The South Glos Post

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 services and what things they’d like the society to provide in the future.

The event is part of Merlin’s consultation with residents to produce its local offers for 2012.

Community Investment Manager Jen Griffiths said:

“We know that our residents have different priorities and want to tailor our services to meet those needs. Across the organisation we have been working to meet all of last year’s local offers that residents produced. Now we are working with residents to draw up next year’s offers.”

“We received lots of feedback from our residents’ fun day during the summer and are holding this event so that we hear the views of as many residents as possible.”

More: Contact Merlin now to reserve your place »

Source: Merlin Housing Society

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 the new opening hours follows a month-long consultation with residents in January. More than 90% of residents who took part said they were happy with Merlin’s existing opening hours but would like some small changes.

Karin Ellis, Customer Services Manager, said: “We’ve listened to what our residents have told us and introduced these new opening hours for a six month trial. They said that they’d like to be able to contact us for longer on a Wednesday and for there to be one evening a week when they could speak to their housing office.

“At the end of the six months, we will review how well used these additional contact hours have been and decide whether to make them permanent.”

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Source: Merlin Housing Society

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 homes – known as Right To Buy (RTB) receipts.

South Gloucestershire Council receives around £500,000 per year from RTB receipts. This money is paid to the Council by Merlin Housing Society who took over the Council’s housing stock in 2007.

The Council’s ruling Conservative Cabinet recently decided to use its RTB receipts to fund a shortfall in its budget that pays for grants to disabled residents who qualify for statutory help. Now, as the government insists that RTB receipts are to be paid to the Exchequer, South Gloucestershire Council will have to find the money from elsewhere because they are legally obliged to provide the grants.

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Source: Labour Councillors on South Gloucestershire Council

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, sets out what pets residents can keep and in what circumstances, and the actions Merlin will take if pets cause a nuisance to neighbours.

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Source: Merlin Housing Society