issue 56Summer 2018

news and views fromBro MyrddinHousingAssociation

Hot Property

Water Hygiene

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Annual Report

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Emergency Numbers

If you have an emergency in your homewhen we are closed, there are twonumbers to ring:

For out-of-hours emergencies (includinggas and oil fired heating systememergencies) call: CarmarthenshireCounty Council’s 24-hour emergencyCareline – 01558 824283

If you wish to report a Gas emergency,such as a Gas leak, contact National GridUK on 0800 111 999

Office Opening & ClosingWe are open: Monday to Thursday 8.30am – 4.30pmFriday 8.30am – 4.00pm

2018 Staff Training and Team Meeting Dates

The office will be closed all day for vitalStaff Training on the following dates:• Wednesday 19th September 2018• Friday 14th December 2018

Due to important staff team meetings, theoffice will be closed from 8.30 am until10.00 am on the following dates:• Wednesday 19th October 2018• Wednesday 28th November 2018

Get in touch

sgwrs news and views

I’m Lynette and, having recently joined Bro Myrddin asthe Customer Services & Communications Manager, Iwill be the new Editor of sgwrs.

My team and I will be bringing you all the news to keepyou ‘in the know’ in future newsletters.

So, in the meantime enjoy this Summer issue and watchthis space!

Lynette Bryan, Editor

Phone: 01267 232714

Text: 07797 801 628

0 customerservices@bromyrddin.co.uk

Write to: Bro Myrddin HousingAssociation, Plas Myrddin, Merlin St,Carmarthen SA31 1RU

www.bromyrddin.co.uk

f @bromyrddinha

T @BroMyrddinHA

Sgwrs can be provided in large print,Braille, audio or your preferredlanguage on request. Please call us on01267 232714.

If you would prefer to receive Sgwrs by email, please call 01267 232714 oremail sgwrs@bromyrddin.co.uk. You can also download Sgwrs atwww.bromyrddin.co.uk

Bro Myrddin is a charitable association registered under the Co-operative and CommunityBenefit Societies Act 2014 (23055R) and with the Welsh Government (L069). Competitions:Prize draws and competitions are only open to Bro Myrddin residents. Board members andstaff may not enter competitions, unless otherwise stated. Accuracy: We try to make surethat information in Sgwrs is correct, but readers should seek independent advice beforerelying on any content. We cannot accept responsibility for errors in articles. We reserve theright to edit material sent in. Sgwrs may not be reproduced without prior permission.

Sgwrs Disclaimer

Hello sgwrs readers!

to your

Issue of sgwrsSummer

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news and views

Improve your moodwith food

The charity has found that taking care of our emotionalwellbeing by cutting down stress and talking to, andinteracting with, other people is likely to have a positiveeffect; not just on the way we appear physically but alsoon the way we feel mentally. Additionally, taking care ofour bodies, keeping up with physical activity and ensuringwe are eating healthily will also positively affect our mentaland emotional states.

So, there is a clear link between the food we eat and theway we feel physically, mentally and emotionally.Improving our diets and being more thoughtful about thefood we eat and how we consume it is a simple yeteffective way to improve our mood, increase our energyand enable clearer thinking.

MIND is one of many charities focusing on improving the mental health of thenation. It recognises the importance of good mental health in overall health andwellbeing and explores the links between mental, emotional and physical health.

MIND says that despite increasing awareness, there is stillmuch stigma around mental illness. But if we take steps toimprove our own mental, physical and emotionalwellbeing, as well as talking openly about the mental issuesthat may face us or loved ones, it will help to keep thediscussion going.

By doing these simple things, we can work together toimprove our own mental health and find ways to supportthose living with mental health challenges, as well as takingthe first step towards erasing the stigma around thisimportant issue.

To find out more visit www.mind.org.uk

MIND came up with several handy tips to help us make these changes:

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Share meals and cookwith family and friends

Mealtimes are the perfectopportunity to catch up with othersand talk about how you are ingeneral. Inviting friends, family orcolleagues to join you (and join in)means preparing and cooking fooddoesn’t feel like a chore and makesmealtimes fun!

