Salix Homes Newsletter
August 2025
Welcome to the August 2025 edition of our customer newsletter, aiming to keep you updated with the latest news from Salix Homes.
In this edition:
• Vote for your Springboard Hero
• Stay Safe: Important tips for charging your electrical devices
• Coming soon: 2025 Neighbourhood Action Plans
• Reminder: Keep your home safe: Open the Door for safety checks
• Keeping your home cool
• Summer fun in Salford!
• Reminder: Tell us what you think
• Reminder: Winter Fuel Payment updates
• Reminder: Warm Homes Discount updates – act by 24 August 2025
Vote for your Springboard Hero
The finalists for our Springboard Heroes Awards 2025 have been revealed!
Every year, we award grants to inspiring groups and projects across Salford as part of our Springboard community funding programme.
From dance troupes, sports clubs and gardening groups, Springboard provides much-needed cash injections to projects that boost community spirit, promote health and wellbeing, reduce isolation and improve the environment.
Now, three fantastic projects have been selected as the Springboard Heroes finalists for 2025, and it’s over to you and the Salford community to vote for your winner.
The winning project will receive an extra £1,000 cash boost, but all the nominees deserve recognition for the incredible difference they’re making in communities. From tackling isolation and promoting wellbeing, to building stronger communities, each finalist truly represents the spirit of Salford.
To meet the nominees and vote for your favourite, click the button below.
Stay Safe: Important tips for charging your electrical devices
Did you know that a phone charger can pose a significant risk to your home and safety? It’s crucial to be aware of how to charge your devices safely to protect yourself and your loved ones.
How to charge your devices safely:
- Only buy electrical appliances and chargers from a reputable source and always check for a British or European safety mark.
- Always charge the device on a flat, stable surface.
- Never cover chargers or charging devices. Do not charge your phone under your pillow.
- Don’t leave devices unsupervised while they are charging. Don’t leave batteries to charge while you are asleep or away from your home.
- Don’t leave devices to charge for too long, switch off the charger and remove from the socket once your device is at full battery.
- Avoid storing, using, or charging batteries at very high or low temperatures.
- Don’t overload plug sockets or adaptors.
- Make sure wires and cable are not tangled together.
- Regularly check for frayed or worn cables and wires. Check to see if the cable is fastened securely to the plug and check the socket for scorch marks.
Reporting a fire safety concern
If you see or uncover an fire safety concern, whether it is something that isn’t working how it should, or an individual acting irresponsibly, please help us by reporting it.
• Poor installation or poor workmanship
• Customers undertaking their own DIY
• A safety feature is damaged or not working as it should
You will find Building Safety letter boxes in the foyer of your building where you can post your safety concern. You can also report it via telephone on 0800 218 2000, email buildingsafety@salixhomes.co.uk, or on our website.
To find out more about fire safety click the button below.
Coming soon: 2025 Neighbourhood Action Plans
We’re excited to let you know that our 2025 Neighbourhood Action Plans are coming soon!
These plans are created to benefit our community, aiming to improve the quality of life and make our neighbourhoods even better places to live.
Keep an eye out for more information!
Reminder: Keep your home safe: Open the Door for safety checks
At Salix Homes, your safety is our priority, so we want you to help us keep your home safe by allowing us to carry out essential safety checks, home visits and repairs. These checks are important and include gas and electrical inspections that are legally required to ensure you and your family are safe in your home.
Over the past year, we’ve invested significant resources in pursuing legal action to obtain warrants for homes where access for these critical safety checks has been denied. This is money that could be better spent on improving our homes and communities.
As a reminder, gas safety inspections are carried out annually for all properties with a gas boiler, fire, or cooker, and electrical inspections are conducted every five years. Throughout 24/25, we spent £146k on legal costs to obtain access warrants for residential gas servicing. Generally, a gas check takes about an hour, while an electrical check may take up to four hours.
We also carry out regular home check-ins, which are routine visits to check in with our customers and make sure everything is okay with your home and tenancy.
These visits help us:
• Make sure you’re living safely and comfortably
• Update any contact or household details
• Offer support if you need it, whether it’s with your tenancy, the property or other services
• Spot any repairs or issues early before they become bigger problems.
It’s also a chance for you to ask us questions or raise any concerns you might have.
You’ll receive a letter in advance when it’s time for your home check-in, or gas and electrical inspection so you can easily arrange an appointment that works for you.
If you’d like more information or helpful tips to maintain a safe environment for you and your family, please check out our Home Safety Guide by clicking the button below.
Keeping your home cool
The weather in Salford can be unpredictable. One day it’s sunny and we’re preparing for a BBQ, and the next day it could be raining heavily.
We want you to be prepared for anything this summer brings, so here are some easy and environmentally friendly tips to help keep your home cool and prevent it from getting too hot.
Close your curtains during the day
This helps block out the heat from the sun and keeps rooms cooler.
Add shading to your windows
Use blinds, curtains, or even temporary coverings like aluminium foil to reflect the sun’s rays and stop them heating your home.
Shade the outside walls
Plants, trees, umbrellas, or even an old sheet can create shade. The more you can keep the walls shaded, the cooler your home will stay.
Switch off appliances you’re not using
Kettles, toasters, lights and other electrical items can give off heat, even when you’re not using them. Turn them off at the plug if you can.
Let in cool air when you can
Open windows when it’s cooler outside than inside. If your windows don’t open fully, open them as much as you safely can to improve ventilation.
Staying cool at home doesn’t have to be hard. Simple changes can really help. You can shade your windows and walls, turn off appliances when you don’t need them, and open windows to let in cooler air at the right times. These tips can make your home a lot more comfy when it’s hot outside.
Remember, staying cool in the summer is important for both your comfort and your health.
If you would like more information, you can visit the gov.uk website for a Net Zero resilient world.
Summer fun in Salford!
Are you looking to enjoy summer in Salford? There are lots of activities for kids, including sports camps, wellness programmes, and theatre workshops – something for everyone!
Salford City Council has put together an exciting list of events and activities. From dance and gymnastics to creative play, make sure to check out the full summer guide here.
Salford CVS has also created a guide called “What’s On in Salford?”. The guide includes creative activities, groups for people with disabilities, green activities and more. You can view the guide here.
Don’t forget to visit our own events page to see what we’re up to this summer too! Check it out here.
Let’s enjoy summer in Salford!
Reminder: Tell us what you think
We want to make sure this newsletter is something you want to read. That means sharing the kind of updates, tips, and news that matter to you.
Do you have a minute? It’s been a year since we launched our refreshed newsletter and we’d love to hear what you like, what you don’t, and what you’d like to see more of. Your feedback helps us make the newsletter better for you.
Click the button below to share your thoughts.
Reminder: Winter Fuel Payment updates
The Government’s Winter Fuel Payment will now be granted to everyone over the state pension age in England and Wales, with an income of, or below, £35,000 a year. This should mean that 9 million pension-age households will receive the payment.
You can read the full update on the gov.uk website here, or find out more about your eligibility:
Warm Homes Discount updates – act by 24 August 2025
The Government’s Warm Home Discount is being extended this winter to include all households that get means-tested benefits. This means more than 6 million households will now be eligible. The government says that to qualify, the person who gets the benefit, or their partner or legal representative, must be named on the energy bill by 24 August.
Find out more about the Warm Home Discount:
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