Signatory Bios

Royal Borough of Kingston

Skills and Employment support is key to how the borough delivers the’ fairer’ themes of its Council Plan and Economic Development Strategy.  Our Skills and Employment Action Plan focuses on participation, transition and supporting those with additional barriers to employment and growth.

Delivery is through a range of specialist health and care services for adults and children, cross-sector partnerships and directly commissioned targeted services and initiatives. Kingston Adult Education’s employment support Service – ACES – offers intensive individual support to progress into paid employment, while the council is working to deliver more on work experience. Our services are brought together on connectedkingston.uk

The London Borough of Merton provides a range of support for skills development and employment through the Merton Council Employment Team. Resources include training for specific skills, help with job applications and interviews, apprenticeship opportunities, and pathways into paid work and volunteering.

Merton Chamber of Commerce provides first-class support to businesses across Merton, and create a sense of community through valued networking, events, local partnerships and access to the wider Chamber movement. We want to be a catalyst for sustainable business growth, a community of leaders and influential members of the wider business ecosystem.

The Kingston Chamber of Commerce is an independent, not for profit organisation entirely funded by our membership and one of the largest borough chambers in London. Formally recognised as the business representative for the business community in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, we provide networking, training, advice and business development opportunities. 

Seetec is one of the UK’s largest employee-owned public service providers. Our purpose is to support individuals, organisations and communities to achieve purposeful growth. We help people who face a range of barriers to move into good, sustainable employment, learn new skills, and rebuild their lives.

We also partner with local businesses to support with inclusive recruitment and develop skilled workforces. We believe in the potential of every customer and, because everyone’s journey is different, we tailor our support to meet individual needs. We also know what it’s like to walk in our customers’ shoes because many of our team have lived experience and have travelled a similar route themselves.

JACE Training is a respected independent training provider with over 40 years of experience developing learners and professionals to start or extend their career path. JACE empower individuals to build rewarding careers through tailored training in Childcare, Playwork, Surveying, Business, Teaching Assistant, Youth Work, or Sport.

A flexible, learner-focused approach ensures every programme, whether a pre-apprenticeship, apprenticeship, or bespoke course, meets both personal and employer needs. Committed to the JACE values to inspire, educate, and development all, they help attract, retain, and upskill talent locally. Trusted by partners across the UK, JACE builds strong, collaborative relationships that shape futures and support long-term success for learners and businesses alike.

Reed in Partnership’s mission is to positively transform people and their communities. With our help they can achieve their goals and change their lives for the better. We’re proud of the difference we can make. Hundreds of thousands of people across the UK have benefited from our services.

Croydon College, rooted in the 1868 Croydon School of Art, is proud of its foundation in the Arts. It formally became Croydon College in 1974, enabling it to develop as an anchor institution within the borough. Merging with Coulsdon Sixth Form in 2019 strengthened the educational offer in Croydon, bringing together the two largest education providers in the borough.

With over 2,650 16-19 year old students and 2,700 adult learners, Croydon College offers a wide range of courses providing an inclusive community, an enriched education and pathways to successful careers.

We are Harrow, Richmond, and Uxbridge Colleges (HRUC) one of the largest further education colleges in England.

Each of our vibrant colleges has its own distinguished history and is serving local communities and employers across west and south London with distinction.

Today, HRUC is delivering the very best for its ambitious learners. We do this by offering high quality courses, apprenticeships and programmes for young people, enabling them to make extraordinary progress towards their own personal goals.

We’re a welcoming group of exceptional colleges building new relationships with schools, businesses, and industry. Exploring exciting new opportunities to collaborate with a range of local, national, and international partners.

Our HRUC portfolio includes three further education colleges, the West London Institute of Technology, providing higher technical STEM qualifications and HRUC Apprenticeships & Skills providing a range of apprenticeships and support for businesses to develop their workforce.

London South Bank University offers a practical and vocational approach, ensuring students leave equipped with the skills to meet the challenges of today’s workplace. Originally the Borough Polytechnic Institute, we laid down roots in south London in 1892 and have been improving the lives of students, businesses and the local community ever since. Our original aim ‘to promote the industrial skill, general knowledge, health and well-being of young men and women’ remains central to our mission today.

Carshalton College offers high quality vocational  education at all levels. Close to both Sutton and Croydon, the College is easily accessible from all areas of South London. Located in an attractive area with lots of green spaces, parks and the Carshalton ponds the College has been an education provider in Sutton for over 60 years.

