The son of a former Newton Heath community activist officially opened a new development where one of the streets has been named after his late mother.

Frank Smalley cut the ribbon on McInerney Homes’ Zest development which has a road named after his mum, Ivy Graham, in honour of the many years she spent fighting for the rights of the people of Newton Heath.

Ivy died of cancer in February of this year and was known in the area for founding numerous local groups – including Heathfield Health Group, Troydale Tenants’ and Residents’ Association and Briscoe Lane Youth and Community Centre.

The 86-year-old worked tirelessly campaigning for facilities for young people in the area and also represented local residents at strategic level ensuring residents' views were heard at ward co-ordination and local area partnership meetings.

Son Frank Smalley, who has himself been honoured for his charity work, said his mum would have been thrilled at this lasting memorial to her.

Northwards Housing board chairwoman Sue Ratchford said: "Ivy was a kind, caring and unique individual, always thinking of others and keen to help in the community.

"She put her heart and soul into helping those around her, to the very end. This is a lovely way to remember the wonderful things she did for her community."

Tracey Lowe, sales manager for McInerney Homes North West said: "We think that naming the road after Ivy is a brilliant idea and it seems a fitting tribute to a lady who is sadly missed by an entire community."

Visitors to a new development in Newton Heath were treated to a Latin inspired event last weekend which saw McInerney opening its three-bedroom ‘Jazz’ show home at Zest.

Dancers from Manchester’s Spanish and Latin American Cultural Centre, La Academia were on-hand with lessons and displays in salsa dancing.

Tracey Lowe, sales manager for McInerney Homes North West, says: “Our three-bedroom show home is the first chance for people to experience our passion for quality, style and value-for-money homes.

“Zest embodies our enthusiasm for exciting living with every home fittingly named after a type of dance. And, the fact that these homes are eco means the money you save on household utility bills can be invested in living life to the full.”

Less than three miles from Manchester city centre, Zest will feature one, two and three-bedroom apartments and three and four-bedroom homes to eventually create a vibrant community of 128 eco-friendly homes.

Three and four-bedroom homes start from just £106,500. For more information call 0161 681 9013 or log on to www.mcinerneyhomes.co.uk.

Often the most welcoming homes are the ones that find just the right balance of warmth and modernity but ultimately these things can be in the eye of the beholder.

However, when your business is to make the very most of a home that needs to appeal to as wide audience as possible then getting that balance right is imperative.

And creating that exact blend has become second nature to interior designer, Cath Olgivie of Show Business Interiors Ltd.

The Sandbach based creative has recently finished putting the final touches to the McInerney Homes showhome on the Kensington Gardens development in Blackburn.

McInerney, one of the leading housebuilders in the UK have high hopes for the success of the Kensington Gardens scheme and enlisted Cath’s expertise to highlight the fantastic possibilities of the properties available on site.

The fabulous Gleneagles home spaciously set over three floors offered a wealth of opportunity for Cath and her team to flex their creative muscles.
 
Cath explained: “The theme for Kensington Gardens was a traditional scheme that would appeal to families in the Blackburn area.

“After pretty extensive research we decided the overall colours should be black, white and soft grey with accents of hot pink used to balance and add drama and interest.

“As the Gleneagles is set over three floors we really dressed it out to show its maximum potential as done incorrectly properties such as this can look top heavy.

“In the bedrooms most of the furniture is fitted, and myself and Frank of a company called Images of Chester designed the layouts specifically to fit the profile and requirements.”

“Most of the furniture in the living areas was sourced from Denmark, so has clean lines and is predominantly in glass and chrome, but not in an edgy city style.”

One can not help but be dazzled by the finished product as a short tour of the property demonstrated what can be achieved within the generous space with a little thought.

The lounge boasts a pair of textured black sofas on chrome legs with occasional furniture in chrome and black glass. The accent in the room is fabulous striped hot pink wallpaper on the fire wall and the window blinds bring the colours together in a large floral print.

The first floor bedrooms (2 and 3) of the show home have been designed with children in mind. Bedroom 2 is aimed at young girl(s) with a shoe theme to the fabric and we used twin beds with fitted furniture in white with soft grey glass sliding doors.

Bedroom 3 is a boy’s room with fitted furniture in high gloss black showing a double bed, fitted sliding robes and a desk/workstation. Being a boy’s room, the pink was dropped in favour of black, white and grey with a snazzy zebra print as the accent.

