Shoreditch is a ward within the Borough of Hackney and has been identified by the Index of Social Deprivation as one of the most deprived areas in the UK. In 2000 Shoreditch was identified as one of the Office of the Deputy Prime Ministers' New Deal for Communities (NDC) projects. The aim of the NDC programme is to deliver strong outputs for social regeneration in areas most in need of support throughout the UK. The Shoreditch Trust's NDC funding ends in 2010 and the Trust is keen to forge links with the City to support their succession strategy.

Shoreditch sits on the cusp of the City of London and is well known for its affluent night time economy and high crime rates. The model used for this partnership is based on the Banking on Shadwell project funded by Deutsche Bank and managed by ELBA. This has seen an increase in corporate activity, leverage, funding and cohesiveness in the deprived area of Shadwell in Tower Hamlets.

Each of the Project Shoreditch businesses have an East London/Hackney geographic focus to their community investment programmes and see the project as an opportunity to enhance their community regeneration objectives by pooling resources and expertise.

Shoreditch facts:

• 82% of the population live in social housing and 47% of all residential lettings are in receipt of Housing Benefit
• General unemployment rate of 16% (double the London average and 3 times the UK average)
• 28% unemployment amongst black and minority ethnic communities
• 30% of school leavers never get a job
• 87% fail to access higher education opportunities
• 33% of households are on income support (excludes unemployed lone parents, 90% of whom do not work)
• Average income per household is £169 per week (£71 less than Hackney average and £149 less than national average)
• 34% of households are single parent households (UK average, 28%) while 23% of residents are single parents (UK average, 9.7%)
• The mortality ratio in Shoreditch for men aged 15 to 64 is 76% higher than the national average for men and 50% higher for women
• Recorded illness and poor health is 40% higher than the national average
• The area records the highest long-term illness ratios in the country and is 16% higher than the rest of Hackney