At a time when tertiary education, the "financial quarter" of London's East End: Docklands & public sector training are all battered by the effects of 2020 & Covid, a ray of hope in the form of a new tenant in Canary Wharf's district is opening their doors in the form of a world class Police University educational establishment. Docklands Light Radio's guest of there week is Jon - involved with Facilities Management, Strategy & Operations, his task is to ensure the delivery of a Covid suitable building with all the facilities one would expect of a modern, forward looking University, built for now and the rigours of the coming decades. He's achieved it, its opening in January 2021 - at a time when students need every attraction possible to encourage them to attend classes - both on line & (live) face to face. For those who thought Police training was all about "Hendon" and the results were characters who one might see in episodes of "The Sweeney" or "Z Cars"... Anglia Ruskin's new courses & facilities will put all previous preconceptions to bed & Canary Wharf will enjoy learners who are a far cry from the traditional "straight out of school" students so lambasted by certain sections of the media.

Having spent time in a white, neoclassical-headquartered campus of a business school located among the rolling green lawns abutting the Thames on which the annual Royal Regatta is rowed, Ashley is now working in a neoclassical facade-ed, granite & concrete constructed "gritty" university in the East End of London's Tower Hamlets... better known, in the past, for being within the Kray Brothers' neighbourhood. But Queen Mary University punches above its weight, attracting students from all over the world (some of whom come to London & have their "digs" in £4,000 a month flats) - QMU being their choice among the stable of competitors which include renown institutions such as London School of Economics. What inspires Ashley to commute for two hours each way? His passion for marketing an organisation whose values match his own: "Best Practice" of Diversity & Equality, it's unique location, extensive campus & breadth of student intake... The interview is not about piety & political correctness, it's peppered with anecdotes about the small things in life which all add up to a household with different people with a common purpose, is class or race or the way one puts the bread back in the freezer or the logo on a Playstation a dealbreaker ... the signs of a family in stress? Quite the opposite: they are the demonstrations that a mother, father & children can laugh at each other's differences, pull together & grow to show their contemporaries that contrasts complement each other... enhancing experience & tolerance which create more cohesive communities.

Marcus doesn't have an easy "job" - he's the pastor of a church in a most unique part of London's East End: the financial riches of Canary Wharf are less than 50m away, the poverty of Tower Hamlets arguably even closer.

 As winter 2020 approaches, since the beginning of the year, Marcus has delivered his sermons from St Peter's Barge, London Museum Docklands, the local Vue Cinema & now... via the internet!

There are, of course, all "side" issues in relation to administering to his congregation & leading / caring within the community:

The Census identified at least 90 different languages (or groups of languages) being used in the borough. Research  found that Tower Hamlets is the 4th most linguistically diverse area in England and Wales, in terms of the mix of languages spoken.

Tower Hamlets has the highest percentage of Muslim residents in England and Wales – 38 per cent compared with a national average of 5 per cent. Conversely, the borough has the lowest proportion of Christian residents nationally: 30 per cent compared with a national average of 59 per cent. A small number of residents (897 residents) ticked the 'any other religion' category. In total, these residents identified with 38 different minority religions, all fairly small in size (eg Pagan, Taoist and Jain).

Over a 1/2hr interview with Docklands Light Radio, Marcus discusses our live's choices, God's options in response to our choices and also explains how he found initially his way into his profession... vocation... calling. 

He also gives his answer & its reasoning to the question of "what's the relationship between faith & religion" using the fascinating analogy of what choices God has when viewing a person with a knife in their hand: "killer or carrot cutter" 

"Made in Cornwall", brought up in Luton & dedicated East Londoner, Glen works with goats, cats, horses, dogs & humans... on boats & within bricks & mortar...

Not many people forget traumatic experiences, Glen has been fortunate enough to be undamaged by four London bombs but has been effected by his local mugging.

For 1/2 an hour Glen chats about badminton, work, no-work, long haul holidays & cranial osteopathy (you never thought it would be like surfboarding did you!)

With advanced academic qualifications & many years experience of helping the widest range of people (& animals) with short & long term challenges, Glen takes care not to take on too many hobbies because he could, he already knows, easily run of of hours in the day.

The piano, playing Russian classical music & folk tunes are, however, his latest response to the pandemic & his personality of "I'd rather be doing stuff than sitting reading a book"

So... is it really a work environment we were proud of or want to return to?

The seniority of managers where going outside or taking lunch (or owning a dog!) is seen & judged by being " allowed" to do so or having the time to indulge in such things?

Perhaps it's amusing and the pandemic puts a temporary but different perspective on life but "being driven" by a grind of deadlines, a never ending mountain of responsibilities, feeling the need to wear a symbol, lose touch with with health & no longer talk to strangers is maybe not something to aspire ... especially looking backward & regarding it as a model for going forward

It's somebody very sure of themselves, or who really wants to help to get forward into a gang who have demolished several litres of vodka, many sports/high energy drinks and then have started on the "NOS" (those little silver capsules of "laughing gas").

Robin's been fortunate in life but in retirement, he's now busier than ever before, helping those around him whether in start-up businesses, roaming the streets, his family who fancy some home comforts & central heating... or even just fellow dog-owners! From professional mentoring, support for the arts, rapidly expanding contract cleaning & a company which is developing attractive (DIY bespoke) and affordable housing... Robin has no time for the "retreat to the countryside & tend to the roses" life - his belief is he is "part of the ecosystem which is getting ourselves going again"

It's difficult to decide on whether somebody asking for money & who seems to be sleeping on the street... do they need sympathy or money or food or practical support... or in some cases, are they a student "blagging it" or a professional beggar.

Canary Wharf hosts all these variations - visible & invisible... and they are now becoming more apparent now "lockdown" ends & habits & behaviours change from  those of the spring & the summer.

It's difficult to decide on whether somebody asking for money & who seems to be sleeping on the street... do they need sympathy or money or food or practical support... or in some cases, are they a student "blagging it" or a professional beggar. 

Canary Wharf hosts all these variations - visible & invisible... and they are now becoming more apparent now "lockdown" ends & habits & behaviours change from  those of the spring & the summer.

https://www.towerhamlets.gov.uk/lgnl/housing/housing_options_service/homelessness_advice_and_supp/helping_the_homeless.aspx