JQ Rise, a striking new 226-home development at the edge of Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter, has marked the major milestone of reaching its highest point during construction – known as ‘topping out’. The scheme has been delivered by Birmingham-based residential developer and investor Prosperity Group.

JQ Rise is located on Summer Hill Road & Goodman Street. The new homes are spread
across three blocks ranging from four, eight and a 25-storey tower and includes external
communal gardens for residents.

The milestone was celebrated by members of the Prosperity Group team, as well as some of the scheme’s major contributors, including FPMcCann, CBP Architects, and Thornley &
Lumb Partnership.

The building has topped out two years after groundworks were laid. The internal fit out of the building is also being completed at pace, with the development set to welcome its first
residents in Summer 2024.

All 226 new homes have already been sold ahead of completion of the new milestone
residential scheme. JQ Rise is among several Prosperity Group-led projects being developed across Birmingham in 2024, with works set to begin on 146 new homes on Kent Street in Southside and 687 new homes in Digbeth later this year.

Joe Billingham, Chief Executive at Prosperity Group, said: “I am delighted that we have now reached this milestone as we draw closer to completing the entire development of JQ Rise. It is a fantastic project for Birmingham and one that we are extremely proud of. It has seen us transform of a brownfield site to deliver new homes as well as local growth and prosperity.

“JQ Rise is a key part of our exciting development pipeline for 2024, as we continue to
deliver high-quality places for people to live. This moment is a clear sign that we are
delivering for the city.”

Mark McCann, Director at FPMcCann, said: “We’ve been delighted to partner with Prosperity Group on this excellent project. It is a great showpiece scheme right in the centre of Birmingham and one with great unique features that helps elevate the value JQ Rise creates for the city and local area.”

Touchstone Education celebrates a century of its most popular course by giving away prizes worth over £100,000

The business grew by almost a third in 2023

Touchstone Education, a leading property investment education firm based in Doncaster, is celebrating the start of the year with a major milestone, having delivered its 100^th Wealth Through Property event. 

The milestone comes off the back of what has been a very successful year for the business, which grew by almost a third (30%) in 2023. Built on the founders’ 42 years of property investment experience, this is the business’ 9^th consecutive year of growth during its 9-year history, as more and more people seek support and education around investment in a difficult socio-economic climate.

Touchstone Education’s ever-popular Wealth Through Property (WTP) programme is a two-day event designed to empower individuals to achieve financial freedom and has become a cornerstone in Touchstone’s commitment to providing expert guidance and strategies for property investment success. 

Last year alone, the WTP event welcomed over 7,000 individuals, more than a tenth (14%) of which went on to become permanent members of Touchstone’s Wealth Academy programme. 

In celebration of this remarkable achievement, more than £100,000 worth of fabulous prizes were given away to seven lucky attendees during the two-day event. The first five of these lucky winners received a Golden Ticket for a one-on-one coaching session with Co-Founder, Aniko Smith, renowned for her insights into mindset and wealth creation. Two additional attendees received the exceptional grand prize, which included a mentoring session with both of the founders Paul Smith and Aniko Smith, plus an unforgettable all-expenses-paid private jet trip to Monaco. 

Paul Smith and Aniko Smith, co-founders of Touchstone Education, commented: “Despite the urban myth that 2023 was a challenging year in property investment, we successfully showed thousands of people that building real wealth through property is not only possible but that many of our Wealth Academy members are doing just that. We know that building wealth is a choice because we both started from very modest backgrounds. Enabling people to create a life for themselves and their loved ones, irrespective of their background, class, or race, is something we are incredibly proud of. The fact that we’ve just reached this milestone is testament to the value and impact of our offering. Critical to our success in helping others build wealth are our amazing coaches who have all done it themselves. Here’s to our next 100 events and continuing to support our community!” 

One of Touchstone Education’s first students, key speaker, and now a successful entrepreneur herself, Abi Hookway also adds: “The success stories are a testament to the Wealth Through Property event. Celebrating 100 events is a remarkable achievement, marking moments of reclaiming lives and redirecting individuals toward their true callings.” 

For more information on Touchstone Education, head to https://touchstoneeducation.com/

A leading engineering design consultancy has announced the appointment of its 50^th graduate to its Global Graduate Pathway Programme.

Black & White Engineering (B&W), which specialises in sustainable MEP design services, operates in 44 countries worldwide. In the UK, it has offices in Edinburgh, Newcastle, Manchester and London.

The company’s graduate programme is a two-year, comprehensive initiative designed to attract and develop the brightest new talents in engineering design. With a focus on hands-on experience, the programme offers graduates a structured career path at B&W.

