The weather is starting to warm up, which means it’s the perfect time to have a BBQ with friends and family in the sunshine. Barbecuing can be dangerous, so we have put together some tips to keep you and loved ones safe this summer.

• Never use a barbecue (including disposables) indoors or on your balcony.
• Keep children, garden games and pets well away from the cooking area.
• Don’t cook in communal areas. Have your barbecues in a private space, away from neighbours and well away from sheds, fences, trees or shrubs.
• Have a fire extinguisher close to hand and know how to use it. You also need to know how to cut the gas supply, and it’s useful to know how to treat burns.
• Never leave your barbecue unattended.
• Smoke can get into hair, clothes, eyes and lungs, and can also contain carbon monoxide and other dangerous substances. Try and keep your distance as much as possible.
• Grilling gloves and utensils with a long handle will keep arms and hands safe from flames.
• Wash your hands before preparing food, after touching raw meat and before eating.
• Check your food is cooked: ideally, burgers, chicken and sausages should be tested with a thermometer before eating and no pink meat should be visible.
• After you have finished cooking, check the charcoal is cold or the gas has been turned off. Store your barbecue in a safe, dry place and not on your balcony.
• Remember to clean up your barbecue after using to avoid any pests.

If you have an emergency while having a barbecue, please call 999.

This week is Mental Health Awareness Week and the theme for this year is ‘Movement – Moving more for our mental health.’

Movement is important for our mental health but when life is busy many of us struggle to find the time and move enough. Exercise can help reduce anxiety and depression while also preventing physical illnesses.

This year Mental Health Awareness Week want to encourage people to find opportunities to move in their daily routines. This could be going for a walk, dancing around your kitchen while the kettle boils, chair exercises while watching your favourite TV show and much more, as it all counts!

For more ideas to help get you moving, please visit: Movement and mental health – Mental Health UK (mentalhealth-uk.org)

If you are struggling with your mental health or want someone to talk to, here are a list of charities and support organisations that can help:

• www.mind.org.uk
• www.mentalhealth-uk.org
• www.rethink.org
• www.nhs.uk/mental-health

Sun Awareness Week marks the start of the British Association of Dermatologists summer campaign to highlight the importance of sun protection.

Here are some tips to keep you safe this summer to help you protect your skin from sunburn and the risk of skin cancer:

• Use a ‘high protection’ sunscreen of at least SPF 30 which also has UVA protection. Make sure you apply a generous amount and frequently, especially if you work or spend a lot of time outdoors.
• Protect your skin by wearing a t-shirt and protect your face by wearing sunglasses and a hat.
• Spend time in the shade between 11am and 3pm as this is when the sun is strongest.
• Keep babies and young children out of direct sunlight.
• Make sure to drink plenty of water.
• If there are any changes to a mole on your skin, book an appointment with your doctor to make sure everything is ok.

For further information, please click here: www.skinhealthinfo.org.uk/sun-awareness/

Merton Council will be hosting the south London retrofit skills summit on Tuesday 14th May at AFC Wimbledon 

The summit is being held in collaboration with the south London Partnership and funded by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.

What is retrofit?

Retrofit refers to any improvement work on an existing building to improve its energy efficiency, making it easier and cheaper to heat, and replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy. Retrofitting our buildings to improve energy efficiency and reduce energy demand is going to be key to meeting net-zero targets.

Have you considered upskilling, changing careers or just want to find out more about retrofit?

Demand for skills in this area is increasing rapidly. 400,000 retrofit workers are required in the UK to meet the target of retrofitting 19 million buildings by 2035 whereas there are only 200,000 people currently working in roles relating to maintaining or improving existing buildings. With a wide range of career opportunities ranging from the use of artificial intelligence and data in building assessment through to on-site construction and specialist installation roles, come find out more about what a career in retrofit could look like for you.

If you are just interested in finding out more about retrofit, there will also be opportunity within the evening to chat to local practitioners and installers.

Event Synopsis

The aim of the event is to bring residents, practitioners, and educators together to showcase and increase awareness of the skills and job opportunities related to retrofit in south London, inspiring residents who may want to consider a career in retrofit and meet a range of practitioners working in this sector to understand more about retrofit.

Event details

• The event will run from 5-7pm – tea/coffee will be provided on arrival.

• Tickets are free to this event – all attendees will need to book a ticket and show proof of booking upon arrival.

• Venue address: The Cherry Red Records Stadium, Plough Ln, London SW17 0NR

• They encourage residents to use public transport to get to the venue.

If you have any enquiries or questions, please email future.merton@merton.gov.uk with ‘south London Retrofit Skills Summit’ in the subject.

We are supporting the National Housing Federation’s #Planforhousing campaign. 

England is in a housing emergency. 8.5 million people in England have an unmet housing need. For 4.2 million of these people social housing would be the best tenure to address that need. 

The UK spends a higher proportion of GDP on housing allowances than any other OECD country. The lower rents charged by social housing providers save tenants an estimated £18bn a year – an average of £5000 per household per year. 

