Special Announcement: Yvonne Field OBE is one of nine non-architects that was awarded with a RIBA Honorary Fellow Award in 2024 and she recently attended an official ceremony to mark the occasion which included networking and a curator-led tour of the RIBA Exhibition Raise the Roof.
RIBA President Muyiwa Oki opened the ceremony by saying a few words about the RIBA Honorary Fellows and then introduced each 2024 RIBA Honorary Fellow in alphabetic order:
1. Sofie De Caigny
2. Yvonne Field
3. Adam Nathaniel Furman
4. Colin Glen
5. Belinda Irlam-Mowbray
6. Debbie Jackson
7. Bola Ogunmefun
8. Claire Pollock
9. Jez Sweetland
RIBA Honorary Fellowships are awarded every year to people who have made a significant contribution to architecture but are not architects. This includes people who have helped improve the quality of design and influence the delivery of the built environment in a more sustainable way, those involved in its promotion and management, and those who nurture the interests of future generations.
Yvonne Field OBE commented, “I am delighted to receive this award on behalf of the many community leaders who work with often little support to maintain crucial community assets across the country. This work creates important resources as well as social enterprise and leadership development opportunities for the diverse communities of the UK.”
Nominations for RIBA Honorary Fellows 2025 close on 1 July 2024.
ABOUT YVONNE FIELD OBE
Social Entrepreneur, CEO and Founder of The Ubele Initiative www.ubele.org
Yvonne Field is an activist who mobilises community groups and encourages community building. Founder and CEO of The Ubele Initiative, a social enterprise promoting Black and community-led development, her work has revitalised disadvantaged neighbourhoods, providing spaces that inspire and uplift, acting as an unwavering advocate for sustainable and creative approaches. Established in 2014, Ubele produces a significant body of national research, including ‘A Place to Call Home’ (2015 and 2024) which highlighted the need for new, more sustainable models of design as well as capacity-building support for iconic Black and racially minoritised community spaces across England.
Yvonne Field was awarded an OBE in 2023 for her services to the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector and social justice.
