Greater Manchester & Cheshire

Enabling people to be their best 

Through the Onward Community Fund, we have recently supported four community projects: 

• Healthier Together, a health and wellbeing event delivered by MHIST saw local residents take part in free iterative sessions, from a sound bath and QI Gong to banner making. 

• Handforth Community Fun Day saw 100 residents come together to enjoy arts and crafts, football and children’s entertainment. 

• Climate Change Art, delivered by the Harmony Youth Project delivered art sessions focused on the effects of climate change, with the goal of raising awareness about environmental issues and their impact on young people. 

• The Kidz2Cooks project in Farnworth saw 30 enthusiastic pupils from St James CE Primary School learn how to prepare dishes using common home ingredients, as well as the importance of home food preparation and healthy eating from a young age. 

1st Call are also working with the Athena Partnership in collaboration with eight other housing associations to deliver The Working Well: Support to Succeed project, offering one-to-one coaching for people aged 19 and over that are looking to make a difference in their lives. 

Providing homes our customers love 

In Little Lever, Bolton, we are building 110 new homes on the former site of Creams Mills in partnership with Watson Homes. Affordable Rent homes will be available through Homes for Bolton alongside a mixture of Rent to Buy and Shared Ownership through Onward Living to help local people get onto the property ladder. 

Creating places people are proud of 

As part of our development in Little Leaver, Bolton, a section of the Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal will be restored and over 4,000 new trees will be planted to create woodland areas with walking trails for the local community to enjoy together.   

Customers from The Pewfist neighbourhood in Bolton alongside colleagues from Social Investment and Onward Environmental recently came together with City of Trees at a planting day, which saw native tree species planted to create a more attractive, greener environment for the community to enjoy. 

Enabling people to be their best 

We supported Bury Council’s Adult Learning service with a grant from the Onward Community Fund that will be used to deliver work and skills engagement sessions with adults, connect local people with employment partners and provide a space for training providers to raise awareness of learning opportunities in the area. 

Our partnership work with St Andrews Community Hub in Whitefield has continued, and we’ve worked with Social Prescribing and Live Well Teams alongside Calico to support residents with housing, employment and health needs.  

We’ve also launched a Digital Skills Class in partnership with Bury Adult Learning Services and Trust House Food Pantry. Participants from the local area are learning about how to get online safely and use the My Onward Portal. Participants will also get a free tablet once the course has finished.  

Providing homes our customers love 

Construction at our Wheatfields development of 30 new homes in Bury is nearly complete. The development delivered in partnership with John Southworth includes 16 Affordable Rent homes available through Bury Council, and 14 Shared Ownership homes which have already been reserved through Onward Living.  

Creating places people are proud of  

As part of our development in Whitefield, we’ve recently worked in partnership with our community in Rivers alongside contractors John Southworth and Connollys on a clean-up day. We also worked with the area’s councillors, a local litter picking group and employees and students from St Michaels and Ribble Drive Primary Schools to clean the neighbourhood. 

Connollys worked with volunteers from our Legal, Neighbourhoods and Safer Neighbourhoods teams to develop an outside space at St Michaels Primary School for early years students. We have also supported the school with a grant from the Onward Community Fund and will be working with them to transform another outside space into a growing and reading area for students.  

We also supported an open day at Eden Garden Allotments in Rivers, bringing local services, community groups, the Mayor and Councillors to showcase their work. 

Enabling people to be their best 

We have supported a number of local projects in Oldham through the Onward Community Fund that will engage with young people over the Summer holidays, including activities at Poppy Road and Oasis Secondary School. 

The Fund is also supporting the delivery of sports sessions in the area, with ABC Boxing’s free sessions every Tuesday at Vestacre Stadium and Coldhurst Community Group’s sessions every Sunday at Kick Sonic Sports Complex. 

As part of our retrofit project in Oldham North, in partnership with our contractors we are supporting employment and training for local residents, providing work experience placements for students and gifting five laptops to customers as part of Onward Digital Connect.  

