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University Of Sunderland In London offers fintech and trading MSc

The business course has been developed by Dr Yahaya Alhassan with the aim of equipping students with skills for employment and entrepreneurship

University Of Sunderland head of academic operations, Dr Yahaya Alhassan - image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
University Of Sunderland head of academic operations, Dr Yahaya Alhassan – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life

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“Our first students are in their last few months of the course,” said Dr Yahaya Alhassan, head of academic operations at the University Of Sunderland In London.

“For me, it will be very emotional when they graduate from our first MSc Fintech And Trading course.”

In line with the university’s consistently practical approach, the programme was developed after Yahaya spotted a gap in the market.

“It was while I was working as an external examiner for another institution that I realised people were offering trading courses,” he said.

“Some were delivering fintech elements, but these were usually add-ons to finance courses dealing with things like online banking.

“My understanding of fintech is that it relates to specific technologies – things like artificial intelligence, blockchain, cryptocurrencies and machine learning – and how you apply those to finance. 

“I couldn’t find a programme like that, which also included trading so, following some market research, I decided to develop a course that would bring the two together.

“I defy anyone to find a similar offering – as of today we are unique.”

Based at the University Of Sunderland In London’s Isle Of Dogs campus at Harbour Exchange, the one-year course features a dedicated Fintech Lab created in partnership with the London Stock Exchange.

The London Stock Exchange Group Fintech Lab at the University Of Sunderland In London - image supplied by UOSiL
The London Stock Exchange Group Fintech Lab at the University Of Sunderland In London – image supplied by UOSiL

putting practice at the heart of the course

“The approach we adopt with the delivery of this programme is hands-on, practice-based, with a small number of students to ensure we give them a very good level of experience,” said Yahaya. 

“We work with a number of prestigious partners, with those on the course also receiving certificates from them as part of the programme.

“Students learn how to trade and invest in stocks – which are doing well and which are not?

“But the reason we combine this with fintech is so they can use technology to make predictions based on the data flowing into the lab.

“In the past, traders have made decisions based on their own experience while looking at such information.

“But with technologies such as AI, once you have a lot of data, you can use it to start forecasting whether the price of a stock will rise or fall.

“With blockchain and machine learning, our students are taught how to model and to build apps, enabling them to potentially create their own fintech businesses.

“We also work with companies to ensure our courses are delivering what employers, such as those at Level39 in Canary Wharf, expect from someone with an MSc from this university.

“We also constantly look at the needs of the students and changes in the market.

“Our programmes come up for review every five years, which is when they get revalidated.

“But with technology developing so fast, we can’t wait that long so we’ve adopted an enhancement plan where we look at our programmes every two months to make sure we’re flexible and giving the market what it needs.”

The University Of Sunderland In London is based at Harbour Exchange on the Isle Of Dogs - image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
The University Of Sunderland In London is based at Harbour Exchange on the Isle Of Dogs – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life

from Ghana to London via Sunderland

Yahaya himself is a good case study for the way in which education and exposure to new ideas can have a profound impact on the direction of a person’s life.

Originally from Ghana, he began his career in the higher education sector at the University Of Development Studies in Tamale not as an academic but as a member of its support staff as an assistant accountant.

“One day I was in the vice chancellor’s office and I saw an advert in a magazine for an MBA course at the University Of Sunderland,” he said.

“The VC had been in the UK himself, studying and working in Nottingham before he was recruited back to Ghana. 

“I’d never thought about travelling abroad in my life, but I decided I might give it a go – I applied and then, honestly, I forgot about it.

“About two months later, a letter arrived containing a provisional offer to go on the course.

“I was supposed to pay £13,500 but it was a lot of money and I had no idea where I would get that from.”

In the end, Yahaya’s employer awarded him a scholarship to go on the course and he wound up bound for the North East and arrived improperly dressed for the weather. 

“Arriving in Sunderland was the first time I’d seen snow in my life and I didn’t have a proper jacket,” he said.

“I didn’t know how to get to the university campus and I couldn’t understand the accent of the first man I met.

“Fortunately, I found someone who showed me where to go. I completed my MBA and returned to Ghana in 2003.

“That was part of the agreement for my scholarship but, after about nine months I was feeling discontented.

“Everything was so slow.

“When I came to the UK people were working from 8am, but I realised in Ghana it was going to be difficult for me because of the difference in pace.

“I told my boss I had to go back to England, and he said he understood, so I moved to London in 2004. 

