The City of London Corporation is asking people for their views to help shape its priorities for the next five years as the organisation develops its Corporate Plan 2024-2029.
The survey is open until Monday 16 October and is available online. Paper forms can also be found at Guildhall in the Square Mile, and other City Corporation-owned sites.
The City Corporation is the governing body of the Square Mile dedicated to a vibrant and thriving City, supporting a diverse and sustainable London, within a globally successful UK.
It has a unique role in being the local authority for the City of London, as well as promoting the UK financial and professional services industry at home and abroad, through international visits to key global markets by its Lord Mayor – who is based at the Mansion House – and its Policy Chairman.
Its Destination City programme has set out a vision to make the Square Mile a world-leading leisure destination, and the organisation is the fourth largest funder of heritage and cultural activities in the UK, investing over £130m every year. It manages and supports a range of world-class cultural and heritage institutions for the public good, including the Barbican Centre, Tower Bridge, Guildhall School of Music & Drama, Guildhall Art Gallery, and London Metropolitan Archives.
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Through its Family of Schools, careers festivals, and skills programmes, the City Corporation helps to boost the social mobility of young people across the capital.
It runs some of the country’s best public services, protecting 11,000 acres of green space, such as Epping Forest and Hamstead Heath, providing social housing, wholesale markets, and acting as the London Port Health Authority – the largest such authority by area in the UK.
The City Corporation plays a leading role in maintaining the Square Mile as the safest business district in the world through its Police Authority Board, which supports and scrutinises the work of the City of London Police, the National Lead Force for fraud and economic crime. It also owns and manages the Central Criminal Court (Old Bailey), where some of the highest profile criminal trials in England and Wales are held.
It is the sole trustee of Bridge House Estates – which maintains five iconic London bridges, and awards charity grants of over £30 million a year to tackle disadvantage across the capital through City Bridge Trust – and it has also made an extra £200 million available over five years from 2021 to 2026 to support London’s charity sector. The City Corporation also supports the City’s Livery Companies, which through their work on trade, skills, and education, contribute over £75m each year to charity.
This, along with its independent and non-party political voice and convening power, enables it to promote the interests of people and organisations across London and the UK and play a valued role on the world-stage.
City of London Corporation Policy Chairman, Chris Hayward, said: “The work of the City Corporation is diverse and wide ranging, from delivering high-quality public services to supporting City businesses and promoting the UK’s financial and professional services industry.
“Our Corporate Plan serves as a focus for our priorities – it is a powerful tool to ensure we deliver on these aspirations.
“We want to hear from our community to help shape our next Corporate Plan and deliver on what matters to the individuals and organisations we serve.”
City of London Corporation Town Clerk and Chief Executive, Ian Thomas CBE, said: “We want to listen to your views, understand your priorities and know what you would like us to achieve over the next five years.
“The diversity of our work is what makes this organisation unique and the collaboration of all of our communities is key to achieving our goals, so we need to hear from a wide range of people as we plan for our future.”
The City Corporation’s Corporate Plan 2024-2029 will take effect from 1 April 2024, following an engagement process and approval by the Court of Common Council, the organisation’s main decision-making body.
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