The East London Business Alliance (ELBA) is a business led and business funded regeneration agency that: encourages and facilitates business involvement in the social and economic regeneration of East London. Assists in the transfer of business skills, experience and resources to community and voluntary projects in East London through a large scale Employee Volunteering network. Provides an unrivalled networking opportunity for private and public sector partnership that includes the City, Thames Gateway London Partnership, London First, local authorities and local communities. Ensures that a business voice representing East London’s priorities is heard by local and central government. Promotes business interests in the redevelopment of East London.

ELBA brings time, skills, influence and resources from the private sector to help build the capacity of local organisations and regeneration programmes in East London, primarily in Tower Hamlets, Hackney and Newham. ELBA works in partnership with key stake-holders in each borough to identify needs and issues and to determine the most useful ways in which the private sector can help.

One of ELBA's key programmes is its employee volunteer scheme. Last year, ELBA introduced over 1000 City and Canary Wharf employees to community and voluntary groups in Tower Hamlets alone providing invaluable 1-2-1 help to organisations in need of their professional expertise. Not only does the voluntary sector benefit from professional expertise and other private sector skills, but the employee volunteers themselves gain new skills and experiences to enhance their professional development through their work in the community.

2005 saw the introduction of ELBA's Employment Programme which aims to help local people into work by providing work experience and real jobs in the City and Canary Wharf. Individual volunteers can help in a variety of ways including CV advise, interview practice, career workshops and company visits.

The bobNetwork have joined ELBA with the aim of getting their ever expanding membership actively involved in community projects. As a working partner with members from within the Bangladeshi community, The bobNetwork is an effective partner. The professionals within their organisation are able to add considerable value to ELBA work. We anticipate, from 2006, greater numbers of professionals will be working alongside ELBA and constructively contributing to the Bangladeshi communities. They will bring with them a valuable skills and disciplines that come from a wide range of sectors including:

• Business support specialists
• Project coordinators/managers
• Law specialists
• IT specialists
• Financial planners
• Mentors (Young persons, community leaders, women only groups, community doctors)
• Youth counselling

If you would like to get further information, or are looking to join up, please contact our ELBA representative in the bobNetwork:

Email: info@thebobnetwork.com

To read more about it you can visit the elba website. Click here