Welcome everyone
Welcome everyone
Find out everything you need to know about the BID and how it’s transforming the district.
In April 2020, the local business community voted to establish a formal Business Improvement District (BID) in Aldgate, after the success of its predecessor – The Aldgate Partnership (TAP). The BID allows local businesses and communities to have an input into the development of the area.
The BID operates in 5-year terms. Through mandatory business levies and voluntary contributions, the BID will raise £3.9m over its first term, with the funds going directly into those projects that the community needs the most.
Aldgate straddles two boroughs – The City of London and Tower Hamlets – and our teams work in partnership with both local authorities to champion local business, and turn Aldgate into a better area to live, work and visit.
Making the district more appealing
Aldgate blends the best of modern, high-rise developments with the historic architecture London is famous for. The quality of the surrounding infrastructure ties all our landmarks together and makes sure that when people visit, they keep coming back.
We’re putting a big effort into making Aldgate’s public realm the best it can be – making the area cleaner, greener, and more enjoyable to take in.
Keeping everyone protected
80% of businesses in Aldgate wanted a stronger relationship with the Police and other safety providers, to make sure anyone who comes to enjoy Aldgate, can do so safely and securely.
From cracking down on anti-social behaviour, to partnering with counter terrorism teams, we’ll be doing everything we can to make Aldgate as secure as possible.
Creating a stronger community
Aldgate’s future success rests heavily on the cohesion of its community. We want all stakeholders in the area – that’s businesses, locals and visitors – to feel heard and valued, and to come together as a partnership to generate opportunity.
Through wellbeing initiatives, career development programmes and much more, we want to build a district that celebrates local talent and works as one to achieve sustainable success.
Welcoming people in
Aldgate is full of diverse character and charm and it’s important to us that more people come and experience it for themselves.
But after engaging with the community, 86% of local businesses believed Aldgate needed a stronger brand. So we’re developing a marketing strategy that showcases its uniqueness, and puts it firmly on the map for people to come and visit. Over and over again.
Our team are responsible for the day-to-day operations and strategic direction of The BID. Take a look at our bios to get to know us and feel free to get in touch with any questions.
Ruth Duston, OBE, OC
Managing Director
Ruth is as a leading figure in the BID sector, having established several BIDs and partnerships representing thousands of businesses and employees. Driving value through partnership is at the heart of Ruth’s approach to urban renewal and supporting business communities.
Katherine Fleming
Director
Katherine has more than 20 years’ experience working in the public sector. She brings great expertise overseeing Aldgate & Cheapside BIDs, due to her role as Placemaking & Operations Director for London HQ , as well as previously working for Tower Hamlets Council. She is well-versed in BID start-ups.
Zoe Barwick
BID Director
Zoe studied Art History at Leeds University after which she began her career at CBRE in London. She found her passion in BIDs and has been in the industry for 12 years. She’s taken the Aldgate area from a business partnership to achieve BID status in 2020 with a 93% success rate.
Izabella Kasinska
Project Manager
Izabella is a recent graduate in Politics and International Relations from the University of Westminster. Alongside her studies, she interned at Victoria BID for 2 years, giving her the knowledge and expertise to become the BID Assistant for Aldgate Connect BID in 2020.
Aidan Lewis
Senior Marketing & Events Manager
Aidan is an accomplished marketing & events manager, with an extensive track record within BIDs and Destination Marketing Organisations (DMOs). Prior to joining the Aldgate team he worked for 4 years with Norwich BID and VisitNorwich.
Matteo Cotta Ramusino
Team Assistant
Matteo joined the Aldgate team in August 2023 as Team Assistant. Having studied Electrical & Electronic Engineering at university, his previous experience in marketing and passion for sustainability led him to join the world of BIDs.
Our on-the-ground ambassadors are closely connected with the Aldgate community, reporting on any issues and making sure everyone feels welcome.
Riccardo Poole
Aldgate BID Ambassador
Riccardo is an Aldgate Ambassador and has a 15-year background in customer service and a degree in European Languages. He can speak Italian and Spanish fluently and has basic/intermediate proficiency in French and Portuguese.
Made up of local business and community members across both boroughs, The Board volunteers to represent the collective voice of the community and oversee the strategic direction of The BID.
Liam Hayes
Board Chair
Liam is the Chair of the Aldgate Connect BID Board since 2020. Liam is the founder & CEO of FT Squared and has over 30 years of experience in Development Management. Liam leads the strategic agenda for the company and is active in developing customer relationships.
Karen Cook
Board Vice Chair
Karen is the co-founder of Spice Design and a City Property Association Board Member. Her work combines environmental and technological advances in the built environment and public realm to help people work and live better.
Ben Campion
Board Vice Chair
Ben is Managing Director of Toynbee Hall Trading & Head of Commercial & Operations for Toynbee Hall. Since 2018, Ben has been responsible for managing & growing commercial revenues, creating & delivering its offering. Ben has lived & worked in the East End for 2 decades.
