Without the bedrock of worthwhile, fairly-paid work, it is a challenge for families and communities to succeed. To ensure that local communities don’t just survive but thrive, we need to put the way the economy works at the front and centre of our thinking.  Both Camden and Islington Councils have formulated powerful, citizen-led visions for inclusivity, and on day three of the conference we will dive into these visions, and the challenges that remain.

Supporting local businesses through ‘buy local’ commitments is a definite area of opportunity, although obviously constrained by local supply, which is in turn affected by diversity issues, most notably in the shocking under-representation of women-owned businesses when it comes to securing supply contracts.  Can the KQ partners rally people at a local level, building momentum for change, whilst simultaneously looking up and outwards for other partners in the KQ who share that vision? How can we integrate services locally, co-design approaches with citizens, and work with businesses to form a coalition that can re-programme the area’s economy and make it fair for all?