Career Stories | Linda Kennedy – Executive Director, Ministry of Justice
In this Government Property Month special edition, we sat down with Linda Kennedy as she reflected on the lessons she’s learnt from her 31 years of civil service.https://youtu.be/NQMB5cuGv0M?si=YHaAuA-a4cHXNVhT Our Career Stories series continues with a special Government Property Month edition featuring Linda Kennedy, Executive Director at the Ministry of Justice UK. From growing up in West London and becoming the first person in her family to attend university, to spending 31 years building a career in the Civil Service, Linda’s journey is a brilliant example of why there is no single route to success. Linda reflects openly on the impact of class and accent on her career, the importance of being authentic, and why she is passionate about creating a level playing field for people from all backgrounds. She also shares her advice for young people starting out: take opportunities, build your network and don’t feel you need to change who you are to succeed. As Linda puts it, “talent is everywhere but opportunity is not.” Watch the full interview above. You might also be interested in… You might also be interested in… All Posts News Career Stories | Mark Kelly, Disposals & Development Director, TT Group – Copy In this Government Property Month special edition, we sat down with Linda Kennedy as she reflected on the lessons she’s… Read More Common Sense: Government Property Futures – The Great Debate! Doing More With Less: Talent, Collaboration and Public Value In celebration of Government Property Month, we’ve partnered with Arcadis to deliver a unique afternoon of… Read More Career Stories | Mark Kelly, Disposals & Development Director, TT Group The first episode of our brand new video series is out now! Watch the full episode to hear how Mark… Read More
Common Sense: Government Property Futures – The Great Debate!
Doing More With Less: Talent, Collaboration and Public Value In celebration of Government Property Month, we’ve partnered with Arcadis to deliver a unique afternoon of discussion and collaboration. Less resource. Greater expectations. Bigger challenges. What needs to change? Central and local government property teams are under pressure to improve productivity, address skills gaps and deliver greater public value. This is not another conference filled with presentations. It is an afternoon of lively, audience-led debate bringing together senior leaders, emerging talent, public bodies and the supply chain to challenge assumptions and test competing ideas. We will tackle two big questions: How can government property attract, develop and empower the talent needed for the future? How do we make public-sector property careers attractive to a broader range of people, create meaningful jobs and apprenticeships, close critical skills gaps, retain and upskill talent, and give the next generation a genuine voice in decision-making? What will deliver the biggest productivity gain across the regions: better data, better use of assets, better decisions or better collaboration? Could shared assets, stronger partnerships and a genuine duty to cooperate between public bodies deliver more than organisations working alone? And how do we ensure that productivity gains create regional parity and wider public value? Through structured debate, live voting and an open fishbowl discussion, the audience will not simply watch the conversation. You will be part of it. Register your interest now! You might also be interested in… You might also be interested in… All Posts News Common Sense: Government Property Futures – The Great Deabte! Doing More With Less: Talent, Collaboration and Public Value In celebration of Government Property Month, we’ve partnered with Arcadis to deliver a unique afternoon of… Read More BBC Feature Highlights the Impact of Accent Bias on Young People’s Career Opportunities Earlier this week the BBC reported on the issue of workplace accent bias in the UK, drawing on polling commissioned… Read More Career Stories, Coming Soon… At Common Ground, we believe that you can’t be what you can’t see. That’s why we’re excited to announce our… Read More
Career Stories | Mark Kelly, Disposals & Development Director, TT Group
The first episode of our brand new video series is out now! Watch the full episode to hear how Mark went from council estate to director at TT Group. At Common Ground, we believe that you can’t be what you can’t see. That’s why we’ve launched Career Stories, a new video series designed to shine a spotlight on the inspiring journeys of professionals from across the property and built environment sectors. Through honest and open conversations, Career Stories explores how people found their way into the industry, the challenges they faced along the way, and the lessons they learned throughout their careers. Our aim is to help young people discover career paths and opportunities they may never have considered before, while showing that there is no single route into the world of property and the built environment. For the first episode in the series, we sat down with Mark Kelly, Disposals & Development Director at TT Group. Growing up on the Larner Road Estate in South East London, Mark left school at 16 and secured his first role in the post room at BT after visiting the local job centre. More than four decades later, he has built an impressive career with stints at BT and Telereal Trillium, culminating in his current leadership role at TT Group. Mark’s story is a powerful reminder that talent exists everywhere, and that background should never define ambition. We hope his journey inspires the next generation to explore the many opportunities available across our industry. Watch the full interview below. You might also be interested in… You might also be interested in… All Posts News Common Sense: Government Property Futures – The Great Debate! Doing More With Less: Talent, Collaboration and Public Value In celebration of Government Property Month, we’ve partnered with Arcadis to deliver a unique afternoon of… Read More Career Stories | Mark Kelly, Disposals & Development Director, TT Group The first episode of our brand new video series is out now! Watch the full episode to hear how Mark… Read More BBC Feature Highlights the Impact of Accent Bias on Young People’s Career Opportunities Earlier this week the BBC reported on the issue of workplace accent bias in the UK, drawing on polling commissioned… Read More
