CityView June 2018 by DesignRaphael Ltd

The magazine of the City of London Corporation

July 20

cityview When placed end to end, THE LENGTH OF PLASTIC DRINKS BOTTLES USED BY CITY WORKERS in a year stretches from LONDON TO SYDNEY

TWO BILLION STRAWS ARE THROWN AWAY across London EACH YEAR

AN AVERAGE CITY WORKER can use over 1,000 SINGLE USE PLASTIC PRODUCTS per year at work alone

PLASTIC DRINK BOTTLES AND THEIR LIDS represent 10% OF ALL LITTER found in the Thames

In the UK, the amount of SINGLE-USE PLASTIC WASTED EVERY YEAR would fill 1,000 ROYAL ALBERT HALLS

Pledging on plastics 1 Contribute to a flourishing society 1 Support a thriving economy 1 Shape outstanding environments

Issue 85 July 2018

cityview cityview is the magazine of the City of London Corporation – the governing body of the Square Mile dedicated to a vibrant and thriving City, supporting a diverse and sustainable London within a globally-successful UK.

Unless otherwise stated in individual features, more information on both the magazine and online articles is available from the address below. We welcome, and value, feedback but regret that correspondence cannot be individually acknowledged. The magazine is published twice a year and is also available to download from www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/publications If you would like a summary of this publication in an alternative format please contact us at

CityView

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Contents

Business Belt and road

Business Helping small City businesses make it big

Things to do Focus on the female

About the City Playing your part by pledging on plastics

Services Radical redesign for Aldgate Square

About the City Divides to conquer

Things to do Lost and found

Things to do When the sun goes down…

About the City And finally

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The magazine of the City of London Corporation

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July 201

cityview If you would prefer to receive an email alert when the next issue can be downloaded from our website, please contact us at the addresses above.

When placed end to end, THE LENGTH OF PLASTIC DRINKS BOTTLES USED BY CITY WORKERS in a year stretches from LONDON TO SYDNEY

TWO BILLION STRAWS ARE THROWN AWAY across London EACH YEAR

AN AVERAGE CITY WORKER can use over 1,000 SINGLE USE PLASTIC PRODUCTS per year at work alone

PLASTIC DRINK BOTTLES AND THEIR LIDS represent 10% OF ALL LITTER found in the Thames

In the UK, the amount of SINGLE-USE PLASTIC WASTED EVERY YEAR would fill 1,000 ROYAL ALBERT HALLS

Pledging on plastics 1 Contribute to a flourishing society 1 Support a thriving economy 1 Shape outstanding environments

www.cityoflondon.gov.uk www.facebook.com/cityoflondoncorp www.twitter.com/cityoflondon www.pinterest.com/cityoflondon www.flickr.com/cityoflondon www.youtube.com/cityoflondonvideos

cityview Business

All roads lead to China The importance of China to UK trade was reinforced in June during a visit by City Corporation Policy Chairman Catherine McGuinness to Beijing and Shanghai. She was building on work underway as part of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and China’s continuing financial reform was on the agenda. During her visit, the Policy Chairman presented Belt and Road: London on the Map to senior Chinese financial figures. The publication presents for the first time how firms from the UK financial and professional services sector are involved in the BRI, including Standard Chartered, HSBC, Linklaters, Clifford Chance and UK Export Finance, bringing

together specific examples of projects underway in countries along the initiative. It highlights London’s strengths as a hub for the soft infrastructure required by the BRI, with the aim being to advertise London as the ideal partner for companies involved. The City Corporation has also joined London and Partners in creating a website dedicated to the Initiative. BRI itself refers to the New Silk Road Economic Belt which will link China with Europe through Central and Western Asia, and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, which will connect China with Southeast Asian countries, Africa and Europe.

