Urban PartnersAnnual Report 2017

@UrbanPartnersUKwww.urbanpartners.london

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3 Boundary Map

4 / 5 Foreword Wendy Spinks, Commercial Director HS1 Ltd, Chair of Urban Partners

6 / 7 Cllr Danny Beales, Cabinet Member for Investing in Communities, Camden Council

8 / 9 Welcome to London’s most exciting district

12 / 13 Our Focus

14 / 15 Hero Projects

16 / 17 Benefitting Employees

18 / 19 Engaging the Next Generation

20 / 21 Representing Businesses

22 Spreading the UP message

23 David McNeill Director of Public Affairs and Stakeholder Engagement from Transport for London

24 Volunteering in focus

25 Executive & Board Membership

26 UP in Numbers

Contents

Contents

Urban Partners / Annual Report 2017

Boundary Map

Boundary Map

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Urban Partners is one of many innovative business partnerships across London and the UK that are ripping up the rule book and developing new, productive relationships with public sector partners where all parties – and local communities – mutually benefit.

Gone are the days when the Government was able to fund major and transformative infrastructure projects in their entirety. Increasingly we are seeing businesses put their hands in their own pockets to improve infrastructure and environments in local areas to support long term growth. This heralds a new framework for funding – local businesses identifying local funding gaps and acting together to deliver long term value in a specific geographic location.

The private sector is arguably having a greater say than ever in how our cities are governed, improved and stewarded. Through business partnerships such as Urban Partners, the private sector is now a major player in the ‘public’ realm – seeing engagement as an important contribution, and crucially, not only as a responsible thing to do but with clear commercial goals too.

But this is not just a case of businesses funding improvements. For us, it’s the time, expertise and dedication that makes Urban Partners such a unique and valuable proposition for the communities in this area. The voluntary aspect of Urban Partners sets our partnership apart from many operating in the capital – our members volunteer their time, energy and knowledge delivering a truly authentic type of engagement with the local community, and the challenges and opportunities we face.

I’d like to thank all our members, supporters and partners for helping us over the past year. In particular I’d like to welcome our newest Board Member Access Self Storage. It’s fantastic that we have been able to extend our boundary, allowing more businesses to get involved in our work and I look forward to more businesses coming aboard during 2018. We anticipate this will imminently include Ted Baker and Everyman.

Our success is the product of many innovative people whose commitment is unwavering. The progress we are seeing across all our workstreams is testament to the hard work of our members and it’s a privilege to be working alongside such an inspiring group of people.

It’s hard to believe it’s been 12 months since our last Annual Report – each year seems to pass more quickly than the previous one. Perhaps it’s a case of time speeding up when we are busy, and that’s certainly been the case this year for Urban Partners.

During what has been a significant period of uncertainty, with another General Election and the ongoing Brexit negotiations, the businesses of King’s Cross, St Pancras and Euston have pulled together to deliver one of our most productive years since our inception in 2011.

From our Hero Projects to our networks and attracting new members, 2017 has been a year of delivery. I hope you enjoy reading this Annual Report to learn more and get excited about what we have planned for 2018. We are determined to maintain the momentum being built up to keep supporting our business members and local communities, working collaboratively with our partners at the Council, the GLA and other statutory bodies.

Foreword Wendy Spinks, Commercial Director HS1 Ltd, Chair of Urban Partners

Wendy Spinks, Commercial Director HS1 Ltd, Chair of Urban Partners

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Cllr Danny Beales, Cabinet Member for Investing in Communities, Camden Council

Cllr Danny Beales, Cabinet Member for Investing in Communities, Camden Council

Camden is at the heart of London’s thriving economy. King’s Cross has seen unprecedented regeneration and change and now attracts top scientific, creative and technological businesses – a critical mass of innovation and discovery. But we know that not all of the people living here feel they have benefitted from this new quarter of the City. Camden continues to be a place with high levels of wealth alongside high levels of poverty. Despite all the opportunity the area offers, we know that only a fifth of our residents work in the borough – we can do more to make sure our residents can access the benefits of economic success.

