.jpg)
Although Oxfordshire is a globally recognised centre for research and innovation, with a wealth of world-leading institutions, the county has significant and avoidable inequalities in health and wellbeing, which are shaped by the conditions in which people live and work.
The Oxfordshire Anchor Network (OAN) brings together some of the county’s biggest organisations to tackle local inequalities, benefit local communities and strengthen the local economy.
The OAN is hosted by the Oxfordshire Inclusive Economy Partnership (OIEP). The Anchor Network provides a forum within this wider partnership for the county’s largest institutions to work together on the influence they have as major employers, purchasers and asset owners.
What is an Anchor network?
Anchor institutions are large organisations that have a long-term interest in the future of Oxfordshire and have a significant presence and influence in the county, through a combination of being largescale employers, the largest purchasers of goods and services and owning large amounts of land and property. These include local authorities, NHS bodies, educational institutions, and emergency services, among others.
Through the strategic management of these assets, anchor institutions can generate positive, often transformational, impacts on the local economy and communities - and create the social and economic conditions their own institutions need to thrive
FOcus Areas
Widening access to good quality employment
One of the most important ways anchor institutions can contribute to reducing inequality is by widening access to good quality employment. The Oxfordshire Marmot Place initiative has identified fair employment and good work for all as one of its eight principles for addressing local health inequalities.
Being in employment significantly reduces the likelihood of being in poverty. Yet with the UK’s rising cost of living, simply being in work does not guarantee financial security.
Nationally, 12% of adults in work live in poverty, and of workers earning less than the Real Living Wage, 30% report regularly skipping meals due to financial pressures. Low pay and insecure work are linked to higher rates of diabetes, strokes, oral cancer, dental disease, depression and anxiety.
There is a strong organisational case alongside the social case. Financial pressure is linked to higher staff absences and reduced concentration at work. Conversely, many employers report that paying the Real Living Wage brings organisational benefits, including improved reputation, recruitment and staff retention.
What actions can anchor institutions take?
Widen access to employment and career pathways for people who face barriers to employment or who live in areas experiencing greater economic disadvantage
This can include targeted recruitment, accessible entry-level routes, apprenticeships, work experience and opportunities for internal progression.
Provide good quality employment, including decent pay and secure hours
This can include offering the Real Living Wage — or the Oxford Living Wage for organisations operating in Oxford — as a minimum, and providing secure and predictable working hours in line with the Living Hours standard set by the Real Living Wage foundation. Anchors can also require their contractors to provide these standards of pay and employment conditions to their outsourced workforce.
Procurement for Local Impact
Oxfordshire’s anchor institutions collectively spend hundreds of millions of pounds every year on goods and services. Where that money goes can have a significant influence on the county’s economy, communities and environment. Directing more of this spending towards Oxfordshire-based suppliers and businesses that create social and environmental impact can help keep wealth circulating locally, support local jobs and supply chains, and generate wider benefits for people and places across the county.
What actions can anchor institutions take?
Increase spend with Oxfordshire-based suppliers and values-driven suppliers that share their social and environmental goals
Values-driven suppliers could include Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprises (VCSEs) that trade for a social or environmental purpose and reinvest their profits into that mission. The UK government has recognised that SMEs and VCSEs are “more likely to generate diverse and thriving local economies, creating jobs and economic growth. Increasing procurement spend with these suppliers is a national priority to drive economic growth.”
Oxfordshire has a diverse ecosystem of trading VCSEs, many of which are deeply rooted in place, enabling them to deliver social value that is relevant to the needs of the communities and places they serve. However, many struggle to access anchor institution procurement opportunities, limiting their growth and impact.
Anchors can address this by tailoring tender processes to be more accessible to smaller and values-led suppliers; using alternative procurement routes where permissible; and identifying opportunities to direct below-tender purchasing towards local VCSEs.
Secure additional social impact from suppliers
Anchors can ask suppliers to make additional commitments that benefit local communities, such as creating employment opportunities for people facing barriers to work, supporting community organisations or reducing environmental impacts. These ‘social value’ commitments can be built into tender assessments and contracts, with clear expectations for delivery.
Making underused spaces available to VCSEs
Oxfordshire’s Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector plays a vital role in supporting community wellbeing, tackling inequalities, responding to environmental challenges and enriching local arts and culture. Yet many of these organisations operate on limited budgets, and the cost of accessing suitable spaces can constrain their activities and long-term sustainability.
Meanwhile, anchor institutions hold a wealth of buildings and spaces — from meeting rooms and offices to event venues — that may sit unused at certain times. Making these available to local VCSEs at little to no cost is an opportunity to put existing assets to wider community benefit, often with little additional cost to the institution.
What actions can anchor institutions take?
Offer VCSEs ad-hoc or regular access to space
Make meeting rooms, offices and event spaces available for community groups and social enterprises to use for activities, workshops, meetings and events, particularly during evenings, weekends or university holidays when spaces may otherwise be empty – as the University of Edinburgh has done with their Community Access to Rooms initiative.
Create opportunities for longer-term VCSE use
Where possible, offer longer-term leases at a “peppercorn rate” (little to no cost), enabling VCSEs to establish a more permanent base for their work.
How to get involved
We’ll be organising workshops, events and peer-learning opportunities, bringing together anchor institutions from across Oxfordshire to share experiences, explore opportunities for collaboration and learn from examples elsewhere in the country.
We’ll also share case studies and practical resources to help anchors explore what they could do differently within their own organisations.
You can contact our OAN network co-ordinator to
- Add your organisation to the OAN newsletter
- Book a 1:1 to discuss how you can take action in your organisation
.png){kind=small}