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Nov/Dec 2015

Come along to our

Delegates Question Time3 Dec 20152pm - 4pmSee Page 9 for full details

Generations Building Bridges atBlagden Farm

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Blagden Farm

TRA took 10 young

people from

Newsome High

School to the

Blackpool Pleasure

Beach on the 27th

October. This was to

reward them for the

work that they did

on the Edale estate

during the school

holidays.

This work included

gardening and

general maintenance of the estate. During this time

the young people have built up some amazing

friendships with the older residents. This is a great

model of intergenerational work and demonstrates

how successful it can be. They were accompanied

by the head of year 9, WPC Newsome and Bev and

Sheila from Communities Who Can.

Hometruths

Issue No. 253

Fieldhead TRA launches their Cold Calling Zone

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Last year Fieldhead TRA flagged up problems on the Estate with Cold Callers. Since then they have been working with Partners including KNH, Kirklees Community Association, Communities Who Can, and West Yorkshire Trading Standards to set up a Cold Calling Control Zone.

Cllr Liz Smaje championed the TRAs cause at the District Committee and the funding they supplied was matched by KC and KNH.

These schemes work best when they are community-led, so when an initial mail out did not produce enough responses to set up the Zone, the TRA took to the streets knocking at over 1000 homes and telling people about the project. When they heard it face to face everyone supported the scheme.

Linda the TRA chair said “Some people won’t read a long questionnaire if it’s just pushed through the door. Some don’t have time, some people struggle reading so face to face is best. It has helped us get to know everyone and promoted the TRA.”

The zones have been launched in phases throughout the year so it was round the houses again with the help of partners to hand out stickers and advise people what to do.

The Fieldhead Zone has already given residents the confidence to turn away unwanted traders.

Cllr Liz Smaje, said, “Cold Calling Control Zones are an opportunity for residents to take control of the area in which they live and contribute to making it a safer place.”

David Lodge, Head of West Yorkshire Trading Standards, said “These zones go a long way into achieving our objective of protecting residents from doorstep criminals.”

For further information on Cold Calling Control Zones please visit http://www.ts.wyjs.org.uk/wyjs-trading-doorstep-crime.asp

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On Thursday October 22nd the Turnsteads community took another step towards taking over responsibility for their own centre.

Working with the Cleckheaton Parochial Church Council an open day was held to raise awareness of the centre and to gauge public appetite for using and helping out at the centre.

Around 40 people attended in all including younger people from the local school many of whom had never visited the centre before.

One lady told us: “It’s important for us to have a place for community activities within walking distance.”

The TRA will submit the results of their consultation to the council to strengthen their application for asset transfer.

Cowlersley Halloween Party

Cowlersley TRA held a fantastic Halloween Party for children at their local community centre. Well over 40 children came along, with most of them dressing up for the fancy dress competition in the scariest costumes ever seen. Well done to all the volunteers who organised the event and made it a “frightfully” fun night for all.

A step closer for Turnsteads Community Centre

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Communities Who Can fieldworkers Maxine Edwards and Kaye Wilson have volunteered to become Dementia Friends Champions and can deliver Dementia Friends information sessions – but please remember we aren’t dementia experts.

The sessions are open to anyone, but we are asking tenants and residents or community led groups to host a session in their area, so that your members and local people interested in learning about dementia can attend. We will cover the five key things everyone should know about dementia and give people the opportunity to take action by becoming a dementia friend.

The session just takes an hour and is very interactive and informal.

Dementia Friends Regional Support Officer at Alzheimer’s Society said: “Dementia touches the lives of millions of people across the country. Dementia Friends was launched to tackle the stigma and lack of understanding that means many people with the condition experience loneliness and social exclusion. It’s all about learning more about dementia and the small ways you can help. From getting in touch with someone you know living with dementia to wearing your badge with pride, every action counts.’

To book Kaye or Maxine to deliver a session contact: general.admin@kftra.net or call us on 01484 225799.

