Teddy bear reunion for Poet’s family

A family who live in a Salix Homes property on the Poet’s estate in Swinton has been heart-warmingly reunited with sentimental teddy bears they thought they’d lost for good.

The Warner household has been temporarily relocated just yards away from the Salford housing provider’s first housebuilding Poet’s development – moving from one of the 146 properties that are being demolished to pave way for 161 new homes on the estate.

Parts of the estate, which were transferred to Salix Homes in 2015 from Salford City Council’s housing stock, are being redeveloped as a result of historic structural issues to affected properties and to bring new affordable homes to the area.

Tenant Lisa Warner, like all Salix Homes tenants who have been temporarily rehoused as part of the development, will be given priority to return to the newly built homes as they are completed.

When the family watched their former home on Blantyre Street being demolished earlier this year they spotted something recognisable in the rubble.

Lisa said: “When we left the house last year there was some crossed wires between myself and my daughter about who had packed up the teddies – two of which hold sentimental value. They must have been left in the loft by accident.

“My daughter Natalie has had them since she was a baby.

“So when we went to see the house come down, my other daughter Kayleigh said she could see one of the teddies in the rubble.

“We told the contractors Galliford Try Partnerships (GTP) about them and they generously retrieved them for us, which included Koalakeet and Rhinokey which have been in the family for so long.”

Koalakeet and Rhinokey are now back in the arms of Lisa and her daughter Natalie Allcock – and will remain in the family for decades to come.

Salix Homes is advancing with the first two phases of this development, which will see 60 properties demolished and 70 new homes built – along with improvements to the street scene and environment.

Proposals for phases three and four are set to be finalised later this year.