1. Get quizzicalon page 19
The Sentinel magazine with the community at heart
Community
Spring2014
p5
p10 Making a difference
STEP – strolling to successp6
Introducing See3sixty
Get involved and have your say
3. www.sentinelha.org.uk 3 3
News
The American author, Alan Lakein, is credited
with saying ‘Failing to plan is planning to fail’.
Well that’s something that can’t be said about
us, as last year we launched our five year
corporate plan.
Because we put you at the heart of what we do,
we’ve re-examined our services and the way we do
business. We’ve looked at how we can do things
differently, so we can improve. This means we’ll
be modernising the way we work, becoming more
efficient and making sure our services offer value
for money.
We’ve got a positive vision of where we want to
be and a clear plan of how to get there. It’s based
around our five ambitions, which are:
• Create much needed family homes
• Uphold our financial strength
• Brilliant people working together
• Vibrant communities and satisfied customers
• A first class business.
By working together more effectively, we’re
confident we can respond to the challenges
ahead, meet your on-going needs and achieve
our goals.
Mark Perry, Chief Executive
You can find our corporate plan on our website
at www.sentinelha.org.uk/values or you can
call us for a copy on 0800 195 5515,
or 0300 666 5515, from a mobile.
We love it when a plan
comes together
New direction Meet our
new Operations Director –
Julian Chun
After leaving school, I launched into the world of
work as a trainee building surveyor. I then moved
into civil engineering for a few years. I worked in
some great places, although this was often six feet
underground in sewers. Hong Kong was the most
exotic (yet smelly) place I’ve ever worked!
I began my career in social housing at Radian
Housing Association in Petersfield. Over the years
I’ve also worked at Downland, Affinity Sutton and
Rosebery housing associations and now Sentinel.
In my short time here I’ve been getting to know all
the brilliant people that work here. Their passion
and commitment is second to none, as is their
desire to put customers at the heart of everything
they do. My involvement with some of our
residents has also highlighted their pride in living
in one of our homes.
But there’s still a great deal of work to be done.
This year we’ve set up See3sixty – you can
find out more on page 5. We’ll develop our
commitment to digital services and keep up-
to-date with technology. And we’ll update our
customer service strategy to reflect these changes.
The next few years will be an exciting time, not
just for our staff, but also for you. We’ve got big
ambitions and really want to go places.
I don’t get much time for anything else. As many
parents do, I spend most of my free time ferrying
one (or all) of my three children to and from
various activities. Whether it’s football, swimming
or gymnastics, you can be sure I’ll be the
embarrassing dad cheering from the sidelines!
Julian Chun
4. 4 Spirit: The Sentinel magazine with the community at heart
Focus on ASB
We want to make sure you live in a clean, pleasant
and safe place – that’s why we do all we can to
tackle anti-social behaviour (ASB) and support
anyone affected by it.
Just over a year ago we joined forces with
Victim Support to help customers having problems
with ASB. Victim Support are an independent,
national charity that gives free and confidential
help to victims of crime, witnesses, their family
and friends.
So far we’ve referred 41 customers to
Victim Support.
Dan Gill, our ASB Officer, said, “Victim Support
can really help people through, what can be,
a very difficult and stressful time. We’re very
pleased that our partnership has become such
an important part of the support we provide.”
Bernadette Hanly, ASB Project Manager at Victim
Support, said, “People affected by ASB have a
range of needs which can change over time.
We listen to them. And they appreciate that
there’s someone focusing on them and their
perspective on what’s happening.”
Customers, who’ve recently been supported by
Victim Support, said: “I’m really grateful for your
help - it’s really nice knowing you’ll call every week
to see how I am.”
“I took for granted having someone impartial to
speak with, but actually it’s been really helpful.”
“Thank you so much for helping us out, after
everything I don’t think I could have handled
talking to the police alone.”
The most common type of ASB complaints we get
are about noisy neighbours. But it’s just got easier
for us to sort these problems out.
We’ve invested in a new piece of kit called the
Trojan2. It’s a noise nuisance recorder and we’re
now using it to help put a stop to neighbour
arguments over loud noise.
Customers who are suffering can use the machine
to record the type of noise their neighbours are
making and the time of day they’re making it.
Hopefully, by making the noisy neighbours aware
of the distress they’re causing, they’ll stop making
too much noise.
But if they don’t, we can use the recordings
as evidence against them in court.
This new equipment should help us to speed
up the process of dealing with complaints about
noise, which means we can improve our service
to you.
