News

Following government announcement on Monday 4th January, a national lockdown is now in effect. From Tuesday 5 January 2021 you must stay at home and follow the national lockdown restrictions.

 

To see the latest updates, follow Wirral Council on social media or visit Wirral Council's COVID updates webpage, available here: wirral.gov.uk/health-and-social-care/health-wirral/coronavirus-update

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Wirral InfoBank is a website where Wirral residents can find local community support services, health and care services, and up-to-date advice and information about coronavirus (COVID-19). Use the websites dedicated search engine to look for support, by either entering your location or searching for the support you need, e.g. 'Food'.  

Find out more by visiting Wirral InfoBank, here: wirralinfobank.co.uk

Anwyl Partnerships, specialists in the provision of residential land and build developments, has commenced work at Halton Court, a 119-unit residential scheme in Runcorn under a £14.3m contract in partnership with Magenta Living and Onward Homes.
 

The development includes a mix of two, three-and four-bedroom homes in a community which has been identified as needing a boost to the supply of homes available for shared ownership and affordable rent. Halton Court is being delivered under a joint venture between Onward Homes and Wirral-based housing association, Magenta Living.
 

The scheme marks the first project in which Onward Homes and Anwyl Partnerships have collaborated, whilst strengthening their existing partnership with Magenta Living following on from the handover of its  Barncroft Extra Care scheme in Pensby, Wirral back in July.
 

Work at Halton Court had stalled during the Summer months following the original appointed contractor falling into administration. Anwyl Partnerships and Onward Homes, together with Magenta Living, have since negotiated the contract to reduce further delays and allowed work to begin on site.
 

Tom Anwyl, Managing Director of Anwyl Partnerships commented: “This is a flagship scheme with strong community-focused aims and aspirations. It is our first scheme with Onward Homes, and marks the beginnings of an exciting partnership, recognising the strong synergy between the two businesses.
 

“We’re pleased to once again be working with Magenta Living and all parties have worked incredibly closely to ensure work on site can quickly resume. Contracts have been exchanged and our team began construction work at the end of November.”
 

Brian Simpson, Chief Executive at Magenta Living said: “It’s great that we are again working with Anwyl Partnerships at Halton Court and also with Onward Homes. This partnership will now ensure we bring Halton Court back to life by developing much needed homes in the area that I know will be very popular once completed. I’m looking forward to seeing progress over the coming months especially with this being our first development in Runcorn”.
 

Stephen Heverin, Growth and Regeneration Director at Onward: “We are delighted to be working with Anwyl to complete this development. After a short delay we are looking forward to finishing the job of providing much needed affordable homes for rent and sale to this part of Halton.”

 

Pictured above: 

Tom Anwyl, Managing Director Anwyl Partnerships,  Brian Simpson, Cheif Executive at Magenta Living and Paul Anson, Executive Director of Business Growth and Resilience at Magenta Living.

Symptom-free testing will begin in Wirral on Monday 7 December (today) to help stop the spread of Covid-19 this winter.

Testing will be available at four testing centres across the Borough and will enable thousands of residents without symptoms to get tested so that we can support them to isolate before they develop symptoms and reduce the spread of the virus.

The army will provide support with the initial set up with sites identified at:

• The Floral Pavilion, New Brighton
  open 7 days a week 10am to 7pm (last test at 6:30pm)
• Greasby Library
  open 7 days a week 10am to 7pm (last test at 6:30pm)
• Eastham Library 
  open 7 days a week 10am to 7pm (last test at 6:30pm)
• Birkenhead Market
  open 6 days Mon – Sat 9am to 5pm (last test at 4:30pm | Closed Sunday)

No booking is required in the first week of testing but you will need a mobile number or email address to register when you arrive. If you do not have a mobile number or email address you will be asked to call 119 to get your results.

Councillor Janette Williamson, Leader of Wirral Council said: “I’m hugely grateful for the support of the army in helping us to bring symptom-free testing to Wirral. This testing, delivered across four testing centres, will help us to limit the spread of Covid-19 in our community.

“Wirral has done so well to reduce the spread of COVID-19 over the last few months and no-one wants to see our numbers creep back up again over Christmas and into the New Year. By being able to offer large scale symptom-free testing to our entire population we will hopefully be able to keep the rate of infection down, prevent more people from becoming unwell, protect our most vulnerable and stop our health services from being overwhelmed.

