Spring is a good time to reset. The days are getting longer, the evenings lighter and it’s a chance to check in on your home and your finances. In this edition of Home, you’ll find practical support, local stories and updates on how we’re making improvements based on what you’ve told us.
If you’re thinking about a spring refresh, have a look at pages 4 to 6. You’ll find tips to help you manage your finances, including support available, information on home contents insurance and work and training opportunities. There’s also advice on preventing damp and mould, how to report it and information about gas safety checks.
To see how we’re doing and how your feedback is helping us improve our services, turn to pages 8 to 11. You’ll find our latest Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSMs), what’s changed as a result of resident feedback and how you can get involved.
To help you make the most of spring, on page 3 you’ll find free and low-cost things to do over Easter near you. You can also take part in our spring competition by sharing photos of your indoor or outdoor plants.
We hope you enjoy this edition of Home magazine.
With best wishes,
Wells Chomutare Managing Director | South London
What’s on this Easter
With spring here, you’ll find free things to do and ways to save on food when eating out.
Cheaper meals for kids
Many restaurants offer free or discounted meals for children during the school holidays.
From pasta dishes to family meal deals, there are lots of options to help keep costs down. moneytothemasses.com/quick-savings/tips/ how-to-save-money-on-eating-out-withchildren-this-school-holiday
Visit a food bank
Access free and affordable food. Local food banks offer tins, fresh fruit and vegetables and other essential household items. You can also find other types of support. info.peabody.org.uk/food-options
Free activities
Sunnier days are great for getting outside.
If you’re looking for spring walks, try Go Jauntly for free guided walks near you. gojauntly.com
Visit one of our community centres
There’s lots going on near you.
Pick up a timetable at your nearest centre or see what’s happening online.
info.peabody.org.uk/visit-easter
A spring check-in for your home
Spring is a good time to check in on your home and shared spaces and let us know if anything needs sorting.
Spring clean your finances
If you’re worried about bills, benefits or budgeting, support is available. We can help you check what financial support you may be entitled to and offer advice to help you manage your money. Talk it through with our money specialists. info.peabody.org.uk/bills
Staying safe with e-bikes and e-scooters
If you use an e-bike or e-scooter it’s important to charge and store it safely.
• Don’t charge or store them in communal areas, escape routes or near your front door
• Use official batteries and chargers from trusted sellers
• Unplug them once fully charged and avoid charging overnight
To keep everyone safe we may remove e-bikes or e-scooters left in communal areas. There may be a charge for removal and storage.
Find out more: london-fire.gov.uk/safety/ lithium-batteries
Looking after your building
Keeping your home and building safe, secure and well maintained is really important to us. To help us do this properly, we’ve asked a specialist company, Faithorn Farrell Timms, to check the shared areas in all blocks of flats. This includes spaces like entrances, hallways and stairwells.
These surveys will give us an up-to-date picture of your building. They help us spot repairs or improvements early, so we can plan the right work at the right time.
Surveyors will carry ID, which you can ask to see. If they need to take photos, they'll always respect your privacy. Our aim is to make sure your building stays safe, comfortable and well looked after.
Gas safety checks
Gas safety checks help keep you and your neighbours safe. Every home with its own boiler needs a yearly gas safety check and we’re required to carry these out by law. If one of our engineers contacts you to arrange a visit, please let them in. If the time doesn’t work for you, let us know and we’ll rearrange an appointment that fits around your day.
Damp and mould
Damp and mould can happen at any time of year. Simple steps like opening windows when you can and using extractor fans in kitchens and bathrooms can help.
If you notice damp or mould in your home, tell us as soon as possible.
info.peabody.org.uk/damp 0300 123 3456
off your home, balcony or garden in full bloom and win a £50
Plants can bring colour, calm and a little joy to your home, whether they’re inside or out. Show off your flowerpots and greenery by entering our spring competition.
To enter:
• Snap a photo of your plant-filled space
• Tell us a little about your plants and post the picture on your Instagram profile
• Make sure you’re following us and tag us @peabodyldn in your photo
• Submit your entry by Friday 17 April
Getting started with an apprenticeship
Apprenticeships can be a great way to build skills, confidence and real work experience. With the right support, they can also help you take your first step into a long-term career.