Dementia Friends information sessions run by Communities Who Can

18 New Dementia Friends at Church Grange Cleckheaton

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SPOOKY STUFF @ EIGHTLANDS AGM

Eightlands TRA recently held their Annual General Meeting incorporating a Halloween theme. The group decided to serve a Pie and Peas dinner and asked attendees to come along in their Halloween outfits.

The group went ahead with their normal AGM and TRA business first, electing officers and a new committee for the forthcoming year as well as discussing housing and estate issues thereafter. At the close of meeting, dinner was served and thoroughly enjoyed by all who attended.

Cllr Cathy Scott attended and was delighted with the effort made by the group stating “TRAs work tirelessly to improve the housing and environmental aspects of an estate, it is always nice to see them enjoy themselves at the same time”.

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Thornhill Things for Thornhill Folk

With the build-up to Christmas, Overthorpe Tenants & Residents Association are finalising plans for the events the group will be staging and taking part in over November and December.

Two committee members of Overthorpe Tenants & Residents Association took 11 senior citizens to the Sea Urchin Fish & Chip restaurant in Dewsbury on Tuesday 27th October. Many of the seniors were from Charlesworth Court sheltered housing, transported by taxi and treated to Fish & Chip lunch. This was completely free for them and paid for from money raised by the sale of hand knitted dolls, made by one of our committee members. Everyone enjoyed the opportunity to get out of their homes for a couple of hours and socialise over the meal.

A Free Brass Band concert with Altofts & Normanton Brass Band takes place at Edge Top WMC (Whistling Blackbird) 7.30pm Friday 4th December. Food, Raffle and a great night of Christmas music for the whole family!!!

Children’s professional “Forever Frozen” show takes place at Trojans Rugby Club, Overthorpe Park, Thornhill. Saturday 19th December 1.30pm – 3.00 pm. Show, Pop & Crisps and a Present. Also a raffle and kids tombola

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Another project the group has got involved with is to clear the path which runs behind the bungalows and the Overthorpe estate known as ‘Kirklees Way’.

Maurice and Joyce Connelly, Chair and Treasurer of the group took it upon themselves to do something about the overgrown bushes, shrubs and fly tipping on the path due to it being untidy and unmaintained. As a result the path became somewhat of a secluded area attracting various aspects of anti-social behaviour.

Both Maurice and Joyce have spent hours and hours making the path tidy and useable. As a result the path has now become a route for dog walkers, joggers and commuters.

For more information about Overthorpe TRA please visit the group’s Facebook Page (Overthorpe Tenants and Residents Association) or call 07811 800720

Newsome TRA’s crafty chatterers group which takes place every alternate Thursday morning from 9.30 until 11.30 in the CWC office. The group next meet on the 19th November. The first session attracted 15 members who are pictured here having a great time being creative.

Newsome TRA Crafty Chatterers

Group

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At our Better Places to Live event back in August the Friends of Norman Park linked up with the Sports and Physical Activities team from the council and arranged some cycling activities for families.

Chris and Kate from Becycling came out to the park and staged a bicycle obstacle course on week one and the following week training sessions.

Chris took eleven kids off to complete their Bikeability level 1 whilst Kate took seven adults off for a refresher course to build road confidence and to help keep themselves and their kids safe. Everyone found it useful.

Joanne told us ‘I was petrified to start with. Because I don’t drive I’m not very confident

on the road.’

To keep the momentum up the group organised a family bike ride the following week making the most of local greenway.