Plan ahead

It is challenging to find the time tofit in healthy food, especially whenlife is so hectic! So, planning aheadcan take away the stress of mealtimes. Preparing your food inadvance in batches, and storing it inthe fridge or freezer clearlylabelled, is not only cheaper but italso means you’ll have healthymeals that are ready to go. Whichmeans you are less likely to opt forunhealthy fast food (and meansyou will throw away less).

Check the labels

We are very rarely aware of whatwe are eating and sometimes theunnecessary additives in food anddrinks including MSG, artificialsweeteners and colourings canaffect our mood. Make it a routineto read the ingredients in the foodsyou buy and make sure that you‘see’ what you are putting into yourbody.

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Changing Places – How to do a house swap

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At Bro Myrddin we like to ensure we constantly find ways torespond to the changing housing needs of our tenants andmutual exchange is a good way to do this.

If you are concerned about your ownmental health, or the mental health of arelative or friend you can get in touchwith C.A.L.L the Community Advice andListening Line.

It’s an organisation that provides emotional support and information /literature on Mental Health and related matters to the people of Wales.

Free Mental HealthHelpline

Ring 0800 132 737or text ‘help’ to 81066Someone will respond 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

*Please note this is a general helpline, for urgenthelp in the event of an emergency pleasecontact your GP or the emergency services.

A mutual exchange is when social housing tenants swaphomes with one another.

It can be a faster and more efficient alternative for tenantswho aren’t high on the priority list or who are struggling toaccess a home through the usual allocation process.

Tenants who wish to swap homes through mutualexchange often want to move for a variety of reasons, theircurrent home may be too large or too small, their personalcircumstances may have changed or they simply want achange of scenery.

Tenants can swap homes with any council or housingassociation tenant locally or in another part of the UK. Theonly two requirements are that both parties have the rightto mutual exchange and both parties wish to swap.

What’s more we can assist in finding someone to swapwith and it’s free to register.

To advertise your home and look for a home swap, visit ourwebsite and search for Homeswapper. You could be on themove sooner than you think!

Our Surveyors carry out ‘stock condition surveys’ on yourhome to make sure that upgrades take place when they areneeded. As part of the ‘stock condition survey’ our surveyorswill look at the condition of your kitchen, bathroom,windows, doors and heating, amongst other things.

If we identify anything that needs doing it goes into aprogramme of works. We decide where something sits onthe programme by taking lots of factors into account, suchas; the age, the condition, if it’s safe, if it’s functioning as itshould be, if its compliant with Welsh Housing QualityStandards (WHQS) and even the impact of its condition onyour household. For things like windows, doors and heatingwe’ll also take into account how energy efficient the houseis, so we’d prioritise doing works to homes where there is alow rated Energy Performance Certificate (EPC).

Another great suggestion from the Residents’ ScrutinyPanel was that residents get more choice in respect of theplanned maintenance works due in their home. So if youare due to get more than one thing replaced over the next3 years, we’ll be asking you what you want replaced first.

It’s worth remembering, that as we do more ‘stockcondition surveys’ every year, the priorities and theprogrammes are inevitably going to change. This is why, ifyou are due for a replacement in the next year, we’ll let youknow as soon as our programmes are set in spring.

Once the year’s upgrade works have beenfinally confirmed, each resident will be

contacted individually and provided with theexpected start and finish dates.

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news and views

Home Improvements –How we plan your maintenance

Upgrade Description No. of Homes

Kitchens 32

Heating 40

Bathrooms 35

Windows 12

Doors 43

Earlier this year, our Residents’ Scrutiny Panel reviewed how we deliver ourplanned maintenance and one of their recommendations was that we toldyou more about how we do it, so here goes….

Windows

DoorsKitchens

Heating

Bathrooms

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Want Not? Waste Not!

No FearCall the domestic abuse helpline

It is a criminal offence and thosecaught fly tipping, whether on oursites or off them, could be fined up to£50,000 and face imprisonment.

