The Deborah Rowland Scholarship announces second-year recipients
From left to right: James Vause; Matt Chapman, CEO, SBFM; Nick Hardwick; Charlotte Bovill, managing director EMEA, JLL REMS; Lamine Drame; Sara Hodge, global director experience, LSE; Lucy Jeynes, director, Larch Consulting; Oliver Jones, managing partner, Accelerated Infrastructure Capital; Deborah Rowland, director public affairs, Sodexo; Joseph Beckman; Debra Ward, founder, Live Love Learn.
The Deborah Rowland Scholarship, a fund dedicated to discovering and nurturing emerging talent in the workplace and facilities management (WFM) industry, announced its 2025 recipients at a special evening event on 17 September at Sodexo's London head office.
Deborah, director public affairs at Sodexo, launched the programme last year, with her generous funding matched by the IWFM Foundation. This year, it has expanded to award four scholarships following the success of the inaugural 2024 scheme.
The expansion has been made possible through funding from WFM training provider Xenon Group, alongside donations from the IWFM Rising FMs network and other volunteering groups.
- Beating dozens of applications, the 2025 recipients are:
- Lamine Drame, formerly area manager south, British Council
- Nick Hardwick, help desk administrator, SEE Services
- Joseph Beekman, retail operations coordinator, Lloyds Banking Group
- James Vause, concierge, 4 Front Security
The scholarship will fund IWFM regulated qualifications through IWFM Direct or through Xenon Group.
The successful applicants will also have their IWFM registration fees waived. In addition, Xenon Group has donated two of the four places to study an IWFM-regulated qualification.
Recipients will receive mentoring and coaching throughout the scheme, while producing quarterly reports to track their development along the scholarship journey.
Last year’s recipients were an inspiration, and Deborah and the IWFM are following their careers with interest.
I started the scholarship so that those facing barriers to FM training and developed could get the support they need.
Each of our 2025 recipients has shown a commitment to building a career in WFM, and I’m confident they will make a valuable contribution to the profession.
Looking ahead, my ambition is to expand the scholarship further and reach even more people because we have a massive opportunity to showcase what a rewarding and fulfilling career WFM can offer.
We are thrilled to see the Deborah Rowland Scholarship return for its second year, bigger and stronger than before.
By widening access and opening the door to more aspiring professionals, the scholarship is helping to nurture the next generation of talent our industry needs.
Deborah’s vision, combined with the generosity of Xenon and the support of our community, is creating a powerful legacy that will shape the future of workplace and facilities management.
The scholarship will open again in 2026. If you’d like to donate, please visit:
The Deborah Rowland Scholarship 2025 - JustGiving.
If you are interested at working at Sodexo visit our careers page.