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Win a family day out with our art competition!
INSIDE> Meet our new CEO, page 2
New features! > Home is where the heart is, page 10> Celebrating community champions, page 14 - 15
News about your home Issue 32 | Summer 2018
OUR FREE SUMMER GARDEN PARTY IS BACK
HOME
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Ainsley Forbes, our Board Chair, said:
"Margaret has an impressive background in providing excellent customer service. We’ll be working
closely together to ensure our residents receive a quality service,
and with Lewisham Council to increase the supply of social
housing in the borough."
Y E A R I N R E V I E W17
What will be your main focus when you start at Lewisham Homes?“It has to be getting to know people and the organisation. I am focussing on meeting and listening to our residents, our staff and our key partners at Lewisham Council.”
How did you get into the housing sector?“Many years ago I studied social policy as part of my degree. After some time in accountancy for the local government and the NHS, I got a job in housing and was really struck by the sector’s mission of meeting housing need and providing great services. I’ve stayed in housing ever since.”
What are you most looking forward to about working in Lewisham?“I used to be a frequent visitor when my sister was studying at Lewisham hospital more than twenty years ago, so it’s nice to be back.”
And why do you enjoy working in housing?“Homes are fundamental to people’s lives, so we can make a real impact. As the largest landlord in Lewisham, I know we can make a difference locally.”
Where are you from?“I’m from Northamptonshire and, except for 12 years, I’ve always lived there. From my house, I can be in a field within three minutes so it’s quite different to Lewisham. I haven’t worked in London for the last 18 months and I’ve really missed it. It's great to be back.”
What do you like to do in your spare time?“I’ve got three children, all young adults, and two dogs who all take up quite a bit of my time! I enjoy the cinema, and I try to go once a week. I love travelling too.”
Do you have any hidden talents?“I’m an accountant by trade, so I suppose there will always be a bit of a ‘bean counter’ in me.”
In a future edition of Home magazine, residents will interview Margaret about her aspirations for Lewisham Homes. Margaret will also be out and about meeting residents this summer. Say hi if you see her!
We were delighted to welcome our new
Chief Executive Margaret Dodwell
in May, after saying a fond farewell to
Andrew Potter after 11 years.
Meet our new CEO
We had a chat with Margaret to find out more about her.
I N T H E S P OT L I GH T
Summer is finally here, so it’s time to sit back and unwind at our resident’s Garden Party on Saturday 21 July, 1 - 4pm.Come rain or shine, you can enjoy an afternoon of fun activities and live entertainment at the Albany, Deptford. There’ll be music, dance, and family theatre, as well as a tasty BBQ to keep you going.
We know that lots of our residents are artists, photographers and writers, so we want you to show off your skills by creating a tribute to your favourite green space in Lewisham.Like our Selden House resident Tobias on page 4, your own garden could be your sanctuary. Perhaps you prefer to walk amongst the herbs and flowers at Mayow Park in Sydenham, or maybe you love to take your kids to Ladywell Fields?
Wherever your favourite green space is, enter a tribute to it in our Love Where You Live art competition for your chance to win a family day out to London Zoo!
Book your FREE tickets in advance from the Albany Box Office:
thealbany.org.uk020 8692 4446
TICKE
TT ICKET
You’ll have a chance to chat to our teams, and have a go at gardening and crafts. We’ll also be celebrating residents’ achievements in a special award ceremony.
Get together, whatever the weather!
Celebrate your favourite green space with our art competition
To enter:Your entry can be a photo, a poem, a painting or a drawing.
You can enter by post or email. You must include your name, age, address and contact details, and tell us why it is your favourite green space.
Email [email protected] with the subject title ‘Love where you live’.
Or send your entry by post to: Communications team, FREEPOST Lewisham Homes (no stamp needed). Maximum size A3.
All submissions must be received by Sunday 15 July.Throughout the competition we will be sharing your entries on social media with the hashtag #Lovewhereyoulive, so keep an eye out on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!
All entries will also be featured in our pop-up gallery at the summer Garden Party, where the winners will be announced.
