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Keep up-to-date with all that's going on in the housing sector. To use our news-feeder just follow the simple instructions.

Tenants have their say.
18/12/08
Friendship Care and Housing is getting out into the community piloting a new tenant surgery scheme. The first surgery was held in the Northfield area of Birmingham. Housing officers from were on hand to answer tenants' questions relating to local, tenancy, estate, rent and repair issues. Margaret Weekes from the City Council (whose role is part-funded by Friendship) also joined the surgery offering independent money advice and information on winter fuel payments.
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Volunteers' life-changing month of work with Kenyan children.
11/12/08
Staff at Great Places Housing Group have spent a month helping some of the world's poorest children. Hannah Reeves, Rachel Nolan and Carolyn Phillips spent a month at a project in the industrial town of Nakuru - where youngsters live on a rubbish dump and have little to eat but cabbage and watery porridge. The trio acted as everything from entertainers to teachers to cooks and friends, and say the experience has changed their outlook on life.
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What qualifications and experience do I need?
04/12/08
Just one of the questions being asked of Friendship Care and Housing at the 'Jobs and Careers Live' event held at New Bingley Hall in Birmingham.
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Great Places staff step into each other's shoes.
26/11/08
Is there a better way to appreciate differences and unite communities than experiencing other people's way of life? The team at Great Places don't think so. As part of their 'Diversity Week' they left their desks to watch a play, visit a mosque and tuck into a Caribbean feast.
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Great Places in Plasticine!
19/11/08
An army of Plasticine figures was created by Great Places Housing Group staff at their two-yearly conference, held at Manchester United FC. A total of 420 delegates each fashioned a figure from the multi-colour modelling clay for a display intended to evoke the sheer scale of employees' combined efforts.
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'Dolly' busks for colleagues to raise cash for Children In Need.
16/11/08
Staff arriving to work at Great Places Housing Group were treated to a morning serenade as they reached the doors of their office - all for Children In Need. Mysterious singer Dolly Tartan - complete with sunglasses and a curly wig - was actually supported housing officer Caroline Worthington.
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The mark of a great place to work and learn how to finger spell.
11/11/08
Friendship Care and Housing (FCH) are celebrating after retaining their prestigious Investors in People Standard (IiP) award. Wherever you see the IiP mark, you can rest assured that this is an employer totally committed to achieving their goals through training and developing their staff. So, it was good news all round.
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Friendship care homes are amongst the best in England.
04/10/08
Two adult care homes in Roundlea Road and Greatwood Road in Birmingham have been awarded the highest accolade possible by the Commission for Social Care and Inspection (CSCI): a 3-Star award.
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Eid Mela Revellers Renew Friendships.
04/08/08
Thousand of revellers flooded into the Eid Mela festivities in Cannon Hill Park recently.
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Good causes get cash boost from Dane.
04/07/08
Dane Housing has just launched its 2008 sponsorship scheme which awards money to local community groups in need of support.
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Dane staff get a taste for learning something new.
03/07/08
Lunchtime 'taster sessions' gave Dane Housing employees the opportunity to try activities such as tai chi, salsa dancing, and laser clay shooting recently. The classes were organised as part of National Learning at Work Week - and they proved to be a big hit with staff.
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Dane gets set for a sizzling summer.
01/07/08
There's no shortage of events to keep residents of Congleton, Cheshire amused over the next few months. The Dane Housing team has organised a packed programme of activities for all ages, from summer tea dances to samba workshops.
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Peace of mind for older and vulnerable people.
28/05/08
A Cheshire-based housing association is pioneering technology that'll help their residents to live as independently as possible for as long as possible. Dane Housing Group's Telecare Service consists of a range of sensors installed in the home. It's designed to reduce accidents, falls and visits to the hospital. This additional personal freedom lessens the need for residential or nursing care and relieves the pressure on family carers. It's perfect for people with long-term health conditions and those recently discharged from hospital or receiving intermediary care.
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Cheshire residents take a bow.
24/05/08
Dane residents, who have been actively involved in working with the company to improve services and their neighbourhoods, were acknowledged for their hard work and commitment to making a difference, at a special event. Seventy residents from across the Borough enjoyed Dim Sum at The Forum Restaurant prior to attending a performance of Kiss Me Kate at the Daneside theatre.