We work with employers and partners to help residents find apprenticeships and support them while they learn on the job. Opportunities are available across housing, construction, business administration, health and social care and more.
Max is one resident who’s benefited from this support.
He’s 18 and lives in Bexleyheath. With our support, he secured a site management apprenticeship. Max now travels to Thamesmead each day, working with Lovell on building new homes near Southmere Lake.
“It feels amazing to be building new homes for people who live so near to you.
There are lots of different aspects to construction. There are trades that I didn’t even know existed when I started. Now I’m coordinating and handling logistics for trades and deliveries.”
Max is now working across internal and external site management as part of his two -year apprenticeship. He hopes to move on to a degree apprenticeship next.
“I’ve still got a lot to learn, but I’m gaining more knowledge every day.”
Max, apprentice
If you’re looking for support finding work, we may be able to help.
Get email updates on jobs and training info.peabody.org.uk/job-email-updates
Get help with your CV, interview skills or building your LinkedIn profile info.peabody.org.uk/jobs-and-skills
We also offer apprenticeships at Peabody. Explore current opportunities on our website info.peabody.org.uk/career-in-housing
Complaints: your options
We’re committed to getting things right for our residents, but we know that sometimes things go wrong.
If you're not happy with the service you've had from us, let us know so we can put things right. We can often fix things like missed appointments quickly.
Write to 45 Westminster Bridge Road, London SE1 7JB
Contacting the Housing Ombudsman
If you feel your complaint hasn't been resolved through our process, you can contact the Housing Ombudsman.
If you're not happy with the service you've received, you can make a formal complaint.
We'll investigate the issue and work with you to put things right.
Here’s what happens next:
Stage one complaint
We'll look into your issue, take steps to fix it and keep you updated.
Stage two complaint
If you're unhappy with the outcome of your stage one complaint, you can ask us to review everything.
Read more about the complaints process info.peabody.org.uk/complaints-stages
How to make a complaint info.peabody.org.uk/formal-complaint
Call 0300 123 3456 and choose option 7
You can also contact them at any time during the process for independent, impartial and free advice:
www.housing-ombudsman.org.uk
0300 111 3000
info@housing-ombudsman.org.uk
PO Box 1484, Unit D, Preston PR2 0ET
Support if you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse
We recently supported a resident experiencing domestic abuse who needed to move quickly to feel safe.
Our teams worked together to find a new home as quickly as possible. Working closely with local services, including the police and the local authority, we made sure the right support was in place from the start. We also helped the resident access wellbeing and financial support to help them settle into their new home.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse, you don’t have to deal with it alone. Support is available.
How we can support
Call us on 0300 123 3456
You can also request a callback at a time that feels safe
• Darwin Court, 1 Crail Row, Walworth, London SE17 1AD
• The Nest, 3 Cygnet Square, Thamesmead SE2 9FA
How we're doing
Tenant Satisfaction Measures
Our Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSMs) help us understand what’s working well and where we need to do better.
The latest measures:
70.4% feel your home is safe 64.1% feel happy with the repairs service feel your home is well maintained feel kept informed 62.6% 66.4% feel listened to 51.3% are satisfied with how complaints are handled 28.3%
What we’re doing to make things better
We’re making progress, but we know there’s more to do. You’ve told us you want clearer communication, quicker action and to feel listened to. That’s what we’re focusing on:
• Giving clearer updates when you report an issue, in line with our Service Standards, so you know what will happen next
• Sorting issues more quickly and reducing delays
• Being clearer when things take longer and explaining why
• Focusing on the issues that matter most to you, including damp and mould
• Listening carefully to your feedback and acting on it
• Improving how we handle complaints, so problems are less likely to happen again
Service Standards
Our Service Standards set out what you can expect from us and help us provide a clearer and more consistent service.
You’ve told us you want quicker replies and clearer updates. Since October, we’ve resolved over 21,000 queries on the same day and 69% of queries have had a response within five working days.
If we can’t fix something straight away, you’ll hear from us within five working days. We’ll tell you what’s happening and what will happen next, so you don’t need to follow up. We’ll keep you updated on our progress.
An update from our Resident-Led Panel
Over
the last few months,
we’ve focused on how residents can have more influence over decisions that affect their homes and services.