Our work with Urban Partners is an example of effective collaboration with the private sector, and demonstrates the positive outputs that are possible when we all work together. From my experience speaking to business leaders and people who work here, businesses want to ‘give something back’ and share their success, especially with the next generation. The Camden STEAM Commission encapsulated our determination to work with employers to ensure we are an emblem of inclusive growth at the heart of London. We believe that for our young people, a fusion of creative and digital skills – a new ‘STEAM approach’ – is needed to get there. Urban Partners are uniquely well placed to support the delivery of our pioneering STEAM work and inclusive growth aspirations. Projects developed by Urban Partners are already having an impact for the people who live and work here, such as the Homework Club and the Underpass Project. Our collaboration is changing lives and long may it continue. I look forward to doing more great work with Urban Partners next year.

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It’s been 10 years since rail services on the UK’s first high speed railway line, High Speed 1, started running – linking London with the European high-speed network for the first time. The line and its gleaming new home: the £800 million re-imagination of William Barlow’s 19th Century engineering marvel, St Pancras International, have changed the surrounding area forever. The line and station redevelopment have proven to be the catalyst for the area’s dramatic transformation. Over 96 million Eurostar passengers have used this magnificent new gateway to and from mainland Europe.

And what a 10 years it’s been…delivery of a £500 million investment project in King’s Cross railway station, the opening of the iconic King’s Place music venue, the phenomenal 2012 Olympic Games with high speed Javelin trains ferrying thousands of spectators between the Olympic Park and St Pancras International, and of course, the transformational redevelopment of the 67 acre King’s Cross site. Alongside a substantial amount of new development, the creation of new public space and extensive landscaping – including the reestablishment of the Canal – are adding to the enhanced environment in the local area.

Having been uninviting and somewhat intimidating in parts due to the dereliction of the old railway lands, the area is now one of London’s great destinations – a thriving business district and a ‘must see’ part of the tourist trail. It’s been a decade of rapid change and innovation across the area.

St Pancras International is an award-winning retail and leisure destination, alongside being a railway station. Since it opened in 2007, more than 25% of visitors to the station are not there to travel, but to shop, dine or simply enjoy the view. This is.significantly higher than in traditional stations. The Champagne Bar, world class public art and high end retail has raised the bar in terms of what stations can offer visitors and travellers.

In September 2011 the University of the Arts London moved to the Granary Complex and parts of the development opened to the public for the first time. Since then, the Great Northern Hotel has been refurbished and re-opened and the first residents have moved in. Companies such as Google, Louis Vuitton, Universal Music and Havas are choosing to relocate here.

The commercial environment created over the last decade, thanks largely to the King’s Cross development and the investment from new companies, has enabled the borough of Camden to become one of the most important business locations in the country, making a large contribution as measured by GVA (Gross Value Added). ONS estimates that Camden added £26.4Bn to the national economy in 2015, an increase of 38% on 2008, growing faster than central London (34%), Greater London (30%) or UK (18%).

Euston is also earmarked for a comprehensive redevelopment. A new modern station will provide a user-friendly terminus for the HS2 line, as well as for the existing railway services, in addition to acting as a trigger for the wider development and improvement of the area.

New communities are being created across St Pancras, King’s Cross and Euston and this is where Urban Partners plays a key role. The large scale development may be complete in some parts of the area, but the story does not end when the cranes disappear. The area faces new challenges and opportunities, and this is where Urban Partners can provide valuable support.

Back in 2011, (then known by its formal company name, the King’s Cross and St Pancras Business Partnership), ‘Urban Partners’ was established as a voluntary business partnership to maximise the impact of the investment and improvements in the area. Early businesses that located themselves here realised they had a role in creating a self- sustaining neighbourhood. The aim was to create a network where the businesses who are based here, the people who live here and the employees who work here, support each other and take an active role in shaping the future social and economic character of the area.

Over the last six years we have seen the area continue to grow and attract more businesses (there are now more than 10,000 employees based locally), and at the same time we have seen our membership also increase. Our work is funded by our members who are all based within King’s Cross, Euston and St Pancras. We have a diverse membership base with global organisations and local businesses from a variety of sectors including transport, technology, media, publishing and hospitality. Members give their time, expertise and resources in order to develop and implement programmes and projects that will build and sustain a thriving urban neighbourhood.

