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Our news

Read our news here with details of the latest happenings across the region.

For media enquiries, please email media@midlandheart.org.uk or call our press office on 07789 923340. 

  • Festive Photo competition

    We’re really excited to launch our festive photo competition! We’d like you to share the most Christmassy picture that you can with us.

    Added on 3rd December 2021 |

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  • Meet the team - Leroy (Chef)

    Meet Leroy, one of our fantastic chefs working at Broad Meadow - one Retirement Living PLUS scheme based in Dudley. From preparing home cooked meals to creating weekly menus, Leroy is committed to providing our residents with delicious meals.

    Added on 29th November 2021 |

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  • Making Restorative Justice more accessible

    We’ve been working hard to make RJ easier for you to access. So we've set up a new ‘one-click’ self-referral page on our website meaning you can now refer yourself to our RJ service.

    Added on 26th November 2021 |

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  • Restorative Justice success story

    We’ve found that Restorative Justice (RJ) can be a very successful way of resolving issues between neighbours. This is just one of many real life stories where RJ has made a huge difference to our customers.

    Added on 24th November 2021 |

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  • Hostel to home

    We know how hard it is for larger families to find affordable homes that suit their needs. This is why we converted an unused building into two much needed family homes.

    Added on 23rd November 2021 |

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  • Safeguarding Adults Week

    Were supporting National Safeguarding Adults Week. Over the week we'll be explaining what safeguarding is and the different ways that we support vulnerable customers.

    Added on 15th November 2021 |

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  • How to call the police if you can't speak

    If you're in an emergency situation and cannot speak for any reason you can still contact the police. The Silent solution System allows people who are unable to speak but genuinely need police assistance to get help.

    Added on 15th November 2021 |

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  • Condensation can cause damp and mould

    It’s really important to control condensation in your home during the winter months. Colder temperatures make it harder for you to reduce moisture in your home which can lead to mould growth.

    Added on 9th November 2021 |

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  • Black History Month recap

    This year we were happy to be able to celebrate Black History Month in the community again, as the pandemic prevented us from doing so last year. Here are a few highlights from the month:

    Added on 1st November 2021 |

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  • Thank you for attending our open day

    Thank you to everyone who attended our open day on Saturday 13 November. Don't worry if you didn't make it to the open day, you can still apply for one of our trade roles.

    Added on 25th October 2021 |

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  • Residents take a Caribbean cookery class

    As part of our Black History Month celebrations, residents at The Birmingham Foyer took part in a Caribbean cookery class. They learnt how to cook Curried Chicken and Rice on a budget.

    Added on 18th October 2021 |

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  • Dates for your diary - Oct

    On Friday 15th October our income phone lines will be closed. During this time you won’t be able to call us to discuss your rent account or make any payments over the phone.

    Added on 14th October 2021 |

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  • International Day of Older People

    The aim of the day is to spread awareness about issues affecting the elderly. During the next week we’ll be sharing some of the people who have inspired our residents’ to go above and beyond over the last year.

    Added on 1st October 2021 |

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  • Black History Month

    The lockdown period made it more challenging for us to celebrate as much as we would have liked last year. So we're very excited to be able to get out and about and celebrate with some of our customers this month.

    Added on 1st October 2021 |

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  • National Scrutiny Week

    We take customer scrutiny very seriously and have a dedicated team who work closely with our involved customers to make sure we do what we say we will.

    Added on 27th September 2021 |

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  • Tackling tenancy fraud

    With social housing in short supply, it’s important that our homes are only lived in by the people they are intended for. Al, one of our Tenancy Services Officer's explains what tenancy fraud is and why we need to tackle it.

    Added on 14th September 2021 |

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  • My Story: Aaron Peacock

    Arron didn't have the easiest start to life and fell in with the wrong crowd whilst growing up in care. After being given a second chance to live at one of our supported Living schemes he managed to turn his life around.

    Added on 3rd September 2021 |

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  • Dates for your diary

    On Wednesday 28 July and Wednesday 4 August our repairs hub will be closed so that we can deliver important training sessions for our teams.

