uShop Vision
You may know that the ways of local governance is changing, Lambeth Council like a growing number of Local Councils are putting more and more “Council” services out to tender. With this community collectives are gradually engaging with these processes in the spirit of Community Rights and Localism. We are one such organisation forming to do great works in this local community. Today to advance properly we need flexible workspaces and have developed this proposal as it ticks off many of our requirements at this time.
Our core mission is around developing learner cooperatives and strengthening family directed learning with high value placed in the unity of art-maths-science-nature. We have identified several property types for which you may be the custodian/landlord and from this place we'd like to operate a venture essentially modelled on a retail charity shop form however its focus is on the circulation of educational resources, learner co-operative information to advance learning and acting as our project's incubating (temporary) office/admin workspace.
We are aware that in some places there is an increase of landlords with empty offices and shops face a double whammy: receiving no rent and then losing empty property business rates relief. This can provide an opportunity for charities like ours seeking temporary occupation of office or shop space. We are ready to negotiate a short-term/flexible letting. Apart from receiving the business rates responsibility we will also provide increased security for the property; it will be cleaner, more attractive in the neighbourhood and will be used for local community development. We are clear that with such a proposal landlords will most likely require the ability to end the letting with ease for any reason they see fit (ideally being that they find a more commercial tenant), we are ready and willing to work with this.
Our Trust especially values cross-curricular and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education, in these domains we seek to bridge large gaps between families and institutions, learners and resources, different cultures and age ranges.
The Abundance in Education – uShop will offer the following services;
How will the uShop look? Working with a “unified knowledge” aesthetic the centre will feature the following;
Local demographics (signs of underlying need): The work of our Trust and this proposed uShop will serve the communities local to and surrounding the Clapham North area, Lambeth in general and broader-a-field. Drawing on Lambeth Council's State of the Borough Report 2014-2015 we find there is a clear underlying context to the importance of our work:
Within these geo and demographic factors (and more) we see a growing market for the uShop who want (and increasingly know they need) more empowerment in their duties as “primary educators”. By using this term we are part of a growing redefinition of the role, responsibilities and capabilities of young peoples' parents, guardians and local communities.
By the general idea of empowerment we aim to advance a greater awareness of; a) what education is evolving into, b) what it can be as it becomes increasingly community-led and c) how consciousness of these dynamics can help families ensure that their children's natural gifts and talents are best realised.
At the core our markets are;
We also recognise that we are, by virtue of our agreed relationship with local Youth and Adventure play service-centres, also providing a well needed integration (synergising) service to the area as a whole that is outreaching.
In this regard we intend to:
You may know that the ways of local governance is changing, Lambeth Council like a growing number of Local Councils are putting more and more “Council” services out to tender. With this community collectives are gradually engaging with these processes in the spirit of Community Rights and Localism. We are one such organisation forming to do great works in this local community. Today to advance properly we need flexible workspaces and have developed this proposal as it ticks off many of our requirements at this time.
Our core mission is around developing learner cooperatives and strengthening family directed learning with high value placed in the unity of art-maths-science-nature. We have identified several property types for which you may be the custodian/landlord and from this place we'd like to operate a venture essentially modelled on a retail charity shop form however its focus is on the circulation of educational resources, learner co-operative information to advance learning and acting as our project's incubating (temporary) office/admin workspace.
We are aware that in some places there is an increase of landlords with empty offices and shops face a double whammy: receiving no rent and then losing empty property business rates relief. This can provide an opportunity for charities like ours seeking temporary occupation of office or shop space. We are ready to negotiate a short-term/flexible letting. Apart from receiving the business rates responsibility we will also provide increased security for the property; it will be cleaner, more attractive in the neighbourhood and will be used for local community development. We are clear that with such a proposal landlords will most likely require the ability to end the letting with ease for any reason they see fit (ideally being that they find a more commercial tenant), we are ready and willing to work with this.