Set in south west London adjacent to the River Thames, Kingston College is an amazing location for students with its vibrant town centre and excellent transport links. The College offers courses in a friendly, stimulating environment for study. The Creative Industries Centre is a separate campus providing state of the art facilities for our creative arts students.

Adjacent to the beautiful grounds of Morden Park, Merton College is easily accessible by bus, train, tube or tram. The College boasts industry standard facilities including the renowned Taste Restaurant with state of the art professional kitchens for hospitality and catering students.

Situated in the heart of Wandsworth with great transport links, South Thames College is just 9 minutes from Clapham Junction. With fantastic purpose built teaching facilities, study at South Thames College is exciting, fun and as close as possible to a real working environment. A second campus at Tooting offers a wide range part time courses.

Sutton College originally named Sutton College of Liberal Arts, the College changed its name to Sutton College of Learning for Adults in 2001 and is one of very few Adult and Community Learning services in the country to have its own purpose-built centre. Now ‘Sutton College’ since June 2015, the College continues to provide approximately 800 courses each year as well as Apprenticeships and Business Training. The college hosts the Step Ahead service – a Path to Employment, Skills & Careers. Whether you’re starting afresh, switching careers, or just need a confidence boost, we’re here to help.

Nihal Gerçek is an award-winning career and HR consultant based in London, with over 25 years of experience. She provides tailored support to individuals through CV writing, interview coaching, and career transitions. In addition, she offers consultancy to companies in areas such as recruitment, performance management, and outplacement.

Her work bridges international talent with UK opportunities and supports organisations in building effective, inclusive HR practices. As a signatory of the South London Skills and Employment Charter, she contributes actively to strengthening the region’s workforce through strategic partnerships and community engagement.

At The Disability Sports Network, we specialize in high-quality sports photography across all levels and abilities—from grassroots competitions to the Paralympic stage. Led by experienced photographer Michael, our mission is to capture the true essence of sport: the emotion, determination, and spirit of every athlete, team, and moment.

With a passion for inclusivity, we are especially committed to showcasing athletes with disabilities, a field that remains significantly underrepresented in the world of sports media. Michael’s vision goes beyond capturing powerful images—he is also dedicated to mentoring the next generation of sports photographers, with a strong focus on promoting diversity and representation in disabled sports photography.

No matter the sport or setting, we’re here to capture the action that inspires.

Ingeus delivers services to help people improve their employment, skills, health and wellbeing. 

We do this by using evidence of what works, rethinking public services and building alliances with expert partners around the needs of citizens today.

Our programmes are designed to help people overcome challenges such as unemployment;  health conditions and disabilities and social exclusion and are accessed by thousands of people every year. 

We work with government, supply chain partners, employers and community organisations, and have been delivering trusted and tailored solutions for customers in London and across the UK since 1997.

DFN Project SEARCH is a transition to work programme for 18–24-year-olds committed to transforming the lives of young people with learning disabilities and autism. The programme provides real-life work experience combined with training in employability and independent-living skills to help young people make successful transitions to a productive adult life. The end goal is paid employment externally or internally. Our programme is conducted in St George’s Hospital, Tooting and runs for approximately 9 months following the academic year.

Applicants will need an active EHCP to be considered for the programme.

ELE Hub is a Community Interest Company breaking down barriers to employment such as age (too old / too young), background, experience gaps, or an imperfect career path.

Through our done-for-you Personalised Job Search Support, we take the pressure off jobseekers by handling the time-consuming parts of the process – searching for suitable roles, customising CVs and cover letters for each role, and completing job applications for the individual that overcome barriers and land quality job interviews.

Our unique Skills Practice Hub helps participants bridge experience gaps and build career confidence by joining live projects. We free people from the emotional weight of job searching, helping them rebuild confidence and gain meaningful employment.

Analytiq Global Ltd is a London-based, forward-looking technology start-up that delivers advanced IT and blockchain solutions to empower businesses in the digital age. The company excels in blockchain development, asset tokenisation frameworks, smart contract engineering, DeFi platform creation, cryptocurrency payment integration, and scalable Web3 infrastructure. Their capabilities also extend to web development, data engineering, AI-driven visualization, and seamless system integration across blockchain and Web3 technologies.