Supporting you
Bring the noise
If you need to report ASB call us on
0800 195 555, or 0300 666 5515
from your mobile. You can also fill in our
online form at www.sentinelha.org.uk.
In an emergency dial 999.
5. 5 5
Set the agenda
Imagine standing at the top of a hill on a clear day.
When you look around you can see for miles in
every direction – a complete 360 degree view.
Being able to see the whole picture can really help
make things clearer.
That’s why we’re opening up and giving you
access to all areas to help us improve the things
we do. We want you to leave no stone unturned
in helping us to make our services better.
See3sixty is our new way for you to get involved.
You’ll look all round everything we do and see how
we perform. Then we’ll listen to your feedback and
take on board your plans. And finally if we need to
change, and we can, we will.
There are three ways to make a difference
First up we have the Progress Group. This group
will help us to improve and develop our service.
And make sure we do what we say we’ll do.
Next we have the Change Makers. They’ll get the
information about our performance, and come
back to us and the Progress Group with an action
plan of suggested improvements.
Right on their tail we’ve got the Change Agents.
They’ll be in the heart of the community, listening
to what’s going on and making the voices of their
local community heard. They’ll meet up to find out
what’s happening in their area and what people
in their neighbourhood think. These people will
find out what needs to change and let the
Change Makers know what their community
is talking about.
If you’d like to find out about your local Change
Agents group, or start one of your own, call us
on 0800 195 5515, or 0300 666 5515 from a
mobile. There’s also more details at
www.sentinelha.org.uk/see3sixty.
Take a look around
www.sentinelha.org.ukwww.sentinelha.org.uk 5
6. 6 Spirit: The Sentinel magazine with the community at heart
Stepping out
When I arrived for my first session I was quite
sceptical about what STEP could offer me.
But by the end of my first day I’d changed my
mind. I’d been out of work for about eight years
when I joined STEP, back in May 2013. I’d been
suffering from depression all that time and I’d built
a brick wall around myself, which was very hard to
break down.
I’d been on various back to work schemes before
and they hadn’t worked for me. They treated
everyone the same and got us all doing the same
thing. So when I started STEP I must admit I
thought it would be just like all the rest.
But after a short time I was thinking, ‘This is
different’. Our tutor focussed on our individual
needs and encouraged each of us to do the things
we wanted to do.
One of the first things we did, as a group, was
identify the barriers that were stopping us from
getting back into work, such as nerves or the
fear of failure. Then we did an exercise where we
imagined ourselves as products and created ads to
sell ourselves, which made us concentrate on our
good qualities.
Over the weeks I learnt about what employers
are looking for, which helped me put together
a new CV from scratch. I also attended several
short courses at BCoT (Basingstoke College of
Technology) and gained qualifications in retail,
health and social care and health and safety.
This helped boost my confidence, so when I
found out a new store, opening in Basingstoke,
was looking for staff I went for it.
Andy got the job and was working part time,
when a recruitment consultancy he’d registered
with contacted him to say his CV matched a
vacancy they had for a full time Acoustic
Sonar Engineer.
I’ve got an engineering background so the job
really suited me. I had two successful interviews
and started work at the beginning of December.
It’s unbelievable - what a journey! And it’s all
thanks to the help, guidance and encouragement
I got from STEP.
Our Support Towards Employment Programme (STEP) has already made a positive
difference to people’s lives. Andy and Hannah tell us what’s changed for them.
STEP
Andy’s story
7. www.sentinelha.org.uk 7 7
By the time I read the August edition of Popley
Matters I was already looking into getting back
into work after having my little boy. But finding
childcare was a problem. Money was tight and,
as I’d recently moved from London, I didn’t have
any family or friends close by to help out. So when
I read that Sentinel would cover my childcare costs,
if I came along to STEP, I jumped at the chance.
Before I had my little boy I was a nanny.
Through STEP I learned how to create a new CV,
that showed off my transferable skills, which
meant I could apply for other types of work.
I found out about the job vacancies at a new
superstore through STEP, in October. I applied and
got an interview straight away. I was nervous at
the interview, but I used the tips I’d learnt about
interview techniques at STEP and this really helped.
I’m pleased to say I got the job and I started
working as part of the replenishment team.
But after a couple of days the merchandiser
asked the store manager if I could help her out,
so I’ve been doing that ever since.