    Added on 18th August 2021 |

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  • I will always remember your kindness

    98-year-old Trevor has been living at Timbermill Court, our Retirement Living scheme in Harborne (Birmingham), for over 27 years. His daughter Marilyn explained how our colleagues’ outstanding customer service has not only had a positive impact on her dad but for the rest of the family too…

    Added on 6th August 2021 |

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  • Bringing our repairs in house

    Our In-House Maintenance Team (IHMT) will be taking over the repairs contract from Fortem on 3rd August 2021. If Fortem is your regular contractor, the only difference you'll notice will be the operative’s uniform.

    Added on 26th July 2021 |

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  • Reviewing our ASB policy

    Last month, we asked you for your views so that we could use them to update our ASB policy. Your feedback is very important and it will help us to understand what’s working and what we can do better.

    Added on 21st July 2021 |

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  • ASB awareness week

    We want to make sure you know what ASB is, how you can report it and what we do to prevent and stop it.

    Added on 19th July 2021 |

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  • Supporting our refugee and asylum-seeking customers

    Like many of our Supported Living schemes, Coventry Foyer offers housing-related support to vulnerable young people. Unlike a lot of other schemes, Coventry Foyer has a large proportion of refugee and asylum-seeking customers (Roughly 41%)

    Added on 15th June 2021 |

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  • Estate Community Event

    Our Estates team and Rangers team held a community event at Blackberry Avenue in Lichfield. We planned the event to speak to our customer’s directly and find out more about the issues they were having with their bin stores.

    Added on 2nd June 2021 |

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  • Volunteering

    During an exceptionally difficult year, people from all walks of life around the UK have taken the time to volunteer and made a huge difference to people and their communities – just as they do every year.

    Added on 1st June 2021 |

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  • My Story: Hayley Blow

    When Hayley first moved into High Street South (one of our Supported Living properties in Rushden) she felt lost and alone. But thanks to the support of our hard-working team, Hayley is now thriving and living independently. This is Hayley's story, in her own words...

    Added on 24th May 2021 |

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  • Customers and staff celebrate Eid together

    Customers and staff at one of our Supported Living schemes celebrated Eid by enjoying traditional music and food. Eid was on Thursday 13th May, however they celebrated at The Snowhill in Birmingham on Tuesday 18 May.

    Added on 19th May 2021 |

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  • House Exchange: A new way to swap your home

    We've teamed up with House Exchange to make it easier for you to swap your home. House Exchange lets you search, find matches and contact other council or housing association residents who want to swap their homes.

    Added on 18th May 2021 |

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  • Retirement Living

    Letters from local school children in Wolverhampton have been gratefully received by residents in one of our retirement living schemes.

    Added on 7th April 2021 |

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  • Digital Improvement Survey - Your feedback

    Thank you to everyone who took the time to complete our Digital Improvement Survey. We want to make sure that our digital services work for you. So, we’ll be using your views to improve our app and website.

    Added on 1st April 2021 |

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  • Homes Direct has closed

    The Homes Direct lettings service closed on 1st April 2021. You’ll need to be registered with your local authority and/or housing providers to bid on their homes.

    Added on 1st April 2021 |

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  • Easter opening hours 2021

    Our Customer Hub will close for Easter at 6PM on Thursday 1st April 2021. The Hub will reopen at 8AM on Tuesday 6th April 2021.

    Added on 31st March 2021 |

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  • Making our app safer

    We want to make sure that we are doing everything that we can to protect you against online Fraud. Which is why we’ll be launched 3-D Secure on our customer app on 12th April 2021.

    Added on 26th March 2021 |

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  • Are you an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen?

    EEA nationals and their family members, who were living in the UK on 31 December 2020 will have rights under EU law. To keep those rights you must apply to the EU Settlement Scheme by 30th June 2021.

    Added on 25th March 2021 |

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  • Meet the team - Eva Mateffy

    Have you ever wanted to find out a bit more about our team and the different roles we have? Eva tells us what it's like to work as one of our Independent Living Officer's.

