Your Latest Trafford Community Newsletter 💚 August 2025

28th August 2025

Welcome to your Trafford Community Newsletter.

The Neighbourhood Officers covering this patch are; Andrew Callam, Paul Laverick and Jon Minott.

They’ve each provided an update from their areas below.

Sale West - Hurst, Hamilton, Epsom, Lingfield, Catterick, and Haydock Avenues.

As some of you may know, I have recently taken over the role of Neighbourhood officer for Hurst, Hamilton, Epsom, Lingfield, Catterick, Haydock Avenues from Chelsea Newton. She did a great job for many of the residents in Sale West and I hope to continue her amazing work, helping and working alongside residents.

You might have seen me walking around the estate, visiting residents and familiarising myself with the area. I would like to thank you all for being so friendly and welcoming. Please feel free to say hello if you see me out and about on the estate - I will always have time for a quick chat!

Independent Living accommodation

I wanted to let you know about Irwell Valley’s independent living sites which have ground floor vacancies. These apartments could fit the requirements of residents who are not very mobile or have medical needs. Independent Living also offers optional social events, providing interaction with the other residents living there, making this option good for someone who would otherwise be socially isolated.

If you would like to know more or know someone who may benefit from this type of accommodation, please contact me and I can chat this through with you.

Fly Tipping

Everyone wants to see a clean and tidy estate and fly-tipping is an issue we should all take note of. If you have noticed rubbish you believe has been fly-tipped, start by speaking to your neighbours to find out if it belongs to them and if they have already made arrangements to clear it.

If this is not the case or you don’t know who the rubbish belongs to, please report it to us, using this form: https://www.irwellvalley.co.uk/for-customers/your-safety/asb/fly-tipping/

Here to help

I am enjoying my time here - this is a busy patch, and I look forward to learning more about the estate and its residents as I go. I hope to share more information about food banks, support hubs and community events over the coming months ahead.

If you need any assistance, you can email me at andrew.callam@irwellvalley.co.uk.

Sale Moor and Sale West - Thirsk, Newbury, Chepstow, Ascot, Kempton, Aintree, and Goodwood Avenues.

Hello to the lovely residents of Sale West,

I hope everyone is enjoying the sun and having a nice summer. Firstly, I would like to thank residents for their continued effort in reporting fly tipping, disposing of rubbish correctly and maintaining a clean and tidy estate.

Dog fouling

One thing I have noticed is an increase in dog foul on the estate. Please rest assured that I have been making contact with customers in the areas which have particularly been affected, to keep the estate looking good for everyone.

As the owner of a greyhound named Prince, I understand we all love our furry friends. However, Irwell Valley Homes incurs cleaning expenses bringing these areas back to acceptable standards and we may recharge this cost onto the owners of animals at the impacted blocks if dog fouling continues.

I would be grateful if all residents could make a conscious effort to take poo bags out when they walk their pooches and if those living in communal blocks could ensure their dogs are not left unattended for long durations of time.

Potholes

I appreciate your frustrations regarding potholes in and around the estate, especially those on Newbury Avenue and Ascot Avenue. I have been in touch with my contacts at Trafford Council and I am planning to meet with representatives from the Highways Department to discuss timescales for fixing these.

Supporting residents

I am here to support you. Recently I have been helping residents to find their forever homes, including supporting tenants with applications for larger properties. I have also been working closely with the police to cut down on anti social behaviour and fly tipping.

If there is anything I can support you with, you can email me at paul.laverick@irwellvalley.co.uk

Heatherway, Stretford, Timperley, Urmston, Flixton and Bowden Vale.

Hello everyone,

I hope you are having a good summer. I completed my neighbourhood inspections on the 10th, 14th and 15th July. I was really pleased to see there has been a significant improvement in fly tipping around the Sale Heatherway estates. Thank you to everyone who has helped to keep the area clear.

One thing I did notice was items being stored in the communal space. This can present a fire risk, with items being left on evacuation routes. I have been contacting residents in the flats affected, as well as carrying out additional inspections of the blocks. Please do make sure you keep these places clear as items found may be stickered and removed.

I complete a weekly inspection at the bins at Briarfield shops and I have found they are not being used correctly. Bins are being left empty and rubbish in bags is being thrown into the bin area. Please be mindful and place bin bags inside the grey bins.

