News Archive

Two new funding streams have been made available through the DCC Area Action Partnership (AAP) and the CVS.

Pupils in County Durham have marked the 80^th anniversary of their school by burying a time capsule filled with items representing life in 2012.

Community-spirited individuals are being asked to volunteer for a new project which will help keep vulnerable people safe in the event of heavy snow and ice this winter.

Cestria Community Housing has unveiled plans for a new development of social housing in a County Durham Village.

The Chester-le-Street based social landlord is building 22 two-bedroom bungalows in Sacriston which will help regenerate the area and provide much needed affordable homes.

Residents on a North East housing estate have been given cameras to record improvements they would like to see in their area as part of a new community project.

Metal theft is on the increase. Help keep your house and neighbourhood safe.

On 1^st April 2012 the Housing and Communities Agency will take over from the Tenant Services Authority and will be the new regulator of Social Housing.  A consultation exercise has been launched in relation to the proposed changes to the Regulatory Framework which will be introduced following the Localism Act and Directions to the Regulator and tenants are invited to comment on these proposals.

Can you spare time to volunteer to clear pathways or do you know somebody who would benefit from the Snow Angels service? If so, we would like to hear from you!

With the help of Cestria Credit Union we are launching a new incentive, Save Xmas, to help you save for next Christmas, so you don't have to worry about finding the money, or going into debt to pay for it.

Offices will be open as normal in the pre-Christmas period.

Friday 23rd December 2011 - Bowes & One Stop Shop Opening Hours - 8.30am-2.00pm

Both of our offices will then be closed from 24th December until 3rd January 2012. Please note that all of our offices will reopen as normal on Tuesday 3rd January 2012.

Emergency contact numbers - If you need to speak to us urgently or to report an emergency repair you can contact the Out of Hours Service on 0800 587 0001.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all of our customers.

This year for the first time Chester-le-Street & District Area Action Partnership is working with Durham County Councils Chairman Councillor Dennis Morgan to help receive nominations for the prestigious Chairman’s Medal award.

The Chairman’s Medal is the highest honour given by Durham County Council and is presented to individuals, groups and organisations throughout County Durham to recognise significant achievement and outstanding effort in all walks of life.

Creative school children have helped a North East housing association spread some festive cheer by designing their company Christmas card.

Pupils from Pelton Community Primary School, near Chester-le-Street, were asked by Cestria Community Housing Association to draw or paint a picture to be used on the front of their card this year.

In the recent Annual Tenant Satisfaction Survey we asked our customers, “How would you prefer to be addressed in future correspondence, publications and at future events”? 

Over the last few months we have been working with internal and external customers to improve our communications in particular in relation to the management of telephone calls via the free phone and 1900 extensions.

Our 2012 calendar will be distributed to all of our customers at the end of next week.

Cestria's first ever Tenants Conference was held at Beamish Hall on the 26th and 27th of July 2011. The reason for the two dates, being the unprecedented demand from Cestria residents to attend the conference and to share in the Cestria journey.

With families across the country feeling the pinch of the financial crisis, one County Durham housing association is taking action to ensure its tenants get the help they need.

Cestria Community Housing has teamed up with the financial advice service FISCUS to offer free debt support to its tenants in and around Chester-le-Street.

More than 40 staff at a County Durham housing association have been competing to see who can grow the biggest moustache – all in the name of charity.

The Cestria Community Housing employees have been taking part in the national fundraising event ‘Movember’, in which men put aside their razors and let their facial hair grow freely for the month of November.

Due to the Industrial Action on Wednesday 30th November our front line services may be affected however where at possible this will be kept to a minimum.

A housing association has been praised for the quality of its internal communications after its staff newsletter was voted the best in the North East.

Cestria Community Housing won the Gold Award for the best Internal Newspaper or Magazine at the Charted Institute of Public Relations PRide Awards North East 2011.

New technology met good old-fashioned community spirit during an awards ceremony held to celebrate the achievements of County Durham tenants.

Cestria Community Housing’s annual Neighbourhood Awards recognise those tenants who have made a real difference to the areas they live in.

We will be tweeting live the winners of our Neighbourhood Awards on Wednesday 23rd November 2011 from 12pm onwards.

The One Stop Shop will be closed due to staff training on Tuesday 22nd November 2011 from 12pm.

Members of a County Durham craft group are hoping to attract new members and promote the community room in which they meet by holding a Christmas Fair.

Cestria have in place a suite of performance indicators and service standards that are used to monitor performance indicators across all service areas, as well as some corporate indicators which help us ensure we are able to measure how well we are doing in key areas of our services against agreed targets.

The Bubble Foundation is the Children's Bone Marrow Transplant Unit in Newcastle and is one of only two specialised centres in the British Isles.  The Bubble Unit saves the lives of babies and children born without an immune system.

Residents of a County Durham village are looking forward to enjoying a colourful springtime flower display after more than 400 bulbs were planted by two local businesses.

The crocus bulbs were planted in an area of open space outside Graham Court – a sheltered housing scheme owned by Cestria Community Housing, situated in the village of Sacriston.

We are currently in the process of strengthening our governance arrangements, and are seeking two new Independent Board Members to join our team.

A County Durham housing association has celebrated the standard and quality of the work carried out by its contractors during an award ceremony.

In the coming winter months your home may be affected by condensation. This article may help you prevent it.

As a result of the generosity of the staff of Cestria the Peoples Kitchen in Newcastle benefited to the tune of £250 after various activities were organised to raise money for the Charity.

Cestria Community Housing is looking to commence a new campaign on your estate. Our pilot scheme of “Love where you live” aims to inspire, encourage and enable us to make where you live and play the kind of place you really want it to be. It’s about making a difference whether as individuals, groups, local authorities or companies.

Are you a tenant or leaseholder of Cestria Community Housing? Do you want to help us improve our performance and the services we provide for everyone?

...then Cestria Community Housing's Resident Scrutiny Committee Needs You!

The deadline to express your interest is Friday 11th November 2011

Our Building Services Department will be partaking in Movember.

During November each year, Movember is responsible for the sprouting of moustaches on thousands of men's faces in the UK and around the world. The aim of which is to raise vital funds and awareness for men's health, specifically prostate cancer and other cancers that affect men.

Cestria Community Housing Association was  highly commended for its Cestria Kickz project during an awards ceremony held at the Vermont Hotel in Newcastle on Thursday 13 October 2011.

The North East SHINE awards celebrate the exceptional work of housing associations across the region and are judged and presented by David Orr, Chief Executive of the National Housing Federation. This year the two award categories were ‘Transforming Lives’ and ‘Transforming Places’.   

A housing association handyman has been praised by a grateful tenant after retrieving a precious diamond earring which had fallen down a bathroom sink.

10 - 16 October. Join us and take action.

The Government's welfare changes will push thousands of people living in social housing into hardship or out of their homes. Click here to fill in a form to ask the minister for Welfare Reform to rethink these unfair proposals.

Tenants living in Chester-le-Street, County Durham have praised the services delivered by their landlord.

A recent annual satisfaction survey revealed that 90.8% of tenants are satisfied with the overall services provided by Cestria Community Housing. This represents a 1% increase compared to 2010 and a 20.8% increase since 2006, before the Association was established.

Nimble-fingered knitters in County Durham are raising money for charity by taking part in a national campaign.

The group, who are all Cestria Community Housing tenants, decided to get involved in ‘The Big Knit’ to help raise money for Age UK.

Do you know someone young or old that through their kindness is making a difference to an individual or the community as a whole? Or do you know of  a community group or club that has worked to improve the lives of their local community?