The star of the Gleneagles though is the top floor with its main bedroom and en suite. It’s an elegant, luxurious room with a lot of the hot pink but with a very mature emphasis.

The Headboard and cushion fabric is particularly eye-catching with its patterned stripes of black, ivory, grey and hot pink, but with a subtle overprint of gold.

Tracey Lowe, sales manager for McInerney Homes North West, says: “This is our first development in the centre of Blackburn and the three-bedroom Gleneagles is a fabulous house and a wonderful mascot for Kensington Gardens.

“The build demonstrates the quality, space and exceptional value-for-money that comes as standard in a McInerney home.

“Cath has done an exceptional job and has really understood what the Gleneagles has to offer in terms of space and potential and were certain visitors will be knocked out by the quality of the fit-out.

“We have a unparalleled status across the North West for building beautiful new homes but this is the first opportunity we’ve had in Blackburn’s town centre to prove it.”

McInerney has transformed 1.73 acres of land off Crossfield Street to provide 28 three and four-bedroom semi-detached homes and townhouses and 18 contemporary two-bedroom apartments.

The development is in a wonderful elevated location looking towards the heart of Blackburn and less than a mile from the town’s shopping centre.

The development also lies within a Housing Market Renewal Area to the South East Area Development Framework contributing to the Borough-wide regeneration and greatly enhancing the neighbourhood and impacting positively on the region’s housing provision.

As one of the UK’s premier home builders, McInerney has an excellent reputation for quality, style and value-for-money.

Prices start from just £121,000 for an apartment and £149,995 for a three-bedroom house.  

An innovative scheme that will give Wrexham homebuyers the chance to own their own property from just £500 a month has been introduced by one of the UK’s biggest housebuilders.

McInerney Homes has created a way to allow people to easily purchase their dream home on its Cartrefle development on Ruthin Road for in many cases less than the equivalent rent.

McInerney’s ‘First Step’ scheme allows home seekers to purchase a brand new home by paying only 75 percent up front, though buyers actually own 100 percent of the property.

The remaining 25 percent will come in the form of an interest and rent free loan from McInerney which buyers will have ten years to pay back.

Asked about the deal, sales manager Carol Nomdedeu explained First Step is a genuine offer to help families and single people move into their own homes.

She said: “There is no catch. What we are doing is allowing people to move into the homes they want in the area they want without having a large financial burden.

“It really is cheaper than renting a place and this beautiful development is really close to schools, the hospital and other amenities. It’s the perfect place to buy in Wrexham and enjoy the added security that owning a property gives you.

“Basically, buyers get their mortgage for 75 percent of the property price and we loan them the rest, but our loan is interest free and completely free of any charges for ten years.

“If people sell the house before the ten years are up and before they start making payments to us then they simply get 75 percent of the value of the home when they sell and we get 25 percent.”

The Cartrefle development is situated on Ruthin Road just past Centenary Road.

Prices at Cartrefle start from £129,995 for a 2 bed apartment or £147,500 for a three bedroom Sunningdale house.

To take advantage of the FirstStep offer call 01978 310270 or the sales office hotline on 01942 768 025 between Thursday and Monday 10.30 am - 5.00 pm

A NEW road has been named in memory of Ivy Graham, a popular local lady who dedicated a great-deal of her life to representing the Newton Heath community, in Manchester.

Ivy was a member of the Northwards Housing Riverways Area Panel, founder of the Heathfield Health Group and Troydale Tenants and Residents Group. She was also the founder of Briscoe Lane Youth and Community Centre and tirelessly campaigned for facilities for young people in the area. She represented local residents at a strategic level and attended ward co-ordination meetings and local area partnership meetings to ensure residents’ views were heard.

Following Ivy’s death in February of this year, former ward councillor for Miles Platting and Newton Heath, Christine Carroll, suggested that a street within McInerney Homes’ new Zest development, off Oldham Road, be named after her.

Ivy Close is now a lasting tribute to a dedicated community campaigner.

Sue Ratchford, Chair of the Northwards Housing board, said: “Ivy was a kind, caring and unique individual, always thinking of others and keen to help in the community. She put her heart and soul into helping those around her, to the very end. If it helped the local area you could count on Ivy being involved. This is a lovely way to remember the wonderful things she did for her community.”

