Public Sector Innovation in London

ARTICLE 13

ORANGE PAPER

Public Sector Innovation in

London

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London Fire Brigade (London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority)

Innovative youth programme supported by the London Borough Council of Waltham Forest and the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority to educate young people of the consequences of crime.

Who is involved?

The London Fire Brigade which is the operating arm

of the London Fire and Emergency Planning

Authority (LFEPA). LFEPA is part of the Greater

London Authority Group (GLA). LFEPA have an

annual safety plan with targets that look at reducing

the number of fires, the number of deaths and

injuries associated with fire and reducing the number

of fire alarms.

The London Fire Brigade in the borough of Waltham Forest have a partnership with other groups

including the police and ambulance services in participating at Crime and Safety Awareness Days

organised by the No Way Trust (more commonly referred to by it flagship project Prison! Me! No Way!

– PMNW).

The Trust is based in Hull and operates UK-wide in all the devolved countries and the Channel

Islands. It was established by prison officers in 1993 and was recognised as a charity in 1995. It seeks

to guide and inspire young people and to promote and develop a fairer socially included society, with

fewer inequalities. Mistakes, poverty, exclusion, or social deprivation should not mean a future without

hope, it is the Trust’s intention to provide credible and effective lifelong learning experiences that will

help to reduce any negative influences and encourage more young people to make a success of their

lives. The Trust was instrumental for starting the PMNW scheme which is one part of the Trust’s

activities.

Approach to CSR

Community fire safety and work at a local level is new to LFEPA and Borough Commanders of the Fire

Brigade as a result they are taking their own approaches. “Action plans developed by the LFEPA do

not take into consideration local needs as these will vary from place to place,” said Jim Saddington

Waltham Forest Borough Fire Commander for the London Fire Brigade, “As a model employer and a

Article 13 Insight Research 2004: www.article13.com

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respected body within the community we have an obligation to do what we can for the communities in

which we operate”. This approach by LFEPA recognises its role within the wider community and not

just within fire prevention and fire fighting. The LFEPA unique position of its reputation and social

standing means that it is trusted and respected which is extremely useful in communicating messages

on social responsibility.

The drivers

The GLA, LFEPA and the London boroughs are seeking to improve links and relationships between

themselves and with the communities in which they operate. The LFEPA aim of reducing hoax calls,

false alarms, arson, and improving community relations were key drivers and the justification for

Waltham Forest Brigade’s support to the PMNW Crime and Safety Awareness Days.

The driver for the establishment of the PMNW was the belief that youth’s perception of life in prison

was un-realistic and an initiative was needed so that they would think differently about the issues. This

belief was shared amongst a small group of prison officers who did not want to see youths entering

prison. Funding for the Trust comes from a variety of sources mainly grant giving trusts,

neighbourhood renewal funding, county councils and children foundations.

The initiative

Prison! Me! No Way! organise around 200 Crime and Safety Awareness Days throughout the UK each

school year. The aim of each day is to raise awareness amongst young people about the causes,

consequences and penalties of crime. Young people involved in these days are generally aged 12 to

14. PMNW’s research with secondary school children revealed that their perception of prison was far

from the reality.

Representatives from the police, fire and rescue, ambulance services, youth offending teams, victim

support, magistrates, O2 nuisance calls bureau and other agencies are joined by prison staff

volunteers (there is a pool of over 550) from various prison service establishments throughout the UK

to participate on crime and safety awareness days.

Themed workshops that have been developed in consultation with youths and are further tailored to

meet the specific needs of the area are delivered relating to crime, consequences and imprisonment.

Wherever possible there is a fully furnished life size replica prison cell on hand to provide an authentic

experience and a life size street set used for acting out anti-social instances; prison dog displays and a

period of prison exercise further complement the learning experience.


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Pupils at most venues are escorted as would be prisoners (subject to sufficient volunteers), to

workshops and events. The idea is for the pupils to experience the restriction placed upon inmates

and for them to recognise the true value of their liberty. Days are devised so that young people can

investigate how one moment of thoughtlessness can lead to totally changed lives and to help them

recognise how important trust and freedom are to building successful lives.

“These days are innovative, hands-on approach to educating young people on the causes, penalty,

and consequences of crime and to promote personal safety issues” said Paul Wilkinson CEO of the

PMNW.