For more on our social
media, go to p8!
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LOV E W H E R E YO U L I V E
Behind Selden House in Telegraph Hill is a beautiful sanctuary of calm and colour created by one of the residents who lives there.Tobias started the community garden four years ago. He says: “The garden used to be a horrible, grey spot. Nobody ever came out here and nobody knew each other. So I decided to do something with it.
"Gardening gives me such pleasure and I think this garden is good for everybody’s wellbeing. People now have somewhere beautiful to go and it encourages people to talk to each other. They can have a cup of tea and a chat, or if they just want some peace and quiet and to have a potter, they can."
keeping an eye on the fish and helping out.
We are now working with Selden House residents to enhance the outdoor spaces at the front of their building.
We’ve recruited an extra team of gardeners so that we can spend more time improving the quality of the green spaces on our estates.
We are working with residents and Tenants and Residents Associations (TRAs) to make sure the estates look and feel the way each community wants it to.
The tight-knit community at Cordwell Road takes great care of its environment. Brian, a dad of three, has lived on the estate with his wife for ten years, and got in touch to compliment his new caretaker Jacob. He told us how Jacob understands the importance of having pride in his work and goes over and above to keep Cordwell Road looking ship shape.
Brian says:
“I say thank you to Jacob every day. He’s a wonderful
person, and a fantastic caretaker.” Ju
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"I want people to have a nice, peaceful place to chill out,
have conversations and just listen to the birds."
Tobias, Selden House resident
Inspired by his travels, Tobias’s garden design includes benches and water features that he’s made from scratch using discarded timber, glass and mirrors.
Local young people have been especially enthusiastic about getting involved with the garden and can be found most evenings
Do you have a community garden or a patch of green space that you look after? Our Community Relations team would love to hear your ideas about how we can help community gardens to thrive.
"This community garden is an inspiration for our gardeners. They see this
space and realise that we can actually make such a
difference to people’s lives with the work we do."
Luke, Gardening Supervisor
Large items dumped or stored in shared areas on your estate are a fire risk and can attract pests. Help us to keep your environment clean and safe by reporting dumped items on your estate. Our online form is quick and easy to complete.
We run a regular service on estates to remove unwanted items from designated collection points.
Report dumped items on your estate
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LOV E W H E R E YO U L I V E
Quality gardeningSenior gardener Darren
talked to us about the work they’re doing on the
Winslade estate.
"We’ve brought all the hedges down to the
fence level so they’re tidy and offer visibility. And we’ll soon be planting
bulbs, such as daffodils and alliums to brighten
up the area."
a beautiful community havenSELDEN HOUSE GARDEN,
'The best Cordwell Road has ever looked'
We are planting thousands of new shrubs and flowers,
and making lots of other improvements too.
lewishamhomes.org.uk- search ‘large items’
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S TAY I N G S A F E AT H O M E
We are building more than 330 of the 500 new council homes that Lewisham Council previously promised to local people across the borough.We’ve received planning permission for 75 new council homes in Sydenham, New Cross, Brockley and Deptford, and building work will begin soon. This includes creating five brand new homes in what used to be our office at Eddystone Tower on the Pepys estate, Deptford.
We’ve also applied for permission to build almost 180 new council homes on a further seven sites across Lewisham.
NEW HOMES, BETTER PLACES
New council homes for our local people
31So far, local people
have moved into brand new
council homes
Our Tenancy Audit team recovered over 100 properties from residents committing housing fraud over the past year. This has freed up our homes for lots of individuals and families who genuinely needed a place to live in Lewisham.We investigated over 500 cases of suspected housing fraud during
the last 12 months, and referred over 40 cases to solicitors to begin legal action, mostly against tenants illegally subletting their homes.
In May, our first prosecution case against subletting was successful in court, with the tenant receiving a custodial sentence of 12 weeks, suspended for two years. They were also ordered to pay our legal
costs of £5,000 and pay back the unlawful profit of £3,496.
