TENANTS NEWSLETTER AUTUMN 2014 CHARTER REPORT COMPETITION In response to our Charter Report Survey competition, our then Chairperson, Paul Torrance (pictured below) drew the winners during our recent Breast Cancer Awareness Event. The winners are: Iain McVie of Hosiery Court, Troon; Catherine Main of Caledonia Road, Ayr; Mr & Mrs Duffy of Whitefaulds Avenue, Maybole; Christina Maddox of South Harbour Street, Ayr and Lisa Cunningham of Corton Howe, Ayr. Each winner will receive a Marks & Spencer gift voucher. CONGRATULATIONS to the winners and thanks to everyone for taking part. At our AGM in September, winners and owners of the Garden & Pet Competition were presented with their certificates and rosettes, some of the winners are pictured at the bottom of the page alongside Director Jim Whiston and Paul Torrance. Turn to the back page for a list of all the winners and commendations! We can supply this document in a print size to suit. It is also available in Braille, audio and other formats, and in other languages. Our website also has several accessibility features which you may find useful. Telephone: 01292 880120 or Lo-Call 08452712327 or Text Message 07527360360
STAFF UPDATE Feedback from our first Tenant Focus Group meeting suggested that it would be helpful if we could provide a staff photo in order for you all to identify who you may be speaking to when calling the office. DIRECTOR & MANAGEMENT Director Jim Whiston pictured (centre) with Head of Finance, Alan Park (left) and Head of Housing Services, David McGivern (right). CORPORATE SERVICES Your corporate services team pictured from left to right; Zoe McGrady, Emma Hamilton, Debbie Thompson, Amy Fowler and Paula Hunter. Not present for the picture; Caroline Donald and Ainslie Wyllie. HOUSING MANAGEMENT Your housing management team pictured from left to right; Marie Brown, Michelle Reid, Helen Ross, Ian Nelson, Margaret Woods, Jacqueline Rowlands, Dawn Bigham and Carol Young. Not present for the picture; Ann Tosh. REPAIRS & MAINTENANCE Your repairs & maintenance team pictured from left to right; John Hendry, Carol Craig, Murray Paton, Avril Stone and Scott Hutchison. 2
STAFF UPDATE cont. Following a lengthy absence due to ill health Isobel Moore has decided to retire. Isobel was one of our longest serving staff members and was well regarded by her colleagues, Board members and the many tenants she has helped over the years. This was reflected in the many good wishes that were forwarded from many of those she had worked with or helped throughout her time with Ayrshire Housing and South Ayrshire Homes. To recognise her contribution to the association over many years a presentation was held in the office which was attended by colleagues, Board members and tenants. We all wish Isobel well in her future and hope that her health will steadily improve. BOARD UPDATE Our longstanding Chair Paul Torrance is standing down from that role. He will remain though a very active member of the Board. Rhonda Leith (pictured right) has taken over as the new Chair. Paul is well known to many as a former Councillor. He was also one of the founding members of South Ayrshire Homes in 1998. This is the organisation which has grown over the years to be today s Ayrshire Housing. Rhonda says It s a privilege to be taking over from Paul. Paul has been a real ambassador for Ayrshire Housing. I look forward to his continued contribution to the Board. Rhonda, Paul and fellow Board members are delighted to welcome three new Board members; tenants Georgina Dawson and Carrie O Donnell, and community member Rachel Borland. Rhonda adds, It is great to see people competing to join the Board. I look forward to working with them over the coming year. 3