“My first job was at a college in Greenwich, teaching English in 2005 and I remained there until 2011.

“That’s when I saw that the University Of Sunderland was opening a London campus and I decided to apply.

“At first I was working 10 hours a week, then 20 and, after a couple of months, full-time – teaching on its MBA programme. 

“After a year, the programme manager was leaving and so I applied and got that job in 2014 before going on to become assistant head of academic operations.

“Now, as head of academic operations, I make sure all the teaching and learning at the London campus goes well, dealing with quality assurance and making sure everything is done in line with our academic regulations.

“I am part of the senior managers team as well and I am responsible for the day-to-day running of the London-based academic programmes.

“The courses are led from Sunderland and run down here, which is why our campus has programme managers rather than leaders.

“I never thought I’d be working where I am now. I even told my friends in Ghana I would be coming back in a year.

“I still have that vision, to return one day, perhaps to follow my father in a political career.

“When I’m teaching, I say: ‘Who knows, maybe I’ll be president one day’.”

In the meantime, Yahaya’s passion is continuing to help develop the university’s offering with a BSc in Fintech And Digital Finance now available.

The intention of this three-year course is to act as a pipeline for those seeking to study the MSc, providing them with the relevant skills and knowledge to prepare them for the postgraduate course. 

key details:

The University Of Sunderland In London offers a BSc Fintech And Digital Finance course as well as an MSc in Finance And Trading based at its Isle Of Dogs campus at Harbour Exchange.

The university welcomes new students several times during the year, so there are plenty of opportunities to apply.

Find out more about the Fintech And Trading MSc here

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EarLab set to expand wax removal services to Canary Wharf

Clinics offer micro-suctioning technique, guided by a surgical microscope to ensure rapid, accurate clearing of the ear canal

EarLab's David Walker clears a patient's ears using micro-suctioning guided by a surgical microscope - image supplied by EarLab
EarLab’s David Walker clears a patient’s ears using micro-suctioning guided by a surgical microscope – image supplied by EarLab

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Earwax. Right now, if you’re reading this, it’s slowly, imperceptibly flowing out of your ears.

The movement of our jaws and muscles in our faces is usually enough to create a gentle current that renews and refreshes this essential substance, whose role is to protect and sanitise our ear canals.

However, for a range of reasons, this smooth and natural process can go wrong.

Drainage fails and build-up occurs, potentially leading to hearing loss, earache, tinnitus and even vertigo.

“I was seriously ill with leukaemia and in hospital for about eight months,” said Tim Galvin, co-founder and director of EarLab.

“Sometimes I would wake up during that period and I wouldn’t be able to hear.

“When I was up, the wax would shift and I’d be able to hear again. 

“I’m OK now, but one of the lasting side effects of that period is that my ears still block up quite regularly.

“While I was in hospital, a good friend of mine – David Walker – came to visit me.

“He happens to be an ear, nose and throat surgeon and he said I needed to get my ears micro-suctioned to remove the wax.

“He described the process as using a miniature vacuum cleaner to clear the ear canal.

“It’s the modern alternative to syringing – squirting warm water in there and hoping for the best – and it’s much safer.

“With the older technique, some people’s ears can be quite damaged by the pressure. 

“I couldn’t get them suctioned in hospital but, when I got back home I tried to get it done locally but had to travel for the procedure.

“When I had it done, it was instant relief.

“I hadn’t realised that my ears were basically dirty, I’d just lived with it.

“Suddenly I could hear clearly.

“There was no muffling, it was just fantastic.” 

EarLab co-founder Tim Galvin - image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
EarLab co-founder Tim Galvin – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life

the birth of a business

A couple of months later, Tim saw David again at a barbecue and the two got talking.

The NHS no longer provides syringing as a core service and GPs tend to advise using drops to tackle troublesome ear wax, but this does not work for all cases.

In some areas referral for micro-suctioning may be possible but long waiting times can be involved.

“Together, we realised there was a gap in the market,” said Tim.

“David had the medical qualifications and the expertise, but no time to handle a side business. 

“I have a background in IT and experience in property, so we  formed a 50-50 partnership, starting in 2022.”

EarLab operates clinics in Haslemere, Guildford, Andover and Cranleigh.

It’s now set to open a branch at Canary Wharf in facilities at Cabot Place. 

“We’ve found people are happy to pay £85 for an instant service and that’s what we’ve built our business around,” said Tim.