Speaking of the City Corporation’s work in China generally, Catherine McGuinness said “We are committed to supporting related activity that promotes London as the world’s leading global financial centre. We also work with numerous Chinese firms wanting to do business in the UK, and the City is now home to more than 30 Chinese financial institutions.” The City of London Corporation has been active in China for more than 10 years with representative offices in Beijing and Shanghai and a Special Adviser for Asia being appointed in recent years. 1

MORE INFORMATION

beltandroad.london YOU MIGHT ALSO BE INTERESTED IN

our key members Go to www.cityoflondon.gov.uk

“ This year we have seen a loosening of controls. China has opened market access to securities, allowing foreign firms to own a 51 per cent controlling stake in their ventures for the first time. There’s plenty more to come, according to People’s Bank of China governor Yi Gang, who has promised additional reforms by the end of June, including the removal of limits on foreign ownership of banks and asset management firms.”

cityview Business

Helping small City businesses make it big It’s one of the many contradictions of the Square Mile that while large firms

STARTING OUT AND GROWING YOUR BUSINESS

assistance available aimed

For those businesses at the very early stages, or for young entrepreneurs just starting out, the City Corporation manages a charitable trust dedicated to small business loans. Samuel Wilson’s Loan Trust offers loans of up to £50k at attractive rates of interest. To qualify, applicants must be under 40 and have recently or be about to set up in business within Greater London or in the counties of Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, Surrey, East and West Sussex.

specifically at this important

www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/swlt

section of the City’s business

SWLTChampion@cityoflondon.

community.

gov.uk

provide more than 50% of City jobs, 99% of businesses here fall into the SME – small and medium sized enterprise – category. And regardless of their size, one of the City Corporation’s main functions is to ensure that all businesses in the Square Mile have access to the resources they need to survive and thrive. With this in mind, there is a wealth of support and

Our City Business Library is an essential port of call for those entrepreneurs looking to carry out research or tap into the advice on offer for starting a business or looking to expand. It offers a wide range of services, which are either free to use or very modestly priced such as remote access to

a wide range of market research data; UK and global company information to help create free B2B lists; import and export data; and UK and global market research and industry reports. In addition, it offers free business advice for companies at all stages accessed via live chat. Hosts a packed monthly schedule of seminars and workshops on all sorts of business-related topics such as outsourcing, search engine optimisation, intellectual property, pricing strategies, marketing and business planning. Its evening conferences, with the chance to network and build contacts afterwards, are aimed specifically at SMEs. Recent topics have included General Data Protection Regulation, international trade and export clubs, franchising, fintech, and marketing and branding. Free workspace is offered with Wi-Fi along with affordable room hire. www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/cbl

RIGHT PROPERTY, RIGHT INFRASTRUCTURE Our City Property Advisory Team offers dedicated support to help you find the right premises, whether starting out or looking to expand, with free and confidential property searches. cityoflondon.gov.uk/ propertysearches

The team signpost affordable office space and provide one-to-one support to help resolve issues around the vicinity of your building. cityoflondon.gov.uk/businesses

They are also involved with delivering improved WiFi and mobile coverage across the Square Mile and rolling out faster affordable fibre broadband (with speeds up to one gigabit per second) to every building in the City. cityoflondon.gov.uk/wifi

cityview

DOING BUSINESS RESPONSIBLY To help encourage small businesses to develop responsible business practices, the City Corporation hosts and supports Heart of the City, a charity supporting businesses to be a force for good in their community. Drawing on its network of experts, it supports, trains and mentors companies new to responsible business. This includes practical tools to help companies reduce their environmental impact, support local charities and ensure the wellbeing and diversity of their workforce. Its Foundation Programme is free to SMEs in the City and across London and is open to applications from September. Info_Heartofthecity@ cityoflondon.gov.uk theheartofthecity.com

NEED AN EXTRA PAIR OF HANDS?

PRACTISING WHAT WE PREACH

While many SMEs will not be subject to the Apprenticeship Levy, those with an annual payroll bill of £3m+ will. Whether your business pays the levy or not, the process of taking on an apprentice can seem daunting. The City Corporation has created a series of webinars to dismantle the complexity and simplify the steps involved.

We are also mindful that our own procurement policies and processes are SME-friendly. All new procurement requirements are scrutinised to ensure that barriers to SMEs are not created. Officers score bids on capacity and capability to deliver, rather than on costly affiliations or certifications. We aim to pay SMEs within 10 days of an undisputed invoice arriving, rather than the standard 30 days for larger suppliers. Contracts worth £10-100k, must have a quote from at least one SME, social enterprise or business based in one of the City Corporation’s 10 target London boroughs – those with the highest levels of deprivation.

cityoflondon.gov.uk/ apprenticeshipsinthecity

We also provide a free apprenticeship placement service to support businesses in employing young people starting their careers whilst boosting the employer’s performance. cityoflondon.gov.uk/

For social enterprises (and other charitable organisations), City Bridge Trust – in partnership with UBS – offers grants through the Stepping Stones Fund, to explore how repayable finance might help. The programme has backed a wide range of initiatives including enterprise training for homeless people, the provision of affordable office space for charity clients, community energy projects, and support for services that reduce the rate of hospital admissions amongst older Londoners. citybridgetrust.org.uk/ stepping-stones-fund

LOOKING ABROAD

UK’s financial and professional

Our support for SMEs also has an international dimension. The Lord Mayor, as an ambassador for financial and professional services, visits many markets throughout the world each year to promote collaboration and identify commercial opportunities for UK firms of all sizes. Some market visits include a trade delegation of relevant businesses.

services industry. If you want

cityoflondon.gov.uk/

to keep up to date on the

overseasbusinessvisits

apprenticeships 020 7332 3918 apprenticeships@cityoflondon.

GRANTS FOR SOCIAL AND CHARITABLE ENTERPRISES

gov.uk

WANT TO KNOW MORE?

For smaller businesses interested in providing internships – paid at London Living Wage – for young disabled Londoners, the City Corporation’s charitable funder, City Bridge Trust, is awarding bursaries of up to £4,000 (plus additional support) via Leonard Cheshire Disability.

The information on these pages

leonardcheshire.org/

firms, boost international trade

changelondon

and promote responsible

innovation@leonardcheshire.org

and trusted business, why not

just scratches the surface of the wide range of activities that we do in support of the

work we do to keep the UK a competitive location for

subscribe to our regular email newsletters? cityoflondon.gov.uk/ EconomicDevelopment

cityview Things to do

Focus on the female

Following the success of last year’s Londinium, the City Corporation has launched another major season of events based around a single central theme – Women: Work & Power. Although the centenary of women’s suffrage seemed an obvious anniversary to mark, the focus of the programme was widened to look at the role of women in society more generally – how they have shaped our history and helped define our national identity. Running until late November this programme is packed full of events and activities focusing on individual women and movements that defined gender and equality struggles. There

are more than 70 events making up the programme including new commissions, outdoor work and planned events at City Corporation venues including Guildhall Yard, the Barbican and Museum of London and across multiple art-forms. There are four key highights around which the rest of the programme has been structured. Firstly a series of four talks have been commissioned from the Fawcett Society. The next scheduled talk is on 13 September with Women Leading the Way: a discussion on women in business in 2018. A panel of speakers is led by Carolyn Fairbairn, Director General of the CBI with Ann Francke, CEO of Chartered Management Institute. On 2 November Behind Every

Great City will explore women who have helped to shape the City with Brenda Trenowden, Head of FIG Europe, ANZ Bank, and Global Chair of the 30% Club and guests. It will be chaired by Sharon Ament, Director of the Museum of London. The second highlight takes place in Guildhall Yard during 2-3 August as award-winning acrobats Upswing perform aerial gymnastics, Chinese pole and dance in a retelling of The Red Shoes story by Hans Christian Andersen. Joining them is worldclass dance-circus company Motionhouse, whose mix of dance and acrobatics takes place inside a giant moving cage. There will also be an array of sideshows, pop-up performances and women-themed food and cocktails!

Sculpture in the City has returned to the Square Mile this month as another key highlight in the schedule. Each year world class contemporary sculpture complements the unique architectural quality of the City’s insurance district and the public art display in now in its eighth year. But this year half of the artists will be women including such well-known names as Sarah Lucas, Amanda Lwin and Marina Abramovic. As ever the sculptures will be scattered across this district for the enjoyment of art lovers and passers-by alike. The fourth highlight takes place on 20 October in the newlyregenerated Aldgate Square in the east of the City. This is being organised by arts charity

