Publication of the list of finalists in the prestigious UK Housing Awards (UKHA) has brought good news to Vale of Aylesbury Housing Trust: the Trust is nominated in the Innovation of the Year category.

The Trust is shortlisted for its‘Materials on the Move’, a system developed in collaboration with Travis Perkins, that synchronises materials supply with repair scheduling, minimising travel times and maximising value for money and customer service.

With around 7,250 properties in some 100 towns and villages across the Vale, the Trust has unique logistical challenges to ensure that operatives have the correct materials to carry out any job. ’Materials on the Move’ has proven to be the perfect answer. Trade operatives have repairs appointments scheduled electronically and use materials held on their van to complete the repair on their first visit. The materials used are reordered via their personal digital assistant (PDA). Travis Perkins receive this information and are able to replenish the van stock by delivering this directly to the operative from a dedicated store. Bulky items like fence panels, bricks or sand are delivered direct to site ready for when the operative arrives.

This new method of working has reduced travel time between jobs to such an extent that operatives are able to complete, on average, an extra job per day. In addition, provision within the system has enabled all recyclable waste to be diverted away from landfill, bringing the Trust’s waste recycling up from almost nothing to over 95% in less than a year, and within the reduced costs that ’Materials on the Move’ has brought about.  

Dean Gill, Director of Property and Development said ‘At a time when so much in the sector is changing, and there is much emphasis on creative solutions to increase value for money, I am extremely proud of the team for delivering such great improvements to the way we work, and really making the most of our partnership with Travis Perkins. Its success is evidenced by our KPIs and independently verified resident satisfaction rates.

To then have their ingenuity, hard work and commitment recognised by our industry peers as amongst the best in the country is a superb result, and one I wholeheartedly believe they deserve.’

The UKHA is the housing sector’s leading annual awards, organised by the Chartered Institute of Housing and Inside Housing magazine. Now in its 15th year, the event was established to recognise excellence and promote best practice by organisations providing social housing. The winners of this year’s awards will be announced at a gala presentation in London on 27 June 2012.

Ian Silver (right) presenting Brian Carlin from Aspire with a 'Key to a door'

ONE OF THE COUNTRY’S leading spinal injury charities, Aspire, is a step closer to reaching its target of 100 accessible homes thanks to the Vale of Aylesbury Housing Trust. At a private event at the Speaker’s House on Monday (16 April) the Trust, a registered social landord, announced it was providing the spinal injury charity with a new property to add to its growing portfolio of adaptive homes.

The Trust is dedicated to working in partnership with Aspire to bridge the gap of accessible properties, and has presented the charity with a ‘key to the door’ of a property – a new build bungalow in Stone, Buckinghamshire – which will be available from summer 2013.

The move comes close on the heels of the Trust’s first specially adapted property for Aspire in Buckingham which was opened by Mr Speaker the Rt Hon John Bercow MP last October. Mr Bercow was so impressed by the impact adapted homes have on rehabilitating people with spinal injury that he offered Aspire use of the Speaker House to host an event to support the charity’s work.

The need for accessible housing in the UK is at an all time high. Aspire aims to deliver 100 properties to give people the opportunity to carry on their rehabilitation at home and concentrate on living their lives. Brian Carlin Chief Executive of Aspire said: “This task is achievable, but we can only achieve it with the help and support of housing associations and other partners. We want to make it happen.”

Ian Silver Director of Housing and Community Services at the Trust said: “We became involved with the Aspire housing programme for three main reasons – the world famous spinal injuries unit at Stoke Mandeville hospital is in Aylesbury Vale, Mr Speaker is one of our local MPs and has seen first hand the work that the Trust is doing in his own constituency; and most importantly we want to help make a difference for men and women with spinal cord injury by raising the awareness and the profile of housing needs for them in the UK.”

This is a Neighbourhood Alert from Thames Valley Police, Aylesbury.

The Aylesbury Town Centre Neighbourhood Policing Team is advising people to look out for suspicious activity in the town centre.

