Strengthening Collaboration for a Better East Midlands

Frank Lee, alongside colleague Henry Pavey MBA, CTArcf, FICW, had the pleasure of meeting Claire Ward, Mayor of the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA), for an exciting and insightful discussion on collaboration.

Together they explored how partnerships with EMCCA's supply chain—particularly in green energy, housing, and transport—can drive greater social value and deliver long-term economic benefits, especially for the region's most deprived communities.

A key theme was how greater collaboration across the devolved combined authorities nationwide could unlock even greater benefits for local communities.

It was also fantastic to meet Claire Spencer and Niamh Carey from Claire Ward's team and discuss how deeper collaboration between local authorities, businesses, educational institutions, and community organisations is critical to achieving EMCCA's ambitious goals.

By working together, we can:

• Leverage Resources - Enabling more effective and efficient project implementation.
• Align Strategies - Ensuring initiatives complement rather than compete, maximizing impact.
• Enhance Innovation - Bringing diverse perspectives to solve regional challenges and drive inclusive growth.
• Strengthen Advocacy - Creating a unified voice to secure funding and policy support at the national level.

Collaboration is at the heart of progress, and we’re looking forward to continuing these discussions to help drive meaningful change in the East Midlands!