process was in bringing the whole school community together. Their money was spent on the most voted for

options including the purchase of new sensory equipment, the formation of after school clubs and the installation of playground art including the Yellow Brick Road “daily mile.” They also funded a free educational trip for all pupils to either Blair Drummond Safari park or Braehead Xscape.

Lorraine Booth, Head Teacher at Miller Primary, told us a bit more about the process involved:

“A group of Miller Primary parents were given the opportunity to develop skills for work by being trained in participatory budgeting. The Parents worked together as a team to look at the most expensive parts of the school day, week and year and created a plan for potential spending. They then delivered a presentation at an event facilitated by Ardenglen where pupils and parents voted for the best options.”

Like their colleagues at John Paul II, the Miller school community came up with a host of brilliant ideas which included providing opportunities to enjoy reading at home and educational trips. One idea however, had quite an impact.

Lorraine explained: “The Parent Group purchased Hoodies for the children in Primary 7 as part of their final term uniform; this bonded the class as their own entity and the children wore them with pride. It gave Primary 7 the opportunity to be different from the rest of the school and they really benefitted from this by raising their sense of responsibility.”

Based on the feedback from both schools, Ardenglen believes that the “Cost of the School Day” project was both fully inclusive and of long term benefit to both school communities. We look forward to more partnership working together throughout the next school year.

Our monthly Bite, Blether & Bingo sessions (the 3Bs) have drawn to an end for this school year and once again our intergenerational partnership between some of our Young at Heart residents, Ardenglen’s Community Committee and pupils from Castlemilk High School has been a resounding success!

The programme develops a range of practical and social skills, challenges stereo-types between age groups and builds surprising and much valued social connections across the generations.

This year’s schedule concluded with an invitation to attend Afternoon Tea at the school and with a visit to the Kelvingrove Art Galleries and Museum. Jackie King (Ardenglen’s Regeneration Assistant), who is responsible for co-ordinating the programme, commented “On both occasions, it was lovely to witness the care displayed towards our younger at heart residents from our young people and the genuine friendships formed across the months.”

Jackie continued, “Ardenglen would like to wish everyone involved a great summer holiday and we look forward to working with Castlemilk High on our 4th programme starting in August.”

Calling all Young at Heart tenants!Why not keep the afternoon of Tuesday 24th July free and come along to the Maureen Cope Community Hall to enjoy our Young At Heart Summer High Tea?

We can promise you delicious treats, a sweet sing-a-long and a few tasty twirls on the dancefloor! Please contact Jackie for a ticket (631-5057) and let her know if you need assistance to get to the hall – we’d be happy to help!

ANOTHER YEAR OF FUN AND LAUGHTER AT THE 3Bs!

EASING THE COST OF THE SCHOOL DAY

A great day out at Kelvingrove Seeing the best of Kelvingrove

Festive fun at the 3bs

In the meantime, any Younger at Heart pensioners interested in taking part in the 3Bs should contact Jackie on 631-5057 for a chat.

Page 15

“Community anchors” are multi-purpose, community led and based organisations such as community-controlled housing associations like Ardenglen. A recent national study by What Works Scotland considered how community anchors can contribute to public services and support the development of local democracy, community resilience and social change.

Ardenglen was delighted to be chosen as one of only six examples of good practice from across Scotland. In particular, we were praised for

• Providing lots of opportunities to participate in the development and running of our wide-ranging community learning and regeneration activities.

• Showing how a multi-purpose, locally-committed body can support the building of strong, trusting relationships which can empower local people.

The report authors looked at the activities operated from our community hall and concluded that they helped to mitigate some of the impacts of welfare reform, sustain tenancies and embed community cohesion.

Lesley Macphee, Ardenglen’s Regeneration Manager said, “It is always nice to be given a compliment but in this case the research provided us with an independent thumbs up for not just what we do but the way that we do it. This recognition is a testimony to all the hard work, support and encouragement from everyone involved at our Community Hall.”

