Manchester Storm forward Tyler Hinam swapped his hockey helmet for a hard hat as he visited his sponsor Plumlife Homes’ £14.5million Francis Place development.

The 24-year-old Canadian signed for Storm last year after plying his trade in North America and was keen to visit the Walkden development, a mix of 39 two, three and four bedroom properties, all available to purchase with Shared Ownership.

Tyler toured the site on Hill Top Road and was able to try his hand at bricklaying and found out a little more about the site before it launches next month.

He said: “Being a professional athlete, I’m used to moving house regularly but it’s always great to have somewhere to call home. To visit Francis Place and find out more about the development and what goes into building a home was an exciting opportunity.

“Plumlife are building family homes and ice hockey is a welcoming, family game so there are a lot of similarities.

“It was great to meet the guys on site and try my hand at some of the jobs, but I think I’m happier to have a hockey stick in my hand than a brick!

Executive Director of Growth Helen Spencer added: “It was great to have Tyler visit Francis Place. It was a pleasure to show him around the new homes in construction phase, and having recently sponsored Tyler to support his career progression, it was good for Tyler to see what we do and the impact it has for our customers.

“Francis Place is a new development that we are really proud of and are excited that the new homes will be marketed by Plumlife for shared ownership, providing a more affordable way to purchase a home in this excellent location.

“Plumlife are very excited about being able to bring Francis Place to market in an area where experience tells us demand is high for shared ownership. We look forward to meeting our future customers as they look invest in their future by making the move to Francis Place.”

Despite a challenging housing market, our homes are still proving very popular and within reach because Shared Ownership offers a solution to those who can’t afford to buy a home on the open market, which is a very common position to be in for people from all walks of life. With Shared Ownership a customer can buy a share in a home now with the option to buy more of it in the future when they are in the position to do so. You pay rent on the share of the home that you don’t own and you need a much smaller deposit than with a traditional purchase.

The first properties at Francis Place are due to be handed over in the Spring and will be available to reserve in February 2024.

For more information about the development and to register your interest, just click here.