UK disability charity Scope has agreed a deal for a new headquarters and is moving to the Olympic Park in East London.
The charity, which is currently based in North London, will move to a new 15,472 sq ft office at Delancey’s Here East campus in Stratford, E15, in May.
Here East, developed by iCITY, a company owned by clients of Delancey, is a dedicated 1.2m sq ft campus for businesses, educators, entrepreneurs and artists, aimed at helping them to innovate, collaborate and create the products of the future.
Recently, global car giant Ford, online fashion retailer Matchesfashion.com, leisure company Ladbrokes Coral and video games company Sports Interactive have all announced plans to move parts of their operations to the site. UCL and Loughborough University London both have campuses at Here East.
Scope said that the new HQ would form a base from which the company could change the way that it works internally and with external partners.
The relocation will enable Scope to collaborate with the existing community on the campus, including the Global Disability Innovation Hub, which works with businesses, academia and charities to improve the lives of disabled people; Plexal, the technology innovation centre; UCL; and Loughborough University London.
Scope’s new strategy, Everyday Equality, sets out radical plans for how the charity will campaign for disabled people to have the same opportunities as everyone else. It also sets out an ambitious plan for the future of the organisation. The new office will support new technology, new flexible ways of working and new working practices.
Digital technology
The charity is seeking to harness the power of digital technology to improve lives and reach many more disabled people, to offer them the information they need, be better connected and be in control.
East London is becoming a hub for innovation within the charitable sector. Scope joins Cancer Research UK, the British Council and Unicef, which will be based on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park from 2018.
Other organisations at Here East include: Ford’s Smart Mobility Hub; Ladbrokes Coral’s tech and innovation hub, LC2; Studio Wayne McGregor; Signal Noise; 3D and VR printing studio Hobs; and video game company Sports Interactive. The V&A has also recently unveiled proposals for a new collection and research centre at Here East.
Mark Atkinson, chief executive of Scope, said: “Our new office at Here East isn’t just about new desks and a new location. It’s a fundamental change in how we work together. We will have new, flexible ways of working so we can attract and retain the best talent. We will be working with our neighbours – from other charities to innovative start-up companies – to share expertise and cultivate new relationships.
Gavin Poole, chief executive of Here East, added: “Scope is joining a thriving tenant community at Here East that recognises the value of collaboration and seeks to harness technological innovations to design the products and services of the future.
“As the organisation puts digital innovation at the heart of its work, it will no doubt benefit from collaborating with other world-leading experts and entrepreneurs that have made Here East their home. Those already on campus look forward to partnering with and learning from the team and the new ideas emerging from Scope.
Paul Goswell, managing director of Delancey, said: “Pioneering organisations increasingly demand pioneering places to base their team. They want spaces which provide flexibility, outstanding facilities, incredible design and the opportunity to connect with other leaders across different sectors with different but complementary expertise and knowledge.
“This is why Here East is attracting the most ambitious and most innovative organisations, be they a global corporate such as Ford, a world-leading university such as UCL, or a start-up innovator working in Plexal, our technology innovation centre.”
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