Summer 2012

IMPORTANT RENT INFORMATION ENCLOSED

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2 pulse summer 20112

ContentsMoney Support 4-5

Rent Payments 6

Meet Your New Positive Start Staff 7

Welfare Rights 8-9

Benefit Fraud 9

Did You Read Pulse Extra Last Month? 10

Old Trafford Masterplan Winner Announced

11

Performance 12

Our New iPhone App 13

Congratulations to Trees Residents and Tenants Association

14

Trafford Housing Trust in the Spotlight for Housing Excellence Awards

15

Customer Hub Update 16-17

Trust Receives Big Tick Accreditation 18

Bogus Caller Update 19

Give and Gain Day 20-23

Community Panel Conference 24

Working Together to Keep Safe 25

Easter Play Sessions 26

Mend Programme is Restarting 26

Mayor Opens New Games Area 27

Police to the Rescue 28

War Hero Recognised 29

Trust Appoints New Board Member 30

Leaseholders Together 31-33

Urmston Partnership Events 34

Old Trafford Family Fun Day 34

Celebrating the Diamond Jubilee 35

Circus Skills Family Fun Day 35

Do You Need Help Getting Fit? 36

Design the Rugby League World Cup 2013 Mascot

37

Your Local Lunch Clubs Need You! 38

Cooking Safety 39

Trafford College Open Day 40

ou may be thinking that it is not that long since you last received Pulse.

You would be right, it has not been three months since you last heard from us, it has only been two. I decided to bring this edition forward by a month in order to get our Promises to you as quickly as possible.

What are our Promises?

Those of you that were tenants around the time of transfer from the Council will remember that there was an offer document detailing all the things we promised we would do for our customers if there was a positive vote for transfer. These were delivered in the � ve years following the transfer and I am pleased and proud that we achieved them all.

We have therefore decided to create a new set of promises about how we will continue to deliver our services to you.

How were they developed?

We started by listening to what you have been telling us since transfer about what is important for you, as tenants and customers. We listened to you in consultation meetings and focus groups, we considered the information you have given us in our customer surveys and we talked to our staff about the feedback they get in their day-to-day dealings with you. We looked carefully at the things that you have complained about and also analysed the things you talk to us about in your telephone calls to our Award Winning Customer Hub (see page 15).

Once we had all this information, we thought carefully about the standards you were expecting from us. Staff and Management then started to think about how this could be translated into commitments we could deliver.

These were considered by the Board in March and they were agreed as our Promises to you.

The document enclosed with this edition of Pulse sets out these Promises. Please take the time to read it and keep it for future reference. Further information is available on our website www.traffordhousingtrust.co.uk and in June we will be launching a � lm, which you will also be able to view.

I hope once you have read the document you will agree that they meet your expectations of us and the service you want to receive.

Please get in touch and tell us what you think. We would be interested to hear the Promises you support and any areas where you think we have not gone far enough.

www.facebook.com/traffordhousingtrust

@talktrafford

Everyone here is excited about the Promises and the next stage of our journey with you. I believe renewing our Promises is vitally important in demonstrating not only our commitment to delivering excellent customer services but about doing it in the way you, our customers, have requested. I understand we are one of only a few Housing Associations in the country to do it.

I look forward to keeping our Promises.

Welcome to the Summer 2012 Issue of Pulse

3

Matthew GardinerChief Executive, Trafford Housing Trust

Y

44

Money SupportRentsAs you may be aware, there are lots of changes happening in the economy and around us. In particular, and of most relevance to you, our tenants, are the future changes to bene�ts and to the amount of money you have in your pockets each week. Rising bills and increasing living costs are generally leaving us with less money to spend. I’m sure that you will have seen on television, or heard on the radio, that bene�ts are changing as the Government overhauls the welfare bene�t system. These changes, along with increasing costs, could be causing you concerns now, or could begin to impact on you considerably in the future.

At the Trust, our main income comes from the rent that we collect from you, our tenants. If you don’t pay your rent, this could impact on our business income stream and consequently on your homes, or the services that we provide. For you, if you don’t pay your rent, you could lose your home which could leave you homeless.

Some of you are able to make your rent payments on time every week and I would like to thank those of

you that do. Others of you will pay your rent through Housing Bene�t and again, I would like to thank you for acting quickly with your claims, to make sure your accounts remain clear.

There are, however, other customers that have arrears or are struggling to pay their rent. Where rent arrears are concerned, there are often two types of customers:

• those that can’t pay their rent and

• those who chose that they won’t pay their rent

If you have fallen into arrears, which are you? Or which were you when your arrears arose?

This year, as we expect money to get tighter for people, we have taken a view that we are not going to stand still and do nothing. We want to ensure that we are set up now to deal with the future.

In essence, if you won’t pay, we will use rigorous collection procedures. Where you can’t pay, we will try to help you to have the means to do so.

55

So, how are we going to do this?Our Board has been fantastic in supporting our CAN’T PAY, WON’T PAY approach. So much so, that they have invested in extra staff within our Social Inclusion Team.

Some of these posts will increase the number of staff we have collecting rent and chasing arrears, but other new posts involve supporting customers to get out of the CAN’T PAY situation - this could be through

support around social factors, helping with searching for jobs, debt advice, budgeting advice, as examples.

We really want you to turn to us for help if you are struggling with your rent as we may be able to help. We also want you to understand that if you chose that you WON’T pay your rent, we will take this tenancy breach really seriously and if necessary, we will look to take legal action to repossess your home.

We are committed to providing a full service to you and are therefore expanding our hours of service to include weekends and evenings.

So, where do I come in? My name is Sharon White and I manage the Social Inclusion Team which includes a number of different areas. These roles are explained below.

Money Support Team There are 20 staff in this team, all of whom are responsible for collecting rent arrears from customers. These are the of�cers that will contact you or visit you if you are in arrears. If you are struggling with your rent payments, they will talk to you about your income. They will help you with bene�t queries and will negotiate payment agreements with you. They will help you with basic budgeting and refer you for specialist debt or welfare support, if needed. They will take legal action against you if you don’t pay rent due.

Positive Roles This is a new service with two of�cers, a Positive Starts Of�cer (Mary Dunn) and a Positive Solutions Of�cer (Simon South). Read more about these roles on page 7.

Welfare Rights Of�cer Catherine Hardman is our Welfare Rights Of�cer and has been at the Trust for 18 months. Check out page 8 for a round up of this service.

Debt Advisor This is a new post which we are recruiting into at the minute. The post-holder will be able to help customers who have multiple debts to increase their disposable income by negotiating with creditors around the debts that you owe on your behalf. Further details of this service will be available in the next issue of Pulse, so watch this space!

