Do it in a day
A new system is being
introduced for non-urgent day to day repairs.
Do it in a day will see contractor Breyer Group will be carrying out
all the repairs at a specific location on the same day.
Tenants
should still report repairs in the normal way, so Breyer Group knows how many
staff, and what equipment, may be needed
to do the repairs.
But
if you see the contractors working in your street and you have a non-urgent
repair you can report it directly to them and they will try to get it fixed for
you on that day.
Breyer
Group will be in the following areas on these Wednesdays:
-
8
July for Rush Green Gardens
-
15
July for Canfield Road, Danbury Road, Fyfield Road, Harlow Road, Ongar Way,
Theydon Gardens and Writtle Walk
-
22
July for The Rotunda
-
29
July for Chippenham Road, Crediton House, Dartfields, Farnham Road, Hilldene
Avenue, Ingleton House, Keswick House, Kings Lynn Drive, Lincoln House, Matlock
House, Morpeth House, Ringwood House, Ripon House, Rothbury House, Stratford
House and Wantage House
More
information available here.
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Forthcoming events
Summer
sports and crafts roadshow
- Thursday
30 July, 1pm until 4pm, Gooshays Gardens, Harold Hill, RM3 8AF
- Tuesday
4 August, 1pm until 4pm, Christchurch Avenue, Rainham, RM13 8JA
- Wednesday
12 August, 1pm until 4pm, Lawns Park, Coiler Row, RM5 3HB
- Tuesday
18 August, 1pm until 4pm, Harrow Lodge Park, Hornchurch, RM11 1JR
- Tuesday
25 August, 1pm until 4pm, Macon Way, Cranham, RM14 1NZ.
Activities
include inflatable play zone, cupcake decorating, smoothie making, egg and
spoon races, theatre skills, face painting, nail art, giant jenga and other
games.
More
information available by email.
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 Dog days
The
Dogs Trust will be providing free advice and micro-chipping for dogs on:
-
Wednesday
22 July, 11am to 4pm at Hitchin
Close, Harold Hill, RM3 7EQ
-
Thursday
20 August, 11am to 4pm at Malan
Square, Elm Park, RM13 7JA
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Comment on Commonwealth Estate proposals
Havering Council is proposing to rename the Highfield Estate, in Collier
Row, as “The Commonwealth Estate” and the naming of individual blocks, with
their own specially designed signs and nameplates, will take place in September.
There will be an opportunity to view the proposals in the Community Hall
at the bottom of Highfield Towers on Wednesday 1 July, between 9.30am and
12.30pm, and Friday 3 July, between 10am and 4pm.
Residents can send their
views by email.
Direct Debit is best
for paying Council Tax
Using Direct Debit
means you don’t have to remember when your Council Tax or rent is due as the
payment is made automatically and for the right amount every month.
You can choose
whether the Council Tax payment is made on the 1st or the 15th, of each month to suit your
financial situation and it’s easy to set up too.
All you need are your
bank account details and your Council Tax or rent reference number and then
contact us and we’ll do the rest.
More information on paying Council
Tax here.
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Resident Parking Permits
You can now apply online for Resident and
Visitor Parking Permits.
If you are renewing a Resident Parking
Permit, this can be applied for online up to four weeks before your permit is
due to expire.
To make an online application, you simply
need to register for ‘My Account’, which takes just a few minutes. All you need
is an email address. Once registered, you will be able to apply and pay
securely for parking permits and you will receive an email reminder before your
Resident Permit is due to expire.
All Resident and Visitor permits are now
printed at a central location and are therefore unable to be collected on the
same day if you apply in person at the Public Advice and Service Centre. Your
permits will be sent to you by first class post.
More information available
here.
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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.
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It's time to enter Housing in Bloom
Whether you have green
fingers or not, the Housing in Bloom 2015 competition is looking for
your entry.
The competition 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
More information and enter
online here.
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Would you like a free home energy check?
Havering Council tenants can get a
free home energy check visit, which includes:.
- Heating controls
- Lowering energy bills
- Energy Tariff switching
- Annual bill checking
- 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.
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Help
at hand
Family Mosaic
provides a free support service, to Havering residents 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.
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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.
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Local labour day this Friday
Are you unemployed?
Do you need help with your CV?
Looking for a new career direction?
Come and join the Council and Willmott
Dixon Energy Services on Friday 3 July, between 10am and 4pm, at Highfield
Towers Community Centre, Hillrise
Road, Romford, RM5 3DQ, to find out about work opportunities with Willmott
Dixon and the companies they work with.
Some
of the jobs they are looking to fill include:
- Scaffolders
- Renderers
- Electricians
- Trainees
- Quantity Surveyors
- Customer and Communities Officers
- Site Managers
- Administrators.
For
more information email Sophia
Reid.
Employability event success
 Residents were able to find out the best way of maximising their skills
and income during a special event at The Betty Strathern Centre, in Harold Hill,
on Tuesday.
People
attending were able to visit workshops on helping improve their skills, get
assistance with CV writing, get help identifying employment prospects and apply
for volunteering opportunities as well as get advice and information on
benefits.
Organisations
at the event included:
- Havering Adult College (pictured)
- Mary
Ward Legal Centre
-
Citizens’ Advice Bureau
-
Family Mosaic
-
Private Housing Solutions
-
HAVCO.
Job Clubs to help you find work
Havering Council’s Housing Services runs three Job Clubs:
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
Every Thursday, 9.30am until 12.30pm
Highfield Towers Community Hall, Hillrise Road, Collier Row, RM5 3DQ
All job clubs are
open to any Havering resident wanting help to find work.
For more information complete the request form here.
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Be scam aware
During July there is a series
of road shows to make residents aware of possible scams and how to recognise
them.
The roadshows are organised by
the Havering Citizens Advice Bureau’s Active Living project, in partnership
with Havering Council and the Metropolitan Police.
The roadshows are on:
- Tuesday 14 July, 2pm until 4pm at Nat West Bank, 10 South
Street, Romford, RM1 1RD.
- Wednesday 15 July, 10am until 2pm at Barclays Bank, 136
High Street, Hornchurch, RM12 4UX.
- Thursday 16 July, 12noon until 2pm at Tesco Roneo
Corner, 300 Hornchurch Road, Hornchurch, RM11 1PY.
More information available by
emailing Kim
Crisp or checking the Action Fraud website.
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 Have you got good neighbours?
Everybody needs good neighbours, but do yours go that extra mile to lend
a helping hand?
If so, it’s time to recognise the help they give by nominating them
for a Havering Council Housing Services Good Neighbour Award 2015.
To make your nomination, complete the form on the website to let us know
who you think should win.
Closing date is Wednesday 30 September.
More information
available here.
Pictured:
One of last year’s Good Neighbour Award winners, Jean Freeman.
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It's easy to do it online
Sign up to Havering Council’s ‘My Account’ service and you
can then access a wide range of services 24 hours a day, seven days a week
through the web site.
Council tenants and leaseholders can get secure access to all their housing
information online through SeeMyData.
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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. It 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 £50 per hour, Friday to Sunday.
The
hall is reached from Haydock Close, Hornchurch, RM12 6EA.
To
find out more email HactonLane.
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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.
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