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Celebrating 10 successful years in the community.
21/05/08
The Dane Housing Group is a decade old. It's come along way since it took over ownership and management of Congleton Borough Council's housing stock in 1998.
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Midlands housing giant moves to Nottingham.
19/05/08
Friendship Care and Housing's have moved to ultra-modern facilities right in the heart of Nottingham.
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Pioneering new ways to keep people safe from fire.
12/05/08
Friendship Care and Housing has struck up a first-of-its-kind partnership with Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service. They've come together to offer high quality advice and fire safety guidance to 16,000 households and 1,000 people working across The Midlands.
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Lives in the Midlands brightened by Stars in the Sky.
09/05/08
Residents living in a Friendship Care and Housing's Alvechurch care home have discovered a new way to get out and about and meet new people. Stars in the Sky is a new project based upon an award-winning initiative created specifically for adults with learning difficulties. Led by Tom Long, Stars in the Sky organises social events and meetings for its members, giving them the opportunity to meet others in similar circumstances. It helps people meet new friends, go out on dates and attend activities that can result in long-term partnerships.
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Affordable homes for Derby.
07/05/08
Friendship Care and Housing has been awarded £7.5 million in government funding from the National Affordable Housing Programme for 2008-11. The money is being put towards the construction of 290 new homes and affordable homes in Derby. Due to be built over the next 3 years, they'll give many families a much-needed leg-up onto the property ladder.
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Green light for environmentally friendly borough.
07/04/08
The Dane Housing Group and Congleton Borough Council have formed an eco- partnership to help combat climate change within the Borough. Their wide ranging proposals include reducing energy use within the home, tackling local fuel poverty and improving the local environment.
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Getting a different perspective on New Charter's housing advice.
07/04/08
Who better to measure the success of a housing association than two young people who've recently experienced life on the streets? The idea that people with first-hand experience of housing problems should survey New Charter's service users was first raised at the Tameside Homeless Conference. Amongst the conference's delegates were several young people from a Hyde housing project run by NACRO, the reduction charity.
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Dane residents scoop prize draw.
27/03/08
Completing a satisfaction survey gave Mr and Mrs Brooks from Congleton more than they bargained for. Filling out the survey meant they were also entered for a £100 prize draw. And it was their names that came out of the hat. Dane Housing asked all their residents to complete a satisfaction survey to let them know exactly how good the association’s 2007/2008 external painting programme was.
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290 affordable homes for Derby
20/03/08
Friendship Care and Housing has been awarded £7.5million in government funding from the National Affordable Housing Programme for 2008-11. This means their plan to build 290 quality homes has passed an essential milestone. That’s great news for communities in Derby needing affordable housing.
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Making 'end of life' care a positive experience.
15/03/08
West Midlands-based Friendship Care and Housing are doing everything they can to make older long-term residents' lives as stimulating as possible. They're providing care that combines quality of life, dignity and respect. And they're making sure this level of care lasts right up until their final days.
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The apprentice - you're hired!
09/03/08
Ashley Goodman aged 16 and Jason Delaney aged 19 are fast on their way to becoming fully-qualified tradesmen with HomeZone. They are the Repair Team's latest apprentices, and will help deliver day-to-day maintenance to the association's 4,500 properties.
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Awards for community champions.
01/03/08
People who've made an outstanding difference to their community have been celebrated at a glittering awards ceremony in Manchester. Nominations were invited last month and a judging panel of neighbourhood workers had the difficult task of sifting through these to find the ultimate community champions.
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Celebrating a community hero.
26/02/08
Coventry's leading housing group is urging city residents to take a leaf out of the book of a community stalwart. Despite suffering from two strokes last year, Thelma Hammond, has battled to secure new fencing for nearby residents, a zebra crossing and a community noticeboard.
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A new bed for St Giles Hospice.
20/02/08
HomeZone, part of the Bromford Housing Group, have donated £1,500 to St Giles Hospice in Whittingham. The money was raised by a number of charity events held throughout the year and it's being used to buy a new bed for the hospice.
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Hands across the sea.
18/02/08
Students from across Europe are getting the chance to experience life in the UK whilst gaining some invaluable career skills, courtesy of HomeZone. The students who came through European Training Services, a company specialising in Foreign Exchange programmes, are staying with host families in Staffordshire.
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There's no substitute for experience.
11/02/08
Three seasoned trades-professionals have swapped their tools for assessment sheets and begun new careers as construction assessors. Stephanie Inns, Darren Varney and Richard Fallows are using their combined 93 years of experience, to train and assess the next generation of construction workers.
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Breaking down community barriers.
09/02/08
People who've dedicated their working life to improving community relations in the West Midlands have been recognised in a special awards ceremony. 'Midland's Cohesion Project' workers were presented with certificates by the Lord Mayor of Coventry, Cllr Dave Batten and the Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Cllr Randal Brew.
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Sub-prime lending attacked.
07/02/08
The first financial exclusion conference in Tameside criticised sub-prime lending activity in areas of low incomes. Keynote speaker David Heyes MP used the occasion to mount a stinging attack on the cynical business strategy of firms who provide premium rates of credit attached to supply of household goods. Mr Heyes used his background of managing a Citizens Advice Bureau as well as his constituency casework to identify targeting of traditionally low wage areas like Tameside.
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Free advice to ease people's money worries.
03/02/08
Tameside in Greater Manchester has held the area's first financial inclusion conference: 'The Money matters.and so do you'. All members of the public were invited to attend - and, with no small print to hide behind, organisers were proud to lay on the event for free! The conference's purpose was to raise awareness of financial inclusion and bring people together to look at ways of overcoming this social problem.
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Ron's got the X Factor.
31/01/08
Five venues, five different shows, but only one winner from each had that Xtra Factor!
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Working together to fight ASB.
28/01/08
Anti-social behaviour affects everyone in different ways. Whether it's the odd car driving past with music blaring or the neighbours having a heated argument, we all learn to live with it in small doses. The problem starts when you have to live with it every waking hour of every working day. It ruins your whole way of life!
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Training the next generation of trades-people.
24/01/08
Three young Coventry residents are picking up skills for the future, thanks to a new apprentice scheme. HomeWorks, Whitefriars repairs and maintenance service, recruited the trio to boost the skills within the team and offer the young people the chance to build a new and valuable career.
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P-P-P-Pick it up, says Penguin.
24/01/08
A talking penguin has been given a warm welcome in one of New Charter's neighbourhoods - Dunkenfield. It's the latest way of forming good habits, and rewards children for picking up their litter. But rather from the South Pole, this fella's from Derby.
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Helping young people out of the care system.
24/01/08
HomeZone and their local authority partners are helping some of the UK's most vulnerable young people get out of care and into a property of their own.
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Fuel points mean prizes for homeless kids.
24/01/08
New Charter uses more than £4,000 of diesel each week. With recent contract wins by our specialist Building Company this figure is set to rise. So, Fleet Manager, Helen Anderson spotted the opportunity of turning points into prizes with the help of Morrisons in Dukinfield. As the nearest and cheapest filling station to our depot, most of the van drivers chose to fill up here - so we gave them all loyalty cards. Thanks to the diligence of the drivers, they've earned over £1,000 of Morrisons gift vouchers just by filling up.
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The price is right.
24/01/08
The Dane Housing Group is giving local first time buyers and people needing a new home after a relationship breakdown the chance to buy somewhere at an incredible 30 per cent discount. With prices starting from £81,900, getting your foot on the property ladder is a far more realistic possibility.
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Bloomin' marvellous.
04/11/07
Residents from a New Charter housing estate are celebrating as they scooped more success in the Royal Horticultural Society Neighbourhood Awards. Central Estate in Dukinfield took the Merit award for its entry. This success follows hot-foot from a similar North West in Bloom award in 2006 - so they're building up quite a trophy cabinet!
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Building futures - introducing the next generation of tradesmen.
03/11/07
A new project which gives pupils 'hands-on' experience of the building trade has been launched in Droitwich High School by Spa Housing Association, part of Festival Housing Group.
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Web winner at 92!
02/11/07
A New Charter tenant has been named national runner-up in the Silver Surfers of the Year 2007.
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Recognition for one of housing's rising star associations.