Welcome to London’s most exciting district

Welcome to London’s most exciting district…

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Urban Partners / Annual Report 2017Welcome to London’s most exciting district…

Welcome to London’s most exciting district

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Our Focus

Our key priorities are to:

As the King’s Cross, Euston and St Pancras communities evolve, so does Urban Partners, and in recent years we have refined our offer for businesses. Our work is focused on three priority areas which frame all activity undertaken by the Partnership.

Deliver for employees…Foster a community spirit among employees by collaborating with longstanding businesses from the area as well as the newer businesses choosing to call this part of London home. Ensure that all employees feel a sense of ownership and connection with the area.

We also have a ‘Hero Projects’ workstream, which has seen us develop and drive forward three major, innovative projects which aim to have a transformational impact on our area, either physically or through supporting our local communities.

This Annual Report looks at each of our focus areas in detail, as well as providing an update on the Hero Projects Urban Partners is leading on.

Deliver for the next generation…Engage and support young people from across the area, helping to connect them with employment opportunities. Ensure young people feel part of the community, able to contribute to the future development of the area.

Deliver for business…Provide a collective voice for members by keeping them informed on the issues that affect them and develop programmes to support them, particularly around the environment and public realm. Ensure that UP is respected as a guardian of the area from a wider London perspective.

Our Focus Urban Partners / Annual Report 2017

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Hero Projects

Hero Project: Homework ClubResearch has shown many young people in the area don’t have a quiet place at home to study. In response to this, working with Eurostar we launched an innovative pilot scheme, to provide young people with an inspiring place to do their homework after school. The Homework Club pilot was a huge success with the students enjoying the exclusivity and club-like atmosphere. It was the students who asked for additional tutorial help for their A levels, which started with French with other subjects being added as willing tutors were found within Eurostar and then help from other businesses within the Partnership.

This educational initiative was expanded with more UP members joining the programme and becoming hosts and the scheme evolving to include masterclasses and mentoring.

Where we are:Eurostar have now run their Homework Club for local young people every Thursday through term times and some holidays since April 2016. The number of young people now attending regularly is over 30. Tutors are also from Ted Baker, Argent and Springer Nature bringing ensuring that for all 16 A level subjects the students are studying they have support.

Throughout this year Grant Thornton and the Guardian have held masterclasses for Homework Club attendees. This September, ‘Homework Club 2.0’ launched with quiet space provided by Virgin Trains East Coast and a masterclasses from Google, Guardian and Grant Thornton in addition to the quiet space and tuition provided by Eurostar.

Plans for 2018:– Successfully run Homework Club 2.0 with Guardian,

Google VEC and Grant Thornton and Eurostar and run for all three terms

– Increase the number of ‘Young Urban Partners’ taking part– Increase the numbers of UP employees volunteering as ‘tutors’– Develop a process for measuring the impact of Homework Club – Hold an UP Homework Club graduation at the end of the

school year– Launch an Alumni LinkedIn Group for past attendees

of Homework Club

Hero Project: Wellbeing WalkAs London’s first designated station to station walking route, the Wellbeing Walk provides people with a less polluted, less congested and more pleasant walking route between the major stations on the Euston Road. The route, which was shortlisted for a London Transport Award, is between 50-60% less polluted than the Euston Road. These are quite staggering numbers when we know that nearly 9500 people are estimated to die early each year in London because of long term exposure to the capital’s crippling air pollution.

Urban Partners is spearheading the work to secure the long term future of the Wellbeing Walk and our members are investing funds to bolster funding secured from the GLA through the Mayor’s Air Quality fund. We are working collaboratively with Camden Council on planning permission for new signage and to deliver wider community benefits (seating, green infrastructure) and also work with local schools, community organisations and charities. It is a true partnership endeavour with benefits for all involved.

Where we are:UP has developed a new signage design and placement strategy with Maynards Design and working with the IS Group to produce and deliver the new designs. We have met regularly with Camden Council to ensure we can secure planning permission and are currently waiting on their final thoughts before submitting our application. To ensure continuity we have also secured a temporary extension to our current permission through to the end of the year.

Plans for 2018:– Complete installation of the enhanced Wellbeing

Walk signage– Work with Google (and Apple maps) as well as Virgin Trains

East Coast to ensure the Walk appears on all ‘virtual maps’– Explore upgrading the Wellbeing Walk through technology– Work with other organisations seeking to establish

Wellbeing Walks and ensure UP is known as the originator of the concept

– Review extending the Wellbeing Walk, and potentially linking it up with other Wellbeing Walks being considered locally

Joe Borrett, Google’s Director of Real Estate & Construction (EMEA & India)“At Google we are keen to find opportunities to help improve the local community – it’s important not just for the people who live here but our employees directly benefit too. The Wellbeing Walk is a great example of this and we are pleased to be supporting it through Urban Partners.”

Hero Project: Underpass ProjectThe Euston Road is widely acknowledged by many of our members and local residents as a major obstacle cutting right through the Urban Partners footprint. The Wellbeing Walk provides people with a healthier, alternative walking route between the main stations along the Euston Road, but crossing one of London’s busiest roads (north to south) remains a challenge. It effectively hinders accessibility around the area, cutting off communities and businesses, and poses a very real safety risk as the location continues to get busier.

The street level crossings are very busy and the existing underpass is poorly signposted and therefore underused. Properly signposted it could help ease congestion and provide a more pleasant route for crossing the road. Investment is on the cards for the south side of the Euston Road so demand is only set to increase. Taking all this into account Urban Partners is now working with TfL on an enhancement project for the Underpass. We successfully bid for 50:50 funding under the Ambience Partnership, which is designed to fund small scale projects to improve the appearance of stations and help them to better integrate with their local communities.

Where we are:Following a submission by Urban Partners, and significant engagement with TfL, we successfully secured £42,000 funding from the Ambience Partnership funding pot, which will be matched by Urban Partners (and bolstered by additional investment from Access Self Storage, Crosstree Real Estate Partners LLP and St Pancras Hotel Group). The design brief has been agreed and we are close to agreeing the design, delivery and promotion of the project.

Plans for 2018:Launch TFL Ambience Project Improvements in March. Ensure it is well promoted throughout year. Carry out impact assessment.

Jonathan Berry, Sponsor of the Ambience Partnership,Transport for London“The Urban Partners Ambience Partnership application offered a creative solution to improve the look, feel and ambience of an under utilised underpass linking the King’s Cross St Pancras London Underground station with the south side of the Euston Road. In addition to improving the look and feel, the application also focused on raising awareness of the space as an alternative crossingto Euston Road. We are pleased to be working with Urban Partners on this great project.”

Attendee of Homework Club“The Eurostar Homework Club gave my peers and I extra confidence to achieve academically. Most importantly, they exposed us to the world of work in a fun and relaxed environment, helping me to realise where I might want to be in the future.”

Georgina Speller, Head of Sixth Form at Maria Fidelis Catholic School“Our Sixth Form’s participation in the UP Homework Club has been one of my proudest achievements. Through UP’s dedication, we have formed unique connections with some of the world’s most global companies, and the Homework Club at Eurostar in particular has had enormous value, with students improving their work by as much as two grades in some cases. I think students’ exposure to these companies and the clubs and masterclasses they offer have immeasurable value.”

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Benefitting Employees

Benefitting Employees

Urban Partners seeks to engage businesses, keep them informed on the issues that affect them and develop programmes to support them. We want to improve connectivity and accessibility to help employees, residents and visitors navigate the neighbourhood better. We work together to provide a collective voice, addressing some of the environmental concerns of our community, including introducing and supporting initiatives to reduce air pollution and waste.

In addition to two of our Hero Projects – the Wellbeing Walk and the Underpass project – directly benefitting our local employees, we have delivered a range of other initiatives over the past 12 months with the aim of making the area a more attractive location for people to work.

– UP currently runs four networking groups for member employees. These are: Hospitality Network (76 members), the PA Network (200+ members), Social Media Network (134 members), and Communications Network

– A number of networking / information sharing / masterclass sessions have been run throughout 2017. Events included: Social Media Network masterclasses held with the Head of Social Media for the Guardian, the Head of Social Media for Eurostar and with a representative from LinkedIn – each had over 40 attendees. Three senior leader meetings held for the Hospitality Network – these sessions have brought together general managers, head chefs, for example, to discuss industry wide issues such as business rates, service charge and waste

– In September 2017, UP launched a five-a-side league for local businesses and in December will hold the second annual Christmas Choir Showcase of local corporate choirs in aid of local causes. We are developing employee engagement activities based on a survey of employees that was responded to by 100 individuals

– In 2017 UP launched an online resource for local businesses looking for volunteering opportunities that identifies local charities they could engage with. We have also facilitated the meeting of key local volunteering organisations (Camden Council, Islington Council, Big Alliance, Volunteering Centre Camden, Voluntary Action Camden, Voluntary Action Islington, Camden Giving, Young Camden Foundation and Business in the Community) to develop a strategy to improve the working relationship of businesses and charities in the area, and to improve volunteering opportunities

Plans for 2018– PA Network: hold quarterly events at larger local

hospitality venue for 40 plus attendees, supplemented by regular smaller meet-ups for 5-10 PAs. Launch database of local event / meeting locations

– #UPSocialMedia Network: hold quarterly social media masterclasses for Network. Run two social media competitions

– Launch two new Networks: — HR – launch a new network for HR professionals

in the UP area — FM – launch and run quarterly events Facilities

Management professionals in the area– General Business Networking: hold at least two

general networking events in the year for all UP member employees

– Increase number of employees participating in all networks by 10%

– Continue to run a 5-a-side football competition – Continue to hold a charitable Christmas Choir Showcase– Launch a netball competition– Launch employee led ‘clubs’; such as a film club,

chess club and board game club that meet regularly and are run by employees from UP members

– Host an annual quiz event for all members– Carry out employee survey to inform strategy

going forward– Continue to manage local charity database and provide

spotlights on specific organisations– Develop a method of providing volunteering opportunities

to businesses and their employees, potentially by working with an external third party

– Hold a charity and volunteering event to provide ‘education and networking’ to improve how businesses and charities work together

– Hold regular meetings with relevant organisations to help develop volunteering strategy for the area

Dr Luke Fleet, Senior Editor, Nature, Nature Research“The annual UP football tournament is a great activity for the area. Not only is it good fun spending time and strengthening relationships with my SpringerNature colleagues out of the office, but it’s a fantastic way to meet people from other businesses across the area, building a sense of community among employees who work here. We came close to winning the tournament last year, so I’m hoping we can go one step further this time!”

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– We facilitated the second ever meeting of the Youth Councils from Camden and Islington. At this event, the Councils made a joint presentation asking UP to help with two specific issues they have around employability. Firstly, that young people aren’t fully aware of the range of jobs available locally, and secondly, the difficulty of finding work experience opportunities if the young person does not have a family member or friend working in the business

– In order to address these issues, in October we were proud to facilitate the first joint ‘Youth Council Careers Expo’ working collaboratively with the Youth Councils of both Islington and Camden. Held at Google’s office, over 18 local businesses took part and the event was attended by more than 120 young people. The event showcased what type of jobs the local businesses offer, what opportunities are available now and in the future and what qualifications would be needed to find successful employment

– This year we have also developed a masterclass initiative with UP members following the success of the masterclasses through the UPShoots Sessions project last year. Each participating member is preparing three masterclasses that can be offered to local young people and organisations. This initiative was launched at the Youth Council Careers Expo in October

– We have also run a referee training project for UP members with ‘Arsenal in the Community’

Plans for 2018:– Host second Youth Council Employment Event and

increase number of attendees and businesses taking part– Continue to facilitate meetings between Camden and

Islington Youth Councils– Explore the option of holding more frequent events e.g.

one on apprenticeship opportunities in spring / summer– Following the successful launch at the Youth Council

