by BITMO Chief Executive, Deborah Kelly

We were delighted to be able to announce at the BITMO Annual General Meeting last week that tenants have voted in favour of BITMO continuing to manage the Belle Isle estate for a further five years. As you know tenants are asked every five years whether they support Tenant Management, and this is the fourth time that Belle Isle tenants have overwhelmingly supported continuation.  Being tenant- led means that BITMO tenants continue to benefit from everything that BITMO provides that is unique in Leeds.  There is no other estate in Leeds that has a housing office that is open five days a week, a tenant-run community centre open five days a week and one Saturday a month,  which provides free activities for children in the school holidays, a community café and a whole range of support for people who need it, not to mention our caretaker service. No other estate in Leeds has a dedicated team of caretakers to look after the estate, do minor repairs, and help people out when they need it.

BITMO’s Board is made up of some people who have been involved with BITMO from the beginning, and there are some new members who want to make a difference in the community they live in.  We believe that tenant control leads to better decisions for the people who live here, better services, and a more vibrant community that benefits everyone.

We have lots of challenges ahead but with our tenant-led board, the tenant volunteers and our dedicated staff team, we will continue to deliver our plan built around a safer, stronger, greener Belle Isle. Tenant management is going from strength to strength in meeting the needs of the people who live in Belle Isle. We are all very proud of what we are achieving and delivering on your behalf, and grateful to you for putting your faith in us for a further five years.

We know we have still got a lot of work to do to and over the next three months our staff will be working with the Board and tenant shareholders to develop a renewed vision and plan for the work we do. We want to do more to improve the appearance of the estate, and to help people who are in hardship. We want to continue to help the people who live here to thrive and achieve their goals. We want to increase the voice of Belle Isle tenants in everything that we do.

Tenant management only works because tenants like you get involved. If you would like to be more involved and make a difference the community, we would love to hear from you.  There are so many opportunities to be involved, from volunteering in the GATE or our community garden, or our community orchard, to joining a service improvement workshop, or becoming a board member yourself. If you want to talk about how you can play more of a part in the success story of BITMO we would love to hear from you. Please contact Peter, Jo and Tracey in the BITMO Community Development Team on 07891 270094 or 0113 378 2190 or gate@belleisletmo.co.uk

Click here to read the email sent to Belle Isle tenants in September 2024.

You can listen to BITMO News for Belle Isle Tenants here

You can read the news here.

 Paul Truswell has been a member of the BITMO Board since 2014.  He came to Leeds almost exactly 50 years ago. During that time, he served as a Councillor for 26 years, a Member of Parliament for 13 years and worked as a journalist and social services manager.

Tell us about your background.

You could say that council housing is in my DNA.  I was brought up on a very large Sheffield council estate by low paid parents.  My mum was a laundrette attendant (think of a Yorkshire version of Eastenders’ Dot Cotton).  My dad was a steel foundryman.  They and my brother moved into that newly built council house in 1949 and a Truswell remained a tenant for the next 72 years. 

I cannot imagine what life would have been like for our family without the security of having a decent and affordable roof over our heads. That background has made supporting council housing and tenants one of my greatest political passions.

What are the challenges facing people in this area?

We know people in Belle Isle face huge inequalities in terms of factors like health, housing, income, illness, disability, and education. 

The recent talk about a cost of living crisis ignores the fact that many local people have had to contend with those pressures for years. These have obviously grown much worse in recent times, partly as a result of higher bills for things like fuel and food, but also cuts in Council, police and NHS services.  In partnership with other services BITMO is playing a key role in supporting residents.

How did you get involved with BITMO?

I became a Councillor for Middleton Park Ward in 2012 and a Council nominee to the BITMO Board in 2014.  When I stood down as a Councillor last year I was asked if I would consider being co-opted onto the BITMO Board.  Given my passion for promoting council housing and supporting tenants, I agreed.

What are the benefits of tenant management?

When the Council carries out its tenant satisfaction surveys, BITMO generally comes in the top two or three housing management areas.  That can’t be a coincidence.  Having a team of officers overseen by a Board largely comprised of tenants brings a dimension to managing the estate that doesn’t exist elsewhere.  The highly valued caretaker service is a prime example of how the Board reflects tenants’ priorities.

Board members have a huge responsibility.  Tenant management can only work effectively if there are committed people who are prepared to volunteer, to get to grips with the detail and the issues facing BITMO and its tenants, and to challenge its paid officers constructively where necessary.  In my 10 years on the Board there have been some real stalwarts who have been very effective at doing that. 

What would you say are BITMO’s achievements?

Managing, repairing and improving properties is obviously BITMO’s prime purpose. This includes setting and monitoring budgets, coping with increasing funding pressures, holding contractors to account and dealing with complaints.

But the BITMO Board strives to go well beyond a basic tenant/landlord relationship.  It provides a very wide range of services and activities at the GATE and in the community that support the needs and wellbeing of residents – often in partnership with other public services and third sector organisations.  That includes providing support like affordable meals, training, benefits advice, activities and tutoring for young people, access to computers and digital skills, local environmental and social projects, and enhancing green spaces like the Circus… to list just a few of BITMO’s many tenant-centred initiatives.