Draft Planned and Cyclical 2014-2019 Works Maintenance Programmes The association has a planned investment programme for our housing stock covering the maintenance and renewal of various elements over a 30 year period. This plan is based on the anticipated life expectancy of these elements and integrates with the cash flow projections incorporated into the association s overall Business Plan and Asset Management Plan. These plans are reviewed on a regular basis and are subject to adjustment to reflect the findings of stock condition surveys undertaken to assess the performance and actual condition of components. The following is an extract from the planned programme covering the financial years 2014/15, 2015/16 and the period 2016 to 2019. As indicated the proposals may be subject to change if available funding permits projects being brought forward or it is necessary to defer works. Properties which have been void may be omitted from the works programmes if improvements have already been completed. Proposed Cyclical Works programme Year 1 2014-15 Year 2 2015-16 Years 3-5 2016-19 Comment St Brides Way, Highpark Road, Glenhead Place, Glenhead Court, Coylton; Fulshaw Place, George Place Ayr; Oswald Court Kirkoswald; Harbour Road, Turnberry Road, Maidens; Torcy Way, Girvan; Lochside, Ayr; Baird Road, Monkton; Croft Street, Springfield Road, Tarbolton Rowan Road, Dalrymple Street, Ailsa Street West, Hamilton Street & Clyde View, Girvan; Hosiery Ct, Wallacefield Road, Killin Place, Kenmore, Logan Drive Troon; Whitefaulds Avenue, Whitefaulds Crescent, Maybole; Moor Park Crescent, Prestwick; Victory Crescent, Dailly and Viewfield Court, Ayr Thornyflat Place, Blackfriars Court; Sandgate; West Sanquhar Place, West Sanquhar Avenue & Corton Howe Ayr; St Andrews Court, Douneburn Crescent, Girvan; North Shore Lane, Troon; former Scottish Homes properties Dailly; Kirkmichael Road & Kirkbride Crescent, Crosshill; Knockbreck Road, Straiton; Meadowbank Place, Kirkmichael and St Andrews Avenue, Tarbolton South Harbour Street & St Leonards Road, Ayr; Castleview & Earl Crescent, Dundonald; St Cuthbert s Street, Maybole; Arran Avenue, Ballantrae; former Scottish Homes properties Symington; Kirkmichael (all stock) and Good Shepherd Court, Ayr Crown Square plus former Scottish Homes properties Forehill and Belmont, Ayr: Fernbank Court, Prestwick; The Clachan, Barr and Burns Wynd, Maybole 4
Proposed Planned Works programme Year 1 2014-15 Year 2 2015-16 Years 3-5 2016-19 Comment External Door Programme Ongoing Castleview, Dundonald; Burnbank Road and Forehill, Ayr (qualifying properties) External Door Programme Bolestyle Crescent/Woodside Avenue, Kirkmichael; Clyde View, Girvan; Kirkbride Crescent, Crosshill; Oswald Court, Kirkoswald and Kenmore/Logan Drive, Troon External Door Programme Belmont (qualifying properties), George Place, Ayr; Rowan Road, Girvan (houses) and former Scottish Homes properties, Symington Kitchens Victory Crescent, Dailly (Phase 1); Bolestyle Crescent/Woodside Avenue, Kirkmichael; Kirkbride Crescent, Crosshill; Oswald Court, Kirkoswald and Fernbank Court, Prestwick Kitchens Victory Crescent, Dailly (Phase 2); former Scottish Homes properties, Troon; Earl Crescent, Dundonald; Whitefaulds Crescent/Whitefaulds Avenue, Maybole; St Andrews Court, Girvan and former Scottish Homes properties in Mossblown / Symington Kitchens Fulshaw Place, Ayr; Arran Avenue (Phase 1), The Clachan, Barr Heating Installation of Air Source Heat Pumps former Scottish Homes properties Dailly (Project completed April 2014) Heating Fernbank Court, Prestwick; Whitefaulds Crescent, Maybole; Oswald Court, Kirkoswald and Kirkbride Crescent, Crosshill Heating Arran Avenue, Ballantrae (Phases 1 & 2); St Andrews Court, Girvan; and Whitefaulds Avenue, Maybole Windows Burnbank Road, Ayr and Kenmore/Logan Drive, Troon Windows Rowan Road, Girvan and Castleview, Dundonald Roofing Inc. Gutters etc. Rowan Road, Girvan Render Rowan Road, Girvan and former Scottish Homes properties Belmont, Ayr Bathrooms Former Scottish Homes properties in Dailly, Mossblown and Symington 5