BBC Feature Highlights the Impact of Accent Bias on Young People’s Career Opportunities
Earlier this week the BBC reported on the issue of workplace accent bias in the UK, drawing on polling commissioned by Common Ground. This week, the BBC published a feature exploring the issue of accent bias in the UK, drawing on polling commissioned by Common Ground, alongside interviews with young people from our network who shared their own experiences of being judged because of the way they speak. The research found that one in ten people in Britain feel anxious or self-conscious about their accent in professional settings, while many respondents reported feeling pressure to modify the way they speak in order to fit in. The polling also found that 5% of people believe their accent has cost them a pay rise, promotion or senior role, highlighting the tangible impact that these perceptions can have on career outcomes. You can read the BBC article here The issue of accent bias is particularly relevant to the property and built environment sectors. While our industry has made significant progress in recent years, people from working-class and lower socio-economic backgrounds continue to be underrepresented in many parts of the profession. As a result, assumptions linked to accent, geography, education and social background can become barriers to opportunity and progression. For Common Ground, this is not simply a conversation about the way people speak. It is a conversation about social mobility, inclusion and access to opportunity. Accent bias is just one example of the barriers that many young people face when trying to enter and succeed within the property and built environment industries. Whether those barriers relate to professional networks, access to work experience, confidence, financial circumstances or workplace culture, they can all prevent talented individuals from reaching their full potential. There are encouraging signs of progress. Across the property and built environment sectors, many organisations are actively working to create more inclusive cultures and widen access to opportunities. However, there is still significant work to do if we are to build an industry that truly reflects the communities it serves. At Common Ground, we remain committed to opening up careers in property and the built environment to talented people from every background. Through mentoring, networking, work experience, industry engagement and social mobility programmes, we work with employers and partners who share our ambition to remove barriers and create more inclusive pathways into the sector. We were proud to support this important national conversation and to help bring greater awareness to an issue that affects people across the UK. Our hope is that this coverage acts as a catalyst for change and encourages employers, educators and industry leaders to reflect on the role that accent bias can play in limiting opportunity. If your organisation is committed to tackling barriers to opportunity and creating a more inclusive built environment sector, we would love to hear from you. You might also be interested in… You might also be interested in… All Posts News Common Sense: Government Property Futures – The Great Deabte! Doing More With Less: Talent, Collaboration and Public Value In celebration of Government Property Month, we’ve partnered with Arcadis to deliver a unique afternoon of… Read More BBC Feature Highlights the Impact of Accent Bias on Young People’s Career Opportunities Earlier this week the BBC reported on the issue of workplace accent bias in the UK, drawing on polling commissioned… Read More From Student to CEO Networking – Mills & Reeve, Birmingham Following the success of our recent From Student to CEO Networking Lunch in London, Common Ground is delighted to announce… Read More
From Student to CEO Networking – Mills & Reeve, Birmingham
Following the success of our recent From Student to CEO Networking Lunch in London, Common Ground is delighted to announce that the event series is coming to Birmingham this October. Hosted by Mills & Reeve, the event will bring together students, early career professionals, senior leaders and CEOs from across the property and built environment sectors for an afternoon of networking, conversation and connection. Our London event demonstrated the value of creating spaces where people from all backgrounds and stages of their careers can come together on an equal footing. We can’t wait to bring that same energy and environment to Birmingham. Whether you have an interest in property or the built environment or are pursuing a career in the professions that support our sector, including law, finance, HR and marketing, this event is for you. The aim of From Student to CEO Networking is simple: to break down barriers between generations and career stages, creating opportunities for people to learn from one another, build confidence and expand their professional networks. For students and those early in their careers, the event offers an opportunity to meet industry professionals, develop networking skills and gain valuable insight into the wide range of careers available across the sector. For experienced professionals and business leaders, it provides a chance to connect with peers, identify future talent and help open doors for young people who may not otherwise have access