ADD2799 LAIN & NHS: Celebrating five years of anchor partnerships and impact – Conference 2026

1.1.    Formed in 2021 and backed by the Mayor of London, the London Anchor Institutions’ Network (LAIN) brings together major organisations from across London. It is the biggest cross-sector network of its kind.  

1.2.    LAIN members are committed to using their procurement, workforce and estate-management capacity to help create a fairer, greener and more prosperous city. They are working together on shared goals – from tackling workplace inequalities and supporting inclusive economic growth, to taking action on climate change. 

1.3.    LAIN forms part of the Mayor’s Reducing Inequalities programme. It is supported by a core programme team at the GLA. 

1.4.    The NHS is a founding member of LAIN, and is widely represented across LAIN’s workstreams; it also has its own London Anchor programme. Teams from LAIN and the NHS London Anchor Programme work closely together to deliver against shared ambitions in areas such as inclusive employment; inclusive growth through procurement; and climate mitigation and adaptation. 

1.5.    The proposed conference – LAIN and the NHS: Celebrating five years of anchor partnerships – will mark five years since both anchor networks were established. It will bring together an audience of senior NHS and LAIN stakeholders; LAIN steering committee representatives and working group members; and prospective LAIN members.  

1.6.    At a high level, the event programme is expected to include:  

•    keynote speakers from the Mayor’s Office and the NHS  
•    case studies demonstrating the impact of both programmes; and the benefits of working in partnership to bring about positive social, economic and environmental change
•    networking opportunities to strengthen connections amongst London’s anchor institutions 
•    insights into current challenges facing London and Londoners – these will inform further opportunities for anchor organisations to continue tackling inequalities and addressing the climate emergency 
•    expert-led break-out sessions, to support member representatives to continue driving delivery in their organisations. 

1.7.    The event team comprises representatives from both programme teams, working together. 
 

2.1.    Event objectives are to: 

•    celebrate and amplify five years of achievements across both anchor programmes in London, and the partnership between them  
•    build stronger connections amongst senior leaders in London (by bringing people together in person, and facilitating specific networking opportunities and moments of interaction)  
•    deepen engagement and commitment to anchor ways of working 
•    inspire and galvanise further action for our shared ambitions for the city; and focus members’ attention on new opportunities that align with the next phase of the London Growth Plan. 

2.2.    Expected outcomes are: 

•    increased engagement of LAIN’s existing members and NHS institutions; and a deeper commitment amongst them to deliver shared priorities for the city 
•    more partnership working, peer-to-peer support and knowledge sharing across anchor institutions in London 
•    further pledges to bring about positive change for London and Londoners 
•    new institutions joining LAIN.  
 

3.1.    Section 149(1) of the Equality Act 2010 requires public authorities, of which the GLA is one, to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct prohibited by under the Equality Act 2010; to advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not; and to foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not. Relevant protected characteristics are age, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, gender, religion or belief, and sexual orientation. 

3.2.    The GLA has convened LAIN and coordinates the network on an ongoing basis, which is focused on addressing structural inequalities through taking action to: 

•    support inclusive employment and good work by LAIN members making their workforces representative of London’s communities  
•    drive inclusive economic growth by LAIN members buying more of their goods and services from local, smaller and diverse-led businesses  
•    tackle the climate emergency (which disproportionately affects marginalised and vulnerable communities) through estate decarbonisation, climate adaptation actions and training 
•    improve life chances for disadvantaged young Londoners through mentoring and other positive opportunities.

3.3.    The NHS London Anchor Programme shares LAIN’s mission, and is structured around similar priority areas of work. These include: 

•    paying its workforce the London Living Wage (and ensuring its suppliers do the same) 
•    increasing spend in local economies, and with small and diverse-owned businesses
•    creating equal employment and training opportunities for local people; people with protected characteristics; service users; and London’s most vulnerable communities
•    delivering work experience and apprenticeship schemes
•    estate decarbonisation.

3.4.    In terms of the conference itself, all conference attendees and speakers will be asked to detail any accessibility requirements they may have, so that these can be accommodated. This is to ensure that no persons with protected characteristics are discriminated against, and everyone can engage fully in the event.
 

Key risks

Links to Mayoral strategies and priorities  

4.1.    LAIN forms part of the Mayor’s Reducing Inequalities programme, for which a Delivery Plan is being developed in response to the mandate issued by the Mayor. It is a key vehicle for working in partnership with organisations across the city, to tackle structural inequalities. LAIN also contributes to a range of other Mayoral priorities set out in other programmes within the Mayoral portfolio, , including Reducing Non-Residential Emissions; Delivering a Greener, More Climate-Resilient London; Supporting Londoners to Benefit from Growth; and Supporting and Inspiring Young Londoners.  

4.2.    LAIN’s work closely aligns with the London Growth Plan – particularly its procurement workstream, which is cited in the Backing Our Business section of the Plan. This workstream also supports the GLA Group’s Responsible Procurement and Social Value Policy. 

4.3.    LAIN’s work on inclusive employment also aligns with the Inclusive Talent Strategy.  

Conflicts of interest

4.4.    No GLA officer involved in the drafting or clearance of this ADD is aware of any conflicts of interest with the proposals set out in this form. 
 

5.1.    Approval is being sought for expenditure of up to £18,000 on the conference from the LAIN programme budget, held within the Economic Development and Programmes Unit.

 
5.2.    All expenditure will be incurred in 2025-26.  

5.3.    The budget will cover costs including: 

•    catering
•    equipment hire
•    photography
•    videography and the production of other assets for the conference
•    accessibility
•    any fees for key note speakers, topic experts, panellists
•    contingency.  

5.4.    Any budget adjustments required will be made.
 

6.1.    This work will be delivered according to the following timetable: