Diversity & Inclusion Week 2022

Last week, employees from Bouygues Construction in the UK were all celebrating our Diversity & Inclusion week.

This week-long celebration featured daily virtual events during which we heard from some incredible guest speakers. Steve Ingham, Fiona Daniel and Lynne Hunt each shared personal stories and wisdom around celebrating diversity and how to ensure inclusion is a priority.

Allyship was the theme for the week, as we challenged our people to #BeTheChange. We want all Bouygues UK employees to feel empowered to call out inappropriate behaviour, amplify under-represented voices and champion inclusion in all aspects of their professional and personal life.

The turn-out to the week was astounding, with almost 1000 participants to the events throughout the week, from across the globe. A true testament to how seriously we are taking this subject across our business.

A huge well done to everyone who made this week possible.

Driven by Leasha Newman, a Solicitor for Linkcity, we are now offering work experience for students on the Law Society’s Diversity Access Scheme. Linkcity is delighted to be working more closely with the Law Society to offer valuable experience to students who might otherwise struggle to gain such opportunities. Having previously been awarded a scholarship for the Scheme, Leasha’s insight has been invaluable. We spoke to Leasha to find out just how crucial this scheme is, what her experience of it was herself, and where it has got her now.

What is the Law Society’s Diversity Access Scheme and why is it so important?

The Diversity Access Scheme is a scholarship programme offered by the Law Society to help aspiring law students from less advantaged backgrounds to pursue a career in law, by providing funding for the Legal Practice Course or Solicitors Qualifying Exam. In addition to the funding, awardees are provided with work experience opportunities and mentoring. The scheme receives hundreds of applications each year, but only 10 scholarships are awarded, so it is a highly competitive process.

The scheme is important because it removes the financial barriers that many students seeking a career in law face. The awardees come from a background which means that they don’t have access to funding from other means (e.g. family or loans), so would face great difficulty in moving forward in their career as student finance is not available for these post-graduate courses which are a requirement for a career in law. This, therefore, means that diversity within the profession can be promoted instead of the stereotypical law student who has come from a wealthy family who already has connections within the profession and access to many opportunities.

What made you want to work with the Law Society?

As a previous awardee of a scholarship from the Scheme, I have seen the benefits first-hand. Whilst the funding is the key component of the scheme, the access to a mentor to help guide you through such a daunting period is equally as valuable. Often the students don’t know others in the profession that they can speak to and get advice from, so having the chance to speak to someone already working as a qualified solicitor is very important. I have volunteered as a mentor to help offer some insight and advice to my current mentee.

Access to good quality work experience is equally vital, as this will give students experience for their CV which will in turn help with training contract applications. I  wanted to give students on the programme the opportunity to gain access to life in an office environment in which they could get some hands-on experience in drafting, joining client meetings to understand how decisions are made, or conducting research that will benefit the business directly. I also felt that it is important for the students to get some exposure to an in-house legal environment, as this is an equally rewarding career path. Often the in-house route is not as talked about in University, but in my experience, the benefits of working directly with your client and being involved in the commercial discussions give you a much better commercial awareness, which feeds into your legal decision making.

How did the Law Society benefit your own career?

As well as providing me with the funding to take the Legal Practice Course, I found that the work experience opportunities were the most beneficial part of the scheme for me. I managed to secure several placements at large in-house organisations, which gave me invaluable insight into this kind of environment, meaning I had an open mind when looking for training contract opportunities. I also managed to secure a vacation scheme at a large private practice law firm, which then lead to me being hired as a paralegal full-time once I finished my studies. Without these opportunities, I believe that it would have taken me longer to secure a paralegal role (and ultimately a training contract) as I had a lack of legal experience on my CV.

Do you enjoy being a mentor?

Being a mentor is something that I often discounted thinking that I am ‘too junior’ to be able to help someone else out. But I have come to realise that I have valuable insights into pursuing a career in law and having come from a similar background to these students, I know I can share my experiences to help my mentee with their career choices. I am really enjoying being a mentor, knowing that I am helping someone and making a difference in their professional life.

What is so special about what Linkcity offers to their interns?

The first thing is having friendly faces around you to welcome you into the team which really helps you settle into what is quite a daunting experience for students. Everyone at Linkcity is approachable and willing to offer their support and advice and talk to students about their individual job roles to give them an insight into the business. The second thing is being involved in good quality work, having been on many work placements myself where you don’t have much involvement or get to do any meaningful work, I know this makes a key difference. Here at Linkcity, we are ensuring that students get a wide variety of experience and is involved in carrying out tasks themselves, with the support of the team.

