Charity behind more than a century of housing…

Charity behind more than a century of housing provision secures its own new city pad

A charity managing more than 1,400 homes across Hull and East Yorkshire has moved into new commercial premises in the city.

Pickering & Ferens Homes has taken the lease on a 3,570 sq ft suite as part of The Beacon, a Grade A office development built by leading regional developer Horncastle Group Plc.

The top floor of 7 Beacon Way is the new headquarters for the firm, as it moves from The Maltings, now being converted into residential apartments. The charity dates back to 1910 when founding director and prominent businessman Christopher Pickering funded the construction of 12 almhouses in west Hull.

Claire Warren, chief executive, said the move enabled the charity’s 42 employees to work in a much more flexible manner, while still maintaining a strong internal culture.

She said: “We wanted to retain a central base because of our identity as a local charity is based on the strength of our relationships with our customers. The cornerstone of that is the strength of the relationships between ourselves. You can’t keep a strong company culture built on working together for 30 years if don’t see each other. But we are also big advocates of hybrid working and were considering it even before the pandemic hit. It is flexible, works well with our customer-first principles and it means our employees can enjoy a better work-life balance.”

The organisation now manages a portfolio of 1,400 bungalows, flats and retirement living schemes for couples and single people beyond the age of 60, and builds around 25 new homes annually.

Ian Hodges, Horncastle director, welcomed Pickering & Ferens to The Beacon, where it joins law firm Rradar, the City Health Care Partnership and leading Dutch logistics business Den Hartogh.

He said: “Pickering & Ferens Homes has been providing accommodation for older people in the city for more than 100 years, ensuring their residents benefit from the best quality of life they can provide. As a charity, it is part of the fabric of the city and does a tremendous amount of good work. It is a real privilege to have them relocate to The Beacon.

"Their move leaves very little space available on the site, which is one of a very small number of Grade A office developments in Hull. Any companies looking to move into the city would struggle to find more modern and convenient office accommodation with a good ratio of on-site car parking.”

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