Reading Real Estate Foundation 10 years supporting real estate and planning education at the University of Reading
Supporting education, forging links, building futures The Reading Real Estate Foundation is a unique and forward-thinking educational charity, established to support real estate and planning education at the University of Reading. We engage and nurture students to help them achieve their full potential and become the best in the industry. Our activities have evolved over the last 10 years and include: Forging links between the School of Real Estate & Planning, its alumni and the industry Providing assistance in the form of bursaries and grants to students in need Thanks to the generous support of alumni, corporate donors and other individuals, we have earned a reputation as a leading-edge alumni association with a global reach. Building a robust and vibrant network of real estate professionals Offering co-curricular activities to further learning and enhance the employability of our graduates Raising funds from alumni and the industry to support our initiatives Sharing expertise and best practice through organising events and networking opportunities Raising awareness, worldwide, of the School of Real Estate & Planning and helping to maintain its position as a centre of excellence Tel: +44 (0)118 378 4191 3
Our future Building on our strengths Since becoming part of the University in 2009, RREF and its staff have become wholly integrated into the School of Real Estate & Planning and Henley Business School. As alumni relations and fundraising grow in importance and professionalism in the UK, RREF is an innovator with one of the most successful events programmes in the sector that now raises over 75,000 pa and holds the largest single-subject alumni event in the UK, the Annual Dinner attracting 500 guests. There is still more that we want to achieve: we want to address industry-wide issues and support changes in Higher Education funding to keep Reading and its Real Estate & Planning graduates relevant and at the top of employers lists. To do this the Board of Trustees, including both alumni and University members, has focused on key areas to support and develop over the next five to 10 years. Our plans rely upon further engagement with alumni and the industry, developing new ways to communicate with our global community and making the most of University and Business School links both within the UK and internationally. Our past Real estate is a people business. Deals are not completed on screen but through person-to-person contact. It is one of the ultimate networking industries. Reading s Real Estate & Planning alumni have a truly unique place in the UK and global property markets. The real estate specialists, in particular, are large in number and even larger in influence, especially in real estate advisory firms, fund managers and property companies. Around the year 2000 it became increasingly obvious that the reforms of the 1980s were not going to be reversed by a more left-leaning government, and that the government funding of universities was bound to change. The UK lacked the alumni networks that exist so prominently in the United States and which support their institutions so brilliantly. Yet by 2002, more than four thousand real estate and planning graduates had passed through Reading s gates, and the vast majority had found employment and built careers in the real estate industry. So there was a clear need, and a clear opportunity, to harness the power and enthusiasm of our own alumni in support of real estate and planning education at Reading. The first donor offered 1,000 without hesitation when asked, and this generosity committed me to working with 15 fellow-donors and an initial set of Corporate Patrons to set up the Reading Real Estate Foundation. This alumni network and charity has since formalised this tremendous fraternity and built a continuing surplus for distribution for real estate education at Reading. It has been truly satisfying to watch RREF grow and reach its 10th anniversary in such a strong position. Andrew Baum, Professor of Land Management, University of Reading RREF Trustee and Founder donor (BSc Estate Management 1973) Our present Key areas: Support research and teaching talent to ensure a strong future for the School Support students in hardship and reward academic excellence Enable development and enhancement of teaching and learning Help to address diversity issues in the industry through widening access Support the internationalisation of Real Estate & Planning Ensure the future of RREF To achieve these ambitions we need to build upon our existing fundraising activities. One of the ways in which we will do this is through the launch of a RREF Annual Fund to encourage regular giving by alumni and by seeking to secure further individual and corporate support. Nicole Gillham, Executive Director, Reading Real Estate Foundation It is a real privilege to be involved with RREF and especially so over the last few years when it has really consolidated its position as an important and high profile part of the property industry. Since its inception, following the involvement of a number of visionaries within the industry 10 years ago, RREF has grown substantially and is now undoubtedly a major player in the property world. It contributes in a very unique way and leads the industry by example. Four years ago we established a highly successful