We spoke with senior leaders about what residents want us to focus on over the next year. This included making it easier for residents to have more say over repairs, contractor performance and how damp and mould issues are handled. As a result, Peabody teams will share clearer regional plans and make local teams easier to contact.
We also worked with residents to agree a programme of service reviews for the year ahead.
We reviewed the findings from a resident engagement health check completed by 25 teams to understand how residents are involved in influencing services. We agreed five recommendations focused on improving how we listen to residents and turn feedback into action. Using these recommendations Peabody directors developed an action plan which we reviewed in November. The plan focuses on better training for colleagues, making resident engagement part of everyone’s role and improving communication about service improvements.
Our sub-groups continued work on complaints, communications, rent letters and homeownership.
This has led to clearer policies, better online information and easier-to-read letters.
Ingrid Smith Resident-Led Panel member
Join Peabody Voice.
Peabody Voice is a group of residents who share feedback and help influence decisions.
You choose the topics you’re interested in and how much time you want to give.
Listening to you and acting on what you tell us is how we improve services and neighbourhoods.
We’ve developed a new Resident Engagement Strategy to make it easier for you to get involved. It’s about helping more residents from different backgrounds and communities take part and showing clearly how your feedback leads to change. What this means for you
You’ll have more ways to share your views and help improve services. You can get involved through:
• Local groups and forums
• Online opportunities
• The Resident-Led Panel
• Regional forums
• Your local Tenants and Residents Association
We’re also making it easier to take part, with more online options, local events and practical support.
Our aim is simple: better conversations, better services and neighbourhoods where every resident feels heard.
The new strategy launches this spring.
Find out more about the strategy and how you can get involved
info.peabody.org.uk/involvement
An update from the South London Regional Forum
Our South London Regional Forum gives you a say on services in your local area. It’s a space to share your experiences, hear updates and help improve services.
At the meeting in November, residents talked about My Peabody and how it could work better for them. They were joined by representatives from the Regulator of Social Housing and Wells Chomutare, Managing Director, South London. Residents shared ideas on making it easier to give feedback and suggested improvements.
The group also discussed how things are working locally. This included new ways of organising neighbourhood teams, estate newsletters, booking
meetings with neighbourhood managers and improving how damp and mould is responded to. More local meetings, walkabouts and repairs days are planned.
This feedback is helping shape a regional action plan focused on repairs, complaints and engagement.
Want to get involved?
Join your local forum to share your views and help improve services in your area.
The next meeting will be on Tuesday 2 June, 6pm to 7pm at Parkside Community Centre, 1 Copperwood Place, London SE10 8GE.
For more information or to get involved, visit info.peabody.org.uk/regional-forum
A new landmark is coming to Loughborough Junction
South London is about to get a bold splash of colour. Working with the Brixton Project, we’re creating a new public artwork at Higgs Yard. At 80 metres long, the mural will become a striking feature in the heart of the neighbourhood.
The artwork will celebrate the area’s rich heritage, from its rural roots and industrial heritage to the creativity that drives the area today. Local residents will help shape the design, so the mural reflects the people who live here and the stories that matter to you.
The Brixton Project, who have created murals in many places, will lead the artist selection. Three shortlisted artists will each receive £1,000 to develop their ideas and share them with a community steering group made up of residents and local people. This group will choose the final artist, who’ll receive £10,000 to bring the design to life and run workshops with residents ahead of the installation in the summer.
Higgs Yard is also transforming the area with 134 new homes, half at affordable rates and 36,000 sq ft of commercial space to support local jobs.
We’ll share updates as the mural takes shape and when it’s ready to be unveiled.
Need room to grow your business?
Peabody Works at New Mansion Square offers affordable workspace in the heart of Battersea. Each unit space has its own kitchen, with rent covering heating, Wi-Fi, water, service charge and building insurance.
You’ll also have access to showers, toilets and secure bike storage, at around half the usual market rate. Find out more
Community spirit on the menu at Parkside
The colder months can be tough for many families and rising costs mean some households are finding it harder to put food on the table. That’s why an initiative on the Parkside Estate was set up, bringing neighbours together and offering support when it was needed most.
With support from The Felix Project and local caterer Pristine Eats, residents received high - quality surplus food that would otherwise have gone to waste. The Felix Project rescues food from across London and gives it to community groups. This time, almost 800kg of food was delivered directly to Parkside, offering practical support to local households.
The Parkside Resident Collective played an important role too. They worked with the team to prioritise neighbours with mobility issues or anyone who finds shopping difficult, making sure the food reached the right doorsteps.
“Struggling to afford food is something many people feel scared or embarrassed to talk about, but it’s becoming more common. We know lots of residents who are struggling to make ends meet and we want them to know support is there when they need it.”
“It’s been lovely to see neighbours looking out for each other and remembering how important dignity, support and community spirit are. Together with The Felix Project, Pristine Eats and the Parkside Resident Collective, we’ve been able to offer a helping hand where it’s most needed.”
Annmarie,
Community Investment
Manager
for South London Find food banks near you
A safe space for Southwark’s young people
Nearly 300 young people in Southwark are finding new opportunities through the Thursday Open Access Youth Club in Bermondsey. The club is funded by the Peabody Community Foundation and is based at the Salmon Youth Centre, giving young people a safe, welcoming place to spend time after school.
The aim is simple: offer a space where young people feel supported, included and able to try new things.
The club provides:
· Healthy meals and activities
· Opportunities to make friends and build confidence
· Guidance from youth workers, including mentoring when needed
There’s something for everyone, from sports, music, art, cooking and IT sessions that support learning, training and future careers. Young people can also access mental health support if they need it. A hot meal is always available and the team works hard to offer positive alternatives to unsafe situations.
Rebecca, Community Investment Lead in South London, sees the impact every week:
“We’ve been able to offer adventure activities like outdoor climbing, indoor giant swings and cargo nets. Young people also get the chance to perform for each other, whether it’s dance, acrobatics or a fashion show.
Our young leaders, aged 14 to 18, have developed brilliant skills, from supporting children with additional needs to talking with parents and helping run creative sessions.
It’s more than a club. It’s a community where young people feel supported and can build confidence in their own time.”
New voices in south London’s podcasting scene
Young people in south London are building skills and confidence through a free podcasting course delivered by Iconic Steps, in partnership with Peabody.
Over two days, the group learned how to plan, record and edit podcasts, as well as how to shape ideas and understand an audience. The sessions were hands- on and practical, designed to help young people feel comfortable trying something new.
Iconic Steps works to create opportunities for young people from all backgrounds, helping them build skills that can open doors to creative careers.
For Joshua, a college student, joining the course was a big step. He arrived feeling nervous about meeting new people but quickly relaxed. By the end of the programme, he’d learned how to produce and edit a podcast, made new friends and felt more confident.
Richard took part to rebuild his confidence and improve his job prospects. Over two days, he learned
how to brand a podcast, structure episodes, record and edit audio and keep listeners engaged. For him, the experience was about more than podcasting. It helped him believe in his abilities again.
This partnership shows how creative opportunities can support young people in more ways than one. They’re not just learning technical skills. They’re gaining confidence and exploring future possibilities.
Cherry Orchard children score big with new sports pitch
Children at Cherry Orchard Primary School in Charlton are enjoying a brand-new sports pitch, built to support play, fitness and community activities.
The upgraded ball court includes artificial grass, goals and hoops and will be used by the school as well as local community groups. The opening was a real celebration, with pupils counting down before racing onto the pitch for the first kickabout.
The pitch replaces an older court that had served the area for over a decade, giving pupils and local families a safe, welcoming place to get active. It was funded by Peabody, Greenwich Council, the school and community fundraising.
Did you enjoy this edition of Home?
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How to get in touch
Call us
0300 123 3456
Our phone lines are open Monday to Friday, 8am–6pm. You can also use this number outside these hours to report an emergency.
Facebook
You can reach us on Facebook – just search @PeabodyLDN
Visit our website peabody.org.uk/contact-us
Live Chat
Live Chat lets you get in touch online at a time that works for you, without waiting on the phone.
Tap the chat button on our website.
info.peabody.org.uk/survey-2026
My Peabody
Your online account is the easiest way to manage things about your home at a time that suits you.
You can use My Peabody to:
• Raise and track repairs
• Pay your rent
• Update your details
• Access key services and information
Sign up or log in: info.peabody.org.uk/online-account
