Case study: Camden Business Board

Camden’s highly skilled workforce, transport links and buzzing high street have made it a destination for some of the most dynamic businesses in the world. However, too many local residents feel locked out from the prosperity they see around them and unable to get a good job.

In response, anchor institutions in Camden created the Camden Business Board in 2011, bringing together University College London, University College London Hospital, the Francis Crick Institute, Google, High Speed 1, and Camden Town Unlimited.

Camden Business Board co-authors the Camden Business Charter which has:

  1. Supported the development of three new workspaces

  2. Supported apprenticeship placements with employers in Camden

  3. Created work experience placements for young people with education partners, INSPIRE

  4. Increased spend with small businesses 

  5. Helped small business to secure contracts on Camden development sites

  6. Launched free public Wi-Fi 

  7. Supported the work of the Camden Climate Change Alliance to reduce carbon emissions and energy costs

  8. Introduced a multi-borough freight consolidation project to deliver goods to council buildings, reducing journeys and distances travelled

The Camden Business Board model suggests the following first steps for others:

  • Identify a range of stakeholders from the public, private and third sector that can develop anchor strategies

  • Develop an economic strategy centred on least well-off residents

  • Create strategies that play to the strengths of a neighbourhood and identify stretching but realistic goals

  • Collect and share progress against agreed goals regularly

  • Council plays the role of ‘backbone’ organisation, providing the strategies framework and administrative support for the Board