CHISEL is provisionally allocated £1.3 million government funding for our energy efficiency retrofit programme.
You’ll be excited to know that CHISEL has received the provisional award of £1,344,811 from the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero’s Warmer Homes Social Housing Funding.
With our partners e-On Energy, we were successful in being awarded 100% of our bid. This funding can only be used to improve the energy performance of your homes and will include roof and window replacements, insulation and other measures that will not only ensure that your home is more energy efficient, but that your energy costs are reduced as well.
Meet Claudine
I’m super proud to welcome Claudine Tyson to CHISEL as our new Head of Housing. Claudine brings a wealth of experience to CHISEL, and will be leading from the front – we’re already about to update the policies we introduced in the past twelve months, and she’ll be working on making sure we give the very best customer service to all our residents and stakeholders.
Have you had your Stock Condition Survey?
There’s just three more weeks for you to book your Stock Condition Survey – this is how we assess and prioritise our Stock Investment programme for cyclical improvements like new kitchens and bathrooms – so if we don’t have a stock condition survey for your home, we won’t be able to carry out the work.
If that isn’t reason enough, as we are obliged as a housing association to report on the state of our homes, we begin to take action to access your homes (from May) to take the survey anyway – and we will recover any costs we incur from gaining access.
We are making appointments now, so please check your emails and voicemail for Chanise’s message. Alternately, you can book by calling us on 020 8692 5258 (our main switchboard or 07747 632302 (Dean’s mobile).
The Residents’ Buildings Forum is on Tuesday 18th March 6pm
Resident Chair Peter Coker is looking forward to chairing the first of our forums that is dedicated to all things to do with our buildings. The forum will report directly into our Board.
This Forum will scrutinise our plans and budgets for the retrofit and decent homes work (see above), as well as be the first to know about our new development projects. As if that’s not enough, we also plan to invite CHISEL contractors along so that residents can learn more about them.
The first meeting will be held at CHISEL HQ in Brockley, and online for our residents in Brighton and Marks Tey. Please drop me an email if you’d like to come along [email protected]
“Inspirational Housing and Neighbourhoods that Residents are Proud to call Home”
The CHISEL Board approved our new and expanded vision, mission and values in February, and you’ll be learning more about them here each month.
A collaboration between the Board, the CHISEL Team of Colleagues and Stakeholders, we road-tested the document with Residents Associations, Contractors and even Jose Ospina the founder of CHISEL in 1986.
We also outline our commitments to growth, partnerships and supporting co-ops, with residents who are empowered and satisfied.
New Rent starts on Monday 7th April 2025
You’ll have received your annual rent increase letter in the past few weeks, which outlines your new rent and how we calculate it. If you need another copy or didn’t receive it, please give us a call or email [email protected]
If you pay by Direct Debit, then the new amount will be taken automatically, but if you still pay by Standing Order, then don’t forget to contact your bank or building society and advise them of the changes.
If you are in receipt of Universal Credit, then you should notify them as soon as possible, to ensure no interruption in payment.
We want you to join the CHISEL Board!
The CHISEL Chair, Louise Owen (also a long-standing resident) says:
” We are looking for residents to join the CHISEL Board. it’s a great place to start if you would like training in how boards and committees work, but better still, it’s a chance to get involved and help support and steer CHISEL into the future”
The Board meets 4-5 times a year, or you may like to join one of our committees.
Please email [email protected] and we’ll arrange for you to come in and have a chat with Louise.
Your Fire Safety in Wood-Framed Housing
As the proud custodian of our unique self-build schemes, which are wooden framed homes built by residents themselves, we take fire safety very seriously.
We have commissioned ex-military Fireman Darren Young to undertake additional inspections of all our schemes (which housing associations usually don’t need to do if there are no enclosed communal areas) to make sure that we are carrying out best practice with their management. Well, share these reports with each group of residents when they are finalised.
In addition, our Neighbourhood Managers carry out enhanced Estate Inspections every month, and I’m afraid that we’ve seen an increase in combustible items being stored adjacent to, or in one case underneath, the homes. Please can all residents ensure that these areas are kept completely free of combustible debris or personal items – if we have to remove items we will recharge individual households.
Please sponsor Jill!
New just in from Brighton is that CHISEL resident in the Dryads Housing Co-op, Jill Pendleton, has been chosen to represent the UK Senior Division for Women at the International Yoga Sport Foundation World Asana Championships in Malaysia!!
If you’d like to sponsor Jill, please visit her JustGiving page:
And if you’d like us to share a sponsored event please contact us.
and finally – why not take a trip to our Archive?
Our webmaster Neil is still unpacking our Archive, and there’s been a fresh delivery of treasure including some unseen photos, plans, fliers, and all sorts. CHISEL is 40 years young next year, so we’ll be uploading as much as we can until then!
See you all soon,
Miles