South East FoodbankArdenglen Community Committee would like to say a BIG thank you to all the Tormusk Post Office staff and customers for supporting our food bank outlet at the Maureen Cope Community Hall. Your donation basket is very much appreciated.

Another BIG thank you is given, as always, to all those who donate to our foodbank on an anonymous basis.

Scottish GovernmentWe would just like to say thank you to all the community

members who helped shape our response to the

Scottish Government’s consultation on Social Isolation

and Loneliness. More to follow in a future edition of

“Ardenglen News!”

Words of THANKS!

Praise, Indeed!

SUPPORTING THE EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPSFollowing a request from the 2018 European Championships, Ardenglen’s Board and Community Committee were happy to “lend” our Community Hall to support delivery of the Mountain Biking event. To this end, the Maureen Cope Community Hall will be shut to

the community from Friday 3rd August until Thursday 9th August. Please note that alternative arrangements have been made for our life-long learning groups and our IT classes and Foodbank outlet will be run from the Association’s office during this period.

Regeneration team: (left to right) Fiona McGovern, Jackie King and Lesley Macphee

Page 16

ARDENGLEN HOUSING ASSOCIATION

EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS

Councillors for your local area are listed below. Full contact and surgery details can be found at0141 287 2000 or visit the Council’s website:

www.glasgow.gov.uk

Euan Blockley 0141 287 7031

Bailie Glen Elder 0141 287 4663

Margaret Morgan 0141 287 3937

Malcolm Cunning 0141 287 3937 will be holding surgeries at our office on the first Tuesday of the month from 6pm. No surgeries during school or public holidays.

If you need any assistance regarding councillors please call our office on 634 8016 where a member of staff will be happy to assist.

Local Councillors

Keep updated with everything Ardenglen by

liking us on facebook here is the link below:

https://en-gb.facebook.com/Ardenglen-

Housing-Association-248201331899561/

We use facebook to promote our services and to

keep tenants up to date with important changes

such as the implementation of Universal Credit.

In addition to this we are collating tenant email

addresses. Email is a fast, free method of

communication and gives you the opportunity to

contact us at any given time.

If you have an email address please call us to let

us know on 0141 634 8016, email us at info@

ardenglen.org.uk or private message us on

facebook.

For all central heating and hot water emergencies please call City Technical Services on 0333 202 0708

For all other repairs please call City Building on 0800 595 595 (press option 2 for City Building). When reporting a repair please advise the contractor you are a tenant of Ardenglen Housing Association.

Report a repair free phone line 0300 303 8000 – this number is not available during public holidays.

Please note our office closes at 12pm on the first Wednesday of every month for staff training.

Hot on the heels of the Commonwealth Games in 2014, you will probably know by now that Glasgow is co-hosting the European Championships with the German city of Berlin this summer between 2nd-12th August.

Cycling history will be made in Glasgow with the European Cycling Championships in four different disciplines taking place in the same city, at the same time, for the first time ever! Around 800 of the best cyclists from Track, Road, BMX and Mountain Biking will go head-to-head to become champions of Europe. If you like cycling – then Glasgow is the place to be this summer!

Looking out across the city, the Cathkin Braes Mountain Bike trails occupy the highest point in the city and will provide a

stunning backdrop for the Mountain Bike events at Glasgow 2018. The trails, which regularly attract a multitude of thrill-seekers from across Scotland, staged Mountain Biking during the Commonwealth Games in 2014 and competitors at Glasgow 2018 will be able to challenge themselves on new features such as a brand new start and finish loop.

You can get in on the action by going along to the Cathkin Braes where the mountain bike finals are being held on Tuesday 7th August. This is an un-ticketed, free of charge event.

Emergency phone numbers when our office is closed:

Our office will be closed for

public holidays on:

Friday 13th and Monday 16th July

Friday 21st and Monday 24th

September.

CALLING ALL THRILL SEEKERS!