Find out more about working at Broadacres

Leading Broadacres transition to a net zero future is Sustainability Manager Helen Ball.

The job title itself is evidence of how much the world has moved in terms of recognising the need for change – when Helen studied Geography at Aberystwyth University such roles didn’t exist.

“I come from a very outdoor activity family and at school I was always interested in things like mountain climbing. I was a conservation volunteer and achieved a gold Duke of Edinburgh award,” says Helen.

“I always wanted to be involved in some sort of environmental role but when I did my degree I never envisaged such roles would exist in so many sectors – including housing.”

Armed with her Geography degree, Helen ran a Council eco-programme for schools, worked for the National Trust and spent a year teaching at a school in Ghana. She also worked on a fixed term contract for Broadacres and when her current role was advertised five years ago she knew it was the job for her.

“By then I had realised how important housing was in transitioning to a low carbon future and I wanted to be part of it, it became my calling,” says Helen, 45.

“What’s good about the sector is that different housing providers are all on the same journey and there is a lot of peer learning and sharing. I’m always happy to have a chat with anyone because I know next week it might be me seeking advice.”

Broadacres is fully signed up to the Government target of being carbon neutral by 2050, and are currently working to improve the energy efficiency of all homes to at least a C rating by 2028.

Helen’s role is to co-ordinate the transition. All new homes will be extremely well insulated, have air source heat pumps rather than gas boilers, and be future proofed so they can accommodate advances in green technology including solar panels and electric vehicle charging points. Meanwhile, 6,500 existing homes will see gas boilers replaced with low carbon heating systems, solar panels installed and have external wall insulation to reduce heat loss.

It’s also about how Broadacres operates as a business, moving to an electric fleet and providing energy efficient light and heating to offices. Staff are given carbon literacy training so thinking green becomes second nature.

Serving a rural community throws up its own challenges, including the lack of charging points for electric vehicles in rural areas, however this is something that Broadacres is looking to overcome by installing charging points in carparks in our schemes.

“Technology is not there yet but trials are underway and we are looking to order 25 new electric vans within the next year,” says Helen.

Outside of work Helen’s two daughters keep her busy and the family enjoy spending time together. Though, true to Helen’s carbon-free calling, they tend to holiday in the UK rather than fly abroad.

Michael Dorrian can list Karen Carpenter and various members of the Royal Family among the well-known people he has prepared food for.

And he has also helped to develop products for brands such as Marks and Spencer, Pizza Hut and Wagamama’s, to name just a few.

Now, as Broadacres’ Catering Service Manager, he is responsible for overseeing a team which prepares meals for people living in our four extra care housing schemes in North Yorkshire.

Classically trained in French & European Cuisine, he has worked in the food and hospitality career his entire career and has more than a few claims to fame.

“A career highlight for me was cooking for Karen Carpenter, and I was also responsible for developing the ration packs from canned to pouch meals for the Armed Forces, which are still used today,” he says.

“I have cooked in five-star restaurants and hotels, and in sales roles helped to launch products into international markets and led teams at companies valued at £100 million.”

So, what is Michael doing at Broadacres, you may wonder.

We’ll let him explain: “I took a break from the industry after working in it for so long and then an opportunity came up as the Chef Manager at Broadacres’ Town Close extra care scheme in Stokesley in 2017 and it perfectly suited the work/life balance I was looking for.”

In 2019, Michael, aged 64, was promoted to his current role where he oversees a team of 48 people working in a range of roles, including chef managers and food service assistants. The team work at the four extra care schemes, Town Close in Stokesley, Rivendale in Northallerton, The Orchards in Brompton and Kirkwood Hall in Leyburn.

Here, they prepare meals throughout the day for residents. Members of the local community were also able to dine at the schemes prior to Covid and there are plans to restart this service shortly.

Michael says: “There are four sites but one team encompassing key Broadacres’ principals which are passion, respect, and empathy.

“80% of the food we serve is cooked on site using fresh, locally sourced ingredients and menus are changed on a four-week cycle with an emphasis on choice and flexibility.”

With the worst of the pandemic now appearing to be over, Michael and his team are looking to the future and have big plans in in the pipeline.

He explains: “We have an aspiration to develop the catering & hospitality division, so it is self-financing and have multi stream income revenue generation with money being ploughed back in to enrich the experience of residents.

