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BITS ‘N’ PIECESTHE BITMO NEWSLETTER FOR BELLE ISLE TENANTS & RESIDENTS

Summer 2017

Take a look inside...

page 5 Caretaking Team

page 8 Junior Green Team

page 9 Trip Down Memory Lane

Come along and join in the fun A

GalaThe Belle Isle summer 2017

Saturday 1st July 11am – 2pm

Windmill Primary School

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BITS ‘N’ PIECES THE BITMO NEWSLETTER FOR BELLE ISLE TENANTS & RESIDENTS

Lesley says, “I live on the Lanshaws and have been involved with various community activities over the years. Last September a couple of BITMO staff I know encouraged me to go to the information sessions to find out about becoming a Board member. I was interested to know more about BITMO and to gain an understanding of what my rent money is spent on so I went along. Impressed and eager to know more, I put in my nomination form and was voted in as a Board member at the Annual General Meeting last September. Since then have thrown myself into the role, attending various meetings and getting to know what tenant

management is all about. I am really impressed by how well BITMO work with other agencies such as gas and repairs contractors Sayes and Mears, the excellent partnership work really contributes towards the delivery of good services.

I like working with the community and particularly wanted to get involved in Sheltered Housing activities, I now help out at the Luncheon Club on Tuesdays and Thursdays on Belle isle Circus. The older residents have welcomed me into their group and there’s a lot of friendly banter , I always leave with a happy glow.”

Billy says, “I’m well known in the area, having lived in Belle isle for 59 years. I had been going into The GATE for a while to access various services when I was asked if I’d be interested in becoming a Board member. I liked the idea of being able to ‘have a say’ so I agreed and was voted on last September. I’m really impressed by the respect that Board members are given in the organisation and our opinions really do count. I was surprised at how interesting the meetings

are and have enjoyed getting to know the other Board members and being welcomed as part of the group.

I soon wanted to get involved in helping out and I now volunteer in The GATE on Tuesdays, serving free soup and a roll, this is a partnership service with the South Leeds food Bank. I really enjoy doing this, it keeps me busy and I get to meet people, have a chat and find out what’s going on.”

Lesley gives a helping hand at the Sheltered Housing Luncheon Club

Billy helping out at Tasty Tuesdays in the GATE

Two new BITMO Board members enjoying working with the Community

Natasha & Alex making the most of their apprenticeships with BITMO

NatashaApprentice Business Administrator Natasha assists with feedback at the first Jobs Day event at BITMOs GATE. Natasha really enjoys meeting new people in The GATE and having the opportunity to use her skills, helping and guiding people into employment.

AlexAlex, receiving his certificate after successfully completing the Health & Safety Awareness Course as part of his caretaking apprenticeship. Alex is really enjoying being a member of the BITMO Estate Caretaking team and is confident that the experience he is gaining will help him to get similar work when his apprenticeship ends in September

Board members represent BITMO at the NFTMO (National Federation of Tenant Management Organisations) in Stratford upon Avon on 10th and 11th June.

3☎ 0113 3782187 [email protected]


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75%

Ease of reporting

91%

Speed of repair

81%

Quality of repair

75%

83%

85%

75%

77%

87%

Done right first

80%

Friendly and approachable staff

Overall appearance of neighbourhood

88% 79%

Many neighbourhood issues decreased

Grounds Maintenance

Damage To

property

Sent to all BITMO tenants November/December 2016

334 responded = 18% response rate

You can find more survey information on our website at www.belleisletmo.co.uk

88%

4 www.belleisletmo.co.uk Search Belle Isle TMO on Facebook


Don’t get bitten by a Loan Shark!

Offered a cash loan without paperwork? Been threat-ened when you couldn’t pay? Had your benefit or bank card taken from you or had a loan which keeps grow-ing despite making payments?

You may have been dealing with a loan shark. You can stop loan sharks—work with us! It’s now easy to find confidential help and advice online to Stop Loan Sharks. Go to www.stoploansharks.co.uk and request a free call back.

Or call: 0300 555 222 (10p from a landline, may be up to 55p per minute from a mobile) or text 07860022116 (normal text cost).

Information and advice on debt and finances can be found in Middleton and Belle Isle at:

St Georges Centre Community Hub - drop in Monday to Friday 8.30-4.00pm (includes Welfare Rights and Citizens Advice).

BITMO’s Gate - 0113 378 2190 (Citizens Advice - Wednesdays 9.30-12.30, appointments required).

Money Buddys - drop in Tuesdays 9-12.30. St Georges Centre, (income maximization and budgeting).

Leeds Credit Union - St Georges Centre. Monday to Thursday 8.30-4.00pm or Friday 8.30-3.00pm, (access to good sources of credit).

