Central London Forward

Our London Housing Summit last week wouldn’t have been possible without our major sponsors, @Barratt_London and L&Q, supporting sponsor Hyde and workshop partners @CLF_news, @crisis_uk, Partnership for Young London, London Borough of Camden, @RBKC and Inner Circle Consulting.

CLF took part in the London Housing Summit 2026, organised by @centreforlondon. We hosted a breakout on construction skills & workforce development, discussing skills gaps, workforce shortages, and pathways into the sector to support housing delivery. Thanks for joining!

CLF recommends: 1️⃣ At least 50% of revenue retained locally 2️⃣ A shared forum for London boroughs and the Mayor to agree priorities on levy administration and use 3️⃣ Short-term lets should pay a higher rate than hotels to reflect hotels’ economic impact and the housing pressures.

@leader_wcc , CLF Chair, joins borough leaders to call on the govt to #KeepTheLevyLocal. OVL could raise £350M in London, with a 50% local share reinvesting over £175М directly into local councils, supporting growth projects, the visitor economy, and essential local services

@leader_wcc, Chair of CLF, on @BBCRadioLondon: London boroughs call for at least 50% of the overnight visitor levy to be retained locally – supporting services, businesses & growth. This is now the agreed pan-London position through @londoncouncils . ▶️ Watch:

@leader_wcc, Chair of CLF, on @BBCRadioLondon: London boroughs call for at least 50% of the overnight visitor levy to be retained locally – supporting services, businesses & growth. This is now the agreed pan-London position through @londoncouncils . ▶️ Watch:

CLF joined an event at the House of Commons. 💭 It was inspiring to meet colleagues from across the sector and discuss how we can better support young people into work. 📌 Barriers like limited opportunities, health&wellbeing challenges, fewer entry-level roles were explored.

📌 Key to success? Direct access to GP systems = closer collaboration with clinicians & better patient support. This is a brilliant example of what happens when health & employment teams work together. 💪 Proud to support this work at CLF!

🫶 Employment Specialists fully integrated into GP practices = real impact! The Engagement Team at @TowerHamletsNow made this happen at Jubilee Practice. Since 13 Jan, clinics now run 2️⃣ days/week & delivery is expanding to Gough Walk on 29 Jan.

Yesterday, CLF visited @DWPgovuk to meet with @DianaJohnsonMP, Minister for Employment. The meeting centred on the vital role of sub-regional partnerships and the great work of our member boroughs. We committed to continue working together to support Londoners into good work.

Our new report shows an overnight visitor levy could raise over £350M across London, with £275M generated by the 12 central boroughs. Boroughs are calling for at least 50% of this revenue to be retained locally to fund services, support businesses, strengthen economy. Read⬇️⬇️⬇️

📢Calling community orgs, social enterprises & small providers! Join our Market Warming Webinar to learn about upcoming commissioning opportunities for the Youth Guarantee Trailblazer (Full Potential) programme. 🖇️Register via Eventbrite: eventbrite.co.uk/e/market-warmi…

🙌We’re pleased to welcome Mark Williams as the new Director of Central London Forward. Mark brings 17 years of experience working across local and regional government in London, as well as central government and the private sector.

After three years out of work, Warda found the confidence, support, and opportunity to return to a career in medicine through the #ConnectToWork oWork Programme. 🖇️Delivered by CLF, the programme helps residents of Central London find and sustain work. 🫶Read Warda’s story.

The training provided our teams with practical, up-to-date employment law guidance, enabling them to confidently support colleagues and participants across our programmes.

📚Central London Forward recently commissioned Browne Jacobson to deliver a tailored employment law session for our Connect To Work and Full Potential Youth Trailblazer teams.

At CLF, we see this every day through our programmes supporting skills, employment, and inclusive growth across central London. 🫶It was inspiring to connect with so many colleagues sharing the same commitment to creating opportunities and tackling shared challenges together.

Last week we attended the Employment Related Services Association (ERSA) Conference in London, where leaders from across sectors discussed the future of employability, funding reform, and evolving employer expectations.