Keep Wales Tidy: A Retrospective

First Choice Tenants have continued to tell us how important outside space and access to nature is for their wellbeing, and we have continued to listen!

Start of Cardiff Property 2021

Since November 2021, we have completed 13 garden projects worth over £65k through our partnership with Keep Wales Tidy. This is something we are still looking to continue.

Matthew and Chloe

Outside space is so important to our tenants, particularly during the pandemic for fresh air and wellbeing, and Keep Wales Tidy have helped us to enhance this private garden. We had a great afternoon planting fruit trees, a small vegetable garden, and wildflowers across the property; come summer and years to come it will be colourful and full of fruit. A big thank you to Keep Wales Tidy for their support and guidance (who knew there was that much to planting trees) on this project. - Matthew, FCHA Board (Vice Chair)

Keep Wales Tidy runs the 'Local Places for Nature' initiative which offers a range of free garden packages. The intention is to reverse nature's decline and boost wellbeing throughout communities in Wales.

At the beginning, we were supplied with smaller garden packages which included fruit trees, fruit bushes, wildflowers, bulbs, habitat boxes and tools to maintain the garden. You can read about our first projects with Keep Wales Tidy here: https://www.fcha.org.uk/post/fcha-keep-wales-tidy

Since then, some projects have grown to include raised beds, ponds, greenhouses, tool sheds, compost bins and seating areas. All of these were developed with the help of FCHA staff, volunteers from FCHA partners, Support Provider staff and the Tenants themselves getting involved wherever possible.

These garden projects are tailored around the Tenants interests and needs. Feedback has shown that the garden projects have improved wellbeing and the biodiversity of the outside space, enabling better access to nature from the doorstep for Tenants and their support networks.

The Brecon Canal Boat Trip

We frequently ask tenants for suggestions for new ideas on how they would like to engage with FCHA staff, tenants and the wider community. One of those ideas was a Brecon Canal Boat Trip and so we got planning on the next unique tenant day out!

In June, Nigel and Dave from the housing team as well as Donna, Director of Corporate Services & Housing accompanied 20 tenants and support staff on a 2 hour cruise down the Monmouthshire and Brecon canal. Afternoon tea and cakes were provided on the boat and tenants got to enjoy a guided historical tour along the canal in the sunshine whilst enjoying the ducks, herons and swans that make the canal their home along the way.

Events like this are unique and always a blast to hold for tenants. It's something that, if it weren't for our Tenant Talks groups where tenants are provided a platform to raise concerns or requests to us directly, would not be brought to our attention.

We would like to thank all tenants and their support staff for joining us on the first of what we are sure will be many new ways to engage in the future. Keep an eye out on socials, the newsletter and letters from us through your door for all of the tenant events in your local area that you can attend!

If you are a tenant and have a unique tenant event suggestion that you would like to attend, let us know. Email customerservices@fcha.org.uk

Tenant Talks Spring 2022

A lot has changed since our last set of Tenant Talks events. We have increased the number of staff at the organisation who help tenants in both north and south Wales whilst also challenging ourselves to deliver more information and resources on the environment, energy, money and Health and Wellbeing.

Climate change & decarbonisation

FCHA has had a lot of work done to the organisation as a whole when it comes to decarbonisation. 2 of our staff received carbon literacy training which we passed onto Tenants during these tenant talks.

Lots of aspects were covered including:

1. What is the greenhouse effect?

2. Greenhouse gases and what the sources are

3. What is a carbon footprint?

4. What does zero carbon mean?

5. What FCHA are doing to reduce their carbon footprint?

By informing tenants on the above, we can help them understand what in their household produces greenhouse gases and it gave them a foundation for the next part of the Tenants Talk, which was energy saving tips.

Money & energy saving tips

Energy prices are on the rise so FCHA thought it was appropriate to provide tenants with some energy saving advice. This information was already provided in the Newsletter that was delivered to all tenants and is also available on our website as a blog, just click here.

The energy tips given were a success! Some tenants already practised some of the tips provided in the session, such as having energy saving bulbs and only boiling the water you need in the kettle.

But they said that the other tips provided were very easy to implement and will start doing these more often.

Raffle

In North Wales as part of a Healthy Eating drive, our Housing Manager Maureen created 3 fruit baskets that went down a treat! In the South, Chocolates were handed out as prizes and the whole raffle was a success.

National Trust and future events

As part of our Health and Wellbeing drive in 2022 the National Trust provided us with a special pass allowing First Choice Tenants to visit any National Trust site in Wales free of charge. This pass allows up to 50 people to attend any National Trust site for a number of activities until November 2022. You can read more about it by clicking here.

Tenants were very excited to be provided with an opportunity like this and there are plans for some visits this year already!

Renting Homes Act

A new act to be implemented in July 2022 will change every tenants’ Tenancy Agreement to an Occupancy Contract. We provided tenants with information about what that will mean for them going forward after July and ensured that all Tenants will have to sign and return the new contracts to FCHA in the post.

More information will be provided closer to the date as well as a blog which will be linked here.

Community Involvement Grant

FCHA's community involvement grant is to benefit tenants and the communities that they live in. Tenants were given information as to how to apply for a community involvement grant which is a fund that FCHA can provide for more equipment, helping with partnerships or to help fund local community volunteer groups that tenants are a part of.

Tenants Voice newsletter

Finally, we talked about our Tenants’ Voice newsletter and spoke to tenants about how they can get involved in contributing stories, hobbies and recipes to share with other First Choice tenants.

These newsletters are given to every property at FCHA so we provided information about how to send us a story and mentioned that there is a prize for the best story in every newsletter!

The next Newsletter is due in July so keep your eyes peeled for the stories from tenants at this season's Tenant Talks.

Gig Buddies

A special guest was at our Tenants Talk in north Wales. Gig Buddies Cymru made an appearance with their stall to provide information about their project and to provide opportunities for FCHA Tenants in North Wales to meet a Gig Buddy and go to events with a new friend!

A Gig Buddy is a volunteer who shares the same interests in music and hobbies as you. They can go to gigs and events with you that are sometimes hard to get to.