cityview

2018 NOTABLE ANNIVERSARIES FOR WOMEN n Third anniversary of the first female bishop n 55th anniversary of Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova becoming the first woman in space n 65th anniversary of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II n 75th anniversary of the birth of Janis Joplin, blues/rock singer n 90 years since Amelia Earheart became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic n 100 years since Constance Markievicz became the first woman to be elected to the House of Commons n Centenary of the Representation of the People Act n 200th anniversary of the birth of Emily Bronte, novelist and poet Artichoke, responsible for the Great Fire commemoration, and is entitled Processions in the City. It brings to a conclusion three months of activity around this theme spread across the UK and will be an installation, exhibition and celebration developed in collaboration with the local community. But these four events just scratch the surface of the variety of events that make up the programme – such as a new audio composition, City of Women, taking place in Leadenhall Market (22-23 Sept); a film season in Guildhall Yard based around Heroines of Cinema (13-15 Aug); and Spitalfields Music in the City presents a lunchtime concert

for voices and harp at Draper’s Hall (20 July). Other highlights include the British-Barbadian Nursing Revolution which helps mark 70 years of the National Health Service and looks at the ‘pioneers’ of British migration – the Bajan nurses who help deliver Britain’s post-war baby boom (from 28 Sept).

Stretching until the latter part of November, Women: Work and Power tells the stories of women who have led the vanguard in the struggle for gender equality as well as those who have effected change simply through doing their jobs. 1

And events aren’t just confined to the Square Mile. Rachel Kolsky, author of Women’s London, invites you aboard a vintage Routemaster bus in late August for a tour around London. Once aboard you will follow in the footsteps of some of the major players in the suffrage movement and to view the sites of significant campaigns and rallies.

Women: Work and Power is inspired by the Mayor of London’s #BehindEveryGreatCity campaign and celebrates the deeds and daring of women who have made London and cities like it, great. MORE INFORMATION

cityoflondon.gov.uk/womenworkpower

cityview Services

Playing your part by pledging on plastics Consideration will be given to INCLUDING POLICIES AROUND THE ISSUE WITHIN THE NEW LOCAL PLAN and possible using Consideration will regulatory powers be given to Reliance onto single use plastics reduce the INCLUDING POLICIES has gone amount up the socialof andsingle AROUND THE ISSUE use plastic. political agenda dramatically in WITHIN THE NEW recent months. LOCAL PLAN and The City Corporation WILL DEVELOP A possible using REFILL CULTURE The Evening Standard’s ‘lastpowers regulatory ACROSS THE SQUARE straw’ campaign, huge scale tothe reduce the MILE. There is already of ocean litter highlightedof by single amount a proposed the Blue Planet IIuse television plastic. programme for programme and the continuing 10 NEW WATER REFILL issue of non-recyclable coffee cups POINTS. are just a few of the factors that have helped put the spotlight on the problem.

The City Corporation is LAUNCHING A CAMPAIGN to reduce single use plastics and to Pledged businesses will be given COMBAT PLASTIC The City LITTER ENTERING a certificate and window sticker Corporation is THE THAMES to help publicise the campaign LAUNCHING A andCAMPAIGN as a formal recognition to of the contribution they are making. reduce single use plastics and to Firms will be approached COMBAT PLASTIC through existing initiatives such LITTER ENTERING as theTHE CleanTHAMES City Awards Scheme

and the Clean Streets Partnership. The City Corporation itself will review its use of plastics and remove or replace them with alternatives to practise what it is preaching.

The project will focus on NORMALISING AND INCREASING THE USE OF REUSABLES as one of the easiest ways The project will individuals can focus on REDUCED THEIR USE NORMALISING OF SINGLE USEAND INCREASING PLASTICS THE USE OF REUSABLES as one of the easiest ways individuals can REDUCED THEIR USE OF SINGLE USE PLASTICS