“Hearing is really important. Without it people can feel really isolated.

“Some of our clients tell us they feel like they’ve got their lives back after the treatment.

“One elderly gentleman said he couldn’t hear conversations but, once we’d removed the wax, it turned out he didn’t need hearing aids after all.

“We have lots of wonderful stories like that.

“When you wake up in the morning and you can’t hear, it’s horrible – you don’t want to wait six months, you want to get it done as soon as possible. That’s what we offer.”

EarLab is not the only business to offer private micro-suctioning, but Tim believes the service it provides has some key benefits not found elsewhere.

“The first is that our clinicians use surgical microscopes to look inside the ears and guide the procedure,” he said.

“These give you the best possible view inside the ear canal. The equipment provides binocular vision at a very great magnification under a very bright light.

“It doesn’t touch your body at all and it doesn’t hurt in the slightest, but it allows the practitioner to see everything they’re doing and to have both hands free.

“We use a small funnel-like device called an ear speculum that allows us full access to the ear canal, which is curved.

“Together with the microscope, this enables us to be very precise with the suctioning and to ensure we don’t touch the ear drum, which is very delicate, and to make certain we remove all of the wax.

“With the average case, there will be some build-up of wax there, but it might not be completely blocked.”

David clears England Rugby captain Maro Itoje's ears - image supplied by EarLab
David clears England Rugby captain Maro Itoje’s ears – image supplied by EarLab

why EarLab employs medical professionals

In addition to precision, EarLab prides itself on the level of expertise its practitioners offer, employing qualified nurses and doctors to carry out the procedure.

“We’ve grown the business organically, often expanding when we’ve found a clinician to work with,” said Tim.

“Our criteria have always been that we offer these services in an excellent medical environment with good transport links so people can access it easily.

“With David’s background and reputation, we’ll never cut corners on the service we provide.

“Having highly qualified professionals working for us means we can offer the complete procedure in 20 minutes because the people doing it are so experienced.

“We’ve expanded to Canary Wharf for two reasons.

“Firstly, I knew the area because I used to work here and also one of our existing doctors recently relocated to Lewisham and said he would love to host a clinic here.

“We prefer to grow like this and the demand is obviously there.

“When we started, we honestly thought a few hours a week would be enough, but that quickly became multiple days as word spread and people came.

“Friends tell each other and we have husbands and wives coming together to get their wax removed.

“Over the four years we’ve been going, we’ve had some people who have come 12 times during that period.

“It’s a very personal business and we have a phone line which is answered by a human being.

“Everything can be done online, but some people like to call and ask questions.

“We pride ourselves on being able to offer that reassurance.”

David and Tim with England Rugby's Sam Underhill - image supplied by EarLab
David and Tim with England Rugby’s Sam Underhill – image supplied by EarLab

clearing the ears of the England rugby squad

EarLab also has quite a significant claim to fame as it provides its service to the England Rugby Union squad, having been approached through the team’s full-time doctor.

“We’ve been to Twickenham three times now after David was asked to set up a temporary clinic there,” said Tim. 

“The first time, we were expecting 10 players, then 20 were listed, but we ended up doing many more than that during the course of the afternoon, including the likes of Maro Itoje and Sam Underhill. 

“Being able to hear clearly is an essential part of the game and they’d never had this done before.

“As a business more widely we have been surprised by the demand for our services, although there are things people do that can cause wax to build up.

“Normally, when your jaw moves during the course of a day it flexes the ear canal slightly and this creates a system where little flakes of wax are gradually expelled naturally and imperceptibly.

“That’s the natural order of things and, in a normal healthy person that’s exactly what happens.

“However, if you do anything to impede that process – using ear plugs or in-ear headphones – you interrupt that flow.

“The more you do it, the less wax can get out and the more likely you are to get a build up.

“It can get to the point where, when you’re putting the ear plug or headphone in, you’re pushing wax back down the canal towards the ear drum.

“We’ve also seen people who do a lot of swimming are prone to wax issues and others just have naturally narrow ear canals.

“Everyone is different, we’re all unique and just the shape of your anatomy can, unfortunately, cause problems for some people.

“Putting things in the ear like cotton buds is definitely not a good idea and, similarly, practices such as ear candling and using small plastic screw-like devices can be really dangerous.

“It’s so easy to cause damage with these methods because you can’t see what’s in there and you’re going in and experimenting.

