Property portfolio

A large and diverse property portfolio

Our property portfolio is valued at £400 million. Most of our properties are based in the London boroughs of Lambeth and Southwark. However, we also own significant agricultural holdings across the UK.

Around 62% of the value of our portfolio sits in properties that are over 50 years old. Along with making our endowment more resilient, long-term assets like these bring unique opportunities to help improve places over many generations. 

Our portfolio is made up of residential and student accommodation, and properties for commercial, agricultural, healthcare uses as well as larger mixed-use developments. A mix of in-house experts and specialists manage these on our behalf, to ensure that we maximise financial returns and that we handle them consistently with our mission and values. 

Residential and student accommodation

Student accommodation accounts for around a quarter of the total value of our portfolio. The health and wellbeing of our tenant students is paramount. Therefore, we are committed to making our properties a sustainable and inclusive environment for students to live in. 

Our residential properties have been accumulated over many years. We are redeveloping our existing residential blocks to offer higher quality homes and affordable housing. For example, our two residences for postgraduate students at King’s College London, located at London Bridge.

Orchard Lisle & Iris Brook Houses

These hold around 287 rooms; a mix of flats and studio units. Student accommodation is the main emitter of carbon in our property portfolio. As a result, we have switched to a green energy supplier. Furthermore, we have replaced all lights in communal areas with LED sensor lights to help reduce the environmental impact.

Fresh Student Living Limited look after our student portfolio. Allsop Letting and Management Limited handle our residential properties.

Commercial

Around a third of the total value of our portfolio is made up of commercial office properties located in London. Our commercial portfolio has been built up over many years. Currently, we are exploring redevelopment opportunities at two key central London sites. We have also acquired more recent acquisitions. For example, the Miller Pub in London Bridge and office buildings like Becket House in Westminster. 

Becket House

As part of our long-term property strategy, in 2015 we bought the head lease of Becket House, a 146,000 sq ft office building opposite St Thomas’ Hospital. We already own the freehold of this prime site and 3.88 acres of neighbouring land. This purchase represents a solid investment and a strategic acquisition given its proximity to our other land holdings and to St Thomas’ Hospital.

Lambert Smith Hampton manage our commercial investment property.

Agricultural property

Over the years, we have accumulated significant agricultural holdings across the UK. Some of these have potential for future development. We are exploring alternative uses for some of this land. For instance, making space for new homes. We’re working with our specialist advisors to ensure that future uses promote our mission of health and wellbeing. In addition, uses should create sustainable communities and benefits for generations to come. This is the case for land we own in Cambridge.

Cambridge

Affordable housing, sustainability and improved biodiversity are all at the heart of a scheme which has been designed for development on land we own in Cambridge. Allotments, an orchard, pathways for cyclists and walkers and electric car charging points will help to create a sustainable, green community and improve biodiversity on the site.

Savills manage our agricultural property portfolio.

Healthcare facilities in our property portfolio

We use some of our properties to house facilities for healthcare and related activities, and offices for clinical and non-clinical staff. Many of these are in close proximity to sites of Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust. These properties achieve healthcare benefits which contribute directly to our charitable objectives. For example, Ronald McDonald House and Nuffield House are both properties we use for healthcare purposes.

Ronald McDonald House, Evelina London

Ronald McDonald Houses provide free ‘home away from home’ accommodation to families with children in hospitals across the UK. We helped relocate the long-standing Ronald McDonald House closer to Evelina London Children’s Hospital and St Thomas’ neonatal unit. Working with partners, we identified a new site and bought leases on the land. In addition, we provided it free of charge to Ronald McDonald House Charities to build and run the new facility. The new House has 59 family rooms. Moreover, it has a range of indoor and outdoor communal facilities for families with children in hospital. 

Mixed developments in our property portfolio

Royal Street

In 2020, we contracted with Stanhope PLC and The Baupost Group to progress the redevelopment of Royal Street, a five-acre mixed-use site opposite St Thomas’ Hospital. Working with local stakeholders, we have been formulating plans to deliver a world-class scheme with health and wellbeing at its heart.

This major new development site for London will create a significant med-tech hub dedicated to using technology to progress medical developments. In addition, it will also be used as residential property and office space.