Freehold in Birmingham: Building an Inclusive Future in the Midlands

Freehold Heads to Birmingham

We're delighted to announce that Freehold is coming to Birmingham this October.

Over the years, we've heard from many people across the industry who would love to attend Freehold events but find travelling to London difficult. We're excited to bring the network to Birmingham, creating new opportunities for LGBTQ+ professionals and allies to connect, collaborate and build relationships closer to home.

This event has been made possible through the support of Gowling WLG, which will host our first event in Birmingham.

Founded in 2011, Freehold LGBTQ+ has grown to a community of more than 1,700 members from across the built environment sector, including developers, investors, architects, lawyers, surveyors and planners. Through networking, mentoring and professional development opportunities, Freehold supports LGBTQ+ professionals and allies throughout their careers.

As we celebrate 15 years of Freehold, we're excited to mark this milestone by bringing the network to Birmingham, creating new opportunities for LGBTQ+ professionals and allies to connect across the UK.

We hope you'll join us for what promises to be a fantastic evening as we bring the Freehold community to Birmingham for the first time.

Panel

Dan Westley (he/him) — Co-Chair of Freehold LGBTQ+ CIC and Head of UK Portfolio at Vastint. Dan has been involved with Freehold for around a decade, previously serving on its board with a focus on events and mentoring.

Kelly Canterford MRICS (she/her) — Co-Chair of Freehold LGBTQ+ CIC and Director/Founder of Tigrou Consulting. Kelly is a chartered surveyor and EDI consultant, and has been involved with Freehold since its early years. She is also a member of AbilityRE’s Executive Committee.

Paul Barker (he/him) — Partner in the Real Estate Group at Gowling WLG and Vice Chair of the Property Litigation Association. Paul previously co-chaired OpenLand, the Midlands LGBT+ property network, and is leading Freehold's Birmingham programme.

Timothy Evans (he/him) — Partner in the Real Estate Group at Gowling WLG and former Board member of OpenLand, with extensive experience in the Midlands commercial property market.

Format

18:00 — Arrival, drinks and networking

18:30 — Welcome and introductions

18:40 — Panel discussion and audience Q&A

19:30 — Networking drinks and canapés

20:30 — Close

The event is open to all LGBTQ+ professionals and allies working in the built environment sector in Birmingham, the Midlands and across the country, including London! Freehold membership is free and you do not need to be a member to attend this Birmingham launch event.

We hope this will become part of a series outside London where we can explore different locations across the country, and even the world. If you are in a location that this matches and have an idea about an event, please get in touch at info@freeholdlgbt.com, we would love to hear from you and talk this through.