Latest News from Hoober Ward, February 2025

Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council sent this bulletin at 24-02-2025 04:51 PM GMT

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Hoober neighbourhood update

The latest news and information from Brampton, Harley, Manvers, Nether Haugh, Wentworth and West Melton.

February 2025

Community Skip New Winterwell

Hoober Ward Members and the Council Housing Department joint funded two community skips on New Winterwell for residents to start their Spring clean early and make their communities clean and healthy places to live.

To promote the skips, Councillors Brent and Williams were out and about supporting Housing Officers delivering leaflets to local residents.

The skips were greatly received and Councillors Brent, Lelliott and Williams, were in the thick of it alongside Housing staff. The area now looks spick and span and ready for Spring. What a difference a day makes.

Ward Members and Partners Walkabout

Councillors Brent, Lelliott and Williams carried out a recent walkabout on Cortonwood and Lions Lodge Estate, in and around the games area, in response to a resident's comments and a young person who wrote to the Councillors about the play equipment.

Joined by Rotherham Council staff from Green Spaces and Street Scene, Ward Members have arranged for the bushes and brambles to be cut back on the footpath from Leewood Close to Furlong Meadows.

Ward Members are also looking at what other possible improvements could be made in the area.

Traffic Drop-In for Residents

Councillors Lelliott and Williams were joined by Council staff from Transportation and Highways at Oaklea Retreat, West Melton, for a drop in event to give residents of Melton Green, Rainborough Road, Giles Avenue and Bramble Way, a chance to share their thoughts, concerns and issues about traffic in their area.

Ward Members would like to thank all the residents who came along for their input and also the RMBC Staff who gave their time.

Visit to Highfield Farm Primary School

For the wonderful pupils of Highfield Farm Primary School, that braved the cold at the November 2024 Christmas Tree Light Switch On Event on Masefield Avenue, who despite their smiles being frozen in place delighted the crowds with their singing of Christmas Carols, Councillor Brent had the great pleasure of visiting them during an Assembly to personally thank them all.

So, with faces beaming and a round of applause from teachers and their classmates, they were each presented a medal. Thank you and well done everyone.

Have your say on changes to our Housing Allocation Policy

Housing allocation policy

Rotherham Council’s Housing Allocation Policy outlines how social housing is allocated to applicants on the housing register.

We have recently reviewed and drafted an updated version of the Policy in response to changes in local demand and to make sure it complies with UK laws and good practice.

The Policy sets out who can apply for social housing, how we assess and prioritise applications for local people and how we can make best use of our homes. Reviewing the Policy will allow the us to:

set out clearly how we allocate and let social housing
ensure decisions are made fairly and with clear reasons
make it easier for applicants to understand the eligibility criteria
improve the way we prioritise people, ensuring support to those with the most urgent housing need
make sure we comply with recent changes to the law and good practice

To find out more and to give us your views there are drop-in sessions at:

Riverside Library on 5 March, 1pm until 5pm
Aston Library on 10 March, 9am until 12 noon

Alternatively you can complete this online survey.

Keeping your home warm this winter

With energy costs rising and people struggling to heat their homes, let’s look at simple ways to keep heat in your home:

Draught-proofing around your windows and doors

Bleeding your radiators

Increasing the insulation around your hot water cylinder

Insulating your loft and walls

Placing insulating reflective panels behind radiators

Contact the Community Energy Team for more support through:

Email: Community-energy-rotherham@rotherham.gov.uk

Online contact form: https://www.rotherham.gov.uk/energy-climate-change/community-energy-rotherham

New documents to help understand Direct Payments

Rotherham Council’s Adult Social Care Service has developed its Direct Payments offer to make them easier to access and understand for residents.

A direct payment is an amount of money that Adult Social Care pays to a person to help them to pay for their care and support and allows them to have more choice and control over their day-to-day care.

People who get direct payments are usually people who are eligible for adult social care support and can be:

Over 65 years old

Disabled between the ages of 18 and 65, including people with mental ill health, a physical disability, or a learning disability

Unpaid Carers

New guides to help residents understand Direct Payments have been created, including a handbook about Direct Payments, an Easy Read version and a guide to being a good employer, which is a toolkit for employing a Personal Assistant and includes documents such as contracts of employment, how to recruit a PA and payslips.