mentoring scheme for 340 students and set up a widening access scheme to promote internships. We have substantially increased the financial support we are able to offer, and 25 students are currently receiving much needed support from an annual pool of more than 45,000. In the last 10 years RREF has substantially engaged with students, academics, the wider Henley Business School and University, alumni and a wide range of Corporate Patrons. In addition the Pioneers and Friends, together with the multitude of alumni involved in helping to deliver numerous events, all deserve great credit and thanks for their unselfish commitment of time and money. Bryan Laxton, CEO UK, Cushman & Wakefield RREF Trustee and Pioneer donor (BSc Land Management 1981) 4 10 years supporting real estate and planning education at the University of Reading www.rref.net 5
What we do We identify the areas of greatest need and carefully target our funding to ensure that it has maximum impact. It is rewarding to see the impact of our work on students, alumni and the industry and even more so when those who have benefitted from our activities choose to give back and support the students of the future. These pages outline the activities that we undertake and the projects that we fund, from giving to students in need to funding academic posts. They also show how alumni, Corporate Patrons and other donors support these initiatives. Engage Support Develop CORPORATE PATRONS STUDENTS RREF ALUMNI From students, staff and faculty within Real Estate & Planning, Henley Business School and the University of Reading, to alumni and our partners, donors and sponsors in industry - we actively engage with all our stakeholders to involve them. Through our activities and events we encourage interaction, participation and create lifelong connections. We give alumni the opportunity to build global networks through their fellow alumni and other industry contacts. Our Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and social events offer opportunities to make new contacts and stay in touch with old friends. We share news from other alumni, Henley Business School, Reading and the industry, holding the community together. We support three key groups: students, alumni and the industry. Our support to students is delivered in many ways. We offer financial support in the form of bursaries and grants. We provide CPD activities to enhance their employability including: supplying industry mentors, offering Access Internships for those without contacts in the profession and running a subject-specific careers fair. We provide opportunities for enhanced learning through industry lectures and sponsor academic and research posts. Our alumni receive support through a number of channels and activities. Recent graduates gain access to more senior alumni and prospective employers and business contacts. Through the many industry events that we organise, alumni can further their industry knowledge, network and strengthen their links with the wider real estate community. We continually seek new and innovative ways to enhance and expand our activities in order to provide the best possible support. Our latest innovation is a diversity initiative, Pathways to Property. We aim to encourage a greater number of applications from students from nontraditional backgrounds. It has been recognised that the profession has long suffered from a lack of diversity and, with the support of our alumni and the industry, we are seeking to tackle this issue. It is vital that we continue to address issues in the sector as they arise, developing fresh initiatives and fostering a strong sense of community. DONORS/ VOLUNTEERS We support the industry by stimulating debate on current topics through our speaker events, offering networking opportunities with Reading alumni and providing forums for contact with current students through the Access Internship Scheme, RREF Careers Fair and Evening Lecture Series. 6 10 years supporting real estate and planning education at the University of Reading Tel: +44 (0)118 378 4191 7
A global alumni community Our primary focus is to strengthen our community by continuing to develop a global, active and engaged alumni association. Through our events, communications and regional groups we aim to establish even stronger connections between fellow alumni, the School of Real Estate & Planning and Henley Business School, and the wider real estate community, both around the UK and internationally. Making global connections - regional groups Our new regional groups help broaden links, build relationships and encourage business opportunities between alumni and industry contacts based in the UK and in countries across the world. They help raise awareness of RREF and real estate in the region and increase involvement with real estate-focused organisations and key individuals locally. Supporting graduates - RG10 Run by recent graduates, the RG10 group has been set up to support RREF alumni who have graduated in the past 10 years. Through CPD events such as the Profile Talks, networking evenings and sports events like the annual Charity Rugby and Football matches, the group helps to: promote and foster relationships and networks; support career development; create business opportunities and build links in the industry. The early years of your career are crucial to shaping networks. RREF RG10 provides a great tool for establishing connections in