Housing fraud is illegal. If you suspect someone is committing this crime, let us know. All reports will be kept confidential.
occupancy.checks@ lewishamhomes.org.uk
104 homes recovered
Keep up to date about our new homes, plans and consultations at: lewishamhomes.org.uk - search 'new homes'
Between April 2017 and March 2018, our Antisocial Behaviour (ASB) team carried out more than 150 actions, including:
Warningletters85Acceptable behaviour & good neighbour agreements
5
Notices of Seeking Possession
19
Possession orders3
Injunctions7
Evictions3
Our professional witnessing team, who are on-call between 10pm – 3am on Friday and Saturday nights, will visit your home or neighbourhood to confirm that antisocial behaviour or noise nuisance is taking place. They were introduced towards the end of last year following an in-depth review of our ASB service by our Resident Scrutiny Committee.
Since then, the professional witnessing team has responded to nearly 100 call-outs from residents, and carried out over 300 visits to ASB hotspots. This has led to several arrests, and has helped us to take legal action and provide evidence in court.
We offer support to residents who may be experiencing abuse or neglect. We can also assist you if you’re having trouble living independently in your home.
If you need support, or are worried about a neighbour, report it to us online or by telephone. Our team and the specialist organisations we work with can help.
You can report your concerns anonymously.
lewishamhomes.org.uk - search ‘abuse’ or ‘neglect’
0800 028 2 028
Speak up
Report antisocial behaviour:lewishamhomes.org.uk/asb
0800 028 [email protected]
Safer homes and neighbourhoods
Speak
up
Lewisham's new Mayor Damien Egan meets Leah, in her new council home in Lee
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Universal Credit special
What's inside > Understanding Universal Credit > How to apply > How to prepare > How we can help
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Lewisham is a vibrant place to live with so many wonderful things going on. Our social media channels give you instant access to inspiring and useful news about your area.
> Be part of the local conversation
> Get the heads up about local job vacancies
> Be inspired by your community
> See celebrity wildlife living in your area!
Follow us to:
S O C I A L
@lewishamhomes
Let’s get social!
Be inspired by Andrew and other local residents’ career
progression. We often advertise local job opportunities with us
and other employers.
@lewishamhomesFacebook
Bence House’s Tenant & Residents Association is a strong voice for
its community. They support local events and drive improvements to
their homes and environment.
Your star post!
Simon, a rare white squirrel from Sydenham, has become our gardeners’ new best friend. Turns out our staff aren’t his only fans!
When we found out what Ellie, a resident from Lee, was doing
for Lewisham babies born prematurely, we just had to share
her wonderful story.
@lewishamhomesInstagram
Have you got a community event planned or a great local story? Tag us in your posts and we can share your news.
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Understanding Universal Credit£ £
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£ Advance paymentsIf your application is approved, please be aware that it will take 5 - 6 weeks to receive your first payment.
If you can’t afford to wait this long, you can request an advance payment. Whatever amount you receive will need to be paid back and a monthly deduction will be taken from your Universal Credit allowance over the next year.
Your online accountYou will have an online Universal Credit account (often referred to as a journal), where you can see a breakdown of your payments under the Home tab.
It is important that you regularly check your account, as new tasks may appear on your to-do list.
If you are working, it is your responsibility to make sure that Universal Credit is getting the correct information from HMRC. If any of the details are incorrect, you can update Universal Credit through your online journal.
UC What is Universal Credit?From July 2018, any Lewisham resident making a new application for benefits will have to apply online for Universal Credit.
Universal Credit is the new single monthly welfare benefit payment for people of working age, on low to moderate income to help top up their income. Universal Credit replaces the six benefits below, bringing them together into one monthly payment:
> Income Support > Jobseeker’s Allowance > Employment and Support Allowance > Housing Benefit > Child Tax Credit > Working Tax Credit
If you are currently receiving any of the above benefits you will still receive these as normal. However, if and when there is a change in your circumstances, such as a new job, new address, or a change in wages, it is likely you will be asked to claim Universal Credit instead.
Most people will get the same amount of money as they would have from the previous benefits, but it can look like you get more because all the benefits are paid together in one monthly amount.