Merchandising is all about making the stock look
good. I create displays and move the stock around
the store to increase sales and make room for new
stock when it comes in. I have my own area, which
is textiles. It’s up to me how I organise the items,
so I can be creative – designing the colour scheme
and the layout. I really enjoy what I do and the
other staff are really nice and friendly.
I work 12 hours a week and this fits in really well
with my little boy’s nursery. It’s good for him to
socialise with other children and it’s good for me
to have some time doing something for myself.
I’d definitely recommend STEP to other mums
who want to go back to work.
Hannah’s story
If you’d like to join STEP, or know
someone who might like to come along,
please call 0800 195 5515, or 0300 666
5515 from a mobile, or email
step@sentinelha.org.uk
Nominations for the A Place to be
Proud of Awards 2014 are open until
Monday 31 March.
The awards celebrate individuals and
organisations that have made a special
contribution to the community.
Two new awards have been introduced
for 2014 – Sports Hero and Community
Project award. And we’re really proud
to be sponsoring the Community Project
award. Mark Perry, our Chief Executive
said, “These projects are often run with
the help of volunteers and they don’t look
for accolades. But this is our opportunity
to thank them for their commitment
to bringing people closer together and
cultivating great community spirit.”
Make your nomination at
www.destinationbasingstoke.co.uk.
8. 8 Spirit: The Sentinel magazine with the community at heart
Every year we invest in improving our existing
homes. And this year’s no different. From April
2014 until March 2015 we plan to spend:
• £1.3 million on around 350 new kitchens
and bathrooms
• £700,000 on about 70 new roofs
• £378,000 on replacement doors and windows
on homes.
During 2014/15 we’ll be spending £1.25 million
on this work - improving around 70 blocks,
1300 houses and 600 garages.
We also listened to your feedback on the work we
do outside your homes. You felt we weren’t doing
enough. So this year we’re starting a new rolling
programme of outdoor work. As well as decorating,
washing down and doing small repairs, we’ll also
look at:
• Boundary fences
• Bannisters
• Communal flooring
• Main pathways
• Removal of old
aerials
• Render repairs
• Moss clearance
• Wall coverings
• The undersides
of balconies and
other features.
Since we got ServiceMaster to take over the
cleaning of the communal areas of our blocks,
on average 93% of you are satisfied with their
service. So we’ve given them a three year contract
to carry on the great work they’re doing.
Nick Dee Shapland, Managing Director of
ServiceMaster Clean, said, “We’re really
pleased to have this opportunity to work with
Sentinel to deliver excellent cleaning services
to their customers.”
Looking ahead, we’ll be working together to see
how we can continue to improve our service to
you – including setting up more ways for you to
be involved.
At your
service
Investing in homes –
inside and out
Home front
9. www.sentinelha.org.uk 9 9
Changing rooms
Better safe than sorry –
fire safety for flats
Refresh your home
If you’re aged 70 or over, or if you’re disabled and have no able-bodied
person living with you, you could qualify to have one of the rooms in
your home decorated for free.
We do this in different areas on a rolling five year programme. And
this year we’re focussing on Winklebury, Tadley and surrounding
areas, Newbury, Kinsgsclere, Penwood, Highclere, Burghclere
and Woolton Hill. So if you live in one of these neighbourhoods and
have a clear rent account, or have an agreement to clear your arrears
that you’re sticking to, you could have your kitchen, bathroom, lounge,
bedroom or stairs and landing spruced up.
To apply call us on 0800 195 5515, or 0300 666 5515, from a mobile.
Or apply online at www.sentinelha.org.uk by Friday 1 August.
Your safety is really important to us. If there’s a fire
look after yourself, and your family, by following
this useful advice:
• Read the fire safety information in your block.
Check the safe way to get out and where you
need to go
• Keep all communal areas clear. We’ll clear away
anything that’s left in these areas such as; bikes,
shoes, door mats, plants and recycling bins
• Don’t smoke in any of the communal areas
• If you’ve got oxygen canisters in your home,
let us know so we can send you a sticker for
your front door. This’ll warn the fire service in
an emergency
• Don’t store anything flammable in your home.
You’ll find more information about fire safety on our
website at www.sentinelha.org.uk/customerinfo
or you can call for a leaflet on 0800 195 5515,
or 0300 666 5515 from a mobile. There’s also
further advice at www.gov.uk/firekills
As a Sentinel customer you can get great discounts
at your local Dulux Decorator Centre.
