This month, we spoke to Katie Stephenson, who’s been at LandAid nearly 5 years. As the Head of National Partnerships, Katie is central to our fundraising success.
What brought you to LandAid in the first place?
I was drawn to LandAid because of its unique relationship with the UK property industry, which from a partnerships perspective is incredibly interesting. It’s been a fascinating industry to learn more about and engage with. At the same time, LandAid occupies a really special position as a charity that funds frontline services across the UK — it genuinely feels like the best of both worlds. Working for a small but mighty charity is also incredibly rewarding; every action you take has a visible impact, which makes the work feel meaningful every day.
What’s your role, how do you help end youth homelessness?
I’m Head of National Partnerships, overseeing our Partnerships programme, regional boards, and an incredible team that supports relationships with more than 50 industry partners. LandAid is a voluntarily funded charity, meaning our partners play a huge role in sustaining our operations and enabling us to create greater impact for our youth homelessness charity partners. Without the support of the property industry, LandAid simply wouldn’t be able to do what it does.
What’s one project of moment that made you proud to work at LandAid?
I’m always in awe of the StreetSmart campaign and LandAid’s role in making it such a success. Over the past three years, the campaign has raised more than £1 million through a simple £1 added to restaurant bills in November and December. I’m really excited to work even more closely with partners to increase awareness and grow the impact of the campaign nationally — and as a bonus, I do love restaurants!
What’s a challenge LandAid faces in this work that you think more people should know about?
Our role as a funder — while a real privilege, as we get to work with some of the best frontline charities across the UK — can sometimes be difficult to communicate. LandAid’s role as an aggregator of funding allows us to amplify impact and measure success in a meaningful way. A one-off £1,000 donation to a local charity is fantastic, but by pooling resources, LandAid can help turn that into a £100,000 strategic donation. We’re also a very small team, which often surprises people given the scale of our events and activity. Resourcing can be a challenge, even as demand for our work continues to grow.
What’s one thing you wish more people in the property sector understood about our mission?
I wish more people understood just how direct and tangible LandAid’s impact is. Because we work so closely with frontline homelessness charities and fund clearly defined projects, donations don’t disappear into a black box — they translate into beds, support workers, training programmes and safe spaces for young people who urgently need them.