What's included in Universal Credit payments?
> Personal living allowance for you > Money to help with housing costs > Living allowance for children > Money to help with childcare costs > Extra money for children if they are disabled > Extra money for you or your partner if you are
unable to work due to disability or a health condition
Water and heating charges may be included in your rent. These are not covered by your Universal Credit housing element, so you will have to cover these out of your living allowance.
Universal Credit does not include help with your Council Tax either. If you move onto Universal Credit you must claim Council Tax Support separately from Lewisham Council.
Applying for Universal CreditYou can apply for Universal Credit if all of the below apply:
> you’re 18 or over > you’re aged under 60 years and 6 months > you’re on a low income or unemployed > you have savings of less than £16,000 > you aren’t in full-time education or training
If you live with your partner you’ll usually need to make a joint claim.
At the end of your application you will need to verify your identity. This can be done online or by booking an appointment at Job Centre Plus. Until this is done, your application will not be processed.
££
If you’d like some help with managing your money, we run a free Best Deals & Budgeting course on the last Wednesday of every month. If you’d like to attend please book ahead with the Welfare Benefits team on 0800 028 2 028 or email [email protected]
You can only apply for Universal Credit online. Go to:www.gov.uk/universal-credit/how-to-claim
Preparing for Universal CreditEven if you are not yet on Universal Credit, it is a good idea to start planning for the changes now.
Open a bank accountYou must have a bank account before
applying for Universal Credit. If you don’t have a bank account we can help you to set one up.
Decide how to pay your rentAs Housing Benefit payments will no
longer be paid directly to us, you will be responsible for paying your rent to Lewisham Homes out of your monthly Universal Credit allowance.
There are a range of different ways to pay your rent, but we recommend paying by direct debit or standing order on the day your Universal Credit is received. To set up a direct debit or standing order over the phone, please call us on 0800 028 2 028 and have your bank details to hand. You can also download the forms from our website at:
lewishamhomes.org.uk/your-home/rent/pay-rent
Get onlineUniversal Credit is managed online, so if
you are not online you may find it more difficult to get the benefits you are entitled to.
All libraries in Lewisham offer free internet access, and local Job Centres can help you get connected or with making a Universal Credit claim. Your nearest Job Centres are in Forest Hill, Deptford and Peckham.
BudgetOne of the biggest differences with
Universal Credit is that instead of receiving weekly or fortnightly payments for different benefits, you will receive one monthly payment. This is paid directly to your bank account, so you will need to budget for your monthly rent payments, bills and spending.
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How we can help you with Universal Credit
Managingdebt
BudgetingClaiming theright benefitsand credits
Receivingthe rightamount
of money
How toclaim
UniversalCredit
Getting onlineand using
the internet
BudgetingHow and
whento pay
your rent
Our specialist Welfare Benefits team can help residents with:
Throughout July and beyond, we are offering lots of opportunities for you to get help with claiming Universal Credit.
Chat to us onlineChat to our team and get
answers to your questions with our live web chats on Wednesdays 4, 11, and 18
July between 1-6pm.Lewishamhomes.org.uk
Visit usFor face-to-face advice, come along to our special Universal Credit drop-in
surgery in our reception at the Old Town Hall, on Wednesday 25 July from 1-4pm.
You can also pop into our regular drop-in surgeries on Monday, Tuesday,
Thursday & Friday mornings, between 10am-1pm.
Call us0800 028 2 028
Email uswelfarebenefits@
lewishamhomes.org.uk
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In response to resident feedback, we have been working on some improvements to My Lewisham Homes, our online portal. It’s now easier to use on mobile phones so you can access information about your home 24/7, on the go.
What’s new? > New mobile-friendly design and menu > Clearer rent and service charge information > Update your contact preferences > ‘Remember me’ function for quick log-in > View your Tenancy and Rent Officers > Simpler forms
New look My Lewisham Homes
"A really smarter look, I like this new setup very much."
"It is so much easier to work out your rent with this new layout."
