Forces homes scheme first for Shropshire family

A couple and their two children from Telford have become the first armed forces family in the country to benefit from a Government scheme to help people get a foot on the housing ladder.

The FirstBuy scheme has helped Terry and Kerry Ferguson and their two children Campbell, eight, and Ewan, six, move out of army quarters at MoD Donnington and into a new three-bedroom home close by.

The family has moved into the home at Barratt's Monarch Fields development, just a few yards away from the base where Terry works as Staff Sergeant in the Military Police.

FirstBuy, which is managed by the Homes and Communities Agency, formally gives priority to men and women who have served in the Forces.

Under FirstBuy, buyers will be offered a loan of up to 20 per cent of the price of the property, jointly funded by Barratt West Midlands and the Government's Homes and Communities Agency.

Buyers have to find the remaining 80 per cent of the price themselves. Up to 76 per cent of this could be a mortgage, leaving a deposit of just four per cent.

The couple, who both grew up in Telford, were keen to find their own home and finally settle down.

Kerry, 32, a health care assistant said: "After moving to different bases in the UK and abroad every three years we were ready to find somewhere permanent and where and the boys could have some stability at school.

"When Terry got offered a post at Donnington it provided the ideal opportunity to do this.".

She added: "Without FirstBuy we would have had to have stayed living in army quarters. We had some money from the MoD to put towards a deposit but it wasn't enough to buy a property outright.

"FirstBuy has enabled us to secure a home of our own and we're delighted with how easy the process has been."

Housing Minister Grant Shapps MP, who unveiled the FirstBuy scheme, vowed at the time that the bravery of those who served in the military would be recognised when it came to housing.

He said the Fergusons were the first military family to benefit through the scheme and wished them every happiness in their new home.