Our bin store areas are only designedto take general household waste fromthe surrounding residences andregular collections stay on top ofclearing it.

Disposal of all other unwanted wasteshould be arranged by residentsthemselves and there are three waysto do this:

1. Call a Re-use Company Gwyn iWyrdd www.gwyniwyrdd.co.uk willcollect up to three items for £15. Theyupcycle wooden furniture and repairand reuse white goods and electricalappliances such as cookers,dishwashers, washing machines andtumble dryers.

2. Call the Council For £25 you canarrange a bulky waste collection oflarge items such as sofas, beds,carpets, fridges, freezers, wardrobes orwashing machines. The Council willcollect up to three items at a time, soit’s worth asking neighbours if theyalso have any bulky items to get rid ofand splitting the cost between you.

3. Visit your Local Recycling CentreYou can dispose of garden waste, aswell as commercial and industrialwaste including clinical waste, rubbleand tyres at your local centre whereit’s free of charge.

Fly-tippers clearly don’t care about thehygiene or comfort of theirneighbours, so should you spotsomeone fly-tipping please do reportit (and preferably take a picture). Themore often such incidents arereported, the less they will happenand the neater your area will be.

Keeping our neighbourhoods neat by disposing of our own waste correctly and regularly is everyUK resident’s responsibility. But sometimes, some individuals spoil the surroundings for others bydumping their waste for someone else to clear up, which is called fly tipping.

If you have experienced – or are experiencing – domestic abuse or sexualviolence, or if you know someone who is, or you suspect may beexperiencing domestic violence or abuse, you can help.

The Live Fear Free Helpline is a free service that offers advice and supportto people like you who are concerned about domestic abuse and sexualviolence.

If it is you who are facing domestic abuse and sexual violence, you cancontact the Live Fear Free helpline yourself.

Or, if you are worried about a friend or a relative, you can just call for someadvice or you can give them this number and encourage them totelephone the helpline directly.

It’s free to call and, you never know, making that call or passing on thenumber could be the first step towards creating one more life free of fear.

Domestic abuse and sexual violence can happen to anyone, ofany age, of any gender and at any stage of their life. The abuseand violence of anyone is not acceptable in any circumstances.

Live Fear FreeHelpline – 24 hoursa day, 7 days a week, 0808 80 10 800

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Staff Spotlightnews and views

Who’s who at Bro Myrddin

1. Where are you from?

I was born In Wigan, England andlived there until I was 5. I then movedto Wales and lived in a small villagecalled Capel Iwan.

2. What school did you attend?

I went to Ysgol Gyfun EmlynSecondary school and later went touniversity at University of WalesTrinity St David in Carmarthen. Istudied an integrated master’sdegree in Social Studies.

3. What did you enjoy most atschool?

My favourite subjects were alwaysMusic and English.

4. Did you have a nickname?

No, just Gemma.

5. Where else have you worked?

Before working here I worked at JonRichard Jewellery as a sales andcustomer service consultant. I havealso worked as an administrator in afamily run business.

6. What are your hobbies?

I play the piano as a hobby and I amcurrently working towards my grade8 (although this has been on holdsince I had a baby!).

7. Favourite food?

My favourite food has got to bepizza, or anything Italian.

8. Favourite film?

I love a rom-com. So ‘Love Actually’or ‘Notting Hill’.

9. Favourite place?

I was lucky enough to travel to Romea couple of years ago, it is a beautifulplace with so much history.

10.Favourite music?

I’m a big fan of Lana Del Ray.

11. Do you enjoy your job at bromyrddin?

I’m really enjoying my time at BroMyrddin, everyone has been sowelcoming and I believe I fit in wellhere.

It’s always nice to put a face to aname so that when you contact us,you know who you’re talking to. Inthis summer issue of Sgwrs, we’reshining a light on Gemma Springett,she is the Customer ServicesAssistant in the Customer Servicesteam and here’s what she had to say:

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The report sets out whether we’re meeting the standardsoutlined in the Regulatory Framework for Registered SocialLandlords in Wales.

