Housing LIN team charts a course for the year ahead on annual Away Day

The Housing LIN crew swapped desks for decks last week for their annual Away Day, spending the day cruising the Kennet & Avon canal — a welcome chance to reflect on a busy 12 months as the team prepares to launch its 2025-26 Year in Review.

Setting off from Sydney Wharf in Bath, the team navigated their way to the Angelfish restaurant for lunch, ably captained by CEO Jeremy Porteus, whose vision and leadership set the course as surely as it does for the Housing LIN as a whole. Several swing bridges along the route put their teamwork to the test, while Assistant Director of Commercial & Partnerships Lois Beech tackled some of the trickiest stretches of navigating and showed off some particularly impressive mooring skills.

Also taking their turn at the helm were Business Director Ian Copeman, the driving force behind Housing LIN's consultancy work, and Jerome Billeter, Assistant Director for Operations and Marketing, who provided a steady hand and a secure anchor throughout.

Senior Data Analyst Cicily Biju, who is usually hard at work behind the scenes, finally got the chance to relax and enjoy some time in the sun. And special thanks are due to Alice Hodsdon, whose always impeccable organisation kept the day — and the refreshments — flowing smoothly.

The team missed the presence of Senior Public Affairs and Communications Officer Sally Razey, currently on maternity leave — though they were delighted to spot a boat named Sally along the way.

The day brought its fair share of wildlife spotting too, with herons, a kestrel and a red kite all making an appearance. The weather played along for the most part, with just the odd spot of rain between sunny spells.

Altogether, it was a fantastic day out for the whole team — and a fitting moment to look back on the achievements of the past year, before turning attention to what promises to be an equally busy and exciting one ahead.

Stay tuned for our 2025-26 Year in Review report, launching soon!