For many years the Trust has provided annual bursaries to pupils from our supported schools for university entry. These schools include Robert Clack School in Dagenham; St Saviour’s and St Olave’s School in Southwark and Central Foundation Girls’ School in Bow. Our bursary programme has also supported the Guildhall School of Music and the Central School of Ballet. Each of these bursaries provide £2,100 per annum.
Livery Showcase 2019
The Chartered Surveyors Bursaries programme was launched in 2020 to help talented students from less advantaged and non-traditional backgrounds to enter the property industry by awarding them £10,000 per annum to cover a student’s university living expenses. The students are offered mentoring and work experience throughout their time at university. The programme is now in its fourth year and the Company is proud to announce that it currently supports 29 university students who are reading for degrees in surveying. The bursaries are funded by sponsors (see list of current sponsors). The first two students graduated in summer 2023 and are now in employment in the industry.
The first four sponsors to commit to funding Bursaries were international real estate consultancy Hollis, pan-European investor and asset manager M7 Real Estate, property developer Dunmore and Bridges Fund Management. The Company trialled the scheme the previous 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 University, the University of Manchester and the University of Reading. For the press release please click here, for the full explanatory brochure please click here.
See the current list of sponsors
On 19 August 2024 The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) announced it is pledging £90,000 to the Chartered Surveyors Student Bursary Programme. The bursary programme, established by the Worshipful Company of Surveyors (WCCS) in 2019, assists talented students from underrepresented backgrounds in entering the property industry, a key recommendation of the Bichard Review.
According to the RICS 2022 Insight Report, just 18% of RICS members are women. Meanwhile, only 27% of real estate industry professionals enter from lower socio-economic backgrounds, and just 6% of construction workers are from Black, Asian, or other minority ethnic backgrounds. RICS is committed to breaking down barriers for under-represented groups and this contribution is a tangible part of RICS’ broader inclusion strategy.
The programme has been a resounding success, securing pledges from over thirty companies in the property industry, raising a total of over £1 million. This support has enabled the programme to assist around 40 students so far. A property industry sponsor funds each student awarded the bursary, paying £10,000 a year for three years, covering the student’s university living expenses. Aside from financial support, a Bursary sponsor also provides the student with comprehensive pastoral support, along with advice and training for CVs, job applications, and post-workplace assistance, enabling the student to focus on their studies, achieve the best grades, and transition smoothly into the workplace. The students attend courses at the 57 UK educational institutions accredited by RICS.
RICS President, Tina Paillet, said, “There is still so much work to do to make the built environment a genuinely inclusive industry. RICS is making critical contributions to support change, and this initial commitment to fund the WCCS Bursary Programme represents a vital part of this ongoing project.
“I’d like to thank WCCS for organising this excellent programme, and the more than 30 firms who have pledged support so far. It is fantastic to bring together so many organisations to raise over £1 million to support underrepresented students in the built environment. This is a testament to the sector working collaboratively to provide better outcomes for students and welcome everyone with ability to our profession.”
Simon Camamile, Master of the Worshipful Company of Chartered Surveyors, said: “We are absolutely delighted that RICS, who we have a very close working relationship with, has decided to join many other leading property companies is sponsoring our Bursary programme. Talent is evenly spread across society, but opportunity is not. 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.”