Homes in Sedgemoor (HiS) has been working hard for you over the past 12 months. Here are some of the highlights of our work in 2022.
In February, we were delighted to be awarded funding for our project to improve the energy efficiency of some of our properties within Sedgemoor, lowering energy bills, and making homes warmer. With the money, we will be able to retrofit 22 properties – providing warmer and more energy-efficient homes for our customers, as well as reducing carbon emissions in our journey towards decarbonisation. We have been contacting customers who qualify, and a programme of work will begin in March this year.
In April, we celebrated our 15th birthday. Founded on April 1, 2007, we manage around 4,000 homes for Sedgemoor District Council, from Shipham in the north of the district to North Petherton in the south.
In May, a court rejected a claim by a law firm targeting vulnerable residents who are enticed by the promise of a “no win, no fee” outcome, but sadly often the claimant will have to shoulder hidden costs that they may not have been informed about.
After the customer lost the case, HiS warned residents that heavy-handed legal firms may pressurise them into making unnecessary claims.
There was a touch of drama in Highbridge in May when contractors found a “bomb sign” whilst digging in a void property garden close to the Asda supermarket. HiS contractors MD called the police, officers set up a “safe area” and a bomb disposal unit was called in from Salisbury to deal with the find. Examination and investigation of the scene revealed it was just a sign that the Home Guard used to give advice in WW2 on how to handle “AW Bombs” safely.
In June, we marked Carers Week, an annual campaign to raise awareness of caring, highlighting the challenges unpaid carers face and recognising the contribution they make to families and communities. It also helps people who don’t think of themselves as having caring responsibilities to identify as carers and access much-needed support. We would like to thank Carers across the district for their selfless hard work for others.
In July, we launched Project Matrix – a new, localised way of providing our services. Instead of having multiple parts of the organisation all working separately, a reorganisation saw the creation of four teams that provide a “one-stop shop” for everything our customers need and want in their community.
In August LOCALZ was added to our toolbox for dealing with customer requests and keeping track of work to be carried out. LOCALZ is a new application which works in a similar fashion to the system parcel delivery companies use to tell you where your delivery is. When you request a repair, you’ll get a notification sent to your mobile phone to confirm your appointment has been scheduled.
August also saw the first of a series of major announcements as HiS steps up our efforts to provide more sustainable social housing in the district at affordable rents.
A £4.3 Million affordable housing investment for Bridgwater town centre will see the creation of 29 new households. The latest news is that these homes should be ready for new customers in mid-2023 on the Bigwood and Staple Printworks site in the town centre.
In September, we were delighted to see the positive benefits of our Make a Difference fund for Bridgewater Rangers. Ranger Kimberley Wheadon was presented with a Gold Award, the first ever awarded in the county. 1st Bridgwater Rangers has been supported by a grant from the HiS Making a Difference fund and without this grant, the group would have had to close.
The need for affordable housing in a Sedgemoor village was discussed at a public consultation in the village of Mark as part of our ongoing efforts to engage with communities across the district.
With affordable homes hard to find, the consultation aimed to tackle the perception that the village might be becoming too expensive for hard-working families to live in, and to offer alternatives.
In October, held its first Star of the Year Awards which saw the very best in our community celebrated for good work and neighbourly spirit.
In a glittering event hosted by ITV’s Ben McGrail at Canalside in Bridgwater, the awards showcased the amazing work of HiS’s Garden Competition winners, our invaluable Involved Customers, as well as the Young Hero of the Year, Unsung Hero of the Year, Community Impact Group of the Year, and overall Star of the Year.
October also saw work start in Bridgwater on 33 new homes on a site off Rhode Lane. The new low-environmental impact apartments will be built on the land previously occupied by the semi-derelict Penlea House, a Victorian estate property. Cllr Alan Bradford, Chairman of Sedgemoor District Council, wielded the spade and marked the start of turning a tired and neglected site into much-needed new homes.
Later in the month, a pilot scheme was launched, extending our Independent Living Service (ILS) to customers who do not live in sheltered housing. The ILS service is designed to provide support to our customers and allow people to stay in their own homes and provides help to stay independent and reduce the need for customers to enter into residential care.
As the year came to a close, colleagues hosted an event with the organisers of the Strive project at Bridgwater House. The Strive course helps to explore the potential of starting a business, benefiting not only participants but their local community as well. The event was to celebrate every one of our customers who took part and completed the Strive course and to highlight all their hard work.
And this is just a snapshot of what Homes in Sedgemoor has been doing for our customers in 2022, and we’ve got even more exciting plans for 2023 – to keep track of what we are doing, follow our news channel on our Latest News page.