This week, we mark a significant milestone for LCRIG: four years since becoming a Community Interest Company (CIC). Achieving CIC status in August 2020 highlights our commitment to transparency, inclusivity, and reinvestment in the highways sector.
Our journey began back in 2011 when LCRIG (formerly LCHIG) was established by Will Britain FICE, then Head of Highways and Traffic Management Services at Blackpool Council. Guided by Will’s passion for innovation, six founding councils came together to share ideas and best practices.
Today, those councils – Blackpool Council, Manchester City Council, Cumbria County Council, Halton Council, Stockport Council, Plymouth Council and Lancashire County Council – remain actively involved in LCRIG’s work. Our membership now includes 124 council members, with a total of 345 members overall.
Since becoming a CIC, LCRIG has focused on supporting the highways community by reinvesting in sector initiatives. We have facilitated national and regional working groups, provided fully funded services to local authorities, and fostered collaborations across the sector. In 2023 alone, we enabled local authorities to attend events with a collaboration value of £340,000, donated £2,750 to Care Leavers, and provided substantial funding for innovation and development projects.
In our commitment to fostering collaboration and knowledge-sharing we delivered a total of 17 webinars during 2023 – 5 LCRIG led and 12 LCRIG hosted/supplier led. 1,189 people registered with access to watch the recording and 660 people attended live.
We are immensely proud to have supported the establishment of the Highways Maintenance Academy and apprenticeship programme. Developed in collaboration with Salford City College and Salford City Council, the apprenticeship programme addresses the critical skills shortage in the highways sector and facilitates the entry of apprentices into the sector. LCRIG donated £6,000 to support the creation of an outdoor practical area, as well as 100 hours of time, and supported 10 students in first cohort. Since its creation in 2023, the Academy has created 30 apprenticeship opportunities in Salford and other areas of Northwest.
In addition, we launched the DfT supported LCRIG Innovation Procurement System (IPS) in partnership with Crown Commercial Service (CCS). The IPS aims to increase the pace of change in the sector and gives council members greater control to adopt innovation at a lower cost. From the LCRIG Innovation Fund, we awarded two companies £10,000 each to develop their innovations.
Our CIC status not only reflects our commitment to the highways community but also drives our mission to continually support local authorities and promote innovation. From donating a cabin for practical training to awarding innovation grants, every initiative embodies our pledge to reinvest in the sector.
We are excited about the future and look forward to continuing our journey of supporting the highways community in the years to come.