Get free cycle training for your groupFree cycle training is available across Kirklees here is a list of contacts:

If you would like to know more about cycle training for the over 16s then please contact Carl Tinson from Go:Cycling on 0113 3481755 or visit www.wygocycling.com

Or for a doorway into all things cycling in Kirklees tryhttps://www.kirklees.gov.uk/leisure/sportHealth/cycling.aspx

BIKE ABILITY - NORMAN PARK

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Newsome Tenants and Residents Association ran a highly successful Brunch club during October half-term where kids came along to the Communities Who Can building to enjoy a bite to eat and lots of fun. Parents also came along and gave us lots of positive comments: “we had a lovely breakfast as well as having a lovely chat both with adults, children and the centre volunteers” and “there is a really nice vibe to the building and we were made to feel very welcome”. One of the dads commented that whilst his son made friends, he too “got to know a lot of people”. A University student from China commented that she enjoyed the club as it brought “local residents together”. She also said “my daughter and I had a good time…..learning from your culture and your care for everyone in the local community”.

Brunch Club

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Communities Who Can (KFTRA)Presents A Delegates’ Question Time

Thursday December 3rd

The Old Court Room, Huddersfield Town Hall

2 - 4pmCome along to our popular delegates’ Question Time when you will have the opportunity of having your questions answered by a panel of senior officers from Kirklees Neighbourhood Housing.

Email your question to general.admin@kftra.net, or you can also phone us on 01484 225799.

Responses by 25 November 2015 please

Remember you can bring guests to Delegates’ Meetings.

Building the health, wellbeing and resilience of communities in Kirklees

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What’s the issue?This month, Healthwatch Kirklees have found themselves challenging ATOS, a private company that delivers medical assessments under contract to the Department of Work and Pensions.

ATOS assesses people in Kirklees to see if they are eligible to receive Personal Independence Payment (PIP), which has replaced some other disability benefits. Even people who were given a lifetime award of disability payments because of the serious nature of their disability have to be reassessed. However, here in Kirklees, there is no assessment centre that people can go to; instead, they have to go to Leeds, Wakefield, Calderdale, or in some cases, Manchester, Stockport and Rochdale.

ATOS have confirmed that they have no plans to open an assessment centre in Kirklees and Healthwatch Kirklees are challenging that, by working with the local MP and member of the Health Select Committee Paula Sherriff and local Carers Groups.

What can you do to help?

1) Write a letter to the DWPWe have now written a letter to the Secretary of Work and Pensions, Ian Duncan Smith to bring to his attention the unfair treatment experienced by PIP claimants in Kirklees. We would encourage other organisations and individuals to get involved and share their experiences/stories by using our template letter which you can download from our website.The following people and organisations are supporting Healthwatch Kirklees by sending out letters to the Secretary of State:

• MP Paula Sherriff

• MP Jason McCartney

• Councillor Masood Ahmed

• Councillor Cahal Burke

• Councillor Gemma Wilson

• Azizur Rehman- Indian Muslim Welfare Society

• Nick Whittingham- Chief Executive at Kirklees Citizens Advice & Law Centre

• Carol Haigh- Chief Executive Mencap

• Fiaz Rashid- Director of Pakistani and Kashmiri Welfare Association

Please let us know when you have posted your letter.

2) Twitter Campaign to help Atos find a suitable building to use for PIP assessmentsFollow Healthwatch Kirklees on Twitter (@HWKirklees), re-tweet our Atos campaign tweets or simply tweet the name and image of accessible buildings in Kirklees which Atos could potentially use for assessments. The hashtags that you can use are #HowAboutHereAtos? #PIPassessments #Atos.

3) Survey of PIP claimantsTo gather more experiences of PIP claimantshaving to travel to distant assessment centres we have created a short survey. This is the link to the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PTPPF5H. We would be grateful if you could help us promote this survey by adding it onto your website, social media and newsletter.

For further information see our website www.healthwatchkirklees.org.uk.

