Be somewhere friends and family are excited to spend time

7. MY NEIGHBOURHOOD WILL SUPPORT ME TO ACHIEVE MY POTENTIAL

The vision

We are ambitious, skilled and confident and will be the first in line for local jobs or support to start our own businesses. Our young people go to great local schools and want to stay in the area after education or training.

Which means:

• We want to see more training and job opportunities created for local residents that are well promoted locally. The new industries that are soon coming to the area with the new station (TFL) and shopping centre should provide great jobs that should be prioritised for local residents. • We want to be sure that with the new people moving into the area, there are enough schools to make sure every young person in the Ward has an excellent education and access to state-of-the-art facilities. • Adult learning matters too! We want the local offer for apprenticeships and adult learning to be something we are proud of, encouraging people of all ages to stay in the area. • More funding and guidance should be offered to residents to start businesses or community interest companies. This includes discounted rates on renting space and tailored support and training for residents to get involved. We want to make sure that local talent stays in the area.

BRL will work with partners to deliver:

• A local construction training programme • Supporting a resident led English as a Second or Other Language (ESOL) programme • Co-working spaces for residents to work, meet other like-minded entrepreneurs and be supported to grow their business ideas • Mentorship opportunities for resident entrepreneurs, both through partnerships and when new co-working spaces are opened • Pop-up job shops coming to Thames Ward

Short term indicators of change:

• Number of residents enrolled in local construction programme • Number of residents enrolling in ESOL programme • Number of resident entrepreneurs mentored • Digital map launched • Number of young people involved in youth leadership programme • Number of new schools opened • Number of academic institutions moving into ward

• Creating a digital map that details local businesses and entrepreneurs working in

Thames Ward • Working with BRL’s Employment Training and

Skills Coordinator to ensure opportunities for local employment consider other industries outside of construction • Exploring a place-making focussed youth leadership programme created with local young people across the Ward • 4 new schools being built and opened, with another 3 to open in the future • Create a strategy to attract new academic institutions to the ward

Long term indicators of change

More children will: • Achieve Grade 5 or above in English &

Maths GCSEs • Go to schools with an Ofsted rating of 1or2 More residents will: • be satisfied with job opportunities available locally • be satisfied with education provision locally • Have qualifications

‘I WANT A LOCAL CENTRE WITH BETTER SHOPS INCLUDING A GOOD SUPERMARKET THAT MEANS YOU DON’T HAVE TO TAKE THE BUS TO GO SHOPPING!’

“IT’S JUST THAT WE NEED MORE COLOUR... I KNOW THAT SOUNDS STRANGE...I JUST THINK IT COULD BE A BIT BRIGHTER!”

“THE FARR AVENUE SHOPS NEED INVESTMENT.” “MORE ACTIVITIES FOR PEOPLE OF ALL AGES LIKE SPORTS AND WORKSHOPS”