Elizabeth Mulkern has joined the Board of Trustees for Chancerygate Foundation – a national charity dedicated to building the careers of more disadvantaged young people of African and Caribbean heritage in the property sector.
Elizabeth brings to the trustee role a wealth of experience and expertise in social work spanning almost 35 years. Intrigued by the ethos and mission of the foundation, Elizabeth joined four other trustees of Chancerygate Foundation in the summer of last year to strengthen its leadership in addressing the lack of diversity in the property industry.
In 2020, only 1.6% of the over 35,000 members of the UK’s Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), the industry’s qualification and governing body, identified as being Black or from ethnic minority backgrounds.
“I am thrilled to become a Trustee of this trailblazing organisation to help level the playing field in the property industry. With over three decades as a social worker, I have seen first-hand the barriers and discrimination faced by people because of their race, gender, and socio-economic backgrounds,” Elizabeth said. “I hope by being a Trustee, I will contribute meaningfully to supporting disadvantaged young students to reach their full potential.”
Chancerygate Foundation’s mission is to break the existing barriers faced by young talents from Black African and Caribbean heritage in the property industry and provide career opportunities for their development. The foundation supports disadvantaged young people with interests in pursuing careers in the property sector through bursaries, mentorship, internship, and work experience opportunities.
Amanda Walker, director of Chancerygate Foundation, congratulated Elizabeth on her appointment as a Trustee of the foundation. “I am excited Elizabeth has joined our Trustees as she brings a depth of experience in social work and development that will help shape the delivery of our impact. I believe her input in the foundation’s governance will be immensely valuable to enhancing our objective of supporting many disadvantaged, young people to pursue careers in the property sector.”
Through partnerships with Kingston University, London South Bank University (LSBU) and Loughborough University, seven students have benefitted from the £210,000 fund to support their dreams of building careers in the property sector. Each recipient receives £10,000 per year to support them during their time at university.
As a trustee, Elizabeth will be involved in the process of selecting beneficiaries of the foundation’s programmes, ensuring they meet the set criteria and building stronger relationships with the young people supported by the foundation.
Elizabeth believes the woefully disproportionate representation of Black people in the sector is mainly because of limited exposure to property-related careers and not having the connections or support system to help them chart these career paths.
“The opportunity to access the property industry is sometimes extremely limited for young people from minority backgrounds, although they have just as much drive and ambition as their more connected peers. Chancerygate Foundation is addressing these discrepancies through the charity’s programmes,” Elizabeth said.
Elizabeth hopes the property industry will support more diverse young people to jumpstart careers and reach their full potential in the sector, as it can generate a ripple effect.
“It is important that young Black people are not discouraged by an environment that may at times feel alien to them. With the financial support and career exposure the foundation provides, we are empowering them to mentor and encourage other disadvantaged young talents to take careers in the property industry to bring change.”
Elizabeth graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Applied Social Studies and Social Work and later attained a qualification in Best Interests Assessment at a master’s level.
Read about our work at Chancerygate Foundation here.
< Back to News