22nd October 2018
North West housing association, Plus Dane, and Liverpool based property company, Penny Lane Builders have worked together to create the three apprenticeship roles in a bid to further increase the positive impact the project has on the Welsh Streets community.
The three apprentices, Daniel Bevan, 26, Michael Brennan, 19, and Carl Priddie, 28, will work as electrician, joiner and painter and decorator as the 127 current properties are extensively remodelled to create 99 contemporary new homes. All three have lived in Toxteth all their lives.
Daniel, himself a Plus Dane tenant in Welsh Streets, said: “Having lived on Gwydir Street for so long, I was really hoping to be involved in the regeneration of the area in some way. I’m made up to have gained this opportunity and hope it will be the start of a successful career.”
Barbara Spicer, Chief Executive at Plus Dane Housing, said: “At Plus Dane we have a massive commitment to apprenticeships and to the general concept of ‘earn while you learn’, so we’re really excited to have been able to work with Penny Lane Builders to create these roles. It is fantastic that three local people will gain experience on site within their own community through our shared commitment to providing opportunities for the stars of the future. To offer some of our own tenants the opportunity to work on one of the most significant projects our organisation has ever undertaken just feels like the right thing to do.”
Gerard McEvoy, Director at Penny Lane Builders, said: “Penny Lane Builders has a proud history of bringing apprentices into the business and training them into skilled trade professionals. The partnership with Plus Dane provides a fantastic opportunity for us to not only refurbish high quality homes, but to help create long term employment opportunities that with help support a sustainable community and create lasting benefits for the people in the area.”
Plus Dane unveiled its first completed Welsh Streets homes to great acclaim earlier this year.
Ms Spicer added: “We have been really encouraged by the amazing feedback and the level of interest that we received after unveiling the first finished homes on Gwydir Street. They are the benchmark for the quality of home we are looking to develop in Welsh Streets, and have been long awaited by residents in the area.
“The bar has been set high and we very much look forward to seeing the great work the apprentices produce in the next phase of our programme.”