• Average savings of 23% off* across the range
• Top branded paints and accessories
• Available in-store or online
• 1000s of paint colours and wallcoverings
• Free delivery.
You’ll need proof of tenancy to get your discount.
For your nearest store call 0845 850 2200 or go to
www.sentinelha.org.uk/1roomdec, or to place
your order call 0845 602 3128
*Terms and conditions apply
10. 10 Spirit: The Sentinel magazine with the community at heart
HomeTeam
light up the New Year
The bright sparks at HomeTeam have made a difference to Basingstoke College of Technology
(BCoT) by donating their surplus electrical equipment.
The old stock of fuse boxes and parts were left
over from one of our in-house maintenance team’s
previous projects. So, as we didn’t need them
anymore, we gave them to the local college.
One of the students who’ll benefit from our
donation is Louis Pennington.
Louis joined HomeTeam as an apprentice in
September 2013. He studies at BCoT one day
a week, as part of his Apprenticeship.
Paul Austin, Head of Building Services at BCoT,
said, “We’re very grateful to Sentinel for their
donation. The equipment we’ve been given is
really useful to us and the students. It’ll definitely
be put to good use.”
Nicola Chamberlain, Head of HomeTeam, said,
“This year we’ve increased the amount of old stock
and waste materials that we recycle. And it’s great
to see that equipment, we no longer need,
can help train local students and apprentices
like Louis.”
Christmas
wrapping
Our community involvement team helped
Basingstoke Voluntary Services (BVS) with
their Christmas food box appeal. The team
helped pack and wrap some of the 150
food boxes which were given to local
people in need over the festive period.
Making a difference
HomeTeam’s Richard Bruce and Louis Pennington with Paul Austin
Richard Pilbeam, Sam Taylor and Gemma Nicholson with the BVS team
11. www.sentinelha.org.uk 11
Sentinel Santas
help raise a sack load
Working together reaps reward
We’re proud to be supporting Naomi House
and Jacksplace as our charity of the year.
We’ve set ourselves a target to raise £10,000 by
the end of August 2014. And it looks like we’re
going to smash this as we’ve already raised over
£8500. We’ve had raffles, a nearly new sale,
a cake sale and joined in the annual Santa Run.
The 5k Santa Run was around the historic streets
of Winchester at the beginning of December.
And our staff team looked very festive in their
Santa suits!
On 30 March a team of our intrepid staff will be
taking part in a 10,000ft skydive to raise even
more money for the charity. If you’d like to do
your bit for Naomi House you can find out
more about their future fundraising events
at www.naomihouse.org.uk/events
Naomi House have just launched a major appeal to
raise £4 million to redevelop the hospice. Go to
www.caterpillarappeal.org.uk for more info.
Karan Hilton is the proud recipient of a Special Partnership Award from
the Hampshire Police Authority.
One of our team of hardworking Neighbourhood Co-ordinators, Karan,
has helped the local police with their investigation several times. And her
dedication to the safety of people in her patch has meant she’s often gone
beyond the call of duty by attending out of hours raids.
Karan was recommended for this special recognition award by her local beat officer.
She received her award from Hampshire Constabulary’s Chief Inspector Steve Wallace.
Our team of festive fun runners
Karan Hilton
12. 12 Spirit: The Sentinel magazine with the community at heart
Making a difference
In January, 39 of us gave blood when the
Bloodmobile visited our office for the day.
For some, like housing apprentice Robyn Allen,
it was the first time they’d been a donor. Robyn
said, “I was really nervous, but when I got into the
van staff morale really helped me along. Everyone
was in such high spirits, aware of the impact their
donation would make. All of the NHS staff were
so friendly and re-assuring. And before I knew it
I was up and being given a sticker and a biscuit!
It was amazing to know I’d just helped save a
life.” The day was an enormous success and the
Bloodmobile will be back again in July.
You can register and become a donor today.
Call 0300 123 23 23 or go to www.blood.co.uk
On a cold Monday morning in January a team
of our staff joined workers from Basingstoke
and Deane Borough Council (BDBC) to start a
two week spring clean in the Poets area of
Popley. Wearing their high visibility jackets the
group litter picked streets, gardens, car parks
and pathways. Many black bags of rubbish
were taken away, along with a sofa and other
items of household waste.
The project also included road sweeping, cutting
back shrubbery and minor repairs. We hope that
this investment in the local community will make
a real difference.
Over recent months we’ve also helped
out with other large clean ups in Oakridge
and Winklebury.
