Back in July 2021, the LandAid Tech Network was launched, engaging the proptech community in LandAid’s mission to end youth homelessness in the UK.
Whilst LandAid was well-known amongst the wider property industry, it was less familiar to tech companies and more difficult to form engagement. Keen to bridge this gap, and seeing the potential that the rapidly growing proptech community had to deliver positive impact on LandAid’s mission, LandAid and Board Member Dan Hughes (of Alpha Property Insight) worked together to establish a Steering Group to help ignite the initiative.
The LandAid Tech Network’s Steering Group consists of 10 professionals from across the proptech industry and exists to guide the Tech Network; champion LandAid and the Tech Network; and support its activity. The Tech Network has four main areas of focus – membership, fundraising, raising LandAid’s profile, and pro bono support.
Membership
During the past year, the LandAid Tech Network has grown to 50 members comprising both proptech companies and tech teams within property companies, all uniting in one mission: to end youth homelessness in the UK. Members of the Tech Network are asked to fundraise for LandAid and participate in pro bono work. Membership includes access to a number of bespoke events and networking opportunities, such as the opportunity members had in February to hear from Alistair Elliott, former Senior Partner and Group Chairman of Knight Frank, about his thoughts on the role tech plays in the real estate industry.
Fundraising
Already, the Tech Network has made a significant impact, raising over £40,200 to date through participation in LandAid’s annual events, internal fundraising activities, donations and sponsorship. This fundraising total has provided one night’s stay for over 400 young people at DePaul’s Nightstop project, which involves community hosting to provide a safe, welcoming place for young homeless people in crisis.
Raising the profile of LandAid
Working with 50 members of the Tech Network has provided a great opportunity to raise the profile of LandAid, not least by many taking part in our events. Being the charity partner of the CREtech London conference and more recently teaming up with UKPA for their summer drinks reception provided platforms for the LandAid Tech Network to reach the ever-growing PropTech community.
Pro Bono
Many not-for-profit organisations lack the time, expertise and experience needed to manage, maintain and improve their buildings. We have been very proud to work alongside the proptech community to begin to develop a pipeline of specifically proptech-related pro bono projects. Recently LandAid have been working with Vodafone on an exciting project around digital connectivity for young people who are homeless – watch this space for more details!
Dan Hughes, Chair of the Tech Network’s Steering Group, comments: “There is a rapidly growing community of tech focused people working across real estate and I am incredibly proud to be involved in the Tech Network which is bringing this community together to end youth homelessness. Whether raising much needed funds, helping with the growing number of technology challenges the sector faces or turning the latest technology to solve wider youth homelessness problems, we have made great strides in our first year and I am very excited to see what comes next.”
Join the Tech Network here