Latest newsletter - July 2022
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BETRA Tenant Management Organisation (TMO) was formed in April 2004, part of a government scheme to help give back some power to residents on estates.
We are run by a small, voluntary board consisting of local residents, supported by the estate manager Lloyd Edwards and a small staff team. 
Our aims
We strive to make our community a friendly, welcoming and comfortable place to live. We work to ensure that our estate is maintained and our residents supported to the highest levels possible. And we encourage residents to play an active part in the running of our organisation, the building of our community. Our estate Set in Harold Hill, part of the London Borough of Havering in East London, our estate is made up of 13 Houses, all of which are three stories high: BETRA EventsBETRA Board meeting
Next meeting date to be confirmed. See notice boards for details. Our newsletterOur newsletter is published quarterly. If you would like to contribute an article, perhaps on the ways we can improve our community, or if you have any other suggestions for the things we could include, please get in touch with Lloyd. All ideas welcome.
See back copies of BETRA News. Home swapDid you know the mutual exchange scheme allows social housing tenants to advertise their property with a view to swapping their home with another social housing tenancy?
If you would like to advertise your flat for a mutual exchange, we can publish your home’s details here. We will not publish names and addresses, just the key information. Currently there are two properties on offer on the estate:
Need help with computers?Residents sometimes ask us for help with using computers. In fact, there is help available in our local neighbourhood.
ICT Skills Training At The Betty Strathern Centre, ICT Skills Training provide free basic computer courses to local adult communities in the areas of East London and Essex. Training ranges from the basics, such as how to turn on a computer, searching the Internet, creating and using emails, to more advanced accredited courses using the Microsoft Office programmes. For the accredited courses, there would be a small charge towards the cost of your second qualification certification. Tuesdays 10:15 – 12:15 at Betty Strathern Centre, 41 Myrtle Road, Harold Hill, Romford, Essex, RM3 8XS Website: ictskillstraining.org.uk Harold Hill Library Then there's always Harold Hill Library. Our local is located on Hilldene Avenue. It’s a very popular facility, fully accessible, and with lots of events and activities, including a Citizens Advice Service every Monday and Thursday 10am-2pm. You can phone Harold Hill Library on 01708 434973 for more information. Here ere are some of the facilities it has to offer: • 11 computers providing internet access • Homework station • Four car parking spaces • Six cycle posts • Minicom • Limited Exhibition space • Adult reading group • Young at Heart group that meets the last Tuesday of every month • "Reading Buddies" to help your children develop their reading skills • Regular baby rhyme time sessions for under threes and story times for under fives • Black and white photocopier • E-books and audio books. |
New booklets comingWe are producing new editions of three BETRA publications:
• Residents Handbook - all new residents receive a copy of this booklet. • Guide to out-of-hours emergency procedures and other useful information - all new residents receive a copy of this. • Board Members Handbook - Board members each receive a copy of this. All three booklets will shortly be available to view and download from here on the BETRA website. Near & deer
They may have become a rather familiar sight, but it’s worth stopping occasionally to marvel at the fallow deer who roam around the estate.
Social updateIn light of the recent Covid cases,
we are still holding off on organising large-scale community events on the estate. We feel this is the best course of action for now, but watch this space as there may see the chance to start organising get-togethers again before too long. In the meantime, activities and events may become available through the local council, so do keep checking its website for updates, and sign up for their email newsletters. The BETRA BoardBETRA's current officials:
Jill Horsham - Acting Chair and Treasurer Keith Mercury - Secretary 
Above, Lloyd Edwards, BETRA Estate Manager, and below, Jennie Goddard, our Part Time Housing Assistant. 
Jennie's worldJennie Goddard on the top tips she most often gives residents
I would always advise tenants to keep up with their payments for rent / charges and to not fall behind. If they do find themselves having difficulties making payments, or their circumstance have changed, it is of the utmost importance to inform Havering of any changes. The importance of not spending outside of your budget and to regularly check / make a list of your outgoings and money coming in. Not all tenants have access to PCs, so we are able to assist them with whatever they need when they come to the office and we can carry out searches for them. Some of our tenants struggle to cope with changes to their day-to-day lives, finding even slight changes unsettling. Sometimes all they need is a little guidance, and it’s great when we are able to provide this. 
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