Where do you see the relationship between Linkcity and the Law Society going in the future?

I hope that we can continue to offer work experience placements to the students on the Diversity Access Scheme for each new year of students. I will continue to offer mentoring support and assist with speaking at events and webinars where possible. Hopefully we can extend this to some of the wider team to raise awareness about the opportunities within the Linkcity legal team.

One of the best things about Linkcity is our people. To celebrate this, we have launched a series of Q&As to showcase our diverse, talented team and the variety of roles available here. Last time we spoke to Aleks Dashi. This time, we hear from Simon Rosenberg, Operations Director at Linkcity UK.

Tell us a bit about you and your role?
After originally training and qualifying as a building surveyor, I worked a stint as a package manager for a construction management firm. I then went into project management which is what I have done ever since. I’ve worked for both client organisations and consultancies. Now at Linkcity, I lead a team of fantastic operations managers. Our job is to represent Linkcity as the developer on our projects and see that we meet the commitments we have made to our investor clients. A key part of this is working hard to make sure we have positive working relationships with all members of the project team.

What do you do in your day to day?
My primary role is to make sure that my team have everything they need to do their job and in turn, to see that we are providing our stakeholders with everything they need to make the project a success.
Because I work across a number of projects, I’m able to bring a different perspective to the day to day tasks that the team are doing. One of my key roles is helping them through difficult problems and suggesting alternative ways of dealing with them. Another benefit of working across several projects is the ability to offer lessons learnt on one site in order to find a solution on another site.

What’s the biggest challenge in your role?
It’s when things don’t go according to plan that the challenges occur. We then have to work out the best way to solve the problem and then importantly communicate it to all stakeholders.
As a team, we are currently doing a lot of work on lessons learnt from completed projects and also soft landings for the end-users. We want to learn from the past to make things better going forwards.

What has been the proudest moment of your career at Linkcity?
In June 2020 we managed to complete all the legal agreements required for Phase 3 of our scheme at Hallsville Quarter so that work could start on site. This was the largest scheme Linkcity has ever done, was the culmination of several years’ work which all had to be concluded during lockdown. It proved how adaptable we have been as a business, and an industry, that by the flick of a switch we were able to do it working virtually.

What is a common misconception about your role?
That being a developer is easy! That all we do is tell everyone else what to do. That all you need to do is attend a few meetings and everyone else does the work.
…Sure, there is a big project team doing a lot of work, but our job is to make sure that the product delivered is what the investors have asked us to deliver. We play a key part in maintaining productive working relationships between everyone involved, as well as the technical administration of the investor contracts, payments, reporting etc.

What have you learnt over the last 18 months?
The last 18 months has reinforced what I already knew. Expect the unexpected. What we do know for certain is that a project will almost never be delivered exactly as anticipated and that as a project team we need to be adaptable.

What do you like most about working at Linkcity?
The PEOPLE. We have a brilliant product but it’s the PEOPLE that make it happen. Everyone at Linkcity has a positive attitude and with that, anything is possible no matter the obstacle.

Where do you see Linkcity this time next year?
We have ambitious plans to increase our turnover and to expand into new markets/asset classes, so watch this space. Working with Bouygues UK, we will be making much greater use of Modern Methods of Construction and I am really looking forward to seeing the benefits of that.

Did you know that we have Graduate Scheme at Linkcity? In fact, we invest heavily in it. Graduates who join us benefit from an extensive range of personal and professional development opportunities, and a strong support network.

We spoke to Graduate Development Officer, Georgia De Allie who joined our two year Graduate Scheme back in September 2021. Keep reading to hear how she’s getting on!

Who are you and what is your role?

My name is Georgia De Allie and I joined Linkcity as a Graduate Development Officer in August 2021 after completing a Master’s in Real Estate Development. Prior to this, I completed an undergraduate degree in Business Management and Law and then worked as a Legal and Technical Assistant for a year at another property development company.

What do you do in your day to day?

The role of a Graduate Development Officer is wide-ranging and helps build on the skills required to successfully manage property development projects, including legal matters, finance and aspects of design, and planning.

What’s the biggest challenge in your role?

I would say the biggest challenge in this role is the diversity of the work involved and having to be able to adapt to this quickly. Having said this, it was the varied nature of the role that ultimately drew me to a career in property development.

What has been the most valuable thing you have learnt since starting your graduate scheme?

People often say it, but no question is a stupid question. There is so much to learn, and asking questions is a great opportunity to benefit from the knowledge of those around you. Since starting the graduate scheme, I have really seen just how much asking a question can improve your understanding, no matter how ‘stupid’ you think it may be.

