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“Absolutely Over the Moon!” – Mrs Coates gets the first new kitchen for WCHG
Pictured is Mrs Coates with Vicki Marsh – Project Manager WCHG, Emma Riley – Trainee Surveyor WCHG, Stu Mellor, Site Manager Connolly and Christine Elliot, Resident Liaison Officer, Connolly.
At Connolly we truly understand the power of connection and building strong, lasting working relationships is something we truly pride ourselves on, demonstrated perfectly by our partnership with Wythenshawe Community Housing Group (WCHG). We’ve been working with WCHG for the past four years and over this time, we’ve had the privilege of bringing meaningful improvements to thousands of homes across the Wythenshawe community, helping to make daily life a little more comfortable and enjoyable for so many families.
Building on that strong connection, we’re now embarking on another exciting three-year programme, which will see us continue to deliver brand new, modern kitchens to around 500 properties each year, but at Connolly, we truly believe that creating a beautiful new kitchen is about so much more than just the fixtures and fittings; it’s about bringing real comfort and joy into people’s lives.
We’re recently completed the very first kitchen installation under this brand-new framework, so we went to visit the owner of the first kitchen to be handed over, Mrs Coates, to get her thoughts and feedback on her new kitchen. She told us:
“Oh, I’m absolutely over the moon with my new kitchen! I’ve lived in my house for 34 years, and my old kitchen was put in about 24 years ago – bless it, it was nice and still in great condition, but I was ready for a change.
When I got the letter from Connolly about getting a new kitchen I was made up, but I was a bit worried about how the work would fit in with my schedule, being at work myself, but my RLO Christine was an absolute star! She worked with me to make sure they had a key so I didn’t miss any vital appointments, which was such a relief.
Being a chef, I love to cook, so having more counter space was a big thing for me, and they’ve totally delivered on that. Plus, the colours! It was so important to me that the new kitchen really matched the rest of my home, and when I saw the choices, I was so happy!
I wanted a slight change to the layout to tuck my appliances away, so I chose to lose a cupboard at the bottom but gained one at the top. I’m telling you, I was chuffed as mint balls – absolutely over the moon! It’s just perfect.
Before the works started, I set up a little kitchen in a spare bedroom, with my kettle, air fryer and some basic supplies and that was no problem whatsoever.
The lads from Connolly were just brilliant – so polite and pleasant! They used my backdoor to get in, but always knocked to let me know they were there, and when they were leaving too. Honestly, there was barely any disruption to my power or anything, which was great. I was a bit worried about my two small dogs, but the site team were fantastic about them, really great.
The team from Connolly felt like friends, and we had some good laughs over bacon butties and cups of tea. I’ve even told them that if they’re ever in the area, they’re welcome to pop back in for a bacon butty anytime!
My kitchen just looks so much lighter and brighter now. I even treated myself to some new appliances, which makes it feel even more special.
Honestly, I can’t fault the team from start to finish. It felt like they really cared about the job, and it wasn’t nearly as messy as I thought it would be, which was a bonus!
I just want to say a huge thank you to everyone involved – I love my new kitchen!”
Our Managing Director of Delivery Liam Norbury said:
“We love getting great feedback like this and Mrs. Coates’ experience highlights why we pour our hearts into every project. It’s not just about installing kitchens; it’s about the connections we build with families, the respect we show them and the lasting, positive feeling we leave behind.
We couldn’t be prouder of our team for delivering such a thoughtful service and creating a space that Mrs. Coates loves. Her lovely words inspire us every day to keep doing what we do best – making a real difference in homes and lives, one kitchen at a time.”