    Added on 17th March 2021 |

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  • Take our Digital Improvement Survey

    As part of our Digital Transformation Programme we’re now working to improve our digital services even further. We’ve created this short survey to find out a bit more about how you use our website and app.

    Added on 11th March 2021 |

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  • Short Story Competition - The Winners

    In November 2020, residents in our Retirement Living schemes to pick up their pens and get involved in a writing competition on the subject of ‘home’. Click here to read more

    Added on 3rd February 2021 |

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  • We’re working to keep you safe

    We’ve changed the way we work to make sure that we’re keeping you, your family and our staff safe. We’re monitoring the Covid-19 situation daily and following up-to-date advice from Public Health England to limit the spread of Coronavirus.

    Added on 29th January 2021 |

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  • Share your views

    The government have published their 'Social Housing White Paper' and we want to know what it means to you.

    Added on 28th January 2021 |

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  • Purple Tuesday

    As Purple Tuesday focuses on improving the experience of customers with disabilities, we're showcasing our refreshed aids and adaptation policy.

    Added on 3rd November 2020 |

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  • Stories in stitches

    A group of cross-stitching customers are participating in a community project to depict people's experiences of COVID-19 lockdown. Their handiwork goes on public display this month.

    Added on 16th October 2020 |

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  • Customer app

    Almost 16,000 customers are actively using our app to manage their accounts, pay their rent or look for a new home - and some of them helped us design and deliver it.

    Added on 5th October 2020 |

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  • St Dominic's inspires play

    The experiences of our customers and staff at one of our retirement living schemes have inspired a moving play about the care environment.

    Added on 2nd October 2020 |

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  • Northants Mayor visits St Crispin's

    The Mayor and Mayoress of Northampton recently enjoyed a warm welcome to one of our retirement villages where they found out how residents had risen to the challenges of life in lockdown and joined in a sing-a-long in the garden.

    Added on 22nd September 2020 |

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  • Scotts House new look

    A mini makeover at one of our block of flats has been welcomed by residents who worked with our estates team to choose the contemporary new look.

    Added on 14th August 2020 |

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  • Join our customer scrutiny

    Find out how you can get involved in helping us shape our services for customers - there are lots of different ways to join the team depending on the topics you are interested in and how much time you can offer.

    Added on 31st July 2020 |

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  • Actions speak louder than words in scrutiny

    We listen to what our customers tell us about our services and use their feedback to change what we do. In the past two years more than 76 actions have been taken, or are being taken, following recommendations made by customers involved in our scrutiny activities.

    Added on 30th July 2020 |

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  • Let's get virtual

    Our group of involved customers – who volunteer their time, skills and experience to help shape services for all our customers – have risen to the challenge of the new ways we are having to work.

    Added on 28th July 2020 |

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  • National Scrutiny Week

    National Scrutiny Week gets underway today and we're highlighting the essential role our involved customers play in helping us shape services for the benefit of all tenants.

    Added on 27th July 2020 |

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  • Holistic approach avoids customer losing home

    We worked with council, social services and NHS mental health services to avoid one of our vulnerable customers losing her home due to rent arrears because she was too ill to claim benefits or engage with agencies.

    Added on 23rd June 2020 |

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  • Dear St Crispin

    A pen pal project between our customers at a Northamptonshire retirement village and their neighbouring primary school has taken on special significance over the past few months.

    Added on 16th June 2020 |

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  • Lockdown didn't mean lock out for our customers

    Lockdown and the ongoing restrictions have not stopped our customers in need of housing being able to view potential new homes and sign their tenancy agreements thanks to our lettings teams finding different ways of working.

    Added on 4th June 2020 |

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  • Retirement living customers mark VE Day

    There was bunting on balconies, celebratory cupcakes, and socially-distanced sing-a-longs across our retirement living schemes to mark the 75th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day on May 8.

    Added on 15th May 2020 |

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  • Stay safe while you self-isolate

    During this uncertain time, scammers may try to take advantage or you or your family members. Follow our top tips and stay safe while you self-isolate.

