Homes England backs pioneering programme to encourage diversity in regeneration
Government’s national housing agency joins property developers CAPITAL&CENTRIC to co-launch the first Regeneration Brainery taking place in Manchester.
A PIONEERING scheme to inspire a new, diverse generation of young people into property and regeneration has been backed by Homes England.
The organisation has become a trustee of the Regeneration Brainery, an immersive experience that pairs 16-21-year-olds with well-known mentors from across the industry.
Following a successful pilot last summer, Homes England have sponsored 2018’s programme, with the first week-long Brainery taking place in Manchester this Easter. It will be followed by two further events in other city centre locations later this year.
The Brainery is completely free for young people to take part and features a mix of visits to construction sites; interactive workshops; visits to workplaces; and practical tips and skills to get ahead in the industry.
It is part of a drive to challenge perceptions of regeneration, promoting people from a diverse array of backgrounds to play a role in shaping our towns and cities.
The brainchild of Manchester-based property developers CAPITAL&CENTRIC, the Regeneration Brainery could become a blueprint for encouraging ambitious young people into other industries across the UK, in turn creating inclusive communities.
Mentors include property developers; investors; local authority figures including Chief Executives; project managers; agents; planners; designers; architects; and marketers.
More trustees are to be announced soon.
Nick Walkley, Chief Executive of Homes England, said:
“Creating vibrant new places and providing quality homes for people should be hugely inspiring career choices. Unfortunately, the opposite is true and as an industry we’re really struggling to attract young people to replace those who are retiring in the next few years. The housing crisis is as much a skills crisis.
“So, we need to work much harder and smarter to change perceptions of our industry and show how we’re making it more diverse, more modern and more progressive for young people who want to build a career while contributing to society.
“I’m determined that the new Homes England will show real leadership on these issues, so we didn’t hesitate to support the Regeneration Brainery, which is a brilliant, innovative scheme with real potential.”
Tim Heatley, co-founder of CAPITAL&CENTRIC said:
“If we’re to going to push the boundaries of how our cities and towns grow in the future, we need new ideas and creative thinkers. The launch of the Regeneration Brainery is timely, given the ongoing conversations about equality and diversity across almost every industry in the UK - especially property. There’s a lot of people accepting there’s a challenge, but few practical ideas of how to bring about change.
“For me, widening the pool of talent coming into the industry is essential. Doing so will bring fresh experiences; viewpoints; ideas and solutions. It’ll mean our built environments start to better reflect the people living in their communities – and that’s to be championed.
“We’re chuffed Homes England are our first trustee. The Brainery is a practical way to fire up young people to aspiring to a career in regeneration.”
For further information, please contact:
Lewis Jones – lewis.jones@newgatecomms.com / 07779 167 422 / 0161 233 1080 Rebecca Eatwell – rebecca.eatwell@newgatecomms.com / 07827 353113/ 0161 233 1071
https://regenerationbrainery.co.uk/