Important Bene�t InformationFrom 11th June 2012, Trafford Council will no longer be handling paper applications for Housing and Council Tax Bene�t. Applicants will in future have to apply online at www.trafford.gov.uk/onlineclaim

Residents without internet access can �ll in the online claim form at their local library or at one of the THT Customer Access Points where assistance will be provided.

6

Rent Payments 2011-2012

This means that we collected 99.79% of the rent that we charged which is an excellent result. Despite this high collection rate, we still evicted 24 households for non-payment of rent.

Out of the 24 households that were evicted, 18 were single person households, one household was a couple and �ve households were families.

Being evicted has consequences other than the huge upheaval of losing the family home. Very often, �nding other housing can be dif�cult as references may be needed. Also, credit ratings may be affected as a Court Order will show up on any credit checks that are made which could restrict the ability to get cheaper credit.

Even when households are evicted, the debt owed to the Trust doesn’t end. We employ staff who are

responsible to trace evicted tenants and recover any money owing to us. We can sometimes still rely on the Order that a Judge has already made to enforce that payments are made. We may also be able to take court action to recover outstanding debts from former tenants.

Evictions are necessary with some households, but we would always prefer to try to support customers to help them to sustain their tenancies.

If you are struggling to make rent payments, please don’t ignore this situation as we may be able to help if you talk to us about this.

Please call our Money Support Team on 0300 777 7777 if you are struggling to make rent payments as a matter of urgency.

Our income from rents during year 2011/2012

Housing Bene�t Received £21,489, 619.43 59%

Supporting People Received £640,617.30 2%

Direct Debits £5,385,655.23 15%

Other Payments £8,734,831.84 24%

Did you know? Rent charged in year £36,328,647.04

7

Positive StartProviding ‘hands on’ support to future and very new customers.

Our aim is to ensure that customers are supported in their new homes and help available to guide on what’s required to sustain a successful tenancy. Positive Start will review payment methods, household budgets, bene�t entitlements and accurate claims, energy ef�ciency, bank accounts and savings options.

For more information about this service, please contact 0161 968 0303 and ask for Mary or email mary.dunn@traffordhousingtrust.co.uk

Positive Solution Offering enhanced support to customers who have fallen into debt during the course of their tenancy or who are at risk of falling into debt.

We recognise that most of our tenants want to pay their rent on time and falling behind with payments can be stressful. We are also aware that rent arrears may only be the ‘tip of the iceberg’ and therefore this new service looks at support in many areas including employment, education, debt and budgeting, family issues, isolation and health. We work with many partners who can help and talking to us could make a huge difference.

For more information about this service, please contact 0161 968 0197 and ask for Simon or email simon.south@traffordhousingtrust.co.uk

Our customers can also look forward to the introduction of a quali�ed Debt Advisor in the near future, speci�cally helping households prioritising debt and managing income.

Meet Your NewPositive Start StaffOur Money Support Team already offers a range of skills to bene�t our tenants. They can assist

tenants with paying their rent, have expertise in Welfare Rights, both of which have generated

thousands of pounds in extra income, in eligible bene�ts.

In preparation for the Welfare Reforms and to further expand our range of services, Trafford Housing Trust has introduced two new specialist roles from April.

Mary Simon

Welfare Rights 2011-2012

Despite being with Trafford Housing Trust for 18 months now, I still feel as if it was only yesterday that I started working for the Trust and you, our customers. I have also just completed my �rst full �nancial year. It has been an amazing year for me and I have enjoyed getting out and about, meeting and helping you where I can.

Most people now know that Trafford Housing Trust has a Welfare Bene�ts Advisor and I am getting

referrals from staff members, other organisations and direct from tenants. All methods are welcome – if you have a bene�t query and would like some help, please contact me.

As we’re at the end of a �nancial year, I thought that I would take this opportunity to share my results for the �nancial year 2011–2012 with you all. This shows the amount of bene�ts (in money terms) that I have helped customers to get.

Bene�t name Yearly amount obtained

Housing Bene�t awards £112,180.32

DLA and Attendance Allowance £57,111.60

Income Support / JSA / Pension Credit / ESA £30,511

Housing Bene�t backdates £9,915.36

Community Care Grant £2,241

Discretionary Housing Payments £1,672.41

Overpayment write off £800

Total obtained £214,431.68

Everyone at the Trust is absolutely delighted with these �gures. We look forward to this year when we hope to do the same and, if possible, exceed these numbers!

8

Catherine Hardman

We know that there are many bene�t changes that can affect our tenants. For example the changes to the non dependant deductions and the forthcoming Under Occupation rules regarding Housing Bene�t will affect some of you, as will the future changes to other bene�ts such as Employment and Support Allowance, Disability Living Allowance and Universal Credit.

We are trying to keep on top of all the changes so that we can give you up-to-date information.

To help our tenants further we are trying to make changes to the way in which we work and the service that we provide. In particular, we are training more of our Money Support staff to be able to help with Welfare Rights queries, which will mean that we can see people quicker and help more people.

In the future, we hope to have three sessions a week where our tenants can book to come and get help completing bene�ts applications or with any welfare bene�ts queries. These sessions will of course be in addition to my existing service where I can visit customers in their homes to deal with these type of queries – we will keep you updated on when these sessions are likely to start.

If you have any welfare rights queries or need any help with bene�t claims, please let me know on 0300 777 7777 or email catherine.hardman@traffordhousingtrust.co.uk

I look forward to hearing from you.

Catherine Hardman

A woman who failed to declare that she had two extra cleaning jobs as well as working at Trafford Council has been convicted of bene�t fraud.

Susan Cooksey, aged 60, of Matlock Road, Stretford was convicted on 5th May 2012 of dishonestly obtaining Housing and Council Tax Bene�t amounting to £1,733.46.

Ms Cooksey pleaded guilty to failing to report a change in her circumstances and making a false statement or representation to Trafford Council’s Bene�ts Department. She failed to declare that she was working as a cleaner for two employers in addition to a similar job at Trafford Council that she had declared to the authority. Some of the work had been carried out while she was on sick leave from the Council.

As a result she has been overpaid Housing and Council Tax Bene�t between October 2008 and March 2011.

She was sentenced at Trafford Magistrates’ Court to a two-year conditional discharge and ordered to pay costs of £10. In addition to this, Ms Cooksey is required to repay all the money that she falsely claimed from Trafford Council. She is no longer employed by the authority. Council Counter Fraud Of�cers were alerted to this matter following an anonymous telephone call to their department.

Executive Councillor Sean Anstee said: “Trafford Council takes bene�t fraud extremely seriously and is committed to tackling cases of crime against the council tax payer to protect public money. I would urge anybody who suspects bene�t fraud is being committed to contact the Council.”

If you suspect anyone of bene�t fraud contact Trafford Council on 0161 912 2852 or via Freephone number 0800 328 6340.