Consideration will be given to With all this inPOLICIES mind, this summer The City BUSINESSES WILL BE INCLUDING the City Corporation is launching In November the IDENTIFY Greater Corporation is 2017TO AROUND THE ISSUE ASKED Theofproject will a campaign – Plastic Free City – to workers and residents with regard London Authority publishedUSE LAUNCHING A CURRENT WITHIN THE NEW THEIR reduce single use plastics to the consumption of singleCAMPAIGN use its draftto London Plan for LOCAL PLAN and both these products to focus on NORMALISING AND reduce single usewhichthe possible internally andusing across the wider City. consultation supported quantify amount AWARENESS OFplastics THE and litter across the INCREASING THE plasticsidentifying and toOF regulatory powers SINGLE USE City and to combat plastic litter CAUSED suitable locations DAMAGE USE OF REUSABLES COMBAT PLASTIC to reduce the PLASTIC THAT COULD entering the Thames from the However, response to last year’s for water fountains and bottle BY PLASTIC LITTER BUSINESSES WILL asBE one of the LITTER ENTERING amount of single BE Square Mile. refill points. TheREMOVED CityTO Corporation GETTING INTO Square THE Mile Challenge – which ASKED IDENTIFY easiest ways THE THAMES use plastic. THAMES will be managed to achieve the recycling will use THEIR this as a CURRENT launching USE of individuals can raised The biggest challenge for thealong the of over four million coffee cups – point to develop a refill culture the City to be installed these products to across REDUCED THEIR USE and City campaign will be riverfront to change was very positive. The campaign across the Square Mile.the There isOF SINGLE over theUSE next two years. These quantify amount bridges over the behaviours with, and will involve will look to build on that progress already a proposed programme points, alongside the six drinking OF SINGLE USEPLASTICS summer. by tackling use of straws, bottles, PLASTIC collaboration from, businesses, for 10 new water refillTHAT points COULDfountains that already exist, will be BE REMOVED cups, single use coffee pods, mapped and locatable on the City cutlery and utensils, sachets, food and takeaway containers, plastic bags, and individual food wraps.

AWARENESS OF THE DAMAGE CAUSED BY PLASTIC LITTER GETTING INTO THE THAMES will be raised along the riverfront and City bridges over the summer.

Consideration will be given to One of the first actions will be INCLUDING POLICIES to ask businesses to pledge to AROUND THE ISSUE reduce their consumption. Advice WITHIN THE NEW and assistance will be offered to BUSINESSES BEand LOCALWILL PLAN ASKED TO IDENTIFY help them reach their goals and possible using USE of they will be encouraged to share THEIR CURRENT regulatory powers these products to their stories and successes. They to reduce the the amount amount of single will be asked, where possible, to quantify OF SINGLE USE use plastic. identify their current annual use of these products to quantify the PLASTIC THAT COULD BE REMOVED amount of single use plastic that could be removed by the project.

Corporation website and on the nationwide Refill mobile app.

The project will work with Refill to sign up 200 business locations to The C be registered as additional water Corpora refill points. This will include LAUNCH many licensed premises, who are CAMPA currently required to provide water reduce si on request. It’s hoped that those plastics businesses signing the pledge COMBAT will also register as Refill points LITTER EN THE TH where possible. As the Port Authority for the Thames and a riverside authority,

cityview

The City Corporation is LAUNCHING A Theto City CAMPAIGN reduceCorporation single use is LAUNCHING A plastics and to CAMPAIGN COMBAT PLASTIC to single use LITTERreduce ENTERING plastics and to THE THAMES COMBAT PLASTIC LITTER ENTERING THE THAMES

For those cityview readers

The project will focus on NORMALISING AND The project INCREASING THE will focus on USE OF REUSABLES AND as NORMALISING one of the INCREASING THE easiest ways USE OF can REUSABLES individuals one USE of the REDUCEDasTHEIR easiest OF SINGLE USEways individuals can PLASTICS REDUCED THEIR USE the CityOF Corporation SINGLEhas USE a unique responsibility PLASTICSto

encourage the reduction of ocean plastic litter. As a substantial amount of that litter starts on land, an essential part of dealing with this problem will be by reducing littering in general. Awareness of the BUSINESSES WILL BE damage caused by plastic litter ASKED TO IDENTIFY getting into the Thames will be THEIR CURRENT USE of BUSINESSES WILL BE raised along the riverfront and these products to ASKED TO IDENTIFYCity bridges over the summer. quantify the amount CURRENT OFTHEIR SINGLE USE USE of Officers will also work with PLASTICthese THAT products COULD to schools to promote campaign the amount BEquantify REMOVED messages as well as supporting OF SINGLE USE students carrying out Thames PLASTIC THAT COULD foreshore litter picks, in BE REMOVED association with Thames21.

who recieve their copy polywrapped we are looking into different options for sending it to you in future.

One of the easiest ways individuals can reduced their use of single use plastics is by increasing use of reusables. One part of the project will focus on this promotion, not just for water and cups, but food stuffs too, that seeks to normalise and increase their use. Plans are being developed to work with some major food retailers to accept and promote reusable food containers in-store.