Catherine Allen, Global Learning & Development Partner at B&W, said: “The programme is pivotal in nurturing the skills, knowledge, and experience necessary in engineering design and decision-making. The initiative demonstrates B&W’s commitment to fostering the next generation of design engineering talents and cultivating a workforce that enjoys long and fulfilling careers at B&W, contributing significantly to our fields of expertise.”

Graduates are integrated into specific teams, such as the data centre team, where they focus on developing discipline-specific knowledge and skills. The programme’s unique structure includes a secondment to different teams, enabling graduates to broaden their experience and learn about new disciplines. This approach fosters a well-rounded understanding of B&W’s entire business and the services offered.

Steven Horn, UK and Europe Director at B&W, said: “Our graduate pathway programme highlights B&W’s foresight and commitment in shaping the future of the engineering design industry. In a field that’s rapidly evolving and facing significant recruitment challenges, the programme addresses these challenges and also plays a pivotal role in developing future design engineers.

“Through this programme, B&W is strategically investing in the people who will lead and drive our sector forward. It demonstrates our serious commitment to nurturing and harnessing the potential of new talents, ensuring that B&W remains at the forefront of engineering design.

“By equipping graduates with the real-world skills and experience they need, we are effectively building the foundation of an industry that remains robust, dynamic, and forward-thinking.”

The Global Graduate Pathway programme is open for applications year-round, and graduates can be based in any of B&W’s global locations.

Catriona Gluyas, a current Graduate Sustainability Consultant at B&W, said: “From the get-go, B&W’s dedication to my professional growth was evident. Within my first two weeks, I had already completed and passed the BREEAM Associate exam.

“Mentorship is also a cornerstone of the B&W graduate experience. My line manager, mentor, and ‘work buddy’ have been instrumental in helping me transition from university to professional life, offering guidance, support, and insights that have been crucial to my development.

“Overall, the combination of targeted training, personalised mentorship, and continual professional development opportunities has not only sharpened my skills but also prepared me for a promising career in sustainability design consulting. It’s great to be a part of such an exciting, rapidly growing organisation.”

For more information about the Global Graduate Pathway programme or B&W Engineering, please visit: https://bw-engineering.com/careers/

Construction at Agar Grove in Camden, UK’s largest passivhaus development, has reached a new milestone with the ‘topping out’ of the latest phase of 125 homes. Representatives from Camden Council and The Hill Group took part in the event to mark reaching the highest point of the building’s concrete frame.

Agar Grove is an award-winning development built by The Hill Group for Camden Council as part of its Community Investment Programme, through which it is investing over £1 billion in building schools, homes and community facilities across the borough. Once complete, Agar Grove will be the largest Passivhaus development in the UK, delivering homes that are energy efficient and innovative in design. The masterplan for the regeneration of the estate provides a total of nearly 500 homes for new and existing residents.

Councillor Danny Beales of Camden Council led the topping out ceremony by adding the last small element to the top of the concrete wall to mark this project milestone. The latest phase of this six-phase development includes 35 ‘Camden Living’ homes and five council homes. In addition, there will be 85 homes for private sale. The current construction works also include a convenient retail unit, as well as public realm and landscaping.

Cllr Danny Beales, Cabinet Member for Cabinet Member for New Homes, Jobs and Community Investment, said: “In Camden we are proud to be building the first new Council homes in generation, including at Agar Grove where the innovative and award-winning homes we have built are helping to address some of the most significant challenges that we are facing in Camden. We have built larger homes that will prevent overcrowding and provide our families with space to grow, and some of the most energy efficient homes in the UK, which are helping residents out of fuel poverty and cutting carbon emissions at a time when bills are rising and action against climate change is urgently needed.

“This is a significant milestone for Agar Grove and for the local residents who we have worked in partnership with to create a new shared vision of their local area and to deliver the improved homes that they desperately need. From a 1960s estate that was in poor condition, with cramped flats and a disconnect from the surrounding streets, residents at Agar Grove can now feel connected to their community in homes that are a third larger on an estate that benefits from communal green spaces, areas for children to play, and new retail units.”

Andy Hill, Chief Executive at The Hill Group comments: “We are delighted to reach this key point in the construction of Agar Grove and turn the plans for this innovative new development into a reality. We have been working with Camden Council since the first phase of the development and we look forward to continuing this successful partnership. The Hill Group is committed to helping its partners go further in achieving homes that are sustainable and low energy, to suit the needs not only of today’s residents but those long into the future.”

The two earlier phases of Agar Grove, the UK’s largest passivhaus development, completed in 2018 and 2021 respectively, delivered 72 new council homes, 23 homes for sale and two new public squares. The redevelopment has already received many awards including, most recently, from Camden Design Awards 2022, RICS Awards 2022, New London Architecture Awards 2021 and the Passivhaus Trust Awards 2021.

Property & Development Magazine | The Home of Residential Sector News