Supported by your local councillors via the Inner South Community Committee

DID yOu kNOW THAT EACH yEAR uP TO £3.5BN OF PENSION CREDIT AND HOuSINg BENEFIT gOES uNCLAIMED? (Information from Age Uk website)

There are a lot of people who are not claiming the benefits they are entitled to for instance:

Attendance AllowanceIf you are aged over 65 and have an illness or disability you may qualify for this. It is not means tested, so it won’t affect any other income or savings you have.

Personal Independence Payment (PIP) / Disability Living Allowance (DLA). If you are under 65 and have an illness or disability then you may be able to claim this. Again, it is not means tested and it doesn’t matter how much savings you have.

Pension CreditsThis is an income related benefit and there are two parts – Guaranteed Credit which tops income up to a guaranteed minimum level and Savings Credit for people who may have some savings. This part of it would only be available to people who have reached state pension age before 6th April, 2016.

Housing BenefitHousing Benefit can help with rent payments. It is a means tested benefit so it does depend on household income and circumstances, for instance if you rent privately or from a council and also whether you have spare bedrooms.There may be other help you can get such as winter fuel payments, TV License concessions, public transport and help with health costs.

Other helpBelle Isle Elderly Winter AidAge Uk

Where can you get help?The GATE Appointments can be made for help with benefit enquiriesCitizen Advice are here every Thursday morning (appointment based) and they also attend every fortnight on a Monday (drop in) who can offer help and support with utilities.Connect for Health attend every fortnight on a Friday (drop in)

Welfare RightsYou can call into a Leeds City Council Community HUB, or call their Welfare Rights Service on 0113 376045

Benefit Information & Advice for Over 60’s

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BITMO are responsible for maintaining a number of secondary footpaths throughout the estate. We inspect and repair paths on an annual basis and

our caretakers cut back overhanging vegetation and clean the paths as and when required. We do this for both aesthetic and health and safety reasons.

Some areas of the estate have become targets for fly tipping. This photo’ shows the caretaking team clearing an area of “no man’s land” where garden boundaries had changed over time. The team cleared the area of waste and vegetation so that the garden boundaries could be reinstated to prevent further issues.

Our Caretakers clear and clean all void properties before they are let. Tenants walking away from our properties and leaving their belongings behind is an all too familiar issue that we

come across.

BITMO are responsible for maintaining a number of public open spaces across

the estate. We regularly inspect these areas and litter pick any rubbish which has either been left or blown into the areas. Our Caretakers are also trained to remove hyperdermic needles and other drug use paraphernalia.

Our Caretakers are trained to use a variety of petrol powered hand held tools and equipment including hedge trimmers, grass strimmer’s and leaf blowers and one team member is licensed to use a chain saw to carry out ground level surgery to bushes and trees.

We take the health and safety of our Caretakers and anyone visiting our work areas seriously. Site warning notices and safety rules which include method statements and risk assessments are always displayed and frequent audits are carried out to review and ensure compliance with health and safety legislation.

This is the same property after our Caretakers had cleared the garden.

A tenant contacted our repairs service reporting a leak from the kitchen sink. We allocated this to our Caretaking team who responded and completed the repair the next working day. The sink waste, overflow and trap were removed and refurbished with new parts as necessary and then refitted.

We have 16 blocks of flats accessed via communal entrances. On a weekly basis we clear these spaces of rubbish and sweep and mop the floors.

Brooms Residents appalled by fly tipping in the area

In response to concerned residents the caretakers set off on 15th to clear away fly tipping from various ginnels in the Brooms area Two vans were packed full of items to be disposed at a cost of over £100.

Residents were appalled by the amount of dumping in the area and the lack of respect some people have for the neighbourhood.

Bulky waste items are collected by Leeds City Council by ringing 0113 2224406

Estate Caretaking TeamOut and about on the estate

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Community Coach Trip- Bridlington 2017On what felt like the sunniest day of the year so far, 100 people from Belle Isle joined us on our annual community coach trip to the seaside… and this year’s destination was Bridlington! Carla, James and Lynne, were helped by volunteer Board Member Bev, to provide games and entertainment on the two coaches.

Everyone who went said they’d really enjoyed eating fish and chips; ice-creams; playing in the amusements or on the fairground; and basking in the glorious sunshine!

Our annual coach trip this year was supported by Vaillant, a company that work with Belle Isle TMO. Their contribution enabled Belle Isle TMO to keep ticket prices low and provide bingo prizes worth winning!

If you missed out on the trip this time, make sure you like our Facebook page (search for ‘Belle Isle TMO’) as we post all of our community events to our page. You can keep up-to-date by visiting the GATE too, where you’ll find a whole host of local news, events and information.