    Added on 3rd April 2020 |

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  • Closing our offices

    We've taken the difficult decision to close our offices today and ask colleagues who can to work from home, to limit any potential spread of Coronavirus.

    Added on 22nd March 2020 |

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  • International Women's Day: Abba's story

    After training as a chef and having two sons, Abba Flint was determined to find a career that gave her flexibility around her family commitments. Abba is now one of our first female multi-trade apprentices, specialising in plumbing and getting compliments from customers for her friendly, professional approach.

    Added on 6th March 2020 |

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  • Greener homes for the future?

    We support the Government's plans to make house-building greener in the future, but we also don't want the costs passed on to our customers. Read our response to the Future Homes Standard consultation.

    Added on 9th February 2020 |

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  • Big Energy Saving Week 2020

    We’re supporting Big Energy Saving Week 2020, which is running from 20 – 24 January in partnership with Citizens Advice. The campaign aims at helping you cut your energy bills and get the financial help you could be entitled to.

    Added on 20th January 2020 |

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  • Breaking down barriers at Bevan Court

    To mark UK Disability History Month in December, our retired residents at Bevan Court spent time with work experience students from Baginton Fields, a school which supports students with a broad range of special educational needs (SEN).

    Added on 9th January 2020 |

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  • Festive outing for Firsbrook customers

    It was Festive Firsbrook when a group of our customers took the tram to Birmingham's German market to savour the Christmas atmosphere, visit stalls and buy gifts and edible goodies.

    Added on 23rd December 2019 |

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  • Tom scores a century!

    Customer Tom Lovell is 100-years-young on December 22 and credits his longevity to his active lifestyle. Read his inspirational story.

    Added on 16th December 2019 |

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  • A new way of helping you find a home

    In 2019, 3,500 customers moved into one of our homes. In 2020, we’re hoping to get lots more people moving into their ideal home with the help of our brand new lettings website, Midland Heart homes.

    Added on 12th December 2019 |

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  • Get talking about money and pensions

    18 – 22 November is ‘Talk Money Talk Pensions’ week in partnership with the Money and Pensions service, which aims to get you talking about your money and improve your financial wellbeing.

    Added on 19th November 2019 |

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  • Our manifesto for housing

    Take a look at the manifesto we've produced, advising the next Government what we think should be their main priorities for affordable housing.

    Added on 18th November 2019 |

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  • We support Purple Tuesday

    Today is Purple Tuesday and we are supporting the international campaign to improve the customer experience for people with disabilities with a series of commitments to our own customers and staff.

    Added on 12th November 2019 |

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  • Let’s make a new deal for renting

    The Government has asked landlords about its proposed changes to their relationship with their tenants. Find out our thoughts about the changes and read our full response to the consultation.

    Added on 12th October 2019 |

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  • Have you checked your heating?

    Many people run into problems with their central heating and boilers when they have not been used over the summer. There are a few things you can do to make sure that your heating works when you need it the most.

    Added on 16th September 2019 |

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  • Building a safer future for all tenants

    We've responded to the government's consultation "Building a Safer Future", which talks about how to make building safety consistent and effective - no matter where you live or what type of tenancy you have.

    Added on 19th July 2019 |

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  • Counting down to Bevan's Big Day!

    Preparations are well underway for our Big Bevan Garden Party on Saturday, July 13 which is to include an outside broadcast by BBC Radio Coventry & Warwickshire. The event at Bevan Court in Cheylesmore, Coventry is open to the public as well as the scheme’s residents, their families and friends and students from local schools that have links to the supported living development.

    Added on 4th July 2019 |

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  • Could your washing machine or dryer cause a fire?

    Washing machines and tumble dryers are part of the furniture in most households, but did you know they could both cause fires? Recently, some Whirlpool washing machines and dryers have been recalled due to a design fault which is a fire safety risk.

    Added on 22nd June 2019 |

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  • How can we tackle homelessness, together?