Tracey Lowe, sales manager for McInerney Homes North West said: “We think that naming the road after Ivy is a brilliant idea and it seems a fitting tribute to a lady who is sadly missed by an entire community.

“McInerney shares Ivy’s vision of making Newton Heath a brilliant place to live. She ensured that residents had groups and facilities open to everyone. In line with this, we are ensuring that the area boasts some of the best properties around and that anyone from first-time buyers to families can take advantage of these homes.”

Zest is less than three miles from Manchester city centre and will feature one and two-bedroom apartments and three and four-bedroom homes to create a vibrant community of 139 homes.

For further information on the Zest development call 07814 511 858 or visit www.mcinerneyhomes.com. The sales hotline is 01942 768 025 and is open Thursday to Monday, 10.30am to 5pm.

THE Runcorn REPS Amateur Swimming Club took the plunge to raise money for their club by cleaning cars at McInerney Homes’ Evolution development.

The sponsored car wash was part of McInerney’s ‘easy on Sunday morning’ event, which saw home hunters relaxing in the Evolution show homes with the Sunday papers and breakfast, before leaving in their clean cars.

Luke Green, team manager for the Runcorn REPS, says: “The kids really enjoyed themselves during the day and mostly soaking me with the hose. We’re really grateful for the support from McInerney and the kids are really keen to do something again.”

Carol Nomdedeu, field sales manager for McInerney Homes North West, said: “We were delighted the Runcorn REPS gave us a hand on Sunday. It’s really important to McInerney we get involved with sporting groups within the community and help out talented youngsters at a grassroots level. The Runcorn REPS have a great set-up and hopefully this will help raise their profile and more kids will join.”

Luke said: “Sponsorship from businesses is vital for our club’s plans to try and double in size over the next four years. At the moment we have a squad of about 80, which is a small club, and we really need more than 150 to compete in team galas. We’re pushing for more members and it’s really important young talent knows that Runcorn has a professionally run swimming club.”

With support from Halton Sports Partnership the Runcorn REPS are based at the Runcorn Swimming Pools and run training sessions five times a week. It’s a gruelling schedule with the seniors training eight hours per week and the juniors four hours a week and they are encouraged to do other sports too. It is a big commitment for the coaches as well who dedicate spare time to nurture Runcorn’s swimming talent.

The Runcorn REPS will celebrate their twenty-fifth anniversary this year at The Pavilions in September. If anyone has old photographs or press cuttings connected to Runcorn REPS, please send them to rsvp.runcornreps@hotmail.com.

For more information about Evolution visit the show homes Thursday through to Monday from 10.30am to 5pm. Alternatively, call 01928 563 208 or log on to www.mcinerneyhomes.com.

A LOCAL home builder is making a ‘racquet’ about the opening of its new show home this Saturday, June 28, at Briarswood Village in Great Sankey.

To celebrate the launch of its Lancaster show home, McInerney Homes is holding a Wimbledon themed open day this weekend. Visitors will be treated to strawberries and cream, champagne and a spot of swing-ball tennis in the back garden.

If guests are worried about missing the third-round of the Wimbledon singles on the Saturday then McInerney’s sales executives will have the coverage on in the background - just in case of any major upsets!

A chance to explore the ‘ace’ Lancaster style house has been eagerly awaited by Warrington’s home hunters. Like Wimbledon, the Georgian inspired home mixes the best in tradition with the excitement a modern audience demands.

Carol Nomdedeu, sales manager for McInerney Homes North West, says: “The Lancaster style home combines the best of old and new. It’s the equivalent of the brilliant Bjorn Borg in his heyday playing tennis with a modern, state-of-the-art, aerodynamic, vibration-dampening, graphite racquet.

“On the outside the Lancaster draws inspiration from a traditional Georgian townhouse but inside it has a beautifully proportioned and contemporary interior, planned over three-storeys. It basically means that home buyers can have a traditional built and styled home with all the character and also the eco-benefits and finish of a modern family house. We’re so eager for people to explore this home because we just know they will fall in love with it.”

On the ground floor the Lancaster has an integrated garage, reception hall, a study/family room opening onto the garden through French doors, en-suite and utility room. The first floor has a modern fitted kitchen and dining area plus a light and airy lounge with French doors onto a Juliet balcony. The top floor boasts three double bedrooms, an en-suite and a family bathroom.

