How can we, as individuals and organisations, support vulnerable groups now to collectively pull out of this “V- or W-shaped” economic dive? How can we start to deliver the re-imagined town centres and local economies we want and not leave people behind?
In the first of a three-part series exploring the local economic response to the Covid-19 crisis, this lunchtime webinar invited effective operators leading the Covid response daily to share their experience and perspectives on communities, the creative industries, small business and rough sleepers – vulnerable groups, where the pandemic or the slump to come could be the blow that knocks them down.
FoL Executive Director and Coherent Cities Director Lisa Taylor hosted three great speakers:
- Nabeel Khan, Director of Enterprise, Jobs & Skills at LB Lambeth, providing insight into the council’s economic scenario planning and priorities;
- GLA Rough Sleeping Lead David Eastwood, outlining GLA and partner efforts to bring in and care for rough sleepers and the work underway to keep supporting them;
- Aida Esposito, Tottenham Creative Enterprise Zone co-director and Founder/Director of Creative Thinking, on the pandemic’s threat to the creative sector and on tapping the potential of creative businesses and workers to adapt.
Audience poll
To kick off a lively Q&A, we polled the audience on potential impact of a second Covid-19 wave across the speakers’ focus areas. For SMEs and charities, 89% felt some would survive and some fail, 11% said another hit would decimate these community anchors and no one felt we are largely ready to cope. People were divided on the likelihood of our continuing to protect rough sleepers, and on the ability of cultural industries at various scales to come through. Perhaps the saddest aspect was the pessimism and/or ‘government will do it’ views when it came to ‘lessons learned’ and the low life chances of “small, loved and mutually supportive” cultural organisations. This will be one to revisit in a year, beyond the risk of a second wave.
Webinar video
Watch the video to catch up on the discussion, hear the speakers’ responses to the poll and Q&A, and for ideas, tools and connections to use in your own areas and organisations.
Related resources
See here for the slides, including stats, plans and partners Slides download
Also, speakers kindly responded to questions we didn’t have time for or which required more info. See here for shareable resources and further insight: Q&A summary
Useful links (get in touch with any more you’d like us to share)
- Old Vic Theatre’s Cultural Investment Participation Scheme
- Mayor’s Good Growth by Design Adaptive Strategies for High Streets & Town Centres (Tottenham Social Value on p 151)
- Social value guidance for councils & developers (there is a LOT of this, but Social Value Portal’s addresses councils and developer/landlords)
- Press release: The Projected Economic Impact of Covid-19 on the UK Creative Industries report.
- Oxford Economic Report: The Projected Economic Impact of COVID-19 on the UK Creative Industries
About Learning from Crisis
#LearningFromCrisis is true to Future of London’s USP: Sharing practical cross-sector ideas across different formats; featuring next-wave and operational leaders; and bringing diversity in thought and participation to the wicked problems we face. As part of this programme, this lunchtime webinar was the first in a three-part series: Immediate response; longer-term recovery & economic evolution; and paying for public projects. Visit FoL’s events page for details of the next webinar and future events.
To get involved in FoL’s Learning From Crisis programme, contact Lisa Taylor.