Working in Partnership

City Gateway is a charity dedicated to bringing hope to the local communities of Tower Hamlets

that have been left behind by the wider area’s economic development. We look to connect with local women and disadvantaged young people, and run programmes which engage them, train them and provide them with the skills and opportunities they need to enter work. We were set up by a group of City workers, involved in local churches, keen to support the community around them.

Having been founded purposefully to link the skills of professionals into local needs, corporate support has also been vital to our work. Several of our projects have been directly funded by company giving and all of our work has benefited from pro bono support through volunteering, work placements, consulting and other donations. Many of our greatest success stories have only been made possible by partnerships with the business community both in Canary Wharf and the City, helping break down many of the barriers the individuals we work with face.

“

We run a women’s project, a youth centre, a youth training facility and a social enterprise hub - offering disadvantaged individuals everything from community events and drop-in youth clubs through to apprenticeship schemes and the chance to develop their own business ideas. We classify all our projects into four progression steps (Connect, Engage, Train & Work) so that individuals always have a sense of where they’re going next.

02

Connect:• Limehouse Youth Club• KS4 Schools Engagement• Healthy Living Projects• Cafe Relax & Literacy Lunch• Community Events• Outreach Work

Train:• Export & Export Plus• Customer Services• IT & Administration• Sports Fitness• ESOL For Work• Public Speaking

Engage:• Engage & Engage Plus• Short Taster Courses• Fitness Sessions• Cook & Eat Classes• Creative English Workshops• Introduction to Childcare

Work:• LSC Apprenticeships• Volunteer Training• Business Development Course• Social Enterprise Hub• Progression Support• College & University Links

To find out more about working with City Gateway visit:www.citygateway.org.uk/partnership

City Gateways’ Apprenticeships are courses targeted at previously disengaged 16 to 24-year-olds and economically excluded women, helping prepare them for successful careers through a combination of on and off the job learning.

On the job they gain work experience alongside your staff, off the job they work towards a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) at Level 2 as well as Key Skills qualifications in numeracy and literacy.

Apprenticeship Work Placements

This apprenticeship scheme is without doubt the most successful and worthwhile

link we have developed with our local community and we are delighted with the whole

experience.

IAN MAHONEY, REEBOK GYM

““

03

How can you get involved?

By providing flexible 3-6 month work placements, of as little as 16 hours a week, across a wide range of possible roles. Find out more in our separate apprenticeships booklet.

Training is the core part of our work and since our first courses ten years ago we have continually relied on corporate support to give our trainees the extra support and opportunities they need to overcome the barriers to employment they face.

Nothing has more impact on the women and young people we work with than the opportunities they get to meet and work alongside corporate volunteers through one off workshops or ongoing mentoring.

Supporting Our Courses

It just helps to break down the barriers facing people who perhaps live in the shadow of the City but

actually have got no idea what goes on inside.

JAMES LINFORTH, DENTON WILDE SAPTE

“

“

04

How can you get involved?

Opportunities include Insight Tours of your offices, employability sessions, mock interviews, course graduation ceremonies and ongoing teaching assistant roles.

04

Group volunteering opportunities are not only a practical and beneficial way of getting involved in the community they can also have a very big impact on our work. We’re always keen to work with teams of all types & sizes, whether it’s 20 people for a one day or a team of 5 consulting for a fortnight.

In the past we’ve worked successfully with large volunteering schemes, partnered with mediatory companies and even helped firms launch new staff initiatives.

Team Volunteering Days

The benefits to the business of team volunteering are pretty

clear. They help people develop new skills but importantly it also allows people to get

involved in the communities in which they work.

CHRIS DAVIES, CEO, HSS HIRE

“

“How can you get involved?

Ongoing opportunities across our youth and women’s projects include day trips, business planning exercises, community events, training workshops and painting & gardening projects.

05

07

Many of the much-needed outreach and wider support programmes we offer would not be funded without the kind donations of our corporate supporters. We are always keen to develop new project partnerships and link donations into wider volunteering or resource support.

Capital donations in the past have included unwanted IT equipment, furniture and even smart clothing for interview outfits. We also regularly need pro bono support in areas such as accountancy, legal matters, PR and staff training.

Giving Money & Resources

We took the decision to limit the number of charities we support to ensure that any contribution was truly meaningful to the charity; our staff are also now able to become involved through

volunteering.

FIONA CLUTTERBUCK, RBS

“

“

To find out more about the range of individual volunteering opportunities at our centres within walking distance of Canary Wharf & Liverpool Street visit www.citygateway.org.uk/volunteering

Our growing hub of social enterprises is a key element of our sustainability strategy, providing not only training and work placements to the local community but also crucial funding for City Gateway’s wider work. They provide professional quality services at competitive prices whilst also allowing you to support City Gateway’s work.

Work in Partnership

Using Our Social Enterprises

Contact Jerry Daykin or ask to speak to one of our Employment Progression Workers for more information or to arrange a meeting.

City GatewayDavenant Centre179 Whitechapel RoadLondon, E1 1DN

City Gateway Ltd. Registered in England No. 3760619 Charity No. 1078360 07

T: 0207 247 2202E: jerry@citygateway.org.ukW: www.citygateway.org.uk

Flavour GatewayCATERING

Over the past 10 years more than two dozen international firms have chosen to partner with City Gateway in some way, we would be delighted if your organisation wanted to be the next.

Working in Partnership