Campbell Place resident, Julie, has been helping
to raise money for a local charity by knitting
snoods – for greyhounds! The long necked breed
get chilly in the winter, so a woolly snood is just
the thing to help them stay snug. Julie has knitted
11 snoods, so far and the dogs love them.
Julie is part of Campbell Place’s Knit and Natter
group, who meet twice a week. A founding
member of the group, Julie started knitting at the
age of four and has pursued her hobby ever since.
Julie and the other knitters also support Frimley
Park Hospital by making clothing, blankets and
toys for the premature baby unit.
If you’d like to help Hampshire Greyhound
Rescue, by knitting snoods like Julie, call 07875
028427 or visit www.hantsgreyrescue.co.uk
Blood ties
Springing
into action
Knitter races
to help hounds
Shaun Donovan – HomeTeam plumber and lifesaver!
13. www.sentinelha.org.uk 13 13
We’re pleased to report that we’ve recently
taken over the first phase of our new homes at
Queen Elizabeth Barracks, Church Crookham.
We’re working in partnership with Taylor Wimpey
Homes on the development, which was formerly
home to the Ghurkhas for 63 years. It’ll provide
a total of 872 new homes along with a school,
community centre and sports areas. We’ll have 90
homes on the new development – 46 for rent and
44 for shared ownership.
Our former sheltered scheme, Wickham Court
in Church Crookham, has been demolished to
make way for 41 new homes for older people.
The new development will also include a
communal lounge, kitchen and storage area.
The new homes will be ready for local people
to move into in October.
These new homes will help many more people
to carry on living independently in their local
area, close to family and friends. And should
also lead to more homes being available for
growing families.
Attention! Former
barracks ready
for duty
Walls come
tumbling down
New developments
14. 14 Spirit: The Sentinel magazine with the community at heart
w
Great Apprenticeships
“Great Businesses” are made by apprentices
and Apprenticeships lead to “Great Prospects.”
My experience of being an apprentice has been
great. I’ve been given lots of new opportunities
and experiences. I started my Apprenticeship
in Neighbourhoods, where I shadowed many
housing officers on visits to customer’s homes and
to the courts. I took on many responsibilities in
this role and had deadlines to meet. I got involved
with different communities over Halloween by
helping out at events organised to keep local
children occupied during the half term break.
I love the level of interaction with our customers
and each day being different to the one before.
As part of my Apprenticeship I’m getting as
much of an overview as possible of the whole
organisation. So throughout the year I’m moving
departments every four months. I’ve recently
moved into Communications where I now help
out with our website, our Facebook and Twitter
pages and other promotional activities. I would
thoroughly recommend an Apprenticeship to
anyone as a way of getting hands on experience
and a step in the right direction to a great career.
Apprenticeship Week
The National Apprenticeship Service created National
Apprenticeship Week (3 – 7 March) to recognise Apprenticeships
and the benefits they have on the economy, businesses and
individuals. Robyn Allen joined us as a housing apprentice in
September 2013 – here’s what she’s been doing so far…
15. www.sentinelha.org.uk 15 15
Originally I wanted to go to university, but I didn’t
want the stress of debts and financial problems
when I left, so I decided to do an Apprenticeship
instead. A lot of my friends are at uni, so I hear
about all the parties they go to and the fun
they’re having, but I see my Apprenticeship as a
real stepping stone into a good career.
I’m working towards my Microsoft – IT Systems
Networking advanced (Level 3) Apprenticeship
which will take me about 14 months.
I’m assessed on the work I do on the job and
I also go to block release sessions to study for
different IT qualifications.
When I’m in the office I’ve been working on
server management and on our IT helpdesk,
which is great as you never know what the
problem might be. There’s a lot for me to learn
and I’ve made some mistakes, but I’ve learnt from
them which is really important. I’m keen to work
my way up and an Apprenticeship is a great way
to help me achieve my career goals.
Adrian Dunwell, joined our IT team in September 2013.
Adrian tells us about how he made the transition from
pupil to employee…
Adrian makes IT
as an apprentice
To find out more about Apprenticeships
go to www.apprenticeships.org.uk.
Keep an eye on our Twitter page:
@sentinelha throughout the year
to see photos and updates from
our housing apprentices.
16. 16 Spirit: The Sentinel magazine with the community at heart
The standard of our floating support service, provided by our
older person’s service, was recently checked by Supporting People.
