Essex, Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire | Summer 2026
Longer days are here, school’s out soon and there’s plenty going on in your community.
Inside, you’ll find ideas to help you make the most of the warmer months without spending a lot. From free days out to keeping the kids busy, we’ve got you covered on page 3. There are also simple tips to help you stay cool and safe as the weather warms up on page 4.
To see how we’re doing and how your feedback is helping us improve services, turn to pages 8 to 11. You’ll find our latest Tenant Satisfaction Measures, what’s changed because of what you’ve told us and how you can get involved.
You can also hear from our Resident-Led Panel on page 10, where they share updates on their review of the repairs journey and how you can help get more residents involved.
You’ll find updates from your local team, what’s happening in your area and support available if you need it.
If there’s something you’d like to see next time, let us know.
Wishing you a great summer!
With best wishes,
Kirsty Pepper Managing Director | North Counties
School’s out! Summer fun for less
Make the most of summer with free and low-cost activities, local days out and simple ideas to keep the kids busy.
See what’s on locally
Your local community centre regularly runs free and low-cost activities, like crafts workshops, yoga sessions and dance classes.
info.peabody.org.uk/community-spaces
Explore the outdoors
Short walks, picnics and days out are great ways to enjoy your local area without spending much.
Find your local park: bit.ly/local_parks
Eat for less
Many restaurants offer free or discounted meals for children during the school holidays. bit.ly/eating-for-less
Easy crafts for rainy days
Children can have fun at home with a few things you might already have. Make things like slime, pet rocks or even a fairy garden.
If things feel a bit difficult over the summer, support is available. You can get help with food, money, wellbeing and more.
Find support: peabody.org.uk/supporting-you
Food banks near you
Find your nearest food bank and support: peabody.org.uk/food-banks
Your space in bloom
Got a garden, balcony or windowsill in bloom? We’d love to see it.
Share your space for a chance to win a summer gardening bundle, including a pot and plant for indoors or outdoors.
To enter:
• Snap a photo of your space
• Submit it online
• Enter by Friday 31 July info.peabody.org.uk/competition
T&Cs apply
Hot weather tips for summer days
Sunny days are here, but hot weather can catch you off guard. Here are some simple ways to enjoy the sunshine and stay cool.
Drink more water
Keep water close by and sip throughout the day. If you’re feeling thirsty you may already be dehydrated.
Stay out of the heat
Try to stay in the shade or indoors during the hottest part of the day, from 11am to 3pm. If children are outside, try to keep them in the shade and wearing a sun hat.
Make a plan
Plan your day around the hottest hours. Buses, trains and even cars (without air con) can heat up quickly, so it helps to think ahead.
Keep your home cool
Close curtains or blinds when the sun is strongest to keep rooms cooler. Open windows early in the morning or later in the evening when it’s cooler.
Keep heat to a minimum
Avoid using appliances that give off heat, like dryers, ovens or dishwashers.
Use fans
Fans can help if it’s below 35°C. Place them near windows to bring in cooler air in the evening or early morning.
Look out for each other
If you’re worried about a neighbour, a quick check-in, knock on the door or message can really help.
Feeling unwell in the heat?
Look out for signs of heat exhaustion like headaches, sweating, a rapid weak pulse, feeling very thirsty or feeling sick.
If this happens, move somewhere cool, drink water and place a damp cloth on your neck or forehead.
If you’re worried, call your doctor or NHS 111 for advice.
When to get urgent help
If someone seems very unwell, has a high temperature, a rapid strong pulse, headaches, nausea or stops sweating, call 999 straight away. This could be heatstroke, which needs urgent medical help.
Find out more at info.peabody.org.uk/heatstroke
Bringing job opportunities closer to home
More than 500 people came along, including residents to meet over 40 employers and training providers, all in one place. It was a chance to see what's out there and speak directly to organisations that are hiring.
There were roles across lots of areas, including construction, retail, healthcare and office-based work.
Alongside job opportunities, people could get practical support to build their confidence and skills. This included CV advice, careers guidance, training information and a free professional LinkedIn headshot.
If you’re thinking about your next step, events like this can help you build confidence and see what’s out there.
Couldn’t make it this time? Keep an eye out for future events. Finding the right job can feel tough, especially if you’re not sure where to start. That’s why we recently hosted a free jobs fair.
E-bike batteries can cause a deadly fire in minutes.
