Helping yoga enthusiast Julie find Community

People make the daunting decision to downsize for many reasons. Some choose it for health, some feel lost in their larger home, and some, like our Customer Julie Bickerstaffe, long for a sense of Community. However, when Julie decided to move into one of our award-winning Park Hill apartments, she had no idea how many boxes her new home would tick.  

Before life at Park Hill, Julie lived in a large house in the leafy suburb of Ranmoor, Sheffield. However, it lacked the Community feel she craved, so she boldly decided to downsize to an apartment in the city's Park Hill Community.  

Nine years on, and Julie is thriving thanks to a new sense of Community spirit. She's even taken up yoga and established her own beauty salon on the west side of Sheffield.  

"I loved it from the first day. I work hard and think of my home as a sanctuary, so it had to work for me. This move was all about meeting people, and I've met some really lovely ones. Tom and Ola, who also live here, have been so supportive. We have regular get-togethers, which has really helped me settle in."  

Julie couldn't be happier with the location and surroundings of her new apartment either. It's helped with her yoga practice and given her a greater sense of belonging.  

"I love the herb garden here; it's just by the tennis table. I think it shows the proper Community feeling here. Everyone takes care of the Community and supports each other – which is something I never really bought into before moving here.  

"I've also started yoga. I practise early in the morning every day, and when I do my stretches, I can see the landscape and design of Park Hill. It's so colourful, which gets my creative juices flowing. The natural light in my flat is perfect too."  

Feeling a greater sense of Community was a huge driving force behind Julie's decision to downsize, and it sounds like Park Hill has lived up to her hopes.  

"I'm planning to travel in a van this summer, and I love that I know I can lock the door here, come back three months later, and I'll still feel safe and at home."  

Julie's experience is just one of many similar Customer stories. Her brave decision to downsize her house for a greater sense of Community has enriched her life in so many ways. She now feels like an included and contributing member of her Community; she's made new friends, explored new hobbies, and even found the creative energy to start her own business.  

Experiences like Julie's are why Community matters so much to us. 

As the UK's leading Social Enterprise, our mission is to create, manage and support thriving Communities to ensure our Customers feel happy, healthy, and included.  

We take our job seriously #BecauseCommunityMatters.