SunFyr Barns — a new studio, clinic, café, and creative event space near Norwich — opened its doors at the weekend. Here, Co-founders Jax Heffer-Cooke, Nic Stroud and Jess Wilcockson explain the vision
A new wellbeing and creative rural hub in Norfolk is set to become a sanctuary for those seeking connection. SunFyr Barns, located 15 minutes outside Norwich, has opened its doors, with a mission rooted not just in wellness, but in warmth, belonging, and the beauty of living well. Founded by Jax Heffer-Cooke, Nic Stroud, and Jess Wilcockson, the story of SunFyr Barns is, at its core, a story of connection, with Jax, Nic, and Jess each arriving on their wellbeing paths in their own time.
Jax began her professional life in the world of broadcast media, producing high-pressure shows for the BBC and ITV. After years navigating demanding deadlines and competitive environments, she made the radical choice to change direction, retraining in yoga, bodywork, and social development. She is now a 200-hour qualified yoga teacher trainer, the Founder of Freedom Yoga & Retreats, and director of ZenMuma, delivering pregnancy, baby, kids, and teen yoga teacher training across the UK. Jax also holds a Master’s degree in Global Social Development and leads retreats around the world. Over the past 15 years, she has become one of Norfolk’s most trusted wellbeing leaders.
Nic’s journey led her to become a registered acupuncturist and psychotherapist, known for her intuitive insight and clinical care. Her work merges Eastern and Western approaches, offering integrative health support that truly sees the whole person. Whether through bespoke health checks, acupuncture, or in-depth psychotherapy, Nic’s practice is anchored in depth, safety, and a belief in the body’s innate wisdom.
Jess brings the earth-based, sensory heart to SunFyr. A prenatal yoga teacher with a deep love of plants, she is currently studying herbalism and botany while preparing to run the artisan café at SunFyr Barns. Jess also launches her pregnancy yoga classes next week. Her vision for botanical workshops, apothecary teas, and seasonal kitchen offerings is a central part of the project’s soul.
Together, the trio dreamed up SunFyr Barns across cups of tea, after long walks, and around yoga mats and ceremonial fires, and the name SunFyr was born from elemental thinking — a blending of light, fire, warmth, and place. “We wanted a space that felt alive,” says Jax. “A place where people could rekindle their inner fire — and be supported while doing it.”
SunFyr Barns, set in a barn complex, officially opened its doors to the public at the weekend. It houses four core spaces: a yoga and meditation studio, a complementary health clinic, an artisan café, and a seasonal outdoor events area. SunFyr will also host visiting practitioners and facilitators, opening the space up to other voices, practices, and possibilities.
Jax, Nic, and Jess have a longer vision for SunFyr Barns — one that includes community-led offerings, school nature programs, artist retreats, and an evolving calendar of immersive experiences.
“We hope SunFyr becomes a place where people feel free to be who they are,” says Jess. “To grow, to explore, to heal, to laugh, to rest.”
Nic agrees: “It’s about creating something real. Not perfection, but presence. Not escape, but reconnection.”
And in Jax’s words: “We’re building a home for people to self-express in all its forms. We’re inviting people to find the way back to themselves, to who they truly are. Here we meet.”
SunFyr Barns, Manor Farm Barns, Fox Road, Norwich, Norfolk Nr14 7PZ. Follow sunfyr_barns_norfolk on Instagram or sign up for updates at sunfyrbarns.co.uk.
Featured image of (left to right) Nic, Jax and Jess – Revel Studios
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