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News from the GATE


Wellbeing WeekTo recognise National Mental Health Week, Belle Isle TMO held a ‘Wellbeing Week’ between Monday 8th to Friday 12th May. With help from Leeds City Council’s Activators, Phoenix Health and Wellbeing, NHS Creative Practitioners, Connect for Health and Sense, we were able to host a week of activities that support people’s physical and emotional wellbeing, such as exercise classes, meditation and mindfulness sessions and therapeutic massage sessions.

We know how important mental health is- feeling good, positive and happy- so the GATE offers regular activities such as our Art Class, Walking Group and Stop Smoking services, which help people improve their physical health from the inside.

Jobs DayHave you been to our monthly jobs day at the GATE yet? Well if not, join us on the third Thursday of every month between 9am to 4pm for one-to-one support getting into work. We have staff on hand, as well as specialist advisors from various local organisations and agencies, such as National Careers Service and DWP. We also invite local employers and companies to come along too. No need to book an appointment, just come along.

For more help and support with job searching, contact the Community and Tenant Support Team on 0113 3782190 or email [email protected].

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Red Ladder Theatre company visited the GATE on Friday June 9th for a performance of Life & Soul, a touring play written by Leeds based writer, Chris O’Connor. Also on the bill was His Masters Voice by Belle Isle writer, Tony Gaughan.

The two actors involved in Tony’s play were graduates from an 8 week acting course which took place in the GATE back in March time. Both plays received a fantastic response with between 40 and 50 people in attendance. The audience was a mix of people from Belle Isle and newcomers to the area, including three Leeds Rhinos players: Stevie Ward, Jamie Jones Buchanen and Adam Cuthbertson.

James and Carla provided jacket potatoes for audience members during the interval which went down almost as well as the plays! Feedback from the audience was fantastic and Red Ladder have expressed a keen interest in hosting further plays in the GATE.

Watch this space for an 8 week Creative Writing course coming to the GATE soon!

Leeds Rhino players Stevie Ward, Jamie Jones Buchanen and Adam Cuthbertson along with writers Chris O’Conner, Tony gaughan and actors Tony Spirrett and Sylvia gaughan

The Junior Green team joined the monthly BITMO Walkabout on a very windy but sunny June morning around the Windmill and East Granges areas of Belle Isle. The team, who are year 5 pupils from Windmill Primary School, had the task of recording environment issues such as litter, graffiti, dumping, dog fouling and overgrown areas. The information that they gathered was fed into the BITMO report which is then acted upon where necessary.

One of the most noticeable observations of the exercise was how little litter there was and even dog fouling was scoring low. There were some over grown, untidy gardens but there were also many very nice gardens which the team enjoyed pointing out.

One thing the team are particularly keen to point out and show their disdain for is graffiti, but luckily there was not a great deal of this to report on.

The BITMO Walkabout team, Simon and Martin along with Richard Marshall from Leeds City Council all said how delighted they are at how much enthusiasm the Junior Green Team show and how obvious their passion is for being involved with environment issues in the area in which they live.

If you want to know more about the Junior green Team, or would like to be involved in planning future projects please contact Lynne on 0113 3782184 or call into BITMOs gATE for a chat

The Junior Green Team hit the streets of Belle Isle on another BITMO Walkabout

Theatre Night Success at BITMOs GATE

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Gerry takes a trip down memory laneI was born in Ballina County Mayo in 1946 and moved to England in 1959 to find work, first settling in Kirkstall then moving a few years later to West Grange Road in Belle Isle. The house had a large garden to look after and I discovered my love of gardening and working outdoors. I found work as a gardener at Roundhay park where I stayed for 20 years, then moved on to the Leeds Infirmary where I tended to the gardens there for a further 40 years.

During the 1990’s my home was burgled and this really affected my sense of security forcing me to move on but I still remained in Belle Isle. I now enjoy my retirement living in BITMO sheltered housing flat and spend every day walking, clocking up at least 3 or 4 miles a day. At the age of 71 I feel as fit and healthy now as I did 20 years ago; I really believe that walking is the secret to staying young.

One of my other pleasures in life is to walk to town and treat myself to steak, chips and a coke with 3 bits of ice (no more, no less) at my favourite eating place. I am a creature of habit and can’t see myself ever venturing to another menu choice!

Gerry shows Sheltered Housing Manager Joanne and Warden

Darren his photo album of memories from the past

Gerry in his younger years

Ballina County Mayo

Repairs Survey Prize draw WinnerMears Building Supervisor Dave Harwood presents Elaine Atha of Aberfield Drive with her £50 gift voucher after she won the repairs survey prize draw.



