Congratulations to the winners and runners-up of this year’s gardening competition.

Anne Waterhouse, Chief Executive at Wandle and Jeremy Kimberley and Suzana Karakashi from our Engagement & Partnership team visited the winners and were impressed by the hard work and creativity on display.

First place:

Community garden – Soul food garden

Outdoor garden – Donna Spiller

Runner up:

Outdoor garden – Allison Rose

Congratulations to all our winners and thank you to everyone who entered the competition. This year’s entries were sustainable, colourful and demonstrated how you can create a mindful space for everyone to enjoy.

Research shows that 880,000 pensioners who are eligible for Pension Credit are not currently in receipt of the benefit, which is an average worth £3,900 per year.  

If you are over State Pension age, you may be eligible to claim Pension Credit, even if you own your home or have savings. People who claim Pension Credit may also be able to get: 

• The Winter Fuel Payment and other help with heating costs 

• Help with rent and Council Tax 

• A free TV Licence for those aged 75 or over 

• Help with the cost of NHS services, such as NHS dental treatment, glasses and transport costs for hospital appointments. 

You could be eligible for Pension Credit if your weekly income is below £218.15 or, if you have a partner who lives with you, £332.95. qualifying income level may be higher in some circumstances. 

“If you have £10,000 or less in savings and investment this will not affect your Pension Credit. If you have more than £10,000 every £500 over £10,000 counts as £1 income a week.  

Pension Service helpline:  

• call the Pension Credit claim line on 0800 99 1234 and they can fill in the application for you over the phone (lines are open Monday to Friday, 8am-6pm). 

It can be helpful to have the following details to hand before you get started: 

• your National Insurance number 

• your bank account details 

• information about your income, savings and investments 

• information about your pension (if you have one) 

• details of any housing costs you have (such as a mortgage, interest payments or service charges) 

• your partner’s details, if you have a partner. 

Our New Homes team recently helped one family of eight downsize into two smaller properties. The A* family were living in a seven-bedroom house, and they were looking for a new home to better suit their needs.

At Wandle we will always try to find our residents a suitable home, however we don’t have many properties with a large number of bedrooms, therefore our Project Liaison Officer Angie Lewis worked with the family to find them a new home to meet the needs for the entire household.

It was challenging to find a large property in the same area; therefore, it was agreed we would help them find two new homes close to one another, with the adult children in one and the younger members of the family, along with their parents in another.

Angie Lewis worked closely with the family and found two homes that matched their requirements, including size and location.

Mrs A* thanked Wandle and said, “You have helped my family get the best home possible. You communicated well with my family and listened to our needs and preferences. This helped us feel confident in trusting you with the move.”

Ms A* personally thanked Angie Lewis for all her hard work relocating her family to their new homes.

“A key highlight was the exceptional support provided by our project manager Angie. She was consistently available to answer any questions I had, no matter how small, and dealt with any queries promptly and effectively.

Overall, we couldn’t be happier with the outcome of this move. The scheme not only helped us find homes that perfectly suited my family’s needs but also ensured that the entire process was handled with professionalism and care.”

Anne Waterhouse, Chief Executive at Wandle said, ‘I am proud that we have been able to support the A* family with two new homes to build a future. Sadly, this is becoming more and more rare due to the challenges facing the sector in being able to build new social homes in London.’

Sleeptember is back for another year! Sleeptember aims to raise awareness around the importance of getting enough sleep. The theme this year is ‘workplace sleep’, to help organisations avoid accidents in the workplace caused by a lack of sleep.

Did you know…

• Tiredness contributes to around 20% of accidents in the workplace (Health and Safety Executive).
• Almost 60% of workers have experienced their attention span being negatively affected by a bad nights sleep more than once (The Sleep Charity).   
• 3/4 of workers state workplace challenges had caused issues with their sleep over the last six months (The Sleep Charity).

A good night’s sleep is important for your mental, physical and emotional wellbeing.

Here are some tips for a better night’s sleep:

• Make sure your room is the right temperature. The Sleep Charity recommends between 16-18 degrees.
• Try to sleep with the lights off and curtains closed.
• Ensure your mattress and bedding are comfortable for you.
• Most people like no noise when they sleep, but some prefer white noise such as a fan or the use of an app such as Calm.
• Make sure your bedroom space is clean and clear.

You can find out how to get a better night’s sleep in detail by clicking here.

For more information regarding healthy sleep patterns and advice, please visit the The Sleep Charity website.

