Connectin­g Local People with Global Opportuni­ties

What are your favourite memories at Here East in 2024?

“There have been too many memorable moments to count, but our initiatives empowering East London’s young innovators have been particularly rewarding for me. Supporting local students and showcasing the opportunities that are available to them on their doorstep is not only incredibly fulfilling – it’s also vital to prepare the next generation for tomorrow’s industry.

“Two great examples of how we go about this at Here East are our Tech Stars Programme and Diversity in Tech Event called ‘Power to Create your own Pathway.’ It’s been a privilege to see so many young people from our local growth boroughs come to campus to explore the skills, opportunities, and careers of the future as part of these initiatives.

“It was also fantastic to see Here East collaborate with our charity partner Badu on the ‘Back to School’ campaign, as well as champion the Hackney Youth Parliament ‘Pack to School’ initiative. Both of these projects supported students in our local area with uniforms and school equipment, offering a helping hand to families in Hackney at a time when it can be especially hard to make ends meet.”

How will Here East catalyse positive change in East London this year?

“Since day one our mission has been to deliver positive impact in East London and beyond. This is about fueling game-changing global progress as an innovation hub – but it’s equally about closing the gaps faced by local people as a supportive neighbour.

“This means opening pathways for residents from ethnic minorities, working class, disabled and disadvantaged backgrounds to explore new skills, courses, and careers; and it also means forging partnerships on home soil and across borders to amplify our social impact.”

What joint initiatives are you most excited about and why?

“Collaboration is the fabric of our community – and that will continue throughout 2025. Whether it’s taking part in our school programmes or generously donating to campaigns with our charity partner, we’ve got many exciting projects lined up with tenants and collaborators this year that will benefit the local community.

“One example is our support for Loughborough University London’s “Collaborative Dissertation” initiative - an annual programme which connects students completing dissertation research projects with businesses and organisations looking at the key challenges for the next decade.

“Another is our continued partnership with Staffordshire University London, Teesside University London, and LMA for the Here East Scholarship Programme. Now in its fifth year of developing the next generation of talent in East London, this programme helps to unlock the potential of local young people by opening pathways to higher education at the institutions based on our campus.

“I’m also really excited about the opening of the V&A East Storehouse at the end of May. We’re already in conversation with the team about creating programmes that benefit local young people and I’m looking forward to seeing these ideas come to life.”

What else are you looking forward to in 2025?

“I was really proud to see our first Here East scholars graduate in 2024, so I’m looking forward to seeing our next cohort graduate later this year. It’s a true privilege to be part of such a collaborative community working together to catalyse these young innovators’ career journey.

“I’m also excited to continue working on digital literacy programmes for our surrounding growth boroughs in collaboration with Hackney and Newham councils. As our lives increasingly shift online, so do a lot of exciting opportunities – so It’s vital that we prepare the next generation with the tools needed to grasp them.

“Watch this space for more Here East community initiatives focused on this and much more shortly.”