I'm Claire Henry and I'm delighted to introduce myself as the new Tenant Engagement Officer at Newark and Sherwood District Council, covering Robyn Henry's maternity leave, while she prepares to welcome her new arrival.

I’m passionate about putting tenants at the heart of everything we do and I'm excited to join such a dedicated and supportive team.

Since starting with the Council, I’ve been incredibly impressed by the wide range of opportunities available for tenants to get involved, have their voices heard, and help shape housing services.

Before joining NSDC, I worked in supported housing, helping tenants to maintain their tenancies, build confidence, and access the support they needed to live independently. Those roles reinforced the importance of listening to people, working collaboratively, and ensuring everyone has a voice in decisions that affect them.

I’m looking forward to meeting tenants from across the district, supporting engagement activities, and helping create more opportunities for residents to have a real say in their communities and housing services.

I'm excited for the months ahead and I look forward to getting to know you.

We have been awarded the bronze standard from The Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance (DAHA) for our work on supporting survivors of domestic abuse.

DAHA awarded the accreditation following a rigorous assessment process, which found that we demonstrated passion, dedication, and commitment to adopting and embedding the standards of the DAHA framework.

Achieving Bronze is the first step in our commitment to support survivors and we are already looking to apply for Silver status, the next step in the DAHA accreditation process. Achieving Bronze means the District Council:

• has strong and robust policies and procedures in place to offer the right support,
• works closely with relevant partners to offer a range of support avenues,
• has ensured staff have completed relevant training and development to support survivors, and
• demonstrates it operates a survivor centred practice.

We’ve introduced a set of new policies to help keep your home safe, covering heating and gas checks, gas meter safety, and lifts and specialist equipment. These updates are designed to make sure essential services are regularly maintained, risks are reduced, and you feel safe and supported in your home.

Each year, we will carry out a gas safety check in your property to make sure your boiler, heating system and pipework are working safely.  These checks are a legal requirement and help prevent serious risks such as carbon monoxide poisoning.  We’ll always contact you in advance to arrange a convenient appointment. It’s important that you allow access and make sure your meter has enough credit so the check can be completed.

If we’re unable to carry out a gas safety check after repeated contact, we will always try to work with you first. If access isn’t provided and there is a safety risk, we may need to temporarily turn off your gas supply from the external meter as a last resort. If this happens, we’ll work with you to restore your gas as quickly and safely as possible.

We’ve also strengthened how we manage lifts, stairlifts and hoists in our buildings and homes. These will be regularly serviced and inspected by qualified specialists to ensure they are safe and reliable, with clear procedures in place to respond quickly in emergencies. If you have this equipment, please report any faults, avoid tampering with it, and allow access for maintenance when needed.

Please allow access for safety checks, report any issues, and get in touch if you need support. These changes are about keeping you safe while making sure we provide reliable services you can depend on.

We're continuing to improve the way we support our tenants, with recent changes already making a real difference to our housing complaints service. 

Over the past two years, housing complaints have increased significantly as more residents have come forward to share their experiences and concerns. In response, a dedicated Housing Complaints Coordinator was introduced in 2025 to help ensure complaints are handled fairly, consistently and quickly. 

Since then, our performance has improved dramatically:

• The number of Stage 1 complaints responded to on time has risen from 41% to 99%.
• Stage 2 performance has improved from 42% to 83%.
• Tenant satisfaction with complaint handling has also increased, rising from 47% to 60% over the course of the year.

We're also investing in improvements to our repairs service, with feedback from tenants helping us to identify areas where we need to improve.

Proposals have also been put forward to expand the complaints team, helping us respond even more quickly, act on feedback and continue delivering a better service for our tenants.

Every piece of feedback helps us improve, and we're committed to making sure tenants' voices are heard.

Council tenancy officers each look after tenants in a particular area within the district.

They get to know the issues that affect you and guide tenants through our processes, which can sometimes feel a bit overwhelming and complicated.

The areas covered by our Tenancy Officers have recently been updated, so the Tenancy Officer in your area may have changed.

You can see the full list of our Tenancy Officers and the areas they cover here: https://www.newark-sherwooddc.gov.uk/mytenancyofficer 

We want to ensure that our tenants and residents receive a standard level of service that they can both understand and expect.

The service standards that apply for our key areas of focus can be found on their webpages.

• Repairs service standards
• Complaints service standards
• Anti-social behaviour service standards

MyHome offers a seamless and modern approach to managing all aspects of your tenancy.

MyHome is here to make your life easier.

What can you do in the portal?

View tenancy details: Access information about your tenancy.

Report a repair: Submit and track repair requests directly through your account. Describe the issue, upload photos if necessary, and book the appointment for a time to suit you.

