2015/16 The ACCENTS Team at Poplar HARCA THE ACCENTS was set up in June 2014 to support the social, economic and cultural APPROACH IS regeneration of Poplar within the TO REAPPRAISE large-scale physical change in the area. ASSETS TO ACCENTS HAS MAXIMISE THEIR COST POPLAR VALUE TO HARCA NOTHING POPLAR AND ITS It has covered its costs and indeed, COMMUNITY turned a profit for the organisation, Assets of all kinds whilst securing a range of ongoing as explored in this report: NOW, MORE THAN EVER, IT IS revenue streams and so proving itself Space: turning liabilities into assets VITAL THAT WE REAPPRAISE OUR a healthy return on investment. Community: enabling people In addition, working with many ATTITUDE TO ASSETS OF ALL KINDS to define their futures fantastic partners, external and internal, TO ENSURE THAT WE CAN CREATE ACCENTS has delivered millions of Business: building identity and pounds of capital and social investment opening procurement for a stronger THE BEST AND MOST SUSTAINABLE social investment in Poplar through local economy innovative thinking and doing. This VALUE FOR OUR COMMUNITIES Place: celebrating heritage; finding includes hundreds of events, new fresh opportunity in future change AND PARTNERS. ACCENTS IS LEADING workspace and businesses, millions of pounds of positive publicity, People: turning passions into projects THIS FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE CHARGE energy savings and new technology, AT POPLAR HARCA, CREATING NEW thousands of volunteer hours and REVENUE STREAMS AND BUILDING ever more engaged employees. CAPACITY, WHILST DELIVERING INNOVATIVE SOCIAL REGENERATION. Jon Spearing Finance Director, Poplar HARCA THEY IMAGINE - AND DELIVER - EXACTLY THE KIND OF INCLUSIVE PLACEMAKING PROGRAMMES LONDON NEEDS Lisa Taylor Director, Future of London 2015/16 NUMBERS £684,622 £2,315,455 32 30,000 17,039 17,814 112 INVESTMENT POSITIVE PUBLICITY NEW JOBS FOR POLLUTING CAR EVENT VISITORS VOLUNTEER NEW EXHIBITION IN POPLAR LOCAL PEOPLE MILES REMOVED HOURS OPPORTUNITIES FROM LOCAL FOR ARTISTS & ROADS PERFORMERS £357,145 £212,795 34 1,516 738 139 8 PHYSICAL REDUCED ENERGY TRAINING & ENERGY SAVING PEOPLE INTO INDIVIDUAL NEW PIECES OF IMPROVEMENTS BILLS FOR RESIDENTS ENGAGEMENT TECH INSTALLED TRAINING POPLAR HARCA PUBLIC ART EVENTS IN HOMES STAFF INVOLVED IN ACCENTS PROJECTS £271,120 £88,400 PA 66 45 36 174 162 SOCIAL COMMERCIAL NEW BUSINESSES LOCAL TOURS COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS EVENTS INVESTMENT LETTINGS HOSTED GROUPS SUPPORTED THE CITY IS LOSING AN AVERAGE OF 88 HECTARES OF INDUSTRIAL LAND SPACE EVERY YEAR AND THE NEED FOR HOUSING WILL INCREASE PRESSURE FURTHER Architectural Review “I’ve lived in Poplar all my life and have been photographing its changing shape over the last 16 years. ACCENTS has democratised space previously Across London inaccessible, adding colour and life. For my Transition the pressure Photography Project, that meant a really well attended exhibition in the heart of the Lansbury Estate.” on affordable Michael Mulcahy space, especially Photographer & Poplar resident workspace, is growing. We are in danger of losing “Poplar HARCA’s ACCENTS Team understands the sectors, skills and identity. importance of embedding art within a changing place. They have unlocked a range of opportunities Concurrently, we need to find in the area, sometimes challenging – always new revenue streams and interesting, and we continue to deliver a number ensure work/leisure space of very successful projects with them.” is available to a growing Marcel Baettig population. ACCENTS CEO, Bow Arts Trust is interested in how, by looking differently at space, value can be maximised for stakeholders, businesses and communities, existing and new. Examples include... OPEN POPLAR ABERFELDY STUDIOS SOLAR PANELS A DOOR IN A WALL SPACES FOR IDEAS COMMUNITY ARTS 6,688 INSTALLED 3,000 VISITORS Launched in 2015 with over 50 unused Bow Arts has recently opened two Following last year’s installation of 418 In April 2015, immersive-gaming and underused spaces in Poplar, aimed at open studio galleries in retail units solar panels bringing in £36,000 as organisation ‘A Door In A Wall’ turning liabilities into assets. The project on the Aberfeldy Estate, linking well as savings for residents, ACCENTS transformed a vacant retail unit and attracted 21,485 sqm of business ideas up with the gallery opened there has secured funding for 6,270 more other empty spaces in Chrisp Street. from galleries to factories, community in 2014. The projects are building panels on roofs in the forthcoming 3,000 visitors enjoyed the magical centres to shops. It has sparked a re- community-based arts programmes year. This will create £2m income experience - exploring an ingenious evaluation of space within Poplar HARCA whilst bringing life to dead space. over the next 20 years specifically for version of the area’s history. and led to new capital investment, community investment and reducing increased revenue and decreased costs. carbon emissions. NEVER DOUBT THAT COMMITTED CITIZENS CAN CHANGE THE