Who are Homes for Wells?
Homes for Wells is a Charitable Community Benefit Society. We were formed back in 2006 by a group of local people who were concerned about the housing problem in Wells.
Our shareholders are people with a local connection who are committed to our aims. Shareholders do not receive any profit.
Our directors are all volunteers. The board of directors run the organisation with the intent of making a small surplus each year which is reinvested in more property and making sure we have some cash in the bank for a rainy day.
Staff
Jane Berwick, General Manager
I am the General Manager at Homes for Wells. I moved to Wells in 1998 with my daughter, Bethany, and my husband Mark.
Although I no longer live in Wells, I have a great passion for affordable housing for local people. I have a wealth of experience dealing with property and tenant management.
I like to get involved in the local community and have volunteered at many events over the years.
I have been involved with Homes for Wells for the past four years, having served on the Board before being employed as its General Manager.
I hope to give some continuity to the Board, tenants, supporters and people on the waiting list for information and updates in all things Homes for Wells.
Emily Smid, Office Administrator
I’ve been living in Wells-Next-The-Sea since 2021 with my partner, who has been a permanent resident for over 10 years.
I found a great community here in Wells full of amazing, friendly locals, which inspired me to look at available jobs in Wells.
Coming from an administrative background, with Wells having a high rate of hospitality career opportunities, I wasn’t sure I would be so lucky to find a job in my field.
However, when the opportunity came up to work for Homes for Wells, I jumped at the chance as I’ve really found my home within the Wells community and love the idea of helping others achieve their goals as I have, to live and work within this beautiful town.
Board Members
Lynne Burdon - Chair
I first came to Wells in 2018 to view a house for my retirement – my dream was to be able to walk my dog on the beach every day. It was love at first sight – first with the harbour, then with the beach and finally with the house. When I bought my home what I did not know was that I had just contributed to a problem for Wells. Yet another lovely home snapped up with money earned in London at a price that would be unaffordable to most who worked in Wells.
I joined the board of Homes for Wells because I wanted to contribute to this lovely community and to be part of the solution to the affordable housing shortage rather than part of the problem. I am passionate about helping Wells to thrive – to be a vibrant year-round town as well as a seasonal holiday resort. For this to happen local people must be able to live here.
Before retirement I was a solicitor and a founding partner of a law firm in London which I managed for over 30 years growing to over 200 people. My passion was creating a great place to work. I now work freelance coaching law firm leaders.
Richard Van Ree - Finance
I’m retired now but first went to school in Norwich and have lived in Norfolk for over 40 years, and in North Norfolk since 2008. Wells is a town that I visit regularly, walking on the coast and seeing friends who live here.
It was while talking to a friend from Wells that I became aware recently that Homes for Wells were looking for someone with financial experience to succeed Rod in the role of Treasurer on his upcoming retirement. I qualified as a chartered accountant and have spent ten years in the accountancy world, in addition acting in my latter years as the Finance Director of a small family property development company.
The welcome that I’ve received from Homes for Wells reflects what I’ve found from Wells people as a whole over the years. It’s been fantastic and I’m looking forward to helping as best I can with the team’s challenge of providing rental homes for local people that they can afford.
Johanna Tennant
I have lived in Wells for the last 13 years but have a much longer association with the town as both my grandmother and my father were from Wells next the Sea. I spend some time living in Norfolk in the 1970s.
Following the birth of my two daughters, in 1988 I founded my own Design, Build & Project Management Consultancy based in north London. My husband, Christopher and I decided to return to live full time in Norfolk in 2008 when I started working for the Holkham Estate as Projects Manager.
In 2014 Christopher and I refurbished the building formerly known as The Corner House in Wells and established “Bang In Wells” - a café and guest accommodation business. Having employed several local people at Bang In Wells, I was already very aware of the issues surrounding the severe lack of affordable homes for local people which is why I joined the board of Homes For Wells hoping that my skills in the property sector would be of benefit to the organisation in acquiring more affordable accommodation for local people to enable them to continue to live, work and raise their families in this wonderful community.
I continue to work as a freelance Design, Build and Management Consultant in the property sector.
Annie Golding
I am very lucky to have been born and brought up in Wells. I studied business management, retail and accountancy at The College of West Anglia. I now have two young children and a successful business within the town and many of my family still live here.
Myself and my partner became Tenants of Homes for Wells after our first child was born. After a short time I joined Homes for Wells' Board as the tenant representative in 2016. In 2018 we were lucky enough to be able to purchase our own family home in Wells, I decided to remain a board member as I feel strongly about helping to support the thriving community of Wells and helping local people by providing affordable and secure homes for them to live in.
Kayleigh Rumble
I was born in Wells and attended both the primary and high school. I went to study animal behaviour which has taken me around the world to volunteer for different organisations working with some amazing types of animals.
Wells has always been and will always be my home and in 2011 I came back to Wells to work in Nelsons Cafe to help out my mum. I still work there today, and we are now business partners.
I could see that Wells was becoming more popular with holiday homes and second homes so decided to try and save for my own house with my partner Jo. We secured a property in Northfield Crescent - the same road I grew up on! We’ve lived here happily since 2013 with our two children. A recent valuation of our property shows it’s almost doubled in 8 years meaning if we tried to buy the same property today, we wouldn’t be able to afford to. This is the case for many locals making it almost impossible for them to get on the property ladder. The renting market is just as bad, and we are seeing more young locals moving away from the town. As a business owner this is very worrying as trying to find staff was never easy and now it’s even harder. This is why I joined Homes for Wells, to help more locals to stay local.
Fiona MacCallum
Wells is my home town. I grew up loving the sea and open space here. After school, I left for London and was employed as a press and events officer at Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital and later for Crisis, the national charity for homeless people. While there, I worked with Big Issue vendors and major donors to commemorate 30 years of street homelessness with an event at the Globe Theatre. I came back to North Norfolk to raise my family and created a community learning hub at Wells High School. From family learning events to youth work, one thing I noticed was how many young people had left Wells because of the lack of affordable housing and year-round work. Hearing how Sam Peel, a pioneering social reformer, created the first council housing in Wells, inspired me to do something about it too. With £10, lots of goodwill and hard work Homes for Wells was launched. After initiating the start-up, administration and first home for HfW, I stepped back to become a Board then co-opted member of HfW while training as a youth counsellor. Seeing more than 20 families now in secure homes is a credit to the many people who have shaped and supported its growth over the last 15 years. While there is so much more to do, sometimes taking a risk pays off.
Lisa Reynolds
Wells has always held a special place in my heart.
Born and raised in South Norfolk I spent many a summer holiday in the town, a place my family has always adored.
So when I was looking to put down roots it felt natural to settle here.
That was more than 20 years ago when house prices were still reasonable, but over the years I’ve watched them rise as the popularity of the town soared.
The truth is without affordable homes for local people the businesses and vital services will suffer and Wells risks becoming a ghost town outside of the holiday season.
By being part of Homes for Wells I’m hoping I can make a difference and support a town I love.
Wells has a wonderful, vibrant community and I want to see that continue to thrive for generations to come.