Broadland Housing Association
Homes, community & support since 1963
Pathways Norwich is a group of 7 local organisations working together, with funding from Norwich City Council, to address rough sleeping in the city:
Broadland is supporting Norfolk Fire & Rescue Service in reminding tenants in flats and buildings to keep all communal passages and corridors clear of clutter.
In an emergency, these areas are escape routes but they are often blocked by waste bags, bicycles, prams, mobility scooters etc.
In the run up to Christmas, Broadland is working with Norfolk Fire & Rescue Service to promote the public safety message about keeping exit routes clear. The advice applies to all types of homes with hallways, landings, staircases and porches. Keeping them clear offers an easier escape route in an emergency, as well as helping to reduce slips, trips and falls.
Councillor Margaret Dewsbury, Chairman of Norfolk County Council’s Communities Committee, said:
The problem often worsens over the winter, as other items are left in such areas, including winter footwear and Christmas trees. Items such as tables are also moved outside into communal areas to make way for Christmas trees in homes.
If a fire were to start in a communal space which is full of clutter or storage, the escape routes for the residents could prevent or hinder the safe evacuation of people leaving the building. Such items also invite the risk for a deliberate fire being started.
Items blocking escape routes could also affect the speed the fire service would be able to resolve the fire as well as blocking firefighters rescuing the occupants.
If any Broadland Housing tenant has concerns about clutter/storage in their means of escape, or any other fire safety concerns, they should talk to their Neighbourhood Officer.
Norfolk Fire & Rescue Service are also highlighting the fire risks associated with Christmas decorations, following a house fire in Norfolk last week.
Garry Collins, Head of Fire Prevention and Protection at Norfolk Fire & Rescue Service, said:
We want all Norfolk residents to have a safe and prosperous Christmas. There are a few things people can do to help reduce the risk of fire. This includes switching off festive lights at night, not overloading plug sockets, not leaving cooking appliances unattended and taking extreme care with fireplaces and any candles.
Last Thursday two Norfolk residents were taken to hospital suffering smoke inhalation following a fire in their home caused by Christmas decorations being ignited by a gas lighter, which was being used to light a candle. Thankfully the fire was extinguished quickly and only affected the lounge. The residents had kept their internal doors shut as part of their night time routine.
The occupants were surprised at how quickly the fire took hold. Christmas decorations made from combustible materials quickly ignited. This fire could have been much worse if it wasn’t for the prompt actions by the householders.
Contact Norfolk Fire & Rescue Service’s Community Safety Team, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, on 0800 917 8137. Find more details from Norfolk Fire & Rescue about fire safety in the home, including booking a home fire risk check and planning an escape route.
Broadland staff have been proudly supporting PACT as their chosen charity this year, raising much needed funds for the animal sanctuary.
PACT needed some practical help to upgrade their kennel kitchen. However, nearly all the money the charity raises is used to care for the rescued animals.
However, Broadland staff came to the rescue! Each year we give every employee one volunteer day to donate to a charity of their choice. Our diverse workforce includes electricians, plumbers, plasterers and carpenters, and some of them decided to donate a day of their labour to PACT.
Broadland contacted kitchen suppliers and we were thrilled to receive such a positive response. Donations included:
· a kitchen by Benchmarx
· vinyl flooring by Faithfull Flooring
· various materials by Travis Perkins
The new kennel kitchen is due to be finished at the end of November.
We are immensely grateful to our suppliers for their support, and proud of our staff for using their volunteer days for such a worthwhile cause!
We are delighted to once again maintain our GOLD status in the Sustainable Homes Index for Tomorrow (SHIFT) Awards. Following our success in 2016, in 2018 we are the highest scoring social landlord. This achievement reflects the work and care we put into the sustainability of our homes and the change we have implemented across the business.
We are particularly pleased to score highly in the ‘adaptation to climate change’ and ‘strategy and leadership’ categories, as these have been a focus for us as a business. Our high score for tenant engagement activities reflects our passion to put our tenants first.
Michael Newey, Group Chief Executive, commented:
“I am immensely proud that once again we have got Gold in the SHIFT awards. Being the highest scoring landlord for both 2016 and 2018 shows the focus from all areas of the business that we are fully committed to being a sustainable landlord. The staff team have done great work to show we are a ‘green’ business.”
(pictured: Louise Archer, Executive Property Director, centre, on stage at the 2018 award ceremony on 8 November)
Broadland invited Dereham tenants to a family fun day in October to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Boundary Close, Pavilion Way and Keeper’s Close.
The housing scheme, which includes 65 homes and flats, opened in 2008. Julia, a former tenant board member, was one of the first Broadland tenants to move in. She said:
I love living here. When I first came, my two youngest children were very young. It’s been a safe place for them to grow up – everyone looks out for one another here. People are very friendly.
Stephani Davis, Senior Housing Manager, said:
We’re thrilled to celebrate the scheme’s 10th birthday. There’s a great community spirit here. Over the years a number of tenants have got involved in our panels and groups to help improve Broadland’s housing services. We’re really grateful for their views, which are shaping how we deliver these services to tenants across all of our homes.
The day’s fun included free hot food, face painting, crafts and drawing, recycling tips from the Master Composters, environmental crafts and bird-feeder making. Firefighters from Norfolk Fire & Rescue Service also bought one of their engines and talked to tenants about fire safety.