24 November 2025 - Aligning responsible investment and local investment strategies in a new LGPS landscape

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We are delighted to be hosting this private masterclass dinner with senior peers from across the LGPS, hosted by Pensions for Purpose, in partnership with Civitas Investment Management and Mercer. This exclusive masterclass dinner brings together senior leaders from the pensions, investment, and housing sectors to explore one of the UK's most pressing challenges, the delivery of fit-for-purpose homes for low- and middle-income families, and the opportunities this presents for local investment strategies. With unprecedented demand for social and affordable housing, local authorities and investors alike face growing pressure to unlock solutions that drive both social mobility and sustainable economic growth.

This dinner will provide a forum for candid discussion around the barriers to delivery, the role of government initiatives, and the investment structures best suited to scale impact across the UK.As th strategic and operational roles of funds and pools become more clearly defined, aligning local outcomes and pooled efficiency is more critical than ever.

Discussion themes

The need and the opportunity: address the UK's housing shortfall and its economic impact while exploring how government initiatives, including the Social and Affordable Homes Fund, National Housing Bank and rent settlement to 2036 can help unlock delivery.
Investment-led solutions: examine how institutional capital can stimulate new social and affordable housing starts and drive sustainable growth across communities.
Local investment on a national scale: discuss how housing investment can enable genuine regional diversification and rebalance the concentration of capital beyond London and the South-East.
LGPS reform and local investing: consider how investment in social and affordable housing aligns with LGPS objectives for inclusive economic growth, local impact and portfolio diversification.
Governance, structures and partnerships: explore the most effective investment structures, collaboration models, and governance frameworks to balance oversight, flexibility and local-to-national scalability.

Why attend?

Be a leading collaborator as LGPS evolves.
Share views and experiences with peers in a confidential, open setting.
Contribute to best-practice thinking and a sector-wide policy response.
Shape how RI and local investment are delivered under new structures.

Who is this event for?
This event is for senior LGPS fund officers, pool executives, policymakers, RI strategists, consultants and governance leads.

Location: Mercer, Marsh McLennan Office, Tower Place East, London, EC3R 5BU

18:00-18:30	Welcome and networking drinks Kick off the evening with networking drinks and light bites.
18:30-18:45	Introduction and scene setting Opening remarks from Pensions for Purpose framing the discussion, highlighting key aspects of the evolving LGPS landscape under the proposed Pension Schemes Bill. Laasya Shekaran, Pensions for Purpose
18:45-19:15	Starter - Strategy setting: defining the priorities With governance reforms on the horizon, how can funds set clear, meaningful RI and local investment objectives? This session explores practical approaches to balancing fiduciary duty, sustainability and place-based outcomes. Participants will consider what alignment looks like in practice and how measurable, credible goals can be established. Hill Gaston, Mercer
19:15-20:00	Mains - Promoting investment in social and affordable housing as part of a local investment strategy The UK faces growing demand for new, fit-for-purpose homes, particularly affordable rentals for low- and middle-income families. The shortfall in delivery limits social mobility, constrains economic growth, and strains local authority budgets. This session will explore the causes of declining social and affordable housing starts and whether recent government initiatives, including the Social and Affordable Homes Fund, National Housing Bank and Rent Settlement to 2036 offer meaningful solutions. It will also examine how investment can drive regional regeneration, support locally focused strategies on a national scale and align with LGPS objectives for inclusive economic growth, local impact and UK-wide diversification Andrew Dawber, Civitas Investment Management
20:00-20:30	Dessert - Investment structures and governance This session will examine the investment structures most likely to succeed in social and affordable housing, including partnerships, collaborations, single managed accounts, and bilateral arrangements and how they can deliver both local impact and national diversification. It will also explore governance and control, focusing on effective collaboration, balancing oversight with delegated decision-making and ensuring accountability alongside operational flexibility.
20:30-21:00	Final commentary and networking nightcap The evening closes with reflections on the discussion. Guests can continue informal conversations over a drink as we conclude this exclusive masterclass dinner.

Sponsor

Civitas Investment Management, established in 2016, creates meaningful impact and stable returns for investors through strategic investment into essential community infrastructure responding to local demand. With over £3.7bn committed capital, Civitas provides housing, healthcare and special educational needs facilities for over 13,600 individuals in the UK and Europe across five strategies.

Venue Partner

Mercer has advised clients on impact investing since 2011 with extensive experience helping asset owners design and implement impact portfolios across listed and private markets. This is underpinned by their manager research universe covering a growing number of impact, SDG-focused/aligned and sustainable thematic investment strategies.
Register here

Speakers

Andrew Dawber Founding Partner, CIVITAS Investment Management

Andrew is a founding partner of Civitas and has been in the social housing and social infrastructure sectors for more than 25 years, including being part of the team that established the housing investment company FAH. He was the adviser to and founder of The PFI Infrastructure Co, which in 2004 became the first publicly traded company in London dedicated to investment in social infrastructure. Andrew has worked in a senior capacity in the financial sector for over 30 years. He was previously Co-Head of Capital Markets at Société Générale in London. He has also been actively engaged in other property activities in the UK and internationally. He holds a BSc in Geography from Queen Mary University of London and is a Chartered Accountant.

Hill Gaston, Head of Sustainable Investment, Mercer

Hill is UK Head of Sustainable Investment within Mercer's Global Sustainable Investment team. He has extensive experience advising institutional investors on a range of areas including climate change, impact investing, sustainable investment strategies and trends, policy, stewardship and regulatory developments.

He is responsible for the creation and ongoing implementation of Mercer's Impact Pathway. He is also responsible for intellectual capital development and has contributed to numerous reports including: Partnering for Transition: Working to Advance Investor Frameworks to Mobilize Capital Flows in Africa (2023, GIP, IFSWF), Scaling Sustainable Solutions (2020-21, UK-China Green Finance Centre, City of London).
Hill holds a joint Honours degree in Economics and International Development from the University of Bath and is a CFA Charterholder.

Host

Laasya Shekaran, Director, Pensions for Purpose

Laasya is responsible for working with our Community, developing content and knowledge, and driving forward collaborative initiatives across the industry.
Laasya is passionate about approaching pensions and investment with a systems lens and understanding how these sectors interact with the wider social and environmental systems they exist within.

Laasya is a CFA charterholder, who has experience working with a range of asset owners as an investment adviser, with a focus on corporate defined benefit pensions. Laasya is a regular speaker at industry conferences and events, and is also an experienced podcast host, and presenter of the Pensions for Purpose podcast. Laasya is an advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion and is particularly passionate about anti-racism activism. She has previously won the Women in Pensions and Women in Investment Rising Star awards.  

Pensions for Purpose exists as a bridge between asset managers, pension funds and their professional advisers, to encourage the flow of capital towards impact investment. Our aim is to empower pension funds to seek positive impact opportunities and mitigate negative impact risks.

Our Community allows members to learn from leaders in the impact investment industry. We provide a trusted environment to interact, collaborate and share knowledge. Members engage in a programme of activity to shape their strategy in ESG, sustainable and impact investments.

For more information, please email the Membership Manager.

24 November 2025 - Aligning responsible investment and local investment strategies in a new LGPS landscape

In-person masterclass dinner with Civitas and Mercer.

Only members with restricted access (ie. academics, asset owners, government and regulatory, independent advisers/trustees and sponsoring employers) can view this article. Please login or join to view.

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