Take a look at how we performed during the year, as well as the results of our 2024 resident survey and find out about our plans for the future. Read the report here: BerryBrook Homes ANNUAL REPORT 23-24

We are looking for one of our residents to join the Loddon Homes and Berry Brook Homes Boards.

Whether you’re a Loddon or Berry Brook resident or shared owner, we would welcome your application.

As a Board member, you can make a real difference to our residents’ lives and the communities they live in.

An opportunity to have a positive impact

The main requirement for this role is that you are willing to engage enthusiastically and have a real passion for making Loddon Homes and Berry Brook Homes the best landlords we can be for all our residents.

We are offering an attractive remuneration package of £3,000 per annum plus reasonable expenses. If you are receiving welfare benefits, we can set out what this might mean for you.

Find out more

Download our brochure to find out more about the role, including how to apply. Please click HERE.

Deadline

We have also extended the previous deadline date until we find the best person but we’d encourage you to apply now if you are interested.

Please share with other Berry Brook Homes or Loddon Homes residents. We look forward to hearing from you.

Residents enjoy free entertainment and ice cream at summer community fun day

Berry Brook Homes held its first community fun day since before the pandemic on Tuesday 25 July at its flagship development at Phoenix Avenue.

The event was well attended by residents and provided an opportunity for the community to come together and meet with members of the Berry Brook Homes team and their Wokingham Borough Council Housing Officer.

The event, which included face painting, balloon modelling, magic, and lots of ice cream, was planned to coincide with the beginning of the school summer holidays to give tenants free entertainment.

In addition to being a morning for all to enjoy, it was also an opportunity for residents to raise any housing related concerns.

Residents commented that they enjoyed the event, and hoped another could be planned for next summer.

Simon Dale, Managing Director of Berry Brook Homes, said: “The event was a great success, and it was wonderful to see so many residents coming out to join in, especially the young people, many of whom had their faces painted, each with a different character, and played games in the warm sunshine. We’re very proud of the community at Phoenix Avenue and it was a pleasure to hold this event.”

If you are struggling financially during the Cost of Living Crisis, there are many services that offer support.

We’ve compiled a list of services that may be able to help you. You can download it HERE.

You can also talk to us if you are struggling.

Please call us Monday to Friday  9am–5pm – 0118 908 8749 or email [email protected]

We are pleased to release our latest Annual Report to Residents, which covers the period 2021-22

Key finds from the report include:

• 76% of residents are happy with the service we provide
• 82% are happy with the quality of their home
• 83% of residents are happy that Berry Brook Homes provides a home that is safe and secure
• 61% agree that we give them the opportunity to make their views known
• 82% of residents agree that Berry Brook Homes is good at keeping them informed about things that may affect them as a resident.

New improvements

Following resident feedback, we are changing our fixed term tenancies to assured periodic tenancies, also known as lifetime tenancies, to give our residents greater security of tenure. This will begin in 2023.

We have also adopted the Housing Ombudsman’s Complaint Handling Code, in line with our aim to treat Berry Brook Homes residents the same as social housing tenants.

We will continue to make improvements and listen to our resident’s needs and feedback, as Prue Bray, Chair of the Board stated in her welcome to the Report.

You can read the full report HERE.

If you haven’t received your Report, please email: [email protected]

Loddon Homes and Berry Brook Homes have recruited a new Managing Director (MD) to take both companies forward on the next stage of their growth and development

We are delighted to announce that Monwara Ryatt (Monni) joined the team on Monday (7^th March). She will be taking over from Nigel Bailey who will be retiring at the end of the month. Monni will be working closely with residents, Working Borough Council, the two Boards, and key partners to develop the new Business Plan and key Strategies to strengthen both companies’ financial position and ensure that stay strong and become an outstanding brand moving forward.

Monni started her career as a retail store manager after leaving college, before moving into project management, to work with residents and community groups in urban regeneration programmes for a community-based housing association in the Midlands. This then led to several senior roles at strategic level in Housing and Business Growth and Development for small and large housing associations, local authorities, Tenants Management Organisations, and private sector housing. Monni has worked with customers, communities, and small and large boards to grow and develop ‘fit for purpose’ housing services across the UK. She has over 30 years of solid housing management and housing development experience, which will bring a wealth of knowledge, and area of expertise, to both companies. Monni has a BA Honours Degree in Housing Management and an MBA in Public Policy, and she is a member of the Chartered Institute of Housing.

Monni states that she is very passionate about creating “excellence in customer service and optimising full potential of organisations and therefore looks forward to the exciting challenge ahead”.