Crime and Safety Awareness Days started in Waltham Forest in 2002 and were supported by the

London Fire Brigade. They saw the opportunity to participate in a themed workshop on important

issues relevant to the fire service such as false alarms and hoax calls to the fire brigade that can divert

resources and as a result cost lives. The fire brigade volunteers assist the pupils in role-playing on

various aspects dealing with fire safety and fire prevention such as arson. An example of a role play

would be the pupils setting fire to a bin that then spreads to the eaves of a factory resulting in the

factory burning down. The consequences of the fire such as deaths caused by the fire, or

unemployment whilst the factory is rebuilt or the firm going out of business and family issues such as

resulting marriage breakdowns are explored with the pupils. These role plays make the school children

think about the consequences of their actions to others, and they also discuss and experience what

happens to the offenders, for example prison or community service.

Challenges

The main challenges for the LFEPA have been to understand how best to operate at the community-

level and gain funding. As it is a new approach convincing people of its value takes time. This has

been overcome by a seminar in London in March 2004 hosted by the police where interest was

secured for the projects expansion into other London boroughs. Another challenge is funding. Each

borough fire service has, in general, a budget of £2,500 to commit to community fire safety. This has

meant that the London Fire Brigade has given support by volunteering rather than substantial funds to

the initiative. However, on a more practical level school day timetables do not fit the shift system of the

fire brigade. So it takes a certain amount of logistical effort to free up fire brigade staff time for a whole

day at a school.


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Benefits

PMNW’s evaluation in 2003 of its national programme from a questionnaire at 32 schools (including

those in Waltham Forest) involving 2,970 pupils revealed that 98% of the pupils said they would

describe the Crime and Safety Awareness Days as either ‘very valuable’ or ‘valuable’. In another

assessment Loughborough University evaluated the success of the programme found a 27% reduction

in hoax calls to the fire service that could be attributed to the programme. Feedback from head

teachers at the schools involved provides qualitative feedback and examples of marked improvement

with individual children. In addition the initiative helps promote the fire brigade which is good for

recruitment – an unexpected benefit. “Our involvement with other services has demonstrated that

partnerships can work - one reason for this is the ‘can do mentality’ of the LFEPA,” said Jim

Saddington.

The initiative delivers to the core LFEPA mission, by improving safety and reducing false alarms which

contribute to the LFEPA operating targets. The LFEPA are only just learning to work at the borough

level so it has been an invaluable learning experience which has included seminars to 10 other

borough commanders and six other borough councils to share experiences and promote uptake in

other areas. As a result PMNW will start in Hackney in 2004 and other boroughs are interested. It aims

to encourage new partners to ‘roll the programme out across London in years to come’

Why is it CSR?

The development of the activities in the awareness days involved consultation with its target audience

demonstrating stakeholder involvement. There are other aspects of CSR featured in this project and

they include community involvement, education, health and safety, partnerships, good neighbour

programmes and volunteering. The fire brigade and the other partners in the project are all volunteers

and provide their support in attending the days outside of their working hours. Providing volunteers

and ‘workers participation’ is another CSR activity.

What next?

The London Borough of Waltham Forest and other partnership organisations have made available

£70,000 for the crime and safety awareness days. An additional £30,000 is still required. If raised, it

will mean that for the first time all 17 schools, approximately 2200 children, will be able to participate in

the programme for the next 3 years.


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As a result of the success in Waltham Forest other borough fire commanders, e.g. in Hackney, are

interested in participating in the project, and for the school year 2003/04 the awareness days will also

be run in the London boroughs of Enfield and Newham. For 2004/05 it will expand into another six

boroughs. “This is a direct result of the vision, support and participation of reputable organisations

such as the London Fire Brigade, without this the expansion would not have happened”, said Paul

Wilkinson. The Waltham Forest Fire Brigade, the LFEPA and the other partners aim to continue to

promote awareness of the project amongst the community and borough leaders. PMNW aims to

increase the crime and safety awareness days from 200 to 300 in a school year.

For more information

Please contact:

Jim Saddington, Waltham Forest Borough Commander for the London Fire Brigade.

Tel: 0208 5247271.

Website: www.lefpa.gov.uk

Paul Wilkinson, Chief Executive of the No Way Trust.