What do you like most about working Linkcity?

What I like most is just being a part of the Linkcity team. Since I joined everybody has been so welcoming and more than happy to help in any way they can, which has made it such an enjoyable place to work.

How do you think the Graduate Scheme will benefit your development in the long-term?

The graduate scheme will, no doubt, benefit my development in the long-term thanks to the learning and development programmes I have been able to partake in. There is a mentoring scheme, a buddy system as well as graduate group projects. All of these opportunities are helping me build connections with people I may not necessarily work with on a day-to-day basis.

What would you say to someone considering applying for the Graduate Scheme?

Do it! It is a great opportunity to gain experience in the property industry as well as be part of the wider Bouygues Group. The graduate scheme allows you to connect with graduates across the business and has a huge focus on personal and career development.

Where do you see yourself this time next year?

This time next year I will be halfway through the 2-year graduate scheme, on my way with the RICS chartership programme and hopefully involved in some exciting new projects!

Linkcity Partners with Solutions for the Planet for a Second Year Running

Linkcity are delighted to have partnered with Solutions for the Planet (S4TP) for a second year running!

S4TP is a social enterprise passionate about sustainability and improving young people’s life chances. Like Linkcity, S4TP believes young people are key to helping us make the world a better place for everyone and so they reinvest profits back into the business to benefit more young people and local communities.

Their well-renowned Big Ideas Programme, which we are looking forward to getting involved with for another year, is a STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) and enterprise programme with a focus on sustainability issues that matter to our young people. Delivered in secondary schools across the UK and using employee volunteers from their Business Partner Network as mentors, the Big Ideas Programme harnesses creativity, encourages team work, develops STEM and wider employability skills, and gives young people a voice in the dialogue around sustainability, linking their ideas to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

Since 2013, the Big Ideas Programme has involved over 23,000 young people from more than 80 schools, with 500+ mentors volunteering over 5,000 hours of their time to support the young people in developing their confidence, ideas, skills and knowledge around STEM, sustainability and entrepreneurship.

We are thrilled that this year we have a new set of mentors, Romain, Elliot, Alex and George, joining the programme to share their expertise with the pupils they will be mentoring from Stratford School Academy.

One of the best things about Linkcity is our people. To celebrate this, we have launched a series of Q&As to showcase our diverse, talented team and the variety of roles available here. This time, we hear from Aleks Dashi, Senior Operations Manager at Linkcity UK.

Tell us a bit about you and your role?
As part of the operations team within Linkcity, I get involved with new projects even before Financial Close (FC) then take them through the construction stage and stick with them after achieving Practical Completion (PC) into the latent defect stage which normally goes on until 2 years after PC.

What do you do in your day to day?
I spend a lot of my time liaising with Development Managers Pre-FC and with Investors throughout the construction and defect periods to ensure all requirements within the Development Agreement/Agreement for Lease are finalised. I also communicate regularly with all stakeholders involved in our projects, which can involve anything from running all the meetings required to achieve successful construction on site or managing day to day challenges and the expectations of our clients. I am also responsible for integrating each stakeholders’ contract documents as well as monitoring any changes that might transpire during construction. Reviewing the progress on site and advising all stakeholders of any challenges that we’re experiencing at the time is always a priority so the adequate steps can be proposed and agreed to resolve the matter. My ultimate aim is to achieve a successful, high-quality product and a profitable project. We must ensure that our clients are delighted with our efforts on the project and everything I do feeds into this.

What’s the biggest challenge in your role?
Completing all the required changes on the project to match the satisfaction of all stakeholders is one of many big challenges on a live project. When changes need to be made, the team must work hard to deliver the product that we have promised our clients on time and to budget.

What has been the proudest moment of your career at Linkcity?
My previous scheme at Hounslow Civic Centre, a unique building with an iconic design from our architects, was nominated for national awards competition and this has to be up there with the proudest moments of my career. We manage to complete the building on time with a high-quality finish and in line with the agreed price. This was achieved through working very closely with all stakeholders and we received very positive feedback from our client which was an added bonus. This project was officially opened by the Lord Mayor of London and it was fantastic to be invited to attend.

What is a common misconception about your role?
The biggest misconception is that my role is just a contest between the contractor and the developer. On the contrary, we believe that to achieve a trusting and efficient partnership we need to work together and develop reliance between all parties involved.

What have you learnt over the last 18 months?
Since starting on the current project I am working on, I have witnessed the number of females in the construction industry increase noticeably. From the women working on site right up to the women in management or operational roles. While there is no doubt still a way to go, it is great to see this positive change.

