For 40-year-old Nero, his home is his sanctuary.

His flat is opposite the pretty community park and Nero enjoys sitting under the gazebo in the garden.

Reflecting on his home, Nero shares: “It’s brilliant living here and it’s very peaceful.”

His flat provides him with a comfortable living space, allowing him to pursue his chosen hobbies and interests.

The property’s convenient location – with the bus stop just a few meters away – offer’s Nero the opportunity to explore his local community. He enjoys the easy access to Leigh town centre and often ventures into town to shop and enjoy the local cafes. These trips offer Nero vital independence and the ability to enjoy his leisure time as he sees fit.

Previously, Nero lived with his dad in Spain before moving in with family in nearby Atherton. He moved into Pennington in August 2021.

The youngest of three, he has a brother who lives in London, a sister who lives nearby, and his spacious flat is filled with signs of someone who dearly loves and is loved by his family.

A huge card filled with photos of Nero and members of his family takes pride of place on a table, and an iPad displays family photos rotating on a reel – “that’s my brother” he says, and “that’s when I was at a wedding”.

“His family come to visit him regularly,” adds Sarah, IAS Service Leader. Nero oftens goes on holiday with them, with the next trip being to Turkey.

Nero is also close to his family’s dogs. He shares a special bond with Rocky, his sister-in-law’s beloved pet.

Holding a personalised mug with Rocky’s picture, Nero adds with a big smile: “When I first met him, he never barked at me! Rocky is like a brother and sister to me. He’s family.”

Nero’s diverse interests include everything from music (“My favourite band is Pink Floyd”) to films. Nero’s a big fan of different genres, ranging from classic comedy to Bollywood.

He has a passion for board games, with Scrabble, Monopoly and Cluedo just some of the games in his flat. Nero keeps a meticulous notebook detailing points for all his Scrabble games. His support worker Alicja laughs as she says: “He always beats me in Scrabble!”

Nero also enjoys playing board games at the Stepping Out group at Leigh Miners Rugby Centre, attending the group Tuesday to Thursday where different activities take place daily.

Sarah highlights Nero’s enjoyment of Stepping Out. “Living here, has helped Nero to become more involved in community activities and help his social skills,” she says.

“He loves his clubs and is involved in different groups through Stepping Out. On Tuesdays, Nero helps takes out the meals and drinks to people who’ve ordered food. On Wednesdays, he plays games and Thursdays are all about baking and cooking.”

Cooking is an activity he enjoys at home too. Sarah says: “He’s very good at cooking and sorting out his meals.” Nero has a Hello Fresh file full of recipes. Flicking through the folder, he stops at sticky pistachio crusted salmon, exclaiming: “I loved that!”.

Sarah adds: “It’s great that Nero’s happy living here.”