1st December: The National Day of Giving

24th November 2020 / Posted by CRP Team

#GivingTuesday will be celebrated on 1st December this year. It’s a day when people come together to support the community or causes that mean so much to us, such as donating money to a charitable cause or volunteering.

Why not give back and make a difference this year by purchasing your gifts from the suppliers/local businesses listed on the CRP Clean Air Villages Directory? Many businesses on the Directory will be offering Christmas specials, and importantly your delivery will be made by ultra-low emission vehicle. The Directory also shows which businesses are offering a Click & Collect service. CRP will be showcasing businesses listed on the Directory in the run up to Christmas – stay tuned over the coming weeks via our Twitter page for a #CleanAirChristmas.

New Local Cargo Bike Schemes Launch This Month!

24th November 2020 / Posted by CRP Team

CRP has launched a number of new cargo bike schemes as part of the Clean Air Villages project. These schemes will support local business communities to deliver their products and services to their customers, positively impacting on air quality as well as saving time and resources. The schemes help a range of businesses from market traders, to independent stores delivering art, wine, essential supplies and even paint!

In London Borough of Richmond, RV Tass has started a weekly delivery slot to deliver paint to those in the local community. Over in Tooting, London Borough of Wandsworth, market trader Gemma, owner of Love Art, has started utilising the trial to provide a delivery service for her customers. In Wimbledon, London Borough of Merton, Fielders is preparing to have a weekly cargo bike delivery slot to enable customers to still order from home!

In all three of these schemes, there is still capacity to support more businesses, especially over the Christmas break. If you are interested in using the scheme for FREE as a business in one of these areas, please contact CRP Senior Project Officer Laura Jacklin.

Road Safety Week 2020

24th November 2020 / Posted by Ross Phillips

Road Safety Week, the UK’s biggest road safety event, coordinated annually by the road safety charity Brake, took place this year from 16th – 22nd November. The week aims to inspire thousands of schools, organisations and communities to take action on road safety and promote life-saving messages, during the week and beyond.

The importance of road safety is crucial to the success of CRP’s Healthy Streets Everyday (HSE) programme. Unfortunately, morning and evening rush hours are a common time for road traffic accidents involving children. HSE have recently funded the Hackney School Streets Hotline, a service for borough officers across all of London to get tailored, up-to-date and site-specific advice to support the implementation of school streets. School streets encourage more active travel to and from sites around Schools and reduce the number of cars on the road at specific times to allow children and others to walk, cycle and scoot more safely. The London Borough of Hackney have excellent experience in delivering school streets, with over 30 in operation and more continually being added! The service was used by 14 local authorities with 18 calls being taken and support provided.

For more information, please contact CRP Project Officer Ross Phillips.

Upcoming Healthy Streets Everyday Guidance Document on Mobility Justice

24th November 2020 / Posted by Fiona Coull

As part of the Healthy Streets Everyday (HSE) programme, CRP is pleased to announce an upcoming Guidance Document that discusses Mobility Justice. The guidance, that will be published in a few weeks’ time, explores several stories of mobility (in)justice faced by individuals with a disability or mobility impairment.

So what actually is mobility justice? In essence, it is the principle that all people should have the same opportunity to move around and access a space or place regardless of their physical ability, race, sexuality or any other characteristic. Unfortunately, transport can be one of the principal barriers faced by persons with disabilities or impaired mobilities. To make our transport and mobilities more inclusive, it is important to understand the challenges experienced by those that face mobility and transport barriers.

Be the first to hear about the guidance document’s launch by following us on Twitter and LinkedIn. For further information about the Healthy Streets Everyday project, please contact CRP Project Manager Fiona Coull.

By providing a voice to the everyday experiences of individuals who experience mobility (in)justice, 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.

Camden Town Unlimited & Euston Town Re-elected!

24th November 2020 / Posted by CRP Team

CRP are excited that CRP BID partners Camden Town Unlimited and Euston Town have been re-elected for another term! Hear from Bailey Hawcroft-Hurst, Communications Manager at Camden Town Unlimited and Euston Town, about the successful re-election:

We are thrilled to announce that we have been re-elected for another term as the Business Improvement District’s for Camden Town & Euston! Thank you to all our members for your support.

When we started the current term, no one could have predicted it would be drawing to a close in such dramatic circumstances – and no one could have known that we’d be seeking re-election in the midst of it all. But if ever there was a time when our neighbourhoods need their business community, it is now. Together, we will prepare ourselves for the changes ahead.

Take a look at the Camden Town Unlimited and Euston Town websites to see we’re working on, including our flagship projects: Camden Highline (transforming disused railway into a new park in the sky, linking Camden Town to King’s Cross), Camden Collective (a meanwhile use coworking hub in the heart of Camden, offering free hotdesking space and affordable offices) and Drummond Street Vision (a community-led regeneration to enhance the Drummond Street neighbourhood, in partnership with Jan Kattein Architects and traders).

You can also view our BID proposal to see what’s in store for 2021-2026. We are very excited to progress with projects such as Alternative Camden, a new approach to inclusive co-design that will allow local people to build their future neighbourhoods, and the Green Loop, an ambitious place-shaping strategy that will link leafy parks and cultural hubs across North London.

We are always looking to connect with local stakeholders, so please do get in touch with any ideas you may have and be part of the rebirth of Camden Town and Euston!

****
Camden Town Unlimited Ballot Renewal Result, 2021 – 2026
91% yes vote (by voter turnout).
91% yes vote (by rateable value).
53% voter turnout.

Euston Town Ballot Renewal Result, 2021 – 2026
95% yes vote (by voter turnout).
97% yes vote (by rateable value).
56% voter turnout.

