What we did in October

Community Agreements

Our Customer Inspectors have had a busy month. Working with our team and the Neighbourhood Services Team, the Inspectors looked at how effective Community Agreements have been and what impact they have in the community. Door knocking was carried out and a report with recommendations is currently being considered, the results of the customer feedback have been very interesting - watch this space.

So What? This is a great example of customers influencing and shaping the service.

Youtube QR Code

QR codes - you may be familiar with these codes that we have been putting around our offices.They are the latest technology for providing a quick and easy link to information. Anyone with a Smart phone can scan these codes and will be directed straight to a web page. We have three QR codes – one for our Youtube Channel, this Blog, and our newly launched Flickr account where we showcase our photos and achievements. You can have a browse at

www.flickr.com/staffordandruralhomes

So What? It is a form of social media which allows us to network and share photos with customers, partners and local businesses. It also enables us to keep up-to-date with what’s going on locally.

The Regnart Family

The Penkside Project. We delivered the Halloween Edition of the newsletter to approximately 1000 homes in the area this month and  SARH along with partners of the project contributed to the newsletter to make it an interesting read. The newsletter included a competition to win a family ticket to Shugborough’s Halloween Spooktacular Event and the Regnart Family were extremely chuffed to win this prize!


So What?  The newsletter keeps the community informed of what’s going on in the area and encourages them to get involved in the many groups and activities that are available.

  

What to do with winter cuttings

Four Customer Learning Courses took place this month 27 people attended. Courses ranged from winter cuttings, digital photography, stop smoking, driver awareness to saving energy

So What? Our Customer Learning Courses continue to to be well attended and the customer feedback tells us that that we are getting it right in terms of course content and value to the customer.

 Urban Gallery Halloween theme

The Urban Gallery project  kicked off this month when an empty shop owned by SARH was fitted with art displays in the window for everyone to enjoy. There’s nothing more depressing than an empty shop and putting up themed window displays soon brightens up the local community. The display was courtesy of volunteer Julie Thompson and in future we are looking for members of the public to join us in brightening up their neighbourhoods.


So What? This project brightens up communities at minimal cost

Green Awards

We won awards! Green awards to be precise, for active commitment to good environmental practise and sustainable development. Our Independent Living Scheme at Jubilee Court won a Community and Well being commendation for their work in the communal vegetable garden, we won a commendation for our company "getting out there day", as well as our work on a memorial garden at Blessed William Howard School and the final award was for our work to improve the insulation and reduce fuel bills in our concrete built homes . The awards were received at Stafford Borough Council's annual Green Awards event.  

So what?  It is great to receive recognition for effort.

HERaTAGE Litter pickers

We went Litter picking in Highfields, one of our largest estates in Stafford with HERaTAGE the estate's Tenants and Residents Association. The group is strong and represents over 1000 customers. Our Neighbourhood Services Team organises regular Estate Walkabouts, and the association use these occasions to litter pick. Everyone gets involved including our team, the Neighbourhood Services Team, Stafford Borough Council, Police, customers and Councillors and the estate looks pristine afterwards.

So what?  This is a great example of what can be achieved for the community by working together combining resources and ideas.

Monsters Ball!

The Community Resource Centre’s annual Halloween event was held on the 28th and this year’s theme was ‘One plot left’, the last space was being sold by a mad resident undertaker in the cemetery. Hagatha Magenta, the witch of Greyfriars made sure that the proceedings went to plan and the whole spine chilling event was gruesomely good and enjoyed by all the ghosts, ghouls and monsters who attended

So What? This helps to achieve our aim of bringing customers and communities together.

That's it for this month, Sandra Shipperley signing off till next month. If you want to know more about what we do visit our website http://www.sarh.co.uk/