Growing for gold

Whether you have green fingers or not the Housing in Bloom 2015 competition is looking for your entry.

The competition launches on Monday 4 May and the closing date is Sunday 30 August.

It doesn’t matter if you have a massive garden, a display of hanging baskets and tubs or a single sunflower you can still win a prize and join us for a great presentation event.

The categories for the competition will be for:

• Best back garden
• Best front garden​
• Best communal garden
• Best hanging basket
• Tallest sunflower

For more information email here.

Pictured: Winner of best back garden 2014

Have you got high energy bills?  

Havering Council tenants can get a free home energy check visit, which includes:.

• Heating controls
• Lowering energy bills
• Energy switching
• Damp and condensation
• Draught proofing
• Saving energy in the home
• Grants and discounts
• Providing an information pack and thermometer card or warm pack. 

After the visit you will receive a personal home energy check report.

To book a visit, email your details to Energy Advice.

Like us on Facebook for news and information

Facebook is an ideal way to keep in touch with family and friends, and now it can be used to keep informed about what’s happening with Havering Council housing services.

If you ‘like’ us you will then get alerts when we add news to our page, including details of job opportunities, training courses, events and useful information.

So next time you are on Facebook check out our page and ‘like’ us.

Like us on Facebook here.

Thursday 14 May, from 11am until 4pm,  The Dogs Trust will be providing free advice and micro-chipping dogs at Dagnam Park Drive, Harold Hill, RM3 9DR.

Thursday 28 May, from 12pm until 6pm, Havering Council Housing Services is hosting a Recruitment Event at The Refectory, Havering College, Ardleigh Green Road, Hornchurch, RM11 2LL.

Information will be available about jobs, apprenticeships, work experience, and volunteering.

Various employers will be present at the event as well as representatives from the Department for Work and Pensions.

For more information email here.

Don’t forget your Kidspace offer.

On Page 29 of the spring edition of At the Heart there is a Free Adult Admission voucher to Kidspace at The Brewery, Waterloo Road, Romford, RM1 1AU.

The voucher is valid until 31 December 2015 so do cut it out and keep it handy for when the family is looking for fun activities to do during the school holidays.

Got a question?

If you have a question about any aspect of housing there is now just one form to complete, which will then reach the right people to answer your question.

Just complete the online form here.

You can apply to move house, for energy efficiency advice, to rent a garage and much more.

Check out the full list here.

You can also pay your housing or garage rent and Council Tax by Direct Debit by completing and returning the online form, or you can pay online using credit or debit cards.

The Report It service is available to let the council know about community and neighbourhood issues; housing issues; recycling and waste collection concerns and a lot more.

Council tenants and leaseholders can get secure access to all their housing information online through SeeMyData.​​​

New Job Club launched

A new Job Club has been launched in Collier Row and meets at Highfield Towers Community Hall, Hillrise Road, Collier Row, RM5 3DQ every Thursday between 9.30am and 12.30pm.

This is the third club being run by Havering Council’s Housing Services.

The other two are:

Every Monday, 10am until 1pm

Mardyke Community Centre, South Street, Rainham, RM13 8PJ. 

Every Wednesday, 10am until 1pm

Betty Strathern Centre, 41 Myrtle Road, Harold Hill, RM3 8XS

All job clubs are open to any Havering resident wanting help to find work.

More information is available here.

Hall is ready for hire

The newly refurbished Hacton Lane Hall is now available for hire and is an ideal venue for club and society meetings or family celebrations.

The hall can accommodate 80 people seated and 120 standing, has a modern kitchen with fridge freezer, microwave and cooker, as well as on-site parking.

Hire charges are £33 per hour, Monday to Thursday and £55 per hour, Friday to Sunday.

The hall is reached from Haydock Close, Hornchurch, RM12 6EA.

To find out more email HactonLane.

Help at hand

Family Mosaic provides a free support service to residents of Havering aged 16 years and over to help individuals develop and improve their ability to live independently in their own home or help them to explore their housing options if they are homeless. 

They assist with issues such as finding employment, benefit checks and debt management, as well as running weekly drop-in surgeries throughout the Borough that do not require a referral to access.

More information is available here.