The University of Roehampton helps to realise students’ potential in a relaxed and inclusive campus, where they’ll find all the support and resources they need to shine. Placing in the Top 3 London Universities for student satisfaction in the complete university guide 2026 exemplifies this, alongside ranking England’s #8 for undergraduate student satisfaction in the National student survey 2024.

With cutting-edge academic programmes, outstanding research facilities and close ties to industry, we offer a rich, progressive working environment. The REF 2021 ranked us joint-best modern university in the UK for research, with 77% of our outcomes judged ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’.

At Aim Solutions, we help NHS Integrated Care Boards, councils and community organisations design and deliver solutions to solve today’s challenges and improve opportunities for all. Our experienced team provides hands-on, practical support that helps clients improve outcomes, strengthen community resilience and achieve sustainable efficiencies.

Whether you’re looking to get into work, learn new skills or want to strengthen your team, we’re here to help you Get Set for a better tomorrow. We believe people should be able to fulfil their potential, whatever their circumstances. Everything we do is about helping people get access to the support and training they need to find rewarding work and move their lives forward.

Clarion Housing is the UK’s largest housing association, owning and managing 125,000 homes: 360,000 people call a Clarion home their home.

Homes are the platforms on which lives are built – and providing those homes is a role we take seriously. We’re committed to providing good, affordable homes for those that need it the most and a great service to all residents.

Clarion Housing is part of Clarion Housing Group, which is made up of both commercial and not-for-profit subsidiaries. The group undertakes a range of commercial activities in order to invest in our core social mission to provide homes for those who need them most.

At John Ruskin College, we will provide you with a whole range of skills and experiences to prepare you for your next steps, and to help you to reach success in your future. We provide high quality teaching and learning opportunities for all our students. Our tutors come from relevant industries, with many continuing their practice whilst they teach. This means our students understand current practice and technologies, and benefit from first hand industry experience. Tutors encourage and support students as they explore and develop, keeping students motivated and inspired through a range of teaching methods.

Our partnerships with over 300 local and national employers create opportunities for students. At OSC, we have a proven track record with employers with 91.2% agreeing we provide a ‘good or better’ training experience​.  Employers say we are good at developing the “right skills for their industry” for students and apprentices​.

Our Business Development and Careers team are well established in supporting work placements, industry contacts and wider employer engagement and these create real progression opportunities for all students. Specifically at JRC, we also work with external organisations such as Palace for Life Foundation (the charitable arm of Crystal Palace FC), which provides a mentoring programme to students). We also work with Kazzum and Spherea to provide additional value to our ESOL students.

At CJP we believe education is everything, not only flawless application but also the health and safety aspects to ensure a long and lasting career. This is your first port of call if you want to venture into the world of nails, or you want to take your nails to the next level. Our educators have been handpicked by our head of education and most of all their love of teaching, and the way that they deliver courses in an educational yet fun and exhilarating way!

Voice For Locals is for any organisation in the world whose priority is to support and level up local businesses who are hard to reach, economically inactive, digitally excluded, disproportionately affected and in the verge of closing down permanently. We are keen to work with:

• Small business governments, local councils/economic development offices
• Small business banks, non-banking financial instituitions, impact investors, crowd funding groups
• Chamber of commerce, business improvement districts, trade unions, weekend markets & high-street retail associations
• Community groups & voluntary organisations that support local businesses

GoodGym arose out of a frustration with normal gyms being a waste of energy and human potential – and responding to growing loneliness in cities. It started when founder Ivo started running to deliver the newspaper to Terry, an older Hackney resident in 2007. Terry was housebound and didn’t see any friends on a regular basis. Ivo wasn’t exercising much and needed a reason to run. Over the course of a few years they became friends and Ivo learned to love running. He started getting other people to do the same thing; combining their run with helping an older neighbour.

In September 2009 we formed as a non profit company and in 2011 we started meeting up in groups to run to help community projects. People in Bristol and Liverpool picked up on the idea and started running sessions too. A sense of community started to emerge and we started running sessions all over East London around the time of the 2012 Olympics. In 2015 we registered as a charity.

GoodGym is one of the most fun things you can do. We know that if lots of us make this a regular part of our lives we can make a massive difference to the cities we live in. We can contribute to making them greener, less lonely, and better connected. Loneliness and isolation are growing. Our lives are increasingly lived through screens and we’re becoming more isolated. Not only can participation in GoodGym improve someone’s wellbeing, it can help someone else too. By stopping off on our runs, walks and cycles we can provide connection, hope and sustenance to those who are housebound.