Careers Expo, roll-out UP’s ‘Prospectus’ of masterclasses on offer from the Partnership

– Run a year’s worth of masterclasses for local young people and charities

– Carry out an impact assessment on the masterclass initiative before the end of next year

Young people are a vital part of the area’s future and as a business partnership we want to work constructively with them. Our business members want to engage and support young people from across the area, crucially helping to connect local young people with employment opportunities in the area and assisting the Next Generation to get them ‘work ready’ upon leaving education. With local authority resources under increasing pressure, we are keen to work in partnership with them, our business members, community groups, schools and colleges to benefit all. Our pioneering work on this issue this year has included the following:

Islington Youth Council“One of the things i’ve enjoyed as a Islington Youth Councillor was when Camden and Islington Youth Councils worked together to create a careers expo with Urban Partners at the Google HQ in King’s Cross. It was an amazing experience where I was able to speak to over 140 people. I really appreciate every opportunity I have had as a youth councillor.”YCllr Mohamed Abaas

Engaging the Next Generation

Engaging the Next Generation Urban Partners / Annual Report 2017

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Our work in this area is focused on giving our business members a bigger voice, and enabling greater impact with collaborative working, as opposed to individual businesses working in isolation. This sort of influence can be seen in the delivery of our Hero Projects and so we will be working with our business community to develop the next big projects to be driven forward by UP.

UP currently has 17 paying Board and Executive members as well as over 50 free ‘Urban Partner’ members. In 2017 the objective was to have three new Board members signed up as well as doubling the number of free members. 30 new ‘free’ Urban Partner members have joined (an increase of over 100%).

Cllr. Beales Cabinet Member for Investing in Communities“Our work with Urban Partners this year on the enhancement of the Wellbeing Walk has been positive and demonstrates how the community can benefit when the public and private sectors work together.”

RepresentingBusinesses

Representing Businesses

Emma Williams, Director of Operations, Green & Fortune, Vice-Chair of Urban Partners“I have seen for myself the value of businesses coming together and coalescing around shared goals. Whilst we are all doing great things as individual companies, Urban Partners is demonstrating that on some issues we have a louder, more influential voice and impact, if we collaborate and work as one.”

Plans for 2018:Dependent on budget, we would look to launch a new Hero project each year. Decisons have yet to be made on specific themes, but potential projects could be: – Youth Counselling in Schools– Homelessness Project– Food Waste Project– Introduction of a self-financing Urban Partner branded

mode of transport – for example, electric rickshaw / s for transportation around the development area and stations

– New walking routes over the new bridge from Granary Square to Camley Wildlife Park to link with the Wellbeing Walk and Caledonia Road

– Urban Partners ‘enterprise or sustainability student of the year’ award

– The provision of water fountains throughout the area and the Wellbeing Walk as part of our homelessness strategy

– Improving the environment and streetscape of York Way

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Spreading the UP message

Spreading the UP message

Urban Partners regularly engages with a number of different audiences. From our members, wider local businesses and local authorities, to charities, community associations and youth organisations, it’s important we can communicate our members’ priorities and concerns using the right channels and effective messaging.

Social media is an important channel for UP and we look for creative ways to engage our followers. For example, this summer we ran a social media competition where we gave away a prize everyday in August and this generated significant engagement.

Instagram – nearly 1000 followers Twitter – 1,434 followers

The Update newsletter now has 528 subscribers (though total opens are over 1000 due to sharing on internal intranets) and it has an average open rate of over 30%.

The website currently averages 377 visitors and 1,578 page views each month.

We have developed strong relationships with both Camden and Islington Council, Transport for London and the GLA. Over the past year, on behalf of our members, we have lobbied on issues that impact our local area, such as investment in transport infrastructure, air quality and other environmental issues, and business rates.

We work effectively with Cross River Partnership to add Urban Partners’ voice to the combined lobbying power of BIDs across London, demonstrating the increasing influence the private sector is having on regeneration and economic development across the capital.

This work will continue in 2018. There are a number of live issues on the UP radar, listed below. We will be working to identify the specific lobbying priorities in the coming months.