This will also be promoted at food stalls and markets, growing in popularity in the City, and in canteens. In the longer term, consideration will be given to including policies around the issue within the new Local Plan that will require new developments to make provision for water bottle refill sites and possibly using regulatory powers to reduce the amount of single use plastics, either through licensing or planning regulation. 1

YOU MIGHT ALSO BE INTERESTED IN

our other environmental-related work cityoflondon.gov.uk/ environmentalprotection

MORE INFORMATION

plasticfreecity@cityoflondon.gov.uk plasticfreecity.london

cityview About the City

Radical redesign for Aldgate Square

After several years in the making, the regenerated and rejuvenated Aldgate Square area is now open to traffic, the general public and local community alike. The new-look area represents a significant shift from its previous layout including major changes to the highway scheme and an improved public realm. It has been scheduled for its official opening on 4 July following a Festival to celebrate the new area that took place in June. The main aim of the project was regeneration of the space for the benefit of business and the local community. The final design was arrived at following a major consultation with stakeholders over both the look and purpose of the area. A place that could accommodate events and improved safety

were the top two factors identified, with biodiversity/ greening and provision of a café also rating highly.

and enjoy. New features include lawn and planters, seating, a drinking fountain, a water feature and new way-finding plinth.

All of these elements were included in the final look with more greenery introduced alongside a new public space and improved lighting – making the area more inviting – a place for people to linger, socialise

Safety for road users has also been enhanced including new cycle routes and pedestrian access. A significant new addition to the area is the Portsoken Pavilion.

This steel and glass building houses a social enterprise café, operated by Kahaila, and is a new hub promoting events, leisure and play. For some cityview readers the Pavilion’s design may look familiar having a ‘family’ resemblance to the City Information Centre opposite St Paul’s Cathedral – a deliberate touch added by Make Architects. While Aldgate Square is the centerpiece of this transformational scheme (sitting between Sir John Cass’s Foundation Primary School and St Botolph without Aldgate Church), it has been joined by an eastern public space at the junction of Middlesex Street and St Botolph Street. Changes to the traffic layout were completed early in the project timeline. The finished area provides new pedestrian

cityview

crossing points and allows easier navigation of bus services.

probably represents the 18th century street frontage.

Aldgate’s pedestrian subways were once a particular magnet for antisocial behaviour. As part of the project, the pedestrian subways were closed, replaced with safer street level crossings. The opportunity of the subway exits, utility free, were used for established roots balls for over the 40 new semi-mature trees.

Particular care and attention to detail was used when highway changes outside the St Botolph without Aldgate church meant that work was needed on the Grade II listed churchyard. The railings were of various types and included listed iron gates. A short section of historic railing set the pattern for the replacements and the colour of the railings and gates were taken from paint-sampling historic layers. The gates used to hold lanterns were replicated from an image found in the London Metropolitan Archives.

The project has introduced two-way traffic on Aldgate High Street, St Botolph Street, a section of Middlesex Street and Minories. It has already had a significant impact by helping to bring air pollution at the nearby Sir John Cass’s Foundation Primary School below the legal annual limit for the first time since monitoring began in 2003. The initial work on the project also threw up some interesting historical features. The excavation of the trial trench on Duke’s Place in 2013 revealed archaeological remains spanning nearly 2,000 years of London’s history. There was the discovery of an 18th century brick-built structure, believed to have been a coal cellar/chamber, with a brick floor, surviving in the centre of the trench. The presence of the chamber preserves the earlier street line and the rear wall

The new railings have been placed on the public highway to the west of the church, where the Portland stone wall identifies the church boundary. This visually extends the church gardens, creating a quiet contemplative space with high quality planting. The project as a whole forms part of the Aldgate and Tower Area Strategy, which provides a framework for improvements to the streets and spaces of this area of the City. 1

MORE INFORMATION

cityoflondon.gov.uk/aldgatearea

COLLABORATION IS KEY Getting buy-in from the local resident and business community, along with other organisations, was a major part of the initiative. The City Corporation worked with the London Borough of Tower Hamlets and Transport for London to develop proposals for the project. The Mayor of London’s Cycling Vision and Transport for London’s Road Modernisation Plan contributed to the proposals to provide cyclists with a less intimidating and higher quality experience when travelling through the area.