Contact us: You can also send messages and inquiries directly through MyHome to Newark and Sherwood Housing Department.

Place a bid on a property: Search for homes that are available for bids

Cornwater Evergreens Brunch and Bingo group in Rainworth received a £350 GLOW funding grant. The grant helped the group buy an air fryer and serving plates, allowing them to provide hot food and refreshments every Thursday morning at their brunch and bingo socials!

Peter Dickson, Chief Executive Officer at Cornwater Evergreens, said: “A big thank you to Newark and Sherwood District Council’s GLOW Panel for supporting our Brunch and Bingo session in Rainworth.

Every Thursday morning, local older people come along for a relaxed brunch, a few games of bingo, plenty of conversation and, just as importantly, a good laugh. It has become a lovely part of the week for many of our members, giving people somewhere warm and friendly to go, familiar faces to see, and a chance to feel part of things.

The support from GLOW has helped us make the session run more smoothly and comfortably for everyone who attends. While the funding has gone towards practical things, the real difference is in the atmosphere it helps create, people chatting over food, enjoying the games, making friends and leaving with a smile.

We’re really grateful for the support. It helps us keep building a welcoming little community at Brunch and Bingo, and it means a lot to everyone involved.”

Enjoy live music in a warm and welcoming environment at the Heron Music Café for Wellbeing. Taking place at the Lifespring Centre in New Ollerton (NG22 9PP), these relaxed sessions are designed to be dementia and disability friendly, offering a safe and inclusive space for all.

Drop in to enjoy live performances, connect with others, and take time out in a calm, supportive setting. There’s no need to book and sessions are free to attend.

Upcoming dates:

• July: Friday 10 and 24
• August: Friday 7 and 21

All sessions run 10.30am – 12.00pm.

Everyone is welcome! Come along, unwind and enjoy the music.

The Ollerton Dementia Hub, in association with the Alzheimer’s Society, is here to support carers of people living with dementia.

📍 Ollerton Dementia Specialist Hub, Main Road, Boughton, New Ollerton, NG22 9JJ

📅 Wednesday 2 September 2026, 10am – 12pm

Come along to speak with a range of local services for guidance, advice and support, including social services, Age UK, carer support organisations, emergency services and more.

✅ Free to attend.

☕ Refreshments available from the on-site coffee bar.

🤝 A welcoming space to connect, share and get the support you deserve.

A new peer support group is launching in Newark through The Notts Recovery Collective and Double Impact, a lived experience recovery organisation that has been supporting people in recovery across Nottinghamshire for over 27 years.

The Collective is built on the principle that recovery is strongest when it is owned and led by the people living it, providing a welcoming and supportive community where individuals can connect, grow, and support one another.

The service offers a friendly, inclusive space where people in recovery can connect with others who share similar experiences, access peer support, take part in workshops and activities, and build the skills, confidence, and relationships needed to thrive in their communities.

The new Newark Peer Support Group will provide a safe, non-judgemental environment where people can share experiences, gain encouragement from others with lived experience, and become part of a supportive recovery community.

📅 Thursday 16 July, 10:00am to 11:30am
📌 Vine Way, Newark-on-Trent, NG24 1PT

Got extra veggies lurking in your garden, greenhouse or allotment?

The much-loved Crop Drop scheme has returned, inviting growers across Newark and Sherwood to donate surplus fruit and veg to local food hubs.

Big harvest or tiny handful, every bit helps build a stronger, greener community food network!

To register to be part of the scheme, please email wellbeing@newark-sherwooddc.gov.uk or phone 01636 650 000 and ask for the Health Improvement Team.

Summer is here, and there’s a jam-packed schedule to keep the whole family entertained. Whether you are looking for historic spectacles, hilarious live shows, or hands-on workshops, there is something for everyone to enjoy across the district:

• Newark Book Festival: Celebrate the 10th birthday of Newark Book Festival this July with four days of literature, creativity, and fun for all ages.
• Newark on Sea: Visit a beach like no other in the heart of Newark town centre!
• Helios at Southwell Minster: A touring artwork measuring seven metres in diameter, featuring detailed imagery of the Sun’s surface.
• Outdoor Theatre: Including Alice in Wonderland and The Three Musketeers
• Live music across the district

Don't miss out - start planning your summer adventures today! 

Looking to build your confidence in English and meet new people in a friendly, relaxed space? Come along to the free weekly Conversation Hub for people who speak English as a second language.

