Water City CIC

There is a seven mile network of rivers, canals and docks in East London’s Lower Lea Valley stretching from the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park to the Royal Docks, Greenwich Peninsular and Canary Wharf. These waterways comprise parts of Newham, Hackney, Waltham Forest, Tower Hamlets and Greenwich and have the potential to become an inspiring location in which to live and do business – a new neighbourhood in London – Water City.

London and water are inseparable. Water connected London with the rest of the UK and the world. Londoners learnt how to use water to power industry and water drove economic growth. Londoners grew things, made things, invented things and ways of doing things because they lived on or near water. In turn water has created the London we know. It has always inspired Londoners.

Particularly in East London, water connected people, ideas, capital and infrastructure to create a global entrepreneurial hub from where the industrial revolution spread around the world.

Today, Water City provides an environment in which companies and brands can work closely with social enterprise and other socially minded businesses to deliver Corporate Social Opportunity.

Water City CIC is well placed to act as facilitator, broker and enabler, connecting local communities and investment opportunities with commercial partners from across London, the UK and internationally.

Water City Community Interest Company (CIC) is an Andrew Mawson Partnerships social enterprise.

Water City CIC was incorporated in September 2011 to run the Water City Music and Arts Programme which has been promoting Water City in East London using music and the arts through exhibitions, performances and concerts since 2009.

Water City CIC also provides its business partners with unrivalled local knowledge enabling them to deliver real social and commercial impact in East London.

Over the past 30 years, Andrew Mawson and his colleagues have built numerous enterprises in East London – starting with the Bromley by Bow Centre in 1984, and expanding to the St Paul’s Way transformation project in one of the most deprived areas of Tower Hamlets in 2006.

Over the past four years Andrew Mawson Partnerships have broadened their vision to encompass the entire Water City area.

What is a Community Interest Company?

Community Interest Companies (CICs) are limited companies that conduct their business for community benefit, and not purely for private advantage. This is achieved by a “community interest test” and “asset lock”, which ensure that the CIC is established for community purposes and the assets and profits are dedicated to these purposes. Registration of a company as a CIC has to be approved by the Regulator who also has a continuing monitoring and enforcement role.