Individuals of an Eastern-European appearance have been stopping members of the public, claiming to be in need of petrol, baby food, or other basic supplies, and needing money to buy these items.

In order to provide an incentive for the member of public to provide cash, they offer gold jewellery, complete with hallmarks, for a comparatively small amount of cash. When the victim then takes this to a jeweller, pawnbroker or cash-for-gold establishment, it is found to be nothing more than highly-polished brass, and practically worthless.

Please pass this information on to friends, family and neighbours and do not be tempted to give money to strangers in these circumstances. If you do witness any persons that you think may be carrying out scams like this, call the Police immediately on the 24 hour Police Enquiry Centre number 101.

If you don’t want to give your details or speak to the Police you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

If you’ve ever considered a shared ownership property but don’t know what’s involved, read on.

What is shared ownership?

‘Shared ownership – also known as a part buy-part rent scheme – assists individuals, who are unable to afford the full cost of buying a property on the open market and get onto the property ladder. Basically individuals buy a share of the property and pay rent on the rest.

Who is eligible for it?

Criteria varies from scheme to scheme. Applicants to the Trust’s scheme, do not have to be a current resident, however they should meet as many of the following criteria as possible:

• lived within the Aylesbury Vale district for six of the last 12 months

• lived within the Aylesbury Vale district for three out of the last five years

• have a permanent job or the offer of a permanent job wholly within the Aylesbury Vale district

• have close family ties with family within the district e.g. parents, adult children, brothers, sisters; who have lived in the area for the past five years

• any other special circumstance, which either the Trust or the local authority considers an established local connection with the district Properties will be offered to applicant’s whose household size is most suited to it and who best fit the criteria.

What is the Trust offering?

The Trust’s shared ownership scheme, will enable individuals to purchase a 25% share of the property. The remaining 75% of the property would be rented to the individual by the Trust.

Is a mortgage needed?

Yes. Using the above 3-bed semi detached property costing £220,000 as an example – for the 25% of the property that is purchased, an approved mortgage of £55,000 from a mortgage lender is needed.

The mortgage would then be paid back to the lender each month at a rate set by them. The annual income needed to achieve this mortgage is £27,000.

What other monthly payments will be made?

Again, using the above property as an example – in addition to the monthly mortgage payments, a monthly subsidised rent of £343.75 would be paid directly to the Trust, for the part of the property that is being rented i.e. the other 75%. A monthly service charge estimated at £20 will also be paid to the Trust.

I’m interested, what next?

The Trust is planning to build further shared ownership properties within the next two years. If you are interested, and would like further details on the scheme, please contact the Trust’s Home Ownership team.

Further details of the property can be found on page 6 of the April edition of Residents News.

HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN’S DIAMOND JUBILEE GARDEN PARTY

NEAR HENLEY-ON-THAMES 25 JUNE 2012

The organisers of a three-county summer garden party to celebrate The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee have revealed how Buckinghamshire residents can be part of this unique event through a public ballot to be drawn next month.

Four thousand guests will join The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh at the party to be held near Henley-on-Thames on the afternoon of 25 June. It is being jointly organised by the Lord-Lieutenants of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire as part of The Queen’s UK-wide Diamond Jubilee regional tour.

More than a quarter of the tickets will be available through the public ballot which will be drawn on 9 May by the Lord-Lieutenants of each of the three counties. The ballot is open to adult residents of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire. Each successful applicant will be allocated a double ticket so they can bring a guest.

They will join guests from all walks of public life including representatives of voluntary organisations and charities, together with civic, community and business leaders.

The ballot closes on 30 April. Successful applicants will be notified by the end of May.

Guests are promised a splendid afternoon to remember. A highlight is a river pageant themed around the Thames which celebrates the important role the river has played in the life of the three counties over a thousand years.

Closely associated with the event is a major Jubilee fund-raising appeal for the four Community Foundations in the three counties which exist to strengthen communities and enrich local life by inspiring and supporting philanthropy and charitable giving.