Bene�t Fraud Conviction-Don’t do it

9

Did you Read our Pulse Extra Last Month?We had an excellent reaction to this as it offered so many opportunities.

The � rst article on Opportunities for Adults in Trafford prompted just under 30 enquiries. The individuals involved met with the National Careers Service and many are due to start their free training in the next few weeks. We will follow this up in the next edition of Pulse and let you know how they went on.

The National Careers Service are at Sale Point every week. If you would like an appointment with them to explore possible work and training opportunities, please telephone the Customer Hub on 0300 777 7777.

In terms of the THT Apprentice, we are currently shortlisting our applications. There will be 12 candidates selected and over three weeks in July they will go through a series of activities as well as attaining a quali� cation in Personal Achievement. At the end of the process � ve candidates will be hired by THT. Again, we will give you an update in the next edition of Pulse.

All vacancies at THT are advertised on our website. Have a look if there is anything that might suit you on www.traffordhousingtrust.co.uk/your-trust/work-for-us-jobs

Month?

In terms of the THT Apprentice, we are

Employment and Training Supplement

Spring 2012

Opportunities for you in Trafford

Opportunities for Adults Pg 2Take the Next Step to a Bright Future Pg 3Trafford CIL Courses Pg 4Other Opportunities in the Borough Pg 5

You’re HiredPg 6-7A Job Well DonePg 8-10People’s Voice Media Pg 11

Take a look inside to �nd

out more about

in your area

FREE COURSES

10

Old Trafford MasterplanIn the last issue of Pulse we announced that THT and the Council were holding a design a logo competition for the Old Trafford Masterplan with the local schools; Old Trafford Community School, St Teresas, Kings Road and Seymour Park Community School. This competition was supported by contractors and consultants working in the local area - Seddon Construction, The Casey Group, SDA Consulting and PRP Architects.

We are very pleased to announce that the winner has been chosen and the logo launched. The winning entry came from Seymour Park Community Primary School, with a design by eight-year-old, Mia Alexander. Mia did a fantastic job of creating a logo that represented what Old Trafford meant to her and how the Masterplan would help make it an even better place to live.

The winner was chosen by local MP, Kate Green and the winning school was presented with its prize earlier this month. The contractors provided Olympic related prizes for the runners up in all four schools and in keeping with this theme Seymour Park school was presented with a cheque to purchase some sports equipment/kits. Mia was delighted to win a special art and crafts case.

PRP Architects have also turned the winning design into a logo that will be placed on all development, regeneration and demolition sites within the Masterplan area so keep your eyes peeled for the logo appearing all over Old Trafford.

Winner Announced

11

In the last edition of Pulse, Matthew announced the launch of a new section on our website www.traffordhousingtrust.co.uk/ kpi-animation

This site allows you to look at our performance in seven key areas and then let us know what you think.

You can look at:

• How much rent we have collected against how much was owed to us. Between last October and December that was 99.40%.

• How many repairs we completed within time. In the last quarter that was 98.77%.

• The average number of days it takes us to re-let a property when a tenant leaves. That was just under 38 last time. You can also look at the split on this between Sheltered Scheme properties and other properties.

• Customer Satisfaction. Last quarter 87.94% of our tenants rated themselves as being satis�ed with our services.

• The percentage of anti-social behaviour cases we resolved successfully. That was 68.48% between October and December last year.

• The number of complaints we receive. These are broken down into service areas.

For example in the last quarter we had 16 complaints on general housing issues.

• The number of calls into the hub that are resolved with just one telephone call. This was 77.40% at the end of last year.

The performance �gures are updated quarterly and by the time this Pulse arrives, the �gures for January - March 2012 will have been uploaded. Why don’t you take a look?

For each performance measure you can see the performance for the previous quarter and our year end target. You will also be able to read our comments about the results. You can give us your comments by clicking on House eight and emailing it through to us. We look forward to receiving it.

Performance

12

Have you got an iPhone?Do you use Apps?THT has just launched its own App

• Leaking pipes

• Faulty cistern

• Blocked toilet pan

• Leaking gutters

• Blocked gully

• Faulty tap

• Internal door repairs

• Faulty lock

• Faulty lights

• Faulty smoke alarm

• Faulty shower

• Repairs to roof tiles

• Uneven �ags

• Faulty double glazing units

• Plaster repairs

Simply pick the type of repair you need. You also have the facility to take a photograph and send it to us and/or add a description of the problem. Both these can help us to diagnose the problem and ensure we have the right equipment to do the repair.

Similarly with the ASB (Anti-Social Behaviour) icon, there is a drop down list to choose from. These are:

Again, there is the facility to add a photograph and/or a more detailed description of the issue.

The App will generate an email into our Customer Hub from where it will be picked up and actioned in the usual way.

The App will be launched in June. Visit our website for more information.

• Neighbourhood nuisance – noise

• Neighbourhood nuisance – abuse and harassment

• Dogs barking/fouling

• Youth nuisance – ball games

• Car parking

• Gardens

• Vandalism or damage to property

• Drug dealing

• Litter/rubbish/�y tipping

• Graf�ti

• Suspected domestic violence

• Hate crime

You will be able to use it to:

• Report a repair

• Catch up with events happening at the Trust and around Trafford

• Report anti-social behaviour

• Calculate your income and expenditure

• Set a reminder to pay your rent

• Order a Direct Debit Form to pay your rent

• Update your contact details

If you download the App, the �rst time you use it you will need to enter your contact details. Thereafter you only need to enter this part of the system if and when you contact details change.

If you need to report a repair, you press the Repairs Icon and it will give you a drop down list as follows:

13

Congratulations to Trees Residents & Tenants AssociationOn Friday 30th March the ‘Trees Residents & Tenants Association’ celebrated its 20th year as an association working on behalf of local people.

Stretford Councillor, Steve Adshead, who has been a member of the association since its inception, commented.

As we celebrate 20 years of the ‘Trees Residents & Tenants Association’ it can be very easy to forget all the achievements we have made during that time working with local people. What this does show is that local people can and have made a real difference to their own community. I would always urge people to join their local residents group and have their say instead of either putting up with a problem or sniping from the back.”

“I would also like to pay special tribute to Mrs Rita Jones who has steered the Trees Association through good times and bad through these 20 years and I am not sure if it would be here now without her unending support. I believe it is the strongest I have seen it.”

Over the years, I have seen a number of associations come and go. Some set up for single issues and faded away after the issue was decided, others struggled to �nd themselves a reason to exist and take local people with them. These days associations like the ‘Trees’ are well supported not just by local Councillors and Trafford Housing Trust but also local Police and other partners. Others have dedicated people who look at grants to enable them to get funding for special schemes to improve facilities or the local area.

This means that just one or two people getting stuck in can really make a difference and we as partners need to do all we can do to support and encourage more people to get involved and help their community in this way.