Gas Safety Week runs from Monday 9 – Sunday 15 September 2024 and helps raise awareness about the importance of gas safety.

Celebrating its fourteenth year, Gas Safety Week helps to raise awareness of the dangers of poorly maintained gas appliances. Poorly maintained appliances could cause gas leaks, fires, explosions and carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning.

It’s important to be in the know about gas safety, to keep you and your home safe.

Here are some gas safety tips:

• Always get an annual gas safety check
• Obtain a gas safety certificate
• Book an annual boiler check
• Get a carbon monoxide alarm fitted
• Only use gas appliances for their intended purpose
• Know what to do in an emergency

For full details, please click here.

Keep up to date with Gas Safety Week’s updates and advice here.

Starts at Home Day (30 Aug) is a chance to celebrate the positive impact of supported housing on our communities across the country, and to make sure everyone knows the key part supported housing plays in the UK.

Wandle resident Alison lives in Wandsworth with her husband and their two sons Jayson and Morgan. They moved into their home ten years ago, in what was originally the old Wandle office.

Both their sons have complex conditions, and their ground floor home is specially built to accommodate a wheelchair which makes their life a lot easier.

Alison said: “We love our home, and it has made a huge difference to our family, and it means the world to us.”

Anne Waterhouse, Chief Executive of Wandle said: “I support Starts at Home Day because it serves as a reminder of how providing homes that are accessible and meet customers’ needs improves quality of life and well-being. “In the upcoming Spending Review, Wandle are asking the government to commit to ring-fenced funding for local authorities in England for housing-related support. This would allow them to deliver much needed housing for the people who need it the most.”

Our annual gardening competition is back for 2024 and by entering you could be in with a chance of winning £150 or £300.

Gardening and tending to plants are a great form of exercise as well as being a positive mindful activity which can boost your mood and help with your mental health.

This year we have three categories:

Community Project: We have loved seeing your community gardens over the years, creating beautiful spaces to share and build together. This year, we want to see examples of how you are using gardening to bring your community together.

Prize: £300 cash prize for first place and £150 cash prize for second place, to put towards your community garden.

Best Back Garden: If you love spending time in your garden, attending to your flower beds and creating your own space to enjoy alone or with loved ones, then we want to hear from you and see your beautiful botanical creations!

Prize: £100 Amazon voucher for first place and £50 Amazon voucher for second place.

Best Balcony: Living in London means that some of us have limited outdoor space, so we want to see your beautiful balconies. We are looking for a creative space that is sustainable and wildlife friendly, helping to protect our planet.

Prize: £100 Amazon voucher for first place and £50 Amazon voucher for second place

Entries are now closed.

Our previous winners at Soul Food Garden in Croydon said, ‘“Our community soul food garden offers a place where neighbours can contribute and reap the harvest. There is so much to harvest in so many levels, it’s a place to connect with mother nature and enjoy being outside in the open. The garden boarders Mitcham common so we have the common as a backdrop with all the added wildlife wonders that makes our little heaven a special place.”

Peckham Festival is a free celebration of creative and cultural Peckham performed across galleries, former factories, warehouses, and beneath railway arches in this vibrant corner of South London.

Taking place at Copeland Park on the 13 – September, it promises to be a hyper-local festival with the single aim of celebrating creative and cultural Peckham. It exists to promote artists, makers, creators, and community groups.

Created in 2016, Peckham Festival has become a Community Interest Company and is proud to continue to be free to the public and 100% not for profit.

You can find out more on their website, and view photos of previous events.

Our New Homes team recently helped one family find their forever home. Last August, Mr and Mrs F* attended our community day in Peckham and advised they were looking to downsize into a smaller property after outgrowing their home in Peckham. They had tried to use Homeswap, but there were only a few options available to Wandle.  

Our amazing BMH Project Officer Angeline Lewis got into contact with Mr and Mrs F* and advised she would assist them in finding them their new home.  

In October 2023 Angeline organised a visit to a property in Tooting, but unfortunately it did not quite meet their needs. Angeline promised to continue searching for their new home and in April 2024, she found them a property in SE1. The couple viewed the property and immediately knew they had found their forever home, moving in the following June. 

Mr and Mrs F* thanked everyone who was involved at Wandle, but in particular, Angeline for her hard work and guidance throughout the whole process. 

Mrs F* said, ‘As Wandle tenants of nearly 40 years, we could never have imagined living in a property like this, and though it’s early days, it’s hands down the best home we have lived in. We are very happy and always look forward to coming home’.