Social housing providers in South Gloucestershire have partnered up for a series of ‘speed-dating for houses’ events, to help their tenants move. Merlin Housing Society, Knightstone Housing Association, Sovereign Housing Association and Solon South West Housing, are holding the events to help people affected by Welfare Reform. The three events will bring people who want or need to move home
Continue reading
Work has begun on a £20m project to improve 1,000 homes in South Gloucestershire. Merlin Housing Society is carrying out external improvements to most of its non-traditional housing stock to make them warmer and cheaper to heat. The first phase of work involves 48 properties in Cadbury Heath. Project manager Richard Hopkins said: “It’s great to get underway with this
Continue reading
Dozens of young people came along to an open event to learn about an apprenticeship with Merlin Housing Society and the hope of a new job in the new year. Around 70 would-be plumbers, plasterers and electricians attended the event at Merlin’s apprenticeship partner, South Gloucestershire and Stroud College last Wednesday. They were there to learn more about Merlin’s apprenticeship
Continue reading
A South Gloucestershire housing association football team has given 110% in its efforts to support cancer charities. Merlin Housing Society staff took to the football pitch in a pink kit to mark Breast Cancer Research’s Wear it Pink day. They were playing against fellow housing association Curo in a charity football match to raise money for a number of cancer
Continue reading
Merlin Housing Society has completed a £7.6m deal to buy 121 properties from Home Group. It’s the second multi-million pound acquisition in just over two months for Merlin following the purchase of 33 properties from Magna Housing Association at the end of May. As well as adding to the 8,000 properties the association owns in South Gloucestershire, these acquisitions see
Continue reading
Fine wines and tasty cheeses are on offer to Merlin Housing Society residents who offer their suggestions on how the society can improve. Merlin’s Community Investment Team is inviting residents to a special wine and cheese tasting event at the start of December. And while residents are sampling the tasty treats, staff will be asking them their views on Merlin’s
Continue reading
Merlin Housing Society is extending its housing office opening hours after listening to residents’ views. From the week beginning Monday 2nd May, Merlin’s three housing offices will be open for residents to pop in from 8:30am – 5pm, Monday – Friday. And on Mondays residents will be able to phone their housing office until 6:30pm. The six month pilot of
Continue reading
Government cuts announced last month could mean that a local council is set to lose £500,000 that it had earmarked for spending on equipment for disabled residents, say Labour councillors. The fine print revealed by Conservative Chancellor George Osborne’s Comprehensive Spending Review of 20th October, shows that councils will no longer receive any money when council house tenants buy their
Continue reading
Merlin Housing Society has gained the RSPCA’s bronze footprint award for its efforts to help residents be responsible pet owners. The society was one of just 16 housing associations to receive the award and one of two south west-based organisations. It was awarded for its positive and clear policy on pet ownership. Merlin’s pets policy, which was launched in 2008,
Continue reading
Merlin Housing Society has reassured tenants that improvements to their homes due to be carried out by Connaught will still go ahead. Connaught, which called in administrators KPMG last week, is one of three companies carrying out Merlin’s decent homes improvement programme. It was appointed to the programme in 2007 and had fitted new kitchens and bathrooms in thousands of
Continue reading