The Framework looks to ensure that we:• have a process in place to evaluate our performance

ourselves• are a well governed organisation• have a good standard of resident engagement • strive to improve our services to residents• manage the risks we encounter as a business.

Bro Myrddin is delighted to let you know that we aremeeting the standards at the highest level in all areas. Ourjudgement specifically says:

Governance and Services – Standard• Identifies and manages new and emerging risks

appropriately.

Financial Viability – Standard • Meets viability requirements and has the financial

capacity to deal with scenarios appropriately.

What is legionnaires’ diseaseLegionnaires’ Disease is a pneumonia-like illness causedby legionella bacteria. Everyone is susceptible to infectionbut it is very rare.

Legionella bacteria are found in the natural environmentand may contaminate and grow in water systems,including domestic hot and cold water systems.

Breeding grounds within the homeDomestic hot and cold water systems can provide anenvironment where Legionella bacteria can grow.

Most importantly, make sure that:• Hot water in the system is kept hot;• Cold water is kept cold;• The water is kept circulated.

In particular, it is important that you:• Tell us if the boiler or hot water tank are not working

properly, particularly if the water is not coming out ofthe taps at a sufficiently high temperature.

• Do not interfere with the settings on your boiler or hotwater system. The hot water should be set so that thewater is heated up to 60°C.

• Tell us if the cold water is still running warm after youhave initially run off any water, which may haveaccumulated in the pipes.

• Tell us if there are problems, debris or discolouration inthe water.

Where showers are fitted:• If they are used only occasionally then flush them

through by running them for at least 2 minutes once aweek. Keep out of the way whilst this is being done asfar as possible.

• Clean the shower head periodically, descale anddisinfect it. This should be done at least every six months.

Although legally, it is your landlord’s responsibility to takeprecautions to prevent Legionella being present in the hotor cold water system, residents also have an importantpart to play in taking these simple and practical precautions.

Welsh Government Assessment

Each year Welsh Government carries out an assessment on how Bro Myrddinis performing and publishes a Regulatory Judgement report about us.

You can review the Welsh Government report on www.bromyrddin.org.uk

Tap in to water hygiene

Don’t fret over finances –Call in to our drop in service

A dent in the rent? –You could qualify forshort term reduction

news and views

DHP’s are funded by the Government to provide extrahelp to people who are battling to pay their rent. Thesepayments are awarded as a short-term measure to helpthose suffering extraordinary financial hardship.

You could qualify if:• Your Housing Benefit or the housing part of your

Universal Credit is lower than your weekly payable rent.• Or you could get a reduction if you receive assistance

with Council Tax.

Do you need help withwelfare benefit

applications or appeals?

Are you struggling with money or to make

ends meet?

Or do you have any otherissues with finances that

you’d like to discuss?

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If you find yourself struggling to pay your rent,you may be entitled to a Discretionary HousingPayment (DHP).

Do you qualify?

Then maybe Lynda can help as part of our ‘Welfare Benefitand Money Management’ drop in service for tenants.

It is FREE and it takes place at our Head Office inCarmarthen every Tuesday between 9:30 and 12:30 (youdon’t even have to make an appointment).

Most people find that talking helps, so call in when you’repassing and let Lynda help get those worries sorted out!

To check whether youmight be eligible, visitthe Council website at

www.carmarthenshire.gov.wales

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Annual Reportsnapshot of our

We are very proud to announce that Bro Myrddin hasattracted just over £7.1 million of Welsh Government grantfunding during the year. This substantial amount, togetherwith an additional £5m of private loan funding, will enable usto develop an additional 85 new homes withinCarmarthenshire over the next few years.

Bro Myrddin remains committed to tackling fuel poverty,providing affordable thermal comfort for resident andreducing carbon emissions. As well as investing in this typeof work, we constantly seek out additional funding toimprove the energy efficiency of our homes. This year wesecured £33,700 of grant funding towards improving thethermal comfort of 32 homes.