Reduce the risk by
Charging while you’re awake
Checking the battery before and while it’s charging. Stop charging if it looks, smells or sounds unusual
Using the charger supplied with your device
Avoiding cheap batteries, DIY conversions and unofficial parts
Keeping e-bikes, e-scooters and batteries away from doors, hallways and escape routes
If a fire starts:
• Get out
• Shut the door
• Call 999
Read our safety advice on our website peabody.org.uk/e-bike-safety
Visit the London Fire Brigade website london-fire.gov.uk/safety/e-bikes-and-e-scooters
Being a good neighbour this summer
Summer often means children playing outside and neighbours spending more time together, so you may notice more noise than usual.
Everyday activities like ball games or socialising outdoors are part of community life and aren’t usually antisocial behaviour (ASB).
ASB is things like regular late-night parties, loud music in the early hours, verbal abuse or graffiti.
If something’s bothering you
If you’re finding something difficult with a neighbour, a simple conversation can often help. Your neighbour may not realise they’re causing a problem.
When you speak to your neighbour, try to keep things calm and respectful. Explain how the issue is affecting you. If you’ve noticed a change in behaviour, it could be linked to something they’re going through.
If you feel unsafe or threatened, call the police first. In an emergency, call 999. If it’s not an emergency, call 101.
Being a good neighbour: peabody.org.uk/good-neighbour
If a chat doesn’t help, get in touch
What ASB is and how to report it info.peabody.org.uk/safe-community
Listen to our podcast info.peabody.org.uk/asb-podcast
Report anonymously via Crimestoppers crimestoppers-uk.org
If you’re worried about your own wellbeing or someone else’s, you can also contact Samaritans for free, confidential support.
Looking out for yourself and others
If you’re experiencing domestic abuse or something doesn’t feel right at home, it can be hard to know what to do or who to talk to.
Events like the World Cup can bring people together, but we know reports of domestic abuse can increase during this time. Support is here if you need it.
If you’re worried about your own situation or someone else’s, you can get help.
Contact the National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247. It’s free, confidential and available 24 hours a day.
Find more Safe Places safeplaces.org.uk Get support
info.peabody.org.uk/abuse-support
How we're doing
Tenant Satisfaction Measures
We’re committed to providing quality homes and services and listening and acting on your feedback. Our Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSMs) help us understand what’s working well and where we need to improve.
The latest measures:
67%
feel your home is safe 64% feel happy with the repairs service feel your home is well maintained feel kept informed 63% 65% feel listened to 47% are satisfied with how complaints are handled 24%
What do the results tell us?
We’ve made progress, but there’s still more to do. We’re acting on your feedback to improve homes, services and communication.
What we're doing to improve
Taking care of your home
We’re strengthening local repairs services by hiring more colleagues and improving how we manage contractors working in your home. Digital tools like My Peabody help us track appointments and sort repairs more quickly.
Keeping you safe
We’ve continued fire safety works and improved safety checks across our buildings, including fixing fire risks and carrying out electrical checks.
Clearer Service Standards
We worked with residents to introduce new Service Standards, setting out what you can expect from us.
Managing complaints better
We’ve improved how we handle complaints, focusing on resolving issues faster and learning from feedback.
Better communication
Our colleagues are completing better writing training, so our letters and updates are clearer and easier to understand.
Listening and acting on your feedback
More residents are shaping our services through panels, forums and local groups. This helps make sure resident feedback leads to action. You can read more about this in our Resident Engagement Strategy: info.peabody.org.uk/residentengagement-strategy
Supporting homeowners
We’ve reviewed service charges, management fees and billing processes to make things clearer and easier for homeowners.
Investing in homes and neighbourhoods
We’re continuing to improve homes with upgrades to kitchens, boilers and windows, while building new homes and working with residents and partners to improve neighbourhoods.
Better systems and support
We’re improving our technology and systems to make it easier for you to contact us and get support, including through Live Chat.
Our latest inspection result: what it means for you Service Standards
Safe
homes, reliable services and listening to residents are all part of
what you should expect from us.
The Regulator of Social Housing recently inspected us to look at how well we’re delivering these services. We received the following ratings, where 1 is the highest and 4 the lowest:
• G1 for Governance
• V2 for Viability
• C2 for Consumer Standards
Our G1 and V2 ratings are unchanged, meaning we’re well run and financially stable. The C2 rating is the first time we’ve been assessed for the new consumer standards and shows we need to improve some services.
The regulator highlighted areas where we need to do better:
• Completing repairs on time and getting them right first time
• Responding faster to damp and mould
• Improving how we handle complaints
• Using feedback and data to improve services We’ve already made changes, including new Service Standards, improving repairs and how we handle complaints and feedback.
