Southwark Life Housing News: Housing Heroes Awards | Back the Bakerloo | Fireworks Tickets

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Southwark Council tenants and homeowners newsletter

Issue: Autumn 2018

Housing Heroes 2018


Nominate your local Housing Hero!

Housing Heroes Awards is your opportunity to nominate someone who goes the extra mile to help others. This might be a neighbour, worker or campaigner who makes a great contribution to the community.  

Complete a short nomination form to tell us why you think they deserve a Housing Heroes Award under one of the eight categories. You can also pick up a nomination form from your local library or leisure centre.

The deadline for nominations is 19 October 2018. Winners will receive £100 towards their chosen charity and a trophy at a special celebratory event on 14 November 2018.

Back the Bakerloo

Back the Bakerloo needs your support

The Bakerloo line extension from Elephant and Castle to Lewisham will transform the lives of thousands of people who live and work in Southwark. It will create 1,000s of new jobs and homes, improve transport links and reduce pollution and congestion.

But we need your help to make sure it happens. Over 6,000 people have already shown their support, join them and Back the Bakerloo today and be part of the change!

foster


Interested in fostering?

If you could help a Southwark child and have a spare bedroom then come to our fostering meeting on Tuesday 9 October at 5.30pm at Canada Water Library. We need flexible people from a diverse range of backgrounds to reflect the young people in our care.  Find out more information on our website, email us or call 0800 952 0707.

beat


Come and play Beat The Street!

Beat the Street is a free and fun challenge that encourages entire communities to walk, cycle and scoot more. Players tap the Beat Boxes located around the borough with cards and fobs to track their journey and earn points for themselves and their team. Enter your team, get active, and start exploring!

winter


Contacting us during winter

Winter is a very busy time for the contact centre. To make sure that the council can respond to the increase in calls we have:

  • Revised our rotas to increase the number of staff available at our busiest times
  • Recruited 10 additional staff and six new apprentices
  • Developed a new customer relationship team to deal with more complex repairs
  • Improved the level of training our advisers receive to ensure that they are skilled in dealing with a wide range of customer issues.

We receive most calls first thing in the morning so you may find that it is easier to get through to us in the afternoon. Alternatively you can access our services online.

Lives changed for new council home residents

Residents have spoken about how their lives have been changed after moving into six brand new council homes on the Pelican Estate in Peckham.

Anthony Vassell and Daceya Hibbert moved into one of the three-bedroomed flats with their three girls aged 13, three and one. Before moving into their new homes they were on the housing register for five years and shared a small bedsit. Daceya said, “We’ve so much space, the children are happy so I’m happy. Sometimes in the old place I didn’t want to even go out I was so unhappy.” Read more.

fireworks


Book your free fireworks tickets

Our popular annual fireworks display will return for its 15th year on Monday 5 November at Southwark Park. The council is keeping the event free for all Southwark residents but you need to book your tickets online. The event attracts over 30,000 people every year and due to its popularity there will be an entry fee for those that live outside the borough.

Gates will open at 5pm, last entry will be at 6.30pm and food, drink and entertainment will be available until 8pm. Ticket holders should arrive as early as possible.

Support service for homeowners

The council has a dedicated support service for homeowners to provide support for unresolved issues and can carry out independent investigations on your behalf. Find out more about the service or get in touch by email. 

Resident involvement review


The council is reviewing resident involvement in our tenanted and leasehold housing stock. The purpose of the review is to evaluate the effectiveness of current resident involvement structures and to explore alternative methods of resident engagement. The review is being overseen by a panel made up of both staff and residents from the borough. Further details can be found on our website.

BHM


Come to a Black History Month event

This month we’re celebrating Southwark’s amazing black history and special events and activities are taking place across the borough to mark the 70th anniversary of Empire Windrush. There is something for everyone from film to classical music to Afro-beat as well as talks, poetry and live performances. Find out more about how you can celebrate Black History Month by downloading a copy of the listings or pick one up at your local Southwark library.

sticker2


Help us improve our libraries

Whether you currently use our libraries or don’t, we want to hear what you think about our library services. You can complete the consultation online by 31 October or pick-up a paper form from a library.

Improve your neighbourhood

If you have a great idea to improve your neighbourhood you can apply for funding to make your idea a reality. Previous funding has been used to upgrade play and sports facilities, create community green spaces and secure cycle parking. Submit your application online by Monday 22 October or get paper application forms from local libraries and other council offices.

school


Don’t forget to submit your child’s school application

Is your child due to start primary or secondary school in September 2019? If so, you will need to apply for their school place online before the deadline. Secondary school applications close on 31 October 2018 and primary school applications close on 15 January 2019.

Peckham Service Point temporary closure

The Peckham Service Point in Peckham Library will be closed temporarily from 15 October to 2 January 2019 for refurbishment. Most services will be available at a mobile office outside Peckham Library. See the full details on our website.

high street


Do you have a great idea to refresh our town centres?

Take part in The High Street Challenge to have the chance to bring your big idea to life, shape our high streets, help businesses to thrive and bring long term benefits to Southwark. Submit your application before the deadline of 9 November 2018.