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Orkney Care and Repair launch help desk  Orkney Care and Repair’s new one stop shop to provide help and advice for people looking for aids and adaptations to help them live more independently in their own homes has opened in Hatston. The new facility, funded from the Scottish Government Change Fund is based at the Selbro Resource Centre. During a recent visit to the county Nicola Sturgeon, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing, congratulated Orkney Care & Repair on the launch of their help desk. Mike Cooper, Care & Repair Manager, said: “We are delighted to be working with Orkney Health & Care in delivering the objectives of the Government Change Fund. “This facility means that advice from Occupational Therapists, the demonstration of equipment and expertise on adapting homes can all be accessed in one place.” The Selbro Resource Centre, Scotts Road, Hatston including the Care & Repair help desk is open every Wednesday 2-4pm. At other times Orkney Care & Repair can be found at Orkney Housing Association’s offices, 39a Victoria Street, Kirkwall. Telephone 873369. Email:
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Wider Orkney public gets the carbon-cutting message ORKNEY Housing Association Ltd’s Reducing Energy Growing Green message reached the wider public as folk attended the recent public events promoting the project’s carbon-cutting aims. Many of those dropping in to Kirkwall and Stromness town halls over the first two weekends of November were keen to find out how they could cut down on energy use and reduce waste, while others were happy to go away with herbs and salads that they could plant themselves, or – for the younger generation - with their faces painted.Those taking part in the events included Orkney Energy Agency, Energy Saving Scotland advice centre, Orkney ZeroWaste, Orkney Woodland Project, Stromness Community Garden Society, Community Energy Scotland, the Orkney’s Electric Future car, Orkney Renewable Energy Forum, and the OIC housing team.Energy Project Worker Robert Leslie said: “The Association is very grateful to all the organisations that supported us and provided so much valuable information to those who came along on both days. “Reducing Energy Growing Green aims to reduce carbon emissions among Association residents, targeting energy efficiency of our houses, energy conservation among residents, alternative transport and growing greens. However, an important part of the project is also getting the message across to the wider public that they can also do their bit.”For those who attempted the competition on household appliance energy usage, the correct answers were: microwave: 600-1500W; dishwasher: 1200-1500W; washing machine: 500W; vacuum cleaner: 200-700W; iron: 1000W; desktop computer: 80-150W; fridge freezer: 500W; 25” colour TV: 150W; hair straighteners: 55-300W; Playstation 3: 120-140W. The highest score, five out of ten, came from Kate Thompson of Springfield, Stromness.Energy monitors are still available to OHAL residents by contacting Robert Leslie on 875253 or emailing
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. New home promises a new lease of life for OHAL tenant Olivia Taylor believes the facilities and layout of her new home at Meadowbank in Kirkwall will so enhance her independence that her life will be transformed. Commenting as she received the keys to her new home Olivia said “I am absolutely delighted with my new house. The layout and design are perfect for my needs allowing me so much more independence with my day to day living”.  Presenting the keys and flowers Winifred Dunnet, OHAL Chair added “It is a pleasure to welcome Olivia to her new home and to see first hand what a difference suitable housing can make. Having been an OHAL tenant for almost 7 years, Olivia’s previous house had been adapted as far as was practicable so moving into this purpose built property has restored some of the independence that she had lost.” Sally Inkster, OHAL Chief Executive said “This small scale project is an excellent example of what housing associations do well. Providing affordable housing on this derelict site has transformed not only the area but also the lives of eight Orkney households in housing need. With our development programme cut by 74% and little prospect of this picking up in the near future, I am very concerned about how we will be able to continue to provide this type of assistance in the future.” Olivia’s house is part of an 8 unit development which has utilised a former water tank site in the middle of residential Kirkwall. Funded under the old Housing Association Grant regime, the brownfield site development also benefited from OIC 2nd homes council tax money which helped with the additional site clearance costs. Public events will highlight how to save energy and cash Orkney Housing Association Ltd residents and the wider public will have the opportunity to learn of different ways to cut carbon and save cash at Reducing Energy Growing Green events in Kirkwall and Stromness in November to promote Climate Challenge Fund project aims. How to save energy in the home and information on energy efficiency and renewables will be highlighted, along with ways to cut down on food miles and food waste. And there will also be an opportunity to get a hurl in an electric car.  Along with OHAL and Orkney Islands Council staff, Orkney Energy Agency, Orkney ZeroWaste, Energy Saving Scotland, Orkney Renewable Energy Forum, and Orkney Woodland Project are among the groups who will be in Kirkwall Town Hall on Saturday, November 5, and Stromness Town Hall on Saturday, November 12. Stromness Allotment and Community Garden Group will be promoting their project at the Stromness event.
The OIC electric car will be at both events, and folk will have the chance of being driven round the block in it towards the end of the Kirkwall event. Both events will also form part of the consultation on Orkney’s Local Housing Strategy, and will run from 11am to 3pm on each day. “I am pleased to say that the Council’s housing team will also be at the events to talk about Orkney’s Local Housing Strategy. This fits in well due to the fact that one of the strategy’s key priorities is the eradication of fuel poverty by 2016 – a subject which goes hand in hand with energy efficiency and household energy use.” OHAL’s Reducing Energy Growing Green project, backed by a £37,315 Climate Challenge Fund award, kicked off in April this year with the aim of cutting carbon emissions among residents. It runs until the end of March 2012. It has involved household visits to measure energy efficiency and give energy conservation advice. Residents’ travel habits have also been analysed in an attempt to persuade drivers out of their cars more often. Initiatives to get residents growing greens at home have also been part of the project. Some residents have had energy monitors installed to show them real-time electricity use in their homes. The monitors have been supplied by the James Hutton Institute in Aberdeen in a joint project that will see 12 months of home energy use recorded, and residents having their carbon footprints calculated. Early reports from residents suggest that they have been able to cut down on electricity use by realising how much certain activities in the house actually use. With energy costs rising it could help residents make vital savings. Energy project worker Robert Leslie still has a number of monitors available, and OHAL residents will be able to sign up for them at the events in Kirkwall or Stromness. About Us Established in 1985, Orkney Housing Association (OHAL) is the only housing association operating within Orkney. It is a charitable not-for-profit organisation with a membership open to anyone interested in supporting its aims. Click here to find out how to become a general member of OHAL. Our business is governed by our Management Committee and managed by a dedicated team of staff. Click here to view our organisational chart. Management Committee members are elected by the general membership at the AGM or, in certain circumstances by co-option. Click here for information about becoming a Committee member. Even if you are not interested in Committee work, as an OHAL resident you can still become involved in our policy development though the resident participation. As a Registered Social Landlord (RSL) we are required to operate to the high standards set out in the Regulatory Code of Governance and in Performance Standards for Social Landlords. Our performance against these standards, good practice and the law is monitored by the Scottish Housing Regulator. We build approximately 40 new houses each year funded from borrowings and Scottish Government capital grant. The grant reduces the amount of money we have to borrow for each house and enables us to keep our rents at an affordable level. It also enables us to provide low cost home ownership options such as shared ownership and shared equity for those unable to afford the full price of a house. More information about these housing options can be found on the Low Cost Home Ownership page and about our new build plans on the Building Programme page |
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