News Articles Archive - Page 67 of 146 - Cross River Partnership

CRP’s Spotlight On: Better Bankside
This week, we are showcasing the work of CRP BID partner Better Bankside, who are working on active travel initiatives in the vibrant, creative area spanning between London Bridge and Blackfriars Bridge, south of the river. Hear what Kate Poulter has to say about Better Bankside’s most recent work:

Better Bankside has further ramped up its cycling offer to encourage Banksiders who are keen to adopt a new way of commuting to choose a bike. For the last few months, Bankside Bike Trains have given first time or nervous cyclists the opportunity to practise their commute into the area by joining rides led by qualified instructors. The Bike Trains pick up from various London stations and make return trips to and from Bankside, boosting the confidence of those who may not have been certain enough to cycle alone.

To overcome concerns about where to safely store a bike, Better Bankside also launched the a new Secure Cycle Park with increased capacity and a digital, contact free entry system which allows access 24/7. Almost 100 local employees are already registered. More regular Dr Bike sessions have been taking place in outdoor spaces to offer free basic bike checks to Banksiders and we’ve partnered a local repair shop to offer free bike maintenance vouchers to local employees.

Better Bankside has always advocated the benefits of cycling; these new initiatives sit alongside an already robust package of cycling offers for Banksiders. The pink Brompton bikes loaned out to Bankside’s employees have grown in popularity over the last few months. Better Bankside has increased this fleet further by investing in three new electric bikes, providing new ways of helping people commute by bike.

As the BID continues to innovate and find ways to promote active ways of travel, a new Bankside Lunch Club has also just been launched to bring lunch from Bankside’s restaurants and cafes to deskbound officer workers in the area, using cargo bike.

London’s recovery from the pandemic is being led by the London Recovery Board, chaired jointly by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, and the Chair of London Councils. As part of this work, the GLA is looking into developing the skills training offer in green industries in the capital. This will involve engaging with businesses, skills providers and boroughs to understand the specific skills, accreditations, entry pathways and training courses needed. The deadline for responses to this survey is Friday 6th November.

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.

Please fill out this short survey.

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.

Check if your vehicle meets the ULEZ emission standards.

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.

Archives: News Articles

CRP’s Spotlight On: Better Bankside

GLA Green Skills – Borough survey 2020

What skills and training opportunities would be useful to you and your business?

Top Tips for Tier 2!

World Cities Day

Business Energy Efficiency Survey

Black History Month

Shop Local: Showcasing Directory Businesses

The Ultra Low Emission Zone is expanding from 25th October 2021. Have you checked your vehicle?

Deptford’s Clean Air Villages cargo bike trial