Tel: 01482 2244382

Website: www.pmnw.co.uk

Thames Gateway London Partnership

Innovative community safety initiative using a youth football programme with local professional football clubs to combat truancy, reduce the number of young offenders, provide life skills and promote community cohesion in deprived communities.

Who is involved?

The Thames Gateway London Partnership (TGLP)

aims to deliver the economic, physical and social

regeneration of the Thames Gateway in London. The

Thames Gateway covers an area that extends east

from the City of London on both sides of the River

Thames, with a new ‘Bridge’ planned to link the two

sides. TGLP was established in 1995 as a not for

profit unincorporated association. It is a sub-regional

alliance between 13 local authorities (Hackney,

Tower Hamlets, Newham, Waltham Forest, Barking

and Dagenham, Havering, Redbridge, Bexley,

Greenwich, Dartford, Thurrock, Lewisham and the City of London, five universities, two health

federations, the Learning & Skills Council London East and the London Development Agency. The

TGLP works together with the private sector (e.g. Ford, and Canary Wharf), local communities and

strategic agencies.

TGLP seeks to bring about high quality and sustainable regeneration of the whole of the Thames

Gateway London; to promote economic and social investment and equality of opportunity; to create

employment, community and environmental benefits for local people, businesses and employees,

reflecting their needs and aspirations.

The partnership was largely a local authority led initiative focusing on the regeneration of East London.

In 2000 the Thames Gateway was chosen by Office of Deputy Prime Minister as a showcase for

development and regeneration because of its location and economic importance. As a result it attracted

other partners and expanded its coverage outside of London into North Kent and Essex. It is now the

responsibility of the Government-led body - the Thames Gateway Strategic Partnership, which

recognizes that a major improvement to London's infrastructure is essential to maintain and further

maximize London's attractiveness for investment. The partnership will lead to the development of good


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quality new housing with good access to jobs and services for all income groups to help meet a local

and regional shortage.

Approach to CSR

“The TGLP was set up to deliver improvements to society in the form of social and environmental

regeneration, so we are aiming to deliver corporate social responsibility through our general approach”,

said Ophelia Soares a Programme Manager at TGLP. This has been achieved through working in

partnership at the community level. There are a number of projects within the partnership that promote

corporate social responsibility (CSR). For example: the Community Safety 5 year programme called the

‘Community Safety Dimension’ which encompassed youth crime diversion, mentoring, traveling in

safety, identification of crime hotspots and safe industrial sites; Transport - two transit schemes (the

extensions to the Docklands Light Railway in the sub-region, and Crossrail) which will provide the

transport infrastructure that will allow people to visit and invest in the poorer areas of East London and

also provide those communities with access to a variety of transport systems for making the journey to

work. The construction of the proposed bridge will generate at least 17,000 local jobs and the new

transport system will provide opportunities for local employment. The economic regeneration will also

provide jobs in construction of the proposed 120,000 homes to be provided in the next ten years.

This case study is concentrating on the role of sport and youth football in addressing community issues.

The Thames Gateway Youth Football Project (TGYFP) provides sporting and educational opportunities

to vulnerable young people who are marginalized by poverty, low aspiration, poor self-image and

discrimination, in areas of deprivation and high crime across east London.

The drivers

The main driver for the establishment of the TGYFP was the social issue: There were pockets of high

unemployment in deprived and socially excluded areas, where investment in housing, transport and

other infrastructure had been ignored. The establishment of the youth football programme was a

recognition that the TGLP needed a people focus at a local level, as much of the partnership work was

about developing infrastructure e.g. transport improvements, rather than meeting ‘grass-roots’

community needs.

The initiative

The TGLP recognized that youth crime was an important issue. Football was identified as a potential

major influence in raising standards, life skills and expectations of youths who may be vulnerable to


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committing crime. As a result in 1998, the CEO of TGLP, heads of Departments of Community

Schemes at four East London professional football clubs and a representative from the Community

Programme in Professional Football met to establish the TGYFP.