 

Huge congratulations from CRP to Simon Pitkeathley and his amazing team! We look forward to continuing to work together!

REGISTRATION OPEN! Good Parks for London 2020 Launch: CRP LiveShare

24th November 2020 / Posted by CRP Team

CRP’s next LiveShare event – Good Parks for London 2020 Launch – is taking place on Thursday 26th November, 4pm – 5pm. The event will be hosted by Parks for London, who will be launching this year’s Good Parks for London Report, showcasing the great work that land managers are doing in and around London and reflecting on the impact of the pandemic on the capital’s parks and green spaces.

There will be talks from expert speakers including Dr Meredith Whitten, London School of Economics and Political Science, Martin Kelly, GL Hearn and Tony Leach, Parks for London, as well as the London borough whose parks service has scored exceptionally well against the Good Parks criteria this year.

You can sign up here.

Spaces are limited so please be sure to register! If you are not able to make this session, don’t worry! All of our LiveShares are posted on our YouTube channel for you to view and share whenever you like. Remember to follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn to receive all our LiveShare updates and upcoming sessions. We hope to see you very soon!

For more information, please contact CRP Guidance Manager Tomos Joyce.

New Arrangements for Businesses after Wednesday 2nd December

24th November 2020 / Posted by CRP Team
With the national lockdown restrictions changing from 2nd DecemberLondon Councils have recently published some useful updates around hospitality, opening hours and the cost of Covid:

London groups including BIDs, the GLA and London Councils are also calling for an end to the 10pm curfew for licenced premises. Boroughs have been asked to consider the implications of potential later opening hours with their business community in the run up to Christmas, including the licencing and community safety aspects. Additionally, the British Business Bank has published new analysis on the take up of the Covid-19 loans.

In terms of the Brexit transition, the Business Secretary has written to businesses and different sectors. The letter provides advice on what key actions businesses must take after the transition period ends on 31 December 2020.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has published his ten-point plan for creating a ‘green industrial revolution’ for 250,000 new jobs. The blueprint covers clean energy, transport, nature and innovative technologies and is backed by £12bn of government investment. Read the plan here.

Please have a look at CRP’s COVID-19 Support webpage for further information in relation to business, finance, transport and wellbeing.

New research by IPSE and Starling shows the drastic impact the pandemic has had on freelancers’ finances. Read the full report here.
Unused office space after coronavirus could cost London-based businesses almost £13 billion according to a new report by Space Three Two. Find out more here.

World Science Day 2020

10th November 2020 / Posted by Sefinat Otaru

Today is World Science Day for Peace and Development! This year, the focus is on ‘Science for and with Society’, strengthening the links between science and society to resolve global challenges including the COVID-19 pandemic. The three pillars of this year’s focus are:

  1. Promoting international scientific cooperation, fostering the exchange of information between the various scientists, civil groups and the public
  2. Improving access to water and sanitation, critical to slowing the spread of the pandemic
  3. Supporting ecological reconstruction, considering the links between people and nature

Please visit the UNESCO website for more information.

It’s #LivingWageWeek 2020! 

10th November 2020 / Posted by CRP Team

The campaign for a real Living Wage has now delivered more than £1 billion in extra wages to workers since it began in 2001, and the movement has lifted over 240,000 people out of in-work poverty. At Cross River Partnership, we are proud to be a Living Wage accredited organisation in line with our accountable body, Westminster City Council, joining thousands of other businesses across the UK who believe a hard day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay.

Research since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed that 1.3 million
key workers (care workers, delivery drivers, supermarket assistants, cleaners, security staff and many more) have been found to be earning less than a real Living Wage and were in insecure working conditions. Now is the time to raise awareness and recognise our essential workforce with an essential Living Wage.

London Climate Action Week

10th November 2020 / Posted by CRP Team

London Climate Action Week (LCAW)14th – 20th November, is an annual event that puts a world-leading assemblage of climate professionals and communities to come together with solutions to climate change, focusing on transition to an equitable net-zero carbon world. CRP continues to work with partners engaged in climate action – London Boroughs of Islington, Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea, Richmond-Upon-Thames, Westminster, Camden, Lambeth, Hammersmith & Fulham, Merton and Wandsworth are examples of partners declaring a climate emergency. You can see the full list of boroughs declaring a climate emergency here.

CRP are hosting an online event for London Climate Action Week with Camden Climate Change Alliance, taking place on 19th November, 10:30am, giving businesses the opportunity to to learn more about the support and CRP tools offered in the CAV village of Gray’s Inn Road, Camden including how to:

  • Access free tailored 1:2:1 advice from CRP for your business
  • Receive free use of Camden’s consolidation hub to reduce deliveries, congestion and pollution
  • Use CRP’s Clean Air Route Finder
  • Use CRP’s deliverBEST tool to share practical, proven solutions, making deliveries to businesses more efficient, whilst saving time, money and improving air quality
  • Use The Gray’s Inn Road page on the CRP Clean Air Villages Directory to choose suppliers with low air pollution delivery options

To find out more and sign up, please see here!

LCAW 2020 will be focusing on four themes:

  • Green, Fair and Resilient Recovery   
  • Roadmap to COP26  
  • Sustainable and Net Zero London 
  • The whole of Society Climate Mobilisation  

Due to restrictions regarding COVID-19, the event will occur predominantly in a digital configuration, using a range of formats that encourage citizen and community engagement.

CRP are also engaging in this year’s Climathon – an annual 48hr climate change hackathon taking place in hundreds of cities across the world. This is taking place 13th-15th November, and will provide an exclusive opportunity for London citizens to tackle climate challenges. You can sign up here.

There are exciting times ahead of us as American commitment to COP26 re-starts as one of the newly-elected President’s top priorities!