Like many volunteers, Ivy started getting involved in community activities when her children were young and one of her first recollections was walking with other parents to Manchester to campaign to the council for a safe play area for kids in Bonscale Park – which they won.
After this, she was involved in developing a nursery at Furrow and Langley Primary with other women in the mothers group. Ivy was seriously concerned when there was an attempt to open a needle exchange on Mosedale Road, and after arguing about the inappropriateness of the location, it was eventually opened at Demesne Community Centre.
Langley Community Enterprise Project also enabled Ivy to continue her voluntary work which focused on the re-generation of businesses in the area and saw her husband Bernard getting involved in the training centre.
This led to Bernard and his friend Paul starting the Langley Community News, a monthly newspaper which focused on information relevant to Langley residents. Ivy was also company secretary, proof reader and delivery lady.
Ivy is also active in many other community organisations, such as: Demesne management committee, Bowlee board, secretary of DARTS tenants group and Langley Forum, which keeps her really busy. Her motivation for all this is clearly evident in her commitment to her family and she is passionately proud of the area she lives. “We are a 4th generation family that has grown up on Langley and i feel that i want to make life better for my family and others on the estate. You never get anything really without a fight or struggle, by being involved i can help bring about positive change”
“ I am most proud of bringing up my kids, being part of the changes on the estate, being involved in the tenants group and running the community news which would have been 16 years old in May 2006” This is a particularly sad time for Ivy as her husband Bernard who ran the paper for so long, has just recently passed away.
“Langley, is one of the safest places to live, and i wouldn't live anywhere else, its really what you make of it! I am very much self educated and i have been on huge amounts of training and take up a lot of learning opportunities whilst being a volunteer. I have more confidence and i have learnt an awful lot”
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