“I am very excited at the prospect of working with the two boards, my team, Wokingham Borough Council, tenants, residents, local communities, contractors, developers and key partners to move things forward. Following the challenges of the recent pandemic, this is a very exciting time to start this new journey and I look forward to working with everyone to achieve our key goals in the coming year.”

Both boards welcome Monni and look forward to working with her.

“I look forward to welcoming Monni to her post, ready to execute a new, strong business plan to ensure the continued success of the companies and playing an important part in delivering on the Council’s commitment to affordable housing in the Borough,” says Cllr Shahid Younis, Chair, Loddon Homes.

The team are also looking forward to working with Monni.

“I am really excited to work alongside Monni and face new challenges for Loddon Homes and Berry Brook Homes together. Monni brings so much experience that will benefit the organisation, the people who work here and most importantly our residents,” says Karen Howick, Head of Operations.

While Karen is delighted that Monni is on board, she also wants to thank Nigel Bailey, the out-going MD, for his invaluable involvement in re-shaping the companies, to provide the best local and affordable housing and services.

“Nigel steered the organisations through significant change and restored the relationships that are so pivotal to the success of the local housing companies. While Nigel has led the organisation, he also enabled the team to grow and be successful in their own rights. We are all sad to see him go but wish him every success in the future,” Karen adds.

Cllr Shahid Younis also adds: “During his time as MD, Nigel has worked tirelessly to ensure the future of the Local Housing Companies by building strong foundations for the organisation to grow upon. On behalf of myself and the Board we thank Nigel for his commitment over the past two years.”

Nigel is confident that he is leaving the companies in safe hands and wishes Monni every success in her new role.

“While I am sad to leave, I know that the organisation is in safe hands, supported by a dedicated workforce, trusted partners, a strong pipeline for future housing in the Borough and an effective board,” says Nigel Bailey, former MD of Loddon Homes and Berry Brook Homes.

Monni and the whole team would like to take this opportunity to thank Nigel for his contribution to date and wish him well on his retirement.

Can you take us to the next level?

We are recruiting for an exceptional individual to lead our two small (but perfectly formed) housing organisations to the next level.

Both Loddon Homes and Berry Brook Homes are wholly Council-owned companies (with Loddon Homes being a for-profit Registered Provider) set up to deliver and manage high quality affordable and market homes for local people and provide a financial return to Wokingham Borough Council.

With two engaged Boards, a settled and enthusiastic staff team, over 90% customer satisfaction, updated business plans being finalised and a strong new development pipeline in place this is the ideal time to come and join us.

You should have a passion for helping address local housing need and for providing the best possible value for money service to all our customers. Alongside that you will need a great track record of achievement at senior management level and exceptional communication and partnership development skills.

The role is part time (2-3 days a week) with a full-time equivalent salary of around £60-£65k (dependent on experience).

To apply please provide a comprehensive CV together with a statement (on no more than 2 sides of A4) as to why you are interested in the role, how your skills and experience match the job description and person specification and why you are the best person to drive our organisations forward.

Please send your CV and statement to [email protected].

For an informal chat please contact Nigel Bailey on the email address above or on 07789 941092

Closing date 17th January 2022

Download job description

Residents at Phoenix Avenue attend fun afternoon to celebrate their community

Saturday saw the residents of Phoenix Avenue, together with their neighbours on Childs Close and the original Phoenix Avenue, come together as a community to join in fun activities provided by landlord, Berry Brook Homes, and managing agent of the new development, Wokingham Borough Council.

The event, which included a climbing wall, face painters and Mr Muddle’s balloon modelling, was delivered in response to residents asking Berry Brook Homes to provide an opportunity to bring the old and new communities together, so that all residents could meet and get to know their neighbours better.

Jennifer Nderitu who lives at Phoenix Avenue said “My daughter and I really enjoyed today’s event, it was a great opportunity to meet some of our neighbours as well as staff from Berry Brook Homes and the Council.”

Alistair Auty, Chairman for Berry Brook Homes agreed “The residents of Phoenix Avenue and their surrounding neighbours were incredibly patient during the build and subsequent snagging period whilst these homes were being built. It is fantastic that we were able to organise this event to welcome all those people and provide some fun for the many families that we have been able to house here.”

When Phoenix Avenue completed in May 2017 it marked a milestone achievement for the Council and its Local Housing Companies, Berry Brook Homes and Wokingham Housing. Phoenix Avenue was the culmination of an idea that the Council could once again build homes and own good quality social and affordable housing within a wholly owned Council company.