Welcome to WISH Yorkshire & Humberside

Lindsey Mills, Head of Business Development at Miller Knight has around 20 years' experience working in the social housing sector.

Lindsey joined the WISH Board to encourage and promote women in social housing. In 2023, she moved from co-chair to chair of the Yorkshire & Humberside board.

Outside of work Lindsey is married with two girls and enjoys spending time with her family making memories and having fun.

With a career in regeneration and social housing dating back to 1994, Liz brings a strategic understanding of the sector and the communities it serves. Her experience spans tenant involvement, large-scale partnership delivery, and repairs and maintenance. Liz is currently the Housing Director at Horton Housing, and has previously held senior roles at Yorkshire Housing, MSV, Together Housing, and WDH.

She is passionate about leading her team into the next chapter of housing, especially during a time of sector-wide transformation. Liz joined WISH to support and champion the progression of women in housing, believing strongly in inclusive leadership and career development.

Charlotte has over 18 years’ experience of working in the charity and not for profit sector.  
 
She currently holds the role of Director of Care, Health and Wellbeing at South Yorkshire Housing Association (SYHA), a post she exec job-shares with another Director..  

Together they lead the LiveWell Programme, SYHA’s non-general housing offer including homelessness & rough sleeping interventions, work and wellbing programmes, mental health services and social prescribing.  
 
From an internationally recognised Aging Better programme in Sheffield, to Working Win a cutting edge RCT focused on mental health and employability across the Sheffield City Region, LiveWell is leading the way for inclusion and change across housing, health and wellbeing. 
 
Charlotte is also leading the Digital Transformation programme at SYHA.   

Charlotte was previously the COO and Director of Social Inclusion at Good Things Foundation. She’s held previous roles at Learndirect and The Prince’s Trust.  

Gemma Edwards, Senior Business Development Manager at Novus Property Solutions has nearly 15 years’ experience of working in the Social Housing Sector.

Gemma’s role at Novus is to identify new clients and maintain a good working relationship with new and existing contacts. Gemma has a specific interest in Zero Carbon and has helped Novus launch Novus Sustain, its latest brand which was created to help clients retrofit their housing stock. Gemma also has a marketing degree and enjoys event management.

Gemma is excited to join WISH as a board member to share best practice, inspire and promote women in social housing. Gemma is an active member of the WiN (Women in Novus) Network that empowers women and under-represented groups to help shape the way forward for the business and the industry as a whole; to make the workplace more inclusive.

Outside of work Gemma is married with two boys who take up most of her spare time. (1) Gemma (Gunter) Edwards | LinkedIn

Abigail Beresford is Marketing Manager at Miller Knight, where she leads on brand awareness and communications across the business and beyond. She has worked at Miller Knight for the past year and brings five years’ experience within the construction sector, supporting organisations operating in housing, building safety, and property compliance.

Abigail has a strong passion for equality, diversity, and professional development within the social housing sector. She joined the WISH Yorkshire and Humberside Board at the beginning of her professional life to continue developing her own leadership skills, while helping to champion inclusive practices and raise the profile of women working across housing, construction, and compliance related roles.

Ruth has worked in Housing and Property for over 15 years, holding roles in both social housing and development. Her current role is Senior Development Manager for Pagabo, which involves working on high profile construction projects across the North of the UK.

When not working, Ruth enjoys spending time with her husband, daughter and cheeky family dog Bella. Passionate about womens' place in construction, Ruth has joined the Yorkshire & Humberside Board at WISH to help raise the profile of female workers and champion female leadership across the sector.

Ruth Oye is a Communications Manager at Horton Housing Association, where she leads on brand strategy, internal communications, and stakeholder engagement. She brings over five years’ experience across housing, social care, fintech, and agency environments, delivering integrated campaigns, strengthening digital presence, and driving measurable engagement growth.

Ruth is passionate about inclusive communications and using storytelling to support social impact and community development.

Outside work, Ruth enjoys continuous learning, creative storytelling, and engaging with communities through writing and digital platforms, alongside exploring culture and wellbeing.

Aimee Sims is a highly experienced Client Development Manager at Adecco, specialising in the Public Sector, with over 10 years of recruitment expertise across both private and public sectors. Her work focuses on building strong networks with HR professionals and Talent Acquisition leaders, driving strategic workforce planning to shape the future of housing.

Passionate about talent strategy, sustainability, and inclusion, Aimee has delivered numerous webinars and events on critical topics such as the Employment Rights Bill, AI in HR, and Talent Challenges within Housing. She actively collaborates with thought leaders on neurodiversity, mental health, and disability inclusion, reinforcing her ability to develop strategic partnerships and deliver innovative recruitment solutions that meet evolving market needs.

Aimee’s ambition to join the WISH Board reflects her commitment to inspiring the future of housing through strong leadership. She aims to provide valuable insights into an ever-changing market, champion inclusive practices, and advocate for greater representation and opportunities for women in housing. Her vision is to attract diverse talent, promote sustainability, and ensure that equity remains at the heart of the sector.

Dr Sarah Cooper is Executive Director of People and Culture at Vico Homes, a leading provider of social homes. As a passionate advocate for people-centred leadership, Sarah’s focus is on building high performing, inclusive teams and fostering cultures where individuals and leaders in the organisation are supported to be their best.

Sarah is a Chartered Fellow of the CIPD and has worked in senior HR roles in other sectors before moving into the housing sector. She is a passionate advocate for supporting women in the workplace and increasing representation at all levels in an organisation and has supported many women to develop their careers through coaching and mentoring. She is hoping to use this experience to support WISH members through her role on the board.

Outside of work, Sarah is a single Mum of two and enjoys spending time with family and friends and supporting her farmer partner.  

I am Assistant Director of Customer Experience at Together Housing, with nearly 20 years’ experience working in social housing across customer services and property. I have held a range of management roles, specialising in repairs, maintenance, and compliance, and have led both office-based and field teams. Alongside my executive role, I am currently a Board Member at Chartford Housing, bringing operational insight and a strong focus on service quality and resident outcomes.

I am a Mental Health First Aider and deeply believe in supporting people to be the best they can be. I am passionate about ensuring residents have equal access to services and that everyone has a safe, healthy place to call home — the foundation for a good life. WISH is important to me because, working in traditionally male-dominated property environments, I want to champion women to be confident, visible, and brave, and to encourage them to step forward, stand out, and support one another into leadership roles.

I am currently a Paralegal in the Social Housing Litigation department at Chadwick Lawrence LLP. I completed my Law LLB at Durham University in 2024 and went on to complete the Bar Practice Course and LLM at the University of Law in 2025. I have been a board member of WISH since February 2026 and looking forward to the years ahead!