Craig finds a new home for Homer, LMH's Superlambanana » Housing » 24dash.com

Builder, entrepreneur and TV celebrity Craig Phillips is the new owner of Homer, LMH’s
Superlambanana. Craig attended the Lord Mayor’s Appeal in Liverpool last week – and could not resist the charms of Homer.

As one of the Lord Mayor’s chosen ambassadors, Craig was attending a unique charity auction featuring a multi-coloured flock of 125 uniquely themed Superlambanana sculptures which were sited throughout the city.

Inspired by the original iconic yellow Superlambanana sculpture, this exciting art participation project formed part of the Liverpool’s 08 Capital of Culture celebrations.

Homer was commissioned by Liverpool Mutual Homes (LMH) and its partner Fusion 21. He is a working Superlambanana, with a builder’s hard hat, safety goggles, high visibility jacket, toolbelt and work boots. He symbolises the massive investment being made by LMH and its partners – over £300 million will be spent improving homes and neighbourhoods across the city.

Craig was so taken with Homer that he put in an unmatched bid. “As soon as I saw Homer I had to smile” said Craig. “He’s a cheeky builder, doing his bit for the people of Liverpool, and he has links with training new workers in the trade. On top of that, he’s supporting important charities. I thought – that’s me that is, and I had to have him!”

“I think all of the Superlambananas have done a splendid job of representing Liverpool and they added a unique splash of colour to the city during the summer.”

“If anyone wants to hire Homer from me they can, as long as they make a donation to the Lord Mayor’s appeal and help the 4 great charities. All interested parties should get in touch.”

Craig shot to fame in the very first series of Big Brother and donated his entire £70,000 winnings to Downs Syndrome friend, Jo Harris. He was already a successful property developer and builder with his own company and he served his apprenticeship in the early 1990’s.

Since 2000, Craig has made countless TV and celebrity appearances, and he has worked tirelessly behind the scenes for others. He has set up a building school near the famous Aintree racecourse that now supports and trains over 500 apprentices. Craig is currently filming across the UK for a new series of 60 Minute Makeover for ITV1.

Steve Coffey, chief executive of LMH, said: “We are sorry to see Homer go, but we can’t think of better home for him to go to. Craig is a great ambassador for the trade, for skills development, and for the city. The work that Homer symbolised will carry on.

“We’ve already made improvements to over 4,500 homes – some of which had been derelict and uninhabitable for over 25 years – and we have a lot more to do. We’re here for Liverpool, for everyone, for the long run and I hope Craig and Homer will come back and see how we are getting on in the future.”

Marketing Manager at Fusion21, Andy Davis, said “Fusion 21 and LMH are both major stakeholders in the city’s future and we are delighted to have contributed to the Superlambanana phenomenon. Everything we do with LMH is about the regeneration of communities, better homes, and creating new jobs and training opportunities.”