 You can download an application form here. 

In this issue:

• Transforming Walton Court Centre
• Shared Ownership explained
• Prepayment meters and me

Please click here for the April edition

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If you would like to report an emergency-repair, please call 0800 183 1120 or 01732 781940.

You can still report non-emergency repairs online  here – these will be dealt with when the office re-opens.

Willow House was built during 2011, completing early in November. The film, a timelapse video, charts work from first breaking the ground to the completion of the building, right down to window manifestations and block signage. The eagle-eyed can even spot a flag on the fencing, denoting the Royal Wedding Bank Holiday weekend.

This interesting snapshot of the work that goes in to building a large property of this nature, lasts just two minutes and can be viewed below.

At its latest meeting, the Community Chest grants panel awarded the 100th project grant to the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre, which has one of the largest collections of locomotives, vehicles and railway memorabilia in the UK.

The Quainton Railway Society, who own and run the centre, applied for a grant of £3,796 towards remedial work on the main museum building. The organisation is seeking funding to weatherproof the building by repointing walls, renewing defective guttering and sealing minor leaks to the roof.

Although not listed, the building is of considerable historic significance as it was used as an emergency food and bedding store during the Second World War. It now houses artefacts and memorabilia from the earliest age of steam power through to diesel locomotion.

Local schools regularly visit the centre, often when studying World War II, the Victorian era or industrial heritage.

Eric Miller, Fundraising Officer for Quainton Railway Society, said: “Over the years the building has degenerated and it’s come to the stage when something has to be done. This project will bring it back to what it should be. The Aylesbury Vale Community Chest has been very supportive. I would encourage other groups to apply for funding – it’s a wonderful thing.”

Funded jointly by Aylesbury Vale District Council and the Vale of Aylesbury Housing Trust, the £5 million grant scheme was established to help voluntary and community organisations provide, or improve, services and community facilities for the benefit of everyone living in the Vale.

Since its inception in 2007, the fund has awarded to date close to £2.5 million to a wide variety of community projects.

Councillor Pam Pearce, Cabinet Member for Community Matters at AVDC, said: “This benchmark award is a reflection of the great number of excellent projects across the district that have been funded by the Aylesbury Vale Community Chest. The Buckinghamshire Railway Centre project is yet another example of how this grant fund can help community and voluntary groups deliver projects that will have a direct and beneficial impact on our communities.”

Matthew Applegate, Chief Executive of Vale of Aylesbury Housing Trust, said: “I am very proud of the many things that have been jointly achieved by working in partnership with AVDC – but today we’re celebrating 100 reasons why the Community Chest is my personal favourite. Whether it’s preserving our heritage or providing vital support to vulnerable people – the cash grants really do make a difference.”

Community and voluntary groups can apply for two types of grant: micro grants of up to £1,000, which can be applied for at any time, or one-off project grants of up to £25,000 for capital or revenue costs, which are awarded three times a year.

The money can be used for a range of purposes including new equipment for groups, paying for volunteers’ training or improving community facilities. To be successful, each project needs to demonstrate local need, community involvement and benefit in their application.

To be eligible to apply, groups must be formally constituted, not-for-profit and operate within Aylesbury Vale, for the benefit of local residents or visitors to the area.

For more information about Community Chest grants, call the grants team on 01296 585634 or email communitychest@aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk

ENDS

Notes to editors:

Photo opportunity: Members of the Aylesbury Vale Community Chest will be celebrating the 100th project grant award at the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre in Quainton on 4 April at 2pm.

• Thames Water
• Anglian Water
• Southern Water
• South East Water
• Sutton and East Water
• Veolia Central
• Veolia South East

Water is a precious resource that many of us take for granted until drought occurs. We can all help conserve the water we do have by following these simple tips:

• Take shorter showers
• Fix dripping taps and shower heads
• Install a water saving device in your toilet
• Turn off taps while you brish you teeth

More water saving advice  more information about the hosepipe ban and and what this means to you.