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’.  

This year was the first full year of tracking your perception of our services and overall satisfaction using the new Tenant Satisfaction Measures.

We started tracking these in 2022/23, but 2023/24 is the first year that the questions were fully finalised and compulsory for all social housing landlords. We’ve pulled these results, and other useful information together, to produce this report, and hope that you find it a helpful resource to understand what we’re doing, how we’re improving, and our promises to you for 2024/25.

We were really pleased with overall satisfaction climbing from 51% (2022/23) to 59.5% (2023/24) – which shows that changes and improvements we’re making are beginning to have an effect, but know that we still have further to go.

Along with the insight we gain from these satisfaction measures, other customer contact, and learning from when things have gone wrong; we are supported by the valuable input from our fantastic engaged residents – our customer excellence panel – who have continued to be a vital sounding board and shaping force.

Our colleagues are engaged and committed to what we do. Changes made this year, and our ongoing actions will start to deliver real improvements – working in more productive and purposeful ways to deliver outcomes for customers that make us proud.

You continue to tell and show us that we need to be more responsive. Listening and acting is a key driver of this overall customer satisfaction, and we have made this our overarching priority for the next year.

A south London council has warned residents in the area to stay scam aware after a series of phone calls were made from criminals pretending to be a housing disrepair team.

Residents in Southwark were contacted by an unknown number, asking them to confirm if they were a tenant, landlord or staff member of the housing association.

If you receive a call you believe to be a scam, do not give any personal details over the phone and end the call immediately. Then block the number.

You can always contact your local authority or Wandle to check if we contacted you. Our number is 0300 2000 120.

If you’re worried you’ve been scammed, here’s what to do:

• End all further communication with the scammer and block their number/email address.
• Call your bank immediately as they will check if you’ve paid a scammer accidentally or set up a standing order or direct debit.
• Report the scam to the police by calling 101. If you feel threatened or are in danger, call 999.
• Report the scam to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040.
• Contact Citizens Advice Scams Action via the Citizens Advice website or call their helpline on 0808 250 5050.

We are updating our repairs policy to reflect the new Consumer Standards, and we want to hear your thoughts to help shape this service.

To do this, we are hosting a face to face session, the details are below:

Date: Monday 29 July 1pm-430pm (lunch will be available)

Location: Wandle office – 230 Blackfriars Road SE1 8NW.

There will be a £50 Amazon voucher available for all attendees as a thank you for your time and input.

If you would like to attend, please email customerempowerment@wandle.com.

Are you ready to take the Plastic Free July challenge?

We know it’s important to reduce our waste to help protect our planet. Therefore, this month why not take on the Plastic Free July challenge. This is your chance to make a difference and be a part of the solution. We have put together some hints and tips to help get you started.

• Coffee cups: Swap single use cups for reusable cups. Many coffee branches offer a discount if you bring your own coffee cup.
• Loose produce: When buying loose fruit and vegetables at the supermarket or market, why not bring your own reusable bag instead of using single use plastic bags.
• Reusable shopping bags: Bring your own shopping bag to the shops instead of having to buy a plastic one.
• Ditch the one use plastic straws: Instead buy reusable plastic, metal, or bamboo straws. Paper straws are also an option as they are biodegradable.
• Water bottles: Swap single use water bottles for a reusable one. Filling up your water bottle at home will also save you money in the long run.
• Soap: Swap shower gels and shampoos in single use plastic bottles for soap bars instead.
• Sanitary products. One way to save plastic and money when on your period is using a menstrual cup or period underwear.
• Events and celebrations: Why not save party decorations and gift bags after you have used them for another occasion. This is a great way to save the planet and some pennies.

For more tips, please visit the Plastic Free July website.

Whether you stayed up through the night, or awoke to the news this morning, we all started today with change – a new government.

This is the first labour government in 14 years, and the change does not stop there. There will be a lot of new faces when the new Parliament sits on Tuesday.

In response to the general election results 2024, Kate Henderson, Chief Executive at the NHF, says:

“With one in five children living in overcrowding, and 4.2 million people in need of a social home, the scale of the challenge facing the new government cannot be underestimated. Today’s election result represents a clear mandate to meet this challenge by delivering the biggest boost to social housing in a generation. This is a message from voters that the status quo cannot continue and our short term, piecemeal approach to housing must change.