For more information about Direct Payments and to view the documents visit: Direct payments – Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council

Community Speed Watch

Keeping Warm and Energy Advice

Rotherfed's Make Your Money Go Further Team had a very busy morning at the end of January at the Harley Mission Rooms, courtesy of Cynthia Shaw, one of the Trustees there.

Residents from across Harley dropped in for a piece of cake, a hot drink and to learn more about the advice and services on offer.

Visitors took advantage of referrals for free benefits checks as well as to the Green Doctor for energy saving equipment and also discovered how to save and make the most of their money. The morning flew by and was so well attended that Rotherfed had to call in 'reinforcements' to make sure everyone was seen.

If you run a community building or group interested in hosting the Make Your Money Go Further Team, contact them on 01709 368515.

Take a Chance on Me to target young people

Voluntary Action Rotherham have launched their latest volunteering campaign.

This campaign firstly celebrates the achievements of young volunteers and highlights how volunteering at a young age can shape your life. Whilst encouraging young people to take up volunteering, the hope is also to encourage more voluntary and community sector groups to create voluntary roles specifically for young people.

So whether you're a young person looking to volunteer or are a voluntary and community sector group wanting to learn more about voluntary roles for young people, you can watch their video on You Tube or call Kerry McGrath, Volunteer and Group Support Manager at Voluntary Action Rotherham, on 07716 919416 or email: kerry.mcgrath@varotherham.org.uk.

What's happening at Open Arms?

Open Arms Community Support Hub is available every other Tuesday at Wath Library, from 9:30am until 3:30pm. The team offers guidance on:

Money Management • Digital support skills • Energy Advice • Cost of Living Support, from partners including Citizens Advice Bureaux

This takes place in a welcoming and safe space. To sign up for updates please email info@rotherfed.org

Messy Monsters

Messy Monsters is a vibrant baby and toddler group at the Cortonwood Comeback Community Centre! Join them every Wednesday from 9am to 11am for a fun-filled morning where little ones can learn, play and explore in a safe and nurturing environment.

To make the morning even better, they provide free breakfast for children! Fuel your little ones with a nutritious start as they enjoy a variety of tasty options. While they enjoy the activities, you can relax and connect with other parents in the Parent Forum.

Share stories, advice and experiences with fellow carers in a supportive space. It’s a wonderful chance to make new friends and build a community of support!

For more information, visit their website, call 01226 759572 or email: cortonwood.enquiries@outlook.com.

Rotherham Early Help North

Running term time only, the North Early Help Team can't wait to welcome you back to their free Toddler Group at Wath and West Melton Methodist Church.

With lots of fun activities to explore, there's also a self-weigh available if you would like to weigh your little one. For more information on this and other activities, follow them on facebook.

Help shape play facilities at country parks

You can help shape the future of new play facilities planned for Rother Valley Country Park and Thrybergh Country Park.

As part of Rotherham Council's commitment to enhancing local parks, £200,000 will be allocated to improve play facilities at Rother Valley Country Park, with a further £120,000 for play at Thrybergh Country Park.

We want to hear your views on what you and your children would like to see included.

This investment is part of a wider programme of improvement to provide children with safe, engaging, and inclusive play environments in the year of children's Capital of Culture.

The new play areas aim to:

Promote physical activity and outdoor play by providing different ways to play
Support learning and development; designs will make use of natural surroundings to stimulate the senses and encourage flexible, imaginative play
Create inclusive play areas for children of all abilities to enjoy

The improvement works will take place in late summer 2025.

Take the survey now. It should only take a few minutes.

Just around the corner

As the daffodils, bluebells, crocus and tulips start their yearly burst into life and birds start getting active and pairing up, it's safe to say that Spring is just around the corner.

What better way to celebrate than with a wonderful photograph, taken by a local resident, of a flock of goldfinches on Lee Brook Lane, near Hoober Stand.

Come on Spring!

Councillors for Hoober ward

Contact your local Neighbourhoods Team

Tracey White

Neighbourhood Co-ordinator for Hoober

Email: tracey.white@rotherham.gov.uk

Tel: 07789 617837

Nicola Hacking

Senior Neighbourhood Coordinator for North Rotherham

Email: nicola.hacking@rotherham.gov.uk

Tel: 01709 254376

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