Future skip day

I know that residents find the use of a skip extremely helpful and I am organising for one to be placed in Heatherway estate in September. One of the locations I am considering is Epping Drive – I will confirm exact location and dates closer to the time.

Help and support

I wanted to let you know about support that is available for you in the local area.

School Uniform Exchange at Stretford Public Hall 11-15th August

Stretford Community Hub are hosting a FREE pop-up uniform exchange. This will run for a week from Monday 11th August - Friday 15th August, between 1-3pm every day. You can pop in during this week to pick up school uniform and drop off deposits. Colouring and activities for children will be available during the pop-up uniform exchange. Find out more here.

Little Green Sock are offering support for residents who need school shoes. If you would like to access this, email emma@stretfordpublichall.org.uk or drop in on any Tuesday 9.30am-1pm and ask for Emma.

Smoking Wellbeing Workshops

Smoking Wellbeing Workshops are running at Sale Moor Community Centre (193 Norris Rd, Sale M33 2TN). These relaxed two-hour sessions include a light meal and provide tools and techniques to manage cravings and live smoke-free. Find out more and book your place here.

Construction Cares: DIY Workshops course

This is a free 3-day course offering care-experienced young people (16+) hands-on training in plumbing, electrical work, painting and decorating, joinery, and plastering. Held at Trafford College from 28–30 October 2025, it introduces participants to construction trades and employment opportunities. Attendees receive lunch, travel reimbursement, a certificate, and a toolkit. Following the course, there will be the free opportunity to take a one-day site safety course required to work on construction sites. Enrol here.

The Sale Sharks Foundation’s Free Inclusive Physical Activity Programme

The Sale Sharks Foundation is running free sessions for men with long-term health conditions. These sessions are a great way to have fun, get moving and make friends. For more information, contact eamon.hasoon@salesharks.com or phone 07355 092125.

Trafford food banks

Trafford South

Sale Moor: Mondays, 12pm to 2pm at Sale Moor Community Centre, Norris Road, M33 2TN
Sale West: Tuesdays, 11am to 1pm at Sale West Youth and Community Centre, M33 4QW
Altrincham: Wednesdays, 10.30am to 12.30pm at St Alban’s Church Hall, WA14 5NX
Partington: Thursdays, 10.30am to 12.30pm at The Fuse ROC Centre, M31 4BU
Timperley: Fridays 10am to 12pm at Timperley Methodist Church, WA15 7UG

North Trafford

Stretford: Tuesdays and Fridays, 10.30am to 1.30pm

To access the food banks, you need to have a voucher - Citizens Advice, Trafford can assist with this. You can call them to discuss vouchers and other support on 0808 2787803.

I’m here to help. If you need me, please do get in touch by emailing jon.minott@irwellvalley.co.uk

Remembering Bev, our ray of sunshine

We are deeply saddened by the loss of our colleague, friend and café manager Bev Jones.

Bev worked at the Sunshine café for the last 17 years. Her warmness, generosity and down-to-earth humour – not to mention her amazing skills cooking up everything from her signature quiche to a roast dinner with all the trimmings – will be missed by so many.

Our thoughts are with Bev’s family, including her daughter Kim who also works here.

You can read our full tribute on our website here.

Your Neighbourhood Inspections

We carry out regular Neighbourhood Inspections to ensure communal areas are clean, safe, and well-maintained.

Jon:

October 13th - 10am-3pm starting from Briarfield Road.

October 17th - 10am-3pm starting from Buttermere Close.

Andrew:

October 8th - 9am-4pm starting from Epsom Avenue.

Paul:

October 9th - 10am-4pm starting from Thirsk Avenue.

If you’d like to join us, please drop us a line or leave us a message via Live Chat on www.irwellvalley.co.uk or by calling 0300 561 1111. We’d love to see you then!

Our weekly drop-ins

If you would like to speak to a Neighbourhood Officer, come along to our weekly drop-in at Sale West Community Centre Newbury Avenue, M33 4QW.

We are there every Thursday 10am-12pm. These drop-ins are an opportunity to raise any issues, ask questions and share ideas about improvements we could make.

Also in attendance are Citizens Advice, Our Sale West, The Growth Company and Energy works. This is a great place to get advice about money, debt or gas and electric issues.