The LandAid Scotland Board has been set up to unite and engage the property and built environment industry in Scotland with the charity’s mission to end youth homelessness. LandAid provides grants and support to smaller charities, providing relief and security to the most vulnerable across the country, with a specific focus on young people between the ages of 16-25 years experiencing homelessness.
In Scotland young people between the age of 16-25 account for almost 12% of the overall population, nonetheless they comprise near 25% of all homeless applications, making them the most disproportionately overrepresented group within the homeless community. *
Leading from the front is Board Chair Anne Breen, newly appointed Global Head of Real Estate at abrdn.
She will be supported by other key property figures from across Scotland, including Carrie Armstrong, (Partner at Addleshaw Goddard LLP), Mark Colquhoun (Senior Associate at BTO Solicitors), Susan Cresswell (Managing Director at Whitewall Marketing), Daniel Donald (Project Director at Square & Crescent), David Philip (Director at Colliers), Steven Newlands (Executive Director at CBRE), Murray Strang (Managing Partner at Cushman & Wakefield), Neil Wotherspoon (Partner at TFT), and Russell Munro (Partner at Pinsent Masons).
New board members will be joining a nationwide community with this being LandAid’s sixth regional board across the UK. This breadth spans across Yorkshire and Humber, the South West, the North West, the Midlands and the Eastern region.
The launch of the board follows a growing sense of momentum in Scotland around support for ending youth homelessness. In March 2023, Glasgow became the first city to host a LandAid SleepOut, where property professionals braved a night sleeping outside in the cold to raise money to support youth homelessness projects. Across 7 UK locations this event raised an incredible £677,199.22.
The Scotland Board now have even more determination and drive to continue this work to ensure that young people experiencing homelessness across Scotland get the best level of help, spanning from emergency accommodation to wrap around support, enabling them to build a more stable, secure and brighter future.
* Scottish Government 2020