The TGYFP aims to provide development opportunities to vulnerable young people (5 to 24 years of

age). It works with local authorities, the private sector and local communities to combat social exclusion,

to reduce crime and to support the social and economic regeneration of the Thames Gateway. The

project, now in its sixth year, has six main elements;

Estates programme – on-site drop-in sessions are established for estates with particular problems

of deprivation identified through the government index of multiple deprivation and local partners;

Education to employment programme – the project improves basic skills and provides opportunities

for young people and volunteers to obtain specialist Football Association recognized coaching

qualifications leading to employment opportunities in football and recreation;

After schools club – this project was designed to divert young people living in high-crime areas

during the critical time two hours immediately after school and consists of football coaching

sessions;

Fit 4 life incentive scheme – this project targets child victims of crime and is in partnership with a

number of organizations including local probation services and pupil referral units. It involves

sessions, through football, that enhance young people’s self esteem and confidence and allows

them to make positive choices about their future;

Healthy living programme - a football coach visits schools to provide advice and guidance on

exercise, fitness, nutrition and drug awareness; and

Young women’s development – this project aims to increase participation by young women, initially

through providing female only taster sessions in schools and estates, with a view to setting up

weekly coaching sessions. The programme links to professional football clubs’ girls and women

development programmes, in order to deliver a co-ordinated service and achieve maximum benefit

for communities.

The TGYFP is currently working in eight boroughs: Barking & Dagenham, Bexley, Greenwich, Havering,

Newham, Redbridge, Thurrock and Tower Hamlets and the City of London. It has been sponsored by

Skillswork, a government Single Regeneration Budget Challenge Fund programme, which provided

over half a million pounds over four years. Among current major sponsors are: the Children’s Fund, New

Deal for Communities and the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund. Ford of Britain is the project's main

commercial sponsor providing £20,000 a year for the project in Dagenham.

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Challenges

Another positive outcome of the project has been overcoming the rivalry between the football clubs

which, at the beginning, meant that cooperation amongst them was difficult. Essential in overcoming

this, or any other challenge, was a good governance system. There is an advisory steering group with

terms of reference that reports directly to the TGLP board. The group comprises the project manager

and coordinator, heads of community schemes for each football club, the regional director of the

Community Programme in Professional Football and the deputy chief executive of the TGLP and is

chaired by the vice chairman of West Ham United Football Club. It meets twice a year or more if

needed. There are also once a month meetings between the TGYFP officers/coaches based at the

clubs and the TGYFP manager and coordinator. This close coordination ensures any problems are

addressed quickly and in a transparent manner.

Benefits

The main benefit has been social cohesion – helping to get young people interested in sport and to

realize other opportunities to crime. In 2002/03 the project worked with 5,585 young people, of whom

29% were female and 35% were from minority ethnic groups and delivered 1,478 weeks of training. In

the last three years 23 young people have achieved their level 2 coaching certificates and gained

employment at various football clubs.

“Communities do notice a difference in improved behaviour and reduced crime rate. Although much of

the evidence of benefits is anecdotal, there is a definite legacy… coaches do influence the kids, long

after the hour or two of football has ended,” said Ophelia Soares, the Programme Manager for TGYFP.

Testimonials include;

“I wanted to write to you to underline our support for a really priceless operation. It has played a key role

as a diversionary activity for local youth and will have had a far from insignificant impact on the

reduction of crime and disorder locally” Superintendent John Powell, Metropolitan Police, Bexleyheath.

“Since the start of the project on the estate we have witnessed a marked improvement of those

participating, in both self-esteem and their willingness to participate in the wider community…for once

young people from the estate feel they are getting the best of something rather than the worst. It is

noticeable that the incidents of tension between young people from refugee families and other people

on the estates have dropped off considerably” Arthur Wiggins, Detached Youth Worker, Rainham and

South Hornchurch.


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An evaluation of the project was last performed in 2001 by the University of East London. It

demonstrated that the project was reaching its target beneficiaries and having a measurable impact on

their lives. For example, in the after schools clubs, from 117 self-completion questionnaires, it was

found that 27% of the young people behaved better after school and 41% felt better about themselves.

66% of youths admitted to previously indulging in anti-social behaviour and four to six weeks after the

football finished there was a 12% reduction. The success of the TGYFP in Dagenham has led Ford to

replicate many of the project’s ideas in its factory community in Genk, Belgium and similar discussions

regarding best practice are currently taking place with Cologne, Germany.

Why is it CSR?

