Young trainees are backing Bury and its empty homes

Six Town Housing and Bury Council have been helping Bury’s young people back into work – and bringing empty properties back into use.

Backing Young Bury is a Team Bury campaign to reduce youth unemployment in the borough through traineeships, work experience and apprenticeships.

Six Town Housing supported the project by offering four local lads – Liam Booth, Kielan Hodkinson, Daniel Moult and Andrew Sheard - six weeks of work experience with its Repairs Direct Team. The four, aged 18 to 21, have now been offered a further six months’ paid work with training.

They worked as trainee joiners, bricklayers and electricians on a scheme to bring empty properties back into use, thanks to a successful bid for government funding of £23,000 per property. These houses will now be offered at “affordable rent”, 20% less than the market rent, which will help to meet the demand for affordable housing in Bury.

Six Town has now fully refurbished four properties in Prestwich and Radcliffe that had been left empty for more than two years, and the young apprentices played a key part in the refurbishments.

Councillor Mike Connolly, leader of Bury Council, said: “This is a fantastic example of how our Backing Young Bury campaign is getting our young men and women on the path to employment and training. This particular project, in partnership with Six Town Housing, is also good news for those who need somewhere to live, and will improve the area by bringing empty properties back into use.”

Daniel Moult, trainee bricklayer, said: “It’s a brilliant opportunity. I’ve enjoyed every minute and I’ve been able to get stuck in and seeing results like this is great. Hopefully it’ll lead to full time employment and the experience will definitely help my CV!”

ENDS

Press release issued: 26 April 2013.

Picture attached: Bringing one of the empty properties back into use are (from left) Hugh Broadbent, Six Town Housing board chair; Kielan Hodkinson, electrician; Cllr Mike Connolly, leader of the council; Daniel Moult, bricklayer; and Andrew Sheard, joiner.