If the government don’t act now, then by 2030 every school in England will have an average 7 children who are homeless and living in temporary accommodation and 85 are living in overcrowded houses. 

As we head towards the next general election, we are calling for a plan to fix the housing crisis. What housing associations need is a long-term plan that is comprehensive and maps out policies, funding resources and ensures that they all point in the same direction. 

Dr Valerie Vaughan-Dick MBE FRCGP (Hon), Chair of Wandle’s Board said, “Wandle’s core purpose is to provide good quality, genuinely affordable homes in south London, for those who need them the most. 

“We’re supporting the National Housing Federation’s call for a long-term plan for housing. We want to work in collaboration with the next government to end the housing crisis and to make a real difference to people who need it most.” 

You can read more about the campaign here > https://www.housing.org.uk/our-work/a-long-term-plan-for-housing/. 

Applications for K&T Heating Services Apprenticeship Programme are now open.

The open day will be held on Saturday 11 May at their head office in Dartford.

They are looking to recruit up to 25 new recruits within gas, electrical, and renewable heating across London and the South East. In addition, they will be offering business administration apprenticeships at their Dartford office.

K&T are gold-accredited members of the 5% Club, and they are passionate about investing in their people.

The open day will be a great opportunity to:

• Learn more about the industry
• Discover what a career at K&T looks like
• Meet some of their current and former apprentices
• Ask senior management any questions you may have
• Applicants can attend along with their parents/carers

Please register your attendance by scanning the QR code in the video or emailing your CV to: careers@ktheating.co.uk to receive a confirmation and timeslot.

You are invited to a health and wellbeing fair at William Booth College on Friday 10 May.

The fair will be hosted by HACT, and we will have a private room, and it’s a great opportunity for residents living in Southwark and neighbouring boroughs to meet Wandle colleagues from across our teams. There will be fun activities and light refreshments available.

Activities will include art, health checks and advice, chair-based yoga, talks, singing, Chi Kung and even a disco.

The address is William Booth College, Denmark Hill and the fair starts at 10am until 1pm.

We look forward to seeing you there!

We are delighted to share the news that we have won our bid for the Social Housing Decarbonisation Funding.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) have announced that £75 million has been awarded to 42 councils and housing associations.

Our ambitious bid means that over the next two years we will be able to retrofit 121 homes. This means we will be improving the insulation, ventilation and adding solar PV panels to these homes.

Andy Arnold, Head of Asset Management at Wandle said, “Winning this bid means we can focus on future proofing our homes, so they are both energy and cost efficient for our residents.

“Our purpose is to support people, across south london, who need a home. We are helping to tackle the shortage of good quality affordable housing, and this includes energy consumption.”

Our energy saving programme aims to reduce energy consumption by 2475 kWh per year and reduce energy bills by up to £325 per year for some of our residents living in the least energy efficient homes. In addition, all 121 homes will achieve EPC Band C.

Central Government will also provide funding of £1,018 million towards the work. The full list of successful applicants have been published by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) and can be found here Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund Wave 2.2: successful bids – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

On Tuesday 12th March, our Energy and Sustainability Lead attended the Battersea Arts Centre for the ‘Wandsworth Together on Climate Change’ summit.

The partnership event had a focus on net zero and was an opportunity for local stakeholders and partners to come together to talk about the action they have taken and future plans to reach net zero. In addition, there was a discussion about the challenges and opportunities in trying to reach Wandsworth’s target of being net zero by 2043.

As Wandle are one of the largest social housing providers in Wandsworth, we were given the opportunity to talk about the work we’re doing to meet our own targets and to tackle climate change. Our Head of Asset Management also participated in a panel discussion on how the public sector and businesses can contribute towards meeting net zero.

Useful contacts were made, and the team came away with ideas about how they can best engage with you on the topics of energy efficiency and green skills.

The leader of the Council and Chief Executive were also pleased to announce that Wandsworth has been awarded the London Borough of culture for 2025!

We recently received complaints from five Wandle residents and members of the public living in Streatham concerning the behaviour of a resident.

Initially the team thought it was anti-social behaviour (ASB), but on further investigation they realised the behaviour was the result of a serious mental health crisis.

The tenant in question was struggling to remember to take their medication, which was causing their problematic behaviour, and they were in desperate need of additional support.

The situation reached a critical level after a distressing incident outside a local school. Our community safety officer liaised with the police and social services to process an emergency safeguarding referral.

As a result, the resident was taken to a nearby hospital to receive the mental health support they require, and the local community can now breathe easy.

The future is looking slightly brighter for the resident, and Wandle are working with Mental Health professionals to explore the possibility of moving the resident to supported housing so they can be closely monitored and get back on track.

There are often many reasons why someone is behaving in an anti-social way, and it is the responsibility of our Community Safety Team to decide on the best course of action.

If you need to report an ASB case, the most efficient and simplest way of reporting anti-social behaviour is by calling our Customer Service Team on 0300 2000 120 or by emailing customerservices@wandle.com.