Deborah Rowland Scholarship Second-Year Recipients Announced

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18 September 2025

The Deborah Rowland Scholarship, a fund that helps emerging facilities management professionals to progress, has announced its 2025 recipients.

The scholarship was established in 2024 by Deborah Rowland, Director of Public Affairs at Sodexo UK and Ireland. Deborah has been with Sodexo since 2016 and is living with advanced cancer. She created the scholarship scheme to support those who have been limited by financial constraints, allowing them to compete in FM at a higher level. 

This year’s scholarships were funded by donations from WFM training provider Xenon Group, the IWFM Rising FMs network and other volunteering groups. 

At a launch event at Sodexo UK & Ireland’s Head Office in London, four scholarships were awarded to:

• 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 

Lamine, Nick, Joseph and James will embark on regulated qualifications through IWFM Direct or through Xenon Group. They 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,  and will produce quarterly reports to track their development along their scholarship journey.

Deborah said: “I started the scholarship so that those facing barriers to FM training and development 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.”

Linda Hausmanis, CEO of IWFM, added: “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.”

To donate to 2026’s scholarship, visit the JustGiving page here:

https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/deborahrowlandscholarship2025

Picture: a photogrpah from the launch evening showing, 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. Image Credit: Sodexo

Article written by Ella Tansley | Published 18 September 2025

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