Tenants win computer in housing trust giveaway (From Watford Observer)
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Tenants win computer in Watford Community Housing Trust giveaway
12:30pm Monday 4th February 2013 in News
By Ben Endley, Senior reporter
Tenants win computer in housing trust giveaway
Tenants living in Watford Community Housing Trust homes have won themselves one of 25 refurbished computers for free.
A prize draw, organised by the trust, saw more than 100 residents enter.
The machines were supplied by Eco Computer Systems Ltd, a social enterprise which specialises in recycling computer equipment and gives all its profits back to community projects.
One of the lucky winners, Shah Ata, said: "This was such a good thing for the trust to do, to help us like this.
"I have a computer but it was getting old and in need of replacement, and they are so expensive. I need one for my work so I’m very pleased."
Ruairi McCourt, director of housing and neighbourhood services at the trust, said: "So much of our lives are led online these days, and computer access is becoming increasingly important for many of our tenants.
"You often need the internet to apply for jobs, to get the best deal on utility bills, and pretty soon it will be needed to apply for benefits. It’s great to be able to support our tenants in this way."
Comments(17)
Andrew Turpie
says...
1:24pm Mon 4 Feb 13
Totally agree with your post, As someone who has a mortgage and a pension I have little to no disposable income after everything has gone out at the end of the month
I, like most others in the same boat sometimes wonder is it worth it, but self pride tells me to keep going.....
TRT
says...
2:15pm Mon 4 Feb 13
Andrew Turpie
says...
2:24pm Mon 4 Feb 13
TRT wrote:Where in the world?
I won a computer at PC world a while ago, but it wasn't free, it cost me £499!
TRT
says...
2:26pm Mon 4 Feb 13
Andrew Turpie wrote:It was a fatuous comment to point out the use of the words 'Won' and 'Free' in this article.
TRT wrote:Where in the world?
I won a computer at PC world a while ago, but it wasn't free, it cost me £499!
garston tony
says...
3:06pm Mon 4 Feb 13
There are plenty of competitions out there to win computers, if you're that bothered entered them.
Of course people who rent privately or own their own homes arent necessarily well off or vice versa but there's no need to knock this, no need at all.
TRT
says...
3:16pm Mon 4 Feb 13
Andrew Turpie
says...
3:26pm Mon 4 Feb 13
garston tony wrote:Your talking to a bloke who has had premium bonds since 1973 and not won a bean.
This was a competition that didn’t cost you or the tax payer any money, why the need to gripe about it?
There are plenty of competitions out there to win computers, if you're that bothered entered them.
Of course people who rent privately or own their own homes arent necessarily well off or vice versa but there's no need to knock this, no need at all.
As you say, you have to be in it to win it, but with my luck, I couldn't score in a brothel.
Roy Stockdill
says...
3:36pm Mon 4 Feb 13
A pensioner living alone may be technically property-rich if he owns his own home but cash-poor if the state pension is all he has and can't afford a computer. I would take a bet that a family living in social housing and paying rent, in which several of the family are working, can probably afford a computer for the husband and wife and video games for all the kids!
Couldn't this firm who apparently have a social conscience have found a more deserving cause to give 25 computers to, like an old people's home or a children's home, for instance?
Roy Stockdill
says...
3:38pm Mon 4 Feb 13
I used to feel the same way whenever I went into a betting shop. That's why I gave it up!
Su Murray
says...
10:33pm Mon 4 Feb 13
Roy Stockdill wrote:Roy,
Andrew, TRT and I were simply making the point that it is lop-sided left-wing thinking to assume that tenants of social housing need helping and private home owners don't.
A pensioner living alone may be technically property-rich if he owns his own home but cash-poor if the state pension is all he has and can't afford a computer. I would take a bet that a family living in social housing and paying rent, in which several of the family are working, can probably afford a computer for the husband and wife and video games for all the kids!
Couldn't this firm who apparently have a social conscience have found a more deserving cause to give 25 computers to, like an old people's home or a children's home, for instance?
You complain about 'lop-sided left-wing thinking' yet I'd suggest it's your own assumptions that are showing here. Nowhere in the article does it say all 25 computers went to housing trust tenants. In fact, it says;
"Tenants living in Watford Community Housing Trust homes have won themselves one of 25 refurbished computers for free" which suggests the other 24 computers went elsewhere. Possibly other housing trusts, possibly other schemes - the article doesn't elaborate. But clearly, not the 1 in 4 chance of winning you suggest.
Perhaps you could take a look at the website for Eco Computer Systems Ltd. A quick glance suggests they do more than give the occasional computer to a social housing tenant.
e.g here's a few lines about their stated social aims;
Social Aims
As a social enterprise, we donate 100% of our profits back into the community. We support various community projects, such as IT training and elderly clubs, and in May 2011, we took over the management of 3 Lewisham libraries which were under threat of closure. Please check our Twitter feed for regular updates.
HELPING US, HELPS YOUR COMMUNITY.
Su Murray
says...
10:38pm Mon 4 Feb 13
Roy Stockdill
says...
7:11am Tue 5 Feb 13
I quote the opening paragraph: "Tenants living in Watford Community Housing Trust homes have won themselves one of 25 refurbished computers for free." * Note the use of the plural in the very opening word of the sentence! This suggests to me that either there was more than one tenant winner or that the one computer was for the use of a number of tenants.
Then the fourth paragraph opens with....."One of the lucky winners, Shah Ata, said....." This suggests to me that there was more one than winner who is a tenant of Watford Community Housing Trust.
Confusing, huh?
garston tony
says...
2:00pm Tue 5 Feb 13
Roy, once again your comments are more about promoting your own warped views than they are about any real issue with the matter in hand
Roy Stockdill
says...
2:27pm Tue 5 Feb 13
Any views that happen to disagree with yours are, of course, "warped". This is the typical intolerance of the Left who cannot accept that anyone else but they could possibly be right.
Su Murray
says...
9:07pm Tue 5 Feb 13
Roy Stockdill wrote:I agree the story isn't clear. I'm also at a loss to understand why the author didn't give more information about the company, and the reasoning behind the draw. Surely that's the point of interest? Much as it's good to hear about someone having some good luck, I don't think a local resident winning a prize draw is normally considered a news story.
Well, possibly I misread the story but, as TRT says, it wasn't terribly well phrased. It would have helped if it had explained that only one of the 25 computers went to social housing tenants in Watford and others went to other causes.
I quote the opening paragraph: "Tenants living in Watford Community Housing Trust homes have won themselves one of 25 refurbished computers for free." * Note the use of the plural in the very opening word of the sentence! This suggests to me that either there was more than one tenant winner or that the one computer was for the use of a number of tenants.
Then the fourth paragraph opens with....."One of the lucky winners, Shah Ata, said....." This suggests to me that there was more one than winner who is a tenant of Watford Community Housing Trust.
Confusing, huh?
garston tony
says...
11:44am Wed 6 Feb 13
Roy Stockdill says...
1:09pm Mon 4 Feb 13
Wish someone would give me the chance to win a free computer. Mine needs updating as well but I expect I'll have to pay for it myself.
If there were 25 computers going begging and around 100 tenants entered, that's a 1 in 4 chance of winning - not at all bad odds. I wonder if this firm with a social conscience knows there are many, many thousands of people in privately-owned homes who couldn't afford a computer?
The assumption seems to be that if you own your own home you must be well-off, but if you're in social housing you're poor. Load of rubbish!