The project demonstrates social responsibility as it is targeting young people with limited opportunities

who are at risk of social exclusion. It focuses on delivering benefits to some of London’s most deprived

areas where local services, such as the people referral unit, find it particularly difficult to engage with

young people. Football provides that engagement.

What next?

TGYFP would like to conduct a thorough evaluation of the project and be able to measure the progress

of beneficiaries after they have left the project. Ultimately, TGLP would like the TGYFP to be considered

a model project.


Ophelia Soares, Crime Reduction and Youth Football Programme Manager.

Tel: 020 7673 4726

Website: http://www.thames-gateway.org.uk

London Remade

A strategic partnership between regional government, London Borough Councils, the business sector, waste management companies and the not-for-profit sector to develop and promote new markets for recycled goods, including a major initiative on green procurement.

Who is involved?

London Remade is a not-for-profit organisation limited

by guarantee. It is mainly funded by the London

Development Agency (LDA) and employs 25 people.

Its scope is pan-London and seeks to address the

economic aspects of recycling and regeneration.

London Remade was established in 2000 to deliver

LDA regeneration outputs through recycling. It

originated from the London Waste Recycling

Programme run by London Waste Action (LWA)

during 1997-2000 which, with borough councils,

sought to increase recycling rates: each London

borough has a recycling target set by the Audit

Commission and based on the previous year’s

performance. For London these targets vary from 10 –

33%. The overall national target is 10%. “As recycling

rates rise the next step is to create and promote

markets and secondary industries for recycled materials in London – ‘the business of recycling’ –

hence London Remade,” explained Tina Perfrement the Market Development Manager.

London Remade is supported by Single Regeneration Budget funding from the London Development

Agency whose Economic Development Strategy for London acknowledges the role organisations like

London Remade have to play delivering sustainable economic growth e.g. job creation. Other

supporters are a range of organisations that include the Association of London Government, Greater

London Authority, Environment Agency, London First, London Waste Action, CORY Environmental,

Cleanaway, Aylesford Newsprint and Valpak. They also have five principle sponsors; Guilbert - office

products supplier; Bywaters - recycling and waste management; FM Conway – a construction

company; M-Real – paper merchant and Brother – office machines.


Approach to CSR

London Remade has no statutory powers. It is market-driven, managing the Mayor of London’s Green

Procurement Code and looking at three points of the recycling supply chain – collection of recyclable

materials, making of recycled goods and the selling of recycled products. It operates in partnership,

by sharing best practice in developing markets and recycling projects. The strategic partnerships are

with the business sector, London boroughs, regional government, waste management companies and

the not-for-profit sector.

“Our internal approach to CSR is very much practice what we preach, and we have an environmental

policy that covers energy, waste and procurement” said Project Manager Debbie Morris of London

Remade. London Remade has an active secondment programme and partnerships with other

recycling schemes as far away as Melbourne, Australia.

The drivers

The drivers that affect London Remade’s activities and shape opportunities include EU Directives, UK

Government targets, business agendas such as compliance with regulations and CSR reporting by

companies, environmental and economic and social policies at national, regional and local level.

The initiative

The programme works throughout the supply chain, from consumer to waste producer, and this is

reflected in a focus on 3 key areas which have developed in a co-ordinated manner. The three

programmatic areas are:

Supply Infrastructure - Whilst highly developed logistical systems exist for the movement of goods

the collection and sorting infrastructure for recyclates lags far behind. Improving the efficiency of

the supply side is an essential part of the jigsaw to ensure that businesses that reprocess the

material can provide manufacturers with viable alternatives to virgin resources.

Expanding Reprocessing capacity – London Remade is looking to reprocess an additional

250,000 tonnes of secondary materials back into products. This requires capital investment in

additional reprocessing and the eco industrial sites developed in Greenwich, Rainham and Bexley.

Buy Recycled - Business sense dictates that private sector investment in reprocessing plant will

only take place if there are viable markets for the materials / products and London Remade is

working to stimulate demand for products.


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The three areas are supported and complemented by cross cutting projects covering; training,

business support and communications. One aspect of this work is the promotion of green

procurement, whereby products bought are made from recycled materials. London Remade does this

through product showcases aimed at specific sectors such as office products, construction, highways

and parks and gardens.