“The ear is incredibly delicate and should always be treated with the utmost care by people who know what they’re doing using microscopes to guide them.

“At EarLab, we keep things simple.

“We just offer micro-suctioning and also expert advice because we can see what’s going on in the ear.

“We’re now right at the heart of Canary Wharf meaning people working or living in the area don’t need to travel to have this procedure. 

“As it only takes 20 minutes, it’s easy for people to have it done in their lunch hour or even a break.

“That’s plenty of time to take the medical information we need and then to complete the treatment.”

key details: EarLab

EarLab is set to run a clinic in Canary Wharf’s Cabot Place, initially on Wednesdays, with scope to expand depending on demand. 

A 20-minute treatment costs £85 and includes micro-suctioning in both ears.

Find out more about the service here

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Until brings its health and wellness offering to Canary Wharf

The brand’s latest club is set to open at YY London, offering space for practitioners to offer a wide range of fitness and treatment options

Until is set to open its latest club at YY London in Canary Wharf - image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
Until is set to open its latest club at YY London in Canary Wharf – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life

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Vishal Amin is a builder.

In some ways, his journey to becoming an entrepreneur reads typical.

He manned his parents’ corner shop as a kid, made extra cash selling sweets in the playground and graduated to tickets for parties.

He studied management science at the London School Of Economics, went to work in the states and then returned to the capital for a couple of years at consultancy giant McKinsey.

“I guess I’ve always had a passion for business,” he said.

“I’ve been building them my whole life.

“When I was creating my second company – a consulting firm – I knew it was going to be hard work.

“I know people see it as cool and sexy, but underneath, it’s tough.

“That was the first time I could afford a personal trainer, a massage therapist and a physio – I got first-hand experience of what impact the idea of holistic health can have on your life.

“It wasn’t just about looking good to go on holiday – it affected my energy and how I felt.

“Before, I’d thought holistic health was a fallacy.

“But in building that business, I saw the opportunity to create Until.

“As I explored health and wellness, I found that the existing operating model for practitioners in the sector was to spend some years learning their craft, often while being paid relatively poorly.

“Going freelance was seen as taking a risk, so the majority were still working for companies with others choosing to set up on their own.

“In this sector, typically, you don’t learn business skills when you’re training as a doctor or a physio.

“The idea for Until was to build an infrastructure that would help practitioners create their own businesses and unlock their potential.

“I thought it might attract more people to their services and be a cool journey to go on.”

In short, Vishal’s concept was to collect a diverse set of practitioners in a single location to both support their operations and to foster collaboration between them.

From the perspective of a consumer, Until looks like a one-stop-shop where people can find business coaches, personal trainers, osteopaths, massage therapists, life coaches, doctors, nutritionists, chiropractors, acupuncturists, dentists, physios and more. 

Until co-founder Vishal Amin - image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
Until co-founder Vishal Amin – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life

a place that fosters collaboration

“It is a practitioner-first business, where we wanted to allow top-rate people to be able to collaborate and build multi-disciplinary teams,” said Vishal who co-founded the company in 2021 and is currently CEO.

“In doing that, we’ve created locations where you can get all your services instead of having to shop around with different postcodes and different waiting rooms.

“We provide a very integrated experience.

“The practitioners join the ecosystem and, for a membership fee, they can service their clients at our clubs.

“Consumers come to us with a specific need or problem and we’ll help to provide a team of people to help.

“Gone are the days when only professional athletes access these services.

“High performance comes in many different forms and we need a team to support that.

“What we do is help consumers build that team.”

Opening initially in Soho with coaches and trainers, Until has since branched out to host medical professionals. 

It’s gone on to launch clubs in Liverpool Street and Marylebone and is gearing up to unveil its Canary Wharf location at YY London in the spring.

“Every day there is new learning, especially with how to get practitioners to work collaboratively,” said Vishal. 

“We haven’t nailed it yet, it’s not straightforward, which is probably why it wasn’t there before.

“Step one was building environments which practitioners can work from.

“Step two is helping them to access the customers, so we have to find ways to get people to use the services.

“The idea is that we will act as both landlord and referrer.”

Until has won the backing of investor, entrepreneur and podcaster Steven Bartlett who joined the business in 2023 as marketing co-founder.

Its expansion to Canary Wharf, taking space in a building where it will count Revolut and Deutsche Bank as neighbours is something of a statement of intent.