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TRAFFORD HOUSING TRUST IN THE SPOTLIGHT FOR

The Housing Excellence Awards are an annual event where organisations from across the Housing Sector join together to celebrate the achievements over the previous 12 months and to award those who have shown they are the best at what they do.

The Customer Hub had been shortlisted for the Housing Excellence Customer Service Award and, along with four other organisations shortlisted, members of the team attended the prestigious event on the 9th May. The judging panel concluded that Trafford Housing Trust’s customer Hub is not your run-of-the-mill call centre. The organisation equips its people with tools and knowledge that empower them to use initiative to resolve complex enquiries at �rst point of contact. Analysis of repeated ‘failure demand’ allows it to implement systems improvements across the organisation and to streamline the customer experience.

Tension was high as the nominations were read out and as a hush fell over the audience. The words, “and the winner of the Housing Excellence Customer Service award is.... Trafford Housing Trust.” Needless to say there were huge cheers from Trust staff as Jane McCall, Director of Delivery went to accept the award on behalf of the Customer Hub. A true sense of pride and achievement was felt by the team. It feels fantastic to win the Housing Excellence Customer Service Award and

shows how the hard work and determination of the Customer Hub staff has been recognised by the industry as a whole. It has only been just over two years since the launch of the Customer Hub and the dedication to excellent customer service shown by the team is clear to see. This does not mean however that we stop here. The hunger to continually improve the service we provide to our customers is stronger than ever and we will never stand still in terms of training, developing knowledge and continually striving to be the best. As always, it is your feedback that counts the most to us both as a team and the Trust as a whole.

If you have any suggestions or comments in regard to how the service provided by the Customer Hub could improve in the future please get in touch with Alyson Heald, Service Improver for the Customer Hub by calling 0300 777 7777 or emailing alyson.heald@traffordhousingtrust.co.uk.

HOUSING EXCELLENCE AWARDS

15Jane McCall, Director of Delivery, being presented with the award.

16

Customer Hub Update

Although we are proud of these figures we will never stop focusing on improving your customer experience.

We want to provide you with a real ‘wow’ factor when you call and make sure you feel you have received excellent customer service on each and every call.

The Customer Hub is now nearly two and a half years old and our main focus has always been to provide our customers with the best service possible. We closely monitor how many customers contact us, how many queries we resolve there and then and how many of our customer have their call answered.

We would like to share some of these figures with you here.

In February, March and April 2012, 97% of your calls were answered by an Advisor in the Customer Hub. 3% of customers ended the call before we got to them.

The average time you had to wait before your call was answered was 19 seconds and the average figure for us resolving your call there and then was 75%.

Alyson Heald, Service Improver, Customer Hub

We would love to hear your views and if you think there is anything missing or something needs to be different please let Alyson Heald, Service Improver for the Customer Hub know by emailing alyson.heald@traffordhousingtrust.co.uk or calling 0300 777 7777. Calls to the Customer Hub are charged at local rate.

1 At the start of the call

• We will always give you our name.

• We will answer each call with an open mind and fresh attitude.

• We will actively listen to your query and ensure that we understand it fully before looking for a solution.

• We will treat each customer as an individual.

3 At the end of the call

• We will tell you what we are doing whilst you are on the call and summarise what we have done.

• We will provide you with a unique reference number when available in case you need to call us back.

• We will always ask you if there is anything else we can help you with and thank you for your call.

• We will remind you of our name.

4 And we won’t forget…

• To mention rent or gas servicing or any other issues you need to be aware of.

• To tell you about our upcoming events and give you information on other services that may be of interest to you.

• To refer you to information on our website when appropriate.

2 During the call

• We will check your contact details and update them where necessary.

• We will not assume that we know what you want and that our solution is the right one for you.

• We will put ourselves in your shoes, empathise and say sorry if we need to.

• We will try to tailor our services to fit your needs where we can.

• We will keep you updated every step of the way throughout the call.

• We will explain our job priorities to you and ensure that you fully understand how things work.

• We will only use the hold button if we really need to and will not keep you on hold for more than 30 seconds at any one time.

The Customer Hub Advisors have worked together to create a four-step approach to provide you with excellent service every time you call.

17

Trafford Housing Trust’s acclaimed responsible business programme CleanStart has retained its Big Tick status in Business in the Community’s (BITC) 2012 Awards for Excellence.

The Big Tick award is the �rst level of award available to entrants of the national Awards for Excellence, which commends the best examples of business as a force for good.

Business in the Community’s The Awards for Excellence recognise the powerful and positive role that business is playing in local communities by awarding companies for the impact and innovation of their responsible business programmes across a number of categories. The awards are given to companies who demonstrate their leadership on the key social and environmental issues where business can make a difference at local, national and international levels.

The programme was credited for helping to get ex-offenders back into full time employment and has been reaccredited for demonstrating that it is still an exemplary example which continues to have a signi�cant positive impact on the lives of ex-offenders.

CleanStart have successfully placed seven people into full time employment, saving the tax payer £50,000.

The best of the National Big Tick winners will go forward to judging panels to identify an overall winner in each category. The overall winners will be announced in London at the Awards for Excellence Gala Event on 27th June 2012.

As part of BITC’s 30th anniversary the 2012 Awards for Excellence will challenge businesses to do more, make a bigger difference and place responsible business at the heart of how they plan for the long term.

For further information about the 2012 Awards categories and sponsors, visit www.bitc.org.uk/awards

Trust Receives BIG TICKReaccreditationFrom Business in the Community

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Bogus Caller Update

Contact detailsCustomer Hub: 0300 777 7777

Knock Knock: www.doorstepcrime.net

To register with Trafford iCan, call 0161 912 1377 and speak to Julia Bentley.

You may remember in the last issue of Pulse we warned Trafford residents about the dangers of being conned or swindled by rogue traders (If in Doubt, Keep Them Out, Spring, 2012). Unfortunately, that warning has become a reality for several Trafford residents this month.

The residents of the �ats on Lester Street were visited on the 16th April by a man claiming to work on behalf of Trafford Housing Trust, who had come to check the insulation in the loft of the block. Mary, one of the residents at the block, spoke to the visitor and checked their ID – they had photo ID and of�cial documents, and everything seemed above board.

The caller was about 5’9” tall with short brown hair and a Manchester accent. He claimed to be from a company called HEAT and was driving an unmarked, white van.

Having gained access to the �ats, the caller then proceeded to look around all of the rooms, as well as go up into the loft. He took photos throughout the property. Bogus callers will often try to con their way into people’s homes to steal valuables from them, or ‘scope out’ the property for future burglary attempts.

It was only several days later that Mary decided that the caller had acted suspiciously. She called Trafford Housing Trust to double check that the visitor was indeed working for them, only to discover that no such company was employed by the Trust and the works had not been arranged legitimately.