Green procurement London Remade runs the Mayor of London’s Green Procurement Code. The Mayor's Green

Procurement Code was launched by the Mayor in June 2001 and was initially developed to stimulate

demand for recycled products throughout the capital. The code is for business use to improve

environmental performance through ensuring purchasing meets certain environmental standards.

London Remade has expanded the focus of the Mayor's Code to look at the issues of material supply.

London Remade is able to provide advice to organisations throughout the capital on how to 'close the

recycling loop' by buying recycled-content products and supplying their waste materials to the

manufacturers of those, and other recycled-content products. It is said that you are not recycling if you

are not buying recycled.

There are four levels to the Mayor's code, allowing each organisation to make a commitment

appropriate to its current environmental policy:

Part A (levels A1 and A2) is about engaging with London Remade. If you have attended any of our

meetings or replied to any of our surveys, you have already met the criteria for level A1. To stay at

this level, you simply need to stay in touch with us, giving us feedback from time to time. Level A2

asks you to meet with us on a one-to-one basis to discuss the purchasing requirements and

environmental policy of your organisation in more detail and/or the potential to participate in the

Material Service.

Part B (levels B1 and B2) is about committing yourself as an environmentally progressive

organisation moving towards measurable change. By signing up to level B1, you will give us data

so that we can help you to achieve the final level of membership. Level B2 is about agreeing

purchase or recycling contracts as a result of our assistance, setting realistic targets and

measuring progress towards those targets.

To date the Mayor’s Green Procurement Code has 316 signatories and London Remade has made

two significant contributions; first it has raised awareness of green procurement across the capital and

secondly, it has made it easier for business to buy recycled products by providing information, helping

a business develop procurement policies and providing access to companies selling recycled

products. London Remade has ‘procurement brokers’ who provide this free advice and support to

signatories including all the London Boroughs, FTSE 350 companies, small to medium sized

enterprises and public sector organisations. Bodies like National Health Trusts have bought specific


time from the London Remade procurement brokers so that they can help their green procurement. In

addition London Remade provides secondments to the private and public sector on waste disposal.

Challenges

At first the challenges were to convince business to engage: a lack of time and money were often cited

by companies as limiting factors. So London Remade had to promote the business benefits of cost

savings and positive PR. London Remade found it essential to promote the wider economic benefits,

such as job creation and impacts to the local economy. Procurement professionals can often be risk

adverse so recycled content products have had to meet strict criteria associated with quality cost and

timely delivery. Fortunately recycled content products can deliver and many procurement

professionals are now advocates of these products.

Benefits

London Remade has an internal monitoring and evaluating programme that measures the impact of its

work. It’s performance is measured against a series of targets and objectives set at different levels or

time horizons by the London Development Agency. Some benefits include; jobs, training, amount of

waste diverted from landfill, amount of spend by London organisations on recycled products and the

number of business advised.

London Remade had set targets for the period March 2001- March 2004 which were monitored, these

include:

To divert 360,000 tonnes of waste from landfill – achieved the diversion of 555,000 tonnes of

waste from landfill;

To create 1260 jobs – achieved 761 jobs;

To generate £13 million private sector investment – raised over £ 13.3 million private sector

investment;

Some of London Remade’s key achievements over the 4-year period include;

1132 businesses were advised on recycling and / or buying recycled;

4603 people were trained obtained qualifications;

524 published case studies, articles and reports mentioning London Remade;

320 people were trained obtaining permanent jobs.


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Why is it CSR?

London Remade’s programme is based around reducing the environmental impacts caused by the

production, consumption and waste of goods. It seeks to reduce these impacts by promoting recycling

and recycled goods. It promotes responsible business ethics of going beyond compliance in this area

through efforts such as the voluntary Mayor’s Green Procurement Code. The initiative on green

procurement goes beyond compliance and demonstrates voluntary commitments supported by

London Remade assistance. It has proven that providing and stimulating local markets for local

products and materials leads to the creation and maintenance of jobs and a better skilled workforce.

What next?

As a result of its success, London Remade has been involved in training 12 other ‘Remade’ initiatives.

For example, Remade Kent and Medway, who have now set up the Green Procurement Code for their

local authorities and businesses. London Remade aims to build on its initial work with the National

Health Service and deliver green procurement and waste management. It also plans to promote a ‘Buy

Better Buy Greener’ training programme nationally in conjunction with the Environment Agency and

The Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply. There is also the possible expansion into energy

efficiency to help to deliver the Mayor’s 10% target reduction of carbon dioxide emissions.


