One of the stars of a BBC documentary who viewers last saw wishing for ‘a place of my own’ has picked up the keys to a brand-new Persimmon home.

And Ryan Sheridan, who is now settled in his 2-bed semi at Persimmon Gardens, Hindley Green, Wigan, says he couldn’t be happier.

“It’s brilliant – I am so happy to finally have my own home,” said Ryan. “It feels amazing and I’ve settled in really well.”

Ryan’s life has been documented every seven years by the BBC’s 7 Up New Generation, a project launched for the Millennium to showcase a group of children at seven-year intervals as they grew into adulthood in the 21st century.

Now 27, he was born three months premature and has cerebral palsy, a condition that affects speech and mobility. But his disability has never held him back: he passed his driving test, played wheelchair basketball, gained a degree in sports studies, and has competed at the highest level in wheelchair rugby – he was selected for the Great Britain development squad in 2011. He is one of the longest serving members of the West Coast Wheelchair Rugby Club and is known as a workhorse by his Crash team mates and has

“Obviously wheelchair rugby is on hold at the moment, but yes I’m still playing – I absolutely love it.”

Before buying his Persimmon home, Ryan lived with his mum Dawn in Westhoughton. He first reserved at Persimmon Gardens in November 2019 and used Wigan Council’s hugely successful Affordable Homes Equity Loan Scheme* to buy, which helps local people get on the property ladder.

Since reserving, he’s been a regular visitor to the development keeping an eye on the build, and when moving in day came – one of the hottest days of the year – he couldn’t wait to get the keys and admire all the Finishing Touches he had chosen just a couple of months ago to personalise his new home.

Ryan said: “It felt really strange finally moving in, after planning it for so long, but it felt really good!

“I haven’t quite got everything I need yet, some of my furniture is still on order, but from day one it felt like home.”

*The Wigan Council Affordable Homes Equity Loan Scheme invites people who are struggling to get on the property ladder to apply for an equity loan from the council. Wigan Council provides a loan for a percentage of the property’s value – usually 30% – with buyers then required to put down just a 5% deposit and secure a mortgage for the balance of the house price.