Abertalk Newsletter Summer 2010
Abertay Annual General Meeting 2010
Abertay’s 14th Annual General Meeting will be held in Fintry Mains Parish Church on
Wednesday 15th September 2010 at 6.30 pm.
All tenants are invited, and as in previous years there will be a report from our Chairperson, Russell Rowbotham, along with the presentation of our Annual Report and Accounts.
All Shareholders will have the opportunity to vote and stand for committee. Abertay Housing Association is tenant led and in order to maintain this we do need new tenant Committee Members so please get your nominations in. If you would like any further information on this, please contact our Chief Executive, Ian Thomson.
Our ever popular free prize draw and renowned buffet will follow the evening’s entertainment, which this year; and back by popular demand, will be provided by Dryburgh Garden Versatiles, who will entertain you with a musical ensemble.
We look forward to seeing you on the night!
Abertalk Newsletter Spring 2010
Abertalk Newsletter Winter 2009
COMMUNITY BLOCK AT 20 GRAMPIAN GARDENS
Due to a recent flood, the Community Block has temporarily relocated to:
Old Fintry Nursery
Fintry Road
Dundee
DD4 9EG
The Community Block Co-ordinator, Evelyn Murray, can be contacted on 01382 505472 (evelyn@abertayha.co.uk) until further notice.
DUNHOLM ROAD - NATURALLY HEALTHIER
Our recently completed project at Dunholm Road was named Named ‘Best Affordable Housing Project’ at the 2009 Dundee Institute of Architects Design Awards. The development boasts an innovative form of construction specified by architects, Wellwood Leslie. Natural Building Technologies’ (NBT) Diffutherm and Pavatherm Plus wood fibre insulation boards, were used to insulate the external walls of the timber frame houses.
NBT say in a recent article “…The simple construction also ensures high levels of air tightness are achieved and maintained throughout the building’s life, thereby vastly improving energy performance and comfort….”
The houses are also finished externally with a combination of NBT render and larch timber cladding.
HOME CONTENTS INSURANCE
Have you thought about what you would do if your family’s belongings were stolen or if your property was damaged by flood or fire? Could you afford to replace these items or repair the damage? We all hope these things never happen but when they do the disruption and costs can be significant.
For further information or an application form contact our Customer Services Assistants on 01382 903545.
MAINTENANCE PAINTERWORK 2009/2010 Our painting contractor, J G Leddie, has recently gone into liquidation and therefore all painterwork will cease immediately. We will need to fully assess how much work still needs to be done to complete the current contracts and to look at alternatives to achieve this. However, this will take some time to organise and we would ask that all affected tenants bear with us in the meantime. All residents affected by this will be contacted in writing once we have a definite plan in place to complete the painterworks. TELEPHONE NUMBERS Please note that our direct dial telephone numbers have changed from 10th March 2009 but the main number is still 01382 903545. To view a full list of the new direct dial numbers for Abertay staff please click here. Please use the Home Heat Helpline and website as a source of advice and support during the coldest months of the year. 
As you may know, the winter campaign to raise awareness of the Home Heat Helpline, the only free-phone energy helpline, was launched on Tuesday 9th December. The Helpline is entirely funded by energy suppliers to enable fuel poor and vulnerable customers to access the information and services they need to reduce their energy consumption, and therefore manage their fuel bills.
Research conducted for the Energy Retail Association (ERA) showed that, although 75% of respondents say the credit crunch has made them more concerned about saving energy, more than half admit that they are not as energy efficient as they could be. Our research also shows that one third of those surveyed across the UK are unaware that there are grants available to fit free or discounted home insulation. Furthermore, two thirds of people do not know they might qualify for grants and other assistance from their energy supplier.The Home Heat Helpline (0800 33 66 99), set up in 2005, provides vulnerable customers, including older people, families with young children, and people with disabilities or long term health conditions, with a direct link to a specialist team within their energy supplier. As well as providing direct help through access to grants and support for those most in need, the Helpline also acts as a one stop shop for access to the full range of support services from a wide range of organisations.
The Helpline has recently been upgraded in order to make it even more accessible to consumers. This year, for the first time, the Home Heat Helpline website (http://www.homeheathelpline.org/) has been upgraded to ensure that customers or their relatives and friends will also be able to make enquiries and access support online. In parallel, the Home Heat Helpline will be able to direct calls – at no cost to the caller – to a number of specialised services including, Consumer Focus Scotland, Energy Savings Scotland Advice Centre, benefits teams at DWP and the Care and Repair Forum Scotland. Customers or their relatives and friends will also be able to make enquiries and access support online.