Building Community Wealth In Doncaster Via An Anchor Institutions Strategy

This document provides a practical guide and road map for building community wealth via an Anchor Institution Strategy in Doncaster, and is based on the experience of CLES’ work across the country and internationally, with a particular focus on work undertaken with anchor institutions over the past 10 years in Manchester, Preston, Birmingham and most recently in Oldham. This document is intended as a companion document to the Doncaster Inclusive Economic Growth Strategy, which highlights anchor institutions as a vehicle for delivering more inclusive growth in Doncaster.

Key Themes:

1. Setting the foundations 
2. Building an Anchor Institution Network 
3. Developing an Anchor Institution Strategy
4. Maximising the potential of Anchor procurement
5. Maximising the potential of Anchor land & assets 
6. Maximising the potential of Anchor training and employment
7. Maximising the local impacts of local business
8. Stimulating new local social business
9. Measuring impact

Headline Findings:

Doncaster, as all places do, hosts many significant public and private sector institutions which are rooted in the locality. The collective spend and influence of these organisations can play a significant role in shaping local fortunes. Doncaster’s anchor institutions include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council;
• Doncaster College;
• National College for High Speed Rail;
• Institute of Technology;
• Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust;
• Doncaster Prison;
• St Leger Homes;
• Doncaster Race Course;
• PGA European Tour at Rossington Hall;
• Robin Hood Doncaster-Sheffield Airport/Aero Centre;
• Robin Hood Airport Business Park (Enterprise Zone);
• Large employers:

• iPort;
• Project Unity;
• DFS Furniture Ltd;
• Trackwork;
• Polypipe International.

Additional institutions that may have a presence in Doncaster and beyond would include organisations such as South Yorkshire Police and public transport providers. Further, the school estate across Doncaster comprises of 99 junior schools, 17 secondary schools and 5 special schools who will collectively be significant employers and purchasers of local goods and services.