From philanthropy to system change: The Ark story

Ark and The Impact Equation held a live podcast recording to kick off a series looking at Ark’s 20+ years of fostering innovation and delivering impact in low-income communities.

Episode 1: The Ark Story with Lucy Heller

This event featured two episodes. In the first, hosts Adam Pike and Rafi Addlestone interviewed Lucy Heller, CEO of Ark and founding director of Ark Schools, about Ark’s work. She will talk about how Ark has evolved from its foundation in the early 2000s as a children’s charity tackling global poverty and disadvantage, to having a tighter focus on education as the most powerful lever for change. From running a handful of academies in deprived areas, Ark has grown into one of the UK’s most successful multi-academy trusts. Alongside Ark Schools, the charity has cultivated a wider ecosystem of ventures designed to address inequalities, thus extending its influence well beyond the schools it runs and serving to strengthen the education system as a whole.

Episode 2: The EdCity project with Lucy Heller and Councillor Cowan

The second episode zoomed in on EdCity, Ark’s bold and innovative regeneration partnership with Hammersmith and Fulham Council. EdCity’s campus, based in White City, brings together education as well as childcare, youth services, adult learning, affordable housing and new public spaces. For this episode Adam, Rafi and Lucy were joined by Councillor Stephen Cowan, Leader of Hammersmith and Fulham Council, to explore how Ark and the council are working together to create opportunity at every stage of life – and what it means for the future of community-led regeneration.

Join us as we talk lessons on innovation, scale and what it really takes to change systems.

The Impact Equation is a podcast sharing conversations with leaders shaping a brighter future, co-hosted by Adam Pike and Rafi Addlestone. Previous guests include Ark friends and alumni like Josh MacAlister MP and Brett Wigdortz; leading campaigners such as Tzeporah Berman, Mete Coban, and Sir Ronnie Cohen; social sector champions including Dame Helen Stephenson and Matt Hyde; and leading thinkers like Sam Freedman and Ed Conway.

About 1EdCity

EdCity is a new, dynamic hub for education and charitable organisations to work, collaborate, and strengthen their networks. Information on the development can be found here.

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