Following a feasibility study and a number of meetings with professionals from the Health Service, education and the local Food Bank, a team from Ythan Valley Rotary is progressing with creating a free clothing service. In the form of a Clothes Bank, clean clothes, which are in good condition, will be made available in “bespoke” clothes packs to those families, single people and groups who have found themselves in a situation where a set of good and clean clothes would help through a difficult time, whatever that may deemed to be.
The process for operating this service is simple. Those finding themselves in such need can access it referrers. Using the professionals as the channel for referrals, the Ythan Valley team will make up the clothing packs on request and ensure that they reach the professionals as quickly as possible. The professionals will disburse the clothes packs and the anonymity of all parties will be preserved.
The Clothes Bank Team is now calling on the good will of the local communities by asking people to contribute clean clothes, which are in good condition, to enable it to create clothes packs for those who come through the professionals’ referral system. Clothes to suit all ages, except baby clothes, shoes and school uniforms, will be welcome.
A spokesperson for Ythan Valley said, “Apart from going a little way to maintaining people’s dignity through whatever crisis they may find themselves in, this service also offers the opportunity to recycle clothes. And because we are firmly supportive of the need to reduce plastics, we shall be using recyclable packaging whenever we can. And so we look forward to our local communities supporting us as we launch this service on the 20th January.
Referral can be made by either contacting your Housing Officer or Tenancy Sustainment Coordinator on 01224 548000.
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During normal office hours report an emergency repair by calling our Customer Services team at on: 01224 548001
If you experience an emergency repair situation out with our office opening hours please call the emergency repair line on: 01224 548030
Examples include:
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Whirlpool washing machine recall list: Hotpoint and Indesit models recalled after fire risk warning
About 20 per cent of Hotpoint and Indesit washing machines since 2014 are affected by a fault that can cause the door locking system to overheat, creating the risk of a fire. Whirlpool explained, “When the heating element in the washing machine is activated, in very rare cases a component in the door lock system can overheat, which, depending on product features, can post a risk of fire.”
According to Whirlpool (owner of the two brands) 79 fires are thought to be attributed to the fault, which develops over time.
This is the full list of models affected by the recall:
What to do if you think you own an affected washing machine
Whirlpool has created a model checker website to allow customers to see if their appliance is affected. Customers who bought a Hotpoint or Indesit washing machine after October 2014 would need to enter the model and serial number of their appliances to see if it was one of the recalled models. The model and serial number can be found inside the door or the back.
Alternatively, there is a free Whirlpool helpline that you can reach on 0800 316 1442.
If it turns out you do have an affected appliance, Whirlpool says that it should be unplugged and should not be used until it has been repaired by a trained engineer. As an alternative, those affected will also be offered a safe replacement.
However, the repair or replacement process will not begin until early January 2020 at the earliest. Whirlpool stated that owners could still use their machine, despite the potential danger, and instead use it on a cold wash cycle at 20C or less, which reduces the risk. A cold cycle means that the heating element would not be activated.
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The Osprey Housing and Osprey Housing Moray office will be closed on Tuesday the 24th of December as of 14:00.
The office will re-open at 09:00 on Monday the 6th of January.
If you are a Osprey Housing tenant and you need to report a repairs emergency during the office closure please contact our Out of Hours Emergency number: 01224 548030.
If you are a Osprey Housing Moray tenant and you need to report a repairs emergency during the office closure please contact our Out of Hours Emergency number: 01224 548030.
All non emergency repairs should be reported by e-mail to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and will be dealt with on our return.
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On the 4th of December at the National Good Practice Awards a very proud Osprey Team picked up two awards! One being Best Practice in Digital Involvement, another for Best Practice in Involving Tenants in Rent.
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The people of Elgin now have access to a car club which allows members to rent electric cars on a ‘pay as you go’ basis. The initiative comes from Osprey Housing Moray, part of the Osprey Housing Group and one of the region’s leading Housing Associations. The Car Club, which is managed and run by Co-wheels, launched on Wednesday 13th November and is the first car club in the town.
The club will operate two fully electric Renault Zoe cars from their base in Osprey’s car park just off Pinefield Crescent in Elgin.
The launch event drew an interested crowd, keen to find out more about membership and have a closer look at the electric cars and charging points. REAP Scotland were also on hand to provide advice on energy efficiency. The first twenty new members also received an additional driving credit and were entered into a prize draw.
Car Club membership is open to both Osprey Housing’s own tenants and the wider community. Anyone who has held a full driving licence for 12 months and has six or fewer points on their licence can join. Drivers aged 21 or under must hold a clean licence. Membership includes insurance, and an online or app based booking facility with a smartcard access system allowing members to collect the car 24 hours a day. So, after booking, members can simply, pick up a car and then return it to the charging station after their hire. There are also Co-wheels sites in Huntly and at 28 locations in Aberdeen, along with numerous other UK locations.
Jane McWirr, Osprey Housing Group’s Sustainability Officer commented: “This is a great opportunity for anyone who can drive but wants to avoid the expense of owning and maintaining a car. It could save members hundreds, if not thousands of pounds each year, since there’s no need to pay for road tax, insurance, servicing or the expense of buying or leasing a car.
“As well as the obvious benefits for air quality and sustainability, the car club will fill the gap as a more flexible option when public transport may not be suitable, for drivers who just need a car occasionally, or when the family car is being used elsewhere. It’s also a chance to discover the benefits of electric cars, especially since the Scottish Government hopes to phase out petrol and diesel vehicles by 2032”.
The funding for the project was provided by Plugged in Households, a programme jointly managed by Transport Scotland and the Energy Saving Trust. Osprey’s Car Club is amongst the first project to receive this funding, which covered the initial cost of the charging point and running expenses for the first year, after which, it is hoped the project will be self-funded.
READER OFFER
For any readers of the Northern Scot who missed the launch event, you can sign up to the Car Club by going to www.co-wheels.org.uk and using the Northern Scot promo code: OSPREY25, which will allow you to join for just £1 and get £25 driving credit, no monthly minimum spend and a 25% discount for 12 months.
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From 11 November 2019 the Osprey Housing Group, along with all other Registered Social Landlords in Scotland will be subject to the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.
Follow these links to find out more.
https://www.ospreyhousing.org.uk/freedom-of-information
https://www.ospreyhousingmoray.org.uk/freedom-of-information
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Some £30m in Scottish Government funding has been allocated across the country to implement “Frank’s Law”, which is named after former Dundee United footballer Frank Kopel who died in 2014 aged 65, five years after being diagnosed with early-onset dementia.
His wife Amanda and the Kopel family fought a successful campaign for free personal care to be brought in for people aged under 65 who need help with everyday physical tasks.
Free personal and/or nursing care is available to adults in Scotland who have been assessed by the local authority as needing these servives.
Care Information Scotland https://careinfoscotland.scot/
gives information on care and support services for older people either for themselves or a relative. It will also be helpful for those providing unpaid care:
If you have been assessed as needing personal and/or nursing care you will receive this regardless of income, capital assets, or marital or civil partner status. However, if you live in a residential care home you will need to contribute towards your remaining accommodation costs.
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Information about how we perform as an organisation, and how well we deliver our functions and services.
| How we are Performing | |
|---|---|
| ARC Tenant Report | ARC Tenant Report |
| Performance standards/indicators | Performance |
| Bench marking information | Bench Marking Information |
| Complaints policy, guidance and forms | |
| Complaints reports or equivalent to show how complaints are handled and influence service delivery (aggregate reports rather than individual outcomes) | Complaints/Compliments |
| Tenant scrutiny reports | On Request |
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