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The Hub for London - now London Plus
Update: London Plus is advertising the Network Manager post for 2021
Connecting Londoners and Networked City made contributions to plans for the Hub for London, the main feature of The Way Ahead plans for civil society infrastructure. The Hub has now launched as London Plus, where it is transitioning from Greater London Volunteering, with a team of five led by Margaret Cooney.
In May 2018 the Hub advertised a Network Partners role. The recruitment pack reflects some of the ideas discussed with the Hub advisory group. Details of Networks partner role at the Hub here. Leah Whittingham has now been appointed to the post.
Background
The Way Ahead initiative, led by London Funders, LVSC and Greater London Volunteering, produced a report in April 2016 on how to reframe support for London civil society. The main proposal in The Way Ahead report was for a new resource hub.
A London Hub, working with specialist support, should develop standardized resources where possible, which can be customized and delivered locally. The London Hub could be made up of a network of organisations or be a formally constituted body.
LVSC commissioned a report on the Hub from Steve Wyler, and an advisory group was established in November 2017 to develop details. Steve Wyler's report said:
The Hub “should act as a convenor and enabler, rather than direct deliverer, in effect delivering change through networks and platforms, rather than through traditional organisational and membership delivery methods".
In November 2017 the City Bridge Trust announced first year funding of £350,000 for the Hub, which will be run by Greater London Volunteering. LVSC has now closed - so the Hub will be the only major pan-London organisation. LVSC previous represented some 120,000 groups and organisations.
Connecting Londoners and Networked City contributions
During the Networked City exploration Connecting Londoners and Our Way Ahead have made the case to the Hub advisory group for extending the work of the Hub - with associated projects - to include development of local and pan-London networks.
We based proposals for extending the Hub on Steve Wyler's report, and other working group reports, as well as our own work. In November 2017 we ran a “Hub game” simulation event at London Metropolitan University to play through the recommendations in the Wyler report. Following the event we proposed a Community of Practice to support extending the Hub.
David Wilcox has been a member of TWA Task and Finish groups on Data Sharing, Triage and Connect, and Co-production - for which he wrote a report. He was a member of the Hub advisory group until February 2018.
Here’s a radical option for a London civil society Hub - build a network of people and projects
Paper in June 2017 by David Wilcox and Drew Mackie. How to move #TheWayAhead into the networked age by Connecting Londoners - blog post June 2017.
Recommendations on networks and Networking.
Paper by David Wilcox, drawn from a paper Recommendations for Consideration under the Hub , making the case for a networked approach
Extending the Hub
Proposals drafted by David Wilcox for extending the Hub for London to become a networked system.
The Hub game
Our Way Ahead and Connecting Londoners ran a workshop with about 50 people on November 16 2017 at London Metropolitan University to play through how to develop networked support systems for civil society.
Community of Practice report to the Hub advisory group How a group of change agents could help develop a Networked City. Proposals to the Hub for London advisory group
Networks Partner role advertised by Hub for London
In May 2018 the Hub advertised a Network Partners role. The recruitment pack reflects some of the ideas above discussed with the Hub advisory group. Details of Networks partner role at the Hub here