In addition the following local stakeholders were members of design working groups: n Saint Botolph Without Aldgate Church n Sir John Cass’s Foundation n Sir John Cass’s Foundation Primary School n The Sir John Cass School of Art, Architecture and Design, London Metropolitan University n Whitechapel Gallery n Transport for London Urban Design Team n Minerva (developer)

cityview About the City

Divides to conquer It’s probably no surprise that despite London’s reputation as a capital city and its commercial importance to the nation that many here continue to face inequality, poverty and disadvantage. The spiralling costs of living in London and cuts in state funding have led to a surge in demand for services from disadvantaged and marginalised communities. This has been coupled with anxiety over the implications of Brexit given that the European Union contributes at least £258m a year in charitable funding. As a result some have described the charity sector as being ‘in crisis’ and ‘at tipping point’. With all this as a background, City Bridge Trust, the City of London’s charitable funder, has carried out a major consultation to help shape its new five-year funding programme and ensure

its funds help those Londoners most in need. The programme, called Bridging Divides, will see £100m distributed to London charities and targeting groups such as refugees, victims of human trafficking and survivors of domestic abuse. The Trust, London’s biggest independent grant maker, regularly commissions research to review and refine its objectives and to discover where its funds are needed most. To help formulate its latest programme it asked Londoners, the capital’s charities and community groups, public and private sectors, funders and policy makers for their views on the health of the charity sector.

A factor common to this and past such consultations was the need for charity funders to work more closely together to tackle deep-rooted social issues, especially in times of tighter government spending. But this latest consultation also showed a need for more strategic and flexible charity investment with less bureaucratic processes for charities when they apply for funding. This has been factored into the Bridging Divides programme so that the Trust has a more flexible charity funding approach, which will include grants of different sizes and duration, with more

targeted social investment and match funding. Alison Gowman, Chairman of the City Bridge Trust Committee, said: “Working closely with charities we can stay alive to the changing needs of Londoners, strengthen our communities and make this city a fairer place to work and live. “In the next five years we will transform the lives of thousands of Londoners most in need. “We will give a voice to people who are underrepresented, give independence to those who are held back, and cut the inequality which should not exist in the capital.”

“ We will give a voice to people who are underrepresented, give independence to those who are held back, and cut the inequality which should not exist in the capital.”

cityview

Targeting is a key factor in the funding programme, not just so those most in need benefit but also so concrete objectives can be set and measured to ensure the monies are well spent and the results can be folded into future funding planning. 1

Bridging Divides is split across three funding programmes – Connecting the Capital, Positive Transitions, and Advice and Support. Connecting the Capital

Positive Transitions

Advice and Support

will help make London’s

looks to empower Londoners

funding will give Londoners a

communities stronger, more

experiencing inequality to

safety net against a backdrop

resilient and thriving. It will fund

transform their lives. This will include

of changes to welfare benefits,

sports and arts projects for people

supporting disadvantaged young

homelessness, unaffordable

with disabilities, philanthropic

people and survivors of domestic

housing and the increasing cost of

giving, and greening and growing

abuse, helping Londoners to

living in London. These will include

projects that bring communities

overcome barriers.

grants to help the most vulnerable

together and improve the local

people in society access

environment.

information and services which give them choices and defend

n The Trust was founded in 1995 following Parliamentary approval to use surplus funds for running and maintaining City bridges to tackle disadvantage and inequality across the capital. n It makes grants of £20m a year n It has awarded more than 7,700 grants totalling over £370m

Funder Plus

AREAS CITY BRIDGE TRUST HAS PLEDGED TO SUPPORT THROUGH BRIDGING DIVIDES INCLUDE

n Supporting survivors of domestic and sexual abuse, modern day slavery, trafficking and hate crime n Helping people experiencing food poverty through food banks n Backing for environmental projects n Boosting integration support services for migrants and refugees n Enabling disabled and older people to have more choice and control n Helping ex-offenders to transform their lives

their rights and responsibilities.

City Bridge Trust will also offer charities more than just funding through

This funding will support services

its Funder Plus offer. Charities may receive advice on business

helping people facing hardship

development, environmental sustainability policies and exit strategy

and crisis including debt,

planning. City Bridge Trust will use all of its networks and resources to

unemployment or in-work

make its vision for London come to life.

poverty, social welfare issues or homelessness.