What do you like most about working at Linkcity?
I think the people that work within Linkcity team are fundamental to our success as a company. Over the years, each team within the business as well as all the consultants we work with have played a part in building the working relationships we have today. Sometimes it might look like we’re working in isolation from other departments, however, every time that we need to achieve a difficult goal we always manage to work as united team and be very successful in what we strive to do.

Where do you see yourself this time next year?
By this time next year, the Luton Street & Fisherton Street project will be completed, and residents will be enjoying their new life in a prime London location. I will be still involved with the aftercare process whilst also working on our next project, whatever that might be…!

As the tallest residential block in Bristol nears completion, Linkcity and Bouygues UK welcomed Marvin Rees, Mayor of Bristol, for a visit to the 26-storey tower yesterday. The Mayor learnt more about the building work and received a tour of the impressive building which will soon bring 375 much-needed new homes to the city centre, including 75 affordable homes.

Developed by Linkcity, built by Bouygues UK, designed by Chapman Taylor and with the support of M&G Investments, Homes England, Bristol City Council and Abri (formerly Yarlington Housing Group), construction of Castle Park View will be finished in Spring 2022.The new homes will host a range of sustainable features as part of the council’s plans to build new homes sustainably in central locations.

Marvin Rees, Mayor of Bristol, said: “It’s great to see these homes nearing completion. This is a great example of building the homes we desperately need without putting undue pressure on the environment by making the most of brownfield sites in the city centre, as well as bringing value to the community throughout the build. Recommendations from the recent Citizens’ Assembly included the need to rapidly reduce the impact of our homes on climate change and to make changes to neighbourhoods that make traveling easier, healthier, and better for the environment. Castle Park View supports these ambitions by bringing high quality new homes to Bristol in a sustainable location, with direct access to walking and cycling links and heated by our low-carbon heat network.”

Castle Park View’s design includes numerous sustainability features which contributed to it achieving a level four standard in the Code for Sustainable Homes certification, an environmental assessment method for rating and certifying the performance of new homes. The sustainable design features include nearly 200 photovoltaic roof-mounted solar panels, more than 500 cycle parking spaces, energy efficient light fittings and kitchen appliances, electric charging points at 20% of the car parking spaces, as well as diverting 99.9% of waste generated during the build from landfill.

By making efficient use of a brownfield site near the city centre, Castle Park View will also support sustainable living in Bristol. The site is within walking distance of Bristol Temple Meads station and Bristol Bus and Coach Station, as well as on walking and cycling routes across the city, reducing car traffic within the city centre.

Axel Boutrolle, Managing Director of Linkcity, said: “Linkcity is very proud to be delivering this much needed building for the people of Bristol. Doing so in such a collaborative way on public land has been a challenging but very rewarding and worthwhile experience. The sustainability credentials of this building are second to none, and we have created environmentally friendly, energy efficient and more importantly affordable homes for hundreds of families in this city, a cause which is very close to our hearts. We hope Castle Park View will be the first of many developments in the UK that uses inner city brown field sites to build much needed housing for thriving cities such as Bristol.”

One of the best things about Linkcity is our people. To celebrate this, we have launched a series of Q&As to showcase our diverse, talented team and the variety of roles available here. This time, we hear from Colin Munro, a Development Manager at Linkcity.

Tell us a bit about you and your role.
I’m a Development Manager in the Linkcity team. This involves leading the development process from site identification through to the commencement of the works on site. We also keep an active role through the construction and completion phase providing support to our site operations team.

What do you do in your day to day?
The diversity of the working day is what I enjoy most about this job. On any given day I could be progressing a planning application with our design team, analysing values and inputs for our development appraisal and cash flow, or negotiating development contracts.

What’s the biggest challenge in your role?
The biggest challenge is to be able to effectively jump between all the different workstreams, stakeholders and markets to ensure you can align all interests to make the project a success.

What are you most proud of since starting out at Linkcity?
Reaching close on our Riverside development in Canterbury. It is a very complex scheme and deal structure that pulls together three investors to deliver a mixed-use neighbourhood of commercial, student accommodation and residential. It’s the final element of the Council’s plans for regenerating the Northgate area of Canterbury. You can really see how it’s going to bring positive transformation to the area.

What is a common misconception about your role?
There are many misconceptions about development managers and the role. There is a perception that we are only interested in the short-term outcomes of our projects. I would say that the most successful developments are projects that focus on generating a positive and long-term legacy for local communities.

