IN 1989 residents of Leigh's Higher Folds were sick of seeing their estate going downhill.

More than 100 homes had been boarded up at the Stirling Close end as families packed up and left.

Locals decided it was time to act to make life better in the fast declining area. So they formed an area tenants' and residents' association.

Over the years they worked with the council to bring the fifties-built estate back up to scratch, and their action paid off.

One of the first involved was 63-year-old widow June Cunningham, who became group secretary.

She said: "I have lived on the estate since 1983 and it was sad to see it going to ruin.

"We decided to act and thanks to working closely with the council the group has seen this end of estate become like a little village again. The homes have had total facelifts and are all occupied."

Her experience has now led her to becoming one of the Government Audit Commission's Housing Inspectorate.

June has been appointed a member of the "Best Value" inspection service and takes the title tenant inspection adviser.

She will travel the North of England with teams of inspectors, assessing how local councils are providing housing services and looking at the most economic, efficient and effective means along with standards of cost and quality. June's qualifications for the job are impressive.

She is also a member of Wigan Council's Housing Panel and Best Review Challenge Team.

This is mostly as a result of her work with the estate tenants' group, and also as secretary of the borough-wide Federation of Tenants' and Residents' Associations, a post she has held since 1992.

After initial training, June, who has made many friends in her voluntary roles, will have to take time off from her hobbies of needlework and walking Rusty, her springer spaniel, to attend inspections of other councils for up to 45 days a year.

She will help the inspectorate look at anything from caretaking on estates to the long-term plans of councils for housing in their area.

The inspectorate aims to answer two questions -- how good are the services and how likely are they to improve. The inspection team will then make recommendations to help that council achieve "best value".

June said: "I am really excited about my new job. It will be a challenge of course and I will have a lot to learn.

"However, I have always liked knowing what other people are up to in things that interest me, and being able to travel around the north seeing what other housing authorities are doing will make my role in Wigan even more absorbing.

"It's going to make life busier, but it's better than sitting here waiting to die."

Involvement in public affairs runs in mother-of-four June's family.

Her 33-year-old daughter Kirsty worked in the library at the House of Commons and Kerry, 22, for the Equal Opportunities Commission.

Lyndsay, 36, is an accountant in Manchester and son Kevan, 39, works at a road sealant company in Chorley.

Wigan's director of housing, Peter Gee, said: "We are delighted to hear of June's appointment and regard it as a great honour which recognises all the hard work she has put in with our local Tenants' Federation.

"We are also sure that the special knowledge she will acquire in her new role will also benefit our own Best Value regime here in Wigan." Challenges ahead . . . June at work in her Higher Folds' home