Briarswood Village features a mixture of two and three-bedroom houses in a wonderful and peaceful semi-rural location in Warrington. It is already a popular and vibrant community, offering value-for-money homes to suit most buyers, including first-timers and professional couples.

Prices start from only £153,995.

If you want to explore the new Lancaster show home then the ball is in your court; simply pop down to Briarswood Village from 10.30am on Saturday, June 28, and see some top-seeded tennis and a first-class home.

For more details about Briarswood Village call 0845 618 8133 or visit www.mcinerneyhomes.com.

A DUO of walkers has made good use of a new stretch of the Trans Pennine Trail (TPT) in Warrington to raise hundreds of pounds for The Shannon Bradshaw Trust.

Carol Nomdedeu and Tracey Lowe raised £300 for the Trust with the support of their colleagues and employer, McInerney Homes.

The pair pulled on their walking boots to trek a 10k stretch of the TPT, which included a restored part of trail by McInerney that links Knutsford Road with Thelwall Lane along the bank of the Manchester Ship Canal.

Mary Bonner, chairperson for the Shannon Bradshaw Trust, said: “We would like to say a big thank you to Carol, Tracey and McInerney for their support. Donations, fundraising and support from local businesses and their staff are absolutely vital if we are to continue to help children with life-threatening conditions, and their families, across the North West.”

The Shannon Bradshaw Trust was founded by Shannon’s parents, Patti and Alan. Shannon was a seven-year-old girl who bravely fought Aplastic Anaemia before her death, just 5 months after receiving her first diagnosis. Patti and Alan wanted to help others who have found themselves in similar situations and set up the Trust.

Carol, Field Sales Manager for McInerney Homes North West, said: “McInerney has been building new homes in Warrington for a number of years and over that time we’ve got to hear about the fabulous work of the Shannon Bradshaw Trust. So, we’re delighted to be in a position to support the Trust and raise a bit of money for their worthwhile cause.”

Tracey, also a Field Sales Manager for McInerney, said: “As part of our ongoing development of apartments at Williams Wharf, in Latchford, we are renovating a third-of-a-mile stretch of the Trail. A sponsored walk that included this stretch seemed the obvious thing to do to raise money for the Shannon Bradshaw Trust. It was hard work but we had a great day and it was well worth the effort.”

The TPT crosses northern England from the Mersey to the Humber running through Warrington and the cities of Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield and Hull.

The Shannon Bradshaw Trust holds loads of events throughout the year. On August 24, lookout for one of its biggest events to date, ‘It’s a knockout’, held at Victoria Park. It will be a full day of action, fun and games for everyone, including fair ground rides, stalls, dance groups, bands, food and drink.

Companies across Warrington can sponsor this fantastic event or put forward a team by contacting Mary Bonner on 01925 407 058 or 01925 721892. Alternatively, email marybonner@bankofscotland.co.uk.

For more information about The Shannon Bradshaw Trust or to make a donation to please visit info@shannonstrust.org.uk.

Williams Wharf is a collection of stylish one and two-bedroom apartments on Thelwall Lane, overlooking the Manchester Ship Canal. The development is in a great location not far from Warrington’s town centre and the trendy high street of Stockton Heath. A brand new apartment can cost as little as £57,000 at Williams Wharf with McInerney’s ‘MyChoiceHomeBuy’ scheme.

If you require further information regarding McInerney’s Williams Wharf development, please call 01942 768 025 or log-on to www.mcinerneyhomes.com.

AFTER 500 bright orange balloons were released over Blackburn to mark the launch of Kensington Gardens, Crossfield Street, the balloon tags have begun to turn-up all over Lancashire.

The balloon race was organised by McInerney Homes to mark the start of sales of its first new-home development in Blackburn’s city centre. The balloon tickets have since been found in Blackpool, the Ribble Estuary, Southport and Poulton-le-Fylde.

Visitors to the development entered the free balloon race with the chance to win a family trip to the Chill Factor-e in Manchester or Alton Towers - if their balloon travels the furthest! Observant folks have until June 27 to find the balloon tags, which in the past have been known to travel as far as Ireland and France!

Tracey Lowe, sales manager for McInerney North West, says: “It was such a wonderful sight to watch the balloons released into the Blackburn sky. There was a really strong easterly wind, which probably explains why our balloons ended up on the West coast. It made for a great spectacle and a fitting way to launch Kensington Gardens.

