Kate Nottidge, Director, Social Impact, Grosvenor Property UK

Greener Futures is one of many investments Grosvenor Property UK makes in local communities every year. It aims to improve lives by helping communities take climate action, creating access to training and jobs in the green economy and connecting children with nature. 

The programme supports health, wellbeing, employability and more. We’re delivering it as part of our People and Planet Positive approach, which is all about creating places that are better for people and the planet. That purpose is part of what makes Grosvenor a place where people like Kate can express everything they are, in everything they do, every day.

Meet Kate, Director of Social Impact.

At Grosvenor I’ve always felt encouraged to stretch and to be ambitious, which has been incredibly motivating.

Almost 10 years ago, I was Grosvenor’s first community engagement hire. Today, that work is right at the heart of our business and the broader sector-leading approach to social impact that I lead.

That’s where Greener Futures, our £1 million investment programme focused on communities and the climate emergency, sprang from. It’s an expression of our commitment to bring our social and environmental aims together, making sure our places benefit both people and planet over the long term.

I love to get under the skin of social issues.

To be able to spend time understanding issues impacting local communities - and then actually to get to design a programme and engage partners to help us address those issues, was very satisfying.

Our focus is on supporting community-led climate action in the areas where our UK property business is active. Projects range from facilitating skills development to helping people secure jobs in the green economy, to school projects that nurture children’s knowledge on climate and nature. It’s a win-win approach: people benefit and so does the planet.

The impact of Greener Futures has been huge. Two years in, we estimate 35,000 people have benefited.

Every single project we support through Greener Futures is a real inspiration. But I think I’ve been most proud of seeing how the work we’re doing with our core charity partner, Groundwork, has helped people who have been long-term unemployed to turn things around. 

The projects we’re funding with Groundwork helps these individuals build their confidence, learn new skills and meet new people. Most go on to secure long-term employment. It’s real, practical, lasting help. 

I love the way this programme brings people together, in and outside our business, and reaches into the communities we are a part of.

I’m lucky to have worked with many people at Grosvenor who have helped bring social issues to the fore of our business and really challenge us to think about our role in responding to those. We are learning all the time, and what this experience has really brought home to me is how much we can also learn from our communities. To see my colleagues embrace that opportunity too has been incredibly motivating and is testament to their commitment to having a positive impact. 

"Having a role which is all about how we make an impact, and being surrounded by colleagues who are curious and want to have an impact too, is one of the many things I love about working at Grosvenor."