UnSquaring the Square Mile
Initiative Recipe Template — For Third-Party Proposals
Purpose of this document. This template is for any organisation, Livery company, business, or individual proposing a programme or idea that supports Dame Susan Langley's UnSquaring the Square Mile agenda during her term as Lady Mayor of the City of London.
Completing this Recipe allows the Lady Mayor's team to assess whether your initiative merits the Lady Mayor's blessing and convening authority, and to understand what you need from her — and what you will deliver without her.
The Lady Mayor's power is to convene and bless. She does not operationally deliver. Your Recipe must demonstrate that you can.
The Convene & Bless Principle
Every initiative under the UnSquaring agenda operates on a single rule: the Lady Mayor lends her authority, her convening power, and her public profile. She does not manage, administer, or fund. If your initiative requires her to do more than attend, endorse, host, or sign, it is not ready.
Your Recipe must clearly separate what the Lady Mayor does from what you and your organisation do.
1. Initiative Name
State the name of your proposed initiative. Be specific. If the initiative does not yet have a name, propose one.
FSG Livery Mobilisation — Activating the 5,000 financial services professionals across 16 Livery companies in the Financial Services Group to deliver actionable intelligence for the Lady Mayor's overseas visits and domestic business agenda.
Lady Mayor's Livery Craft Apprenticeship Award — Creating visible, structured pathways into skilled trades for young people through Livery company apprenticeships, culminating in a Mansion House award ceremony.
City Sunday: Choirs, Bands & Open Halls — Weekend activation of the Square Mile through music performances in Livery halls, schools, and City venues, driving Sunday footfall and hospitality spend.
2. Proposer
Who is proposing this initiative? Name the individual and organisation. Identify who will be operationally accountable for delivery — this may be the proposer or someone else, but it must be stated.
| Field | Your Entry |
|---|---|
| Proposer name | |
| Organisation / Livery / Company | |
| Role / position | |
| Operational lead (if different from proposer) | |
| Contact details |
3. Strategic Alignment
The Lady Mayor's agenda operates within the Modern Mayoralty framework. Every initiative must align with at least one of the four strategic pillars. State which pillars your initiative serves and whether the fit is Direct (core purpose of the initiative) or Indirect (a secondary benefit).
| Pillar | Direct / Indirect / Not Applicable | Explanation (one sentence) |
|---|---|---|
| Global Leadership | ||
| Reputation | ||
| Business Growth | ||
| Social Impact |
| Global Leadership | Direct | Generates sector intelligence for Lady Mayor's overseas trade missions |
| Business Growth | Direct | Connects 5,000 FS professionals to Mayoral growth agenda |
| Reputation | Indirect | Demonstrates Livery system has operational value, not just ceremonial |
| Social Impact | Indirect | Links to education and mentorship activities of Livery companies |
Alignment with Destination City Priorities
If your initiative also supports the Destination City programme, indicate which priorities it serves. This is not required but strengthens the case.
| Destination City Priority | Connection (if any) |
|---|---|
| Driving footfall Friday to Monday | |
| Lively and animated ground floor experience | |
| Pedestrian connectivity between places | |
| Premium concierge service for relocating businesses | |
| Seven-day City |
Friday to Monday footfall: Direct — Sunday is the core target day. Animated ground floor: Direct — music as public animation in Livery halls and open spaces. Seven-day City: Core objective of the initiative.
4. The Problem or Opportunity
State the specific problem your initiative addresses or the specific opportunity it captures. Be concrete. Use data where available. Avoid generalities.
The Financial Services Group of 16 Livery companies represents approximately 5,000 members who work in City financial and professional services firms. The group currently briefs the Lord/Lady Mayor, but the Lady Mayor has expressed dissatisfaction with the quality and usefulness of those briefings. No mechanism exists to leverage the 5,000 members as a coordinated resource. Individual Livery companies run separate education and mentorship programmes with no aggregation or strategic direction.
The City empties on Sundays. The Destination City Independent Review (2024) confirms that while weekend footfall is now slightly higher than 2019, commercial premises remain substantially closed. Hospitality cannot justify opening without footfall; footfall will not come without reason. The loop sustains itself. The City has a seven-day problem expressed most acutely on Sundays.
