News

Cleveland Tower residents have the opportunity to give us their views on our services on Tuesday from 4pm to 6pm.

Join us at the launch event being held this Thursday from 7.30pm for your opportunity to see the portraits on show for the first time to the public.

They'll be a range of stalls featuring advice services available to residents, green activities and the Big Brother tent, where you can share with us your thoughts on local offers.

The September edition of our  newsletter for residents is being distributed from this weekend to all our customers, but you can read it first online in our publications section.

You can drop into the church centre on Great Colmore St between 10am and 1pm to meet with Margaret, the Money Advisor, Natalie from the credit union or Gerardine who provides support for families.

Meet her outside the entrance to Lansdown House. This is your opportunity to have say in the running of your neighbourhood.

It is an opportunity to elect a committee to represent the residents of Cleveland Tower throughout the next year and to share any concerns, ideas and issues relating to the block and its residents.

The event starts at 6.30pm at the BADRA flat, 2 Montreal House

Meet your Housing Officer Rebecca Lancaster at the entrance to Moss House Close.

All are welcome to come along and support their local community centre which is next to Woodview Primary School on Woodview Drive.

Run by Pertemps, get on board for the latest vacancies and support in your hunt for a job.

Optima Community Association is helping to deliver Safe at Home, the national home safety equipment scheme that aims to reduce accidental deaths and injuries among under-fives.

These beautiful homes can be yours from as little as £86,475 for a 50% share.

Join your Housing Officer for an inspection of your estate.

Do you need a loan for school uniforms, a deposit on a flat or a new washing machine?

It is currently being looked after by one of our residents. If it's yours, please get in touch with us.

The scheme is for children aged 8 and over.  Under 8s must be accompanied by an adult.

Optima scooped the Daily Telegraph British Homes Build Quality Award for its latest affordable housing development, Hudsons Drive scheme in south Birmingham.

Joining a credit union makes sense. If you borrow £200 from them, you'll end up paying back £224. Compare that with borrowing from a door step lender where you could end up paying back £400.

You can be the first to catch up with the latest news by reading it online in our publications section.

A role like this could really help you gain confidence, skills and work experience. Contact Pushpa of Woodview Community Association on 0121 380 2560.

CT  Home supports local communities by supplying previously owned furniture to families in need at affordable prices. Call 0121 733 2858 or email birmingham@communitytransport.org.

It tells the story of immigration in Birmingham and it's here until Friday August 2nd. Or visit www.birminghamisourhome.org.uk.

The sessions run every Tuesday from 10am to 1pm.  A lift is available from 25 Spring Rd leaving at 9.30am. Call Gary Moore on  0121 380 2560 or ...

Alan Murie, Optima's chair for the last 10 years, has been made a CBE in recognition of his services to the housing sector.

From 22nd June, this popular project will have a new home at ER Mason Youth Centre, Irving Street.

Ever wondered when you’re legally allowed to leave home? Or want to know if you can go to see a doctor on your own without them telling your parent/s or guardian/s?

Jess Allan joins Optima as our new Community Involvement Manager.

Spring Street is now closed and will will re-open at the beginning of July.

We're looking to get a group of Attwood Green residents together to gather views on the content and style of a new publication. Our designer will go away and turn your comments into a design.

We'll be closed on Bank Holiday Monday 31st May and Tuesday 1st June. For emergency repairs or cleaning outside office hours, on bank holidays and at weekends call 0845 6011 869. Calls to this service are recorded.

Coroner's warning: Never disconnect you smoke detector. It could cost you your life.

During the course of the 2011 Census over 600 part-time opportunities will be created in Birmingham.

West Midlands Police today issued the following tips to elderly and vulnerable people as well as family, neighbours and friends to combat distraction burglars...

If you are a lone parent or aged 18 to 24 years old and have been unemployed for three months or more, there is a really different training opportunity available.

It's your opportunity to tell us about any concerns you have with your neighbourhood.

You can now call West Midlands Police for FREE for non-emergency enquiries on 0345 113 5000. Please use 999 for all emergencies.

Optima, in partnership with Pertemps, are holding a jobs fair from 10am to 2pm.

Residents at Cleveland Tower held a special election meeting  which was attended by candidates and representatives from parties standing in the local area.

Optima's newest housing scheme has transformed a former derelict factory site has been officially opened by the Minister for the West Midlands.

Residents, partners and the Regional Minister for the West Midlands helped us to open our new affordable housing scheme in Birmingham.

Our offices will be closed on Good Friday 2nd April, Easter Monday 5th April and Tuesday 4th April.

 In 2009 hundreds of millions of people around the world showed their support for sustainability by turning off their lights for one hour.  Earth Hour 2010 is happening this Saturday 27th March at 8:30pm.

On Tuesday 16th March, furniture was thrown from an upper floor flat balcony in Cleveland Tower landing within metres of the front entrance of the building.

Candidates and campaigners from four parties standing in the constituency will be addressing local issues as they meet with tenants and residents of Cleveland and Clydesdale Towers in Birmingham city centre.

We’re celebrating Fairtrade Fortnight and we’d like you to join us. Pop in during lunchtime and sample some Fairtrade products and hear from a Fairtrade expert.

Do More online. Find out more about the See My Data, a free service for Optima residents, coming soon.

Axis is recruiting for a Full Time Resident Liaison Officer (RLO) based from their Birmingham Office.

2010 is going to be a ‘Green’ year for Optima and the start of lots of exciting Environmental initiatives.

Dance the day away in Victoria Square on February 27 as part of this year’s Fairtrade Fortnight 2010 (February 22–March 7).

Residents are being urged to swap their normal purchases for Fairtrade items to support small farmers abroad and combat poverty.

