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B Local North East: Addressing regional challenges collaboratively

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Juan Sanchez

Senior Service Designer
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Opencast hosted the first-ever B Local in the North East, an event that brought together purpose-driven organisations to discuss pressing regional challenges through thoughtful conversations.

As a certified B Corp committed to using business as a force for good, we found the conversations illuminating—highlighting both complex challenges and the potential for meaningful impact when stakeholders work together. We knew the session’s time was short for coming up with solutions and properly strategising around these challenges, so we’re hoping these discussions are a starting point to them becoming more commonplace throughout the region so that we can all better collaborate into solving them.  

Here are some insights of the conversations we had and the thoughts that they sparked: 

Skills Gaps and Youth Empowerment

The North East faces unique challenges in preparing young people for an evolving job market transformed by automation, AI, and climate change. Participants highlighted barriers including limited networks, rural isolation, and the "brain drain" of graduates leaving the region.  

If pathways to employment are evolving rapidly, yet access to opportunities remains unequal, how might we create more equitable pathways to meaningful work while keeping talent in the North East?  

Ageing Populations and Community Building

With the UK's rapidly aging population, we explored both the challenges and opportunities this demographic shift presents, especially for the North East. The discussions revealed complex intersections between factors like health, wealth inequality, transportation, digital exclusion, and societal expectations of ageing and the end of “productive life”. 

If ageing is not a uniform experience but highly individualised, affected by numerous interconnected factors from wealth and health to digital access, how might we create truly integrated communities where aging is equitable, and people of all ages remain connected and valued? 

Opinion, Representation and Democratic Governance

Political disengagement and distrust were central themes, with participants noting the challenges of having meaningful conversations about social issues in professional settings. Participants recognised that creating "apolitical" spaces is itself a political choice: a short-term fix with long-term consequences around creating points of view that are harder to reconcile, and eroding people’s capacity to discuss on these issues. 

If political disengagement stems from systemic distrust, with workplaces often avoiding important civic conversations, how might we create safe spaces for dialogue that promote understanding across generational and political divides?  

   

Nature Restoration and Climate Action

Despite the North East's rich natural environment, accessibility remains a significant barrier, creating huge gaps in access to nature and the wellbeing benefits that this entails. Discussions emphasised that environmental action requires meeting people where they are—recognising that poverty impacts access to both green spaces and sustainable choices. 

If we are aiming to restore natural areas around the North East, how might we continuously improve on these natural assets whilst ensuring everyone has equitable access to green spaces? 

Systems Thinking and Measuring Impact

Our participants discussed the need to move beyond siloed approaches to create holistic and systemic change as real change requires moving beyond isolated initiatives towards addressing root causes. The B Corp framework offers a valuable tool for this transformation, encouraging businesses to consistently listen first, measure impact second, and embrace the iterative process of improvement. 

If systemic change is something we all agree upon, how might we ensure we’re walking in the same direction with our initiatives and projects? 

   

What's next?

As mentioned before, these discussions are just a starting point, but we can’t keep on having discussions forever, we also need to spring into action. However, it was very comforting to see agreement around how addressing regional challenges requires collaborative action. As we look to the future, we recognise several important steps: 
  • Creating Connective Tissue 
    We need to strengthen the networks linking businesses, educational institutions, community organisations and local government. This means breaking down siloed approaches and fostering meaningful partnerships that can tackle complex, interconnected issues. Each stakeholder knows a lot of things that the others don’t know, so it’s worth going beyond sectarian egos and committing to collaborating. For us, at Opencast, we’ll strive to be a supportive and engaged partner and, whenever possible, lead on these integration efforts.  

  • Amplifying Diverse Voices 
    The challenges faced by the North East cannot be solved without including those most affected. We must create more accessible forums where traditionally marginalised voices can shape solutions, particularly across generational divides. This links to the previous point about connective tissue. Communities are not buildings and assets, they are people.  

  • Sharing Best Practices 
    Many organisations are developing innovative approaches to these challenges, yet these successes often remain isolated. We also commit to more actively sharing what works—and specially what doesn't—to accelerate collective learning. 

  • Taking Bold Action Together 
    While discussion is valuable, we recognise the urgency of these issues demands action. We're committed to moving from conversation to collaboration on initiatives that address these regional challenges. 

  • An Invitation to Collaborate 
    No single organisation can address these complex challenges alone. This B Local event demonstrates the power of bringing diverse perspectives together, but it's only a starting point. 

We invite other purpose-driven businesses, community organisations, educational institutions and local government bodies to join us in developing practical, collaborative approaches to these issues. Whether you're a B Corp or simply share our commitment to creating positive change in the North East, there's a place for you in this growing community of practice and we’re happy to hear from you!  

   

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