You can:
• Practise your conversation skills
• Enjoy a free drink
• Discover free English learning resources
• Meet new people in your community

📌 Newark Library (Beaumond Gardens, Balderton Gate, Newark, NG24 1UW)
📅 Every Thursday, 2pm to 3pm

These are free drop-in sessions, no booking is required and everyone is welcome – just come along!

Through a new partnership with FiveDinners, the award-winning meal planning platform founded by TV chef Theo Michaels, all residents can access a free premium membership – usually worth £86 per year.

FiveDinners helps take the stress out of dinnertime by creating personalised weekly meal plans to suit your household, preferences and dietary needs. Your free access includes:

• Personalised meal plans (budget‑friendly, family‑friendly, low‑calorie, menopause‑friendly and more)
• Ready‑made shopping lists to save time and reduce food waste
• Quick, nutritious and affordable recipes

It’s designed to help you save time, save money and eat more healthily during busy working weeks.

To sign up click here and scroll down to Newark and Sherwood District Council and enter your postcode.

You will start to receive free weekly meal plans and shopping lists, as well as access to a free chef hotline — message for help whenever you need it.

Last year, we carried out a complete refresh of the Annual Tenant Report to improve its content, layout and accessibility.

Now that it has been in use for a year, we would like to check back in with tenants to see how well it is working.

We’ve put together a short survey to give you an opportunity to tell us whether you feel anything important was missed, if there are ways the information could be presented more clearly, or if you have any other suggestions for improvement.

Your feedback is valued and will help us ensure the Annual Tenant Report continues to meet the needs of our tenants and remains clear, useful and easy to understand.

The survey will close at 5pm on Friday, 17 July 2026.

Join us on a community walkabout as we take a walk around your local areas and listen to your views. Together we can take a look at what we need to do to keep our communities clean, tidy and problem-free.

You will meet other residents, tenants, council officers, partner organisations and councillors to discuss the topics that come out of the walkabout.

These walks are designed to foster a strong sense of community, ensure transparency in our processes, and involve you in the decisions that affect your living environment.

With the holiday season coming up, many homes may be left empty for a week or more. When water sits unused in pipes, it can stagnate and increase the risk of bacteria, such as Legionella, developing.

If you’re going away, it’s important to flush your water system to keep it in good condition.

When you return from a holiday or trip:

• Run all taps (hot and cold) for 2 to 5 minutes.
• Flush showers and bath taps.
• Let water run until it reaches a steady temperature.

Flushing helps remove stagnant water, maintain good water hygiene, and keep your supply fresh and safe.

Stay informed! 🏡 We publish monthly reports on our housing performance, covering repairs, service quality, feedback, and tenant involvement.

Check out our latest updates here: https://www.newark-sherwooddc.gov.uk/housingperformance/ 

This months recipe, taken from the FiveDinners Meal Plan platform available for FREE to all Newark and Sherwood residents, might sound strange - but it really does work!

Using a can of cream of tomato soup is a super cheap and quick way of making a chicken curry; instantly creating a sharp but creamy sauce, enhanced with spices to bring out the Indian flavours!

Ingredients (serves 4 / £1.70 per serving)

• 250 g basmati rice
• 500 g chicken breast diced
• 1 onion diced
• 1 red pepper diced
• 30 ml olive oil
• 2 inches ginger grated
• 2 cloves garlic crushed or finely chopped
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp curry powder
• 1 can cream of tomato soup (1 can = 400g)
• 250 ml chicken stock (use a stock cube)
• 5 g coriander chopped, for garnish

Method

Rice:

• Add rice to a saucepan with double the amount of water (e.g. 1 cup rice = 2 cups water), bring to the boil, cover, reduce heat to low and cook for 12 minutes. Remove from heat once cooked.

Curry:

1. Fry the onion in a little olive for a few minutes then add the grated ginger, garlic give it a stir, then add the spices (turmeric, garam masala, cumin and curry powder). Quickly after adding the spices stir in the chicken.
2. Stir the chicken to fully coat then pour in the tomato soup and chicken stock and stir again. Add the red pepper and leave to simmer for about 8 minutes or until the sauce has reduced and thickened.
3. Taste, adding more salt if needed and then serve on rice with some chopped coriander to garnish.

In response to demand from tenants, we have launched a new tenant-focused Facebook page, NSDC Housing Services! This platform has been created to keep you informed about tenancy updates, provide opportunities for involvement, and share information regarding upcoming tenant-related events in your area.

We are encouraging all tenants to follow the page on Facebook to stay connected and up to date with the latest developments – so give us a follow!

Have you signed up for our 'Life in the District' newsletters that are sent to residents of Newark and Sherwood?

Each month we share important updates, changes to council services, ways to get involved, what's on and more!

You can update your preferences to receive the newsletter here.