Since we set up the LandAid Ambassador scheme in 2015, we’ve seen our Ambassadors do some amazing things.
Through events, challenges and discussions with colleagues, they’ve raised awareness of our organisation and what we do, along with the issues of youth homelessness and how we can help to end it.
We’ve started a new Ambassador of the Month campaign, to further recognise the amazing work our Ambassadors are doing.
Each month we’ll select one Ambassador to speak to, asking them about their time at LandAid and highlighting something exceptional they’ve done.
Our first Ambassador of the Month is Anna Stewart, of BNP Paribas Real Estate.
Since joining the Ambassador scheme two years ago, Anna has shouted about youth homelessness and LandAid, visiting our projects and helping to champion the work we do.
Anna’s recent LinkedIn post about talking to a 17-year-old homeless girl really caught our eye, in which she detailed the issue and how we can help young people who are experiencing homelessness. You can read the full post here.
We asked Anna some questions about her time as a LandAid Ambassador so far. Check out her answers below.
Why did you get involved in the LandAid Ambassador programme?
I’ve always had a particular interest in work around homelessness. Growing up, my mum worked as a mental health advisor and I learned that, more often than not, issues like rough sleeping are symptoms of an unstable background, lack of support or poor mental health. Homelessness is emblematic of our collective failings as a society to help those who are most vulnerable, and so requires collective mobilisation from all corners of society to solve. It’s great to see the whole property industry putting aside competitive agendas to unite behind a common cause, and I wanted to be part of that effort and part of encouraging others to get involved too.
What has been the most enjoyable thing you’ve done as an Ambassador, and which fundraising idea you’ve seen someone else doing for LandAid has impressed you most?
It was being part of the LandAid 10k and supporting our Birmingham office in signing up to the first ever Midlands 10k, which we’ll take part in again this year. I couldn’t compete in this year’s London event due to a foot injury, but the atmosphere at the race was incredible, from the group warm up to cheering on from the sidelines and the prize-giving.
Palmer Capital’s Money Maker Challenge definitely impressed me the most. It shows how, with ingenuity and creativity, you can turn a relatively small amount of cash into amounts of money that can have a big impact on LandAid’s work. Emma Murray is doing a great job at driving Palmer Capital’s initiatives – it’s a company with strong commitment to fundraising and a very proactive approach to its support of LandAid.
Why would you say other people should become LandAid Ambassadors, and what has your proudest moment as an Ambassador been?
It’s an absolute win-win for young people who care about homelessness – you benefit from the infrastructure and support of LandAid and the whole industry to really make a difference, and also get to benefit from the networking and career development opportunities that being an ambassador offers (which, let’s face it, we all care about!). While fundraising is an important part of being an ambassador, it’s not the whole story. I wouldn’t say that my strengths lie in creative fundraising, but I’ve always been good at writing and social media, which is part of my role in Communications. As an ambassador I try to leverage those skills to raise awareness about LandAid’s work and share information about how individuals can take a safe and proactive approach to homelessness in their day-to-day lives.
Being appointed as a Lead Ambassador for London with Emma Murray and Sarah Gunn has been my proudest moment. It’s been great having the opportunity to get more involved and work with Alice and Tom from LandAid to share ideas from an ambassador’s perspective and discuss some exciting new developments for the Ambassador Programme. It was also great writing my first blog following an inspiring visit to LandAid House – sharing knowledge helps to empower and inspire others, and nowadays social media can greatly amplify its reach.
If you’d like to tell us about something you’ve done which you think qualifies you as our Ambassador of the Month, or you’d like to nominate another Ambassador you think is worthy of the accolade, then email Tom Ah-Thew and let him know.