01/11/07
A member of the Festival Housing Group: Spa Housing Association, which manages around 3,500 properties in Worcestershire, has won a prestigious accolade for its housing services: Charter Mark accreditation. The Charter Mark is a UK Government scheme aimed at raising the standard of customer service delivery by public sector organisations.
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Community regeneration gets the royal seal of approval.
30/10/07
HRH The Princess Royal visited a Worcester estate to see first-hand how a partnership approach to regeneration has breathed new life into the community.
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Affordable living made easy.
29/10/07
With many people finding it difficult to set foot on the first rung of the property ladder, Festival Housing Group is on a mission to keep their rents as low as possible. And they're achieving this by building new and affordable properties.
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He's big, tall and costs nothing at all.
27/10/07
"Rhys Icle", a two-metre high working robot made entirely from recycled materials was the talking point at a learning day promoted by New Charter for tenants, staff and families.
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The Greenhouse Effect.
26/10/07
The grass really is greener working at Festival Housing Group. They're currently installing more efficient heating systems into each of their 8,500 properties.
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Third time lucky for Bryn.
25/10/07
A Stalybridge man was crowned Modern Apprentice of the Year 2007 at New Charter's annual Staff Awards night.
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They're good and they know they are.
24/10/07
When Elgar Housing Association, part of the Festival Housing Group asked their tenants what they thought of them, the answer was an emphatic yes.
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Homeless project helps residents to University.
24/09/07
Two young people who were in danger of being left homeless but got back on their feet with the help of a pioneering social project are getting ready to start new lives at university.
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Car pool scheme for residents at city centre development.
24/09/07
Shared ownership residents at a landmark city centre development are to be given the use of eco-friendly Smart cars. The four vehicles will be available to all residents of the 182-apartment Brindley House scheme, in Birmingham, to help them combat the problems of parking and keep vehicle emissions down.
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Best in show.
19/07/07
1001careers.com attended the annual NHF conference to publicise just how the website has moved the recruitment goalposts for the sector.
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New consortium pledge to tackle UK homes shortage.
21/06/07
More than 1,000 new affordable homes are to be built in the West Midlands each year by a powerful new group of housing providers.
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Football boss speaks at launch of new refuge.
03/05/07
Karren Brady, managing director of Birmingham City Football Club and ambassador for Birmingham & Solihull Women's Aid, was among the guest speakers at a special ceremony to celebrate the development of the new resource by Harden Housing Association, part of the West Mercia Housing Group.
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Yvonne's six steps to success.
02/05/07
When Yvonne Hatton started out as a care worker on one of Derwent Living's retirement schemes in Nottingham - she never imagined that she would end up in management.
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Play the Name Game.
27/04/07
Just like a one time Clint Eastwood, this young pup has no name. Now, we here at 1001careers.com think it's gone on too long.
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A dog day afternoon.
16/04/07
What better way to launch 1001careers.com, the online careers centre set up by the housing sector for the housing sector, than by getting all those who've made it possible together for a spot of champagne lunch? Invite a few Dalmatians along too that's how!
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Whitefriars spreads a little star quality.
23/02/07
More than 600 staff at Whitefriars Housing Group were recognised for their hard work at the association's Stardust staff conference yesterday (Thursday Feb 22).
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Karen climbs the property ladder.
20/03/07
Back in 1999, Karen James joined Derwent Living as a part-time cleaner. But she wasn't mopping floors for long. Today, she is the company's commercial sales manager. Karen has gained knowledge of the various types of Derwent Living property along the way, from retirement schemes and social housing to student accommodation.
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Fair energy prices for low income customers.
12/02/07
Housing Associations in England are campaigning for energy suppliers to align all of their prepayment meter (PPMs) tariffs to the same as their best standard credit rate (BR).
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Young people targeted by Fusion event.
01/02/07
So Solid Crew member MC Romeo recently attended 'Fusion', an information day run by housing association Community Housing Group (CHG).
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More than just a 'thank you'.
01/02/07
Residents who go the extra mile to improve their community will be awarded official qualifications for their achievements, thanks to a new initiative from the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH).
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Football trophy for Birmingham Foyer.
Birmingham Foyer took home the Foyer Federation five-a-side trophy for the second year in a row, after winning the tournament held in Aston recently.
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