As a result of Mary’s call, the police have registered the bogus caller and increased patrols in the area, hopefully deterring any more attempts for now. Trafford residents can also access the Knock Knock website, or sign up to the iCan service to help protect themselves against dodgy tradesmen and potential thieves.

THT only employ WARMFRONT LTD to carry out checks on and improvements to cavity wall and loft insulation.

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Do you remember that in the last edition of Pulse we told you that THT was taking part in Business in the Community’s Give and Gain Day on Friday 18th May 2012.

We explained that we were re-visiting some of the projects we did last year in our Big Day In… as well as picking up some other projects that our residents have suggested to us since that event.

Building Bridges

This was one of the most enjoyable projects we did as part of our Big Day In… so we excitedly headed back to Lime Tree Primary School to help out with some more reading in the school. This time using props to really bring the stories to life. When we �nished our reading, we invited the children to read to us.

Old�eld Brow, Ginnel Clearing

Last year, we cleared ginnels and passageways around Old�eld Brow and even though we worked hard, there was still more to do. So the same team set out on Hillcroft and West Avenue. Flytipping was removed, overgrown vegetation was cut back and litter cleared.

All Our Yesterdays

Last year, this project took place at Ormeston Lodge and this time we went back and did it at Waterside Court. The residents and a class of junior school children got together to celebrate the Queen’s Jubilee with a traditional street party. The children wore crowns on the day which they had made and the residents picked the winner.

Give and Gain Day

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Leverett Close, Internal Decoration

In the last issue of Pulse we told you that the Prince’s Trust teamed up with Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service to decorate inside Leverett Close in Altrincham. They did a great job and we decided to carry on from where they left off! We brightened up the exposed engineering bricks on ground �oor corridors which were grey and dull by painting them white.

Farmers Market

Following on from the success of last year’s Farmer’s Market in Lostock, we held it again in an empty unit next door to the Leathwaite Centre. On sale were fruit and vegetables, jewellery, books, cakes, meat, sausages, pies and black pudding.

The books had all been donated by the staff at THT and included books for both adults and children. The left over books have been given to the Leathwaite Centre. Brenda, the new Receptionist is going to set up a borrow and return scheme, so anyone interested in dropping in to pick up a good read, just pop in anytime between 9am and 5pm any week day.

Shopping for the Elderly

Last year, we provided a shopping service to the residents of Lowry Lodge. This year, people from outside the Lowry Lodge community came shopping with us. We arranged ‘ring and ride’ to collect us and drop us at Stretford Mall and then returned to Lowry Lodge. We hope this will encourage people from the wider community to pop into Lowry Lodge and join in with the activities on offer there.

Spreading the Word Through Technology

This was a new project aimed at introducing people that are not used to computers to new technology and different ways of communicating. It was based at Pavilion Lodge and customers were shown how to create accounts and use Hotmail, Facebook and Skype to keep in touch with family and friends.

Manor Court & Avenue Garden Makeover

Another new project requested by the residents of Manor Court. The team turfed and �agged in Manor Avenue to produce an easily maintained communal garden area. A pleasant space for local residents has been created to sit and chat in the hot Summer days.

Litter Picking in Moor Park and Victoria Park

Last year, we litter picked the Baguley Lane Children’s Play area and the Croft Road Hedge line. This time we took on the task in Moor Park and Victoria Park in Stretford. We started by asking the children at a local infant school to design posters encouraging park users to keep the park tidy. Copies of the posters were laminated and posted around both parks.

Craven Road Allotment

For the past 18 months, THT and Trafford Council have been working alongside residents of Broadheath to transform neglected wasteland behind Craven Road into a community-run allotment site. On Give and Gain day, a 10-strong team, including THT and Green�ngers staff, as well as residents, cleared the remaining areas and got them ready for Summer planting.

Gorse Hill Primary School

Gorse Hill Primary School have just appointed a new Head Teacher but the of�ce was a bit tatty and in need of a face lift. THT set about sprucing it up with a lick of paint. We also replanted the mini allotment planters so that the children can grow herbs and wild �owers.

Orchard Court

Over at Orchard Court, we planted �owers and hanging baskets, jet washed �ags and rejuvenated the pond by �tting a pump and introducing �sh.

Fit4Fun

This project was based at Lancashire Cricket Club and was aimed at getting children eating healthily and exercising regularly. There were two activities: fruit shuf�es and speed ball.

The children were invited to put their hand into a closed container of fruit and select something to eat. The children were split into teams and they had to pass the fruit along the line one at a time. Each fruit had a points total and the �rst team to get ‘�ve a day’ to the end of the line was a winner.

Speed ball was where adults raced the children around a small obstacle course, whilst bouncing a ball!

It was all about getting �t, learning about healthy eating but most of all having fun.

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We are also using Give and Gain Day to of� cially name our Lostock unit on Winchester Road. Last year, shortly after the building was � nished we organised a family day and also launched a competition to name the unit. There were several suggestions, but the one that found favour was from Dorothy Bolland, from the Lostock Partnership. She suggested The Leathwaite Centre, after Steve Leathwaite.

Many of our readers will remember Steve. He was a very active member of the Lostock community and a member of the Joint Housing Panel in the days before

the housing stock transferred from TMBC to the Trust. He served on the Shadow THT Board and worked hard to get a positive vote for the transfer. Once a full Tenant Board member, he took a full and active role in the development of the Trust and served on the HR and Governance Committee. He sadly passed away in November 2010.

During Give and Gain Day, Marie Leathwaite, Steve’s wife, unveiled a plaque at the Centre which read:

This building was named after Steve Leathwaite, a passionate and active supporter of neighbourhoods in and around Lostock, who also served as a Board Member for THT. Steve generously gave his time and energy, gaining huge respect from the community he so loved.

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Lostock Court, Baking

Fresh scones and buns were the order of the day at Lostock Court where willing volunteers from across the staff team at THT baked for the residents

Meadows Estate, Stretford

We held a general clean up day including a litter pick, garden clearance and repairing communal benches.

Shrewsbury Street, Old Trafford

Last year, during the Big Day In… we painted the communal fencing around Lowry Lodge. This year, we went back and continued the theme – we painted the fencing around the communal gardens on Rushmere Walk, Hamer Drive and Highmead Walk.

Huge thank you to all our contractors, as without their generous donations, Give and Gain Day would not have been so successful, so thank you to Green� ngers, Waites, the Dodds Group and many more.

Marie Leathwaite

The Leathwaite Family

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With 85 people crowded into a room, guest speakers, lots of excitement, lots of energy, lots of discussion. What could it be?

Well it could be lots of things - but for us it was the Community Panels’ Conference.

