EdCity awarded ‘Civic Partnership of the Year’

Ark is celebrating national recognition after EdCity was named ‘Civic Partnership of the Year’ at the 2026 MAT Excellence Awards. 

These prestigious annual awards celebrate the achievements of multi-academy trusts and their impact on pupils, staff and the community.   

The ‘Civic Partnership of the Year’ award recognises EdCity, Ark’s not‑for‑profit partnership with Hammersmith and Fulham Council and its work to open up social, economic and educational opportunities for local people of all ages, from infancy through to adulthood. 

The EdCity campus includes a nursery, a primary school, a youth centre,  an adult education hub, affordable housing, and an office block with co-working facilities and event spaces. Through close collaboration with local authorities, charities and community groups, EdCity is already improving outcomes and creating new pathways for residents. 

The judges said, “Ark’s long-term, place-based partnership has transformed an underserved community through inclusive regeneration, and has delivered education, youth services, skills, housing and employment at scale while creating a sustainable national hub for education innovation.” 

They also commended Ark’s “bold vision for social impact and huge achievement”, stating that it provides a model for what trusts, as civic organisations, can build for a community in close partnership with local authorities, agencies and charities.