Meet the Team: Electricians

Winter 2022 saw FCHA recruit 2 new electricians to help develop the electrical systems at tenant properties and in the head office here in Cardiff.

The Team

Ciaran is our new electrician. He has worked in the social housing sector for a number of years carrying out electrical maintenance and condition reports.

Tina has also joined the team as the Apprentice Electrician. For the past 2 years she has been at college completing electrical installations. She will be working to assist Ciaran on site and to further her skills to become a qualified electrician.

What will they be doing?

Ciaran and Tina's main role will be helping FCHA achieve their goal of becoming carbon neutral. This will involve installing energy monitoring equipment into properties to analyse energy use and environmental monitors to provide data on the conditions of the properties. They will also be equipping some homes with smart technology to give tenants control over their homes and help reduce energy use.

Tenants and Digital Tech

Here are some quotes from tenants in Swansea who have had sensors and smart technology added to their home. These tenants have also been provided digital equipment to help them reduce their energy costs and allow them to be more digitally included.

The FCHA Van

New to FCHA are the vans! These new vehicles will allow some staff to get the work done at tenant properties more effectively. Ciaran and Tina will use this to install smart devices in tenant homes or help with electrical issues.

We encourage all tenants and staff to get a photo in front of the FCHA van if spotted outside your home. We encourage all tenants to send photos and stories of their experiences with digital technology to go in our Newsletter. All entries have a chance to win a voucher from us!

Here's one tenant standing in front of the van!

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