Healthwatch Kirklees are also interested in more stories from people who have been forced to travel long distances for their PIP Assessment. If anyone has these stories, please click here to take part in our survey or call us on 01924 450379

Healthwatch Kirklees Campaigns for a Personal Independence Payment (PIP) Assessment Centre in Kirklees

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Auntie Pam’s supporting mums-to-be is a Kirklees-wide support and signposting service, with centres in Dewsbury and Huddersfield. We are a free drop-in service which offers confidential one to one support and help for issues such as housing, benefits, wellbeing and health, pregnancy information, infant feeding, relationships and how to find other services. There is also a swap shop for baby clothes and an equipment service.Visitors can just pop in for a chat and a cuppa with a volunteer, or ring either centre. No question is too small or too silly – whatever the question, we will do our best to find the answer. Pam’s can offer support about conception, pregnancy and about being a new mum. Dads are welcome to come for support too.

Volunteer peer supporters have personal experience of pregnancy and parenthood, and are from communities across Kirklees. The service has a commitment to offering a gold standard service for visitors and holds the Kirklees Volunteering Quality Award.

We also support our volunteers to think about their own choices for adult learning that can be done in a friendly and supportive environment with support from senior volunteers and the Project Officer.

Auntie Pam’s has so far trained over 250 local peer support volunteers. Those that have moved on from volunteering with the service have gone into midwifery degrees, returned to full or part time employment or further education or to invest more time in family life. The benefit of becoming a peer support volunteer encourages women to share their own

valuable knowledge and experience with other volunteers, clients, family and social networks.

If you think you might like to become an Auntie Pam’s Peer Supporter, contact the service and ask for an application form. You don’t need any qualifications, but you do need to live in Kirklees and have had children.

If you want to talk to someone or find out more see the website:

www.auntiepams.org.uk

Call:

Dewsbury 01924 438316 (Mon/Wed/Fri)

Huddersfield 01484 414775 (Tues/ Wed/Thurs)

Or find us on facebook

Auntie Pam’s supporting mums-to-be

Auntie Pam’s are happy to come along to your meeting to talk about what they do – contact Communities who Can for more details – 01484 225799 or email general.admin@kftra.net

A recent change in the law has given landlords more powers to tackle antisocial behaviour.

“Absolute grounds for possession” means that the council – and other landlords - can now evict a tenant more quickly, without having to go through a lengthy legal process.

The council can use this new power against any of its tenants who:

1. Are convicted of a serious offence2. Are convicted of breaching an injunction3. Are convicted of breaching a Criminal Behaviour Order4. Are convicted of breaching a noise abatement order5. Are subject to a Closure Order for more than 48 hours

Speaking about the new powers, Cllr Graham Turner, Cabinet member for Resources and Community Safety, said: “We want to make sure that our estates are places where people can live in peace and safety. We’re determined to take the strongest possible action against the small minority who make life miserable for their neighbours.”

We would like to wish Bruce Bellwood a very warm welcome to the Communities Who Can Board as a Neighbourhood rep for Dewsbury and Mirfield.

Bruce is the current chair of Lees Moor TRA. He has played an instrumental role in reviving the TRA. The group now has regular meetings which are very well attended.

In addition Bruce has led on the Lees Moor Garden Allotment Project in which a piece of waste land was transformed into a local community hub. This has provided local residents with a place to socialise and interact with one another whilst planting fruit and vegetables.

Bruce has an excellent working relationship with various stakeholders in the community including Kirklees and KNH officers as well as ward Councillors.

This information can also be made available on audio tape. Interpretation into community language can be arranged on request. Tel (01484) 225799

The Kirklees Federation of Tenants & Residents Associations (KFTRA), Registered Office: Federation House • St. John’s Avenue

Newsome • Huddersfield • HD4 6JPT: 01484 225799 • F: 01484 223478

E: general.admin@kftra.net • W: www.kftra.netKFTRA is a company limited by guarantee. Registered in England & Wales. No. 2591908

Diary dates can be found on our website KFTRA website: www.kftra.net Find us on Facebook Communities Who Can

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This information can also be made available on audio tape. Interpretation into community languages can be arranged on request. Tel (01484) 223466

01484 225799

01484 225799

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