RENT PAYMENTS The easiest way for Ayrshire Housing tenants to pay their rent is by setting up a Direct Debit using our Allpay service. You can set one up by contacting our office and speaking to your Housing Officer. Allpay have now introduced a new service to allow tenants a more efficient and fast way of paying rent. An APP is now available for iphone, ipad and Android users. This allows the user to make quick convenient payments 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! The APP is quick and simple to use, the user is required to sign up with an email address and password and then prompted to create a four-digit PIN. Once logged in, the APP allows the users to add and store bank cards and recipients and a default amount so they don t have to enter it each time to make a payment. At this point the user would use their tenant number as a payment reference. Storing the details allows users to pay quickly and securely and before each payment the user is prompted for their card security code printed on the back of their bank card. The payment reference and authorisation code will be visible on the screen once the payment has been confirmed. These will also be emailed as a confirmation for the user. MAKING RENT PAYMENTS JUST GOT EASIER!! Alternatively we provide a service that allows Tenants to pay online. Tenants need to provide their tenant number as a reference for the payment to allow us to quickly and efficiently allocate your payment to your tenant account. Using our Bank of Scotland account number and sort code shown below, you can set up this payment with your own bank online. If you are unsure of your tenant number please do not hesitate to contact the office on 01292 880120 where any of the staff will be happy to help. ACCOUNT NUMBER : 00245111 SORT CODE : 80-06-96 6
AGM 2014 Another Successful Year! At our AGM this year Paul Torrance, Ayrshire Housing s then Chair, reported another successful year. He said We re about providing high quality housing for a rent that people can afford. Many of our tenants face falling wages and benefits. So the Board is trying to do what it can to help. We are committed to keeping rent increases as low as possible whilst still guaranteeing quality services. This year, we ensured that the rent increase was in line with prices generally. Our new money advice service is also proving a real boon to many tenants and their families. He continued We face many financial challenges. Still, we were delighted to complete a new development in Maybole earlier this year. We got a prestigious Saltire design award for this. We want to build more new houses but the level of government grant means that we have to be very cautious about taking forward the new development opportunities that we have secured to the building stage. The members heard a presentation on the association s solid performance as it delivers on the Scottish Social Housing Charter. They were pleased to hear that over 50 tenants have asked to be involved in offering comment and feedback on the association s performance. The AGM confirmed the appointment of three new Board members following a ballot in the community constituency. The Board consists of 5 tenants, 5 community volunteers and three South Ayrshire Councillors. The meeting closed with presentations to the winners of the association s ever popular garden and pet competitions. 7
2014 COMPETITION WINNERS JEM AYKA TIGGER ALFIE Congratulations to the Pet Competition Winners! MAX From bottom left corner to above right; Max the English Springer Spaniel who lives the Ryan & Kieran McIlwraith of Ballantrae; Alfie the Shih-Tzu who lives with Mrs Rennie of Ayr; Jem the tri-coloured Border Collie and owner Mrs Dawson of Maybole; Tigger the cat and owner Ms Corrin also of Maybole and Ayka the Husky who lives with Mr Hillhouse of Troon. Commendations went to Archie the Bearded Collie and owner Mr Christie; Buck the dog and owner Ms Corrin; Sheba the Black Lab and owner Billie-Jo Saxton; Lucy the Maine Coon cat and owner Ms O Donnell; Toby the long-haired Jack Russell and owner Mr Carmichael; Ginger the cat and owner Mr Hutchison; Jack the Jack Russell and owners Mr & Mrs Alexander; Buster the Sprocker Spaniel and owner Ms Boyes; Ollie & Roxy the Pugs and owner Ms Ramsey; Jet, Kaizer and Skye the cats and owner Miss Cathcart. Many thanks to everyone who entered the competition! BEST GARDEN The Winners of the Garden Competition 2014 are: Kevin Duncan for Best Garden (above far right), Vanda McLean for Best Container Garden (below left). Commendations were awarded to Mairi Boyd, John Ross, Laura Edwards and Ian & Amelia Alexander for Best Garden; Christina Maddox and Fiona MacIntyre for Best Window Box; Andrea Corrin and Christina Allan for Best New Garden and Elizabeth Currie for Best Container Garden. BEST CONTAINER GARDEN 8