Tel: 0207 6651536

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.londonremade.com

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.londonremade.com/

City Fringe Partnership

Innovative private-public partnership to deliver economic development in east London through supporting business development.

Who is involved?

The City Fringe Partnership (CFP) was established

in 1996 by the London boroughs of Hackney,

Islington and Tower Hamlets, and the Corporation

of London. LB Camden joined in 1998. The CFP is

an unincorporated partnership that now includes

the membership of the London Development

Agency (LDA), two statutory bodies – the Learning

Skills Council and the Business Link for London –

and five partners from the business community.

Karianne Gaede is the chair. Karianne is a Vice President of Deutsche Bank.. The employing agency

is the Corporation of London. The 5 LAs and the LDA have signed a Joint Venture Agreement for the

Partnership. The CFP has seven full-time employees who generate ideas, make recommendations to

the LDA, monitor and evaluate existing projects run by contractors for the LDA. and disseminate best

practice from its analysis.

City Fringe is an area of inner London bordering the northern and eastern boundaries of the City of

London, the ‘square mile’. It is an area with significant problems and high levels of social disadvantage

amongst its diverse residents. It has some of the worst social exclusion in the country, with high levels

of economic inactivity, unemployment and deprivation. However, it also offers tremendous

opportunities: It is an area of significant, concentrated economic activity with a thriving enterprise

culture and potential to generate more growth.

The CFP has the vision to build an area of thriving competitive industries and an area whose residents

prosper from the success of the region. It aims to support and maintain a diverse economic base, a

diverse residential base and diversity in employment.

Approach to CSR

“The CFP does not have a specific approach to CSR as it is not seen as an add-on” said Sarah Purvis

the business development manager. “We are about new ways of working through partnership to

promote economic growth for local business; this involves various aspects of CSR”. Article 13 Insight Research 2004: www.article13.com

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These aspects include stakeholder involvement and engagement in particular, ensuring that

businesses are integrated into the design and delivery of projects set up to either train people to get

jobs with them or help devise business support projects to make their business more competitive, the

promotion of good governance through transparency and accountability through a diverse board,

stimulating local sourcing and environmental regeneration. The CFP can influence the design of

projects to ensure CSR is featured in a way that will deliver our aims.

The drivers

The CFP was established initially to bridge the gap between the wealth of the city the poverty in its

fringes. The main drivers for the future of the CFP is the desire to focus on the competitive advantage

and the potential of inner city areas rather than the social disadvantages. The development of

government strategies with related funding opportunities has been a key driver as they have placed

enterprise and business at the heart of regeneration. Today these strategies have cumulated in the

City Growth Strategy (CGS) for which the City Fringe is a pilot area. The CGS builds on the American

experience pioneered by the business guru Professor Michael Porter at Harvard Business School.

The initiative

The CFP initial programme ‘Revitalising the City Fringe’ was funded by the Single Regeneration

Budget 2 Programme which was succeeded by the SRB 4 Programme ‘Bridging the Gap’. The CFP

has evolved and responded to latest UK Government thinking and is currently engaged in the

Government’s CGS. This case study focuses on the ‘Bridging the Gap’ programme and shows how

the current CGS is building on this work.

‘Bridging the Gap’ ran over 5 years, 1998 -2003, funded with an £8 million SRB grant that was used to

support a wide range of imaginative projects designed to bridge the gap between the wealth of the

City and the deprivation of the communities on its borders. Over a 100 separate projects were

supported, many specifically directed at developing small business sectors and at overcoming the

disadvantage experienced by City Fringe residents through unemployment and lack of qualifications.

Funding from the partnership has also helped to lever significant additional funding from public and

private sources, so increasing the cumulative impact on the City Fringe area and acting as a catalyst

in tackling barriers to growth and maximising benefits for local communities.


