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Residents finish Macers new garden

Residents turned out last week to help plant up the new garden area in the centre of the Macers Estate. The planting day marked the end of the first phase of works at the Estate. A new garden has been created with benches and picnic tables for residents to use, as well as some features which could be used for play. And, following the endeavours of the residents, the garden now has a mass of flowers and shrubs too.

The work is part of Broxbourne Housing Association’s fulfilment of promises made to residents when they took on the housing in the borough. Chief executive John Giesen said: “We are focused on keeping our promises and encouraging local involvement in projects which help to build better communities.”

The work has been part-funded by a contribution from Lafarge Aggregates through the Landfill Communities Fund and carried out with the help of Groundwork Hertfordshire.

Mike Pendock, Senior Planning & Estates Manager at Lafarge Aggregates said: “We are delighted to have supported this project. It provides much-needed facilities for people to relax and socialise outdoors – and even do some gardening if they want.”

The second phase of work to the Estate is currently under discussion. Broxbourne Housing Association hopes to start consultation with local residents soon.

BHA provides stepping stone for would-be home buyers

Thirty-two new homes have been built at Watery Lane, Turnford, by Broxbourne Housing Association (BHA). The apartments will provide a mix of rented and ‘rent to home buy’ accommodation, the latter providing a way on to the home ownership ladder for people who can not afford a mortgage.

One resident, who did not want to be named, said: “It’s amazing, you wouldn’t believe the improvement on where I was before. It’s bigger, brighter, the location is great – quiet but only 15 minutes walk from the shopping centre – brilliant. I couldn’t ask for more.”

BHA Chief executive John Giesen said: "This development is good news for the area. The provision of high quality affordable homes is vital to ensure the viability of our communities. It also helps to sustain the local building trade and related businesses."

The development includes 21 x 2 bed apartments and 11 x 1 bed apartments, of which 7 are currently in the ‘rent to buy’ scheme. Funding for the homes came from the Government’s Homes and Communities Agency which provided a grant of £965,000, with a further £300,000 provided by the Borough of Broxbourne.

The homes were built by Persimmon Homes Essex for Broxbourne Housing Association. They include energy saving air-sourced heat pumps: for every 1KW of energy used, 3KWs are produced. There is also storage space for 2 bicycles and parking for one car per home, plus visitors parking.

BHA – Growing our own builders

Broxbourne Housing Association (BHA) joined forces with Hertford Regional College recently in an innovative ‘Build a Bungalow’ project.

13 apprentices had the chance to put their skills to the test and gain valuable experience when they were asked to build miniature scale bungalows. Working with BHA and other local businesses, they learned how to:

• Design, plan & organise;
• Meet timescales;
• Work with others in a team; and
• Deal with potential employers.

Phil Langley, Senior Project Manager with BHA, said: “The lads were lively, enthusiastic and came at the work with refreshing new ideas. We will follow their progress with interest and hope to be able to offer work experience in the future. We are developing homes for people in the area and these youngsters and others like them will be vital to our success.”

Paul Rosewell of HRC said: “It is by working in partnership with local organisations that we make learning come alive for young people. It also improves their prospects of employment later.”

The highest graded students, Marc Saunders, who wants to pursue the business side of construction, received a leather wallet file and pen, and Danny Sadler, a budding bricklayer, was presented with a trowel. All other students received a certificate and £10 HMV voucher.

Work begins on Macers Court Landscaping

Wet weather didn’t stop residents from turning up on Macers Estate in February to see the start of the new landscaping.

Broxbourne Housing Association which owns the estate, is working with Groundwork Hertfordshire to put the residents’ ideas for the space into practice.

After a thorough consultation involving the majority of residents on the estate, the new garden will provide benches and picnic tables, planting and some features which could be used for play.

Macers Court resident Mrs Debbie Willit said: “The work will help reinvent the square and might encourage more people to sit outside on a sunny day. Hopefully it’ll make it more communal, where you’ll be able to meet and speak with people from other blocks.”

The work is part of Broxbourne Housing Association’s fulfilment of promises made to residents when they took on the housing in the borough. Chief executive John Giesen says: “We are focused on keeping our promises and encouraging local involvement in projects which help to build better communities.” The work has been part funded by a contribution from Lafarge Aggregates through the Landfill Communities Fund.

Weather permitting, it is hoped that the work will be completed in time for residents to enjoy the garden in summer.

Mike Pendock, Senior Planning & Estates Manager at Lafarge Aggregates said, “Everyone in the community should be given the opportunity to interact with their own local environment. We are delighted to support the Macers Court project, which will provide much needed facilities for people living on the estate to relax and socialise outdoors – and even do some gardening if they wish”.

Broxbourne Housing Association: a ‘First Class’ organisation to work for

Broxbourne Housing Association has been awarded one star in the Best Companies accreditation scheme, marking it as a ‘first class’ organisation.

Chief executive John Giesen said: “Last year we became the youngest housing association to achieve 2-star status from the Audit Commission. This year’s star from Best Companies is a further recognition of the commitment of our staff working together to provide excellent local services.”

He continued: “The Board and senior team has a strong ethos of staff involvement and we are very pleased to see it recognised.”

To be accredited in the scheme the staff must rate the organisation on:

• Leadership: How they feel about the head of the organisation, senior managers, and the organisation’s values and principles;
• My manager: How they feel about and communicate with their direct manager;
• Personal growth: What they feel about training and their future prospects;
• Wellbeing: How they feel about stress, pressure at work, and work life balance;
• Giving something back: The extent to which employees feel their organisation has a positive impact on society;
• My company: The level of engagement they have for their job and organisation
• Fair deal: How happy they are with their pay and benefits

Best Companies is the name behind The Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For lists. CEO and founder Jonathan Austin comments: “The companies that have achieved accreditation are among the best employers, and are to be congratulated. The scheme acknowledges excellence in the workplace. Based on staff feedback, it looks at employee engagement as an integral part of a company’s success and growth, and sets a benchmark for other employers.”

Waiting for your call

Ever had a quick question that took ages to answer? Well Broxbourne Housing Association has listened to its residents and created a Customer Service Centre. Service Improvement Manager Sue Scanlan explains:

“We had a pretty good record for dealing with phone calls, but like most organisations, we can’t guarantee that a specialist member of staff will always be at their desk when the phone rings.

“So we’ve trained a customer service team and each person can answer the most commonly asked housing questions immediately. The idea is to avoid having to refer callers to another department, saving them time and inconvenience.

“The Customer Service Team should be able to answer at least 80% of queries. As for the other 20%, unlike a call centre, our team is on the premises with us, so they can track down expert help quickly.”

Residents will be able to talk to the Customer Service Team about housing or tenancy issues including their rent accounts, repairs and refurbishments and anti-social behaviour.

BHA manages homes for more than 4,000 families in the area and is continually improving its services by listening to what its residents want.

‘HOME Newsletter, now available in Audio!

Did you know you can now listen to an audio version of our newsletter for residents from this website? The latest Spring 2010 HOME newsletter is now available - simply click on the following link HOME newsletter,Spring 2010 (link to audio)or go to the Publications page.