DiverseCity Surveyors support LandAid's #Pledge150 campaign

Last weeks official VIP launch event of the #Pledge150 campaign at RICS HQ in Parliament Square in London, in consideration of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) 150th Anniversary, was a truly humbling experience that (personally) will be remembered way beyond the next year of our proposed campaign activity.

The presence of the Duke of Cambridge, who has previously committed and aligned himself to LandAid’s Pledge150 campaign, was completely overwhelming. His Royal Highness also delivered a thought provoking speech which galvanised those in attendance and set the scene for his own expectations of the Chartered Surveyor community [no pressure.....!]; read the speech by HRH the Duke of Cambridge.

It is worth noting in 2018, the RICS will be celebrating its 150th years anniversary and as part of the many celebrations to mark this occasion have pledged to raise £2.25million for LandAid, the property industry charity working to end youth homelessness. The figure of £2.25million represents and equates to 150 bed spaces [at a unit cost of £15,000 each]. The bed spaces will be earmarked for young people currently at risk of homelessness across the UK.

LandAid brings together businesses and individuals from across the property industry to support charities delivering life-changing services for young people who are or have been homeless, or who are at risk of homelessness in the future. As a charitable trust, LandAid award grants to exceptional small or medium-sized charities in the UK who are working to tackle youth homelessness.

Photo: Sean Tompkins, RICS Chief Exec with the Duke of Cambridge arriving at our table.....with Elina Grigoriou [left]

Photo: Sean Tompkins, explains the need for diversity & inclusion and introduces Bola Abisogun FRICS [founder, DiverseCity Surveyors] to the Duke of Cambridge...

Photo: Duke of Cambridge and Bola Abisogun, sharing a joke about his recent visit to Hackney!...........

Photo: Duke of Cambridge and Bola Abisogun, contextualising on the scale of the problem and the need to act...........

Photo: Duke of Cambridge and fellow DCS member, Kimberly Hepburn, RICS Young Surveyor of the Year [Award Winner of the 2017 Category - Apprentice of the Year]...........

On request from Sean Tompkins, Chief Executive of RICS, the #Pledge150 campaign will be the 'de-facto' effort for DiverseCity Surveyors [the RICS BAME Network] in consideration of our core mission which is to ensure and maintain wherever possible, that 'diversity & inclusion' for all is prioritised from a socio-economic perspective.

Further coverage of the launch event, by the RICS, can be observed here