Our Trust especially values cross-curricular and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education, in these domains we seek to bridge large gaps between families and institutions, learners and resources, different cultures and age ranges.
The Abundance in Education – uShop will offer the following services;
- networking points for families, educational networks, collectives, institutions and professionals.
- book & resource exchange, world heritage books
- local and regional learning projects / programme profiling
- Administrative liaison for the recycling of redundant educational resources from local institutions such as schools, colleges, medical centres and universities.
How will the uShop look? Working with a “unified knowledge” aesthetic the centre will feature the following;
- a books and resources area
- an area for meetings and networking
- revolving, evolving and involving installations of art-science exhibiting our value of cross-curricular and STEM education
- Arts Award, CREST Award and Duke of Edinburgh Award information & integration
- administrative space
Local demographics (signs of underlying need): The work of our Trust and this proposed uShop will serve the communities local to and surrounding the Clapham North area, Lambeth in general and broader-a-field. Drawing on Lambeth Council's State of the Borough Report 2014-2015 we find there is a clear underlying context to the importance of our work:
- Lambeth is worse than the England average for several social conditions that can adversely affect the wellbeing of children and young people: immunisations of children in care; children achieving a good level of development within Early Years Foundation Stage; 16-18 year olds not in employment, education, or training; first time entrants to the criminal justice system; family homelessness; and children in care.
- There is a persistent pool of economically inactive people with little economic and social mobility and this group tends to experience high levels of social exclusion and poor education, employment and health outcomes.
- One in three children attending Lambeth schools is eligible for free school meals (31% for primary and 31% for secondary). This is comparable with inner London but higher than nationally. Around a third of children in Lambeth are estimated to live in poverty.
- Concerning Lambeth's Larkhall ward:
- Larkhall has the highest ward population in Lambeth (17,800), and has a high population density.
- Across many demographic indicators its ratings are average to the rest of the borough, however the rate of dependent children in out-of-work households lone parents not in employment are high.
- Affluent areas include the area around Larkhall Rise & Chelsham Rise, and
Landor road. Poorer areas include the Larkhall, Glaskell Street, and Springfield estates.
- There is a high rate of children in year 6 who are obese.
- Concerning Lambeth's Ferndale ward:
- This is a mixed ward, from affluent areas around Clapham High Street to poorer areas such as the Stockwell Park estate. Ferndale is the ward in Lambeth with the smallest percentage of open space and the highest population density.
- The crime rate is high, including violence against the person, robbery, theft and handling, criminal damage and drugs offences.
- Although there is a high proportion of residents with no qualifications, there is also a high proportion of residents with graduate level qualifications.
- There is a high proportion of children in reception year who are obese.
Within these geo and demographic factors (and more) we see a growing market for the uShop who want (and increasingly know they need) more empowerment in their duties as “primary educators”. By using this term we are part of a growing redefinition of the role, responsibilities and capabilities of young peoples' parents, guardians and local communities.
By the general idea of empowerment we aim to advance a greater awareness of; a) what education is evolving into, b) what it can be as it becomes increasingly community-led and c) how consciousness of these dynamics can help families ensure that their children's natural gifts and talents are best realised.
At the core our markets are;
- parents / guardians,
- children & youth,
- teachers and other professional educators,
- schools, colleges, universities,
- statutory agencies related to education, family well-being and community development.
We also recognise that we are, by virtue of our agreed relationship with local Youth and Adventure play service-centres, also providing a well needed integration (synergising) service to the area as a whole that is outreaching.
In this regard we intend to:
- increase the engagement of more people with other appropriate services that they need – we will help bring into the area more and new persons & professionals of progressive mind
- be so well versed with local resources that we can, were most appropriate, direct clients to other local retailers / service providers in the area as potential customers/clients.
- complement, not compete with, other local stores / service-centres.
- help to address some of the area's weaker demographic trends and thus advance social well-being, educational attainment and economic prosperity.
