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Written by Professor Alan Thompson, Dean, Faculty of Brain Sciences and Pro Vice Provost (London), 果冻影院
11 FEBRUARY 2021, issue 10
In this issue we look back over the past few months and celebrate the successes which we have achieved, in particular the signing of the joint Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between 果冻影院 and at the which took place on 15 December 2020, which formalised our partnership which has spanned over many years.聽
I hosted the event in my role as 果冻影院鈥檚 Pro-Vice-Provost for London amongst an array of brilliant speakers including Professor Michael Arthur (former and then President & Provost, 果冻影院), Cllr Georgia Gould (Leader of Camden Council), Professor Marianna Mazzucato (果冻影院), Professor Henrietta Moore (果冻影院), Jon Rowney (Camden), Professor Muki Haklay (果冻影院), Harold Garner (Camden), Dr Dominic Galliano (果冻影院), Sharon Gunn (Camden) and Meklit Olive (Young Citizen Social Scientist).
This major step in 果冻影院 and Camden鈥檚 strategic relationship is part of both organisations鈥� vision as leaders of change within the borough. The partnership builds on experiences developed over decades and provides a framework for both organisations to work even more closely together, to shared goals and priorities.
The event was attended by over 75 colleagues from 果冻影院 and Camden, with testimonies and inspiring conversations paving the way for exciting new collaborations.聽
As leaders of place, both 果冻影院 and Camden have common goals in the way we聽shape the environment as investors, landowners, procurers, employers, equality leaders, policy makers as well as leaders in our sectors. Through the partnership, the organisations will consider how we聽collaborate more strategically and make commitments in these roles. 聽
Speaking at the event, I outlined聽"The value of a formal agreement is that we can take a more strategic approach, focusing that enthusiasm to work together in a way that will reap maximum good for the health, wealth and wellbeing of the community we both serve. This event is a celebration of our collaborations so far and a look ahead to how it will grow and develop in years to come鈥�.
Moving forward both of our organisations seek to work together to tackle the challenges that Londoners are facing, in particular those exacerbated due to COVID-19. Not only will we聽continue working on current initiatives but we hope that new innovative solutions to these challenges will also emerge. We聽will put residents at the heart of decision making through Citizen Assemblies, and build coalitions to tackle grand challenges through the Camden Renewal Commission. A series of Camden Conversations will launch in spring with counterparts from 果冻影院 and Camden coming together strategically for the first time to influence real change in the borough.
Jon Rowney, Executive Director of Corporate Services at Camden Council said 鈥淎s organisations we are significant in size, whether that is as a local employer, a large landowner in the borough, or procurer of hundreds of millions of supplies, services and goods. I'm keen to explore how we can make use of that together, to maximise social value and social purpose.鈥�
Examples of 果冻影院-Camden partnerships and ways of working were shared at the event, to bring the value of the collaborations to life. The following case studies outline some of the joint areas of work currently underway between 果冻影院 and Camden:
Rapid Evaluation Advice and Learning Service (REAL): The REAL Service was set up in response to a request from Camden to assist in evaluating resident-facing services that needed to be re-engineered during the height of the COVID-19 lockdown. The service pairs Camden officers who have evaluation needs with experienced 果冻影院 staff who provide pro-bono evaluation advice and guidance. REAL is an excellent example of how 果冻影院 can mobilise across faculties and professional services to make a positive and much needed contribution to its local community.
果冻影院 Institute for Global Prosperity:聽The London Prosperity Index is the UK鈥檚 first set of citizen-led prosperity metrics. It reports on factors that local people say support prosperity and quality of life and has been developed to give citizens a voice and change the way decision makers think and act for shared prosperity. The Prosperity Index methodology was developed in East London and is being adopted in other areas of London, around the UK and internationally. Good Life Euston sees the work adopted by Camden Council and Lendlease in order to develop a new prosperity and wellbeing index for Euston and across the Borough.
果冻影院 Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose: Camden Council and the 果冻影院 Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose (IIPP) recently launched the Camden Renewal Commission, which will take a mission-oriented innovation approach to 聽develop ambitious policy and practical solutions to level-up long-standing inequalities in Camden that were thrown into sharp relief by the COVID-19 crisis. The Renewal Commission, co-chaired by Council Leader Councillor Georgia Gould and IIPP Director Professor Mariana Mazzucato, will develop and test policy for Camden Council, its partners and the community to address the borough鈥檚 grand challenges of reducing inequality, and of supporting a just transition to a low carbon economy.
We now look forward to working together with Camden to progress the relationship and over the next few weeks we will share details with you on how you can get involved. Many of the areas of activity will bring 果冻影院 and Camden expertise together to support improvement in the borough 鈥� such as research and evaluation support, our impact as anchor institutions and placements within both organisations 鈥� and we will work together with our partners to test solutions to practical challenges, mutually benefitting both organisations.
To share any London impact stories or to get in touch, please contact Amy Lightstone.