an environment where everybody has a common interest and in the knowledge that the majority will inevitably go on and do great things. Holding great events We have built an excellent reputation for holding informative and relevant industry-focused events. Alongside our professional development events, there are networking and reunion events that encourage alumni to establish new connections and to stay in touch with friends. Industry-specific events such as our Breakfast Forum and Annual Lecture series provide current thinking on key issues where guests hear from high profile speakers and debate opinion. To ensure we are reaching out to alumni across the UK, we hold annual Regional Receptions in key locations such as Birmingham, Manchester and Bristol. In growing international markets like Germany, Singapore and China, we are establishing alumni groups and encouraging informal gatherings. We intend to leverage academic travel to give us the opportunity to host more formal alumni events in the coming years. Other events such as the Annual Dinner, Henley Royal Regatta event and Golf Day are a chance for friends from across the graduation years to catch up and for our Corporate Patrons and industry participants to attend with colleagues and clients. The Annual Dinner is the largest single-subject alumni event in the UK, with over 500 guests representing 240 firms from across the sector. We have been privileged to work with many graduates from the University of Reading s School of Real Estate & Planning for many years and as a sponsor of the RREF Annual Dinner in 2010 and 2011 it is our pleasure to support such successful contributors to these industries. David Sinclair, Partner Real Estate, Norton Rose LLP, event sponsors in 2010 and 2011 Holly Franklin, Management Consultant, DJ Deloitte, RG10 Committee member (MSc Real Estate 2006) 8 10 years supporting real estate and planning education at the University of Reading www.rref.net 9
Celebrating 10 years of RREF Total funds raised by July 2011 were over 3.2 million In 2002, we provided 7,000 of bursaries and grants to students; our average annual expenditure is now in excess of 45,000, supporting 25 students Our longest standing Corporate Patron is CBRE after 10 years of continuous support 97% of Reading BSc Real Estate graduates in 2010 were in full-time employment or further study six months after graduating Over the past 10 years, the Annual Dinner has welcomed a total of 4,367 guests In 2008, the first year of the Mentoring Programme, an impressive 182 mentors volunteered from our alumni and industry community; this has since grown to 295 offering over 340 students each year the chance to have a valuable partnership and link to the industry The funds raised from a raffle held at the 10th Annual Dinner provided hardship bursaries for eight students this year Our alumni are spread across 75 different countries worldwide Over 240 firms were represented by the attendees at the 10th Annual Dinner We fund two 3-year PhD studentships offering those most talented the chance to continue to study and research, adding value to the School 10 10 years supporting real estate and planning education at the University of Reading Tel: +44 (0)118 378 4191 11
Supporting the next generation My Access Internship with Cushman & Wakefield has provided me with some of the best and the most essential experience in order to develop my industry knowledge and start a career in property. Along with the mentoring scheme and evening lectures, RREF has assisted me to interact with the industry throughout the course, and this support network is one of the many reasons I joined the University of Reading in the first place. BSc Real Estate student and Access Internship recipient 2011 Bursaries and grants We are committed to ensuring that limited financial means are not a barrier to studying real estate and planning at Reading. In addition to the government and University support available to those from disadvantaged backgrounds, we offer bursaries and hardship grants to students who experience financial hardship during their studies. This enables them to focus on learning and reaching their full potential, without the heavy burden of financial concerns. There will always be a need to support our students in this way and we must ensure that our bursary provision keeps pace with increasing demand. Mentoring Our highly successful mentoring programme offers students the opportunity to have a oneto-one connection with a real estate professional in the industry, usually a Reading alumnus. Through mentoring, students learn more about the industry and areas they may want to specialise in - as well as making firm connections with individuals who are already working in their chosen sector. Work experience Through our Access Internship Scheme, students gain vital real-world work experience. They are placed with a host firm during the summer and are paid a bursary to ensure they are financially able to undertake the placement. With the support of this bursary I am now able to carry on with my degree and undertake two more modules without an unwieldy financial burden. I find it heart-warming that RREF contribute so actively and positively to people s lives in this way by removing financial barriers to studying. I can t thank enough the donors whose generosity enabled the bursary to be awarded - their kindness means so much to me. Recipient of the Clayton Bursary 2010 www.rref.net 13
