South Bank Employers' Group

South Bank Employers' Group
Name	South Bank Employers' Group
Formation	1993
Type	Non-profit association
Headquarters	London
Region served	London Borough of Southwark; Lambeth; Tower Hamlets; Lewisham; Greenwich
Leader title	Director
Leader name	(various)

South Bank Employers' Group South Bank Employers' Group is a London-based membership organisation focused on cultural, urban regeneration, and employment initiatives around the South Bank riverside and adjacent boroughs. Formed in the early 1990s amid redevelopment projects, it interfaces with arts institutions, local authorities, and transport bodies to coordinate policy, skills development, and place-making initiatives.

History

The organisation emerged during a period of high-profile redevelopment involving London Docklands Development Corporation, Greater London Council, Canary Wharf Group, National Theatre, Royal Festival Hall, and the Southbank Centre neighbourhood renewal projects. Early activity intersected with initiatives led by English Heritage, Mayor of London, London Development Agency, Arts Council England, and borough councils such as Southwark London Borough Council and Lambeth London Borough Council. Engagements with stakeholders like Transport for London, Network Rail, British Rail, London Underground, and developers associated with Waterloo and Blackfriars influenced its role in employment and skills brokerage during the 1990s and 2000s. The group’s timeline aligns with events including the Millennium Dome development, the expansion of the Southbank Centre, and the regeneration schemes that accompanied the 2012 Summer Olympics bidding and delivery processes. Partnerships with cultural producers such as Royal Opera House, Shakespeare's Globe, National Theatre of Scotland, and English National Opera shaped cultural employment programmes. Over successive directors the organisation adapted to policy shifts following legislation influenced by UK Parliament debates and strategies from bodies like Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Mission and Objectives

The organisation’s mission links place-based regeneration, cultural sector employment, and urban skills pipelines to institutions such as University of the Arts London, Goldsmiths, University of London, King's College London, London South Bank University, and training providers. Objectives target improved access to work with partners including Creative Skillset, Nesta, Trades Union Congress, Chambers of Commerce, and local college consortia. It aims to broker opportunities among employers like Barclays, HSBC, Siemens, arts employers like Royal Shakespeare Company, and public agencies such as Department for Work and Pensions. The strategy reflects frameworks promoted by European Regional Development Fund, Big Lottery Fund, and regional plans from Greater London Authority.

Membership and Governance

Membership comprises cultural organisations, commercial developers, higher education institutions, and local authorities including Tate Modern, BFI Southbank, Southbank Centre, Hayward Gallery, English National Ballet, Barbican Centre, and corporate members such as Lendlease and Mace. Governance structures mirror charitable and not-for-profit practice seen in bodies like National Trust and Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, with boards drawing representatives from Arts Council England, borough chief executives, and private sector chairs formerly associated with Cultural Olympiad steering groups. Annual general meetings and advisory panels include stakeholders from London & Partners, European Social Fund consortia, and regional skills boards.

Activities and Services

Services include employment brokerage, apprenticeship coordination, and cultural recruitment similar to programmes run by Creative Skillset and City & Guilds. The organisation ran projects connecting candidates to vacancies at venues like Royal Festival Hall and Hayward Gallery, collaborated on workforce development with Borough Market regeneration teams, and delivered training aligned with standards from Institute of Directors and Association of Colleges. It produced labour market intelligence reports akin to outputs by Centre for Cities and Policy Exchange, organised job fairs comparable to events from Jobs Fair Group and provided employer seminars referencing guidance from ACAS.

Collaboration and Partnerships

Partnership networks span public, private, and third-sector actors including Greater London Authority, Southwark Council, Lambeth Council, London Borough of Tower Hamlets, Skills Funding Agency, FutureGov, Nesta, Arts Council England, Theatres Trust, British Museum, Royal Borough of Greenwich, Canary Wharf Group, and cultural funders such as Paul Hamlyn Foundation and Esmée Fairbairn Foundation. Cross-regional collaborations referenced initiatives with Greater Manchester Combined Authority and knowledge exchange with bodies like Co-operatives UK and international partners involved in projects comparable to those of European Cultural Foundation.

Impact and Evaluation

Evaluations of programme outcomes used methodologies akin to studies by National Audit Office and impact frameworks from Arts Council England and Centre for Social Justice. Reported impacts included placement rates into employment pipelines linked to London Living Wage campaigns, apprenticeship completions tracked against UK Commission for Employment and Skills benchmarks, and contributions to place-based footfall and visitor economy metrics monitored by VisitBritain and Transport for London. Independent reviews sometimes referenced metrics used by Joseph Rowntree Foundation and case studies paralleling those in reports from RSA.

Funding and Financial Structure

Funding streams have combined membership subscriptions, project grants from European Social Fund, Arts Council England, and trusts such as Paul Hamlyn Foundation and Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, as well as commissioned services from boroughs like Southwark Council and corporate sponsorship from firms in the property and finance sectors including Lendlease and Barclays. Financial accountability follows standards comparable to those of Charity Commission for England and Wales reporting and audit practice used by organisations such as Shelter and Citizens Advice.

Category:Organisations based in London