Jonathan and Nichola Houghton had been renting for many years, trying their best to save to buy a house of their own. Through Grand Union’s shared ownership scheme, they were able to do just that – ensuring the couple and their two children, Isla, eight, and Harry, four, and beloved dog Bruno, have the space they need to enjoy…

Francesca (or Checka as she likes to be known) had been out of school for a while when she was offered a place with the ‘for young people’ organisation, which helps young people who are out of employment or education with CVs and other support. “I’d dropped out of my GCSEs and I had no idea what I wanted to…

Joel (or ‘Mr Fabulous’ as he likes to be known!) has lived in one of our supported living homes since March 2016. Joel is a member of our Involved Partnership Group, which gives feedback on our independent living services. The group usually meets four times a year and discuss a range of issues that affect them and their homes, including…

Jane has been one of our Biggleswade residents for the last three years and a member of our Residents’ Voice customer engagement panel since April 2018. A retired dental hygienist, 71 year old Jane comes from a family who like to help others. When her children were younger, their teacher knew a farmer who had a badger’s sett on his…

Brian Brandon, 89, used to live in a first floor flat in Clifton and would have to leave his walking frame at the bottom of the stairs which was far from ideal for Brian, as well as being a health and safety issue for other residents living in the block. Housing Officer Rachel visited Brian and assessed the flat as…

Charlotte Nelson, 26, lives in a two-bedroomed shared ownership house in the village of Elstow, Bedfordshire, which she purchased through Grand Union Homes. Charlotte had been looking for a place of her own to get herself on the housing ladder; somewhere with a good location, not too far from her job in Bedford, but that still had a rural feel.…

Following the sale of her marital home in Clapham, Bedfordshire, 41-year-old Vicky Shaw and her son Joshua, 14, found themselves moving in with her brother for eight months. “I was previously on the property ladder, so did not want to come off it. I really didn’t want to rent but thought it might be my only option. Shared ownership seemed…