5. What You Propose
Describe the initiative in plain terms. What will happen? Who is involved? What is the scope? If this is a multi-year idea, describe Year 1 specifically — that is what requires the Lady Mayor's blessing now.
A structured award scheme in which Livery companies offer craft apprenticeship placements to young people, with London Crafts Week as a content partner. Schools across London are made aware of available pathways. Apprentices who complete placements are recognised at a Mansion House ceremony hosted by the Lady Mayor. Year 1 establishes the scheme, recruits participating Liveries, opens applications, and delivers the first award ceremony.
One Sunday in the Lady Mayor's term. Livery halls open as music venues. School choirs, bands, and orchestras from all 32 London boroughs are invited to perform alongside City firm choirs and Livery ensembles. Each performer brings an audience — families who then spend in hospitality venues that have agreed to open. The Lady Mayor walks between venues. Year 1 is proof of concept. Years 2–3 add more Sundays, more venues, more schools.
6. What the Lady Mayor Does
This is the most important section. List precisely what you are asking of the Lady Mayor. Each action must fall within the four categories below. If your initiative requires her to do something outside these categories, reconsider the initiative design.
| Specific Ask | Action Type | When |
|---|---|---|
| Bless the appointment of an emissary to the FSG | Bless | Month 1 |
| Host a reception for FSG Chair and Livery Masters at Mansion House | Convene | Month 2 |
| Issue letter to 16 Livery Masters requesting participation | Sign / Issue | Month 2 |
| Attend mid-term review briefing | Attend | Month 6 |
| Receive and use sector intelligence on overseas visits | Bless | Ongoing |
| Bless City Sunday as an UnSquaring initiative | Bless | Month 1 |
| Issue invitation letters to Livery Masters and Head Teachers | Sign / Issue | Month 2 |
| Host Mansion House launch reception for participating organisations | Convene | Month 3–4 |
| Walk between venues on City Sunday, brief remarks at 2–3 sites | Attend | Event day |
7. What You Deliver (Without the Lady Mayor)
List everything that you and your organisation will do. This is the operational substance. If this section is thin, the initiative is not ready. The Lady Mayor's team will assess your capacity to deliver against this list.
- Identify and confirm Programme Coordinator with accountability for delivery
- Audit current state: which Livery companies participate, what the Award structure is, how many apprenticeships exist
- Design and run awareness campaign to Head Teachers and careers advisers
- Build and manage application/selection process
- Coordinate with London Crafts Week on content partnership
- Establish tracking mechanism for applications and outcomes
- Organise award ceremony logistics (Mansion House venue, invitations, programme)
- Report KPIs to Lady Mayor's team at agreed intervals
8. Assets and Dependencies
What do you already have that makes this feasible? And what must be true — or be provided by others — for it to work?
Assets (what you bring)
Access to FSG Chair via existing Livery contact. Membership of one of the 16 Livery companies (The Marketors). Understanding of Livery governance structures. 5,000 financial services professionals already organised within 16 companies.
Dependencies (what must be true)
Livery halls must agree to open on a Sunday (not guaranteed — requires direct negotiation with each Master). Schools must participate (academic calendar constraint — Sunday rehearsal and travel logistics). Hospitality venues must commit to opening (chicken-and-egg problem with footfall). A dedicated Programme Director must be appointed — this cannot be a side-of-desk task. Budget for logistics, marketing, and contingency required (to be estimated in feasibility phase).
9. Risks
What could go wrong? Be honest. Identifying risks is a sign of maturity, not weakness. State the risk, its likelihood, and what you would do about it.
| Risk | Likelihood | Mitigation |
|---|---|---|
| FSG Chair changes annually; new Chair may not cooperate | Medium | Build relationships across multiple Livery companies, not just the Chair |
| 5,000 members are notional — actual engagement may be low | High | Start with a pilot of 3–4 Livery companies; prove the model before scaling |
| Lady Mayor's dissatisfaction with FSG briefings may signal deeper structural issues | Medium | Audit current briefing process before proposing changes |
| Award becomes ceremonial only — photographs, not apprentices | High | Recipe requires tracking mechanism: placements created, applications received, completions |
| Schools unaware of the scheme | High | Dedicated awareness campaign; Lady Mayor signs outreach letters to Head Teachers |
10. KPIs — How You Will Measure Success
State the specific, measurable outcomes you expect. Distinguish between outputs (what you do) and outcomes (what changes as a result). Include baselines where known, and targets where possible.
