Tenant Newsletter - October 2022

If you want to speak to us about your housing, please get in touch with us.

Your feedback allows us to address your concerns directly and gives us valuable information about how we deliver our services.

Whether it's a comment, compliment or complaint, we want to hear from you. You can call us on (01788) 533533 or simply complete an online form on our website.

Report a repair or issues with anti-social behaviour

If you want to contact us to report a repair required at your property or issues with anti-social behaviour from council tenants, please use the online forms on our website to ensure we can deal with your request efficiently and effectively.

Report a repair

Report anti-social behaviour

If you have an issue with your rent, please call us immediately (01788) 533533 so we can try to help. You can find more information about your rent on our website.

View more information about your rent

Housing Ombudsman

The council has signed up to the Housing Ombudsman Complaint Handling Code, which aims to enable landlords to resolve complaints raised by tenants quickly.

Under the code, we have published a self-assessment which details how we deal with complaints.

If you make a complaint to us and do not agree with our response, you have the right to appeal. If you remain unhappy with how we have handled your complaint, you can contact the Housing Ombudsman.

The Housing Ombudsman website contains a range of information which you might find useful.

Visit the Housing Ombudsman website

 

 

The Government's Energy Bills Support Scheme rolls out from this month, providing a £400 discount to eligible households to help with the rising cost of energy bills through winter.

You receive the discount automatically, so if you receive text messages, phone calls or emails claiming to be connected with the scheme and requesting your bank details, please be aware it could be a scam.

You can report suspected scam or 'phishing' messages. Visit the Government website for information on how to report suspicious messages.

Your energy supplier automatically applies the following discounts to your bills over the next six months:

• £66 in October and November
• £67 in December, January, February and March

If you have not received the first instalment of your discount by the end of October, contact your energy supplier.

 

Rugby Art Gallery and Museum has a 'fang-tastic' programme of Halloween half-term holiday activities.

The free Incy Wincy Spider Hunt runs from Saturday 22 October to Saturday 29 October, challenging youngsters to find all the incy wincy spiders hiding around the building. Find all the spiders and you can enter a free prize draw. (No booking required).

Sensory Splat takes place from 10.30am to 11.30am on Monday 24 October, offering a session of sensory exploration and messy play for babies and toddlers from six months to three-years-old. Children must be accompanied by an adult, with places priced £5.80 (one child and one adult). (Booking required).

On Tuesday 25 October, Spider Prints and String Webs workshops run from 10.30am to 11.30am and 11.45am to 12.45pm, offering children the chance to try print-making methods to create spooky spiders and wondrous webs. Places at the workshop cost £2 per child. Children must be accompanied by an adult. (Booking required).

Children of all ages can join the free String Web Sculpture drop-in session from 10.30am to 12.30pm on Wednesday 26 October, working together to weave a spectacular spider's web from string. (No booking required).

And Project Play on Friday 28 October and Saturday 29 October promises to let children's imaginations run wild, exploring the possibilities of shape, texture and colour in sessions developed by renowned experiential sculptor Natalie Zervou-Kerruish.

Sessions, suitable for ages three and under, take place from 10am to 10.45am, 11am to 11.45am, 1.30pm to 2.15pm and 2.30pm to 3.15pm on both days. Places cost £2 per child. Children must be accompanied by an adult. (Booking required).

All activities which require booking have limited places available so visit www.ragm.co.uk/holiday-activities to find out more information and book your place.

 

The Brownsover Winter Family Project launches later this month, offering families in Brownsover with school-age children the opportunity to enjoy a free hot meal in a warm, friendly environment.

The project has been launched by Brownsover Community Association, Boughton Leigh Infant School and Christ Church to support the community through winter and the rising cost of living.

Hosted at Boughton Leigh Infant School, the project runs from 24 October to the end of March, running seven days a week from 4.30pm to 6pm.

To help with catering and to avoid food waste, families have been asked to register with the project before attending. To cater for dietary requirements, please give at least 24 hours' notice of which day or days your family wants to attend.

All children must be accompanied by an adult.

To register with the project, email brownsoverfwp@gmail.com or text co-ordinator Lynne Bone on 07821 515896.

Volunteers needed

The project has started recruiting a team of volunteers to helo with food collection, preparation, serving, washing up and welcoming guests.

All volunteers involved with food preparation need to be qualified in Level Two Food Hygiene. The project can support you with training.

If you're interested in becoming a volunteer, email brownsoverfwp@gmail.com

 

The council has installed air source heat pumps for tenants in Dunchurch after securing funding from the Government's Green Homes Grant Local Authority Delivery (LAD) scheme.

Air source pumps offer an environmentally-friendly, cost-effective solution to heating homes - especially when a pump replaces electric storage heaters.

After securing the funding, the council identified a number of properties in Ferriers Close suitable for a heating system powered by an air source pump.

Energy company E.ON worked with the council to install the pumps, helping a number of residents to make the switch to cleaner, cheaper energy.

A recent report by consumer champion Which?, based on fuel prices of March 2022, revealed a professionally-installed, standard air source heat pump could save householders up to £720 a year when replacing new electric storage heaters and up to £1,330 a year when replacing old electric storage heaters.

The council has committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2030 and set a target of 2050 for the whole borough to become 'net zero'. Making our council homes more energy-efficient forms part of our plans to reach our climate emergency goals.

Visit the Rugby Net Zero website for more information

 

 

The Engage programme at Hill Street Community Centre supports young people struggling to make the transition into adulthood.

Funded by the Warwickshire Police and Crime Commissioner, the free programme helps 17 to 25-year-olds to live independently, find employment or complete education.

Engage includes classroom-based sessions and hands-on, practical activities, addressing issues such as:

• relationships
• education
• employment
• personal development
• communication
• independent living 
• health and wellbeing

Sessions run twice a week. Participants need to meet with the Engage team before attending the programme. Call (01788) 576041 to arrange a meeting.

Visit the Hill Street Community Centre website for more information 

Rugby Bareboards Trust has reopened following summer stock-take in August.

The trust collects good quality, unwanted furniture to help furnish the homes of residents on low-incomes or in receipt of benefits.

The charity distributes furniture, soft furnishings, kitchenware, electrical appliances, gardening equipment and household items.

The trust's shop in Warren Road opens from 11am to 3pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

For more information, visit the Rugby Bareboards Trust website.

Support for the community

You can visit the council's website to find out information about a wide range of public sector, community, voluntary and charitable organisations which offer advice and support to help residents deal with the cost of living.

Vist the council's website to find out about the community support on offer