D I G I TA L
Sign upby 30 June for the chance to win £100 shopping vouchers
You just need:Your name and addressYour account reference number (this is on your rent statement and other correspondence from Lewisham Homes)
Your email address
From time to time, we want to tell you about events and share helpful information with you that is not directly connected to your tenancy.
This could include community events, training opportunities and courses, competitions and other ways to get involved.
We can send you news through a monthly email newsletter, text messages and Home magazine by email or post.
It’s easy to give your consent, and opt in or out of any of these at any time.
Simply log in to My Lewisham Homes and use the Update My Details form to change your preferences, or call us on 0800 028 2 028.
If you haven’t signed up to My Lewisham Homes yet, it only takes a moment.
Go to lewishamhomes.org.uk and select Do It Online. You can check that the contact details we hold for you are correct here too.
Some residents have already given it the thumbs up:
Sharing news with you
PIN IT TO YOUR HOME
SCREEN
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homes on Wynell Road, Forest Hill. The boxes will help protect a large colony of endangered swifts in Lewisham by giving them somewhere safe to nest.
5pm: Caoimhe stays late to support the Resident Scrutiny Committee meeting this evening. She’s on hand to answer any queries, and can help them set up any focus groups, surveys or interviews that they request. Caoimhe says: “The Scrutineers are very valuable in helping us to enhance services by providing an independent view. If any other residents would like to join the group, please let us know!’
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Our new ‘Home is where the heart is’ feature celebrates the importance of home and what it means to you. Michael, 84, has lived at Merrydown, one of our sheltered schemes in Forest Hill, for nearly 30 years.
“When I first came to live here in 1991 I was always helping people. I think it’s because I’m from a family of ten, I was brought up that way.
I did a lot of gardening and cooked for my neighbours. We used to go on day trips like the river boat, Brighton and the hop fields in Kent. Sometimes we’d just go for a drive, and explore.
For me, my sense of home is helping people, looking out for one another and spending time together, like a family does.”
Michael is a father to six children
Safe and spacious living areas
Residents living in five sheltered housing schemes previously had no option but to store their mobility scooters in shared lounges, which created a fire risk and took up lots of space. Now, thanks to funding from our contractors at Breyer Group, they will soon have smart new storage facilities to keep them secure.
This summer we’ll be starting improvements to some of our sheltered housing. Residents helped shape what changes they’d like to see to their buildings and outdoor areas, with suggestions including a cinema room and outdoor exercise equipment. We can’t wait to get started!
H O M E
Home is where the heart is
First-of-its-kind improvements
Our new Community Relations team includes Kareem, Alys, Caoimhe and Tosin. We followed them for a day as they consult and work closely with residents to help our communities thrive.9am: The team kicks off the morning with a meeting to talk about a potential People’s Supermarket in Deptford. This would help residents save money on their weekly food shop by buying groceries from the local community centre. Alys says: “This is an exciting project, and we want to hear from residents who are interested in taking part.”
10.30am: Tosin and Caoimhe help deliver a digital training workshop with Three Mobile, for older residents at our Lewis Silkin sheltered scheme. They learn how to use WhatsApp to keep in touch with friends and family, as well as how their device can support
them with health and fitness. Tosin says: “Over 20 residents attended, and they all said it’s given them confidence to do more on their phones.”
12pm: Kareem is keen to raise more funds for activities for young residents, especially with the summer holidays coming up. He speaks to one of our contractors, Travis Perkins, who agree to help fund this year’s Lewisham Youth Conference again with a donation of £7k.
1.30pm: Following the graduation of our most recent Improving Housing Services course, Alys and Tosin get together to chat about ways to further support residents who complete it. They look at possible next steps for the graduates, as well as ideas for enhancing our one-day and three-day courses, in partnership with London Metropolitan University.
3pm: Kareem joins Lewisham Council and the London Fire Brigade to oversee the installation of bird boxes at some of our
WO R K I N G D AY D I A RY
Ashley (left) and Michael (right)
Michael’s independent living officer Ashley says:
“Michael is important to Merrydown. He brings
laughter, and has helped to make many people who’ve
lived here over the years feel welcome. I’m looking forward to getting residents’ ideas for
social events and activities so that Merrydown feels like
home to everyone.”
