Surveyors’ Livery Company launches ‘life changing’ real estate Bursaries scheme to support the next generation of property industry talent

The Worshipful Company of Chartered Surveyors (WCCS) has launched a life-changing programme of real estate bursaries to help talented students from less advantaged and non-traditional backgrounds to enter the property industry.

The Chartered Surveyors’ Bursaries is run in partnership with Pathways to Property. The aim is to create a diverse and inclusive property industry by giving financial support and guidance to students, who would like to study for a real estate degree but whose personal circumstances mean they are unable to attend university.

Students who are awarded a Chartered Surveyors’ Bursary will each be supported by a property industry ‘Champion’, who will pay £10,000-a-year for three years to cover a student’s university living expenses. Additionally, they will offer ongoing mentoring throughout their degree as they enter the workplace.

The first three Champions to commit to funding Bursaries are international real estate consultancy Hollis, pan-European investor and asset manager M7 Real Estate, and private property investor and developer Dunmoore Group.

The WCCS trialled the scheme last year, committing £150,000 to fund five students through their degrees. The students, some of whom were the first in their family to attend university, commenced their studies in October 2020 at universities including Nottingham Trent, Sheffield Hallam, Cambridge, the University of Manchester and Reading.

The WCCS is now opening the scheme up to the wider property industry to enable more businesses to support the education of talented young people who face many entry barriers.

The aim is to sign up at least eight property businesses from across the sector to become ‘Champions’  and fund a further eight university places commencing in September 2021.

The Bursaries are being offered in collaboration with Pathways to Property, which manages the application process for students and is responsible for the administrative and safeguarding role throughout the students’ education.  Launched in 2012, Pathways to Property aims to widen access to the real estate and planning profession by raising awareness of the vast range of careers available within the sector. It is led by the Reading Real Estate Foundation at Henley Business School, part of the University of Reading.

The Worshipful Company of Chartered Surveyors

The WCCS is one of the City of London’s 110  livery companies. With their history embedded in the ancient Guilds in the City of London the Livery Companies now focus on education and charitable causes. Established in 1977 and with more than 300 members, the WCCS has made donations of more than £600,000 through its charitable trust over the last five years, the majority of which has been used to support the education of young people.

Ken Morgan, master of the Worshipful Company of Chartered Surveyors, said: “Talent is evenly spread across society, but opportunity is not – an issue that has only increased for many young people through the course of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Chartered Surveyors’ Bursaries represent an opportunity to really make a difference, not only to the lives of gifted students and their families, but also to support the future health of the property industry as a whole.

We are extremely excited at the progress that our first cohort of students is already making and would like to thank Hollis, M7 Real Estate and Dunmoore for becoming the first of hopefully many Champions of the Chartered Surveyors’ Bursaries.”

Paddy Allen, chair of Pathways to Property, said: “This partnership is a fantastic example of allies coming together to make real change in the industry and widening access to the sector through multiple different avenues.

“We are immensely proud of partnering with WCCS to further progress our collective aim of increasing representation across the sector and giving talented young people the support they need to succeed.”

John Woodman, senior partner at Hollis, said:  “We are delighted to be supporting the WCCS bursary programme. It is a fantastic initiative that we hope will make a real difference to many young people. “It is also an initiative that goes to the heart of improving diversity and inclusion in our industry, which is something Hollis are very keen to help address too.”

Teresa Dyer, chief operating officer at M7 Real Estate, said:  “We’re extremely proud to be a sponsor of the WCCS bursary programme, which is helping provide an opportunity for individuals that may not have had the opportunity without this support.

“The property industry is continuing to introduce new schemes and programmes to attract a wider variety of people to work in the sector and the education bursary can help support university students throughout their studies.”

Jeffrey Hobby, group owner and CEO at Dunmoore, said: “We are delighted to be able to support the WCCS bursary programme. Enabling education and opportunity for young people who otherwise couldn’t access it is so important to encourage aspiration and ambition not only for the individual sponsored but also within their wider peer groups.

“This initiative within the property industry is one of the many ways we can work together to  improve both the lives of others and our industry by widening the pool of talented people within it.”