Providing homes our customers love 

Our retrofit project in Oldham North is making 47 homes warmer, quieter and more comfortable for customers. The energy efficiency work includes new ventilation systems, extractor fans in bathrooms and kitchens, loft insulation, double-glazed windows and doors, as well as internal and external wall insulation.  

Creating places people are proud of 

Alongside our retrofit project in Oldham North we have cleared fly tipping, swept streets and cleared debris.  

In Wetwood, our customers told us they needed a safe environment to take their young children who enjoy being outdoors. We consulted local people to identify a suitable location for a new playground, and together with customers, colleagues and contractor Playdale, we transformed an unused space on Westwood Drive into Gresham Green Play Area, with an agility style playground. A local customer said: “I am really pleased that Onward Homes took our suggestion onboard to develop the play area. My young children can now play safely on the playground.”  

We are also working with Oldham Council to renew Limeside Park and reduce antisocial behaviour in the area. 

Following the closure of a Community Hall in Hollinwood during the pandemic, customers told us that they wanted it to reopen. Working with the local community, we have invested over £100,000 to refurbish the hall that will reopen later this Summer.   

Enabling people to be their best 

We’ve launched a bi-weekly drop in at The Naz Community Centre in Higher Broughton, with colleagues from Neighbourhoods, Money Advice and Social Investment offer support for residents in the area.  

Through the Onward Community Fund, we have supported Salford Survivors delivering family cooking classes, homework clubs, cinema nights, seasonal family events, men’s mental health clubs, as well as wellbeing and loneliness clubs.  

Yaran NW has also been supported by the Fund, with a grant that will enable the delivery of cultural art therapy sessions designed to help mental health and wellness at The Broughton Hub. 

Providing homes our customers love 

Following feedback from our customers at Camp Street, we have improved CCTV and renewed the communal doors to provide better security for those living at the scheme. 

Creating places people are proud of 

Take Action Together have been running sessions for children at Salford Orchard, including bug clubs, growing classes and garden parties. We are also working with the organisation and local community to help transform the alleyways and green spaces in the area. 

Providing homes our customers love 

Customers at Chaucer Mews also told us that they were not satisfied with the standard of communal repairs and grounds maintenance services. At the beginning of this year, we brought our repairs and environmental services inhouse, with these moving from contractors over to Onward Repairs and Onward Environmental. Customers here have told us that they are pleased with the services and have seen improvements now that they are delivered inhouse. 

Enabling people to be their best 

Hundreds of local people from Hattersley joined our 1st Call Team, Tameside Council and Standguide at a recent job fair to explore employment opportunities at the new Hawthorns School which opens in September. 

To showcase the achievements, dedication and community spirit shown by volunteers across Hattersley we recently hosted a celebration event. As part of the event, we consulted attendees on which local projects would receive grants from the Onward Community Fund, with Friends of Polperro Walk, Lads Against Depression and Suicide, and Knit & Natter receiving funding for their initiatives.  

We’ve also supported events at the Hattersley Hub, including an anniversary celebration for All Seasons Art Group who recently welcomed their 20th year, and Makers Markets where local people sell handmade products and gifts. 

Providing homes our customers love 

Birch Lea Park in Hattersley is now halfway through construction, and once complete will provide 91 new apartments for older people. We also recently handed over the keys to 15 homes for shared ownership at our nearby development, The Alders.  

Not far away in Hattersley, our contractor Equans has recently handed over 27 new homes at Hare Hill Road, a development of two- and three-bedroom houses for affordable rent. 

Creating places people are proud of 

We are supporting a Go Green Scheme in Hattersley and alongside our contractors Groundwork, we are teaching local community groups gardening skills at free sessions over the next six months. 

So far, we have helped the community plant willow trees and create a woven fence hedge at Polperro Walk, as well as hosting a session on composting at Hattersley Projects Community Garden. 

Upcoming free sessions include how to grow herbs, preserve fruits and pickle vegetables at home. If you are interested in attending a session, please email socialinvestment@onward.co.uk for more information.  

Providing homes our customers love 

At Hatro Court, we are renewing footpaths surrounding the scheme to make them safer for customers and visitors.