Supporting our region

Our traditional boroughs and home to Middlesex for most of our history are Barnet, Enfield, Haringey and Waltham Forest.

A history of engagement

Our predecessor institutions developed the thermionic valves that made possible the creation of Colossus, the world’s first electronic computer that cracked the Enigma code. They were among the first, in 1948, to train nurses at the Royal Free Hospital for the new National Health Service and expand healthcare across north London.

We’ve supported businesses large and small, worked with community groups and local authorities, encouraged schools and young people to engage with higher education throughout that century and a half. 

Since 1992 we’ve been North London’s principal local university, serving people from Brent and Harrow through to Tottenham with education, research and knowledge exchange.  

Our approach

We work through partnership wherever possible – for example, with Barnet Borough and Saracens in developing new activities in sport at Barnet Copthall, and working with local NHS Trusts to improve healthcare delivery through training and development of health professionals across North London.  

Our approach is to put our knowledge and knowhow at the service of everyone in the places where we work and operate. We actively look for ways to partner for a better north London – whether that’s through our apprenticeships team liaising with local businesses to improve the skills of their employees, or through our shared My Care Academy to shape a knowledge building community in mental health community care, or through practice and research collaborations with dance companies and theatre groups across the region. We build new activities in our home region every year and invite new collaborations every day.

Regional development

At sub-regional level our participation in economic development agendas works through direct involvement. For example, our Chief Commercial Officer has sat on the West London Skills and Employment Board and our Director of Knowledge Transfer sat on the board of the Innovation Corridor. We've used these opportunities to develop work connected with our overall knowledge exchange strategy and to review our effectiveness.

Enfield and Haringey Mental Health NHS Trust in healthcare, have included knowledge exchange work intended to lead to regional regeneration and growth through funded activity.

Local public engagement

Each year Middlesex invites more than 24,000 members of the public to events as diverse as public lectures, performances, exhibitions and public celebrations. We support schools and young people across the region, with exciting programmes of STEM and arts outreach, and we deliver support to local SMEs and microbusinesses in the region. We also help shape the region’s growth strategies.