The Panels have about £700k every year to spend on locally-based, community projects. The Conference offered a chance for the Panels to inform all bidders and partners of changes the Panels have made. The objectives of using more information to understand what communities need, targeting their monies on what is needed and using their funding in partnership with others. They will also use all forms of Social Media so we can all tell the story of the many great things happening in Trafford neighbourhoods.

The conference culminated in the launch of the Panels’ own website. Bidders will be encouraged to use the website to make applications for grants, to tell the story of why the grants are needed, and to capture the difference being made in Trafford’s neighbourhoods.

Jan Howell, Chair of the Stretford Panel who was the MC for the event, said: “It was an incredible success - so much energy and so much commitment to embrace the changes we have made for the bene�t of all Trafford’s communities.”

Deborah Brownlee of TMBC said: “It was an honour to be asked to speak at the event and it is obviously the Panels are a leading light amongst all the community groups in Trafford.”

Leon Chipchase, Chair of the Altrincham Community Panel who designed the website, said: “The site is designed to start the process of us reaching out to have another way of engaging with Trafford’s communities some of whom may not want to come to meetings but who have issues they would like to address in their neighbourhoods.”

Anyone interested in getting more info about the Panels, the evidence they have about their communities and their vision for the future should visit www.traffordcommunitypanels.co.uk

Community Panel Conference 2012

Pupils from Barton Clough Primary School in Stretford have been working with Trafford Housing Trust on a project designed to educate children on the impact of committing crime.

The four-week project, run in partnership with Greater Manchester Police and Victim Support, was led by the Trust’s Youth Involvement Of�cer, Tabby Mansha.

Tabby said: “We had been receiving a lot of complaints from local residents living in the Lostock area about anti-social behaviour and young people, which is how this project got started.

“The key thing was that we wanted to get the message across to young people about the impact of committing a crime but in an innovative and fun way for them to learn and enjoy themselves at the same time.”

Seven-year-old pupil Molly Thompson named the project ‘Working together to keep safe’ and designed a logo that was used throughout the project.

The Key Stage 2 children were taken on a walkabout around their area to look at issues such as vandalism, litter and graf�ti to see how they can help their local area be a cleaner and safer place to live.

Pupils also took part in an interactive session with Victim Support where they learnt how the victims of crime feel. They also had the opportunity to have look round a police riot van.

PCSO Kristian Burridge said: “Anti-social behaviour has a negative impact on people living in the area as well as making an area feel unsafe.”

“Working with different agencies and highlighting these concerns helps us achieve our overall aim to make the area safer and more pleasant to live in.”

Ryan Chrysler, head teacher at Barton Clough Primary School, said: “Our children have really enjoyed the project. The opportunity for them to go out into the community in which they live and discuss real issues has been invaluable.

“Trafford Housing Trust, the Police and Victim Support have enabled the children to consider crime and vandalism and how working together we can �nd solutions.”

Housing Trust ‘Working Together to Keep Safe’ with Trafford Youngsters

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Mind, Exercise, Nutrition, Do-It (MEND Programme) is Restarting...The MEND Programme, a healthier lifestyle programme for children and families aged 7-13 years old, will be restarting in the Stretford Area from Monday 18th June 2012 at Stretford High School from 5pm-7pm.

MEND is a 10 week programme that helps families to feel �tter, healthier and happier, we previously ran two programmes and will be running a further three this year.

Stretford High School has kindly allowed Trafford Housing Trust to make full use of the facilities on site without any charges including their state-of-the-art sports facility which will open its doors in July 2012.

If you wish to sign up to this programme, require any additional information or would like to volunteer please contact Tabby Mansha on 07809 524019 or by email at tabby.mansha@traffordhousingtrust.co.uk

Easter Play SessionsFree Easter Play sessions took place at Acre Hall Primary School, Flixton for children aged 5-12 years old. The pilot programme run by Tabby Mansha in partnership with Sports Leaders from TUFC (Trafford Urban Football Collective) included a mixture of activities from arts and crafts to sports and parachute games. The sessions ran over

three days. The scheme is due to run again during the June half term and possibly during the summer. We hope to have a pool of volunteers to assist with these activities, if you are interested in working with children and young people please call Tabby Mansha on 07809 524019 or by email at tabby.mansha@traffordhousingtrust.co.uk

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AWAITING COPY WOODSEND OPENINGMayor Opens

New Games AreaWoodsend Community Group, who have been running for many years, secured £50,000 worth of Big Lottery Funding to develop a Multi-Use Games Area within Woodsend Park, for young people to access.

The MUGA was of�cially opened by The Worshipful, The Mayor Jane Baugh of Trafford on Wednesday 11th April 2012. MP Kate Green was also present on the day. The event was organised by key partners including Trafford Housing Trust, Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council and Sport Trafford and included sports and games, face painting, circus skills and much more.

Trafford Housing Trust in partnership with Sport Trafford will be running free sports sessions in the MUGA every Wednesday from 5pm-6pm (weather permitting) for children aged 7-15 years. Appropriate footwear must be worn.

For further information please call Aasim Chaudary on 0161 912 3125.

The Trust and a Local Police Community Support Of� cer (PCSO) have come to the rescue of the Peggy Henderson Animal Sanctuary at Mosley Acre Farm after a recent break in.

After thieves broke in to the Sanctuary, the Charity found themselves with a broken external door and without raf� e prizes for an upcoming event. Upon contacting the Police, PCSO Mike Wild, decided to intervene and try to help in any way that he could. Having previously worked as a joiner, he knew that if he could get a new door for the sanctuary, he would be able to install it.

Mike then contacted the Trust to see if we might be able to help in sourcing a new door. THT’s Beverley Foster and Steve Questel spoke to Buildbase who said they had a door suitable with the correct locks and � ttings.

Mike also asked at work if anyone could help with some more raf� e prizes. The Police kindly agreed to donate a quantity of con� scated alcohol for prizes.

Thanks to Mike’s hard work and our assistance, the Sanctuary have been able to open their doors as usual.

Thanks to everyone for their help.

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Police to the Rescue

Congratulations! In our Spring issue of Pulse, we launched a competition where we asked you, our customers, to log on to the THT Facebook page before the end of April. For those of you who did, you were entered into a prize draw for a £50 Trafford Centre voucher. The lucky winner of our Facebook competition was Stacy Ince from Stretford, so well done to you Stacy!

Even though the competition is now over, please do feel free to go to the THT facebook page and post your comments, photos and videos about things that

are going on in your neighbourhoods or about the services we provide. This will help us to improve things for you in a focused way.

Join us on Facebook and Twitter:

www.facebook.com/traffordhousingtrust

twitter.com/TalkTrafford

War Hero RecognisedHello, I am Elaine Johnson and I am an Assistant Director at the Trust. My role mainly covers the management of the staff and facilities at THT. I am responsible for the HR function (that’s human resources or personnel); payroll, staff learning and training, equality and diversity issues, facilities and communications. Every now and then however, I manage to get out into neighbourhoods and spend some time with our residents.

