News

Making a difference in 2023

Volunteer, mentor and donate at Broadgate

Broadgate is one of the most vibrant communities in London thanks to our links with local people, charities and support networks and projects that work together to make a positive impact through greener spaces, thriving places and responsible choices. 

Whether it’s providing free creative spaces for independent artists, making the most of our biodiverse park in Exchange Square or giving year-round support to the East London Business Alliance, the National Literacy Trust, LGBTQ+ charity Just Like Us, Wrap Up London and more, supporting wellbeing, volunteering, community work, charity support and mentoring are integral to our neighbourhood. 

Discover how you can get involved (if you’re not already) and how we can all help local charities and projects this year and beyond. 

 

Broadgate Connect

Broadgate Connect is a bespoke recruitment and employment training service which connects local talent with careers on campus.

The service is delivered in collaboration in with East London Business Alliance (ELBA) to access their extensive local networks in Tower Hamlets & Hackney, with the aim of placing the best candidates into work, particularly those from underrepresented or disadvantaged backgrounds.

Since the programme’s inception in 2012, more than 490+ individuals have been placed into roles at Broadgate and the local area. A further 400 candidates have benefited from employability training across the community too.

 

Bite of Broadgate

British Land and developer Sir Robert McAlpine introduced the ‘Bite of Broadgate’ to give a glimpse into the work behind one of the largest developments at Broadgate.

The event gave customers tours around the site, sessions on property management, as well as the opportunity to meet the apprentices currently working on the project and learn about their day-to-day experiences.

 

National Literacy Trust

Last year we helped parents keep children reading during the summer holidays as part of our celebrations to mark British Land’s 11-year partnership with the National Literacy Trust. At Broadgate, we welcomed 300 school children from Canon Barnett Primary School, Christ Church Primary School and Thomas Buxton Primary School for a storytelling session with children’s author Will Mabbitt in our Everyman Cinema, aimed at helping them fall in love with reading. Since the programme launched at Broadgate, it has supported more than 1,600 school children and seen almost 5,000 books donated across the city.

 

New Diorama Theatre partnership

From August 2021 to July 2022, British Land’s partnership with the New Diorama Theatre led to the creation of one of the UK’s biggest and most accessible art hubs: NDT Broadgate. In the wake of the pandemic, over 20,000 sq ft of creative space was provided completely free to independent and freelance artists. The first project of its kind generated £40m to the UK economy, supported over 1,000 jobs and led to the creation of 250 new shows.

Download the Economic Impact of NDT Broadgate by clicking here and read more about NDT Broadgate here.  

 

Open Iftar

Earlier this year, Broadgate hosted Open Iftar – the UK’s largest community and cultural event in Ramadan – ran by the Ramadan Tent Project. ‘Iftar’ is the meal that is prepared and offered to Muslims observing Ramadan when breaking their fast.

The event hosted at Broadgate 100 Liverpool Street included an Iftar meal along with a talk on the history of Ramadan, Iftar & Islam. It celebrates community and people of all faiths to come together during the holy month of Ramadan to break bread to create spaces of mutual dialogue, engagement, and exchange.

 

Rebel Business School

The Rebel Business School programme gives communities better access to opportunities by offering space and resources at Broadgate with a targeted focus on skills, training and employment.

The initiative aims to help people looking to start a business more achievable by delivering inspiration, information and practical help. This includes a variety of training courses which are completely free and available to anyone in the local community looking for inspiration or advice to help make their business idea a reality. 

 

Career Ready

Broadgate works with the national social mobility charity Career Ready, partnering with mentors and volunteers to lead employability sessions and workplace visits to sites.

The aim of the partnership is to nurture key skills in young, diverse talent to help with employment following school, with the initiative reaching more than 100 students in local communities across London.

 

Supporting Pride

Each year, we’re proud to support Pride and British Land and Broadgate is working with Just Like Us, an LGBT+ charity whose mission is to empower young people to be role models championing LGBT+ equality at school and work. 

 

 

Volunteer and mentor with ELBA

Volunteering and mentoring is part of Broadgate’s DNA thanks to our close connection with East London Business Alliance (ELBA) which places local people into work, delivers volunteers and supports more than 500 organisations across East London. 

In the past year, ELBA helped place more than 300 people into work in London through its award-winning Employment Works programme, supported more than 12,000 business volunteers in the community, and worked with over 500 local organisations across east London.

They’re always looking for volunteer business mentors for Year 10 and sixth form students (visit Elba’s website for more information) and to support local charities while the Eagles Graduate Scheme places local people into paid training and internships (find out more) which Broadgate supports. 

Support your own wellbeing and enjoy outdoor spaces

Since its opening last year, Exchange Square has quadrupled the amount of green space at Broadgate. Designed to create a new biodiverse outdoor space for Broadgate workers and the wider community, the park has become home to an abundance of planting and trees and an amphitheatre with seating. To celebrate Broadgate’s biodiversity, we recently partnered with Planted to host a free plant giveaway and experts were invited to speak to customers about the positive impact biophilic design can have on workspaces.

Also new for Exchange Square in 2023 is Back To Mine. Situated inside the park, by day visitors can enjoy coffee from London-based Perky Blenders, alongside small plates and grazing boards. By night, the new eatery offers expertly crafted cocktails and hand-picked wines paired with cheeseboards.

 

Wrap Up London

Wrap Up London is an annual coat collection campaign run by Hands On London. Every November, the campaign brings together hundreds of volunteers and thousands of other Londoners, giving their time to donate, receive, sort and distribute warm coats to help people in need keep warm over the winter period.#

 

ELBA’s Christmas toy appeal

Each November and December, Broadgate supports ELBA’s toy appeal. They organise gifts to be bought, donated, sorted and delivered to children and young people in east London, Islington and beyond. Each year, over £100,000 worth of gifts are donated and the demand from community partners is increasing as more families face financial uncertainty. 

 

To learn more about our community initiatives and the Broadgate Community Fund, download the My Broadgate Platform or contact our community manager, Sabina Mistura.

At My Broadgate, you will also be able to register for events, sign up for exclusive deals, and receive digital access for touch-free journeys and much more.  

Last updated Thursday 5 October, 2023