GoodGym is now open to everyone in 62 areas across the UK and there are hundreds of people interested in setting up GoodGym in their area.

Mindset Management, run by Charlotte, is an independent coaching and therapy service, offering 1:1 support backed by varied therapeutic qualifications and a uniquely compassionate approach to helping clients deal with difficult moments of change and disruption in life.

Charlotte combines mindset coaching with Root Cause Therapy, helping clients gently explore and release the subconscious blocks, patterns, or unresolved trauma that keep them stuck.

Her coaching style is:

Compassionate – No judgment, just a safe space to be fully seen.

Honest & Empowering – We go deep, but we also get practical.

Rooted in Connection – I show up fully for you, so you can show up fully for yourself.

RBKares is a volunteer-run charity that brings Kingston residents and services together to support communities in need. Our intention is to make a difference, either by plugging support gaps or complementing local services to help any Kingston resident in need, regardless of background or faith. Our campaigns and projects benefit residents across the borough, whilst our inclusive approach helps combat loneliness and mental health challenges among volunteers.

Created in response to community need during Covid-19, the group became a charity in January 2022 with the goal of increasing the range of campaigns it could offer, and the impact it could therefore have across the borough.

Our strong partnerships with local organisations and motivated volunteers mean we can respond at pace to borough-wide needs. By galvanising the community we provide a wide range of practical, creative and morale-boosting support for hospital workers, carers, refugees, care homes residents and other vulnerable groups.

RBKares is an example of what communities can achieve when they partner together to maximise limited resources and maximise their collective impact through collaboration. What’s more, RBKares is the rare example of an entirely volunteer-run charity that has managed to inspire support from every area – from the council to councillors, NHS to pharmacies, charities to social enterprises – all with one united goal; to help those most in need across the community.

ML Property Venture was founded to bridge the gap between ambition and opportunity. We believe Property shouldn’t be exclusive, everyone deserves access to the knowledge, network and confidence needed to create real change.

From one-to-one mentoring and strategy support, to community programmes and partnerships with local councils, we turn property education into action. Our work combines training, consultancy and connection; supporting individuals, professionals and organisations who want to learn, grow and build through property. Plus, we have our own portfolio, so no first-hand, what comes with Investing in Property.

We exist to widen access to the Property sector. Through mentoring, practical programmes and an active learning community, we empower people to move from thinking about it to doing it. Whether you’re exploring Property for the first time or scaling your next investment, we provide the clarity, tools and accountability to help you achieve it.

Goodwill Business Services Ltd is a leading Security Industry Authority (SIA) training provider in London, dedicated to delivering high quality and industry relevant courses. Our experienced instructors bring a wealth of practical knowledge to the classroom, ensuring that our students receive the best possible preparation for their security careers. We are committed to providing a supportive and engaging learning environment, equipping our students with the skills and confidence to succeed in the security industry.

We offer a comprehensive range of SIA accredited courses, including Door Supervisor, Security Guard, CCTV Operator, and Close Protection training. Our courses are designed to meet the latest industry standards and regulations, ensuring that our graduates are well prepared for the challenges of the modern security landscape. We provide flexible learning options to suit individual needs and schedules. Whether you are looking to start a new career in security or enhance your existing skills, Goodwill Business Services is your trusted partner for SIA training. Our training center is conveniently located in London, providing easy access for students from across the city and surrounding areas.

We are dedicated to helping our students achieve their career goals and provide ongoing support and guidance throughout their training journey. Join Goodwill Business Services and take the first step toward a rewarding and secure future.

Portland Training is an independent training provider supporting residents across London to move back into employment through upskilling opportunities funded by the Adult Skills Fund (ASF) and the Greater London Authority (GLA). We deliver fully funded, short training courses designed to equip learners with the skills, qualifications, and confidence needed to secure sustainable employment in the following sectors:

• Construction (CSCS)
• Administration
• Cleaning
• Retail

Kido is a place where innovation and imagination unite to create modern, inspiring Early Years settings. We’re reimagining what excellence in Early Years education looks like, and we know that our people are the magic to help us achieve that vision.

Our teams are the reason for our success, we’re committed to going above and beyond to ensure every person at Kido feels recognised, appreciated and inspired. You will be fully supported to grow and thrive throughout your career at Kido.

We’re dedicated to helping you reach your full potential, enabling you to have a lasting positive impact on the lives of the children and families we support.