What has been the biggest challenge over the last 18 months?
We would normally resolve so many problems and generate ideas through spontaneous conversations in the office. It has been a real challenge to replicate this type of environment remotely. We have certainly improved on various digital platforms, but I’m looking forward to returning to the office and collaborating with the team again.

What do you like most about working at Linkcity?
The team ethic. We look out for each other and there’s a great spirit that makes work much more enjoyable and helps to take the edge off the more stressful moments.

How do you see life at Linkcity this time next year?
I have no doubt that we will be making the most of working together in person, but also working in an environment that recognises that there can be many advantages and efficiencies in working from home.

Over the course of the next two weeks, Linkcity will be virtually racing to our parent company, Bouygues Construction’s headquarters in Paris, Challenger, to raise money for our chosen charity of the year, The Magpie Project. Members of Linkcity have been split into teams, each racing to cover the 476km from our London Headquarters, Becket House to Challenger, collectively, as fast as possible by running, walking, or cycling.

As part of its commitment to the communities in which it works, Linkcity has partnered with the Magpie Project which provides practical support and advice to mothers and children under five in temporary or insecure accommodation in the London Borough of Newham. At the beginning of the year, when discussing what Linkcity could do for the Magpie Project, we pledged to help them acquire an electronic cargo bike, which they could use to deliver and collect items across the borough in a sustainable way. But, this costs a whopping £5,000! So all proceeds fundraised through our race to Paris will go towards funds for this e-bike. 

The race is on!

To donate to the cause and help us support the Magpie Project’s objectives to reduce the number of people in temporary accommodation, child poverty and homeless referrals in Newham, click here. 

One of the best things about Linkcity is our people. To celebrate this, we have launched a series of Q&As to showcase our diverse, talented team and the variety of roles available here. This time we hear from Leasha Newman, a Solicitor at Linkcity UK.

Who are you and what is your role?
My name is Leasha Newman and I am a Solicitor for Linkcity. I trained in-house with Bouygues UK and Linkcity and qualified as a Solicitor in 2019. I am one of the project lawyers for the Hallsville Quarter development, leading on retail and estate management matters. I also assist the Linkcity Head of Legal, Amanda Child, on multiple other projects and legal matters.

What does a normal day look like to you?
A normal day is difficult to describe as every day is different and brings new challenges. Generally, I would spend my day reviewing and drafting project documents, which could include appointment contracts, NDAs, agreements for lease or lease documents (to name but a few). If we have an external law firm assisting on a project, I will liaise with them to provide instructions, ask for updates on progress and review their work. There are also always queries related to project work both internally and externally which must be answered.

What’s the biggest challenge in your role?
Time management is definitely the biggest challenge. As in-house lawyers, we are often involved in multiple projects, so need to be able to deal with competing deadlines and manage client expectations to ensure that tasks are prioritised accordingly.

What are you most proud of since starting out at Linkcity?
I am most proud of the progress I have made in terms of my legal work and being trusted enough to take a lead on elements of project work, even whilst I was a trainee, but even more so now as a qualified junior lawyer. This has helped improve the confidence I have in my own work.

What is a common misconception about your role?
The most common misconception I have come across about lawyers is that our working life is like the TV drama Suits! As much as we would all like to think we are as cool and high flying as the likes of Jessica or Harvey and spend most of our days at fancy restaurants with our clients, our job is not quite as glamorous…. and we do a lot more work!

What do you like most about working at Linkcity?
The variety and quality of work I have been involved in. I have been fortunate enough to be involved in Linkcity’s highest value project, Hallsville Quarter Phase 3, on which we managed to reach financial close in the middle of lockdown. In addition to this, I have been involved in the estate management of the existing Phases of Hallsville Quarter, as well as leading on the retail elements of the Hallsville Quarter, Bath Court and Canterbury Riverside projects.

How would you describe life at Linkcity?
Life at Linkcity is very enjoyable thanks to a combination of the high-quality projects and its people. Linkcity is a very accommodating and understanding business, that cares about the wellbeing of its staff. This always makes the work environment more enjoyable and in turn, increases productivity as you feel valued for your efforts.

Where do you see yourself this time next year?
I would like to think that I will be back in the office in more of a ‘normal’ working routine. I hope to take on more responsibility in Linkcity’s other exciting new projects, helping to progress them from the early stages to financial close and beyond.

What would you say to someone considering a career in this industry?
I would say that there is a lot of satisfaction to be found, especially because there is usually a tangible product at the end (i.e. a building). It is very fulfilling, and I feel proud when I see a completed building or project that I was involved in.