I had one of those occasions on Thursday 19th April when I was invited to Pavilion Lodge, which is located just behind the Old Trafford Cricket Ground, for a very special event. George Hodcroft, who has been a resident at the Scheme since June 2009, was receiving an award. It was his war medal.

George served his country in the Second World War as part of the logistics corps, but he never received his war medal. Gary Stockley, the local Police Community Support Of�cer found this out during a conversation with George and as a proud recipient of his own war medal, he set out to make sure George received his too. He wrote to the Ministry of Defence, gave them all George’s details and waited - in due course the medal came through.

Liz Smart, the Scheme Manager decided not to let the moment pass without a bit of a fuss and so she arranged a formal presentation of the medal by Gary just before lunch club. It was a lovely moment and a complete surprise for George.

It was a privilege for me to be there – what a lovely, thoughtful gesture from Gary to apply for the medal and how lovely for George to receive it in front of all of his friends and neighbours.

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Elaine Johnson with George Hodcroft and PCSO Gary Stockley

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New Board MemberThe Trust is delighted to announce the appointment of a new Independent Board Member, after Helen Brzozowski stepped down from her role.

Joining us in June, Ged Lucas of Marple, Stockport will be stepping into Helen’s shoes and bringing with him a wealth of experience to share with the rest of the Board.

Ged worked for local authorities and Public Sector housing for 37 years and retired as Corporate Director of Communities, Regeneration and Environment with Stockport MBC in April and was Deputy Chief Executive from 2002.

He has been involved in a range of national developments, the Joseph Rowntree Trust and was a nationally elected member of CIH Board for six years.

Outside of his hectic work life, Ged enjoys going to the gym and tries his hand at gardening too.

We would like to give Ged a warm welcome and look forward to seeing him around the Trust.

Trust Appoints

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We would also like to thank Helen for her work with the Trust.

The Trust owes a great debt of gratitude to Helen as she has played an instrumental part in the setting up of Trafford Housing Trust, being involved on the Shadow Board, main Board and various Committees. Her role as Chair of the Human Resources and Governance Committee provided the Trust with a knowledgeable and steady hand for several years. It should not be forgotten that as well as the many hours spent at Board and Committee meetings Helen also managed to produce three beautiful sons, barely missing a meeting! Thank you Helen! Our very best wishes to you and your family.

Leaseholders Together

ANNUAL SHARED OWNERS MEETING We had our �rst annual meeting for our shared ownership customers in April 2012.

Mia James, Leaseholder Lead and Mike Boyle, Senior Manager in Investment and Regeneration, attended the meeting which proved very helpful and informative. Shared owners discussed their experiences in their new homes, including problems with repairs. We would like to thank all the customers who attended.

Remember shared owners can attend all Leaseholders Together meetings. There will be some items speci�cally for leaseholders, who have a completely different lease from the shared owners. However, there may be other areas and items of interest to the shared owners, who are welcome to attend.

LEASEHOLDER TOGETHER MEETINGS We have a Leaseholders Together meeting on Thursday 28 June 2012 at 5pm, at our of�ces, at Sale Point.

Instead of having our usual meeting in September, we are planning to have a meeting in October. This is because we have listened to feedback from leaseholders who said they would rather we have our Autumn meetings after the service charge invoices are issued. Once the date has been con�rmed, you will be noti�ed.

Please remember that we always provide you with an opportunity to say what you would like on the Agenda. Should you have any ideas for future meetings, please contact me. Thank you.

To speak to your Leaseholder Lead, Mia James, please call 0300 777 7777.

Alternatively, you can email her mia.james@traffordhousingtrust.co.uk

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MAJOR WORKS VISITSAs discussed in our Leaseholders Together meeting in February 2012, Frank Lee, Senior Manager, Assets completed his �ve year asset management plan. These works are required to your block/estate, as the Trust has to maintain the external fabric of your building.

Frank con�rmed at the meeting that we would visit all leaseholders, where we have identi�ed that we may carry out major works where the costs would exceed £5,000 over the next 5 years. We have scheduled the visits so that those leaseholders affected �rst, where the Trust intends to carry out work in 2012/2013 and onwards, would be visited �rst. All leaseholders affected would be subsequently visited. Frank and Mia James have been visiting leaseholders since March 2012 and for the majority of visits and have both been surprised by

such a positive response from leaseholders. Although not all leaseholders have been available for these pre-arranged visits, we have ensured them that information has been sent out on the proposed works and their estimated costs. For leaseholders in multiple occupancy or who have similar work and charges we have arranged group meetings and provided minutes.

After each visit or group meeting, we have written to each leaseholder to con�rm the outcome of the visit/meeting and we have provided a schedule of proposed works and estimated costs.

Leaseholders Together

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SERVICE IMPROVEMENTAt the Trust we are always looking for ways to improve services and we are keen to hear your feedback and suggestions on how we can improve.

We issue your service charge invoices annually and you usually receive them every September. Whilst dealing with your service charge enquiries last year, it became apparent that some of you �nd your service charge invoices confusing. Therefore, we would like to put a forum together, made up of leaseholders, so that we can go through service charge invoices.

Our Finance team want to understand what information you would like to see on your invoices and will have some examples of invoices from other Housing Associations for you to look at and pick out the parts you would like us to replicate.

These visits are not a formal part of our consultation with you. We are doing them because we have listened to leaseholders who have said that the Trust should notify them of forthcoming works. The visits will sit alongside any formal notices that we are legally required to give. We have already seen the bene�ts of the visits and if you have any feedback on your meeting or how we can improve further please contact Mia James on 0300 777 7777.

Tell it like it is

AWAITING COPY OLD TRAFFORD FUN DAY

Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th June

Fun Weekend at Chassen Park M41 9EY Starts at 10am on both days

Mini Olympics Proceeds will go to the Autistic Society for the Greater Manchester Area (ASGMA)

Stuart Priestley 0161 776 1484

Saturday 1st September

Flixton, Urmston and Davyhulme Carnival

www.fud-carnival.org.uk

Stuart Priestley chairman@fud-carnival.org.uk 0161 776 1484

Plan of events in and around Urmston 2012Urmston Partnership

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Trafford Housing Trust is working in partnership with Your Housing Group in organising the Old Trafford Family Fun Day.

Last year we had over 500 young people attend, this year we hope to attract more local people and have an even bigger success.

The event will take place on Thursday 23rd August 2012 from 12pm-4pm at St Brides Field, Clifton Street, Old Trafford M16 9AX. (Field is situated behind the community centre)

If anyone wishes to get involved please contact Tabby Mansha on 07809 524019.

