Last night City Gateway celebrated 10 years of working in partnership with a reception at Number 11 Downing Street, kindly hosted by the Rt Hon. Stephen Timms MP. Almost 100 guests from the government and corporate partners joined us for the evening.

Against a backdrop of national statistics in which the number of NEET 18-24 year-olds in England has risen more than 100,000 in the past year, the charity‟s work in Tower Hamlets has seen local figures almost halve from 15% to 8%. The charity has pioneered a close partnership model with businesses both in the City and at Canary Wharf which sees regular volunteers supporting the project and even disadvantaged young people taking apprenticeship work placements within multinational firms.

Representatives from over 40 firms (including Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, Gemserv, HSS Hire, RBS & State Street) and members of both the current and shadow government heared first-hand the impact that working in partnership has allowed the charity to have. The team hope the event will not only encourage more firms to support them but for companies to consider backing similar schemes across the country.

Eddie Stride, the charity‟s CEO, commented: “City Gateway was founded by local businesspeople who wanted to use their skills, and the resources of their companies and colleagues, to raise skill levels and empower individuals in Tower Hamlets. Despite great opportunities created by Canary Wharf and the Olympics it remains classified as the 3rd most deprived Borough in the country and 23% of those of working age residents have no formal qualifications. Our work is having a real impact on individual lives and has started to turn statistics around but there needs to be more support of third sector organisations across the country.”

Stephen Timms MP, Financial Secretary to the Treasury:
"As we look to rebuild the economy’s strength the Government has a duty to support those who have been hardest hit by the downturn. Working with organisations such as City Gateway we’re not only able to directly support a solution to local problems, but we’re also able to encourage private sector organisations to recognise the responsibilities they have to the local communities they operate in.

"The contribution of City Gateway is more valuable than ever in these times we’re in and I think we should be particularly thankful to those companies who have been continually supportive of the organisation despite all the pressures of the recession."

John Biggs, East London & City representative in the Greater London Assembly:
"There is still a cliff edge between the great wealth of the growing islands of affluence in Tower Hamlets and the many people who lack the skills and prosperity I believe they deserve. City Gateway is a bridge between the city and the local community.

"We need to raise people’s confidence and skills. The communities I represent have traditionally been involved in quite low skill industries but they need to look upwards, and with this sort of support they definitely are.

"We need not only to get people into jobs at Canary Wharf but also to get people developing their own ideas, their own enterprises and using their own capacity to improve the quality of life for themselves and the area."

Jim Fitzpatrick MP, Poplar and Canning Town:
"The latest statistics in my part of Tower Hamlets demonstrate that we have 3 of the poorest 10 wards of anywhere in London, right across from Canary Wharf. It has improved dramatically over the past 10 years but the income per household is still lower than anywhere else.

"Canary Wharf provides great opportunities for our young people and the Olympics will be an added stimulus. Our kids are every bit as smart and intelligent as kids anywhere else in the country, we’ve got to give them the opportunities to get the qualifications, to get the jobs that will be available for the next 50 years.
80,000 are working on the Wharf now and it will grow to 140,000 over the next 10 years. Most of the companies relocated and brought all their staff with them. Well they’re all going to retire and move on, they’re going to create vacancies and our kids must get those jobs.

"The support you give to City Gateway to mentor and to give aspiration is so important I cannot tell you how critical it is. You’re providing role models and guides, getting kids off the streets, off of drugs, out of gangs into an environment where they can express themselves and develop."