Relevant lobbying issues for UP include:– Lobbying for a new consultation on

the development and reopening of York Way tube station post the opening of Crossrail 1 (end of 2018)

– Lobbying on KX gyratory changes post introduction

– Lobbying for the positioning of the Crossrail 2 station at St Pancras / British Library

– Continue to lobby for an anaerobic digester / cold storage facility

Also in 2018 we will be ramping up our external communications and media work to reflect the delivery of our Hero Projects, namely the Underpass project, Homework Club and the Wellbeing Walk.

David McNeill Director of Public Affairs and Stakeholder Engagement from Transport for London

King’s Cross is a hub of economic activity, with a rich history of industry and transport. We have worked with Urban Partners over the past few years on a range of exciting projects, including the Wellbeing Walk. We are pleased to be working closely with Urban Partners on a project which will transform and enhance the underpass at Euston Road. This is the first year of our Ambience Partnership, a new fund which offers match funding to local business groups with creative and innovative ideas to improve the look and feel of our stations. Urban Partners’ application was one of five winning bids. The underpass will be dramatically improved, with panelling showcasing local attractions and the fascinating history the area offers. We are working closely with the partners to ensure the local community is reflected in the underpass.

This project is an exemplar for how businesses can be a catalyst for change and regeneration. King’s Cross has seen an incredible amount of change in recent years, and will continue to do so as investment in the area grows. We look forward to continuing to work with Urban Partners to support this growth in partnership with the business community.

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Volunteering in focus

Volunteering in focus

Our members are the life blood of Urban Partners and everyone offers their time for free. From attending meetings and helping to steer the agenda for UP to mentoring local young people, employees across the King’s Cross, St Pancras and Euston areas are transforming lives and the local environment.

The volunteering being seen across the area is becoming a core and distinctive part of the UP offer. From big projects to small initiatives, the time and expertise volunteered by local employees is proving invaluable and beneficial to the area and volunteers alike.

Our business members are telling us that they appreciate the support in identifying volunteering opportunities and that staff get a kick from ‘giving something back’ to the local community. Similarly, local residents, young people and charities are benefitting from the support offered freely by local businesses.

Urban Partners is proud to be facilitating the roll out of this innovative volunteering model and we look forward to expanding our work during 2018.

Lesley Retallack, Head of CSR, Eurostar “We find that our own colleagues and those that tutor from other businesses get a huge amount of pride and satisfaction from helping the 6th form students at Homework Club. They build great relationships and it is not just the particular A levels they help with but as professionals in commercial businesses they can bring subjects to life by talking about how the subjects have shaped their careers. The young people are always hugely grateful and we all become even more ambitious for them to achieve the grades they need.”

Our work is primarily funded by our members who are all based within King’s Cross, Euston and St Pancras.

Access Self Storage

Argent

Crispin, Porter + Bogusky

Crosstree

Eurostar

Google

Grant Thornton

Great Northern Hotel

Green & Fortune

HS1 Ltd

Institute of Physics

King’s Cross

Springer Nature

St Pancras Hotel Group

Ted Baker

The Guardian

The Office Group

Virgin East Coast Trains

Executive & Board Membership

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Social Media:

Twitter:• 1,537 followers (994 new followers)• 240,076 organic impression• 7,901 engagements • 519 link clicks• 244 Tweets sent• 725 mentions received• 1,192 likes received• 2,919 retweets

Next Generation:

Instagram:• 899 followers• 312 followers gained• 7,434 engagements• 7,182 likes received• 252 comments received

Newsletter:• 6,689 total opens• 1,569 link clicks • 33.51% open rate

Website:• 4,270 visitors • 6,329 sessions• 16,132 page views• 2.55 pages per session• 1:55 average time on page

Employees:• 12 teams participated

at the football tournament• 84 employees participated

in the football tournament• Over 75 employees participated

at the three Social Media Masterclasses

UP in Numbers

UP in Numbers

Youth Council Event:• Over 150 young people

attended the Careers Expo• 14 businesses took part

Members hours:• Over 1000 hours

Homework Club:• Over 800 young people attended

at the Homework Club