This is done to make sure we’re supporting older people to live in
their homes. The system used for this is the Quality Assessment
Framework (QAF), which is the national standard for care providers.
Back in 2009, when we had our last check, our service was assessed
at level C, which is satisfactory. But this time we had improved our
standard of service to a Level B. Supporting People describe level
B services as “… striving for excellence or are providing excellent
service and are therefore innovative in their approaches to delivery.”
We’re delighted with this achievement, and are now working
towards a level A in the future.
Moving on up
Tasting the difference
Primetime
Sausage casserole with Yorkshire pudding,
smoked fish pie, beef Rogan josh and Spanish
omelette are just some of the dishes that are on
the menu at Campbell Place.
Last autumn we received complaints, from the
residents at our Fleet based extra care scheme,
about the amount and quality of the food they
were being served. So we got together with
them and Pride Catering, who provide the meals
at the scheme, to see what we could do to make
things better.
After this Pride Catering devised a range of new
dishes and held a tasting session so the residents
could try them out.
Wendy Mohammed, Campbell Place’s Scheme
Co-ordinator, said, “The feedback from the
tasting was very positive and the residents were
pleased that they could talk to the team at
Pride Catering and make suggestions. Stew and
dumplings and chicken and spinach lasagne are
just a couple of the new additions to the menu,
which we launched in December. We’ve also
introduced a sweet trolley - the sweet potato and
cinnamon sponge is lovely! On the whole the
residents are very happy with the changes.”
17. www.sentinelha.org.uk 17 17
Kyrha and her therapy dog friends, Lena and
Julius the Saint Bernards, visited some of our
homes for older people in January. Kyrha is a
mix of two Swiss mountain dogs and a Belgian
Shepherd. Kyrha, Lena and Julius are certified
therapy dogs and they love to meet new people
on their travels. To find out more go to
www.kyrhaspawtalk.co.uk
For more details about our services for
older people call us on 0800 195 5515,
or 0300 666 5515 from your mobile.
Or go to www.sentinelha.org.uk/ops
Paws for thought
Silver anniversary
celebrations
In 1988 George Bush was elected
President of the United States of America,
Celine Dion won the Eurovision Song
Contest for Switzerland and Abbey Court
welcomed its first residents.
Primetime
Abbey Court is our sheltered scheme which is
designed for single people and couples, who are
over 55 and need support. Abbey Court has 51
self-contained apartments, as well as a range
of communal facilities, a hair salon and guest
accommodation, so relatives can come to stay.
Residents also benefit from having a care and
support team on site 24/7. This helps them to
carry on living independently, as part of the
local community.
Abbey Court resident Bert, 93, cut the cake
at the scheme’s 25th anniversary celebration.
He moved to Basingstoke in 1969 and lived in
Abbey Road for many years. A former plumber,
Bert remembers watching with interest as the
scheme was built. He moved in on Boxing Day in
1999. Bert said, “I like living here. There’s always
someone nice to talk to. Living here makes
you younger!”
This year we’re improving the scheme, as part of
our on-going refurbishment programme, starting
with the communal lighting.
Did you know? If you’re 55+ we can provide
free personal alarms, for extra peace of mind,
on a short or long term basis.
Contact us to find out if you qualify.
18. 18 Spirit: The Sentinel magazine with the community at heart
Walk this way
Skip it
The great
outdoors
Get fit for freeNow the weather’s getting warmer and the days are getting longer it’s the perfect time
to get more active. But getting fitter doesn’t mean joining an expensive gym. There are
plenty of ways to do more exercise without it costing a penny.
Walking is one of the easiest ways to get
healthier. All you need is a comfortable pair of
shoes, or trainers and loose fitting clothing that
allows you to move easily. You can make walking
part or your everyday life, by walking to work
or the shops. Or you could walk the children to
school. Just think how much petrol you’ll save if
you stop driving all these short journeys. If you
find walking alone boring you could ask a friend
to join you. And if you need extra motivation
you could set yourself a goal, like taking part
in a sponsored walk to raise money for charity.
Research by the University of Essex shows that
exercising outdoors can boost your physical and
mental health more than exercising inside, even
in winter. So the National Trust has devised a
free outdoor fitness programme you can follow
whatever the weather. The plan has been
designed to make exercising outdoors fun,
so get down the park and give it a go!