Abhay Srivastava
Board Member
Abhay works as ESG manager at Weightmans LLP, where he is responsible for ESG strategy and ESG integration into the firm’s operating model. A Sustainability Professional by qualification, Abhay also serves on the Board of Directors for two early-stage, impact focused enterprises.
Anne Whitehead
Board Member
Anne is the Head of Marketing & Communications at David Game Group (DGHE) supporting youth empowerment and education. She’s worked 15+ years in non-profit and business consulting specialising in communications strategy, multi-media production and project management.
Annie Sutton
Board Member
Annie is the Head of Operations for Howden Group Services situated in One Creechurch Place. Annie has worked in Insurance for over 30 years, 20+ of these based in the City and is passionate about helping the Aldgate area continue to thrive and grow alongside it’s counterparts.
Ben Ridgwell
Board Member
Ben is the UK Asset Management Director for City Developments Ltd, who own Aldgate House, an office building located adjacent to Aldgate Underground Station. Ben has been involved with Central London BIDs for a large part of his career in Real Estate which spans approx. 30 years.
Gina Van Dort
Board Member
Gina is an Account Leader at Arcadis & Chartered Quantity Surveyor (RICS). She works with numerous key clients in both the public & private sectors. Gina is actively involved in the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion workstreams and leads several development initiatives.
Julien Deslangles-Blanch
Board Member
Julien oversees the General Assembly's consumer operations in Europe and Canada, as well as their flagship campus in Aldgate. His background is in corporate consulting and diplomacy, but he also has experience in the non-profit and academic sectors.
Lisa Recker
Board Member
Lisa is a director at AECOM. AECOM is a premier infrastructure consulting firm, partnering with clients to solve the world’s most complex challenges and build legacies for generations to come. Lisa’s technical background is landscape architect and masterplanner.
Mark Kelly
Board Member
Mark is a Partner at PLP Architecture and has led many high-profile projects. He has expertise delivering commercial & residential developments in London and has worked on a range of projects worldwide. Mark regularly speaks at conferences on architecture & urbanism.
Cllr Henry Jones
Board Observer
Henry was born in Artizan Dwellings Aldgate in 1955 and runs his family business of milk & fruit supplies in the area, started by his grandfather in 1877. He was elected as Common Councilman for Portsoken Ward in 2003 and has represented the Ward continuously since then.
Ruby Raw
Board Observer
Ruby manages and coordinates projects and initiatives between the City of London Corporation and its’ stakeholders. Ruby brings her experience in Planning, Project Management and Urban Design to work with the City BIDs and Primera to deliver on their plans and agendas.
Chris Burr
Board Observer
Chris is an economic development specialist with 17 years’ experience of public service delivery. Passionate about power of business to improve people’s lives, Chris works for Tower Hamlets Council and his career has centred around development of the Thames Estuary area.
Abbas Raza
Board Observer
Abbas is Transport for London’s stakeholder lead for the City of London, Westminster and Camden, working with residents, businesses and the local authorities to support and improve TfL services in their area.
The Steering Groups represent our four themes and make sure each area gets equal attention. They hold quarterly meetings which have discussions, presentations and provide feedback on BID projects.
We’re currently recruiting. Get in touch if you want to play your part.
Developing initiatives, including wellbeing and ESG, that invest in and bring together our local communities.
Improving the infrastructure and environment across the boroughs.
Working with the Police and authorities to create a safer neighbourhood for all.
Driving activities that promote Aldgate’s identity and attract more visitors to the area.
This network represents the property sector and influences how it’s factored into the 5-year plan.
Aldgate is unlike any other area in London. From its medieval history as a gateway into the capital, to a place where immigrants settled and made a home, Aldgate has always made outsiders feel like insiders.
It’s what’s driven the diverse community that makes the area so special. It’s a place where anyone and everyone can fit in. And join in.
The startup and the corporate. The street artist and the gallery owner. The market stall trader and the independent retailer. The street food chef and the restauranteur.
It’s a place where you can do things your way. Where you can build a business, develop a career, build a community, raise a family.
Whoever you are, whatever you’re doing, wherever you’re going, there’s space and a place for you in Aldgate.
A big thank you to all our current Voluntary Supporters
Although the BID’s main source of funding comes straight from local businesses, our voluntary supporters play a key role in making the plan happen. Without their time and financial support, the long-term vision for Aldgate simply wouldn’t be possible.
We’re always looking to connect with new supporters who are willing to help, get in touch to find out more.
Observing Partners
We work closely with local authorities to ensure that all BID delivery is aligned with local plans and agendas.
Partnerships & Endorsers
To drive forward our ambitions and deliver strategic projects, we work collaboratively with key partners to achieve greater value and reach.
We’re regularly publishing brochures and reports to keep everyone up to date with what The BID is up to. You can download all our documents here.
Download our full plan for the district, which gives you a detailed overview of the BID and our four key themes.
We’ve outlined our main focus of priorities for the year ahead. We ringfence investment for projects in both boroughs, check them out below.