About
Michael Shanly
.jpg)
Michael Shanly came from humble beginnings, growing up in Eastcote, Middlesex, with his single mother and older brother. Struggling at school with reading, writing, and concentration, Michael found his passion outside the classroom, spending his time fixing bikes, restoring cars, and mastering DIY projects. He vividly recalls cycling past a dilapidated house at the age of 13 and thinking, “One day I want to buy that house and do it up.”
This practical and resourceful young man left school at 14 without qualifications but was eager to channel his energy into hands-on work. By 1969, at the age of 23, after years of working as a welder by day and a croupier by night, Michael had saved enough to purchase and refurbish a semi-detached house in Pinner. The profits from this sale enabled him to buy land in Pinner, where he built his first property, operating out of a small office in South Harrow.
​
​A natural problem solver, Michael applied meticulous attention to detail in everything he undertook. He viewed challenges as opportunities, set high standards, carefully weighed risks, and made swift, considered decisions. ​​​His property development business, Michael Shanly Homes, steadily expanded.
​​By the early 1970s, recognising the growing opportunities in the commuter belt, Michael and his family relocated to Old Windsor, Berkshire, while his office moved to Beaconsfield, Bucks. ​During the 1974 property crash, Michael saw a chance to rent out a vacant house on one of his Maidenhead developments to cover expenses. This approach of renting properties to generate income became a key strategy, and as the business recovered, profits were reinvested into acquiring and retaining investment properties. This led to the creation of Sorbon Estates, named after Jim Bonser, a local businessman who had supported Michael’s early ventures (an anagram of Jim’s surname, albeit misspelled).
The combination of quality craftsmanship, financial foresight, tenacity, and entrepreneurial vision propelled the business beyond expectations. Feeling a strong sense of responsibility to give back, Michael began supporting local charities and community organisations. In 1994, after years of informal donations, he established Shanly Foundation. Since then, Michael has worked closely with trustees to allocate around £1.75 million annually to charitable causes.
After years of development in Maidenhead, Michael became deeply invested in revitalising its town centre. Throughout the 2000s, he advocated for rejuvenating the area, including reopening and expanding a disused town waterway. His vision was realised with the award-winning Chapel Arches development, comprising 242 apartments, 30,000 square feet of commercial space, an 8-piece sculpture trail, and a waterside amphitheatre proposed by him. The project earned the RICS Regeneration Award in 2017. In 2023, Michael was presented with the Maidenhead Civic Society Design Award by former Prime Minister Baroness Theresa May for the final phase, Waterside Quarter, which was praised for its “attractive and exemplary design.”
In 2024, Michael finalised plans for Shanly Foundation to one day oversee the trading businesses, ensuring his legacy of quality, community improvement, and philanthropy endures. Reflecting on his journey, Michael says:
​
“All I want is for us to be able to look back and say, ‘we did a great job there.’ It’s not about profit. At the end of the day, you’re brought into this world with no money, and you go out with no money. It’s about fighting for quality, being conscientious, learning, surviving, enjoying what we do, and giving back. That’s what continues to give me real purpose in life.”