Merseyside

Enabling people to be their best 

In Cheshire West and Chester, we have provided employment and training support for residents in the area through the Onward Employment and Training Fund.  

Providing homes our customers love 

At Chapel Court we have installed new double-glazed windows in all four blocks and communal areas to make homes warmer, quieter and more comfortable for customers. New double-glazed windows have also been installed in Stanton Court’s communal areas.  

Chapel Court’s communal front doors and intercoms have also been replaced to provide better security for those living here. 

Construction has restarted at our Pavillion Park development in Helsby, through a new partnership with national housebuilder Countryside. Pavilion Park will provide 85 new homes for affordable rent, 100 homes for Shared Ownership and 30 homes for Rent to Buy. These modern homes will not only help local people put down roots more affordably, but they will also be more affordable to run.  

Creating places people are proud of 

We have worked with Cheshire West and Cheshire Council to improve the waste management at Blossom Place, expanding communal bin stores to reduce fly tipping. 

Enabling people to be their best 

As part of a community-led regeneration project in Murdishaw, we helped the local community deliver their vision for a new community space and helped bring this to life.  Since opening its doors, the café has become a central place for the community to gather, enjoy freshly made food and drinks at low prices and attend a timetable of regular activities driven the communities wants and needs, such as:  

• Weekly seasonal crafts  

• Family fun days  

• Local makers markets  

• Cooking classes  

• A baby loss support group 

• Winter Warmer hubs with advice and practical support from a range of partners   

• Weekly housing drop ins   

Providing homes our customers love 

We’ve refurbished 132 homes in Murdishaw, making them warmer, quieter and more comfortable for customers. Through the regeneration project, we installed new flat roofs with increased insulation, triple glazed skylights, double glazed windows and doors, internal and external wall insulation, ventilation systems, and sensors to monitor temperature and humidity. 

We recently completed our Raven Court development in Runcorn, which features 27 one and two-bedroom apartments set in leafy surroundings with a public garden. At a sign-up event, customers living here were invited to join our Customer Engagement Community, meet our Neighbourhood Specialist and Safer Neighbourhoods teams, and learn about opportunities to fund local projects through the Onward Community Fund.  

Creating places people are proud of 

As part of the regeneration, we worked with Riverside and Halton Borough Council (HBC) to align our grounds maintenance services and transform overgrown green spaces into safe woodland environments for the community and wildlife to enjoy.     

Enabling people to be their best 

As part of our retrofit project in Kirkdale, in partnership with our contractors we have supported Everton in the Community’s Safe Hands programme which supports young people living with special educational needs, developmental disabilities and poor mental health. Our support has seen the addition of a sensory room and therapeutic outdoor space at 41 Goodison, and through our Onward Digital Connect initiative, we have also donated laptops and digital smartboards to the facility. 

Through a grant from the Onward Community Fund, the Norris Green Community Alliance’s Food for All initiative is set to support around 720 households over the next six months, with essential food and household items. As well as delivering essential items, the alliance will also help residents in need to access additional support, such as employment opportunities, health, and wellbeing.    

During Mental Health Awareness Week we hosted a Mental Health Matters event for our supported housing customers. Attendees were able to try a range of activities such as breathwork, meditation and relaxation, chair-based football and games designed to test personal reflexes, responses and reaction.   

Through our Digital Connectivity Fund, we provided our customer Katey with a free laptop and six months’ free data so she could access training and education. Katey from Liverpool said: “Thank you so much Onward, this has been a game changer for me. I can now start my new job with better pay, better hours and I can work from home too!” 

Providing homes our customers love 

Our community-led regeneration project is currently underway in Kirkdale and County & Warbreck. Energy improvement works including new wall and loft insulation and double-glazed windows and doors are making 400 homes warmer, quieter and more comfortable for customers. 

Creating places people are proud of  

We worked with local partners Liverpool City Council, Novus and Community Shop to deliver a series of events in Kirkdale for Big Green Week. The local community came together to create a cleaner, greener Kirkdale through a garden competition, litter pick, skip day and bin consultation. 

In Kensington and Fairfield we have worked with Liverpool City Council to improve communal areas, increase waste management provision and tackle antisocial behaviour, whilst also providing extra support for customers in need. 

Colleagues and volunteers from Barclaycard recently attended our Meadow Court and Bosco Court schemes and helped to improve the communal gardens with the help of customers.  

During Volunteers Week, our Older Persons Team helped at GROW Speke, a community initiative in South Liverpool that is turning derelict land into a vibrant outdoor space. Customers also got involved making hanging baskets and harvesting vegetables they had grown. 

Enabling people to be their best 

Our May Logan Healthy Living Centre, located in the heart of Linacre and Bootle, continues to help improve the health and wellbeing of local customers by providing access to NHS support services.   

Creating places people are proud of 

Along with other local partners, we are working with Sefton Council on their #WhyFlyTip campaign with the aim of reducing fly tipping across Bootle. 

Enabling people to be their best 

We have worked with local partners to support community groups that are making a positive impact in the area. Through the EVOLVE initiative, 12 local projects delivered by Fender Community Football Club, BSA Sports Support and Beechwood Recreation Centre, and Community Shop received grants of up to £2,000. 

Providing homes our customers love 

We recently completed our Ferry Court development located next to the iconic Seacombe Ferry terminal. As well as boasting one of the best views in Wirral, these 28 new apartments have been made available for social rent, helping even more people to find an affordable home 

Earlier this year, we upgraded the door entry systems on all five blocks at Windmill Gardens in Beechwood. These new systems provide better security for those living at the scheme, as well as allowing customers to answer calls from any location with an intercom that connects to mobile devices. 

We are building 13 new Rent to Buy homes in Wallasey using modern methods of construction to reduce long-term environmental impact. To reduce customers’ energy bills, these homes will be highly insulated, heated by renewable air source heat pumps and powered by solar panels. 

Creating places people are proud of 

Over the last year, we have worked closely with Merseyside Police and partners on the EVOLVE initiative in Beechwood to improve how we respond to antisocial behaviour. Together, we have reduced local cases by 40%, from 27 in 2022/23 to 16 in 2023/24.   

We helped the Growing Ballantyne project access funding to facilitate a local gardening group at the allotments. Colleagues also volunteered alongside our contractor Liberty and the local community to develop Wezzy Gardens.