You can download the plan from
www.nationaltrust.org.uk
If the last time you used a skipping rope was in
the school playground, now’s your chance to
rediscover how fun and beneficial it can be. You
can skip anywhere at any time. And just a few
minutes’ skipping can make your heart and lungs
healthier, create strong bones and improve your
balance and flexibility. On average you’ll burn up
to 200 calories during 15 minutes of skipping.
Skipping is a strenuous exercise, so start slowly.
Try skipping for 20-30 seconds, marching on the
spot for 30 seconds, and then repeat. As your
fitness improves you can increase the time you
skip for.
You’ll find loads more advice about
staying fit and healthy at
www.nhs.uk/livewell
19. www.sentinelha.org.uk 19 19
You’ll find all the answers in this magazine.
There are two ways to enter – you can fill
out the form and post it back to us. Or you
can answer the same questions online at
www.sentinelha.org.uk/quiz.
Get all five answers right and you’ll go into a
draw to win £50 of vouchers.* The closing date,
for both postal and online entries, is Sunday 27
April. Good luck!
Tick the box next to the answer you think is right.
Three
Four
Five
Silver (25 years)
Pearl (30 years)
Ruby (40 years)
100
200
300
Julian Sands
Julian Cope
Julian Chun
3-7 March
13-17 March
23-27 March
Let’s get quizzical
Now you’ve read this edition of
Spirit magazine, why not enter
our new quiz?
Competition
Send this whole page to:
Chula Bishop
Sentinel Housing Association
56 Kingsclere Road,
Basingstoke, Hants
RG21 6XG
(Employees of Sentinel and customers with rent
arrears may enter but are not eligible to win).
Name:
Address:
Daytime contact number:
*There’ll be one prize of £50 of vouchers and the overall winner will be drawn
at random from all postal and online entries received by the closing date.
How many ambitions is our corporate
plan based on?
What anniversary did Abbey Court
recently celebrate?
On average how many calories can you
burn by skipping for 15 minutes?
Who’s our new Operations Director?
What are the dates of this year’s
National Apprenticeship Week?
WIN
£50of vouchers
1
4
5
3
2
20. 20 Spirit: The Sentinel magazine with the community at heart
Spring
2014 issue
Spirit: The Sentinel magazine with the community at heart20
Make some chocolate Easter egg nests
These Easter nests are quick to make and tasty
to eat. Why not share them with your family
and friends.
Time to make: 15 minutes plus chilling time
Makes 12
What you’ll need
• 50g butter
• 100g milk or plain chocolate,
broken into chunks
• 3 tbsp. golden syrup
• 100g cornflakes
• 36 mini chocolate eggs
• 12 paper cases
How to make
1. Weigh out the ingredients
2. Put the butter, chocolate and golden syrup in a
saucepan or microwavable bowl
3. Put the cornflakes in another large bowl
4. Melt the butter, chocolate and golden syrup in
the saucepan over a low heat or briefly in the
microwave – get a grown up to help you with
this bit
5. Allow to cool a little before pouring over
the cornflakes
6. Stir the ingredients together gently using a
wooden spoon
7. Spoon the mixture into 12 cupcake cases
(arranged on or baking sheet) and press 3
chocolate eggs into the centre of each nest
8. Put them in the fridge for 1 hour, or until
completely set.
Here’s a couple of ideas for things to do during the Easter holidays.
21. www.sentinelha.org.uk 21 21www.sentinelha.org.ukwww.sentinelha.org.uk 21
Keep on running
Be an Easter
Eggsplorer!
The Mini Run is for 3 – 8 year olds and is 1.5k
long. And the Junior Run is for 9 – 15 years olds
and is 2.5k long.
The event is on Saturday 25 October, so you’ve
got plenty of time to train, and takes place in
Southsea, Hampshire.
Running is a great way to keep fit and it can also
help others too. By asking your friends and family
to sponsor you, you could raise money for charity.
There are lots of different charities to choose from.
This year we’re raising money for Naomi House.
Naomi House looks after children and young
people who are very ill. Many of the children and
young people die before they grow up, so Naomi
House also helps to take care their families.
If you’d like to raise money for Naomi House you
can join Junior Team Naomi and get a FREE T-shirt
to wear on the day. To find out more go to
www.naomihouse.org.uk. Or you can contact
Nicole on 01962 760060 or nicole.denison@
naomihouse.org.uk.
You can enter the Mini or Junior Great South Run
at www.greatrun.org.
Grown ups can enter the full 10 mile Great South
Run, which is on Sunday 26 October at Portsmouth
Historic Dockyard, on the same website.
