20 Jun EUX creates award winning regeneration partnership in Leeds

Seacroft in East Leeds was chosen for a pioneering partnership bringing together stakeholders such as public services, employers and the community to deliver real social economic and environmental changes in areas already challenged by urban decay.

The Seacroft experiment was a unique public sector Private Sector Partnership managed and conceived by ourselves in East Leeds that won numerous awards and helped shape government employment policy.

The Partnership was focused on the proposed regeneration of the Seacroft Civic Centre, which was opened in 1965 by HRH Queen Elizabeth but fell into disrepair and decay

The aspiration was a new transport interchange linking Seacroft to the city centre four miles away, and new shops, which needed a locally trained workforce.

The issues in relation to the regeneration were very significant, skills shortages, no training, a disconnected community, and a stigmatized area of Leeds. High crime rates, lack of investment, poor transport.

The Partnership encouraged the local community to become involved in all stages as the work progressed, and through close engagement with employers and public sector partners the programmes created were able to deliver over half the staff required.

The key was engagement, and using the Seacroft Partnership to work closely with a number of high profile stakeholders, Leeds City Council and other investors. The Seacroft Partnership held numerous organised events and workshops, which brought the media and political spotlight onto the work of the Partnership.

The Seacroft Partnership won many awards including the Local Government Chronicle best Public Private Sector Partnership.

“The Seacroft Partnership is a stunning demonstration of what can be achieved when the public and private sectors work together.

It is an inspirational project, which utilises the different skills, experience and resources of all the partners.

The end result is huge benefits, not just to the partners themselves but crucially also to the community.”
To learn more contact Gary Cartmell Director of engagement and outreach.