London Heritage Quarter is bringing six giant Easter eggs to Eccleston Yards as part of a local community competition.

Four local schools and youth clubs have designed the eggs, which will be on display in Eccleston Yards from Tuesday 26th March to Monday 1st April 2024.

Visitors can vote for their favourite and the winning egg will receive £500 worth of Amazon vouchers to put towards school or club equipment.

The participating schools and clubs include Burdett-Coutts & Townshend Foundation CE VA Primary School, St. Peter’s Eaton Square CE Primary School, St Andrew’s Youth Club, and Westminster City School.

Vote via the Victoria BID Website 

London Heritage Quarter have partnered with Arup to assess key trends and developments
impacting the area, up to 2040, and to produce recommendations for action.

Work and skills in 2040

• The number of jobs in Westminster will grow, but not as fast as elsewhere in London. However, Westminster will remain at the centre of London’s economy, with the highest number of jobs in London at 820,000 by 2040.
• By 2040, there will be up to 1.1m new green jobs in London, with finance the largest green economy sector. The green transition may be constrained by a lack of skills, and reskilling will require a significant cross-sector effort.
• UK government is aiming to relocate around one-fifth of civil service roles out of London by 2027. Private sector occupiers may follow, and others may take the vacated space. This shift may unlock opportunities for growing a private sector presence in the area, subject to adapting the office stock to new occupiers’ needs.
• The ‘flight to quality’ now appears structural. This means that higher specifications and more central locations are winning out over secondary centres and stock and may continue to do so to 2040. Location is increasingly a key factor that determines the desirability of offices. Office swill need to offer a diversity of spaces, from larger, flexible collaboration spaces to smaller spaces for focus tasks or online meetings. Many workspaces will become compelling destinations, drawing workers away from home and third spaces.
• Employees are returning to the office slowly, but flexible work may lead to right-sizing in the short term. Office occupancy is expected to recover to 2019 levels by 2040 but could be reached as early as 2030 or earlier if the economy grows faster.
• Artificial intelligence (AI) will significantly impact the nature of work by 2040, potentially creating new roles, and augmenting others. London HQ is well-placed to benefits from new and augmented roles created by the AI revolution in the workplace and will remain a desirable venue for in-person
  meetings.

Retail in 2040

• Central London will gain from a gradual recovery in retail spending. Whilst real worker expenditure might not reach 2019 levels until the mid-2030s, (Arup, 2022), tourism spending is expected to rebound quicker (GLA Economics, 2022). In the long-term, the vibrancy of the retail offer in the
  LHQ area will still depend on a balanced mix of office workers, tourists and locals.
• In-person stores will remain competitive by providing a more immersive, personalised experience. Some flagship physical stores may introduce theatrical settings through alternative store layouts, lighting design or multi-sensory interventions. Other retailers may prioritise data-driven
  personalised interactions.
• Consumers and retailers will embrace the era of localism, distinctiveness and attention to ethics. In the short term, this may lead to a shift from major chain brands or innovative forms of co-location. While chain stores may rebound in the long term, they are likely to be repositioned as
  more local and community-oriented.

Read full report here

7 April 2024

The London Landmarks Half Marathon is a closed road, central London run and is the only half marathon to go through both the City of London and City of Westminster. The event is organised by baby charity, Tommy’s to benefit themselves and many other good causes.

The event is not your average half marathon! From cultural landmarks and heritage to the city’s quirky and hidden secrets, runner get to explore the capital on a route like no other! This year, Whitehall BID is a proud sponsor! The event will start on the iconic Pall Mall, before runners take in the sights and sounds of London’s awe-inspiring landmarks, eventually finishing outside Downing Street. 

LLHM 2024 Road Closure Map

The London Landmarks Half Marathon is so much more than just a run! The event celebrates London’s grand, quirky and hidden history like never before. Runners can discover the birthplace of the bowler hat, learn more about Roman life beneath the City’s cobbled streets and find out why Waterloo Bridge is known as Ladies Bridge.

The race starts on Pall Mall, finishes by Downing Street and has fabulous views of London’s most iconic landmarks including Big Ben, St Paul’s Cathedral, Nelson’s Column, the Gherkin, the Shard, the Tower of London and the London Eye.

Sign Up/Find out more > 

Come and celebrate London’s St Patrick’s Day Festival on Sunday 17 March in Trafalgar Square. There’ll be the best of Irish arts, culture, food, music to enjoy, and more, including the spectacular annual parade.