W O R K I N G D A Y D I A R Y Community Relations team
Get in touch with the Community Relations team: 0800 028 2028 [email protected]
Commodore Court residents share some fantastic ideas for improvements
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Hats off to our housing course graduates!
Funded by
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C A L E N D A R 18
Love2Dance moves its way to victory
Love2Dance, our free street dance programme with the Albany, was a winner at the London Youth Awards in March.The awards celebrate the best youth projects across the capital. Love2Dance stood out against hundreds of nominees and took home the trophy for the Arts and Culture Award. It was recognised for providing free access to exceptional activities and encouraging young people to express themselves creatively.
Love2Dance’s choreographer Aaron Augustus also recently landed an Outstanding Leader Award from the Jack Petchey Foundation, after young people nominated him with comments including “Aaron believes in us and constantly pushes us to reach our potential!”
Don’t miss Aaron and the Love2Dance crew performing their award-winning moves this summer at People’s Day in Mountsfield Park, Catford on Saturday 7 July, and at the Albany’s Youth Showcase on Sunday 22 July!
N E W S
Our Community Relations team had a great time planting the raised bed outside our office at the Albany, Deptford, as part of their Get Growing gardening club in the spring. Big thanks to Libra Construction for providing the soil and plants. You can get involved in the Albany’s gardening club too. As well as being active outdoors, you’ll learn how to sow seeds and grow fruit and veg to nurture at the Albany or even take home.
See our calendar on the next page for details!
How does your garden grow?
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graduates going onto study for degrees, become Resident Board Members, and even gain employment with us or other housing providers.
We now offer one-day and three-day courses.
Find out more at:lewishamhomes.org.uk/lmucourses
In April, eighteen residents were joined by family and friends to celebrate their graduation from our Improving Housing Services course.The course helps residents learn more about social housing and how we work, so that they can confidently engage with us to improve our services and performance.
Nearly 60 residents have completed the course since 2015, with former
What’s on in Lewisham
lewishamhomes.org.uk/[email protected]
Lewisham Youth Conference is back at Goldsmiths, University of London on Saturday 23 June, 11am – 5pm.Enjoy a motivating day of debates, advice and entertainment. Hear from inspiring guest speakers, get career guidance, and discover
activities for young people in your area.
Free for ten to 19 year olds!
Find out more and book your tickets at:
lyc2018.co.uk
I am festivalSat 21 July, 12 – 6pmDeptford Loungeiamfestival.eventbrite.com
Universal Credit drop-in surgeryWed 25 July, 1 – 4pmOld Town Hall, Catford
AUGUST Summer Arts 2018Throughout August At the Albany, Deptfordthealbany.co.uk
Albany Gardening ClubEvery Thursday, 4 – 6.30pmAges 16+, at the [email protected]
JUNEGet Growing gardening clubEvery Tuesday, 4 – 5.30pmAll ages, at the [email protected]
Lewisham Youth ConferenceSat 23 June, 11am – 5pmGoldsmiths College, New Crosslyc2018.co.uk
Best deals & BudgetingWed 27 June, 10am – 1pmOld Town Hall, Catford
Diabetes Peer Support GroupThurs 28 June, 5.30 – 7.30pmDeptford Lounge
JULYYoung Creatives:Creating & managing budgetsWed 4 July, 6.45 – [email protected] 355 826
People’s DaySat 7 JulyMountsfield Park, Catford
Young Creatives:Developing a digital profileWed 11 July, 6.45 – [email protected] 355 826
Resident’s Garden PartySat 21 July, 1 – 4pmAlbany, Deptfordalbany.co.uk
T H E C A L E N D A R
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DISCOVER MORE DIGITAL We want to know which free training you’d be most interested in to help you improve your digital skills, such as smart phone basics, social media, blogging, videos, or online job hunting, and more.