If Mo Farah or Christine Ohuruogu have inspired you to take up running,
why not sign up for the Mini or Junior Great South Run?
This year the National Trust are holding over 300
Easter egg trails across the UK. Work out the clues
and follow the trail map to find your way to an
eggcellent reward. To find your nearest trail go to
www.eastereggtrail.com.
22. Spring has sprung and all around us nature is
bursting into life! Can you find the 15 spring
words we’ve hidden in the grid? They could
be hidden forwards, backwards, diagonally,
horizontally or vertically. Find all 15 words
and you could win £25 of vouchers.
Circle the fifteen words and send this whole
page, by Friday 25 April 2014 to:
Chula Bishop, Sentinel Housing Association,
56 Kingsclere Road, Basingstoke RG21 6XG
The winning entry will be picked at random
by the Spirit editorial panel.
Name:
Address:
Age (you must be 16 or under):
Daytime contact number:
BLOSSOM BLUEBELLS BUTTERFLIES CATKINS
DAFFODILS DUCKLINGS EGGS FROGSPAWN
LADYBIRDS LAMBS NEST NEW LEAVES
RABBITS SNOWDROPS TADPOLES
Spring
word search
Competition
B L O S S O M R X C
U Z Q S G Y F A K J
T W G L N N S B V P
T G D E I H N B B W
E B S V L G O I L N
R T N F K J W T U W
F B I Q C Y D S E A
L J K G U C R H B P
I Z T A D P O L E S
E L A M B S P V L G
S U C V R P S M L O
N E W L E A V E S R
S D R I B Y D A L F
S L I D O F F A D Q
Competition winner:
Congratulations to Alfie Mosdell from Popley
who won £25 of vouchers, for correctly
spotting all 15 words in our Bonfire
Night word search competition.
Spirit: The Sentinel magazine with the community at heart22
23. www.sentinelha.org.uk 23 23
Are we measuring up?
What other information on our services would
you like to see? If you would like to have your say on
the performance information we publish, please email
see3sixty@sentinelha.org.uk
Performance indicators for 3 months
from October to December 2013
Actual
2013/14
target
At a
glance
Top 25%
landlords
Neighbourhood
Satisfaction with overall landlord services 98.24% 91% 90%
Satisfaction with the lettings service 98% 92% –
Average number of days to re-let an empty home 24.77 22 19
Satisfaction with estate services 99% 87% –
Current rent arrears 1.71% 2.3% 2.0%
Satisfaction with anti-social behaviour complaint process 84% 90% 88%
Satisfaction with anti-social behaviour complaint outcome 91% 85% 84%
Telephone response
Calls waiting lost 2.59% 5%
Average call waiting time in seconds 14.78 20
Written enquiries and complaints
Letters responded to within 10 working days 92.66% 99%
Number of complaints received 344 – *
Satisfaction with complaints process 89% 85% 80%
Satisfaction with complaints outcome 90% 75% 73%
Repairs
Satisfaction with repairs and maintenance service 97.2% 88% 87%
Properties with valid gas safety certificates 100% 100% 100%
Number of kitchens refurbished 193 274 ** –
Number of bathrooms refurbished 189 234 ** –
*A target is not appropriate as we welcome all complaints so we can learn from them
**The target is for the whole year and work will progress to achieve these targets by end March 14
How well have we performed?
In shape
24. Sentinel office: 56 Kingsclere Road Basingstoke Hampshire RG21 6XG
Telephone 0800 195 5515 from a landline or 0300 666 5515 from your mobile
Produced by Sentinel Communications team. Email: communications@sentinelha.org.uk
Designed and printed by The Escape, Basingstoke. Distributed by Malvern Mailing, Basingstoke
Printed on recycled paper containing 100% post consumer waste
www.sentinelha.org.uk
Bank holiday office closures
Friday 18 April
Good Friday
Monday 21 April
Easter Monday
Monday 5 May
Early May bank holiday
Monday 26 May
Spring bank holiday
If you have an emergency repair to report
please call 0800 195 5515, or 0300 666 5515
from a mobile.
Please report non-emergency repairs at:
www.sentinelha.org.uk
British summer time begins on
Sunday 30 March. So don’t
forget to put your clocks
forward an hour, before you
go to bed,
on Saturday
29 March.
Spring forward
Autumn spot the difference winner
Congratulations to George Tanner of Silchester,
who wins £50 of vouchers, for spotting all six
differences in our autumn competition.
Solution
