A new home for Hannah and her boys this Christmas

Imagine waking up to a letter telling you that you have to leave your home in two months. No explanation, no warning, just a letter through the post on a cold October morning.

And then you realise the date you need to leave is Christmas Eve.

That’s what happened to mum of two, Hannah who was issued a no fault eviction by her private landlord earlier this year.

Hannah has lived in Berry Hill in the Forest of Dean all her life. Her family have always been close by to provide support and help look after her two boys while she’s at work, so the thought of having to leave the area was absolutely devastating.

“It broke my heart,” Hannah told us. “The thought of moving out of Berry Hill scared the life out of me. I rely on my mum and dad a lot for childcare to be able to work. My children’s school is here, their nursery is here, their childminder is here so it was really, really scary for all of us.”

Hannah didn’t know where to turn. There wasn’t much around to rent privately and the homes that were available were expensive. So, she got in touch with the local council to see if they could help.

“When someone told me to reach out to my local councillor, I thought no I can’t, but they’ve backed me every step of the way. In fact, everyone from Two Rivers, the Forest of Dean Council, the councillors every single person has been phenomenal. And I can’t thank them enough.”

Hannah created an account on Gloucestershire HomeSeekers Plus, which meant she could start applying for a new home for her family. Despite the anguish the whole situation had caused, there was a silver lining for Hannah and her boys. Homes at our new development Marian’s Walk were just about to become available.

We built Marian’s Walk to give local families a place to call home. There is a desperate need for more affordable housing in the area and by working with our partners at the Forest of Dean District Council, Gloucester Rural Community Council, the Gloucester Rural Housing Partnership and the West Dean Parish Council we’ve been able to build 17 new homes for people living in the Berry Hill community.

Thanks to funding from Homes England and Gloucestershire NHS, these homes are energy efficient and include two fully accessible bungalows.

Local developer Mike Etheridge Construction started building the homes in 2024. Now families like Hannah’s are moving in just in time for Christmas and will be celebrating the new year in their new homes.

“It’s wonderful, the house is so nice and has been really well built. I love it – I love everything about it. I’m really looking forward to being in for Christmas, having all the family round and making it really magical for the kids.”