COMMUNITY WORLD - INDEED, IT IS THE ONLY THING THAT EVER HAS Margaret Mead “Poplar Peddlers has been such a “It’s fantastic being part of the friendly group since we started in June Carradale community garden. I’ve 2015. Everyone is welcome, from road met all sorts of people because of cyclists to first timers, from BMXers it, from all sorts of backgrounds. to family tourers and we’ve members We’ve done loads together building from all different backgrounds. We this place and we’re a stronger love to ride with friends and families - community because of it.” to explore great cycling routes around Tom Gleed our area and further afield.” Poplar resident & Sustainable Housing’s Green Tenant of the Year 2014 Sunara Begum An area’s people Peddlers ride leader & Poplar resident are its key asset. With authority, independence and support, communities can devise and deliver the most appropriate services and facilities for their area. ACCENTS works to support a range of local groups, projects and networks to help grow their capacity and take ever stronger roles in shaping Poplar. Examples include... ENERGYWISE YEAR HERE BOX OF TOYS POPLAR FILM ENERGY CHAMPIONS HEALTHY START 393 HOUSEHOLDS 1,000S OF 40 EVENTS MONTHLY CLUB AWARD WINNING SUPPORTING LOCAL An Ofgem project with UK Power VOLUNTEER HOURS A collective of local musicians who This year has seen 25 different A group of residents from the Poplar & Bow A voucher scheme launched in March Networks, Tower Hamlets Homes ACCENTS worked with award-winning secure opportunities to perform, as events including collaborations Green Network trained with the Energy 2016 within the GLA-backed Chrisp & The Bromley by Bow Centre, Year Here to create a unique and powerful well as running events themselves with the British Film Institute, LOCO Saving Trust and our neighbourhood Street Exchange Programme with investigates how to plan for our programme facilitating embedded social across East London. There have London Comedy Film Festival and centres to directly deliver energy advice London Borough of Tower Hamlets future energy needs and manage our innovation placements across Poplar. In the been 40 events in the last year alone, Vincent Price fans. The monthly to and install energy-saving kit for their Public Health. Encouraging low household usage. 393 households last year, outputs have included 1,000s of attracting many 100s of appreciative club is co-curated by residents. communities. The project, which saved 200 income households to eat healthily are participating, getting energy volunteer hours, 15 social impact projects listeners. Poplar Film also shot its first short households money on their energy bills, and buy locally. advice and cutting-edge tech. and 2 new social enterprises. film in December 2015. won the National Housing Federation’s ‘Greener Living’ Award in September 2015. THERE ARE NOW 4.8 MILLION SMALL BUSINESSES IN THE UK AND THEY FORM BUSINESS THE LIFEBLOOD OF EVERY CITY ECONOMY ACROSS THE COUNTRY Centre for Cities “I am trading and growing my business in Chrisp Street Market today thanks to the help I got from HARCA. They put on the Pop-Up Business School which helped me get going in 2013, and then the team helped me with a move into a shop unit. I’ve also attended some of the Poplar & Bow Enterprise Network Strong local events so I am really excited about the future of the business.” Shahena Khan enterprise is a Owner, The Flower Boutique, Chrisp Street vital element of building a self-sustaining, inclusive “Playpen is an innovative co-working facility with crèche for people with young children in Poplar. The ACCENTS Team community. has been an invaluable support from believing in the idea to providing a small grant. We could not have made this exciting project happen without them.” ACCENTS has been Leo Wood working hard to help Founder of Play-Pen give local business a voice, support new start-ups and open up new and existing opportunities for local enterprise. Examples include... CHRISP STREET POPLAR & BOW POP-UP 1-2-1 ENTERPRISE GET STARTED EAST EXCHANGE ENTERPRISE NETWORK BUSINESS SCHOOL SUPPORT £40,000 OF AFFORDABLE 300 BUSINESSES 18 NEW ADVICE FOR MICRO LOANS WORKSPACE REGISTERED BUSINESSES TRADERS Our micro-loans programme with Our co-working and enterprise Launched in 2015, the Network strives After considerable success in 2013, the Business, marketing and online advice HACT and the London Small Business support hub launched recently. to grow the voice for business in Poplar. team returned to Poplar with their can-do for traders in Chrisp Street, ahead of Centre, was launched in May 2015. Funded by the Mayor of London’s With 300 local businesses registered attitude to business start-ups. This year, the large-scale regeneration of the It has been the most successful of the High Streets Fund, the hub is run by as members, it held quarterly events through two intensive programmes, market, ensuring businesses have the national pilots, supporting a range the London Small Business Centre throughout the year, focusing on 18 new local businesses were launched.