Canary Wharf Group plays a leading role in the organisations which represent and promote business in London and the UK. Among the bodies of which we are active members are:
- London First
- Confederation of British Industry
- The British Property Federation
- The Docklands Business Club
- London Chamber of Commerce and Industry
- Think London
- Gateway to London
- International Financial Services London
- The Town and Country Planning Association
- The British Canadian Chamber of Commerce
- Business In The Community
- The Architecture Foundation
Locally we are represented in the East London Business Alliance, one of our main partners in delivering economic development and employment programmes, as well as on the Tower Hamlets Partnership and the Tower Hamlets Business Forum.
We have provided corporate sponsorship for several London charities close to our work in regeneration, including a five year programme of support for the Heritage of London Trust, which works to restore and protect historic structures, and an ongoing programme of support for the Museum of London Docklands, based just across the dock from us at West India Quay.
In recent years we have supported events and programmes for the national youth charity UK Youth, the London Festival of Architecture, the National Youth Theatre, and the Jewish Association of Business Ethics.
Our biggest charitable event each year is the annual British Heart Foundation Canary Wharf Jog, involving more than 1,000 fun-runners, raising over £100,000 for this worthy cause.
When space has become available on a temporary basis, we have been able to offer rent-free accommodation within Canary Wharf for charities. Over the last few years this has included Teach First, which encourages high flying graduates to spend two years teaching before going on to corporate jobs, and Medicins du Monde, the international medical assistance charity.
The London 2012 Olympic Bid
From 2003-2005 we provided rent-free space for the London 2012 Olympic Bid and assisted with the presentation of the Bid to the International Olympic Committee as part of the Business Support Board. Following the selection of London as Host City for the Olympic Games, Canary Wharf Group helped set up the Legacy Trust for the Games with £40m of public funding, and joined the Legacy 2020 programme run by the East London Business Alliance. The company also provided ad hoc advice for the London Organising Committee, the Olympic Delivery Authority and the Olympic Park Legacy Company. Throughout our intention has been to ensure that local people can capture the immense benefits and long term legacy of the 2012 Olympics in east London.