We had a successful skip day in Parc Clarence, Llandudno on Friday 27th January, helping clear up the estate and improve the general community.
Thank you to everyone who came along and helped us on the day.
Other skip days will be carried out in other areas as identified by the Neighbourhood team.
We recently provided Cricket Wales with funding via Community Funding to support cricket sessions to 30 children in Conwy over half term holidays.
The money provided was used to provide medals for young primary school children from areas of deprivation in Conwy who take part in half term cricket activity in communities surrounding NWH houses.
Such activities help connect communities and improve children’s wellbeing by inspiring them to discover a passion for cricket.
Got a community project you would like to apply for funding? Find out how here https://www.nwha.org.uk/get-involved/opportunities/community-fund/
North Wales Housing are pleased to work in partnership with North Wales Police as part of the Safer Streets government scheme.
Funded by North Wales Police, Safer Streets provides areas that have been identified as being in need with added security measures for their homes. These measures include PIR lights, alarms, gate locks, letterbox restrictors and window vibration alarms.
Neighbourhood Officer Mandy Richards visited some eligible properties in West Rhyl this July to discuss home security and deliver items that residents felt they needed, to hopefully reduce their risk of becoming victims of crime. The residents were grateful to receive their free security measures.
We are working with Gwynedd Council and Adra to redevelop an empty site, 137 Bangor High St, into 12 flats with support to tackle homelessness in Bangor, Gwynedd. Adra are leading on the development, while the building will then be managed in partnership by North Wales Housing and Gwynedd Council.
Planning permission has been granted and work will start early 2021.
We are proud to be working with Gwynedd Council’s Housing and Properties team to develop a building which will then provide accommodation and will be a suitable home to help and contribute towards tackling homelessness in Gwynedd by working with Gwynedd Council and Adra.
Sarah Schofield, Adra’s Customers and Communities Director said:
“We are so glad that this development has had planning permission, I can’t wait to see people moving into their new homes when the development is completed.
“There has been almost 40% increase in homelessness in Gwynedd over the last 5 years, and with Universal Credit cases increasing and people losing jobs as a result of the pandemic as well, there is a need for accommodation and service like this more than ever.
“We are really proud to be working with Gwynedd Council and North Wales Housing and proud that we’re taking steps to solve this matter and to help vulnerable people who is in housing need in Bangor, Gwynedd.”
Councillor Craig ab Iago, Cabinet Member for Housing in Gwynedd Council, said:
“Having a roof over your head is something most of us take for granted. But unfortunately, social circumstances mean that this human right is something that’s out of some local people’s reach. This is unfair and we’re determined to make sure that the people of Gwynedd has access to appropriate housing.
“This project will offer an important first step for people towards independence and a long term home by building independent lives. It’s also good to see that new life will be given to a building that’s been empty for a long period of time, here in Bangor.”
Brett Sadler, Operations Director at North Wales Housing said:
“We welcome the good news that planning permission has been given for this development. We’r proud that we, by working with Gwynedd Council and Adra, will support homelessness in Bangor, and add to the work our Outreach and Resettlement Team already do in the area.
“We also understand that providing a home alone is not enough, we will also be offering direct support by our informative and committed staff, to enable the tenants to successfully live independently.”
All partners are committed to complete this project and we will be working with specialist services and voluntary organizations that work in the Bangor area.
You are invited to join in an art project coming up at Tre Cwm, Llandudno about a wall, with lots of free workshops and events:
Everyone welcome – Follow the signs around Tre Cwm to find us!
Snacks and refreshments will be provided at all events.
The aim of this project is for us to come up with an artwork for the wall along the A456 roundabout. How can it represent the uniqueness of Tre Cwm? What are the stories that will bring it to life, and invite people to learn about each other? How do we capture the project digitally? These are some questions we can start with.
Kristin Luke is the artist-in-residence for Tre Cwm. Originally from Los Angeles and having moved to North Wales in 2017, she makes work in sculpture, digital design and film, about education, architecture, and utopias. You will probably see her quite a lot around the estate!
This is a big new exciting project, which definitely needs a big exciting group of people to make it happen!
Follow the project on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter: @TreCwm
#thewallis and add your own #adjective
Y Gorlan, Sheltered Accommodation in Bangor, has been selected by Tesco for their ‘Tesco Bags of Help Grant Scheme’ throughout March and April 2019.
The project with the highest number of votes across your region will receive £4,000, the second placed project £2,000, and the third placed project £1,000.
If successful, the money will help Y Gorlan to complete Phase 2 of their garden makeover! Phase 1 was completed in November 2018, with works such as Planting bulbs for the Spring, building a garden love seat and several raised beds filled with fruit plants and herbs.
