At Abri, we’re all about building an inclusive team where everyone has a chance to shine. This International Women’s Day, we’re excited to share the stories of two of our Assistant Land Managers, Hannah and Flik. Both work in our Land and Planning team, helping to secure land for affordable housing - something that’s so important to our communities.
They both work in a field that can often be seen as male-dominated, but their journeys show just how much women bring to the table. In this blog, Hannah and Flik talk about their careers, the challenges they’ve faced, and how they’ve made their mark in development. Their stories are a reminder that when we embrace diverse voices and perspectives, we can make a real difference in the work we do.
We’re proud to have women like Hannah and Flik at Abri, shaping the future of housing. On this special day, we celebrate them and all the women working hard to build a better, more inclusive world.
Hi Hannah and Flik, can you tell us a bit more about your roles here at Abri?
Hannah: We both work in the Land and Planning department, myself in the South team and Flik in the South West. Our main objective is to support the purchase of land for building affordable homes. From financially appraising new sites, composing Board Reports for approval, to seeing them through the legal due diligence process and conducting site visits. The role itself is incredibly varied, and no two days are the same.
Flik: Not much left to add, Hannah has covered it well!
We know that working in development is often seen as a male-dominated part of the housing sector. What appealed to you about pursuing a career in this field?
Hannah: It does appear that way. I think initially if I'm being truthful this was something that made me nervous to apply for roles in land and planning. I think internally we do a good job of having a gender diverse land team, but I know that the wider industry is not as diverse. The role was appealing to me as I knew that there were a lot of opportunities to progress within Abri. Starting out as a development officer and completing an apprenticeship was a perfect way to learn the job and gave me the opportunity to grow within the team.
Flik: One of the things that really drew me to Abri was the fact that the South West Land and Planning team is all female. It’s easy in the development world to find yourself as the only woman in the room, so it was refreshing to see a team that bucks the trend. The sector has come a long way, and many housing associations are doing great work to improve gender equality in development teams. Women bring really important insights into how homes and community spaces are designed and used, so it’s vital that we have a seat at the table. That’s a big part of what drew me to this field—knowing that development isn’t just about building houses, but about shaping communities, and that diverse voices can make a real difference in creating places that work for all.
What have your career journeys looked like? And when did you know you wanted to work in social housing?
Hannah: Without sounding too cliche I fell into development. I went to university to study sound engineering with ideas of travelling the world with touring musicians. When that all started to sound a bit too much like heavy lifting and an uncomfortable night's sleep I pivoted my ambitions. I started at Abri in a development project support role, which helped me to gain an insight into how the development world worked and helped me to foster some internal relationships. I then applied for the development officer role within land and planning. This was a training role where I undertook an apprenticeship and gained an AssocRICS qualification. Once this was complete, I worked hard to gain a promotion to my current role. The idea of working for a Registered Provider with a social purpose was way more attractive to me than working for a large for-profit PLC. I always wanted to feel like I was making a difference and helping people. Seeing developments built on the land I have worked on purchasing, knowing many new families will make them their homes, makes it a very worthwhile job.
Flik: Unlike Hannah, I made an active decision to pursue career in housing. Moving to Bristol in my early twenties, I was struck by the housing crisis and how deeply it affected the city. That pushed me to volunteer with St Mungo’s (a leading UK homeless charity), which led me to study social policy with the goal of working in homelessness. During my degree, I interned at a small housing charity, then went on to work in a local authority’s homelessness team. It was a tough job, with many challenges but more than anything it showed me that the biggest challenge was the sheer lack of affordable homes. From there I knew I wanted to play a part in changing that.
I secured a ‘Trainee Project Manager’ role at a housing association - my first step into development, and I loved it. The role was fast-paced and varied, allowing me to be strategic and problem solve, all whist knowing I was making a tangible impact. I was promoted to ‘Project Manager,’ and started becoming involved in land-led sites and that’s when it clicked, land was where I wanted to be. Getting involved early meant shaping the homes and communities we build from the ground up. That passion led me to my current role at Abri, which I started at the end of last year. I’m excited to be part of a team making a real difference, creating homes that people truly need.
Have you faced any challenges along the way, particularly as women?
Hannah: I’ve been incredibly lucky working at Abri to have an excellent line manager and head of department who have nurtured me to have the confidence to face challenges head on. The role itself requires me to attend a lot of networking events, these can sometimes be daunting when walking into a room full of people and being the only woman in there. However, after some time and seeing the same people over and over it gets a lot easier. Overall, I have found that although I am almost always in the minority there has seldom been any negativity.
Flik: One of the biggest challenges I faced was not knowing early on that a career in development was even an option. I had always wanted to work in housing, but I initially assumed that meant taking on a policy or support-based role. Development wasn’t something that was widely talked about, especially for women. It wasn’t until I progressed in my career that I became aware of the variety of roles available and the impact I could have. As a woman in what can seem like a typically male dominated sector, I think the first challenge to overcome is knowing that there are roles available to you.
What changes do you think need to be made to help improve things for women and girls?
Hannah: I think that housing as a whole is not very well publicised. There have been drives recently aimed at younger children to get girls into STEM and other various previously male dominated sectors and I think this sort of thing would be especially useful in development and housing. The industry suffers from massive labour shortages and if women and girls had the opportunity to try out the role early on in work placement capacities, they may be more open to pursuing it as a career. Another very under resourced part of our industry is planning, with government amping up targets on local authorities there is likely to be a huge opportunity in the coming years for planning officers and managers to enter the sector. Having drives in schools to explain these roles where there are shortages is a good way of ensuring pipeline for the future.
Flik: Again, Hannah has covered this point well. I think there needs to be more of push to demonstrate the breadth of the roles available in development, housing and construction, so more women know working in the industry is a viable option.
Who have been some of your role models or inspirations, and how have they influenced your career journey?
Hannah: I find anyone who is a woman in a senior role so inspiring. I often look up to people in our own organisation and even in our own department, such as our Director of Development who came up through the ranks, with real admiration. I also have a lot of respect for women in positions of power, MP’s such as Dianne Abbot, the first black woman MP, are hugely inspirational for me. Looking at the sexism, racism, and other challenges she faced just doing her job it really puts into perspective how important it is to have strong women in public positions of power.
What is one thing you wish more people knew about the work you do, particularly in land management?
Hannah: That there are a lot of opportunities in land management and development. It’s a wide and varied sector which has great pay and benefits.
Flik: Land management is about so much more than just buying land and building on it. There’s a huge amount of planning and problem-solving involved, looking at environmental impact and legal constraints, and how a development will actually work for the community. Every site comes with its own challenges, and a big part of the job is figuring out how to make a project both viable and beneficial. It’s a lot of moving parts, but that’s what makes it interesting!
What advice would you give to women starting out in their careers?
Hannah: Don’t be afraid to ask questions. I still find myself worrying that I will come across as “stupid” in meetings for asking a “dumb” question but over time I find myself overcoming this. Also, apply for the job! Even if you don’t hit every single bit of the criteria.
Flik: The best thing I did for my career was to take a step back to ultimately help me progress. I think it’s really important to remember that career progression isn’t always a straight path, and that’s okay. Don’t be afraid to take a step sideways, go back, or explore a different direction if it helps you grow or align with what you truly want. Every experience can bring valuable skills and perspective. Success looks different for everyone, so trust your instincts, be open to change, and remember that no opportunity is ever wasted.