    Here you can read our response to the Government's consultation "Tackling Homelessness Together" and what we think are the most important changes that would help reduce the growing problem of homelessness.

    Added on 14th June 2019 |

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  • Remembering Alice

    Babies and children being treated at New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton are benefitting from new play items and toys donated by generous relatives and friends in memory of our customer Alice Harris.

    Added on 6th June 2019 |

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  • Loud and proud at Birmingham Pride

    Parading the streets of Birmingham over the bank holiday weekend, our colleagues joined this year’s Pride festivities, bringing the LGBTQ and wider community together in a rainbow of colour, culture and cheer.

    Added on 5th June 2019 |

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  • Ready-made happiness with a ready-made home

    A family of five who live in one of our innovative “modular” houses are so in love with their home that they’ve been talking to the BBC about it. Modular houses combine a steel frame with traditional building materials to create a ready-made house that’s built in a factory in sections then assembled on site using a huge crane.

    Added on 17th May 2019 |

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  • Charity skydive boosts activities fund

    Customers and colleagues spent the bank holiday jumping from 1,300ft to raise money for Broad Meadow retirement scheme in Dudley. The team included the scheme’s manager, activities coordinator and one of the residents, with other residents.

    Added on 15th May 2019 |

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  • What makes a "Great Place"?

    Quality homes and giving tenants their say are important ingredients for a strong community, we told the National Housing Federation in our response to their "Great Places" report.

    Added on 11th May 2019 |

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  • Extracare scheme reaches out to combat loneliness

    One of our retirement living schemes in Coventry is helping to tackle social isolation by throwing open its doors to the local community. We’re calling on people living in and around Bevan Court in Cheylesmore to join our residents for coffee mornings, gardening and other activities.

    Added on 1st May 2019 |

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  • Show off your bloomin' gorgeous garden!

    It’s National Gardening Week from Monday 29 April – Sunday 5 May and to celebrate, we want to see our customers’ gorgeous gardens! We’re running two competitions for our green-fingered customers with two £50 vouchers up for grabs – one for best scheme garden and one for best general needs garden – so that you can keep your back gardens blooming all through the summer.

    Added on 24th April 2019 |

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  • Keeping yourself safe

    Sometimes things don’t always go to plan, so giving our colleagues the right equipment when they’re out and about on their own is crucial in keeping them safe. We supply all of our lone workers with the Soloprotect Identicom devices. Before each visit, they leave a message stating their location and can raise an alarm if they are in danger. We also provide colleagues with personal safety training to ensure they know what to do if they have concerns about a situation

    Added on 9th April 2019 |

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  • Making improvements together

    We have lots of ways for customers to get involved at Midland Heart and are always looking for new people to take a fresh look at the homes and services we provide to you. Our dedicated Customer Scrutiny Team works with a group of involved customers to help shape and improve the work we do. From piloting new services to mystery shopping, there is something for everyone depending on your interests.

    Added on 2nd April 2019 |

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  • New approach needed to assessing housing need

    We need a more astute method of assessing need that supports our ambition and properly meets the needs of the diverse communities and economies across the UK - read our full response to the technical planning consultation here.

    Added on 11th March 2019 |

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  • Julia's story

    Flexibility is key to help Julia Bailey manage a busy work life with a hectic home schedule. Julia, HR Shared Services Manager, manages a team who deal with HR queries from colleagues across Midland Heart. If she didn’t have enough on a plate, Julia is also mother to three young children.

    Added on 28th January 2019 |

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  • Our customers feedback to government

    Read how more than 100 of our customers have helped us shape our response to the Government’s Social Housing Green Paper proposals on involving, engaging and empowering social housing residents.

    Added on 17th January 2019 |

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  • Don't let loan sharks bite this Christmas

    Don’t turn to predatory loan sharks to solve your Christmas money worries this year. The Stop Loan Sharks project has launched a national campaign to raise awareness of illegal money lenders and provide guidance on where help can be found.

    Added on 5th December 2018 |

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  • Hail Sir Geoffrey!

    Children at Shoemaker Court in Rushden, Northamptonshire got the chance recently to find out about pet ownership.