Can you attend a meeting one day a month between March and June – if the answer is yes then read on!

A resident at Clydesdale Tower asked us to look at installing a clothes recycling unit at the block. And we have.

For emergency repairs or cleaning druing this time please call 0845 6011 869

Yesterday’s meeting to discuss the allotment idea went well with a group of eight residents willing to take it forward but in the form of a community garden.

Thousands of nominations were submitted after three weeks of public nominations.

Meeting at St Luke’s Church, Wednesday 10^th February at 1.30pm.

Students from St Alban’s Academy in Highgate got a taste of working life during a two week placement at Optima in January.

We have two residents on the Say Optima! editorial panel and would welcome more to join, particularly if you're keen to report on what's going on in your neighbourhood.

For more information, please visit our careers pages. The closing date for all applications is 23rd February

There will also be support and advice services available, offering free careers advice, information on starting a business, debt management and training guidance.

Our flickr page has been updated with photos from the Benmore estate of community events over the past two months.

Homeswapper.co.uk, the UK’s largest home swap service, is now available free of charge to Optima tenants who wish to register for an exchange.

Members of the public are invited to attend the Ladywood Ward Committee on Tuesday 16th February.

We've just produced a new leaflet giving advice to residents about asbestos.

It's being delivered to all households next week. In it you can find out more about the team members and what services are available.

Our open day at Hudsons Drive was hugely popular.

A Leaflet giving simple and straightforward advice on how to prevent a fire in your home is being delivered to all our residents.

Optima is launching the final phase of two and three bedroom apartments at its award winning affordable housing scheme at Hudsons Drive, Cotteridge, Birmingham B30 3EN on Saturday 23rd January 11 am - 3 pm.

 The government has produced a quick guide to show the basic facts.

The January edition of our residents' newsletter is being distributed this weekend to all householders. You can also read it online in our "Publications" section.

The Energy Saving Trust has some great tips to turn your New Year resolutions into green ones. Find out more here http://bit.ly/8VuBPA .

People worried about debt, housing and unemployment can get support from a new NHS helpline launched today.

Boot Christmas shopping crime into touch this month with simple but effective tips from West Midlands Police.

 All are welcome to drop in to St Luke’s for a mince pie and mulled wine today Thursday 17th December between 10am and 12.30pm.

The TRACT Christmas party will be taking place in the community room of Cleveland Tower (ground floor, to the left of concierge desk / reception) at 7pm on Thursday 17th December 2009.

Optima's office will be closed from 12 noon today for staff training. We will open as normal tomorrow Friday 11th December.

 You can now find out through the Tenant Service Authority’s new online tool called Find & Compare Landlords.

This year's calendar and annual report is on its way to all our residents in Attwood Green.

Around 190 people turned out to celebrate the Stars of Attwood Green, those people who have been instrumental in transforming the estates over the last 10 years.

The bad weather we're experiencing this afternoon means that regretfully, we have to cancel tonight's Christmas carol procession.

Visit our channel, OptimaCommunity, to take a walk through the proposals for two new parks.

The event starts at 6.30pm, December 7th, outside Hogarth House on Bell Barn Road.

If you took part in our Faces of Attwood Green photo project, you can pick up your photo at our gala event on December 2nd.

All residents are invited to attend this year’s AGM.

Over 50? Come and listen to the music of the 1950s and if you feel energetic enough, see if you can still do the twist!

Central Lee Bank Residents Association is holding a Christmas fete on Saturday 5th December.

Come and let us know what you think of the draft plans for Woodview Park.

Parents of teenagers causing a nuisance on the Benmore estate have had their tenancies demoted.

Optima Community Association has achieved national recognition for its work to regenerate the Attwood Green estate in central Birmingham and provide help to those hit by the recession.

Residents have given Optima top marks for service, putting it in the top ten per cent of associations in the country for customer satisfaction.

Residents at the Five Ways estate in Attwood Green can now walk through a virtual recreation of the new park planned for their neighbourhood.  

The second phase of the Tenant Services Authority's National Conversation starts on 9 June and will run until 8 September 2009. This is your chance to help the TSA fine-tune the standards it has drawn up for social housing landlords.

Parents from St Thomas Children's Centre worked with the metalwork artist and jewelry designer Rita Patel to create beautiful jewelry and metal sculptures reflecting the themes of family, support networks, parenthood and memory.

Following the Board member elections held earlier this year, Robert Pagett has been elected to the Board and Chris Downes has been re-elected. 

Optima has been running a series of low impact exercise classes for the over 55s where the group take part in chair based activities and play memory based games.

You could win £100 in our free prize draw.

Eight tenants have been nominated to stand for election and later in January, Optima tenants will be receiving a voting slip. This is your chance to decide who represents you on the Board and your vote counts.

Optima is launching a campaign to prevent residents from falling into debt in the run up to Christmas.

Optima Community Association is making it easier for its older residents to eat healthily by launching a low cost grocery service.

Refurbished Optima apartments have been given a night time makeover courtesy of new artwork created by residents.

Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers will be making a guest appearance in Attwood Green on Children in Need day.

Central TV presenter Arti Halai hosted Optima's annual community award ceremony during Community Pride Week in Attwood Green.

Optima Community Association has become one of the first housing associations in the Midlands to successfully bid for monies from the Government’s £200m grant fund to buy unsold stock from developers hit by the slow down in the property market.

Optima Community Association and Birmingham City Council have won a prestigious national award celebrating their work to create a “greener” neighbourhood in central Birmingham.

Optima is encouraging parents living on its Attwood Green estate in Birmingham to find out about the potential risks their children face when they go online.

Optima is launching a campaign to help people with concerns about their finances during the credit crunch.

Optima launches innovative financial product to help those who want to own a home of their own.