The Mayor of London‘s Culture and Creative Industries Unit wants to know what skills and training you would like to attend if it was available. The data collected will inform how we best support the culture and creative industries sector in the coming months. The short survey has 8 questions and takes 3 minutes.
As London is put into Tier 2 ‘lockdown’ category, our thoughts are with all of the residents, businesses and visitors trying to keep going safely, and trying to balance all of their health, family, friends, finance, employment, education, travel etc. issues.
We’re definitely all in it together! And we all need to take care of ourselves so that we can continue to take care of each other. The Oxford Dictionary definition of Wellbeing is: A state of being comfortable, healthy or happy. There are five recognised Pillars to Wellbeing: Connect, Learn, Be Active, Take Notice, Give.
CRP’s accountable body Westminster City Council has set up a network of Wellbeing Pioneers, including the authority’s Chief Executive Stuart Love, available for staff to reach out to at any time. The pandemic’s social isolation has led to increased mental health issues. It has also affected people’s traditional coping mechanisms, so new coping mechanisms are needing to be developed, quickly.
There is an ongoing COVID-19 Social Survey being run by UCL, the largest of its kind. 85,000 people are already taking part. Do sign up here if you would like to take part. CRP has set up up COVID-19 support page on its website, including a section on Health and Wellbeing. The most important thing is to share any concerns that you have. As the saying goes, a problem shared is a problem halved.
World Cities Day was established by the United Nations in 2014. The day, which takes place annually on 31st October, aims to promote international community interest to address challenges on the role of urbanisation and mutually providing solutions to sustainable urban development worldwide.
In order to build back better as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the CRP Board agreed at it’s meeting on 25th September to commission a study looking at the future roles for London’s Centres. This work will further complement the studies published by Centre for London and commissioned by the Mayor of London. CRP looks forward to publishing the results of the study in the future when available.
For further information, please contact CRP Operations Manager Carol Quamina.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, and his team at City Hall want to work with businesses to help deliver a green recovery from this pandemic and make London a zero carbon city. London’s commercial and industrial buildings make up 36% of London’s carbon footprint, or around 11 million tonnes of greenhouse gases. To create the future we want, we’re going to need to work together to bring that number right down.
The Mayor of London wants to help businesses reduce energy consumption in your buildings, which will lower the impact on the environment and save you money, and have a transformative effect on the capital. In less than ten minutes, help us understand how we can tackle this climate emergency together: Take the survey now, before it closes on 13th November.
October marks Black History Month in the UK, giving people the opportunity to share, celebrate and understand the impact of black heritage and culture. It was first celebrated in the UK in October 1987, and was the initiative of Ghanaian analyst Akyaaba Addai-Sebo, who had worked as a co-ordinater of special projects for the Greater London Council. Black History Month has never been more relevant than in 2020. CRP’s accountable body Westminster City Council have been celebrating Black History Month with a programme of virtual events, including a The WCC Archives and Black History Studies and The Cultural Book Club. Black History should be celebrated this month, and every month.
Not interested in shopping via Amazon Prime? Want to shop local to help your high street? Independent retailers give our city diversity and set communities apart, and many have moved online to accommodate their customer base. Why not try using The CRP Clean Air Villages Directory?
CRP’s Directory encourages shopping local and lists a variety of different businesses, all delivering by zero or ultra-low emission modes. Edie Rose deliver beautiful, seasonal flowers to North London via bike, hybrid vehicle and foot, with a click and collect option too. If it’s refills that you’re after, TOPUP TRUCK sells groceries, bathroom and household products without packaging, via old electric milk float, to the Clean Air Villages of Seven Sisters Junction (London Borough of Haringey) and Angel Town Centre (Angel BID). Mai Thai Wimbledon has been serving the local community for 35 years and offer a zero-emission take away service!
To see brilliant examples of how ultra-low emission modes of delivery can change business models for the better, take a look at CRP’s Clean Air Villages 2 case studies.
Air pollution is not just a central London problem, with many areas still exceeding the legal limits for pollution across the city. That is why from 25th October 2021, the central London Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) is expanding to create a single, larger zone up to the North Circular Road (A406) and South Circular Road (A205). The North and South Circular Roads themselves are not in the zone. This is part of the commitment by the Mayor and TfL to help every Londoner breathe cleaner air.
It has now been 8 weeks since the resumption of CRP’s cargo bike trial in Deptford, one of the many solutions implemented as part of CRP’s Clean Air Villages project. The partnership in Deptford with London Borough of Lewisham, and cargo bike couriers ecofleet, has enabled two brilliant businesses to regular use the cargo bike to deliver to customers and businesses in South London, as well as collect stock.
The cargo bike trial is continuing in Deptford and CRP are still keen for businesses to have a go at making their deliveries and collections in the local area. Lai Loi and Lomond Coffee are currently using the cargo bike service! If you would like to know more or take part in the trial, please email CRP Project Officer Ross Phillips.
Lai Loi, an Asian supermarket on Deptford High Street, has used the cargo bike to deliver to customers locally to accompany a new local and social media approach to their business. Recipes were posted on social media channels to their audiences and delivered to local customers on the cargo bike.
Lomond Coffee, a coffee shop and roastery in Deptford Market Yard, have found they have saved significant time from utilising the cargo bike. COVID-19 shifted the shop towards delivering more to customers and some coffee shops, and they can deliver across South London with the cargo bike. This has also freed up the business owners time to focus on running the business, instead of being stuck in traffic.
Last month we announced CRP’s exciting collaboration with environmental data collective Tranquil City to map 15 new Clean Air Routes in London as part of the Defra-funded Clean Air Villages project.
13 out of 14 teaching hospitals in Greater London have levels of PM2.5 above the WHO’s recommended limit, according to a report by the British Lung Foundation. Five of the new Clean Air Routes have been developed to support patients and staff to reduce their exposure to air pollution when getting to and from hospitals around London. This includes one of the biggest children’s hospitals in the country, Great Ormond Street Hospital (London Borough of Camden), as well as major NHS teaching hospitals, St. George’s in Tooting (London Borough of Wandsworth), St. Thomas’ near Waterloo (London Borough of Lambeth), and King’s College Hospital in Denmark Hill (London Borough of Lambeth).
Using portable Aeroqual monitors, the team are measuring levels of nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter along the Clean Air Routes. These will provide an alternative to main roads and areas with poorer air quality, allowing people to enjoy a cleaner and less stressful journey.
We will be sharing the results towards the end of November and the new routes will be available on CRP’s Clean Air Route Finder very soon. Be sure to follow us on Twitter for the latest release and share the #CleanAirRoutes you use!
For more information, please get in touch with CRP Air Quality Analysis Officer Abby McDougall.
The transition to environmentally sustainable and socially just mobilities places emphasis on improving inclusion and access to transport for everyone. However, in order to make our transport and mobilities more inclusive, it is important to understand the challenges experienced by those that face mobility and transport injustice.
CRP’s Healthy Streets Everyday (HSE) Programme is pleased to announce an upcoming Guidance Document that will explore several stories of mobility (in)justice faced by individuals with a disability or mobility impairment. By providing a voice to the everyday experiences of these individuals, we hope to raise awareness of the variety of considerations that need to be taken in order to make transport and mobility truly accessible for everyone. CRP and its partners are extremely grateful to the Mayor’s Air Quality Fund for making this Guidance Document possible.
For more information about HSE, please contact CRP Project Manager Fiona Coull.