The Mayor’s annual shindig has become a highlight of London’s cultural calendar, as Londoners and visitors unite in celebrating the great contributions Irish people have made to the city.

St Patrick’s Day is the perfect opportunity to celebrate the enduring strength of the relationship between the British and Irish people.

Irish national treasure Panti Bliss will be Grand Marshal of this year’s spectacular parade. More than 50,000 people are expected to join the annual procession of Irish marching bands, dance troupes and pageantry. The parade starts at Hyde Park Corner, then travels through Piccadilly, St James’s Street, Pall Mall, Cockspur Street and Whitehall.

The action then moves to Trafalgar Square with a world-class line-up, in partnership with London Irish Centre. Expect family concerts, children’s films and youth performances, as well community choirs, schools and dancing.

Alongside the main stage, International Chef of the Year 2019, Anna Haugh will be running food demos. There’ll also be children’s workshops so come along and join in the fun.

If you can’t make it to Trafalgar Square listen along live on the day from 1pm with Barra and Cal, exclusively on Maritime Radio, 96.5FM and on your smart speaker. Or listen again on catch up player straight after the programme has been broadcast on maritimeradio.co.uk

Businesses and Residents Letter 

To get you into the weekend mood and to celebrate TfL’s trial off-peak Friday fares, London Heritage Quarter are bringing live music to Victoria every Friday lunchtime from 15 March till 3 May, in partnership with Landsec. Each week, we’ll welcome a different London artist to play on our mini stage in Cardinal Place. Victoria between 12-2pm.

To celebrate International Women’s Day, London Heritage Quarter are hosting a wellness morning in collaboration with Dr. Apul Parikh. The event will take place at The RSA (Royal Society of Arts) on 8 March from 9am until 12pm. Dr Apul will be showcasing his knowledge of over 20 years in the cosmetic and wellness industry and welcoming speakers such as life coaches, nutritionists, and other specialists to this session. The programme will cover various aspects of women’s health.  If you would like to attend RSVP here.

What’s on offer at Crisis at Christmas Day Centres this year?

Crisis at Christmas Day Centres are safe, warm and lively places, run by caring and friendly volunteers. They are open for anyone to attend. No referral is needed and guests can show up and join us on the day.

Timings and locations

• This year Crisis is opening its Christmas Day Centres in three new locations:
  Bermondsey Day Centre, City of London Academy Southwark, SE1 5LA
• Pimlico Day Centre, Pimlico Academy, SW1V 3AT
• Stratford Day Centre, School 21, E15 4RZ
  Centres will be open 10am – 5pm from 24 December to 28 December 2023. 
  
  Guests are expected to make their way to the day centres.
  
  For full details, please download the guest invite leaflet from their website. 

Download their Day Centre leaflet

What’s on offer?

• At our day centres guests will have access to:
•  Hot meals and snacks
•  Shower facilities
• Toiletries
• Advice, information and support
• Free international phone calls
• Healthcare, podiatry and opticians
• A salon service offering haircuts, hair styling, beard trims and nail care
• Computer access, printing and support to get online
• Creative sessions
• Films and TV
• Games, quizzes and bingo
• Sports (including a football tournament!)

Accommodation

Crisis at Christmas accommodation is for guests who are sleeping rough. 

If you have clients who are on the streets and need accommodation over the Christmas period, please ask them to contact their outreach worker, who can organise a referral to us.

Most fondly known by Londoners as LNYDP, the London New Year’s Day Parade will be running alongside the LNYDP concert and grand finale.

With more than 8,000 performers representing the London boroughs and countries from across the globe, this fantastic event attracts around 600,000 spectators and is not something you will want to miss.

Catch all the festivities along the London New Year’s Day Parade route, which usually runs from Piccadilly to Piccadilly Circus, Lower Regent Street, Pall Mall, Trafalgar Square Parliament Street and Whitehall.

For local businesses and residents, please see here to find out more information about how this may affect you, and here for a letter to share with relevant stakeholders.

To help you countdown to Christmas, the London Heritage Quarter will host an online Christmas Advent Calendar from 1-25 December. Each day, until 24 December, there will be one or more spectacular prizes on offer including a one-night stay for 2 at the ME Hotel, 2 mixed wine flights for Gordon’s Wine Bar, £100 Gift Voucher at Smith & Wollensky, a Set Lunch Menu for 2 at The Pem, Conrad St James Hotel, the tasting menu for 2 with a glass of champagne from Yaatra and many more. Keep your eyes peeled on the victoriabid.co.uk homepage from 1 December to see if you can bag yourself an early Christmas present!