London Sustainability Exchange (2013)

A N N UA L R E V I E W 20 1 3

LSx is doing great work helping London’s communities tackle air quality, boost health and well being and creating local green jobs through waste recovery.

Best wishes for the year ahead.

Boris Johnson, Mayor of London

INTRODUCTION

CHAIR’S INTRODUCTION

This report comes to you in extremely challenging times; even though the economic data is pointing to a recovery, it is unlikely to be without its hitches.

Londoners are finding energy saving challenging and food banks are opening up even in the most affluent parts of London.

I am delighted to present the LSx review for 2012/13.

Since long before the economic downturn, LSx have been challenging London and Londoners to create a greener economy, and it’s great to see that many others resonate with this; the CBI’s John Crudland for example – in ‘The Colour of Growth’ report, said: “it is easy to understand why some people are fearful that ‘going green’ might further dent the economic recovery. For me, this is a false debate” We are keen for all Londoners to be able to play their part in this revolution and we are excited to have been supported by the TSB and the London Borough of Hounslow to develop our Green Entrepreneurs programme. We are also delighted to have supported the London Mayor’s Low Carbon Prize and Sustainable City Awards.

This 2012/13 review highlights some of our key achievements. The support of our founding partners, our project partners, our funders and our supporters have underpinned our success. I am extremely proud of our team and everyone who has helped LSx over the year, and look forward to working with you over the next few years.

Samantha Heath, Chief Executive

This year, LSx consolidated its position at the forefront of developing innovative ways to enable Londoners to determine the shape of the places where they live, through their lifestyle choices, business practices and their civic engagement.

We continue to build on LSx’s unique approaches.

Through Green Entrepreneurs we are supporting previously unemployed adults in Haringey and Hounslow to realise the value of rubbish and generate income for their community. Through our Learner Networks, we’ve reached over 2000 individuals and trained nearly 1,500 community champions to boost awareness, understanding and behaviour change to help them tackle health and environment related problems in their own communities. We’ve also begun work in Manor House to help local people map who is vulnerable to climate change with a view to preparing the community for its impacts and informing planning policy. And LSx has extended its impact and deepened its influence on policy and practice, engaging with the new political direction.

I would like to thank our board, staff, volunteers, partners and funders for their continued commitment, enthusiasm and support of LSx and look forward to building on our successes for 2013-14 Martin Pilgrim, Chair

OUR VISION London Sustainability Exchange (LSx) aims to accelerate the transition to a sustainable London by connecting and motivating people.

WHAT WE DO LSx is a ‘think and do’ charity that works with business, government and the voluntary sector to improve Londoners’ know-how, influence lifestyles and contribute to policy and practice. We do this by: Reducing London’s environmental footprint Improving the lives of London’s disadvantaged communities Improving the health of Londoners Improving the knowledge and skills of communities to achieve these goals.

OUR ACTION PLAN We are working to: help businesses and community organisations across London to green their operations develop innovative new projects that show how individuals and communities can reduce energy use and help tackle climate change help Londoners to tackle air pollution improve Londoners’ health and well being by working with whole communities encourage and enable greater civic participation through regeneration, incentivised volunteering and time banking approaches.

KNOW-HOW 34

124

1,511

12,419

individuals/ organisations received an action plan

people mentored

people trained

people reached through our learner networks

Knowledge empowerment is at the heart of all our projects.

Whether it’s about health, understanding climate change and its impacts, air quality or employment, we use community learning and sharing to generate the understanding needed to tackle complex issues.

Thanks greatly for all the training, assistance and encouragement given us all along our journey... we shall definitely succeed with a dint of hard work.

Green Entrepreneur

Training communities

Publications and Toolkits

We continue to help East London communities to get their neighbours involved in transforming derelict patches into beautiful gardens as part of the Olympic community legacy.

The following reports shared our learning this year: Cleaner Air 4 Schools toolkit helped teachers working on air quality across London

Through Energise London workshops and events, we have helped local organisations decrease their impact on the environment.

Well London Report shared what we learned about delivering community-powered health programmes

We worked with TSB, LB Hounslow, London Resource Network, Tree Shepherd and DesignIt to create training modules that supported 14 budding Green Entrepreneurs.

Energise Merton Action Plan fed into plans for rolling out the Green Deal in Merton.

Citizen science and air quality We trained five Network Rail volunteers to support the delivery of the Cleaner Air 4 Schools programme.

Together, we reached 1435 pupils, teachers and parents through 12 events, and even made it on to Capital Radio and LBC Radio.