“Boasting a location less than a mile from the town’s shopping centre, the development is practically at the heart of Blackburn. It features a total of 46 new homes including four-bedroom semi-detached homes, townhouses and 18 contemporary two-bedroom apartments. Prices start from just £121,000.”

Kensington Gardens lies within a Housing Market Renewal Area to the South East Area Development Framework. It will contribute to the Borough-wide regeneration and will greatly enhance the neighbourhood with a positive impact on the region’s housing provision.

Make a flying visit to Kensington Gardens Thursday through to Monday from 10.30am to 5pm or call 01254 674 515 for more information. Alternatively, log on to www.mcinerneyhomes.com.

STUDENTS at Darwen Moorland High School will not be going thirsty during their exams thanks to 250 gallons of water courtesy of a local home builder.

McInerney Homes who is responsible for the Belgrave Heights development on Bolton Road, has splashed out on more than 3,600 bottles of water to help fuel local students’ brain power.

Everybody knows that diet, sleep and water are vital for a strong exam performance and many studies by neurologists have confirmed that when you are dehydrated your mental performance deteriorates by 10%.

Chris Morris, head teacher at Darwen Moorland High School, said: "We want all our students to be refreshed and hydrated during exams.  Water is essential in keeping the brain alert and fully functional throughout stressful situations.  We are extremely grateful to McInerney Homes for providing this water to our students and we are confident that our students' achievements will be better than ever this year."

Each student last year got a bottle of water for their exam desk and the teachers noted that this initiative worked really well. In fact, the school had its best ever exam results last year seeing a 3% increase in results. The school is hoping for a similar success story for its 2008 candidates.

Tracey Lowe, sales manager for McInerney Homes North West, says: “McInerney is proud to be sponsoring the supply of fresh, bottled drinking water through-out the exam season and hope this helps optimise the pupils’ performance. We feel McInerney has a responsibility to the wider community and we are delighted to be in a position where we can support students in their learning environment as well as helping to improve Darwen’s living environment. We wish good luck to all those students sitting exams this summer.”

McInerney is building new homes at Belgrave Heights on the site of the former mill on Bolton Road. For more information please call sales on 01254 771 294 or visit www.mcinerneyhomes.com.

A LOCAL home builder is sponsoring Darwen Moorland High School’s very own secretary, Deborah Huddleston, to slip into her walking boots and raise money for Blackburn Hospice.

Together with friends Vicky and Gail Sharples and an estimated 1,500 other volunteers, Deborah will take part in the East Lancashire Hospice Summer Solstice Walk - an intensive 12 mile walk at 10pm on Saturday June 21.

The half marathon will start and finish at Ewood Park and take the sponsored walkers on a tour of the outskirts of Blackburn. To spur Deborah to the finishing line, McInerney Homes has sponsored her £100 to complete the walk.

Deborah says: “I’m really excited to be doing the walk. It’s a great atmosphere and it raises lots of money for a very good cause. The Hospice is a very special place and does a brilliant job, so, any support and donations will be highly appreciated. I would like to thank McInerney and everyone who has sponsored me for their generous offers and their help will go a long way. I wish luck to all the other walkers and I’ll see you at the starting line.”

Blackburn Hospice offers palliative care to patients with advanced and progressive life threatening disease - particularly those suffering from cancer - and support for their relatives and carers in an atmosphere of calm with tenderness, care and quiet efficiency.

The hospice is the main specialist palliative care unit for the communities of Blackburn, Darwen, Hyndburn and the Ribble Valley, serving a population of some 385,000.

Last year’s walkers managed to raise more than £80,000 for the Hospice and everyone is hoping to better last year’s brilliant result.

Tracey Lowe, sales manager for McInerney North West, says: “We’re delighted to sponsor Deborah and we wish her and all the walkers the best of luck in their tough task. If the amount of money raised is even close to last year’s figure then it will be another successful walk.”

McInerney is investing in Darwen’s community by building new homes on the site of the former mill on Bolton Road. The development is called Belgrave Heights and is a collection of traditionally built houses and apartments just a two-minute walk from Darwen’s town centre. For more information call 01254 771 294 or click on www.mcinerneyhomes.com.

If there is anyone else who would like to sponsor Deborah then e-mail her at djf@darwenmoorland.blackburn.sch.uk. If you would like to take part in the summer walk then visit www.dubhosting.com/eastlancshospice.