Welcome to your Winter Newsletter!
We hope you find this newsletter useful over the festive period and as always, we are more than happy to continue receiving your feedback to ensure the news we send is in a format that’s suitable to you, our tenant.
Our offices will close on Wednesday 24th December until Tuesday 6th January 2026.
Annual Tenant Conference
We were delighted to host our 14th Annual Tenants Conference at the Seamill Hydro in June. Over 60 tenants from across our three regions joined us and many took advantage of our free transport – some attendees came from as far as Annan!
Garden Competition 2025
Congratulations to our four winners of this year’s garden competition. Details on our next competition will be announced Spring/Summer 2026.
Communal Garden – Mr Smyth
North Ayrshire – Mr & Mrs Ritchie
East Ayrshire – Mrs Troup
Dumfries & Galloway – Mr & Mrs Davidson
Tenant Groups
Our tenant groups have recently held their Annual General Meetings and now have appointed Chairpersons, Vice Chairs & Committee’s. Constitutions were given to every member with the focus being providing bank accounts for each group which will help with funding opportunities.
Largs Walkround
Our Largs tenants and residents group carried out a 2-part community walkround, highlighting issues relating to garden maintenance, parking and repairs.
Community Walkrounds continue to be an effective way for our tenants and wider communities to work closely with CHA. If you feel your area could benefit from this, please call Sean using the details below.
Cunninghame Forum – Annan
Our Annan tenants & residents group hosted the second Cunninghame Forum of the year. The groups visited the Devil’s Porridge Museum, the largest munitions factory of World War I, learning about the workers’ lives, industrial history, and the role of women in the war effort.
Everyone then enjoyed a buffet lunch at The Anglers where the group chairs provided updates and news from their local areas.
Community Football Funday
In October, we hosted our first Community Football Funday, with over 90 children attending across two fun-filled sessions. The event was a fantastic collaboration between CHA, Ardrossan Winton Rovers, and local coaching business Elite Touch Football.
The kids took part in football activities, skill-building sessions, and mini tournaments. Everyone enjoyed lunch, prizes, and goodie bags. The day was a great success, bringing the community together through sport.
Cunninghame Scrutiny Group
Over the last year the Cunninghame Scrutiny Group have worked hard to:
- Conduct an independent review on our Lemon Aid Energy Advice Service.
- Presented their recommendations to the Board.
- Assist with our Tenant Satisfaction Survey and Annual Performance Report.
- Created a work plan for any future tasks.
The group are now focused on looking at their next task which will be determined by the feedback from our Tenant Satisfaction Survey.
Tenant Recognition Event
To round off the year, we brought everyone together at our Annual Tenant Recognition Event. The event featured: a review of the year, a festive quiz, and an awards ceremony which recognised those who went above and beyond in supporting their neighbours, improving their communities, or showing exceptional personal progress.
Update Your Contact Details
As part of our commitment to improving our services, we’re upgrading our systems to make keeping in contact even easier! To make sure we have your correct details, we will be emailing you over the next few months inviting you to complete our Tenant Census.
Christmas Competition
Feeling festive? We’d love to see your beautiful Christmas trees! Share a photo of your decorated tree for a chance to win a £30 voucher just in time for Christmas. Submit your tree by Tuesday 23rd December by: posting your photo on our Facebook page and tag us, or email your picture to [email protected]
Spirit of Christmas
To help bring some festive cheers and spread the cost this Christmas, we have:
Festive Food Hampers
We have given away 50 festive food hampers, each packed with essentials and treats to help households this Christmas. Alongside these, we have provided 30 winter warmer baskets filled with cosy blankets, hats, gloves, and other essentials to help our tenants stay safe and warm during the colder months.
Largs Group Gift Appeal
Our Largs Tenants and Residents Group were delighted to support a local cancer care charity with a gift appeal. Thanks to the generosity of the community, the group collected a range of unwanted but brand-new gifts ranging from hats and scarfs to skin care sets to bring a little Christmas joy to those in need.
Advent Giveaway
Our annual advent calendar is running from 1st – 24th December, where each day, one household is randomly picked to win a £50 shopping voucher to go towards Christmas shopping. Keep your eyes peeled on our Facebook to see if you have been drawn!
Pop Up Toy Shops
Once again we held three Toy Pop-Up Shops in Ardrossan, Kilmarnock, and Annan. These shops allowed families to pick up new and preloved toys, stocking fillers and other goodies. This not only helped ease financial pressures at an expensive time of year but also supported sustainability by giving pre-loved items a new home. The positive feedback from parents and carers showed just how valuable these pop-up shops are in ensuring that children across our communities experienced the magic of Christmas. Any left over toys were donated to charity and the Shortlees Learning Centre.
Keeping Your Home Secure
The festive season is a wonderful time to celebrate and enjoy, but we know it can also bring a few extra expenses. We want to remind you how important it is to keep up with your rent payments — and we’re here to make it as easy as possible!
If you’re finding things a little tight, don’t worry — help is just a phone call away. Your Housing Officer is always happy to chat and offer support. You can reach us on 01294 607553 or email [email protected]. There are lots of simple ways to pay your rent:
Direct Debit – the easiest way to pay! Call us on 01294 607553 to set this up or to pay with your debit card.
Pay online.
