Rifts between The North and The South are not new. London has swallowed most of the energy, resources and money to help it reach its global city status that dominates narratives about the UK. For some time now, research has been conducted on how wealth has been distributed between London and the rest of England. One study even showed that there was a £700 difference per head that was being spent in London compared to Birmingham on transport alone (£300 per head being spent on transport in Birmingham compared with £1000).
In fact, a third of ALL arts funding (research by Rebalancing our Cultural Capital) gets spent in London! In 2018 London received about £24 per person, compared to £8 elsewhere, (or just £3 per head for Cheshire and Warrington).
As companies move further and further up North, dramatic transformations are being made to the infrastructure that means that the North is becoming more and more attractive to businesses, influencers and moguls across the board. Businesses moving up North for greener pastures are causing a snowball effect – it attracts more investment.
In fact, some research suggests the investment in the northern tech industry is growing faster than anywhere else in Europe, at a rate of 619 per cent (between 2012 and 2017).
There are many young people (under 30) that have been part of this shift, that have created new infrastructure and made significant developments across industries within the North of England.
Now is the time for change
From footballers to social entrepreneurs, to financial moguls and creatives, The North of England is home to some of the most successful ‘up and coming’ millennials making an impact and trailblazing in a number of industries; yet attention is often focused on London.
With, #NORTH30, we are changing that. The Common Sense Network’s list of 30 trailblazers under 30 challenges the perception that success for young people only comes from moving to the capital.