Creating opportunities for all Promoting employability Our exclusive Professional Development Programme of cocurricular and careers activities helps students improve their employability and understanding of the world of work. As just one example, the Annual Careers Fair offers students access to graduate recruitment teams from 30 firms across the real estate and planning sectors. Learning in industry Our Evening Lecture Series of presentations and post-lecture networking receptions allow alumni and professionals from our Corporate Patrons to provide students with an insight into real projects and issues in the property market, as well as offering a flavour of what it is like to work for their firm. Supporting academic talent We fund an ongoing PhD support programme to strengthen and develop current and future talent in research and teaching within the School of Real Estate & Planning. In addition, we also part-fund a Research Officer to support high-level academic research output. Having the best research and teaching staff is paramount to keeping Reading and the School of Real Estate & Planning at the top. Students understand the need for robust and innovative research to underpin the latest teaching and our role in achieving this continues to be important. There are currently two fully funded Chairs and a Fellow thanks to the generosity of alumni and corporate donors. Without the help and support of RREF it would have been very hard for students who do not have family or friends in the industry to get their foot in the door and I am very grateful to RREF for giving me the opportunity to do so. BSc Real Estate student and Bursary and Access Internship recipient, 2011 14 10 years supporting real estate and planning education at the University of Reading
Building for the future, with your help We have achieved a great deal over the past 10 years and are rightly proud of all that we have accomplished. We have ambitious plans for the future and, with your help, will continue to build for the future of real estate and planning. Donating to RREF - be a part of the future of real estate Recognising your support I have been donating to RREF since the year after I graduated. As a mentor I have seen first-hand the impact that donations have on students at Reading. The opportunities that RREF provides for Reading students are fantastic and help to keep the University front of mind for both employers and prospective students. I am proud to be associated with RREF and feel that it is important to support the work it undertakes. I hope that many more alumni will join me as donors. As a registered charity we rely on the support of our extensive network of alumni across the globe and our close links to the industry to continue and to further develop our valuable work. All of our donors, at every level, are crucial to our success. They ensure that we can continue to support real estate and planning education at the University of Reading and build upon its position as a leading centre for real estate teaching and research. We are particularly grateful to those donors who enable us to plan for the future by making regular gifts: RREF Friends are individuals who support us with a regular donation RREF Pioneers are individuals who give 1,000-5,000 each year RREF Corporate Patrons are companies who donate 5,000 each year RREF Major Donors are those individuals and organisations who make a significant contribution, either as a single gift or over a number of years We are committed to recognising the support of our corporate and individual donors and sharing news about our activities and the projects which they support. As part of our stewardship programme we run a dedicated supporter event each year, to which all donors are invited, and produce donor-specific publications. As an alumna and a member of Real Estate & Planning, I have seen first-hand the benefit that working with alumni and the industry at large can bring to students both in terms of building their knowledge and confidence and in supporting them financially. These are the key reasons I became a Pioneer donor knowing that my contribution alongside the other RREF Pioneers can make the student experience extraordinary, helping to produce exceptional graduates. Professor Ginny Gibson, Deputy Dean, Henley Business School RREF Trustee and Pioneer donor (MSc Urban Land Appraisal 1981) Sam Carson, Senior Surveyor, CBRE RREF Friend (BSc Land Management 2006) 16 10 years supporting real estate and planning education at the University of Reading www.rref.net 17
Getting involved We need support, both financial and otherwise, to continue to thrive. If you feel that you could offer your time, energy and expertise to help us make a difference, or would like to make a donation, then please get in touch. Ways for alumni to get involved Join our online communities Attend an event Become a mentor Make a gift Join a regional group Ways for organisations to get involved Become a Corporate Patron Offer an Access Internship Sponsor an event Exhibit at the RREF Careers Fair Ways for real estate professionals to get involved Become a mentor Attend an event To find out more, or to donate, go to www.rref.net 18 10 years supporting real estate and planning education at the University of Reading
Reading Real Estate Foundation University of Reading Henley Business School Whiteknights Reading Berkshire RG6 6UD info@rref.reading.ac.uk +44 (0)118 378 4191