    Added on 22nd November 2018 |

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  • We need to talk about debt

    Working within the Money Advice team, you can see people at their lowest. Whether it be low income, benefit delays, sanctions, benefit cap or debt.

    Added on 12th November 2018 |

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  • Happy Halloween from ‘Scaremaker’ Court!

    Customers at Shoemaker Court, Rushden were in for a treat (not trick!) this Halloween as their annual Halloween party was taken over by Hogwarts’ wandering workshop! Children (Muggles) were invited to the workshop via hand delivered parchment from Hogwarts and were told to dress to impress.

    Added on 31st October 2018 |

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  • #HousingDay 2018 – get involved!

    #HousingDay, the 24-hour social media event to celebrate the positive impact of social housing on millions of tenants, is taking place on Wednesday 10 October.

    Added on 3rd October 2018 |

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  • Help following a bereavement

    Losing a husband, wife or civil partner is a difficult time that many people are unprepared for, but if you find yourself in this situation you may be able to claim bereavement benefits to ease some of the financial stress.

    Added on 21st September 2018 |

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  • Don’t invite fire to your BBQ

    Now that the warm, light evenings are with us and the summer holidays are fast approaching, barbecues are beginning to sizzle! But behind the bangers and burgers, summer fun has a serious side and it is important to take extra care with lighting barbecues.

    Added on 25th June 2018 |

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  • Carers Week 2018

    Carers Week is designed to recognise the contribution that carers make to families and communities across the UK. The week, which runs from 11-17 June, also aims to bring awareness to the challenges which carers face.

    Added on 15th June 2018 |

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  • Keeping our community clean

    On Saturday 9 June, our Rangers and Place team joined Moseley Litter Busters, local councillors, Accord and local residents for a spring clean in Moseley.

    Added on 13th June 2018 |

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  • Weather affecting communal gardens

    We are aware that some of the communal gardens have not been maintained in line with the planned schedules. Our Contractors are aware of this issue and have additional workers out on site and are committed to bring the planned grass cutting and maintenance up to date as soon as possible.

    Added on 5th June 2018 |

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  • Could you save money on your energy bills?

    Comparing gas and electric providers and deals regularly can help you to make sure you are getting the most out of your money. With British Gas and EDF announcing price rises to some of their tariffs, now couldn’t be a better time to do a comparison!

    Added on 4th May 2018 |

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  • Put it out, right out!

    Smoking in the single biggest cause of accidental fires in the home and a third of all deaths in fires in the home are caused by cigarettes. This is often down to careless behaviour, such as smoking in bed or not taking care after drinking alcohol.

    Added on 26th April 2018 |

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  • Could a spring clean save your life?

    It may be the last month of spring, but there's still time to squeeze in a final spring clean. Clear the clutter that may be blocking your escape routes and make sure your family, guests and loved ones know how to get out, stay out, and call 999 in the event of a fire.

    Added on 5th April 2018 |

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  • Fire safety at the top of the agenda

    Our priority is to keep you safe and we want to reassure you that we take fire safety very seriously. So, what are we doing to ensure the safety of you and your family?

    Added on 4th April 2018 |

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  • Cold weather payments

    You may be entitled to a cold weather payment paid by the DWP if you receive a qualifying benefit and the average temperature in the area where you live is recorded as, or forecast to be, zero degrees or below for seven consecutive days.

    Added on 2nd March 2018 |

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  • Rangers service charge

    Last year, we brought together our teams that work on bulky waste removal (flytipping) and fire detection/emergency lighting. This team is now called Rangers.

    Added on 23rd February 2018 |

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  • Midland Heart takes Time to Talk

    At Midland Heart, we know that it benefits everyone to talk about mental health. That’s why we celebrated Time to Talk Day on Thursday 1 February.

    Added on 9th February 2018 |

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  • Don’t add fuel to the fire

    Following the festive period, you may have an increased amount of rubbish in your home which could be a fire hazard if not stored correctly.

    Added on 3rd January 2018 |

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