“This is a great opportunity for us all to fight back against this virus and stop its spread in the community, I would urge anyone who does not have symptoms to get a test.”

Testing will be available to anyone who lives or works in Wirral who does not have Covid-19 symptoms.

Director of Public Health for Wirral Julie Webster said: “While it will help pave the way toward a return to normality, community testing will only be effective if we continue to wear a face covering, regularly wash our hands and keep a safe distance from others. We have learned a lot from Liverpool and would particularly like to see people who work in retail, hospitality, education and the trades taking this opportunity to have a test. The more bus drivers, hairdressers, beauty therapists and all those who make up the non-clinical frontline get involved the better our chances will be to keep Wirral well.”

If you have symptoms of COVID-19, you MUST self-isolate and get a test via www.wirral.gov.uk/test.

If you visit a symptom-free testing centre and test positive you must self-isolate. Guidance and support to do so is available here: www.wirral.gov.uk/covidpayment

Wirral Council is recruiting staff to operate the testing sites, and to administer the tests to the residents who attend. More information and an application form for these temporary roles is available here:

www.wirral.gov.uk/jobs-and-training/job-vacancies/temporary-vacancies-support-mass-covid-19-testing

Our compassionate colleagues have dug deep and collectively raised £640 for Radio City 96.7's & Cash For Kids Mission Christmas 2020. 
 

The collection was championed by Assistant Director of The Magenta Way, Fiona Astor, who recognised that although we play our part as an organisation, many of our colleagues wanted to contribute in their own way. 
 

2020 has been tough for many. Families unexpectedly face poverty and more children could be waking up on Christmas Day without anything under the tree.
 

These funds will help in Mission Christmas' goal, to ensure Santa and his elves connect with families and children across Wirral that need a little extra support this festive season.
 

Fiona said:
"Thank you all so much for contributing to our campaign to raise money for our local communities in the run-up to Christmas. We already do so much for our community through the Community Regeneration Team, but it is clear our colleagues want to help in their own way and I am pleased to tell you we have raised £640!"


To find out more about Mission Christmas, apply for support or find drop off locations for donations, please visit: https://cashforkids.org.uk/mission

Pictured: Katie Harrison (Cash for Kids), Fiona Astor & Philip McTaggart (Magenta Living)

It is with great regret that we announce the sad passing of our tenant and Board Director, Muriel Wilkinson BEM. Muriel was a real tenant champion and a local volunteer, providing support to other Resident Associations across Wirral whenever needed. Muriel was well known within all of our communities bringing good judgement and impartiality and was the Chair of the Wirral Residents Umbrella Association, demonstrating Muriel’s passion for sharing and promoting good practice and supporting the development of community activities across all of our neighbourhoods. Muriel was awarded her BEM in 2019 for her services to housing after being nominated by the National Housing Federation given that she had dedicated her life to giving a voice to tenants living in affordable housing. Muriel also ensured that Magenta Living remained accountable to all of its tenants and customers. Muriel represented all Magenta Living’s tenants at Board level, a role she undertook in 2013.

Following the Grenfell Tower tragedy, in a show of sympathy and mutual support for fellow residents, Muriel was central in organising a donation from Wirral residents to Grenfell survivors and members of the Fire Service who had worked to combat the blaze. Muriel was also key to the development of ‘Magenta Communities’ a Committee of the Board that ensured Magenta Living continues to maximise the social value we create across our neighbourhoods - this was something Muriel very much supported. Muriel’s selfless community work and relentless drive to ensure social housing tenants get quality services have had a huge impact within our communities and we will continue this legacy. Muriel was well known not only to her neighbours in Sunningdale, Moreton where she kept everyone busy with her activities including the regular luncheon club, but also within our wider communities as well as with colleagues she worked with here at Magenta Living. We have already received many kind words and messages from involved residents and Board Directors about Muriel. This is a time to reflect on the great work that Muriel did and we know she will be very much missed as we remember her as a true community and tenant champion.

A partnership between Wirral based Magenta Living and Halton Housing will bring much-needed affordable residential housing to Widnes. Three Sails Point is located near to all the new, exciting amenities, including local leisure and commercial facilities, making this an ideal location near to the waterfront.

 

Three Sails Point on Carter House Way, Widnes will provide 158 stunning new homes across the first two phases, including a mix of affordable rent, shared ownership, and outright sale. All homes will benefit from a modern specification and are designed by MPSL Planning & Design. The shared ownership and outright sale homes will be marketed for sale by Open Door Properties who are part of Halton Housing. Mulbury are the main contractor overseeing the £22.9million development which includes funding from Homes England.