to these opportunities. At Common Ground, we believe that access to networks should not be determined by background, connections or circumstance. Places are limited, and early registration is encouraged. Date: Thursday 1 October Time: 12:30pm to 2:00pm Venue: Mills & Reeve, 1 Centenary Way, Birmingham, B3 3AY Sign up now to secure your place You might also be interested in… You might also be interested in… All Posts News Common Sense: Government Property Futures – The Great Deabte! Doing More With Less: Talent, Collaboration and Public Value In celebration of Government Property Month, we’ve partnered with Arcadis to deliver a unique afternoon of… Read More BBC Feature Highlights the Impact of Accent Bias on Young People’s Career Opportunities Earlier this week the BBC reported on the issue of workplace accent bias in the UK, drawing on polling commissioned… Read More From Student to CEO Networking – Mills & Reeve, Birmingham Following the success of our recent From Student to CEO Networking Lunch in London, Common Ground is delighted to announce… Read More
Career Stories, Coming Soon…
At Common Ground, we believe that you can’t be what you can’t see. That’s why we’re excited to announce our brand video series; Career Stories, coming soon to our channels. Career Stories will shine a spotlight on the inspiring journeys of professionals from across the property and built environment sectors who have come from a wide range of backgrounds, experiences and upbringings. Through honest conversations, we’ll explore how they found their way into the industry, the challenges they encountered along the way, and the lessons they learned throughout their careers. The series aims to help young people discover careers, pathways and opportunities they may never have considered before. From surveying and planning to architecture, engineering, project management and beyond, Career Stories will demonstrate that there is no single route into the industry and that successful careers can be built in many different ways. Most importantly, Career Stories will show that there is room for everyone in our industry. Could your story inspire the next generation? We’re looking for property and built environment professionals who are willing to share their career journey and help others see what’s possible. If you’d like to get involved, we’d love to hear from you. Get in touch at info@commongroundcic.org.uk. You might also be interested in… You might also be interested in… All Posts News Career Stories, Coming Soon… At Common Ground, we believe that you can’t be what you can’t see. That’s why we’re excited to announce our… Read More ‘From Student to CEO Networking’ Returns to London In August, we were delighted to bring ‘From Student to CEO Networking’ back to London, welcoming more than 50 enthusiastic… Read More Reflecting on Work Experience Month: Why Meaningful Workplace Exposure Matters As Work Experience Month comes to a close, we took the chance to reflect on the value of work experience… Read More
‘From Student to CEO Networking’ Returns to London
In August, we were delighted to bring ‘From Student to CEO Networking’ back to London, welcoming more than 50 enthusiastic attendees! Kindly hosted by WSP on Chancery Lane, the event brought together people at every stage of their career journey. From school, college and university students to business leaders and CEOs, the room was full of energy, conversation and new connections. One of the things we love most about these events is seeing people who might never otherwise meet making genuine conversations. Advice is shared, questions are asked, experiences are exchanged and professional networks start to grow. That’s exactly what happened throughout the afternoon. We were particularly pleased to welcome two students who travelled from Denmark to attend. Hearing how much they valued the opportunity to meet industry professionals and build their networks was a great reminder of why these events matter. A huge thank you goes to WSP for hosting us and creating such a welcoming environment. Special thanks also to Darren Connolly, Victoria Smith and the wider WSP team for their support and hospitality. The excellent lunch certainly helped get the conversations flowing! Networking can open doors, build confidence and create opportunities, yet for many people it remains one of the least accessible parts of professional life. That’s why we continue to create spaces where everyone feels welcome, whether they’re a student taking their first steps into the industry or a CEO with years of experience to share. Most importantly, thank you to everyone who came along and helped make the afternoon such a success. The conversations and willingness to support others are what make the Common Ground community so special. What’s Next? We’re incredibly grateful to Mills & Reeve and Deloitte, two hosts that have already stepped up for upcoming events, and we’ll be sharing more details soon. Whether you’re a student, apprentice, graduate, career changer, director or CEO, we’d love to welcome you to a future From Student to CEO event. You might also be interested in… You might also be interested in… All Posts News Career Stories, Coming Soon… At Common Ground, we believe that you can’t be what you can’t see. That’s why we’re excited to announce our… Read More ‘From Student to CEO Networking’ Returns to London In August, we were delighted to bring ‘From Student to CEO Networking’ back to London, welcoming more than 50 enthusiastic… Read More Reflecting on Work Experience Month: Why Meaningful Workplace Exposure Matters As Work Experience Month comes to a close, we took the chance to reflect on the value of work experience… Read More
Reflecting on Work Experience Month: Why Meaningful Workplace Exposure Matters