The Association continues to strive for effective residentinvolvement, with the invaluable support and commitmentof the Residents’ Forum and the Residents’ Scrutiny Panel inboth strategic decision making and shaping and improvingservices in ways appropriate for residents and theAssociation.

During the year we commissioned TPAS Cymru to review ourResident Participation Strategy. We want the Strategy toreflect how residents are effectively involved, how existingopportunities for involvement can be improved and identifynew areas for development.

An independent STAR satisfaction survey of all residents wasundertaken during the year. This survey will give us furtherinsight into how satisfied residents are with their homes andservices, as well as what drives satisfaction levels and whatmost concerns residents.

Hilary Jones, Chief Executive & Lesley Penn Chair of theBoard of Management

2017/2018we have been very

busy makingimprovements across

the Association

During the year we havedeveloped 32 flats and housesand purchased 6 homes. Theresidents of the 38 flats andhouses are settling well intotheir new homes.

£5mFUNDINGSOURCEDMoney for DevelopmentThe Association generates free cash from its operatingactivities which it uses towards its developmentactivities. The shortfall between free cash anddevelopment grants received is met by borrowingfacilities.

During the year, an additional £5m of loan funding wassourced meaning that all the Association’s committeddevelopments can be funded and its long-term liquidityis safeguarded.

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88.8%of residents satisfied thatwe provide an effective

and efficient service

Statistical & Performance data 2016/17

872Homes in management

99Residents involved inBro Myrddin Activities

96.6%of residents satisfied

with repairs

£326,641Plannedimprovements

17,490 (75.3 calls a day)calls taken by theCustomer Services Team

277residents managingtheir rent accountsonline

Creating More Homes forCarmarthenshire’s Community

Bro Myrddin has increased its total number of homesthis year by 38 and the residents are already settling in:

• 6 new homes were purchased. • 4 new houses were built on Trem y Dref,

Carmarthen.• 28 new 1 bed flats were built at Maes y Ffair,

Carmarthen.

Bro Myrddin has also obtained planning permissionand issued contracts to developers, to deliver thefollowing schemes:

Priory Street, CarmarthenThis development will provide 37 new homes (10houses and 27 flats) early in 2020.

Gate Road, Penygroes8 new houses are being developed and are expected tobe completed by summer of 2019.

Maes y Bryn, LLangennechThis 34-home development comprises 26 houses and 8flats, which are due to be completed in the Autumn of2019.

38NEWHOMES

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It is gradually being rolled out in Wales and you will be switching over to the new system by December 2018. To makeyour experience as smooth as possible it’s a good idea to plan ahead and take the following steps:

Being prepared –Planning for Universal Credit

Say yes to Direct Debit

A Direct Debit is an arrangement you make with your bank toautomatically pay your rent and service charges to us everymonth on a set date. Deciding to pay by Direct Debit means:

• You only need to set it up once and it is easy to arrange.• You can choose which date you want your bank to pay us.• It will automatically be taken from your bank every month on the set

payment date, without you having to remember to do anything.• You are covered by a guarantee, which protects you and your money.• If your rent and service charges change, we can amend your Direct Debit

on your behalf so that’s one less thing to think about.• You can cancel it at any time.

Universal Credit is the social security benefit created to replace six means-testedbenefits and tax credits (Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, Employment andSupport Allowance, Income Support, Working and Child Tax Credit and HousingBenefit). It is intended to make the benefits system simpler.

To find out more about Universal Credit in Wales give us a call on 01267 232714

To find out more aboutsetting up a Direct Debit

call us on 01267 232714 orvisit www.directdebit.co.uk

1. Stop and think 2. Understand what Universal Credit (UC) is 3. Know when it’s going to affect you

1. Open a bank account2. Start saving3. Tell us as soon as you are asked to apply for UC

4. Make sure you have your rent and service chargedetails to hand

1. 5 weeks assessment period = no cash2. Manage your debts and start budgeting3. Get online and set up an email address

Stop

Getready

Go