Old Trafford Family Fun Day

Circus Skills Open age & Multi-sports Activities

For more information contact 0161 748 9774 or 0161 912 3881

Free Family Fun EventHalf Term Holiday Woodsend Park

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Celebrating the

Diamond JubileeWe are holding a big Jubilee Party at Lyngarth House, Grosvenor Road on 5th June.

There will be a whole range of events and activities for everyone to get involved in, including:

Plus, the Salvation Army band will be with us.

If any older people in our neighbourhoods would like to attend, but have not got transport, we have a mini bus for the day so we can pick people up for a £1 per person.

If you would like to know more, contact Scheme Manager, Elaine Craven on 07970 097930.

• Crowns and commemorative plates for children to make

• A tombola stall

• Face painting

• A bouncy castle

• A BBQ

Fun and sporting activities for young people • Age: 7 – 15 years • Appropriate footwear must be worn (trainers) • Sporting Activities with Quali�ed Coaches

On Wednesday 6th June 2012 11am – 3pm (Weather permitting)

AWAITING COPY EVENTS CALENDER

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DO YOU NEED £££ HELP GETTING FIT?ARE YOU OVER 65, UNEMPLOYED OR HAVE LOW INCOME?YES? - Active Trafford is a discount fitness scheme available at all your leisure centres. Contact one for further details or log on to www.traffordleisure.co.uk/active-trafford

Gym Swimming Classes

Racquet Sports

£1

Newspaper Advert Feb'12.indd 1 01/03/2012 14:29

Design the Rugby League World Cup 2013 MascotRugby League fans will have a unique chance to become involved in the tournament by designing the of�cial mascot for Rugby League World Cup 2013.

This is a great opportunity for fans to play their part in only the eighth major sporting World Cup to be held in the UK.

The of�cial mascot will play a part in the build up to RLWC 2013 by being involved in community programmes, education inititives, Rugby League activity in schools and clubs and dance projects. When the tournament is here the of�cial mascot will be a huge part of the match day entertainment, helping to build a great atmosphere on the day.

Each of our 23 hosts will select one entrant from the submitted designs which will be put in front of a RLWC 2013 panel who will then decide on a shortlist of four.

The four shortlisted entrants will then work with an animator to develop their design before going through to a public vote which will decide the winner.

The winner will not only get to see their mascot come to life but will also walk out with the teams

and their mascot at the start of the Rugby League World Cup Final with the eyes of the world admiring the winning design.

The closing date for entries is Friday 29th June 2012.

For further details and to download an application form visit, www.rlwc2013.com

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Does the idea of a decent meal with good company linked to some kind of social activity appeal? Ever fancied getting some useful volunteer experience working with a national charity helping out with a local lunch club?

THT and WRVS have been working closely together to review the lunch clubs that run in a number of our schemes. The WRVS provide a lunch club service in a number of THT schemes which were being subsidised by Trafford Council. As part of the cuts to Social Services all the lunch clubs had their funding cut this year and the future of the WRVS lunch club was under threat.

With over 70 older vulnerable people relying on this service each day a number of organisations have

come together to come up with a plan to keep the lunch clubs running while they can be self sustaining.

We have been talking to the people who use the lunch clubs to �nd out what they like about the meals and what changes they would like to see. A new choice based menu will be launching in June where you can order your meals in advance.

The lunch clubs run on different days across a number of schemes and the table below shows you where they are held. You would be more than welcome to come along – please get in touch with the scheme manager at the scheme if you are interested.

We are hoping that the new menu will be really popular and more people will make use of the service. In the coming months we would like to see more lunch clubs operating in more schemes.

This means the WRVS will be looking for more volunteers to support the service. If this is something you are interested in please get in touch with Ann Moon at WRVS on 0161 748 2703.

Your Local Lunch Clubs Need You!

Scheme Address Lunch Club Days Scheme Manager Phone Number

Pavilion Lodge, Edgbaston Drive, Firswood Every weekday Liz Smart 0161 860 7914

Royle Higginson Court, Church Road, Urmston

Monday, Wednesday Shona Hennessey 0161 747 7677

Victoria Court, Derbyshire Lane, Stretford Monday, Friday Sheila McGlone 0161 865 7363

Leverett Court, Seamons Road, Altrincham Every weekday Sarah Bradbury 0161 941 1506

Millom Court, Aimson Road, Timperley Tuesday, Thursday Philomena Clarke 0161 980 3670

Lyngarth House, Grosvenor Road, Altrincham Tuesdays Jean Craddock 0161 968 0505

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for a two course hot meal,

tea or coffee

£3.50

Cooking safetyProtect Your Home From Fire

Get SmartElectrics• Keep electrical leads and appliances away from water.

• Check the toaster is clean and is away from curtains and kitchen rolls.

• Turn off electrical appliances when they are not being used and service them regularly.

Cooking Safely

• Don’t leave pans unattended.

• Don’t use matches or lighters to light gas cookers.

• Turn saucepan handles so they don’t stick out from the hob.

• Keep the oven door shut.

• When you have �nished cooking make sure the cooker is off.

Get Equipped• Fit smoke alarms on every �oor of your home and test the

batteries regularly.

• Don’t put a smoke alarm in the kitchen where it can be set off accidently.

Get Out• Make a plan and be prepared.

If there is a Fire, Get Out, Stay Out and Call 999.

Remember, on average 17 people a day are killed or injured in kitchen fires.

Four Basic Kitchen Fire Safety Tips

1. Keep electrical leads, tea towels and cloths away from the cooker.

2. Keep the oven, hob and grill clean. A build-up of fat and grease can easily catch �re.

3. Don’t put anything metallic inside the microwave.

4. Take care if you are wearing loose clothing, it can easily catch �re.

For further information please call Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service on:

0800 555 815

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Trafford College Summer Open Day

Adult EnrolmentIf you want to enrol on a part-time adult course, the start of adult enrolment will be on Saturday 16th June (Summer Open Day). We will also be enrolling throughout June, July, August and September. Visit www.trafford.ac.uk for details.

Saturday 16th June, 10am – 2pmWith 2012 set to be a year of great national achievement, why not challenge yourself and enrol on an adult course with Trafford College?

Whether you are looking to learn something new for fun, develop your CV to enhance your career, or you are looking to get back into work, Trafford College has a wide variety of courses to suit you. Courses on offer include:

• Creative Arts and Media

• Engineering

• Floristry

• Hairdressing, Beauty and Spa Therapies

• IT and Computing

• Motor Vehicle

• Music

• Sport

• Tourism and Aviation

... and more

Order your copy of the Trafford College Adult Course List today by calling 0161 886 7070. Alternatively, you can see all our courses at www.trafford.ac.uk

Find out more at our Summer Open Day on Saturday 16th June, 10am-2pm where there will also be an opportunity for young people to discover more about our 16-18 courses.