Belong Warrington's first four-legged residents

Retired fireman Alf Jackson, 84, was one of the first people to move into an apartment at Belong Warrington, our new £9.5 million care village on Loushers Lane, along with rescue dogs Lady the Lurcher and Sammy the Bedlington Terrier, the first animals to move into the community village.
Born on Ashton Street, Alf has lived in Warrington all of his life. He first joined the Fire Brigade in 1957 and enjoyed a career that lasted nearly thirty years, during which time he rose to the position of Residential Fire Officer and set up the Fire Fighters' Volleyball team.
Alf is a well-known character in the local community thanks to his impressive mobility scooter, donated by the Fire Fighters Charity and TGA Mobility, which won the Top Gear Extreme Mobility Scooter Challenge in 2012!
Speaking of his move, Alf said: "I often passed the site when Belong Warrington was under construction, and was impressed by the look of the new building. After booking a tour with my daughter, we were both pleasantly surprised by the size of the apartments and the scope of the facilities that would be on offer."
"Obviously one of my main considerations when looking for somewhere to live was that my dogs Lady and Sammy could come with me. I shouldn't have worried, they settled in at Belong Warrington quicker than I did!"
"Most mornings we like to go downstairs to the village Bistro where I'll get a bacon buttie, and they'll get something too if they're lucky. I suffer from arthritis and can't get around as easily as I used to, but local dog walkers visit regularly to make sure that Lady and Sammy get enough exercise. We really are enjoying our new lives here. I keep inviting all of my friends to come and look around the village to see how lucky I am."
Janine Curwell, General Manager of Belong Warrington, said: "We were fortunate to have Alf move into Belong Warrington so soon after we first opened our doors, and recognise the companionship and other benefits that keeping pets can bring to the people living in the village. We aim to be as inclusive as possible."