Let us know your top three choices, if you’d like to learn
locally or at our office in Catford, and if you’d prefer weekday mornings, afternoons or evenings.
Send in your responses by Friday 20 July for your chance to win a free tablet!
[email protected] 020 2028 FREEPOST Lewisham Homes (no stamp needed)
Win a free
tablet!
LEWISHAM YOUTH CONFERENCE
Best deals & BudgetingWed 29 Aug, 10am – 1pmOld Town Hall, Catford
SEPTEMBERSaturday Gardening Club:Garden Feast, all agesSat 15 Sep, 2 - [email protected]
Introduction to Local Housing courseSat 22 Sept, 10am – 4.30pmOld Town Hall, [email protected]
Best deals & BudgetingWed 26 Sept, 10am – 1pmOld Town Hall, Catford
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Olivia and her brothers attended the Albany’s day care centre in their early years, and she later joined its Youth Orchestra playing the clarinet.Now, with a degree in music business under her belt, Olivia volunteers for the Albany Young Creatives programme. Designed to help showcase aspiring young performers, earlier this year the Young Creatives produced a new cabaret show for the Albany that included performances from a violinist, a spoken word artist, and a contortion dancer.
She says, "The Albany was so important to me whilst I was growing up, it means a lot to me to be able to go back and help support other young people." She now wants to use the experience she’s gained through Young Creatives to help more young musicians. “It’s really hard starting out in the music business,” she says. “Trying to move forward in such a competitive industry can be scary, so I want to create a place where young musicians can get advice, and feel like they’re part of something rather than going at it alone.”
In March, Olivia attended a resident engagement workshop run by our Community Relations team. Helping to shape our Community Engagement strategy for the next three years, Olivia shared feedback on improving consultation and communication with residents, and ideas for community projects around employment, digital inclusion and wellbeing.
Proud of where she lives, Olivia says: “The more that we can support and strengthen our local neighbourhoods though social housing and its community programmes, the better.”At only 22, her passion for nurturing creativity, supporting her peers and championing her local community is special.
Celebrating our community champions
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Olivia prepares the stage for the Young Creatives performance
Through Young Creatives, Olivia has met like minded people and made new friends.
C O M M U N I T Y
Every issue we’ll be celebrating one of Lewisham’s fantastic community champions. We know there’s plenty of you out there, so if you think you or someone you know deserves to be recognised for their impact on the community, please get in touch with us:
If you’re 16-25 and would like to find out more about Young Creatives or get involved in one of their summer masterclasses, please visit: Albany.org.uk
O UR C O M MUN I T Y
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Born and raised in Deptford, 22-year-old Olivia Whyman (centre) is a lifelong resident of Lewisham Homes. Her parents met at the Albany when her mum overheard her dad playing the saxophone during a music rehearsal, and it’s been a big part of her upbringing ever since.
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0800 028 2 028lewishamhomes.org.uk
THE ALBANY9.15AM-1PM, 2PM-5PM, TUESDAYSThe Albany, Unit 13a-b,Douglas Way, DeptfordSE8 4AG
OLD TOWN HALL9AM-5PM MON, TUE, THUR, FRI 10AM-5PM WEDOld Town Hall, Catford Road, London SE6 4RU
facebook.com/lewishamhomes@lewishamhomes
lhomes.org.uk/lhlininstagram.com/lewishamhomes
Interested in cutting £££s off your food bill?
By joining the People's Supermarket and buying low cost groceries at your local community centre, you could save up to £30 a week.
You could also find opportunities to volunteer and gain retail skills.
Share your views this summer
Throughout June, 1,000 tenants and 550 leaseholders will be invited to take part in a telephone survey by Acuity, who will call on our behalf. On Wednesday 4 July, our staff will
also be out and about chatting to more than 1,000 residents between 1 – 7pm.
Your feedback will help us to highlight where we need to do better and help shape the way we work.
We’re planning to run a pilot of the People’s Supermarket at the Evelyn estate in Deptford this summer, but are keen to hear from all interested residents.
Get in touch with the Community Relations team on 0800 028 2 028 or email [email protected]