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‘Bridging the Gap’ had four programmes:

City bridges enhanced the skills, motivation and employment prospects of local people, especially

the young and disadvantaged, to enable them to compete for jobs in the City and the City Fringe

and to promote equality of opportunity in the job market;

Confident communities fostered stronger, more self-assured neighbourhoods via estate safety

schemes and projects to enhance young people’s educational opportunities and life skills;

Managing the impact aimed to gain benefit for local people and businesses from the City’s

physical expansion into the City Fringe by working with developers, planning authorities and

community groups;

Thriving industries assisted local small businesses, especially creative and City support industries,

to improve their competitiveness through specialist advice, access to affordable workspace and

environmental improvements.

Examples of initiatives with the Thriving industries programme include the environmental regeneration

of Hoxton Street Market aimed at making the street a more attractive place to shop. The Hoxton Trust

administered and managed this regeneration project. It started with extensive consultations with the

local community including market traders, local businesses, residents and school children on how to

enhance the prosperity of Hoxton Street’s traders and of the local community. As a result, the street

received a facelift that included a new arched sign, attractive signposts, new street furniture and

sculptures with the effect that the street was ‘re-branded’. At the same time local retailers improved

their shop fronts so completing the transformation. With these improvements came a change in

attitudes as business became more receptive to business support programmes: a website was set up

to advertise the market and retailers, a map of the street and its surroundings was produced and

London Underground advertising and street entertainers attracted visitors in the crucial pre-Christmas

shopping period.

Another example of the Thriving industries programme included support to traditional crafts and design

businesses, like jewellery makers in Hatton Garden area. The CFP has enabled the Clerkenwell

Green Association to develop a range of support services designed specifically to meet their business

needs – courses on marketing and public relations, accounts and cash flow, IT, and longer- term

business development. The Association’s Pennybank Chambers, where the courses are run, also

provides showcase space were local designer-craftspeople can display their work.

The SRB 4 funding programme ended in March 2003 but much of the Bridging the Gap programme

has been absorbed into the CFP’s City Growth Strategy. The strategy has a cluster development

approach looking at supporting business through competitive strategies. CFP are looking at a range of

supply chains e.g. fashion and jewellery so building on the ‘Bridging the Gap’ programme. Ideas and

support are given to those industries in the production, distribution and retail areas of the supply chain.

The CFP have taken an issue based approach. For example workspace, by interviewing over 100


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business they have built an understanding of the supply and demand for workspace this has resulting

in levering £4.5 million from the LDA to fund premises to house over 50 local fashion companies.

Challenges

The greatest challenge has been to understand the current situation of the industries the strategies

are trying to help. An absence of real data on which to base ideas has proved to be a challenge, as

has trying to understand the dynamics in an area where 75% of business employs less than five

people. This has been overcome by taking an issue based approach which has involved consultation

and business involvement.

Benefits

The CFP have helped business express and address their needs in their own terms by being a

catalyst for change, enabling them to articulate their business aspirations and provide support for

essential things such as training and workspace. This has resulted in levering funding for a variety of

industries, e.g. in partnership with the London Metropolitan University a new workspace facility in

Whitechapel for product design, digital manufacturing and furniture industries. Funding of £2 million

has also been used to train local people in a variety of industries including, creative industries,

manufacturing, the green economy e.g. waste management and recycling, and financial industry.

A review of the CFP programme over 1998-2003 revealed, amongst others:

£25.2 million additional public sector spending

£53 million additional private-sector spending

550 new jobs were created

8,500 pupils benefited through improved attainment

2,400 people obtained qualifications

3,560 City Fringe residents were assisted into employment

1,600 previously unemployed people were given training and obtained permanent jobs

150 new business were established and 2,200 existing businesses received support and advice

1,100 people took up voluntary

Why is it CSR?

The CFP activities support both the workplace – training and development - and community through

local employment initiatives for the regeneration of the area. There are no CSR activities per se but

the partnership promotes shared responsibility both internally and externally through outreach with the

business through good neighbour programmes and visual impact/environmental improvements. The


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governance exhibited by the CFP also demonstrates CSR both through stakeholder engagement and

involvement.

What next?

The CFP aim to make the projects they support more sustainable, through establishing social

enterprises business models and mainstreaming activity. The Partnership will be negotiating a further

2/3 year contract to continue its work whilst exploring ways of engaging business to invest in the aims

of the Partnership.


Please contact

Hilary Potter, Programme Director,

Email:[email protected]

Tel: 0207729 2814

Website: www.cityfringe.org.uk

http://www.cityfringe.org.uk/

Public Sector Innovation in London

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