Case study: The Lewisham Deal

Although situated in the heart of London, one of the wealthiest cities in the world, tens of thousands of Lewisham residents live in poverty. The Lewisham Poverty Commission highlighted the important role of the council and other major organisations in the borough in tackling poverty.

The Lewisham Deal was developed by the London Borough of Lewisham, one of the largest employers in the borough, and other public sector organisations. This partnership was created in 2018 by the London Borough of Lewisham, Lewisham Homes, Goldsmiths University of London, Phoenix Community Housing, Lewisham College and Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust.

The Lewisham Deal focuses on six priorities:

  1. Apprenticeships: all opportunities are advertised through the Lewisham Mayor’s Apprenticeship Programme and the number of apprentices has grown by transferring unspent levy funds to those who can use them

  2. Information, advice and guidance: a new online information portal supports local businesses and residents

  3. Procurement: the London Borough of Lewisham has made contract opportunities more accessible to small businesses, this includes hosting ‘Lewisham Meet the Buyer’ events

  4. London Living Wage: Lewisham promote London Living Wage accreditation to businesses in the borough and supports them through the process

  5. Progression of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities: the partnership is committed to support others to recognise unconscious bias and are piloting inclusive mentoring

  6. Climate crisis: the partnership hosted a Lewisham Climate Summit and have measured and reported on their carbon use in a consistent way

The Lewisham Deal took the following steps that others could adopt;

  • Commissioned research to understand the issues in their local area

  • Identified suitable partners with influence in their area due to their procurement power and strong ties to the area

  • Agreed priority areas, expanding their scope once they’d had some successes

  • Shared an annual Social Value Report to share the impact they are having on the local economy