Shadow Housing Minister, Ruth Cadbury visits Heywood

Ruth Cadbury MP at the Groundwork Homes Programme in Heywood

Ruth Cadbury MP, the Shadow Housing Minister, visited the Homes Programme in Heywood as part of a wider visit to the North West for discussions with local members on housing strategy.

Groundwork’s Homes Team, led my Anthony McLean, works with local unemployed people, providing them with the skills and experience to progress into employment. The team work on empty properties, refurbishing them into affordable homes available to rent for those most at need.

Ruth Cadbury said: “I was really impressed with the work that colleagues in Rochdale Council are doing to bring empty homes back into use, despite the current reduction in funding for regeneration schemes that the borough so desperately needs.

“Councillor Farnell and his colleagues at Rochdale Council should be proud of what they are achieving, and it's not just about bricks and mortar, but with Groundwork Trust, enabling unemployed youngsters to gain constructions skills to ensure they are never out of work.”

The housing refurbishment programme sees old, empty homes brought back into use through work carried out by unemployed trainees from the local community.

Trainees receive training, mentoring, a qualification, work experience and support with their CVs.

Completed refurbished homes are leased through the affordable housing scheme in Rochdale.

The progression rate in to paid and sustained employment within the construction trade from this programme is very high.

Vicki Devonport, Executive Director at Groundwork, said: “We were delighted to have the opportunity to showcase our housing refurbishment programme.

"It was good for the trainees on the scheme and the Homes Team to meet Ruth Cadbury and talk about the difference this programme is making locally.”

The Housing Refurbishment programme has to date transformed 24 empty homes and supported over 80 long-term unemployed people from Rochdale.