Story « Andrew Mawson Partnerships

Entrepreneurs helping communities through innovation

Our story starts nearly 30 years ago, when Andrew, as a young stipendiary Minister, arrived to take responsibility for a large Victorian Church in the East End of London. He had few members and £400 in the bank. The church was surrounded by several dysfunctional housing estates and the local residents received 95% of their income from state sources. Andrew noticed that a lot of resources were being invested into management committees that were fond of producing reports. At ground level, he noticed little significant change for the people most in need.

Today, the Bromley-by-Bow Centre is internationally known and has been used frequently by government as a national exemplar for integrated health care and a template for the successful regeneration of communities. The Centre is, today, a complex organisation, running a huge range of projects across different sites, both independently and in partnership with others. It works with 2,000 people each week, and its services are tailored to the needs of the whole community: families, young people, vulnerable adults and elders. It houses the first integrated health centre, children’s nursery, art studios, business and enterprise hub, café, communiversity and a range of other integrated services.

You can buy Andrew’s bestselling book The Social Entrepreneur: making communities work to read more about Andrew’s development of the Bromley-by-Bow Centre: amawsonpartnerships.com/books

Over the past 30 years, Andrew has helped to create and initiate a wide range of other pathfinder projects that have helped to change many thousands of lives across a diverse range of communities.

These include:

Poplar HARCA: now a £300 million housing company bringing together, with partners, a £1 billion regeneration project on an area of land the same size as the Olympic Site and almost opposite it. The HARCA are a registered social landlord owning and managing around 8490 homes in East London.

Leaside Regeneration: a large scale regeneration company operating in the Lower Lea Valley which has attracted over £100 million of investment into the area and delivered a range of significant improvements including new transport infrastructure, new parks and green spaces, new and improved small business workspace and new community facilities. The company encourages pride and aspiration amongst local residents and providing opportunities for them to get jobs and to start businesses.

Community Action Network (CAN): CAN now provides both business support to social entrepreneurs and offers high quality office space to organisations working in the social sector. CAN has also been instrumental in helping to create key social enterprises which have led in the sector. These include Unltd (a £100 million fund supporting social entrepreneurs), Primetimers (bringing business support to social enterprises and the third sector) and the Social Enterprise Magazine.

The London Legacy Development Corporation: Over a decade ago, Andrew co-wrote with Richard Rogers Partnership one of the earliest papers proposing that the Olympics Games be brought to East London. Over the last 10 years, Andrew has worked tirelessly with local East End leaders to shape the Legacy narrative. He is today a Non-Executive Director of the London Legacy Development Corporation. Over the next 25 years this company will plan, develop, and manage the Olympic Park in East London, creating a lasting legacy from the 2012 Games.

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Andrew's response to HM the Queen's Gracious Speech

13 May 2013

If the present Government want to distinguish themselves from previous Governments and distance themselves from broken political promises, I suggest our politicians focus on three words: delivery, delivery, delivery. My colleagues and I have found that trust is created and local people participate when you deliver in practice on what you say.

Read the full speech on Lords' Hansard.

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