The Statement of Intent was signed by the Leader of Lambeth Council, Councillor Jack Hopkins and Professor Ed Byrne AC, President & Principal of King’s, during a meeting at Lambeth Town Hall in Brixton.

A shared commitment to tackling social mobility is a central focus, with King’s and Lambeth Council promising to work together to promote equality of aspiration and opportunity for all. Developing and extending collaborations already in place, the document states that King’s and Lambeth Council will work together to: 

• Build strong relationships between the King’s community with Lambeth’s Council, communities and businesses.  
• Identify mutual priorities and co-create solutions to shared problems and challenges  
• Draw upon King’s research in combination with the lived experience and local expertise of communities in Lambeth to contribute to evidence-based local policy making  
• Create opportunities for the King’s community to collaborate with communities in Lambeth to learn from each other and to contribute to the co-development of strong neighbourhoods and thriving communities 
• Promote equality of aspiration and opportunity for all working together to improve social mobility 
• Contribute to the local community and economy by supporting local business and enterprise
• Share data, practice and research arising from closer collaboration with local communities 

Speaking about the partnership, Leader of Lambeth Council, Councillor Jack Hopkins, said:  

"During the summer, Lambeth council approved a new, refreshed Borough Plan, part of which requires us to build alliances and work with partners to improve the life chances of all of our diverse communities. This positive new relationship with King’s College London is an important step forward in pursuit of that goal. We are delighted that so soon after the launch of that Borough Plan, we are able to formalise what I believe will be a powerful and enduring partnership between ourselves and one of the world’s foremost academic institutions.

"Our collective task will be to work together to problem-solve effectively and to provide innovative yet inclusive ways of involving our communities in co-producing and co-designing solutions which achieve more equality of opportunity and outcome for people right across Lambeth." 

King's: a civic university at the heart of London

King’s has set out its ambition to be regarded throughout the world as a civic university at the heart of London, working in partnership to serve, support and sustain the city in which we create our home. 

In line with this, we are building stronger relationships with local authorities and working side by side with local organisations and community leaders. 

Deborah Bull (Baroness Bull), Vice President & Vice Principal (London), said: 

"This Statement of Intent outlines tangible commitments to our local communities in Lambeth that we will build on the relationships already in place to address key concerns and opportunities in the months and years to come. At King’s we are committed to doing all that we can to serve, support and sustain our local communities. We know that closer collaboration with our home boroughs and local communities can be mutually beneficial, enriching the learning experience for our students and enhancing research. 

"Today’s signing recognises the significant value of partnership and collaboration between Lambeth Council and King’s. Whether tackling social mobility or supporting local businesses, it is only by joining forces and addressing local challenges collectively that we can make a real and lasting difference."

Existing collaborations between King’s and Lambeth Council highlighted during the signing included: 

• VOLUNTEERING: King’s and Lambeth Council are working together to launch a pilot volunteering project for nursing and dentistry students providing basic health checks and health advice to homeless adults  
• CONSULTANCY: Small businesses in Lambeth have access to consultancy and business advice from students through the King’s Business School Consultancy Project 
• COLLABORATION: Nine charities from Lambeth are participating in the inaugural King’s Civic Challenge, working with King’s students and staff to co-create solutions to local challenges that each charity has identified  

Learn more about King's commitment to London and the communities in which we make our home at kcl.ac.uk/local.