Building Futures East warmly welcomed the visiting delegation of Sister Cities Commissioners from the City of Little Rock, Arkansas. BFE have a history of support for this important initiative that brings ever closer ties between Newcastle and Little Rock. BFE have received visits as part of successive delegations since 2006 and indeed our CEO was a member of the Newcastle delegation to Arkansas in 2010.

This visit was a mix of both business and catching up on the strong friendships developed with the Commission. Our visitors considered the recent developments in our organisation and its services and were impressed by the scale and pace of the organisation’s growth. There were many questions on our delivery model and our strategies for supporting our communities and our relationships with employers.

Within this they were keen to understand how we sustain the organisation as a social enterprise whilst also being at the leading edge of innovation in the local employment and skills agenda.

The delegation of Sister Cities Commissioners with BFE's Chief Executive