It is with great pleasure that I announce that the Equity Release market starts 2017 on a high note! For the first time, we have surpassed total annual lending of £2bn, with the total lending for 2016 at £2.15bn. This sees an increase of 34% on the previous year.
In Q1 2017, The Council will reintroduce its ‘Members Survey’ to gauge the latest sentiment within the sector. Covering what are the perceived opportunities and challenges facing members, the exercise will provide a snapshot on the outlook for the year ahead and key issues affecting firms. Last carried out in 2013, it will also provide an opportunity to take stock of what has changed since then. Look out for more details on the survey in the coming weeks.
The Equity Release Council would like to welcome Sean Smith who will join us in February as Head of Public Affairs. A keen blues pianist and composer, Sean has a passion and is highly qualified in economic and social policy history. He brings knowledge in many fields including the Social Care Bill and mental capacity issues and will join us from The Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) and formerly of The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) and DEFRA. Sean brings a wealth of experience both on home ground and internationally, leading on complex policy issues and dealing with a variety of key stakeholders across the political and regulatory landscapes. Sean will focus on the continued development of Council policy setting, advocacy, and engagement across a range of stakeholders at both ministerial and industry levels, whilst ensuring that members and other partners are kept fully informed on the key issues affecting the sector and member firms. We very much look forward to working with him.
Additionally, the Council has employed the services of Alex Ritchie from The ARC Agency Ltd to deliver marketing and communications, since November. Some members may already have met Alex at the GCM in December.
Alex is the Founder and Director of The ARC Agency, specialising in supporting the non-profit and small business sectors with strategic business services; particularly in the areas of marketing, digital communications and business development. Her forte is in bringing together stakeholders and partner organisations to design and deliver high impact, high profile campaigns and projects. Her book Starting a business in 7 Simple Steps, was published by ‘Harper Collins’, May 2014. In her spare time, Alex is attempting to learn Spanish and is a keen but very much a novice yogi.
The Council’s Website is undergoing a facelift! We hope to roll out the new site over the coming month. The new site will:
