Supporters’ Evening Celebrating 10 years of Reading Real Estate Foundation RREF Supporters’ Evening RREF Supporters’ Evening Programme Welcome Welcome to our special Supporters’ Evening to mark 17.30 Registration and drinks reception the 10th anniversary of RREF. We are here this evening 18.30 Welcome and RREF update to thank you for choosing to support this unique and forward-thinking educational charity. Bryan Laxton CEO UK, Cushman & Wakefield LLP Ten years ago, I would have been truly delighted with the current RREF RREF Trustee and Pioneer organisation. Its professionalism far surpasses what we had in mind when, back in 2002, it was apparent that there was a clear need, and The University of Reading and a clear opportunity, to harness the power and enthusiasm of Reading the future of Higher Education alumni in support of real estate education at Reading. The first donor that I approached offered £1,000, without hesitation, and this generosity Sir David Bell KCB emboldened me to work with 13 other fellow donors, and an initial set of Vice-Chancellor, University of Reading corporate patrons, to set up the Reading Real Estate Foundation. The impact of a RREF Bursary Real estate is a people business and Reading’s Real Estate & Planning Bursary Recipient alumni have a truly unique place in the UK and global property markets. I had hoped that RREF could formalise this tremendous community to 19.00 RREF supporter awards create an alumni network like those that exist so prominently in the United States and which support their institutions so brilliantly. 19.10 Drinks reception and canapés What began as an idea has grown into an alumni network and charity that has built a continuing surplus for distribution for real estate educa- 20.30 Event close tion within Henley Business School at the University of Reading. It has been truly satisfying to watch RREF grow and reach its 10th anniversary in such a strong position. With your support, a huge amount has been achieved. Details of some of the key achievements that have been made possible by your help are highlighted later in this programme. We are extremely proud of these achievements but there is still much to do. Your continued support has never been needed more as Real Estate Kindly sponsored by Kindly hosted by & Planning tackles the challenges presented by the changes to Higher Education funding and we seek to address the industry-wide issues that affect our stakeholders. Our desire to keep Reading and its Real Estate & Planning graduates relevant and at the top of employers’ lists remains paramount. Andrew Baum, (BSc Estate Management 1973) Professor of Land Management, University of Reading RREF Trustee and Founder donor 2 3 RREF Supporters’ Evening RREF Supporters’ Evening Celebrating 10 years of RREF Thanks to the generous support of alumni, corporate Mentoring donors and other individuals, RREF has earned a Our highly successful mentoring programme offers students the opportu- reputation as a forward-thinking charity and a leading- nity to have a one-to-one connection with a real estate professional in the edge alumni association. industry, usually a Reading alumnus/alumna. Through mentoring, students Our activities have evolved over 10 years and include: 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 • Forging links between the School of Real Estate & Planning, its alumni their chosen sector. and the industry • Providing assistance in the form of bursaries and grants to students Work experience in need The Access Internship Scheme aims to target under-represented groups in • Building a robust and vibrant network of real estate professionals real estate and planning and is intended to help individuals overcome some • Offering co-curricular activities to further learning and enhance the of the obstacles to participation both in internships and the profession employability of our graduates itself. These obstacles might be, for example, financial, social or experiential. ‘My Access Internship Through the scheme, students gain vital real-world work experience. They • Raising funds from alumni and the industry to support our initiatives with Cushman & are placed with a host firm during the summer and are paid a bursary to • Sharing expertise and best practice through organising events and ensure they are financially able to undertake the placement. Wakefield has provided networking opportunities me with some of the • Raising awareness, worldwide, of the School of Real Estate & Planning Securing the best academic talent best and the most and helping to maintain its position as a centre of excellence. Having the best research and teaching academics is paramount to keeping Reading and the School of Real Estate & Planning at the top. Students essential experience Creating opportunities for all in order to develop my understand the need for robust and innovative research to underpin the We are committed to ensuring that limited financial means are not a barrier latest teaching and our role in achieving this continues to be important. industry knowledge to studying real estate and planning within the Henley Business School at There are currently two fully funded Chairs and a Fellow thanks to the and start a career in Reading. In addition to the government and University support available to generosity of alumni and corporate donors. property. Along with those from disadvantaged backgrounds, we offer bursaries and hardship Developing future talent the mentoring scheme grants to students who experience financial hardship during their studies. This enables them to focus on learning and reaching their full potential, RREF funds an ongoing PhD support programme to strengthen and and evening lectures, without the heavy burden of financial concerns. There will always be a need develop current and future talent in research and teaching within the RREF has assisted me to support our students in this way and we must ensure that our bursary School of Real Estate & Planning. In addition we also part fund a Research to interact with the provision keeps pace with increasing demand. Officer in the School to support high-level academic research output. industry throughout the Promoting employability course, and this support Our exclusive Professional Development Programme of co-curricular network is one of the and careers activities helps students improve their employability and many reasons I joined understanding of the world of work. As just one example, the Annual the University of Reading Careers Fair offers students access to graduate recruitment teams from 30 firms across the Real Estate and Planning sectors. Our Evening Lecture Series in the first place’. of presentations and post-lecture networking receptions allow alumni and BSc Real Estate student professionals from our Corporate Patrons to provide students with and Access Internship an insight into real projects and issues in the property market, as well recipient 2011 as offering a flavour of what it is like to work for their firm. 4 5 RREF Supporters’ Evening RREF Supporters’ Evening Celebrating 10 years of RREF Total funds raised by July In 2002, RREF provided 2011 were over £3.2 million £7,000 of bursaries and grants to students; our average annual expenditure is now in excess of £45,000, supporting 25 students Over the past 10 years, In 2008, the first year the Annual Dinner has of the Mentoring welcomed a total of Programme, an impressive RREF’s longest standing 4,367 guests 182 mentors volunteered Corporate Patron is from our alumni and CBRE after 10 years of industry community; continuous support this has since grown to 295 offering over 340 students each year the 97% of Reading BSc The funds raised from chance to have a valuable Real Estate graduates in a raffle held at the 10th partnership and link to 2010 were in full-time Annual Dinner provided the industry employment or further hardship bursaries for study six months after eight students this year graduating RREF alumni are spread RREF funds two 3-year across 75 different PhD studentships countries worldwide offering those most Over 240 firms were talented the chance represented by the to continue study and attendees at the 10th research adding value to Annual Dinner the School 10 10 years supporting Real Estate and Planning education at the University of Reading Tel: +44 (0)118 378 4191 11 6 7 RREF Supporters’ Evening RREF Supporters’ Evening Donating to RREF – Real Estate & Planning being a part of the future Ranked as the leading real estate centre in Europe by the US-based Urban Land Institute, the School of Real of real estate Estate & Planning is a key component of the Henley Business School, at the University of Reading. We rely on the kind support of our extensive network of ‘I think it fair to say We are the only real estate school in the country to have a separate alumni across the globe and our close links to the industry identity within a more general business school, reflecting our close and that the role of Head to continue and further develop our valuable work. longstanding collaborative relationship with industry. These established of School has changed relationships continue to shape the School’s teaching and research All of our donors, at every level, are crucial to our success. They ensure agenda and help make us one of the most influential voices in public that RREF can continue to support real estate and planning education dramatically since I was policy debates in our field. at the University of Reading and build upon its position as a leading last in post and because centre for real estate teaching and research. We are particularly grateful We maintain the highest standards of undergraduate and postgraduate of this it will represent to those donors who enable us to plan for the future by making regular teaching for the real estate and planning industries and undertake inter- gifts to RREF.