For the past few years, outgoing LandAid chair Rob Bould has had a grand ambition. Rather than contenting himself with leading the property industry’s own charity focusing on tackling youth homelessness, Bould (pictured) has wanted to bring the full force of the industry to bear and build a social movement. Now, as Bould prepares to stand down from the board of trustees, his vision might be about to be realised.
It may be a grand objective, but it’s not an outlandish one. Already there are few real estate investment decisions that aren’t viewed through the lens of ESG. At the same time, this government’s mission of levelling up is a self-defined “part economic, part social, part moral” one. And at MIPIM last week the S in ESG was more visible than ever before. If ever that notion of a social movement were to take off in real estate, it must be now.
And if it is to happen, responsibility now falls to Bould’s successor, Neil Slater. Global head of real assets at Abrdn, Slater is a big beast. And if previous iterations of LandAid’s board and committees have – perceivably – had an old-school property air to them, their composition today is beginning to look very different.
Doing good
Here I should declare an interest. I’ve been a member of LandAid’s fundraising committee for some years and will be joining the trustee board. Blackstone managing director Gemma Kataky is joining too, and Argent chair David Partridge is another new-ish member. There is continuity with the past, but also a signal that LandAid is changing.
Some things won’t change. The ability of those within the property industry to raise money from the property industry is proven. The work required to raise £500,000 in a single night (achieved at this month’s LandAid Sleepout) should not be underestimated. Nor should the fundraising and ambition required to deliver a project such as LandAid House. Opened last year, it’s the first purpose-built accommodation of its kind to open in London in more than a decade and provides a safe space for 146 people to transition from life on the street, or sofa surfing, to independence.
Slater wants to build on these strong foundations.
“I saw this as not only a worthwhile cause, not only something that I felt could make a difference, but in my role leading a business in the built environment I just saw a real connection,” says Slater. “We are an industry that does a lot and creates a lot. And this is a charity that brings the industry together and tries to demonstrate that the industry can do good and make a difference. And that really resonates with me.”
The timing and the overlap with his day job also grabbed Slater. “When I look at the industry, I look at the broader ESG movement and how it’s evolved over the past 10 years. We know there’s been a huge focus on the environmental side, but there’s the societal side, too. It’s really interesting to think about the breadth of what the industry does in the built environment. We build things, we operate things, we create jobs, we create communities.
“When you look at the charities that LandAid helps, how it allocates the money and the impact that it has, that resonates really nicely with what we as an industry want to achieve from that broader ESG perspective.”
Sharp focus
Founded by former Helical chief executive Mike Slade in the mid-1980s, LandAid followed BandAid. At the end of the noughties it began to professionalise, trading less on goodwill and taking more of an organised approach. And just as wider focus has shifted from CSR to ESG, philanthropy has become something different too.
“I was hoping we could develop a social movement in terms of the industry coming together,” says Bould. “And I think what I’ve witnessed, thanks to a huge amount of hard work by the executive team and the trustees, is that we’re really at the makings of that social movement to go do good – in this case, ending youth homelessness.”
It’s a question that Abrdn, like others, is increasingly asking. “I think the industry is really beginning to focus much more on it,” says Slater. “And importantly, our employees are beginning to focus much more on it as well. What are we doing about it? How are we playing our role within the community and helping to create a better and more cohesive society? The next stage is now the real measurement.”
That work is being led by Partridge. “It’s fundamental,” says Bould. “If ever there was a time for LandAid to be the central force, not seeking to make costs or fees out of this, just giving a set of rules of engagement in terms of measurement, this is it. I know David and his team, with Neil’s leadership, is absolutely going to be able to deliver.”
Social movement
It’s a moment in time for LandAid, for the property industry, and for society. But that doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy. “What we need to get better at is demonstrating the value of that impact and demonstrating the change we can make,” says Slater. “And you’re right, we might not be able to easily record everything and have a clear measurement, but we can make a start.
“We won’t get it right all the time. But I think the really exciting part about this is the impact that we can make across the industry.”
It’s not just about fundraising, either. Pro bono work is a priority too. But marry the two – and create that social movement – and LandAid’s work might begin to move the dial on the industry’s reputation as well.
“Will we actually have a charity that is a first port of call when the government is thinking about social movements?” asks Bould. “How can we actually mobilise the people in the industry? That’s the goal that we should be aiming for. And I know it’s the goal that the trustees want to deliver.
“Evangelical? Yes. But what the hell – if you don’t aim high, you never get there.”
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