“We are creating a mobile team that can mutually support each other across all the sites and providing a training platform for catering colleagues to be able to be promoted in-house

“Broadacres is a very supportive employer which values its staff, so I have no hesitation in encouraging people to come and work here, whether it’s in catering or another part of the organization.”

Outside of work, Michael is a married-father-of-three who is a Trustee of his local social club in Saltburn and enjoys walking.

Communication is key for Alice Brown who has recently secured a full-time position at Broadacres after successfully completing an apprenticeship.

Alice, 24, is a Customer Insight and Digital Engagement Officer – championing customer’s voices.

She’s helped embed new software that enables her to monitor customer satisfaction across the Broadacres’ spectrum – and ensure swift action is taken to resolve any issues.

“Customers are at the heart of what we do, and the new software means we hear from more customers than ever – we have perhaps 1,000 pieces of feedback every month compared to 120 previously,” says Alice. “It all helps to ensure we deliver the best possible service.”

Whilst digital technology allows engagement with a far wider range of people, it’s still the human touch that can make all the difference. Generally, the feedback is very good but recently Alice picked up on a low score without any reason being given.

“In this case I called the customer and they explained some work had recently been done and the covering over a pipe was coming away.” says Alice. “I’m very aware that this is someone’s home and details like this are very important and can cause great concern. I was able to pass this on so it was dealt with.”

Alice works partly from home and partly from the Broadacres’ office near Northallerton.  She uses her copywriting skills and various platforms to engage with different audiences – that could be stakeholders on twitter or residents on Facebook.  She ensures communication is easy to understand and accessible to all.

Before joining Broadacres Alice spent time near Harare, Zimbabwe, as part of an International National Citizens Service project helping in a clinic and giving health education advice.

Whilst she’s unlikely to encounter the zebras and monkeys on a Broadacres site that she did in Harare, Alice believes the people skills she learned during her placement there have been of great benefit.

“There was a hair salon where we were based and we wanted to pass on health advice to women who worked there. We got chatting to the owner and she said her trainees needed experience cutting straight European hair. In the end we were able to deliver the talk and the staff got to practice on our hair – it was all down to communication.”

Alice started at Broadacres in 2020 as a marketing apprentice having gained a degree in English Literature and Creative Writing from Manchester Metropolitan University and is pleased at how her career at Broadacres is working out and hopes one day to be a Director of Communications.

“When I first joined Broadacres, I had no idea the range of services they offer in addition to housing, for example help with monetary advice and mental health,” she says. “I get great job satisfaction from helping the public, from identifying a problem and seeing it through to being resolved.”

Jess Box freely admits that when she first started work as an apprentice at Broadacres, she viewed it as a short-term fix.

Having been made redundant twice from previous jobs as a legal clerk, and with a young child to support, she was desperate for any job to pay the bills and became an apprentice with Broadacres’ development team.

That “short term fix” has now lasted over a decade, and Jess has progressed from apprentice to Development Manager and regards Broadacres and the team as one big family.

“I was on my own with a small person and felt I just needed to find any job and then look around for something I really wanted to do,” says Jess. “In fact, I found that this was what I wanted to do, I’ve been here ten years now and really love my job.”

As a Broadacres Development Manager, Jess, 34, is responsible for identifying potential sites, working with communities, and then overseeing the building of new, affordable homes. Through working with parish councils and other groups, Jess can identify Rural Exception Sites where development can take place that addresses local housing need. Sustainability is key, so the need for facilities such as shops, health centre, a new school or link road is all part of the discussion.

A recently completed scheme at Huby, North Yorkshire, illustrates why Jess loves her job.

“There was a clear local need for affordable housing that would allow local people to gain a foot on the housing ladder,” said Jess.

“I’ve seen this development through as a project coordinator alongside the development manager from a discussion document about a muddy field, to completion. Seeing how grateful and delighted people are when they move into their own homes in their local area near friends and family provides great job satisfaction.”

The “small person”, who had Jess desperate to find a job, is now a teenager with two younger brothers which keeps Jess busy outside work. She also enjoys city breaks abroad with friends and has ticked off Dublin, Budapest, and Amsterdam amongst others.

Jess has no hesitation in recommending Broadacres to job seekers.

“I have found it a great company to work for, there’s a wide range of jobs and the opportunity to progress a career. Like me, once people join,they tend to stay a long time.”