“Housing associations stand ready to work in partnership with the new government to drive growth and deliver the homes the country needs. After 14 years of cuts and policy uncertainty, we will require urgent action to shore up the sector’s finances, protect vital services, ramp up delivery of new homes and deliver for residents. We want to establish a collaborative relationship with our new government and work together to secure the future of social housing as part of a long term plan for housing.”

Anne Waterhouse, Chief Executive of Wandle said , “We look forward to working with the newly elected MPs who represent our residents living in our boroughs.              

“Social housing provides real value for our communities, and Wandle are ready to sit at the heart of any long-term plan to end the housing crisis and improve outcomes for Londoners.”

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is moving everyone off ‘legacy benefits’, and on to Universal Credit.

If you’re claiming any of the benefits mentioned below then soon you’ll have to take action, and switch over to Universal Credit (UC).

These are income-based and/or income related benefits:

• Working Tax Credits
• Child Tax Credits
• Housing Benefit (HB)
• Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• Income Support
• Jobseeker’s Allowance.

If you receive any of the benefits listed above, look out for your ‘notice of managed migration’. If you’re in any doubt about moving over to UC then please contact us or seek advice. You’ll receive a letter through the post from the DWP.

On getting this letter, you’ll have three months to act. If you fail to act, your benefits will end. 

If your legacy benefit ends for that reason, the DWP will allow you another month to make your UC claim. There’ll be no gaps in your benefits and you may still be eligible for ‘Transitional Protection’. However, we strongly recommend making the transition within the first three months.

The DWP have published a schedule for the types of benefits that will be receiving their letter and when, but the important thing is to look out for yours, and act when you get it. Or you could lose out.

The schedule is:

• April 2024 – Tax Credits and Housing Benefits
• April – June 2024 – Income Support and HB residents
• June 2024 – HB claimants only (unless HB is your only legacy benefit, and you are living in ‘specified’ or ‘temporary accommodation’).
• July 2024 – Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and Child Tax Credits (with HB)
• August 2024 – Pensioners with Working Tax Credits/Working Tax Credits and Child Tax Credits. Also Mixed Aged Couples (a couple where one partner is a pensioner, and the other is under pension age)*
• September 2024 – Job Seekers Allowance
• September 2024/25- All remaining ESA and HB residents (as-well as ESA-only residents).

The DWP plans to have sent out all manage migration notices by the end of 2025.

*Some Mixed Aged Couples age couples are ‘protected’ from the change in the rules, and it’s important to know if you fall in this protected category as you may be able to claim Pension Credit or Pension age Housing Benefit, or both. People over state pension age in receipt of Child Tax Credit only, who aren’t already claiming Pension Credit, will be invited to claim Pension Credit before their Child Tax Credit stops.

You must look out for your letter from the DWP. But you can get prepared. Check how much you will receive on UC, it might be less than you’re getting now, but it might be more. You can make the switch to UC earlier than when you’re invited, but if you’re due to receive less after the switch over, it’s better to wait for the managed migration notice letter.   

If you’re struggling or can’t claim online, you can also contact:

• The Managed Migration Helpline: 0800 169 0328, (calls are free from mobiles or landlines) or  
• Citizen Advice Help to Claim Service.

Alcohol Awareness Week campaigns for change and this year’s theme is ‘Understanding alcohol harm’.

Alcohol Awareness Week is coordinated by Alcohol Change UK. Each year over 5000 public health services, workplaces, pharmacies, hospitals, charities, community groups and GPs take part to raise awareness and share the support that is out there for those struggling with alcohol addiction.

Alcohol can sometimes play a big part of our lives, especially in the warmer months when it is promoted during sports games, advertised on our commutes, and discounted in our supermarkets.

It can be used when we celebrate, but sometimes it can become a problem and a way to cope. Each year thousands of people become addicted to alcohol and experience long-term health problems that can lead to death from alcohol related causes.

This year’s theme explores what is meant by ‘alcohol harm’ and its aim is to get the country talking about what the role of alcohol plays in our lives, society, families and communities. By getting people talking, this provides an environment for open discussions around alcohol, and encourages those who are struggling to come forward and ask for the help they need.

If you would like to discuss this further, or talk to someone, please see below a list of services that can help:

• NHS www.nhs.uk/live-well/alcohol-advice/alcohol-support/
• Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk
• Drink Aware www.drinkaware.co.uk/advice-and-support/