intouchSouth Western Housing Society Tenant Newsletter

Spring/Summer 2018

COMMUNITY FUNDDid you know that the Society has a small budget available each year for investing in community projects where we have homes, or where we are building homes. You may know of a local project, or scheme, that would benefit the community you live in, and if so we would like to hear from you.

Projects we have supported in the past include:

• Stafford Court Community Fund• Lympsham Village Shop• Lapford Scout Group• Moors Youth Football Club• Stafford Court Social Club• Culm Vale Bowling Club• Stoke Fleming Village Hall Defibrillator Fund• St Mary the Blessed Virgin Church, East Brent

purchased a lapel speaker• Timber & fencing materials for Fry’s Farm, a

valuable outdoor learning resource at St Dunstan School, Calne

• Scooter pods for St Mary’s Primary School, Bridgwater

• Play Area refurbishment in Stoke St Fleming• Playground furniture for St Dunstans Infant School

in Calne• New notice board to advertise events and

groups in the local community in Totnes• Bridgwater Lions Club Talking Newspaper for the

Blind

If you would like us to invest in a project you know about please contact Customer Services on 01934 750780 to request an application form or visit our website www.swhs.org.uk to download a form.

South Western Housing Society - Newsletter Spring/Summer 2018

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HOW TO LOOK AFTER YOUR LAWN IN THE SUMMERSummer time is the best time to enjoy the lawn but it can also have the biggest toll on your grass.

It doesn’t take a lot of effort to keep your lawn looking good throughout the summer season and with the right tools and treatments at your fingertips, you simply can’t go wrong.

Persistent hot and dry weather can quickly affect the appearance and overall health of your grass, so moisture is key!

Enjoy your lawn!Don’t forget to enjoy the lawn during the summer months!

It’s the perfect place to host garden parties, barbecues and to enjoy sunbathing and garden games while the weather is warm and the rest of the garden is looking good.

Don’t worry too much about damage, your lawn is there to be enjoyed and as long as you follow the advice below, it will bounce back quickly.

Mow regularly You will now probably need to increase the regularity with which you mow your lawn.

If the conditions are ideal for growth, you may need to cut twice a week to keep it looking good.

Don’t be tempted to cut the lawn too short when it is hot as this can cause damage.

If you are going away on holiday, cut the lawn normally as close to your leaving date as possible.

Use an edging iron to keep lawn edges neat and tidy.

Feed and conditionApply a feed to keep your lawn looking green and healthy. A well-prepared lawn that has been properly fed and treated is better able to withstand and recover from drought.

Keep on top of weeds and mossSmall patches of weeds can be treated effectively using a selective weed killer. Lawns treated in the spring may need a second application if the moss or weeds are persistent.

Keep a watch out for chewed lawn roots and patchy lawns that may indicate a problem with leather jackets and chafer grubs. These are underground larvae that feed on grass roots and be controlled using naturally occurring nematodes.

Look after new lawnsKeep newly sown lawns and freshly turfed areas well watered in dry spells.

Ensure you water thoroughly, light watering can cause damage by encouraging roots to the surface.

Water at dusk and really soak the area so that the water filters through to the soil around the roots.

Start planning for a new lawnIt is not a good idea to sow a new lawn in the summer months as the soil is too dry. Postpone sowing until early autumn when your new lawn has a much better chance of success.

There’s plenty you can do in the summer to prepare for this:

1. Mark the area where you want to sow your new lawn with string

2. Kill off any weeds

3. Dig over the whole area, breaking up clods of soil

4. Rake over the ground so it is as level as possible

5. Wait until autumn to sow your lawn

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South Western Housing Society - Newsletter Spring/Summer 2018

GARDEN PONDSGarden ponds are great! They are nice to look at, good for wildlife... Unfortunately they are not so good for young children. In fact, garden ponds are involved in more than half of all toddler drownings.

On average, 5 under 6s drown every year in garden ponds in the UK

No matter how hard you try, it’s difficult to always know exactly where your child is, and drowning often occurs while a parent or carer assumes their child is safe.

Fortunately, there are a number of easy options you can take to give you peace of mind and keep your little ones bouncing. In fact, it’s as easy as 1,2,3.

Grille it!Covering your pond is a good option for some people – you just need to make sure you use a rigid metal grille rather than flimsy chicken wire. Don’t forget to check it regularly to make sure it’s up to the job of keeping young children out of the water.

Fence it!Another good option, although it can sometimes give you a false sense of security – particularly as most young children are excellent climbers! If you do choose a fence, make sure it’s at least 1.1m and that access points such as gates are kept locked.

Fill it!There are some great options for transforming your pond into something else while the little ones are young, such as a flowerbed or even a sandpit.

MOORS FC - CHEQUE PRESENTATION

The Society are pleased to support the Moors Youth Football Club Tiverton, providing coaching and training to young people of all ages and abilities.

The £400 cheque will go towards the annual tournament this summer that is the main showcase for the club and enable them to raise funds to maintain equipment and ensure the training staff are well equipped.

At the time of Steve Austen’s visit to present the cheque the “all weather pitch area” had six teams training.

Photographs show training staff Grant Carter & Matt Davey collecting their cheque from Steve Austen (Housing Officer)

OTHERY DEVELOPMENT OPENING

DISABLED ADAPTATIONS

South Western Housing Society and Sedgemoor District Council celebrated the opening of six, low energy, affordable homes.

This exceptional development in Othery, is a high quality scheme providing much needed affordable rental housing in the village.

Developed in partnership with the District Council, and built by Man Green Homes the scheme consists of:

2 x three bedroom houses4 x two bedroom houses for rent.

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Emergency Out of Hours Contact DetailsIf you have a maintenance emergency whilst the office is closed please use the out of hours telephone numbers (see below). Please remember, if your call is deemed not to be an emergency you will be charged for any callout that you request.For all types of heating and hot water, telephone Gregor Heating on: 07788 917 044For all other emergency repairs, telephone Dale Contractors on: 08456 033 666

South Western Society Contact Details:Eastbridge House, Pill Road, Rooksbridge, Somerset BS26 2TNTelephone: 01934 750780 • E-mail: Customerservices@swhs.org.uk • Website: www.swhs.org.uk

South Western Housing Society - Newsletter Spring/Summer 2018

The Society wishes to assist its tenants and residents to stay in their homes for as long as possible. To achieve this we support where appropriate, the installation of disabled adaptations to its properties. Where a tenant requests an adaptation or aid to their property which is considered under the statutory Disabled Facilities Grant regime, they will be referred to their General Practioner for further referral to the relevant Social Services department.

In the case where small minor works are recommended, for example the installation of grab rails, the Society will, at its discretion, and within budgetary constraints, provide financial support from its Minor Disabled Facilities Budget.

In the case of major improvements, such as the installation of showers, stair lifts etc, the Society expects that such works will be instructed to be carried out under the Disabled Facilities Grant regime. For more information if you think an adaption would benefit you, please contact customerservices@swhs.org.uk

PLAYING SAFELY - OUT OF HARM’S WAY

For safe play, children should always be supervised by an adult. Make sure children are in a safe place to play, such as a backyard, fenced park or recreational area. Children can dart into traffic quickly when distracted by games they are playing. Roads, carparks, footpaths and driveways are never safe places to play.