Freehold is generously supported by the following businesses:
British Land owns and operates high quality UK commercial property focused on London Offices and Retail around the UK, and is one of Europe’s largest listed real estate investment companies.
Our strategy is to provide places which meet the needs of our customers and respond to changing lifestyles – Places People Prefer. We do this by creating great environments both inside and outside our buildings and use our scale and placemaking skills to enhance and enliven them.
We believe an inclusive environment is fundamental to our success as a business and “bring your whole self” is one of our four corporate values. Our internal LGBT+ and Allies network was launched in 2015 and has over 200 members. It is one of a number of staff led networks focused on creating inclusive environments for both our staff and our customers.
We want Landsec to provide the best working environment for all our people. We believe that we can achieve our goal by building and developing a culture that supports everyone to be themselves and recognises the values people bring to our business. As part of our involvement with the LGBT+ community we support local Prides, including Oxford, Leeds and London, where we offer up the world-famous Piccadilly Lights to support the Parade.
We are not yet where we want to be and recognise that the wider property sector still has work to do in fully embracing diversity and inclusion. That is why we are delighted to support Freehold.
Landsec is proud to sponsor Freehold as a thriving professional network for LGBT+ Allies who work for and with real estate organisations. The growing success of the Freehold initiative allows members, sponsors, and event attendees to engage with other LGBT+ property professionals to understand common challenges, discuss ways for addressing opportunities, and collaborating on LGBT+ issues that may have been overlooked in our sector.
Shaftesbury owns a 15 acre estate in London’s West End, which has been carefully assembled and curated since 1986. Our 600 shops, restaurants, pubs, bars and clubs, 0.5m sq.ft. of offices and 600 rental apartments are mainly clustered in Carnaby, Covent Garden and Chinatown.
Our long-term strategy of “making great places even better” is delivered by a team of 35, supported by a wide range of out-sourced advisors, working together in an open, inclusive and collaborative culture. We respect the West End’s widely-recognised tradition of diversity, innovation and creativity, which is reflected in our extended team and is key our delivering our aims, and engaging with our occupiers and the important local community and stakeholders.
In addition to Freehold, we support a number of networks and initiatives across the real estate sector to promote the importance of all aspects of diversity in bringing the industry closer to the communities it serves, and attracting the broadest range of talent to address a fast-changing world.
Taylor Wessing is a global law firm that serves the world’s most innovative people and businesses. Together with our people and community partners, we seek to challenge expectation and create extraordinary results.
As one of Stonewall’s top 100 employers, we’re deeply proud of our reputation as an inclusive workplace for our LGBT+ colleagues. Our network, equaliTW, provides peer support and networking opportunities, strategic advice on issues relevant to the LGBT+ community and champions inclusion across the firm.
The firm is committed to enabling more opportunities that create an inclusive and diverse working environment. We continue to work extensively to drive initiatives to achieve this. All our policies and benefits are designed to be inclusive and apply regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.
Supporters and Hosts
Freehold is proud to have been supported by many law and real estate businesses since its formation including:
Our Brand and Principles of Affiliation
- Any use of the Freehold Brand or any claim of affiliation to Freehold must be pre-approved by the Board
- The individual or organisation making the request is expected to have provided active support to Freehold (e.g. hosting an event / panel discussion; providing sponsorship; etc.)
- Where the application is from an organisation, you must be able to demonstrate a commitment to LGBT+ inclusion and at a minimum the following are expected to be in place (or put in place prior to our Brand being used):
- A formal LGBT+ inclusion policy
- A public statement of support for LGBT+ inclusion
- A senior sponsor for LGBT+ inclusion within the company