What do you see as BITMO’s future if tenants vote to continue with a TMO?

There’s no rocket science involved.  To maintain the trust of tenants BITMO needs to build on its strengths, such as the sort of initiatives listed above.  It equally has to recognise those aspects of its activities that need improving through listening closely to tenants and responding to their needs. As an organisation led by tenants it is well placed to respond to those challenges.

4th July 2024

You can listen to BITMO News for Belle Isle Tenants here:

You can read BITMO News for Belle Isle tenants here.

You can listen to this email by clicking on this link:

You can read the email by clicking here.

by Stephen Oldham, BITMO Income & Tenancy Manager

Did you know that this year has 53 weeks between 1 April 2024 and 6 April 2025?

What does this mean for me ?

Your rent will be charged 53 times between 1 April 2024 and 6 April 2025.

Rent and other service charges are levied weekly and run from Monday to Sunday.

Will it affect how I pay my rent ?

It will depend how you pay your rent.

 If you pay by Direct Debit your payment will be slightly higher to take into account, the extra week. This is done automatically.

 If you claim Universal Credit, you will only receive 52 weeks Housing Element as per DWP regulations. This means that you will have to pay extra to make up for the shortfall.

 If you pay by other methods, please amend the amount you pay to reflect the 53rd week.

What do I need to do ?

 Nothing if you pay by Direct Debit, the amount changes automatically.

• If you claim Universal Credit you will need to pay for the week the DWP do not pay. The extra amount you pay will depend on how much your weekly rent is. This will be between £6 – £10 a month.
For example: for a weekly rent of £82.26, you can pay in monthly instalments of £6.86 (dividing £82.26 by 12 months).

 If you pay by other methods, you will need to increase the amount you pay.

How do I calculate my monthly rent for the 53 week financial year ?

• To calculate the correct monthly figure from 1 April 2024, you will need to multiply the rent by 53 (weeks), and then divide it by 12 (months). For example: for a weekly rent of £85:
£85 × 53 = £4,505. Then £4,505 ÷ 12 = £375.42

If you need more information contact Rent Team on 0113 378 2187 or email us at Rents.Enquiries@belleisletmo.co.uk . Please contact us if you are struggling to pay your rent or other bills. There are also some useful money advice agencies below.

by Jo Wood, BITMO Community Development Co-ordinator

This week is Volunteering Week, it is an opportunity to celebrate and say thank you to the individuals who give their time to a cause that means a great deal to them. Before I joined the Community Development Team I knew little more about volunteering at BITMO beyond my Friday breakfast and toastie. I thought I would share with you some of the ways volunteers support the work of the organisation and our community:

Community Kitchen: Preparing meals for the community, Volunteers prepare a hot meal on Tuesday for the children who attend the tutoring group and the community, toasties every Wednesday, sandwich packs through the school holidays and off course breakfast on a Friday.

School Uniform: This is a developing volunteering opportunity. Volunteers support the Community Development Team to offer free school uniform to the community. This is beneficial in so many ways: helping people to save money as well reusing uniform that is in good condition which otherwise would go to landfill.

Gardening: There is the West Grange Community Garden, Belle Isle Community Orchard, Fruit picking groups, tree watering. Getting out in the fresh air is a great way to improve your emotional and physical health and the joy of planting something, watching it grow and then being able to eat it is amazing.

Retirement Life: Volunteers support the groups that runs out of 26 and 58 Belle Isle Circus and Broom Nook. Bingo, providing breakfast sandwiches and meals, art groups. This can be a vital point of contact for some of our more isolated tenants.

Ancestry: The Ancestry Group continues and meets every Friday at 26 Belle Isle Circus. The group is going strong after many years.

Litter Picking: People give their time to keep their areas free of litter. People often call into the GATE to collect purple bags to use in the disposal of the rubbish they gather.

Repair Café: From sewing fixers to cobblers, from electrical to jewellery fixers. Our army of fixers is growing and diversifying. This is brilliant – it means we can save people money as well as throwing items aeay that are still useful.

Foodbank: The Volunteers at the Friday Foodbank are not BITMO Volunteers but without their vital support people would not have access to food.

There will also be many people who volunteer at other places across Belle Isle as well as across the City.

WE WOULD LIKE TO SAY A HUGE THANK YOU TO ALL VOLUNTEERS WHO GIVE THEIR TIME, ENERGY AND COMMITMENT TO BITMO AND BELLE ISLE. IT IS APPRECIATED.

We are pleased to be able to offer a version of the BITMO monthly email to Belle Isle tenants that you can listen to.

You can read the tenant email here.

Every month BITMO sends an email to tenants with updates about BITMO services and local events. April’s edition covers:

• Stronger, safer, greener Belle Isle
• Getting rid of waste and unwanted items
• Community Development News – repair café, GATE programme
• Who is responsible for fences?
• Help with CVs and job interviews

You can read the April email here.