 

Paul Anson, Executive Director for Business Growth and Resilience for affordable housing provider Magenta Living shared his support of the development: “We are delighted to officially launch Three Sails Point, which is Magenta Living’s biggest development to date. It’s exciting to be working with our partners as we re-vitalise what was a disused site into a vibrant place to live. We are bringing new homes, energy and of course jobs to the local economy. Our partnership with Halton Housing and Open Door is a positive one given they will expertly market and sell the properties to the local community and beyond to help create a thriving place to live.”

 

Director of Development and Growth for Halton Housing Paul Mullane echoed the sentiment: “Three Sails Point brings new life to the area and with its location close to the amenities of The Hive, Mersey Gateway, and motorway links, we are confident this scheme will make a big impact to the local community. We are already underway with the build which is being completed by respected contractor Mulbury. The site has been meticulously remediated to transform it and we expect first sales in Spring 2021.”

 

Open Door are commissioned to sell the properties on behalf of Magenta Living and Halton Housing and their Managing Director Rob Poole is excited by the challenge: “My team are motivated and ready to go. Three Sails Point is a new, exciting development and has a great mix of housing to appeal to all facets of the local community and beyond with a specification to match. The variation in house types ensures this mixed tenure development makes the most of the TransPennine route as well as the Mersey estuary vista. The sales launch will be confirmed shortly with computer-generated images for those who want an early view. Details on the show home and how to view will be released over the coming weeks.”

Sustainability reporting standard launched by the social housing sector to help unlock ESG investment to tackle the UK’s housing crisis.

A total of 70 banks, investors and housing associations have today become early adopters of an industry-led sustainability reporting standard designed to unlock institutional investment to help tackle the UK’s deepening housing crisis.

• The Sustainability Reporting Standard for Social Housing (“the Standard”) will address the lack of transparency, consistency and comparability in reporting ESG performance
• Lloyds, NatWest, LGIM Real Assets and M&G are among 31 investors and lenders already committed to the Standard
• Social housing is understood to be first UK sector to come together with lenders and investors to create a common sustainability reporting standard
• Standard offers a blueprint to other sectors where a multitude of ESG reporting frameworks is fuelling inconsistency and a lack of transparency
• Roll-out of the Standard across the social housing sector will be governed by a new industry representative standards board, which will be operational in 2021.

The Sustainability Reporting Standard for Social Housing was unveiled today by the ESG Social Housing Working Group, a unique collaboration of 18 banks and investors, housing associations, service providers and impact investing organisations. 

 

The working group was set up in 2019 in response to concerns ESG investment was being inhibited by the absence of a common reporting standard. As with many other sectors across the economy, there has been a plethora of ESG reporting frameworks, resulting in reporting that lacked transparency, was prone to inconsistency and was incomparable. 

 

The aim of the Standard is to provide a voluntary reporting framework for housing providers to report on their ESG performance in a transparent, consistent and comparable way. This will make it easier for lenders and investors to assess the ESG performance of housing providers, identify ESG risks and opportunities to create positive social and environmental outcomes.   

 

So far, 70 organisations (39 housing associations and 31 lenders and investors) have committed to become early adopters of the Standard. Participating housing associations – including Sovereign, Optivo, Clarion and Peabody – will report against the standard on an annual basis. Meanwhile lenders and investors, including Lloyds Banking Group, LGIM Real Assets, M&G and NatWest, have agreed to use the standard in their investment and credit policies, processes and/or product design.  

 

The Standard covers 48 criteria across ESG considerations such as affordability, fire safety and net zero carbon emissions, which are unveiled in a final report of the working group today. The report follows an earlier draft of the criteria, published in May as part of a sector-wide consultation. The consultation received feedback from more than 400 individuals, including representatives from housing associations, investors, trade bodies, financial experts and tenants’ groups. 

 

The Standard will be overseen by a new Social and Affordable Housing: Sustainability Reporting Standards Board, which will be established in early 2021. A Governance Steering Committee has been set-up to oversee the establishment of this board, chaired by Susan Hickey, a former Chief Financial Officer at Peabody Trust, with secretariat support from the Impact Investing Institute. 


To find out more, please visit: esgsocialhousing.co.uk

We are keeping our promises to residents, helping to improve their environment and love where they live in these challenging times.

Maureen, Environmental Services Manager and Greg, Contracts Manager, have been very busy recently working with Wirral Council Parks and Gardens as well as the Deputy Leader of Wirral Council, Cllr Anita Leech. 9,000 bulbs were planted across the grassed verges of Orchard Road and Ivy Lane neighbourhoods in Moreton.  

 

Due to COVID restrictions, unfortunately, we couldn’t get the community involved in the planting this time, but we hope they will appreciate it. 

 

Cllr Leech for Leasowe and Moreton wards said: “It has been a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate our continued partnership working with Magenta Living. Residents in the Ivy Lane area told us that they see splashes of colour across the borough but not in their area, so as local Councillors we worked with the Council and Magenta Living to put that right. 

 

“Magenta Living donated 2,000 bulbs to support the event and 7,000 bulbs were purchased through constituency funds, which are used to support such requests within the community.” 

 

Maureen, Magenta Living's Environmental Services Manager said: “As I’m now one of our Climate Vision Champions, anything I can do to make a positive impact on climate change then I’m straight on it. Greg Povall and I are working closely on our own plan to develop more wildlife meadows, plant trees in our communal spaces and carry out more planting and education days in partnership with Wirral Council.

"The impact of climate change can be significantly lessened if we all take steps now to reduce carbon pollution. As Champions for the environment, Greg and I are ensuring our teams are doing our best to make that happen.”

Magenta Living have employed an external organisation IFF Research to undertake surveys on our behalf. This helps us get independent feedback so we can understand the needs of our customers now and in the future.

 

If you are contacted by IFF Research and you are concerned about their identity, please call our Contact Centre on 0808 100 9596 where our advisors will be happy to assist.

 

IFF Research will never ask you for personal or financial information. If you are asked for this information, please end the call and contact us on 0808 100 9596

 

For more information on being fraud aware, please visit the Action Fraud website https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/individual-protection


To view Magenta Living's privacy policies, please visit: www.magentaliving.org.uk/privacy

Following the government announcement on Friday 18th September that there would be local restrictions introduced in areas of the North West, including Wirral, in response to the rising numbers of COVID-19 infections in the region, Public Health Wirral confirmed a 'local lockdown' for the area had been put in place with the following restrictions in place from Tuesday 22nd September:

• Residents must not socialise with other people outside of their own households or support bubble in private homes and gardens
• Hospitality for food and drink will be restricted to table service only
• Late night operating hours will be restricted, with Leisure and entertainment venues including restaurants, pubs, and cinemas, required to close between 10pm to 5am

 

Residents are also advised to adhere to the following guidance to further reduce rates of infection:

• Only to use public transport for essential purposes, such as travelling to school or work
• Avoid attending amateur and semi-professional sporting events as spectators
   

We understand that the restrictions will be reviewed but are expected to remain in place for a number of weeks.

The latest updates will be shared via Wirral Council on social media, www.wirral.gov.uk and www.wirralview.com, as swiftly as possible.

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• Wirral Council on Instagram

 

Information Breakdown

Topic	Summary
New Restrictions	From 22nd September, Wirral, along with the five other Merseyside boroughs, have introduced tougher measures to tackle the rising infection rates in our area. These measures are being introduced to protect each other.
Explanation	As the number of people with COVID-19 in Wirral increases, play your part and help us avoid even further restrictions coming in for the area. These restrictions mean: - Do not socialise with other people outside of your own household or support bubble in private homes or gardens - Late night restrictions of operating hours to be introduced, with leisure and entertainment venues required to close between 10pm and 5am - Hospitality venues will be restricted to table service only
Guidance	Please also follow the below guidance to help slow the spread of COVID-19: - Avoid socialising with anyone outside your own household in all public venues - Holidays should only be taken with people within your own household or support bubble - Only use public transport for essential purposes (such as travelling to school or work) - Avoid attending amateur and semi-professional sporting events as spectators
Shielding	If you have previously been advised to shield, please take special care during this time and be extra cautious. Whilst the government has not re-introduced the shielding programme in Wirral at this time, we would advise to steer clear of busy places and avoiding going to venues that are not COVID-19 secure.
Back to basics (wash hands, distance, face coverings etc)	It is important that residents take note of the above and continue with the basics – keep washing your hands regularly, keep a distance from others outside your household or support bubble, and wear a face covering when necessary.