| KPI | Baseline (if known) | Target | Measurement Method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of venues open | 0 (new initiative) | 8–12 in Year 1 | Venue confirmation list |
| Number of schools participating | 0 | 15–20 in Year 1 | Registration records |
| Estimated footfall on event Sunday | Normal Sunday baseline (TBC) | Measurable uplift | CoLC / BID footfall counters |
| Hospitality venues opening | TBC | 10+ commit to open | Venue agreements |
| Media coverage | 0 | BBC London + 2 nationals | Press monitoring |
| Number of Livery companies actively engaged | Unknown | 8 of 16 by Month 6 | Participation records |
| Sector briefings delivered to Lady Mayor | Poor quality (per Lady Mayor) | Actionable briefings for each overseas visit | Lady Mayor feedback |
| Firm-level intelligence gathered | None structured | Wish list from firms for overseas agenda | Documented submissions |
11. Timeline
Provide a step-by-step implementation plan with owners and timings. The Lady Mayor's term is one year. If your initiative extends beyond that, state what must be delivered within her term and what continues under successor Lord Mayors.
| Step | Owner | Timing |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Identify Programme Coordinator | LM Office / Josh | Week 1 |
| 2. Complete current state audit | Programme Coordinator | Month 1 |
| 3. Establish baselines for KPIs | Programme Coordinator | Month 1 |
| 4. Design awareness campaign | Programme Coordinator | Month 2 |
| 5. Lady Mayor signs outreach letters | LM Office | Month 2 |
| 6. Finalise London Crafts Week partnership | Coordinator + LCW | Month 2 |
| 7. Open application window | Programme Coordinator | Month 3 |
| 8. Selection panel convenes | Programme Coordinator | Month 4–5 |
| 9. Award ceremony at Mansion House | LM Office | Month 6 |
12. Resource Requirements
What does this cost? Who pays? What non-financial resources are needed (people, venues, permissions)? Be direct. If you need funding from the Lady Mayor's office or the Corporation, say so and state the amount.
| Resource | Provided By | Estimated Cost / Value |
|---|---|---|
This initiative is larger than FSG Mobilisation or the Apprenticeship Award. It requires a dedicated Programme Director (not a side-of-desk task), budget for logistics, marketing, and contingency (to be estimated in the feasibility phase), and coordination capacity across multiple stakeholder groups. Minimum lead time: 6 months. Year 1 is investment. Years 2–3 are return.
13. Continuity Beyond Dame Susan's Term
The UnSquaring agenda is designed to outlast any single Mayoralty. If your initiative is intended to continue, state how it hands over to successor Lord Mayors. If it is a one-off, state that clearly.
Year 1 under Dame Susan is proof of concept: one Sunday, limited venues, measurable outcomes. If successful, Years 2–3 expand under successor Lord Mayors — more Sundays, then Saturdays, then more venues and schools. What begins as an event becomes a fixture. The evaluation report from Year 1 forms the handover brief to the next Lord Mayor. The initiative compounds: each year adds participants without proportional increase in Mayoral effort.
The FSG Chair changes annually but the 16 Livery companies are permanent. The operational model — emissary, structured briefings, sector intelligence — is designed to survive the annual Chair rotation and the annual Mayoralty change. Success in Year 1 creates a template that successor Lord Mayors inherit rather than reinvent.
Submission
Completed Recipes should be submitted to the Lady Mayor's strategic team for assessment. Initiatives will be evaluated against the following criteria:
| Criterion | What We Look For |
|---|---|
| Strategic alignment | Clear fit with at least one Modern Mayoralty pillar |
| Convene & Bless compliance | Lady Mayor's role is limited to endorsement, convening, attendance, and signing |
| Operational readiness | A named operational lead with credible capacity to deliver |
| Measurability | KPIs that are specific and trackable |
| Risk awareness | Honest assessment of what could go wrong |
| Deliverability within term | At least one tangible milestone achievable during Dame Susan's year |
| UnSquaring fit | Does this make the City more open, accessible, or relevant to people who currently feel excluded? |
Initiatives that pass assessment receive the Lady Mayor's formal blessing and are incorporated into the UnSquaring the Square Mile programme.