Smoke and fire risks | 5th July 2023

People spend more time outdoors, and have windows open, in warm summer weather.  Please be considerate of neighbours if you are planning barbecues, or simply smoking or vaping outdoors where fumes may be very noticeable and cause difficulty and fire risk.  Winchester City Council has this guidance for city residents wherever they live https://www.winchester.gov.uk/environment/nuisance/bonfires .  Electrical charging of e-scooters and bikes, vapes and other devices, is also a potential fire risk, especially if your escape route could be blocked.  Find more guidance here from Royal Berkshire Fire & Rescue Service   https://www.rbfrs.co.uk/fire-safety-guidance-for-e-scooters-and-e-bikes/ .

Hedges and Gardens | 12th June 2023

The Society's grounds maintenance contractor, Idverde, will shortly be commencing hedge trimming around the estate.  This will be an initial light prune on the outer sides (next to paths), to avoid disturbance to birds during the nesting season while making paths more accessible. This will be followed by a deeper cut later in the summer and autumn, with the aim of reducing the hedges back within their boundaries and to reduce height. Please remember to trim and keep tidy the sides of hedges that are inside your garden, and generally keep gardens and grass maintained, and free of any rubbish, pet waste or items waiting disposal.  This helps prevent the spread of weeds and reduces the liklihood of problems with pests.  If you need any help or advice, please do contact us.

Porch canopies refurbishment | 3rd May 2023

During June, we will be undertaking refurbishment of the distinctive wooden front porch canopies to WHS properties. The work will include painting of the woodwork and cleaning of the lead, as well as a general inspection for any other maintenance work that might be needed to the canopy.  Our team of decorators will be in touch with you to confirm the date when yours will be done. If you have any queries about the work please do not hesitate to contact the Property Manager.

Please take part in our survey | 1st March 2023

We wrote to all our householders on 31 January with information about the Tenant Satisfaction Measures survey that we are running this year, with the help of professionals IFF Research.  The survey is now beginning, so please look out for a phone call or email from IFF Research (emails may come from Voluntas, but please open the email and you will see it is on behalf of IFF Research working with the Society - using the link in the email will take you to an online version of our Survey).  If you miss their call, don't worry, they will try again several times.  If you think you have missed the chance to take part but are keen to respond, please contact Society staff.

Heating and hot water costs | 5th October 2022

Find ideas and links for help with Energy Bills and other costs here at this Government website called Help for Households. Other useful tips are:

• Stop draughts – Check your doors and windows. But remember to open windows sometimes for ventilation, and use extract fans to the stop build-up of moisture that could cause mould.
• Close internal doors – Helps reduce draughts still further.
• Check loft insulation – Ask us to visit to do this for you. Depth of insulation should be around 250mm/10 inches. (Note: lofts should be empty of possessions so we can inspect, or arrange any work needed). Do not put items on top of loft insulation.
• Turn heating down – Each 1^oC saves around 4% or £100 per year.
• Minimise hot water use - Hot water is responsible for around 25% of the average household energy bill. Shower instead of bath if you can.
• Avoid using tumble dryer - Try drying your clothes outside in good weather, or on an airer in a sunny room.  But make sure you leave a window open, to avoid trapping damp air indoors.

HM Queen Elizabeth II | 16th September 2022

The Society joins the country in its sadness at the death of Her Majesty The Queen, and gives thanks for her exceptional life and extraordinary service.  On the day of her state funeral Monday 19^th September, we will observe the bank holiday and operate on an out of hours basis (emergency response only).

Our New Name | 28th July 2022

We are gradually making changes to our website, letters, signs and other media, to introduce our shorter trading name Winchester Housing Society.  There is more information about this in the Annual Report recently delivered to all Society homes.   (You can also find a copy of the Report in our document archive here). There are no changes to any of our services, tenancies or contact details, which all continue as usual.

Water matters | 24th May 2022

Do you know where your water meter is located?  If you are not sure how to access it or take a reading, please ask us for help.  We can also help you find the external valve to turn off your water.  It is a good idea to check your meter a few times a year (note the readings in your diary), so you can compare it to any billing information sent to you by Southern Water.  If you don’t know if you have a meter, ask us to help you look (and have your most recent Water bill available for us to see).  Do you know where your indoor water stop cock is located so that you can easily turn off your water in an emergency if you need to?  Please ask us about that too if you are unsure, or if you would like it checked or cannot turn it.

Decorating and mobility | 7th April 2022

The Society can offer help to any of our tenants who through age, reduced mobility or similar reasons would now find it difficult to maintain a good standard of decoration inside their home.  We can also install grab rails and handles to help give you more stability.  If you would like to talk with us about help of this kind, please get in touch.

Public Access Defibrillator | 29th March 2022

This week we are installing a public access defibrillator outside at Ronald Bowker Court.  It will be registered with the 999 network and can be used by anyone in a cardiac emergency (no training necessary), ideally alongside CPR.  The defibrillator has been provided by the Society and the Tenants' Association, particularly to celebrate Richard Steel's chairmanship of WWMHS until his retirement in 2019.  Please watch this space for further details.