We know there’s more to do. Our focus is on more reliable services, faster repairs and clearer communication. We’ll keep you updated on our progress.
Our Service Standards explain what you can expect from us and help make our services more consistent.
You’ve told us you want faster replies and clearer updates. Since October, we’ve resolved over 117,000 queries on the same day and 66% of queries received a response within five working days.
If we’re not able to fix something straight away, we’ll get back to you within five working days. We’ll explain what’s happening and what happens next, so you’re not left chasing updates.
Our three-year plan – what it means for you
Last year, we launched our threeyear plan based on what you told us matters most.
You asked for better repairs, clearer communication, well-kept neighbourhoods and an easier way to raise issues.
A big focus is listening to your concerns and acting quickly.
What we’re focusing on:
• Faster repairs that work first time, with clearer updates
• Better communication and clearer Service Standards
• Improving how we deal with complaints and using feedback to fix issues sooner
• More local teams out in your neighbourhoods
• Making service charges clearer for homeowners We’ll keep listening and acting on what you tell us.
A note from your Resident-Led Panel
We’re your Resident-Led Panel (RLP), here to fully represent you and make sure your voices are heard at Peabody
We’re sharing regular updates in Home magazine about what we’re working on and how your homes are managed and, more importantly, cared for by Peabody.
To begin, we wanted to let you know about some of the things we’ve already achieved and what we’re working on at the moment.
You may know we’ve been recruiting new members to join the panel. Applications are in and following interviews we’ll let you know who the new members are in the next edition of Home.
We’ve formed a Scrutiny Bank to review issues raised by residents and look at how Peabody responds to fix those problems and ensure they don’t happen again.
Using your feedback, we’ve now started our third scrutiny project, focusing on repairs, one of the biggest priorities raised by residents. We’re mapping out the full repairs journey and speaking with teams across repairs, the Contact Centre and neighbourhoods to understand how everything works behind the scenes. We’ll also be looking at how resident feedback is listened to and acted on, helping inform our recommendations for what should happen next.
One project we’re very proud of is working with the North West London Repairs team to set up a Repairs Hub in North Kensington on the Portobello Road. We hope this makes it easier for residents to report repairs and get support locally, with similar hubs introduced in more areas in the future.
Lastly, but certainly not least, we’d love your suggestions on how we can encourage younger residents and teenagers to make their voices heard. Please send your thoughts to get.involved@peabody.org.uk .
Look out for regular updates.
The RLP
Denise (right), RLP member
Ingrid (right), RLP member
North Counties Regional Forum:
What you’ve told us and what’s happening next
Your North Counties Regional Forum gives you a say on services in your area. It’s your chance to share your views, hear updates and help improve things where you live.
At the latest meeting, you discussed how services are working and where things need to improve.
Repairs and service experience
You shared your experiences of repairs and day-today services, including how this is different depending on where you live.
We’re using your feedback to understand what’s working well and where things need to improve. We’ll also invite colleagues from repairs to future forums to share what they’re learning and how services can improve.
Making it easier to get involved
You told us that traditional drop-in sessions don't always work for everyone. Some are too far from home or held during the day, when many people can’t make it.
Based on your feedback, we've started:
• Evening drop-in sessions
• Appointment-based drop-ins, so you have a set time to speak to colleagues
• Online options, so you can choose how to get involved
We’ll use your feedback to understand what works best.
What happens next
We’ve developed an action plan based on what you told us. We’ll share progress at every forum meeting, so you can see what’s changing.
Over the coming months, we’ll focus on damp and mould, managing complaints, communication and making it easier for you to have your say.
The next North Counties Regional Forum meeting will take place this summer. Find out more info.peabody.org.uk/regional-forums
How we're working with you to improve services
Our Resident Engagement Strategy sets out how, over the next three years, we'll keep listening and acting on what matters to you.
Read the strategy
info.peabody.org.uk/ resident-engagement-strategy
Get involved
info.peabody.org.uk/involvement
Summer in your neighbourhood
Over the summer, your outside spaces will be kept tidy and looking their best by our Estate Services team.
You’ll see the team cutting grass and trimming hedges and shrubs to keep pathways and parking areas clear. We’re careful to protect any nesting birds and plants in flower, so some of this work is done later in the year.
Summer jobs also include keeping beds and surfaces weeded, by spraying or hand weeding.
By looking after gardens, lawns and communal areas throughout the season, everyone can enjoy greener, tidier neighbourhoods over the summer months.
