UCEM and DiverseCity Surveyors announce fourth year of BAME mentoring scheme

Now enjoying its fourth (4th) successful year, and led by a fellow DCS Board Member and UCEM Alumni, Karen Ching MRICS the programme continues to grow from strength to strength.

Last month saw the University College of Estate Management (UCEM) launch the fourth year of its Widening Participation mentoring scheme collaboration with DiverseCity Surveyors. This initaitive looks to supporting students from ethnic minority backgrounds and normally all mentoring takes place online. However, this inaugural session and in-person event was hosted at the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Head Office in London.

GGiP Advisory Board, London School of Architecture _ December 2024

Another 'Mentorship Programme' that Dr Abisogun is supporting, as part of their Advisory Board, is the Good Growth In Practice _Initiative, launched late last year by the London School of Architecture ‘LSA’, based in Hackney, east London.

Launching on the 11 December 2024, the Good Growth in Practice is a new, fully funded one-year pilot course by the London School of Architecture to support underrepresented practice owners across the built environment.

Supported by the GLA and the Crown Estate, it is a first of its kind. Welcoming everyone from architecture studios to construction firms, the programme helps already established practices by directors from underrepresented groups to flourish.

Supported by Neal Shasore, Head of School and Chief Executive, the London School of Architecture [who stood down in February 2025], it is Dian Small who is leading on this ground-breaking initiative, and throughout 2025 will work closely with a tight-knit cohort of eight diverse leaders. Deeply embedded in the sector, the initiative will be guided by an advisory board chaired by Central director, Patricia Brown. The programme has been informed by extensive research undertaken by Neil Onions, director of Beyond the Box, which culminated in three round table discussions with industry experts

The goal is simple – to boost their careers through tangible skill building, and ensure that a rising generation of diverse voices within the built environment will have the skills and expertise necessary to excel in framework opportunities to win new work. The pilot is not just about transforming the careers of its individual participants, but seeks to dismantle serious barriers that are holding back under-represented practices.