The revamp was carried out in partnership with Wild Elements, a not-for-profit social enterprise dedicated to getting people in North Wales outdoors and connecting people to nature, improving lives, opportunities and aspirations.
Rowena Maxwell, Older Person Housing Officer explains:
“The garden looks great following Phase 1, with the daffodils, snowdrops and crocus flowers peeking through the ground already. However, we want to improve on the hard work already carried out by Wild Elements. The money would help us improve the garden’s accessibility and provide a shaded area to sit and encourage opportunities for socialising and activities. We also hope to develop several additional sensory garden areas sections filled with scented and textured plants.”
Tom Cockbill, Wild Elements Director said:
“The Wild Elements team are looking forward to phase 2 of Y Gorlan gardens. People undertaking qualifications during phase 1 thoroughly enjoyed the project, and a gentleman living in Y Gorlan commented at the end of phase 1 that the project had given him ‘something to live for’. It’s feedback like that we love as we know we’ve made a difference.”
“Extending the gardens further will make a big difference to the lives of Y Gorlan residents, giving a beautiful, green space in the middle of town to spend their time, potter in the garden and socialise with each other.
“Wild Elements volunteers also gain a lot from the project, enabling them to gain new skills, increase confidence and self-esteem and improve their employability.”
Please help Y Gorlan and cast your vote throughout March and April! To vote all you need to do is take the token you get with every transaction and plant it in the special boxes near the entrance.
Having a good neighbour can make all the difference to a community and this is something we like to reward. Our awards pay tribute to North Wales Housing tenants who have made a significant difference to the lives of their neighbours or the local community.
We are delighted to announce this year’s Good Neighbour Awards winners:
Winners have been presented with £50 shopping vouchers to thank them for being such good neighbours and going that extra mile.
Iwan Evans, Tenant Participation Coordinator says
“These awards allow us to recognise and pay tribute to our tenants who go the extra mile for their neighbours. Everyone who was nominated should be congratulated for their acts of kindness.”
Thank you to those who took the time to nominate their neighbours.
North Wales Housing leads the way in the provision of support for homeless people across the area.
With winter upon us the Outreach and Resettlement Team at North Wales Housing is getting ready and making an urgent appeal for donations of warm clothing, sleeping bags and tents for the street homeless in the area.
The winter of 2017/2018 was particularly harsh with several severe cold snaps and freezing conditions. Cold temperatures can be tough for many of us – mainly causing disruption to our day to day arrangements. But for homeless people it means that the difficulties they face from day to day get even harder with the struggle to keep warm in sub-zero temperatures.
Lorna Hughes, is the NWH’s Outreach and Resettlement manager, she describes their work from day to day: “A lot of work goes on behind the scenes, and many won’t realise how much we do to support street homeless people in Gwynedd. We offer every rough sleeper support be that in the form of clothing and shelters donated by the public and local businesses, or hot meals from our gate service at St Mary’s Hostel in Bangor. Our Outreach Team does vital street work with rough sleepers in Bangor, unfortunately not everyone will accept our support – but it’s important that they know we are there to help if they want it.”
Over last winter’s colder months NWH and Gwynedd Council officers played an important role in securing hostel or bed and breakfast accommodation for homeless people in the area – which meant that many who would have normally been sleeping outside had a roof over their heads.
An important factor which ensures NWH can continue to provide help is the donations received from the public and local businesses. Resources are tight and without the warm clothing, tents, sleeping bags, and food donated, Lorna explains that their job would be so much harder.
To donate please contact North Wales Housing on 01492 572727. You can also take any donation to the Bangor Office at 30 Dean Street, Bangor, LL57 1UR or to the Llandudno Junction office which is at Plas Blodwel, Broad Street, LL31 9HL.
Having a good neighbour can make all the difference in a community and this is something we would like to reward. Our awards pay tribute to North Wales Housing tenants who have made a significant difference to the lives of their neighbours or the local community.
As our tenant you can nominate another North Wales Housing tenant for a prize, giving them the chance to be presented with £50, and as a thank you for nominating an award winner you will also be given a £10 shopping voucher.
Do you know someone who really makes a difference where you live? Are they always keeping an eye out for their neighbours and ready to lend a helping hand when needed?
If you know of a tenant that goes that ‘extra mile’ to help others we would like to hear from you!
For more information contact Iwan Evans on 01492 563232 or [email protected]
North Wales Housing supports CIH (Chartered Institute of Housing) ‘Make a Stand’ campaign to tackle domestic abuse. As part of this we are signing up to four commitments to try and make a real difference.
Looking for support?
Wales Wide 0808 80 10 800
www.welshwomensaid.org.uk
Here is a list of local services in north Wales:
Conwy
Denbighshire
Flintshire
Gwynedd
Isle of Anglesey
Wrexham
