Canada Water Connect: Four Years On

As Canada Water Connect marks its fourth anniversary, British Land and ELBA are confirming their commitment to continue and expand the programme through to at least 2028. The next two years will see them build on the foundations laid down since 2022, ensuring that opportunity continues to be shared by those who live, work and spend time here.

Connecting people to opportunity

As Canada Water grows, change deliver meaningful, lasting benefits for local people and businesses. Canada Water Connect was created with this in mind – a partnership between British Land and East London Business Alliance (ELBA) designed to connect the opportunities generated by development with the communities around it.

Four years on, that partnership has become a defining part of how Canada Water operates. It is central to our Thriving Places Strategy and programme, working consistently behind the scenes to bring together residents, local organisations, supply chain partners and, increasingly, building occupiers – ensuring that growth is not only visible in the built environment, but felt day-to-day across the community.

For local people, this has translated into real, sustained opportunities. Over 160 previously unemployed people have moved into employment lasting six months or more, many in roles linked directly to activity at Canada Water and with all positions paid the London Living Wage. Meanwhile, hundreds have been supported through benefits advice, confidence-building and skills development, helping them access long-term work.

Local hire, Anthony 

Working in partnership, locally

A key part of this approach is partnership. Many opportunities are delivered with specialist organisations who bring deep expertise and strong local connections. Sector-focused training – from hospitality to the built environment – has been delivered with organisations including Bermondsey Community Kitchen and Construction Youth Trust, while programmes supporting entrepreneurship and local business growth have been delivered in partnership with Tree Shepherd. Together, these partnerships ensure that support is high-quality, rooted in local need and connected to real opportunities – training, jobs, commercial contracts, and space to grow businesses.

For businesses already based at Canada Water – and those that will join in the years ahead – Canada Water Connect also provides a practical, commercial benefit. They can access a free, locally focused recruitment service, connect with pre-screened candidates, collaborate on skills development programmes to help shape future talent pipelines, and more. For corporates and purpose-driven businesses, it offers a straightforward way to deliver meaningful social value.

A platform for long-term impact

The programme also supports the wider social infrastructure of the area. Since its launch in 2022, Canada Water Connect has worked with more than 50 organisations – including community groups, schools, CICs and charities – to enable funding, access to space and support through skills-based volunteering, at the same time as brokering new connections.

What distinguishes Canada Water Connect is how these activities come together. Early engagement with young people – including partnerships with local schools –- helps demystify change in the area, build foundational skills, and develop a pipeline of future talent ready to access opportunities as they emerge in the years ahead.

Meanwhile, Canada Water Connect’s work to broker supply chain and business skills-based volunteering provides targeted, meaningful support to community organisations. These introductions often serve as the starting point for longer-term relationships, enabling organisations to build mutually beneficial partnerships that can unlock funding, reduce costs, share expertise, and in some cases create pathways into employment.

Freddie Broadhurst, Senior Social Impact Manager at British Land, said: “Canada Water Connect is about making the Canada Water Masterplan work in practical ways for the people and organisations in and around it. It provides a service for our customers and partners to contribute locally – whether that’s connecting them with exceptional local talent, supporting local procurement, or helping them deliver against their own social value ambitions. Four years on, we’re seeing that impact compound over time, and we’re excited about what comes next.”

Kita Berman van Heerden, Strategic Lead at ELBA, added: “At Canada Water Connect, our driving force remains rooted in ELBA’s core social mission: ensuring that large-scale regeneration translates into real, measurable prosperity for local people. Over the last four years, we have proven that when you intentionally bridge local talent with corporate purpose, it unlocks incredible opportunity. By securing this partnership through to 2028, we can scale our local approach, improving accessibility to great careers, supporting incredible community organisations, and ensuring that local people directly benefit from Canada Water’s growth.”

If you are a Canada Water or Southwark-based business or live locally and want to get involved, get in touch via email on: [email protected]