People from the community were also invited, along with special guests including Chevin's Managing Director Amanda Garrard and Unity's Chief Executive Ali Akbor.

The Beverleys features 55 two, three and four bedroom properties, managed by Chevin and Unity, built by Keepmoat in partnership with Leeds CC.

As well as bringing some fantastic new homes to the area, the scheme has also helped to provide much-needed work opportunities, including four apprentice joiners and bricklayers who were recruited by Keepmoat.

The project also safeguarded the jobs of a further 12 apprentices and created progression into employment opportunities for six unemployed local residents.

Amanda Garrard said: "This development has not only been able to regenerate this part of Beeston, but has also been a real boost to the people of the area.

"We hope the new residents are very happy in their new homes and the area continues to thrive with the new investment."

Councillor Richard Lewis, Executive Member for Development and the Economy, who also attended the event, said: "It is great that a new set of family homes are helping to regenerate the area by bringing in employment opportunities and that local people are benefiting from this."

Grant funding of £2.2m was awarded by the Homes and Communities Agency towards the project, following a successful joint bid by Chevin and Unity, with 28 of the homes for social rent and the remaining 27 available for shared ownership.

The Together CeeVee Project has been set up by South Kirkby Community Assocation (SKCA) and Chevin Housing Association Ltd.

Peter Buttree, SKCA Chairman, said: "We thought everybody would be making video CVs, but when we researched it we found out nobody was.

"It's a simple idea and simple ideas are often the best.

"Job seekers are asked five questions they need to answer on a video, which can be filmed on their mobile phone.

"They'll send the recorded CV to us to edit and we'll upload to private sections of social media sites where employers will be able to view them and contact the job seekers."

Amanda Garrard, Managing Director of Chevin Housing Association Ltd, said: "Employment and training opportunities are at a premium in this financial climate.  This is an excellent opportunity for people who could be excluded from certain opportunities to get the chance to sell themselves to a potential employer at the click of a button". 

Photographed left to right: Shabana Yousaf – WDH, Glenn Burton – Chevin HA, Josh Faulkner – South Kirkby Community Association, Tim Copsey – MPTYE, Peter Buttree – South Kirkby Community Association.  

This report addresses the economic arguments the Government has for implementing the bedroom tax. They have based the report on the Government's own data, casting serious doubts on the Government's claims that the bedroom tax will solve overcrowding or necessarily save the taxpayer money.

Click here to view the report.

The 109-year-old Sheffield man was presented with a specially engraved silver fob watch by Tom Miskell, Chief Executive of the Together Housing Group, David Green, chair of the Chevin Board and Housing Officer Carol Laksevics.

During his long and colourful life, Mr Tarrant has served in the RAF, worked in the steel industry and spent 30 years in insurance.

Now Ralph, two children, seven grand-children, 11 great-grand children and three great, great grand-children, has become something of a celebrity.

All the major news networks have featured him, as have the local and national papers. And even the University of Boston has taken DNA samples to try and discover the secrets of his longevity.

But Ralph, who met his wife Phyllis in 1922 and married her 11 years later, the day after his 30th birthday, is also a record-breaker in another sense.

He and Phyllis were Britain's longest married couple at 78 years before Phyllis passed away in 2011 aged 102.

And his secret to a long life? Simple – enjoy yourself!

Ralph said: "I smoked until I was 70 years old and I still enjoy a drink. I still do my shopping and I still get about. I'm a bit deaf but I'm certainly not daft.

"Phyllis and I gave each other hell whenever we get the chance. I think that's why we were married for such a long time. We were great friends.

"I enjoy cooking and I'm still in good health. I had a bit of a rough time over Christmas but that's all behind me now and I'm looking forward to my 110th birthday."

Photographed: Ralph with his celebratory fob watch.

The contract was signed at the county council's headquarters, County Hall in Matlock, and marks the start of the official partnership between the county council and Chevin Housing Association, a not-for-profit housing association which is a member of the Together Housing Group.

Under the terms of the contract, Chevin Housing Association could build up to 600 extra care apartments in various locations in the county over the next five to seven years, with the first three schemes being finished in early 2015.

Extra care schemes are designed specifically to suit the needs of older people with modern, purpose-built apartments and shared communal facilities, usually including community rooms and a café or restaurant.

There will also be care and support services within the schemes which will enable older people to remain living independently in their own home, even as their care needs change.

Some of the schemes will also offer day care facilities.

