Take That takes it to the children
In an unlikely pairing, Regal Homes and boy band Take That were behind the success of a fundraising event for seriously ill children.
The London developer was the principal sponsor of the annual dinner for the charity Rays of Sunshine, at which Take That performed, at east London venue
the Troxy on 3 November.
The band also had some face time with a 15-year-old girl who had undergone multiple, extensive spinal surgery, fulfilling one of her long-held wishes.
X-Factor presenter and singer-songwriter Olly Murs also made an appearance.
The event raised more than £500,000, including £50,000 from Regal Homes. The money will help Rays of Sunshine grant more wishes to children with life-limiting illnesses.
Fit staff pump up the cash
A staff fitness initiative to mark the 150th anniversary of commercial property adviser Matthews & Goodman has raised £10,500 for charity.
Over the past six months the firm’s employees have been logging their physical activities, which range from a brisk walk to the train station to participating in organised sporting events, with points allocated depending on the number of calories burned.
The fitness returns, however, were secondary to their fundraising ambitions for charities the Portman Early Childhood Centre, ReVitalise, Francis House and Mencap Liverpool. The fitness initiative also benefited Starlight Children’s Foundation, the Christie Charitable Fund, Cancer Research UK, Cystic Fibrosis, Together for Short Lives and Headway.
Reading friends reconnect to help students
University friends were reunited at the Reading Real Estate Foundation annual dinner.
The evening at London’s Park Lane Hotel on 5 November was also an occasion for alumni, colleagues and other property professionals to strengthen business connections and develop new ones, especially for the benefit of the foundation, which provides bursaries, grants and mentoring to real estate students.
The spirited atmosphere on the night was the product of industry and university friends getting down to catching up.
Allsop commercial partner George Walker auctioned lots including tickets to sporting events and entertainment packages, which, along with donations and a raffle, raised £22,500 for the foundation.
The Mentor of the Year award was given to Holly Franklin of Prudential Services, while Neil Brown of Knight Frank was recognised as Mentee of the Year.
In the past academic year the foundation has awarded £250,000 of bursaries and other prizes. And since 2012, 225 students have gone through its Pathways to Property project, which helps able students from disadvantaged and non-traditional backgrounds gain a place in the industry.
Full house at poker night
Mayfair’s exclusive Clermont Club attracted property industry poker hopefuls at a charity tournament organised by Palmer Capital last week.
More than 70 competitors, from firms including CBRE, Forsters and Deloitte, competed for a prize pot of £1,750 at the inaugural tournament, sponsored by Osborne Clarke.
James Good of Angle Property took top prize, with Charles Hardwick finishing in second place and Mark Hatcher of Ares coming third.
All winners donated their prizes to LandAid, which raised more than £10,000 on the night.
Young Entrepreneurs prepare to go Bavarian
The Young Entrepreneurs in Property is inviting young industry professionals to reflect on the year over beer and pork knuckle at a Bavarian-themed Christmas event.
Speakers from Estates Gazette, architects HLW and construction firm
ISG, all supporters of YEP, will sum up industry highlights from the past year and predict trends for the future.
An oompah band will then take care of the rest of the evening’s entertainment while guests are left to network.
The event takes place on 8 December at Bierschenke, London Wall Buildings, EC2, from 6pm to 11pm.
Tickets cost £50 and include a welcome glass of glühwein, food and three steins of beer.
Visit yepglobal.com.
Networking powers up property apprentices
A networking group for property apprentices had a first anniversary bash at Battersea Power Station, SW8, on 11 November.Close to 100 apprentices attended the Apprentice Network event with group founders Sammy Kingston and Walé Sanusi of CBRE, who launched the network to promote knowledge-sharing among peers in property as well as banking, finance, law and construction.
Guest speakers included Jonathan Ainsley, head of estate and asset management at Battersea Power Station Development Company; Ashley Wheaton, principal and chief executive of the College of Estate Management; and Paul Morrish, chief executive of LandAid.
Morrish said: “A more diverse, enthusiastic and passionate group of young professionals with strong social commitment would be hard to imagine.”
The next Apprentice Network event will take place during National Apprenticeship week, 14 -18 March 2016. For more details, follow the group on Twitter @Apprentice_Net.
