Irene Barclay, the first female Chartered Surveyor.

Join us for autumn networking drinks and a talk by author and historian Carol Harris at the QE2 Centre, Coram Campus.   In 1922 Irene Barclay was the first woman to qualify as a chartered surveyor, and she also has a place in history as a pioneer in social housing.  She surveyed and advised on a range of projects in London and Edinburgh. She also sat on committees, wrote extensively and broadcast, influencing generations of architects and planners. 

Barclay’s first project was the St Pancras Housing Association, in a deprived area of London, not far from the location of our meeting. This informed the Housing Act of 1930, which encouraged Councils to clear slums and led to the building of 700,000 new homes.  Her book “People Need Roots” tells the story of the Housing Association.

In this talk, we will find out more about Barclay’s extraordinary life and work, and celebrate a woman who still informs the thinking around social housing and the built environment.

The timings for the evening will be as follows:-

6.30pm                Guests start arriving

7.00pm                Talk starts followed by Q&A

c.8.00pm             Networking over drinks/light refreshments

9.00pm                Event ends

Founded in 1739 Coram is the first and longest continuing children’s charity.  Having evolved from the 18^th century Foundling Hospital it is now a dynamic group of specialist charities supporting over 150,000 children, young people and families every year.   Our speaker is the Social History Editor at Coram.  

To find out more about this amazing charity see www.coram.org.uk

The venue is fully accessible.

Registration Deadline: 10 November 2024

Event Contact: Events Team