As Work Experience Month comes to a close, we took the chance to reflect on the value of work experience and the role it can play in opening doors for young people. Work experience remains one of the most effective ways for young people to gain insight into the world of work, build confidence, and make informed decisions about their future. Yet access is not equal. Those with family connections or existing professional networks often find it easier to secure placements, while many others are left to navigate the process alone. Research continues to show that a lack of work experience is one of the most cited barriers to employment among young people. Common Ground attended an RICS social mobility event on 14th August and so many of the young people in attendance confirmed that finding any work experience is a real challenge (and even if you secure some, you have the issue of making sure it is actually useful!) For Common Ground, this issue sits at the heart of our work. Providing meaningful exposure to workplaces, careers, and professionals can help level the playing field and give young people the confidence and knowledge they need to take their next steps. Work experience is more than a week out of the classroom. For many young people, it can be the first step towards a brighter future. Read the full article to hear the firsthand reflections of young people who have benefitted from work experience placements. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/my-reflections-wexmonth-lara-newman-meoue/?trackingId=OujebSH3AEJdxXen6OnEww%3D%3D You might also be interested in… You might also be interested in… All Posts News Career Stories, Coming Soon… At Common Ground, we believe that you can’t be what you can’t see. That’s why we’re excited to announce our… Read More ‘From Student to CEO Networking’ Returns to London In August, we were delighted to bring ‘From Student to CEO Networking’ back to London, welcoming more than 50 enthusiastic… Read More Reflecting on Work Experience Month: Why Meaningful Workplace Exposure Matters As Work Experience Month comes to a close, we took the chance to reflect on the value of work experience… Read More
Help Shape the Future of Common Ground
Applications Now Open for Our Board and Shadow Board At Common Ground, we believe that meaningful change happens when different perspectives come together around the same table. As we continue to grow, we are excited to open applications for two important opportunities: a third Non-Executive Director position on our Board and the chance to sit on our inaugural Shadow Board. Both roles will play a vital part in helping us achieve our mission of widening access to careers in the property and built environment sectors and ensuring that the voices of those we seek to support are reflected in our work. Interested in finding out more and possibly applying? Download the Shadow Board Information Pack below to learn more about the role, eligibility criteria and application process. Non-Executive Director Application Pack Shadow Board Application Pack You might also be interested in… You might also be interested in… All Posts News Career Stories, Coming Soon… At Common Ground, we believe that you can’t be what you can’t see. That’s why we’re excited to announce our… Read More ‘From Student to CEO Networking’ Returns to London In August, we were delighted to bring ‘From Student to CEO Networking’ back to London, welcoming more than 50 enthusiastic… Read More Reflecting on Work Experience Month: Why Meaningful Workplace Exposure Matters As Work Experience Month comes to a close, we took the chance to reflect on the value of work experience… Read More
What we will do
In recent discussions it has become clear that some in the sector assume we are another charity helping big corporates meet inclusion/access/diversity targets. We laud the efforts of those who do just this, their work is important and needed. But we are not them. We are not about bums on seats. We aren’t about providing lists of names to companies in exchange for donations. Instead, we believe passionately in helping individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds create the network they need to succeed in our sector. We aim to breach the often opaque networks that are barriers to access. We set out to give the rules of the game to those who need them and properly support them in navigating those paths with clarity and with financial support where needed. We know one conversation can make a difference, turn a life around, be that connection who opens up a world of possibilities. And yes, we will also continue running quality networking events that provide introductions that will do just that. We are about more than sourcing a week-long placement. We are there for the long run, through the placement, advocating for an apprenticeship, supporting at university, ensuring and even financing a summer internship, making introductions for post graduate jobs and preparing individuals for success in chosen qualifications and chartership. We will help our candidates build their Network for Life. This ethos will be mirrored in our consultancy commissions – the schools, colleges, public bodies, developers and other clients we work with will be encouraged to nominate those who they know do not have the support networks they need to succeed. So, do you know someone who needs our support? Want to hear more about our work? Reach out and join us on the journey. You might also be interested in… You might also be interested in… All Posts News Career Stories, Coming Soon… At Common Ground, we believe that you can’t be what you can’t see. That’s why we’re excited to announce our… Read More ‘From Student to CEO Networking’ Returns to London In August, we were delighted to bring ‘From Student to CEO Networking’ back to London, welcoming more than 50 enthusiastic… Read More Reflecting on Work Experience Month: Why Meaningful Workplace Exposure Matters As Work Experience Month comes to a close, we took the chance to reflect on the value of work experience… Read More