Want to feel healthier but don’t know where to start?
Choose You is a free service that helps you build healthy habits.
If you live or work in Bedford, Central Bedfordshire or Milton Keynes, we’re here to support youwhether it’s quitting smoking, losing weight or feeling healthier. Get expert support that fits your life, from one-to-one guidance and group sessions to self-help tools. Whether you want to keep up with your grandchildren or kids, walk the dog without losing breath or stop smoking we’re here to help.
You can easily refer yourself – no need to go through a GP. chooseyou.co.uk
The service is in partnership with Peabody and other local housing associations.
• Community cafe with hot and cold snacks, lunches and drinks. Gluten free available. Booking advised to ensure we have space and your choice from our menu
- or just pop in for a warm welcome and a chat!
Pop in to pick up a timetable or find details on our website.
Get in touch
Pop in and see us or get in touch to check prices, availability or arrange a visit.
rhiannon.doward@peabody.org.uk
0300 123 3456
info.peabody.org.uk/sandringham
Hire the centre
We have a large and bright main hall for up to 60 people and meeting room for up to 30 people. Facilities include:
• WiFi
• Disabled access
• On street parking
• Toilets with baby changing
• Large, equipped kitchen
Open 9am to 9pm
Office space
We also have offices to rent for one to three people or hot desks with use of a postal address. The rooms are furnished with secure access.
Neighbourhood news
The Purfleet Hub: get involved this summer
There’s lots happening at The Purfleet Hub in Thurrock over the summer holidays. Come along and get involved in:
• Community Womble litter picks – with a free cooked lunch for everyone who takes part
• Community garden days – planting, growing and tidying shared spaces
• Wildlife garden project – creating a naturefriendly space
• Armchair yoga taster session – a gentle introduction for all abilities
• Community family fun day
Details correct at time of print, please check before coming along.
The Purfleet Hub
32 River Court, Centurion Way, Purfleet-on-Thames, Essex RM19 1ZY
Get in touch
sharon.barbour@peabody.org.uk
Free sports and games this August at Thorn
Game on this summer.
Come down to Thorn Park for four weeks of free sports and games for young people aged 11 to 18.
Expect fun, fresh air and loads to get involved in.
No need to book, just turn up with friends or come along on your own.
Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays in August, from Tuesday 4 August to Thursday 27 August
2pm to 6pm
Thorn Park (basketball court), West Highland Drive, Houghton Regis LU5 6RR
Look out for the purple flags.
Delivered with Sporting Inspirations and Houghton Regis Town Council
Looking for something fun to stay active?
Find activities across Bedfordshire with Activity Finder. Whether you’re into sports, yoga, arts and crafts, martial arts or want to try something new, there’s plenty to explore.
Discover free and low-cost activities near you: beactivebeds.co.uk/activity-finder
Cambridge monthly resident drop-in sessions
Come and speak with the local neighbourhood team on the last Monday of every month, 10am to 2pm.
Cambridge Office, 89 King Street, Cambridge CB1 1LD
No appointment needed, just come along with any issues or questions.
Community grants available in Houghton Regis
Got an idea to bring people together? Grants of £200 to £1,000 are available to help bring your ideas to life. Whether it’s starting a new activity, running an event or trying something new that brings people together.
Need inspiration? The grants have helped:
• Houghton Regis Helpers host a Christmas dinner
• A local friendship group celebrate their anniversary
• Provide equipment and refreshments for community litter picks
In partnership with Houghton Regis Community Development Charity (HRCDC), the Houghton Regis –Better Together Small Grant Scheme offers funding to support local projects.
“Even a small amount of funding can unlock creativity and connection in our community.”
– Tim Haines, HRCDC Director
Interested? Find out more or apply: grants@hrcdc.org.uk
Drones helping cut energy bills in Potters Bar
Residents in Potters Bar are the first to try a new way of checking how well their homes keep in heat, using drones.
Thermal cameras and AI are helping spot where heat is escaping, without needing to go inside homes.
Better insulation means warmer homes and lower bills. Early results are promising, with potential savings of around £325 a year. With solar panels, this could rise to around £520.
The drones quietly captured before-and-after images, with one resident describing the process as “innovative and unobtrusive”.
As well as saving money, the improvements could cut carbon emissions by around 1.3 tonnes per home each year.
The project is being delivered with Kestrix and United Infrastructure. This approach could help us make improvements faster and with less disruption, so your home is warmer, greener and cheaper to run.
