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Monday 16th February 2004 |
66/2004 |
Bickershaw residents are celebrating this week after their dream of a place of their own was finally realised.
Thanks to council housing chiefs, Bickershaw Residents’ Association now has a local base where tenants and residents can hold meetings and get together.
Chair of the association, Carole Platt, said:
“This community base will mean that we can bring people together and create a stronger sense of community spirit. Only with the support of residents can we really improve Bickershaw.”
The spacious office and meeting rooms in Beacon Road have been provided rent free by Wigan and Leigh Housing, who also gave the association a £500 grant towards their setting up costs. Douglas Valley partnership came up with a £3,500 grant and Ingersoll Rand donated all the office furniture.
The residents’ association has been in operation for over 4 years now, and as Carole explained:
“This is a dynamic group of people who are determined, with the support of local residents, to make Bickershaw a better place to live.
“We have an ambitious action plan and have already achieved some major projects such as providing a young children’s play area. We are also embarking on our next big schemes, which involve providing a community centre for the use of all residents in Bickershaw, and redeveloping an existing park and a new community garden.”
Peter Gee, Chief Executive of Wigan and Leigh Housing, said:
“We are committed to supporting tenants and residents associations in their vision of reaching all sectors of the community and improving local areas.”
Elaine Davies, tenant participation manager for Leigh Homes, will cut a ribbon to declare the base open on 20th February 2004.