Learner Networks Through Wellnet, Energise London and Energise Brent, we’ve been linking over two thousand sustainability professionals in London to help each other through peer-to-peer learning.

Fit to Drink shared how to work with communities of interest to inspire behaviour change

Conferences and events Our conferences and events have touched on our city’s most pressing issues: NOT ANOTHER Behaviour Change Conference? – shared what worked and why in social marketing Air quality event in London – brought together communities, government and private sector to identify key actions London’s 2020 vision event – brought together key decision makers to contribute to the Mayor’s strategy for 2020.

POLICY & PRACTICE 1,465

3,271

277,406

tonnes waste diverted from landfill

meters cubed of water saved

tonnes CO2 saved

We use our experience and knowledge across business, government and the voluntary organisations to help influence policies and practices that impact on the most pressing social, environmental and economic issues we face today.

Planning for the Future

The groups and panels that we sit on

We were delighted to work with Capgemini, the Environment Agency, London Remade, The Centre for London, Bioregional and the London Chambers of Commerce and Industry at our Future for London event, to help feed into the Mayor’s 2020 vision.

We continue to support consultation responses and publications that call for a greener, healthier and happier London.

London’s Air Quality This year has heralded a step change in the way air quality is perceived across the capital and LSx are delighted to be partnering with Client Earth’s Healthy Air Campaign. We also brought together key players with Capgemini to explore how behaviour change in communities, schools and businesses can create healthier cities to breathe in.

Health and Well-being We’re influencing the work of the Mayor’s new Health Board through our Well London work which will now carry on into 2015. Our learning and analysis from early years also feeds into the programme-wide report due from University of East London in 2013.

We also play an active role in pan London organisations that support innovation in this field, particularly around the work of Green Entrepreneurs.

The London Sustainable Development Commission CIRIA’s Communicating Local Flood Risk programme The DECC Customer Engagement Roll Out Group for Smart Meters The IEA investigations into chapter 24 Demand Side Management The Thames Water Customer Challenge Group The UK Power Networks Customer Challenge The London Climate Change Partnership The London Water Group The Anti-Social Behaviour Group The London Clean Tech Cluster

The provocation sessions were really interesting – it’s good to talk with people coming from the same (and different) views!

Event Participant

LIFESTYLES 66%

25,528

1,105,069

of beneficiaries were women

Londoners benefited from our Learner Network, events and advice

people received information

LSx are continuing to deliver high-impact, pilot projects that tackle key issues for this city, including health, energy, waste and empowering communities.

Improving the health of Londoners Working with the Department of Health and DesignIt, we produced a feasibility study for “Your Future Self” – technology which would enable people to generate real-time 3D images of how their lifestyle choices now would impact on them in the future.

We continued to deliver Wellnet, bringing together communities who care about health from across London to learn with each other.

Champions, trusted sources and peer-to-peer approaches We’re in our second year of using social marketing mechanisms to reduce food waste and increase composting in our Transform: Edible East communities.

LSx really understands London’s diverse communities. Using that knowledge they operate effectively inside communities, engaging individuals and groups on complex challenges.

Richard Aylard, External Affairs and Sustainability Director at Thames Water

Through ‘Fit to drink’, we worked with East London’s Muslim community to deliver messages on drinking tap water rather than bottled water to over 78,000 people.

We’re training community champions to encourage sign-ups to the Brent Pledge.

Measuring impacts We manage impact measurement for our own, and external organisation’s projects, including big value projects like Transform (DEFRA) and PACT (Big Lottery).

1 in 3 of our beneficiaries were from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities

INCOME AND EXPENDITURE 2012-13

INCOME £437,475 Public sector

£218,957

Corporate

£93,383

Trusts and Foundations

£124, 591

Other

£543

EXPENDITURE £445,704 Fundraising and Development

The full audited annual financial statements of London Sustainability Exchange for the year ended 31 March 2013 are available on request.

£9,840

Environmental footprint

£81,041

Health

£74,974

Knowledge and skills

£122,974

Improving lives

£137,040

Governance costs

£19,836

LSx THANKS THE FOLLOWING ORGANISATIONS FOR THEIR SUPPORT IN 2012-13 FUNDERS:

administered by Groundwork and Local Green Points

FOUNDING MEMBERS:

London Sustainability Exchange 84 Long Lane London SE1 4AU

T: F: E: W:

020 7234 9400 020 7234 9419 info@lsx.org.uk http://www.lsx.org.uk

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