Use your Allpay card it at any store with a ‘PayPoint’ sign, or call 0330 041 6497 to make a payment.
Send your payment to Sort Code 09-02-22, Account Number 10697883, with your tenancy reference number.
Thank you for keeping your rent up to date — it helps us continue providing great homes and services for you and your community. Wishing you a joyful festive season and a happy New Year!
Download the New AllPay App
You can now make payments quickly and easily using the Allpay app. Download it from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and follow the steps to get started. You’ll need your Payment Reference Number, found on your Allpay card. If you don’t have your PRN, just contact us and we can provide it.
Financial Wellbeing
As the festive period draws nearer, please don’t feel you have to struggle with food or utility top-ups. Our Financial Wellbeing Officer can provide foodbank vouchers and refer you to Lemon Aid for help with meter top-ups.
If you’re having difficulty staying connected, we can also provide SIM cards to help keep your mobile phone active.
Your Neighbourhood
Christmas Safety Tips
Keep candles away from your tree and never leave them unattended.
Switch off and unplug Christmas lights when going out or to bed.
Check on your elderly neighbours and relatives in cold weather.
Don’t leave gifts on display where someone outside can see them.
Home Surveys
We carry out Stock Condition Surveys to help us understand the condition of your home and plan future improvement work. These surveys check the main parts of your home, such as kitchens, bathrooms, roofs, windows, and heating systems. Surveys are done on a rolling programme, so if you’ve been a tenant for a while, you may have had one before.
Thank you for your co-operation in allowing us access when surveys are carried out – it really helps us to plan improvements.
Electrical Testing
We carry out electrical safety checks every five years to keep your home safe. If your home is due a test, we’ll contact you to arrange an appointment. As this is a legal requirement, access is essential, and we may need to enter we may need to force entry if we can’t gain access. Thank you for your co-operation.
Frozen Pipes
During the coldest months, there’s risk of damage to your home caused by frost or flooding from frozen pipes. To avoid burst pipes:
Check your contents insurance to make sure your belongings are insured for damage.
If Your Pipes Freeze You Should:
Turn the water off at the main stopcock. You should find this under the kitchen sink or where the service pipe enters your home. If the hot water system is frozen, turn off any water heaters.
It’s best to let the pipes thaw naturally, but you can try to thaw the ice with a hot water bottle or hairdryer (taking care to keep it well away from any water). NEVER use a heat gun or blow torch.
Protecting Your Home From Damp & Mould
Issues with damp and mould can become worse in the winter due to colder temperatures and increased indoor humidity. If you suspect there is damp and mould in your home please contact us and we will:
We take all reports of damp and mould seriously and aim to fix problems as quickly as possible. We also check before and after any works to make sure the issue is fully resolved.
If needed, we can install small air quality monitors in your home to help understand moisture and temperature levels. These are discreet and similar in size to a smoke detector.
To report dampness and mould you can contact us on 0800 068 1466 or email [email protected]
CHA News
Here’s an update on staffing changes at CHA this year:
Warm Welcome
While we bid farewell to some staff, we also welcome some new team members.
- Calvin Johnstone, Environmental Skills Trainee
- Liam McGregor, Environmental Skills Trainee
- Jack Marshall, Environmental Skills Trainee
- Daniel Miller, Plumber
- Christina Montgomery, Finance Assistant
- Sam Ferguson, Painter / Plasterer
- Chris Morrison, Joiner
- Michael Youd, HR Support Manager
- Jennifer McCann, Executive Director of Housing and Communities
- Andrew Dickson, Senior Finance Officer
- Tracey Taskan, Energy Advisor
- Aiden Dewet, Environmental Skills Trainee
Fond Farewell
We say goodbye to some staff who have moved on to new pastures:
- Stuart Ross, Senior Finance Officer
- James Mabon, Joiner
- Martin Goldie, Electrician
- Scott Mould, Head of Social & Economic Development, Cunninghame Furniture Recycling Company, Media Marketing & Publications
- Max McGregor, Media, Marketing & Publications Trainee
- Suzanne McCall, Finance Assistant
- Darren Townsend, Community Regeneration Officer
North Ayrshire Council Employability Awards
We’re thrilled to share that our subsidiary Cunninghame Furniture Recycling Company were nominated in the Employee Recognition category at the North Ayrshire Council Employability Awards!
Festive Treat: Three Ingredient Snowballs
You’ll need: 1 cup of softened butter, 2 cups of flour, ½ cup of icing sugar
- Preheat your oven to 180 and line a tray with baking paper.
- Mix the softened butter, flour and icing sugar to form a soft dough.
- Roll the dough into bite sized balls and put on the baking tray.
- Bake for 10-12 mins until the bottoms are lightly golden (the tops should stay pale).
- While warm, roll in icing sugar to create a snowy top and leave to cool before enjoying.
Lemon Aid Fuel Poverty Advice Service
Get Help Today!
Contact Lemon Aid on 0800 221 8089 or click the button below for free and impartial energy advice!
This year Lemon Aid have:
Cunninghame Furniture Recycling Company
Are you looking to furnish on a budget with affordable, quality reuse furniture?
Follow CFRC on Facebook where new products are posted everyday!
While our showroom may be closed for the holidays, our online booking system is open 24/7 for furniture donations.
