UCEM welcomes seven new members to Honorary Community
Posted on: 30 April, 2025
On Thursday 8 May 2025, UCEM held its annual Honorary Community Luncheon at Ironmonger’s Hall in London. This was an occasion for Trustees, friends of UCEM and Honorary and Associate Fellows to come together as supporters of UCEM. They heard an institutional update from the Chair, Peter McCrea OBE, and Vice Chancellor, Ashley Wheaton Hon RICS before we were able to formally award Associate Fellowships to seven of the newest members of our community – Andras Belan, Christopher Cheung, Sadaqat Hussain, Becky Rimmington (nee Powley), Jason Ratcliffe, Ashish Sharma and Nella Pang.
- Andras Belan
- Christopher Cheung
- Sadaqat Hussain
- Becky Rimmington (nee Powley)
- Jason Ratcliffe
- Ashish Sharma
- Nella Pang
Guests enjoyed a drinks reception in the outdoor courtyard followed by a three-course lunch. The Vice Chancellor gave a short update speech outlining progress on many of UCEM’s current strategic objectives, including the University Title application (which was recently approved by the OfS/DfE), the strategic merger with the London School of Architecture and our aims to launch research degrees from September 2025. The Chair of the Board then presented the certificates to newly awarded Associate Fellows.
Peter McCrea OBE, Chair of the Board, commented: “I am delighted to be at my first Honorary Community Luncheon as Chair of the UCEM Board and thrilled to present these seven highly deserving recipients with their Associate Fellowship certificates. They are all very worthy candidates and I look forward to their long and fruitful association with the University in the years to come.”
Associate Fellowships are awarded to nominees who have been actively involved with UCEM in recent years, often as supportive alumni of the institution. The award is presented to those usually at an earlier stage of their career or those who have been recognised for significant academic achievement by UCEM. Associate Fellows are expected to make an active contribution to the work of UCEM. This might include speaking at events or guest lectures, participating in UCEM forums, endowing scholarships, bursaries or prizes, providing mentoring opportunities to UCEM students starting their careers in the sector and sponsoring or contributing to research at UCEM.
UCEM is delighted to be forging lasting relationships with today’s new Associate Fellows. For more information on the UCEM Honorary Community, which consists of Honorary Fellows, Associate Fellows, Honorary Degree Recipients, past Trustees and Property Award winners, see https://www.ucem.ac.uk/honorary-awards-community/
Background on why awarded:
Andras Belan was a UCEM Student Representative on the Postgraduate Programme Committee from October 2021 to November 2023 making a significant and important contribution in obtaining feedback from the student community and representing their views back into UCEM, making enhancements to the student experience and overall quality of learning.
Christopher Cheung (joined the event all the way from Hong Kong) is a UCEM alumnus whose career in the surveying profession and real estate is rocketing. He is a voting member of the Hong Kong Professional and Senior Executives Association, a counsellor in the Assessment of Professional Competence for RICS and a mentor for UCEM.
Sadaqat Hussain, following on from his 2023 Alumni Award at the Property Award event, has supported UCEM with its marketing and promotional activities for built environment apprenticeships. He has worked with RICS Matrics and CREation Property Network to support young property professionals and made it onto Empower’s 100 Ethnic Minority Future Leaders list as a role model for the next generation.
Rebecca Rimmington (nee Powley) was one of UCEM’s first ever Board Apprentices on the UCEM Board of Trustees from 2021-2023, helping to really embed and establish the scheme as a route to relevant Board experience for young professionals in the sector. She provided a new and valuable voice on the Board, bringing her experiences as a recent student and alumni of UCEM to discussions that could genuinely impact the next generation of surveyors. Alongside this, she continues to go from strength to strength in her career at Entain.
Jason Ratcliffe, whilst a student with UCEM, was a member of the Responsible Futures Working Group in 2020, becoming a critical friend to the institution as it seeks to deliver its sustainability ambitions. He has contributed to the BE Sustainable podcast series and supported UCEM’s Climate and Social Action Week. In his company he has also established the Steren Academy, which supports future generations with hands-on experience in surveying.
Ashish Sharma, whilst a student with UCEM, also supported our Responsible Futures Working Group in both 2022 and 2024. He became a Student Officer for Sustainability, helping UCEM to develop its sustainability strategy, and initiatives like UCEM’s first ever Go Green Week and is now a key member of UCEM’s alumni networking events and has supported our INSPIRE events.
Nella Pang was awarded her Associate Fellowship by the Board in 2022 but we’ve only jus managed to present this. Amongst her many achievements to date, her strong voice on EDI matters in a sector that still needs to diversify is one to be proud of. Nella has run her own business, Omega RE, since 2020 in which she champions diversity through her Strong Female Lead Initiative and she hosts the Let’s Talk South Coast podcast. She’s one of UCEM’s most valuable advocate and a genuine role model for our students.
