Agenda item

Councillor Asima Shaikh, Executive Member Inclusive Jobs and Economy was present, together with Caroline Wilson, Director of Inclusive Economic Development for discussion of this item and made a presentation to the Committee, copy interleaved. Councillor Asima Shaikh highlighted the following points in relation to supporting businesses during the pandemic:

·         How local economy officers were re-deployed to every part of the borough with the task of contacting businesses to check on their status and find out what support they needed.

·         On sustained regular meetings of the Town Centre groups, moving them online, to ensure that independent business owners could stay connected to others in their locality and to explain what council support they needed during the emergency phase.

·         The Council devised a public-access emergency business directory, profiling businesses and services still open

·         A business bulletin was developed and linked to government websites to keep businesses informed about support available to them. The bulletin is now circulated to 5,000 businesses in the borough.

·         Members were made aware of a series of ‘Shop Local’ initiatives, including the distribution of 1000s of ‘Open Safely’ packs to local businesses and regular e-bulletins to over 5,000 businesses.

·         The ‘My Virtual Neighbourhood’ appwill provide a platform for Islington businesses to promote themselves to local people, anchor institutions and businesses online.

·         The Council distributed a Discretionary Grant of just over £3m to over 1,000 SMEs in Islington. Payments between £500 and £25,000, with 58% of grants awarded to businesses whose owners or directors who identified as BAME or female.

·         It was stated that employment support services across different organisations in Islington was fully co-ordinated through the Islington Working Partnership led by iWork.

·         Islington launched its own local jobs portal in February with immediate impact and the borough  became a Living Wage Place in July. The initial target of supporting 600 residents into jobs was surpassed by achieving nearly 1,000 residents into jobs over 12 months.

·         The innovative programmes brokered during the pandemic to address precarious employment included: Home Cooks programme, with 7 Islington chefs, to become self-employed and deliver food to local people;  and a new delivery co-operative, Wings, as an ethical alternative to other platform companies. Both pay the London Living Wage (LLW) and offer workers more secure terms and conditions.

On Building back better for an inclusive, fairer, greener, more creative local economy through promotion of series of business support initiatives, including:

• Promotion of Black-owned businesses on the high street and online, to increase footfall and spend with local businesses
• Continue Shop Local campaign – shop window displays and other promotional activities.

On Building back better for an inclusive, fairer, greener, more creative local economy through promotion of sectoral interventions:

• Tech and Knowledge –  the council is a lead partner on LIFT (Leading Inclusive Futures through Technology), a £7.4m project to deliver jobs and training in tech and digital-related jobs.
• Creative Production - building strong partnerships with creative production companies such as Film London and the N7 business cluster to plug local residents into new opportunities

Councillor Asima Shaikh highlighted the actions completed:

• Offering digital skills training during lockdown for residents.
• Starter opportunities offered in conjunction with vocational training. A Living Wage Action Plan was agreed with partner employers from across the borough, and launched Islington in July as a “Living Wage Place”.
• 'Affordable workspace’ is space that: generally secured through the planning process; and charges at below-market rates (generally 80% or less) in return for the delivery of social value
• Already secured approximately 4,000sqm of affordable workspace including prestigious locations include the White Collar Factory at Old Street, and The Ray in Farringdon Road, as well as £2m through the Good Growth Fund project
• FC Designer Collective retail space launched on Sept 2020, with 13 businesses received support and training (30% minority-owned) plus an online training programme (apprenticeship programme and sewing masterclasses), facilitated by Adult Community Learning
• New affordable workspace contract signed for Ray Building, Farringdon with City, University of London to provide business support to Social Enterprises and community businesses – with Social Value targets integrated into contract management framework
• New affordable workspace operator commissioned for White Collar Factory and 160 Old Street with Town Square Limited to locally owned micro businesses and inspire community enterprise start-ups.

The Chair thanked Councillor Asima Shaikh for the presentation and welcomed members to raise issues and ask questions.

On businesses within Low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) and the support of vehicles like cargo trikes, members heard there was a commitment to support businesses within Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs). Work has been done on supporting the implementation of cargo bikes, with a pilot in Highbury west for food delivery. It was suggested that more support for businesses is required as the council develops LTNs further.

On the response on the capacity from organisations and individuals taking up Affordable Workspaces within office buildings across the borough, members were informed that the way workspaces have been used has changed. But there is a desire from organisations to get back into the office, to work in collaborative ways, to get away from online meetings. Action: Officer to come and discuss Affordable Work spaces at a future meeting.

On community wealth building, members heard about the Preston Model and keeping local money within the locality, via anchor organisations and new local businesses. The London Living Wage is an example of a scheme that organisations  that want to support residents within the borough can use to make a difference by employing locally.

On the future scope of inclusive economy initiatives and social value for the community, the committee heard about Wings, the worker co-op delivery company. This is an  example of what the council can support, in the form of a cooperative development agency, which the council will be working with . The council is keen to support cooperatives and community businesses in different sectors.

On the conceptual idea of more creative local economies, the committee was made aware of the work the council has been doing with partners in the creative sector and targeting young people not in education, employment or training (NEETs).

It was requested that officers attend to discuss Affordable Work Spaces at a future meeting.

RESOLVED:

That the report be noted