Editor’ s Letter engage | uk magazine
UPFRONT 7
Editor’ s Letter engage | uk magazine
Studio F51, Waterfront Studios, 1 Dock Road, London E16 1AH www. engagemagazine. co. uk
Magazine subscription 0208 350 9443
Editor GLoRiA WySE gloria @ engagemagazine. co. uk
BusinEss Editor CoLEttE MACHADo colette @ engagemagazine. co. uk
rEsEarchEr / Journalist KiERoN JoHNSoN info @ engagemagazine. co. uk
communications JuLiE CoRDiCE julie @ engagemagazine. co. uk
dEsign oSC CREAtivE
Production MiKE SMALL mike @ engagemagazine. co. uk
in – housE PhotograPhEr SEEMA KHALiQuE
WEB dEvEloPEr JoHN RiCKEttS
advErtising / sPonsorshiP craig @ engagemagazine. co. uk
sWitchBoard 020 8350 9443
PuBlishEr CRAiG CoRDiCE craig @ engagemagazine. co. uk
PrintEd in thE uK By cErvidaE
contriButions
Front Cover image supplied courtesy of Workspace Group / CompeteFor Dr Kemal Ahson, Dr Levent Altinay, Sonia Brown, Business Link, C2E, Chatsworth Consultancy, Julie Cordice, Denise Headley, Seema Khalique, Caroline Lashley, Colette Machado, Jacqui McCalla, Maurice McLeod, optimum Consultancy, Supplier Diversity Europe, uKti, Gloria Wyse, Craig Cordice, valerie Lothian, Hannah Edy, John Ricketts. Alvin White,
Beverley Rodriguez- Procurement Resources( Atlanta)
Engage magazine always welcomes new ideas for articles. you can send your articles with your contact details to Engage Magazine, Waterfront Studios F51, 1 Dock Road, London E16 1AH. Alternatively you can email gloria @ engagemagazine. co. uk
Subscription julie @ engagemagazine. co. uk Engage is sent to all members. Membership is accessible via our website.
Editor’ s letter
In this issue, we have featured the UK’ s key players on supplier diversity. Their opinions and perspectives will hopefully give you a clearer understanding of the real challenges ahead, if we are to truly integrate supplier diversity into the way we do business in the UK.
London is home to a multitude of dynamic, enterprising small businesses. Many are micro-businesses and too small to compete for current 2012 contracts on offer. The Government needs to act now if it is serious about sharing the wealth 2012 has to offer with London’ s minority-owned business communities. Consider breaking down the contracts, make it a priority that large organisations sub-contract to minorityowned businesses within the five Olympic boroughs and, most importantly, publicise these successes.
In January 2008 the ODA released information on the business benefits derived from 2012 Games projects. Apparently, over 500 contractors had won contracts worth over £ 1 billion in total; more than two-thirds( 68 %) were small and medium sized, and one in ten( 11 %) were based in one of the five east London host boroughs.
It would have been encouraging if they went one step further and produced statistics on the number of minority-owned businesses that had won contracts, but I sense, as does London’ s minority-owned business community, that this is simply not happening.
Engage will continue to evaluate, monitor and report back on the impact these Games are really having on minority-owned business communities. We believe it is not too late‘ for action’ to fulfil the promises made to London’ s Olympic borough communities.
I look forward to receiving your comments and contributions.
© engage magazine was first published in May 2006 and incorporates business diversity and helps to support entrepreneurship and business growth. Engage magazine is produced and published by Engage uk Networks. All rights reserved. this publication( or any part thereof) may not be reproduced, transmitted or stored in print or electronic format or any other format in any media whatsoever, without the prior written permission of the publishers. Engage magazine accepts no liability for the accuracy of the contents or any opinions expressed herein.
| uk engage Networks
Gloria Wyse Editor
.
ISSUE SEVEN 2008 engage | uk