Derbyshire County Council Cabinet Member for Adult Care Councillor Charles Jones attended the official signing along with representatives from Chevin Housing Association and the Together Housing Group.

The housing association has already successfully applied for planning permission for the first three extra care developments included under the contract.

These developments are:

Foolow Court in Foolow Avenue, Chesterfield – plans for 55 extra care apartments and communal facilities – planning permission granted and work due to start on site in January 2013Clay Cross on the former school site in Market Street – plans for 90 extra care apartments and day care facilities – planning permission granted and work scheduled to start in Feb 2013Cressy Fields site, Cressy Road, Alfreton – plans for 52 extra care apartments and communal facilities – planning permission granted and work scheduled to start in April 2013.

The county council and Chevin Housing Association are already exploring possible sites for the next phase of development, which could see a further 400 extra care apartments being built under the partnership.

The 600 extra care apartments covered by the contract signing are a key part of the county council's wider plans to develop at least 1,600 extra care apartments with on-site care in 27 locations across Derbyshire, mostly available within five miles of where people live.

The council's plans also include two new community care centres offering specialist dementia care, in Heanor on the Florence Shipley Home for Older People site and Darley Dale, near Matlock, adjacent to the Whitworth Hospital.

Derbyshire County Council Cabinet Member for Adult Care Councillor Charles Jones said: "We have been working closely with Chevin Housing Association for months on the first three developments and it is excellent news that we have now officially signed this legal contract with them.

"We look forward to working with Chevin Housing Association on the three current developments and subsequent extra care schemes in the future."

Together Housing Group's New Initiatives Director Paul Hayes said: "We are delighted that we have now signed the contract with Derbyshire County Council to build three more extra care housing schemes, since working closely together following our appointment as the preferred bidder earlier this year.

"The expansion of extra care housing in Derbyshire means that older people will have more choice locally to remain living independently in their homes, with care and support close to hand, and a chance to enjoy life with the extra care facilities that extra care housing offers."

In more detail extra care schemes give people:

the opportunity to continue living independently in their own home, with their own front door, even as needs change

the opportunity to stay together as a couplethe security of 24/7 services on site to meet care and support needs, tailored to suit each person or couple the chance to `personalise' support for day-to-day living, including help with things like laundry, shopping and cleaningcommunal areas like activity rooms, residents lounges and patios or gardens to meet and socialise with other residentssocial and leisure events and community facilities which could include a restaurant, a hairdressing salon and social roomsthe confidence, peace of mind, control, dignity and choice to have a good quality of life as part of the local community.

Photographed above – Sealing the Future: Together Housing Group's New Initiatives Director Paul Hayes and Derbyshire County Council Strategic Director for Adult Care Bill Robertson look on as Chair of the board for Chevin Housing Association David Green signs the contract with Derbyshire County Council Cabinet Member for Adult Care Councillor Charles Jones.

CHEVIN Housing Association has helped three apprentices lay the foundation for their future careers.

Anthony Fletcher and Brett Barlow have been given carpentry and joinery apprenticeships, while Rebecca Parry has secured a business administration apprenticeship thanks to a unique house improvement project developed by the association and £7,000 of funding supplied by the Coalfield Regeneration Trust. 

The project involves working on properties that are due to be sold on the open market but need some repairs and improvements before sale. 

The construction apprentices work with a site supervisor to carry out all the improvements including fitting kitchens, tiling, plastering, painting and decorating, and landscaping works. 

Once the construction side of the project is complete, Rebecca who is undertaking her apprenticeship for Chevin's Rosa Homes sales and marketing team will help to co-ordinate the marketing and selling of the properties.

Christine Eccles, Sales and Marketing Coordinator, from Rosa Homes said: "This exciting project means that our apprentices see the transformation of an empty home through from start to finish.

"We have been impressed by the commitment and dedication that has been demonstrated and the high level of results that have been achieved so far. It is a real pleasure to work with these young people and to help them develop their skills."

Picture caption: Laying the foundations: Apprentices Brett Barlow, Rebecca Parry and Anthony Fletcher, Mentor/Site Supervisor Mick Whittaker

The 35,000-home Group, consisting of six partners from across Lancashire and Yorkshire, issued the bond in the capital markets on Thursday.

The issue was received with great enthusiasm by potential investors, and within one hour of opening, the order book stood at over £1billion.

Based on a first day issue of £200 million, this meant the bond was five times oversubscribed. The coupon rate of 4.5% is significantly better than other recent bond issues in the social housing sector, and is testament to the financial strength of the Group.

The Group issued the bond on the back of a highly prized AA3 rating by the ratings agency Moody's, a proof that the business has laid down some very secure foundations in its short existence.

Victor Flynn, Group Director of Corporate Funding, said: "The bond issue will provide us with funding to build new homes, to take advantage of new opportunities, and to grow and develop our business in many new and exciting ways.

"Within an hour of the launch, we had over £1billion on the order book, and that helped us tighten the margins, and showed the confidence our investors have in an organisation that is still less than two years old.

"It shows we're making a huge mark in the social housing sector, and the Together Bond will stand us in good stead for the future."

You can get together with neighbours and start your own community growing project OR maybe you'd rather go it alone, with a raised bed or single planter.

The choice is yours, and there is no charge!

We'll also give you a selection of seeds & plants to get you growing next year…

Click here to find out more and how to get started

The scheme is for 52 two-bedroom modern extra care apartments designed specifically to suit the needs of older people, together with communal facilities, on the Cressy Fields site in Cressy Road.

The facilities will include a lounge/dining area and café/restaurant along with communal meeting space, therapy rooms and a hair salon.

The aim of the design has been to make the building as energy-efficient as possible with high quality facilities that will be modern, safe and homely for residents and welcoming to the local community.

The Cressy Fields development is one of three extra care schemes that Derbyshire County Council is developing in partnership with Chevin Housing Association Ltd, a not-for-profit housing association which is a member of the Together Housing Group.

An open day was held earlier this year to show the plans for the site to local residents and following their feedback changes were made to the design.

The plans were then submitted to Amber Valley Borough Council and its planning committee granted permission for the scheme on Monday 19 Nov 2012.

The two other extra care schemes currently being developed by the county council and ChevinHousing Association are:

Foolow Court in Foolow Avenue, Chesterfield – plans for 55 extra care apartments and communal facilities – planning permission granted and work due to start on site before the end of 2012Clay Cross on the former school site in Market Street – plans for 90 extra care apartments and day service facilities – planning permission granted and work scheduled to start in Feb 2013.

For all three schemes Chevin Housing Association will build, maintain and operate the developments and the county council will provide on-site 24/7 care.

The three developments form part of the county council's plans for a £200 million investment to transform residential and community care services across Derbyshire.

The ambitious plans are Derbyshire's biggest investment in support and care in specialist housing, with the target of at least 1,600 extra care apartments, as well as day care and specialist residential services for older people across the county over the next five to seven years.

Derbyshire County Council Cabinet Member for Adult Care Councillor Charles Jones said: "We want older people to have choices, have their independence and their own front door and be able to stay living together as a couple – that's why we're investing in extra care.

"It is excellent news that our third scheme in partnership with Chevin Housing Association has been given the go-ahead by planners and we look forward to work starting on the scheme in the near future."

Together Housing Group's Head of Supported Housing Sue Lewis said: "We are delighted to get planning permission for the third scheme at Cressy Fields and to be working in partnership with Derbyshire County Council to deliver all three extra care schemes, providing nearly 200 two-bedroom apartments.

"The expansion of extra care housing really does offer an invaluable choice for older people to remain independent and enjoy life in Derbyshire."

Pictured above: Artists impression.

On November 15th, 41 new police and crime commissioners will be elected across the country to give you a say when it comes to cutting crime in your area.

What will my police and crime commissioner do?
This is a new role and the job of the PCC will ensure then police focus on the crimes that matter to you most, whether it's tackling anti-social behaviour, reducing burglaries, domestic violence, or cracking down on drug dealing.

They'll set the police and community safety budgets, deciding where the money is best spent. They'll also hold your police force to account for delivering the kind of policing you want to see.

Your PCC will work with local partners such as us, your social landlord,, councils, health. And drug and alcohol organisations to not only fight crime and anti-social behaviour, but to prevent it.

They'll also consult with the victims of crime, ensuring that those affected by crime have a role in determining what the police should focus on, and how.

And by voting in your local PCC, you'll have your say on the key decisions that will impact your local area.

What do I need to do?

Before the election, go to http://www.choosemypcc.org.uk to find out who is standing for election in your area.

Or, you can call 0800 1 070708 to order a free booklet.

Then it's up to you to decide who you local PCC will be.

You can watch the TV advert online version – http://www.youtube.com/user/ukhomeoffice

Information about police and crime commissioners is available on the Home Office website.