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The sun came out brightly on the morning of the official launch of the Love Where You Live (LWYL)Project. The launch was held at John Charles Centre for Sport. The 5 year project is the brainchild of Councillor Kim Groves The LWYL project started with a litter reduction campaign, working with the schools in the area to design posters and signs for reducing litter, it then evolved to bulb planting and various environmental projects. The message on the day was very clear, speaking at the launch Councillor Kim Groves Said: “It’s all about people, it’s all about place. It’s all about what the people of Belle Isle and Middleton want in their community.”

Community organisations in the area attended the launch in their numbers and were invited to pledge what they can contribute to support the initiative. In the Initial stage of the community engagement programme over 2,000 households will be surveyed, so they can help inform the ‘Peoples Plan’ for the area. The survey will start in the Orions, Stourton

Grange, Westwoods, Blakeleys, East Granges and the primary schools in the area. The next stage of the consultation process will involve the Cranmore and Raylands and surrounding areas. If you ‘Love Where You Live’ and want to get involved, tell people about your events, nominate your local community superhero or volunteer, go to lwylbm.wordpress.com

WHERE YOU LIVE Launch of an exciting new project in Belle Isle & Middleton

Still Time To Enter...The BITMO Garden Competition

Winners of each category will win £20 gift voucher and there is an overall winners prize of a £50 gift voucher

Closing Date: 26th July

Judging will take place on Wednesday 2nd August Prizes and certificates will

be awarded at the Great Middleton Park Show on Sunday 10th September.

£20Category Winner£50

OverallWinnerCategories include:

✔ Large

✔ Small

✔ Pots and Planters

✔ Vegetable Patch

✔ Best Improvement



The Hunslet Club Youth Ambassador scheme was launched in February. Coaches were asked to young people 13 upwards who showed potential to be future leaders. 3 football ambassadors raised the awareness of the huge issue with dog fouling on the parkside rugby field on Belle isle Road. It was agreed to set up a petition that was launched at the rugby gala on ………..Councillor Kim Groves fully supports the campaign which

We, the children and young people of The Hunslet Club train and play sport on the recreation ground at Hunslet Club Parkside and regularly have to deal with the issue

of dog fouling on the pitches and surrounding areas. Despite bins being provided and notices being displayed the issue is still proving a frustration not only to the children and young people of The Hunslet Club but to the wider community.

Although there are a great number of responsible dog owners who clear up their dog’s mess there are many that don’t. This petition is seeking further support and action from Leeds City Council to tackle this issue and has the support of Middleton Park Ward councillor, Cllr Kim Groves

Residents of the Rosedale area in Belle Isle were delighted by the arrival of the new seated bus shelter in May. Requests for the shelter were made at the Rosedale Patch Group meetings that are held every quarter at the West Grange Church Community Hall. The bus stop is well used and apart from some much needed shelter on rainy days, residents particularly wanted some seating as the old stone bench close by is now unusable. Councillor Kim Groves who made the request to First Bus on behalf of the residents said: ‘this is an excellent example of how effective Tenant & Residents groups are, gaining successful results for the local community’.

Bus Stop success for the Rosedale Patch Group

Youth Ambassadors

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Rosedale’s Residents Pauline and Mary join Councillor Kim Groves and Lynne Spirrett from BITMO at the new bus shelter on Old Run Road

EBITMO Opening Times9.00 am – 5.00 pm Monday, Tuesday & Thursday9.00 am – 1.00 pm Wednesday9.00 am – 4.00 pm Friday

RENT PAYMENTS BY CARD AND RENT ACCOUNT ENQUIRIES GENERAL CALL:

0113 378 2187

FOR ALL TELEPHONEENQUIRIES INCLUDING REPAIRS AND ALL BITMO SERVICES PLEASE CALL:

0800 389 5503 OR

0113 378 2188

DO YOU WANT US TO CALL YOU?

At busy times you can leave a

message or request a ring back

by e-mail

Just send us

a message to:

with details of your enquiry -

ALWAyS uSE THE TELEPHONE FOR EMERgENCIES.

Contact BITMO(

OuT OF HOuRS EMERgENCy SERVICE

0113 376 [email protected]

NEED TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT BITMO AND OUR SERVICES?NEED TO KNOW HOW TO GET INVOLVED?

TAKE A LOOK AT OUR WEBSITE

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There are 10 delicious ice creams hidden in this newsletter. EachIce cream has a letter that spells out something you would find on a beach. Once you’ve found all 10 ice creams and worked out what they spell, fill in your details here and send it back to us at BITMO. All entries will be entered into a draw that will take place on Friday 14th June. The winner will receive a £20 shopping voucher

Competition £20Voucher

Name:

Address:

Tel:

Answer: