Area priorities...
- We are working to improve the waste management on site as customers have reported missed waste collections, a lack of knowledge on waste management and increase of pest activity.
- We are focussing on Criminal and ASB issues by partnering with customers, police and partners to improve reporting of crime and deter this activity after reports of this from Chapel customers.
- We are working to improve the state of repair on buildings and green spaces as customers reported several concerns over the sustainability of the site.
- We are also increasing partnerships with local projects and organisations to support our customers at Chapel with employment and volunteering opportunities, health and wellbeing initiatives, community cohesion and cost saving initiatives.
Who is your Community Development Officer?
Jess Tarrant is our Community Development Officer for Chapel, Southampton.
"I started working for Abri in 2012 within Customer Services where I was able to understand the full array of services Abri provided and joined the Community Investment team back in 2016. My role has seen me set up a community pantry, work on Abri's Good Grub Clubs and the Buddy Club Social Isolation project. I'm currently working on an Action Plan for Chapel, and I'm excited to work with the local community to improve the area.
You can contact Jess by emailing Jessica.Tarrant@abri.co.uk
You said, we did
You said
Residents reported the need to address the various crime and ASB issues.
We did
We delivered a drop-in session in partnership with Hampshire Police in chapel where intelligence received from the community resulted in increased patrols/stop and searches.
We worked with customers, police and the council to identify hot spots for crime and anti-social behaviour in some of the overgrown green spaces. We have since cut back the identified areas, resulting in increased community surveillance, and reports from the police that ASB and drug use in the area has reduced.
You said
Residents reported various issues relating to the Chapel estate and the not having a key person to raise these reports with.
We did
We identified a Specialist Project Housing Partner to become the main point of contact for customers, and to support enquiries into Abri from both chapel customers and partners.
We delivered a joint meeting in June 2024, for customers to share any concerns, following the meeting we created an action plan to identify what improvements could be made. Whilst we continue to work on this plan, we share regular updates through our community newsletter.
You said
Residents reported a pest control issue on the estate.
We did
Alongside Southampton City Council, we conducted an estate tour to identify key issues. We created a pest control plan, detailing how everyone could contribute. Southampton City Council Pest Control are taking the lead on the delivery of pest control reduction. Abri will continue to address and deliver prevention measures needed to minimalise pest activity.
As part of the plan, we identified the need for the large shrubbery around the estate to be cut back to prevent habitation of the pests. This work was delivered and paid for by Abri with no future costs to Chapel Customers in their service charges.
Key successes in the last few months
- Customers have seen a reduction in the levels of criminal activity around Chapel, furthermore, the local Police Community Support Officer, confirmed there has been no reports of ASB in September 2024
- Following a series of informational leaflets shared about the green spaces and gardens, we have seen a real improvement on the estate with shrubbery and garden maintenance.
- We delivered a Community Action Day to boost Abri presence on the estate, create an opportunity to link local services and a chance for the community to come together, overall we welcomed 16 members of the community.
What have we been up to in Chapel?
We have been working in partnership with Southampton City Council to improve how customers dispose of their waste and better manage pests. We have produced two flyers to support with this project, educating residents on how to manage waste better and reduce pest activity.
We have also met with Southampton City Council’s waste management Team to discuss the non-collection of rubbish leading to customers leaving their waste in incorrect bins. We are currently working on ways to improve our bin stores with uniformed signage of the bins, clear signage on the bin stores, unified areas for household waste and recycling, and we've placed an order for new bin lids.
Chapel is made up of a mix of tenancies which has caused some confusion for around reporting issues in the community. We are in the process of improving communication channels between departments and equipping staff to have the knowledge available to them when dealing with Chapel customers. Working together with the community, we've now created an action plan based on customer feedback.
In addition to this, we're currently working on a flow chart document with tenancy types for customers to use when they have questions relating to their property. We will also include information about the roles and responsibilities of Abri colleagues so that customers know who they can speak to about what.
We are also working with the community to set up either a formal or informal customer group, so customers have the power to make change in their area and feel like they have a formal channel for their voices to be heard.
What's coming up in Chapel...
Thursday 31 October
10am – 12.30pm
At ‘The Meeting Place’ Saint Mary’s Church, Chapel Road.
This one of event organised in October Half Term, will run during Saint Mary’s ‘Meeting Place’ offering activities around how we dispose of an array of items we find around our homes. This FREE event is aimed at families living in and around the Chapel area and will receive a FREE lunch. We will be working with Southampton City Mission School’s Team who will support on the day, St Mary’s staff and volunteer team and Southampton City Council’s Waste management Team who will be on hand to answer any questions. For more information contact me.
Every Thursday (21st November – 19th December)
10am – 12.30pm
At ‘The Meeting Place’ Saint Mary’s Church, Chapel Road
We all know that the Winter months can be expensive for a lot of people so on the run up to Christmas we will be working with the Saint Mary’s Team to put on ‘The Winer Shop’ during the Meeting place sessions. The Winter Shop is an opportunity to purchase winter items for a small fee to keep warm or to buy gifts in readiness for the festive season. Most of us will have things around our homes that don’t fit or our families no longer use so we are inviting people to donate those items that are in good shape to The Winter Shop - so that we utilise this opportunity to put to good use unwanted items instead of throwing these items away. The Winter Shop is open to all but will be advertised to those living nearby. For more information contact me.