Until's club will offer fitness facilities for personal trainers to use - image supplied by Until
Until’s club will offer fitness facilities for personal trainers to use – image supplied by Until

bringing Until to east London

“Canary Wharf has always been part of our vision,” said Vishal.

“Health and wellness isn’t just aspirational any more, it’s essential.

“Since the pandemic, everyone has their eye on it. 

“The great thing about Canary Wharf is it allows our practitioners to build their brand. 

“The transport connections here mean we can serve a wider area – you really feel you’re in the city centre.

“This will be our largest club and the first where we have all five facilities available – train, treat, coach, medical and dental. 

“I’m most excited about the combination of expertise we’ll be offering here.

“It’s going to be a beautiful club to visit in a fantastic location.

“Once all of our practitioners come together, it allows consumers to experience how their services join up.

“Once that happens, they begin to understand the deeper benefits. 

“For example, we offer dental services because oral health is connected to brain health.

“Adding in medical services is really important to what we’re doing.

“Also there are huge businesses around here and they all want to help their employees to get healthier.

“Many have facilities within their premises, but they’re just not activating them. It’s not inspiring.

“I’d like to help them to put programmes together, some of which could be delivered within their buildings and others outside.

“We have a community of practitioners in London who could come and leverage that.

“So we want to build corporate relationships. We’re here to add value to the estate.

The facility will also have treatment and consultation rooms
The facility will also have treatment and consultation rooms – image supplied by Until

key details: Until Canary Wharf

Until currently operates clubs in Soho, Marylebone and Liverpool Street, with Canary Wharf set to open this spring.

You can find out more information, including a list of practitioners working from its sites via this link.

The clubs are intended as a one-stop-shop for health and wellness - image supplied by Until
Until’s clubs are intended as a one-stop-shop for health and wellness – image supplied by Until

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Kitchen Jam expands to Canary Wharf offering group guitar lessons

East London music school believes playing together leads to greatest progress, with co-founder Darryl Powis excited to grow the community

Kitchen Jam co-founder Darryl Powis says playing with others is a great way to develop new skills on the guitar - image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
Kitchen Jam co-founder Darryl Powis says playing with others is a great way to develop new skills on the guitar – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life

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ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

“If you’re still looking at your hands, you’re not playing music,” said Darryl Powis, founder of Kitchen Jam.

That sentence may sound a little daunting to rusty players or those who’ve never even tried to strum a guitar, but it needn’t.

The music school Darryl and his wife, Jennifer Barlow, founded more than a decade ago is here to help and it’s opening a second branch in Canary Wharf.

Kitchen Jam is the latest business to launch in Wood Wharf, thanks to a collaboration between Canary Wharf Group and Tower Hamlets Council, offering companies affordable commercial space.

On the food and drink front, Mama Li, Nora, Ong Lai Kopitaim, Cafe Seek, Lockdown, Supershakes and Signorelli are all now trading. 

Other openings include floristry from The Flower Club, Wayne Hairdresser Salon, beauty salon Awe London, Pawsome Pet Grooming And Spa, The Island Reformer Pilates Studio and clothing repair business Omnifix.

Kitchen Jam, however, is something truly new for the area – the first time retail premises have been used to offer music tuition in the district.

As a kid, Darryl tried learning the violin and then had some piano lessons aged around 10. 

Kitchen Jam's Wood Wharf school is fully equipped for group lessons - image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
Kitchen Jam’s Wood Wharf school is fully equipped for group lessons – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life

obsessed with guitar

“My parents had been musicians in a former life – guitar players – so I was around music the whole time,” he said.

“I really got into guitar at the age of 15, as I was banned from computers because I was so addicted to them.

“I taught myself guitar and bass. My piano teacher, who also taught me some clarinet, came back when I was 15 because he could play guitar a bit.

“He’d sit with me for half an hour while I played and he’d talk to me about music. I did music GCSE, but they didn’t really want me, even at A-level.

“You had to study pieces from the 1800s, and I couldn’t read music or chords at that time, although I could play guitar really well.

“I always had a good ear, so I could listen and then play what I’d heard.

“I just knew it was what I wanted to do.

“I played in a couple of bands in my school. Then, aged 17, I became the lead guitarist in my brother’s band.

“He was older than me and at university already.

“That took many different forms and that was my education – getting gigs and playing to very few people.

“I moved to London in 2012 with my band Neon Nurse, determined to make it.

“We thought retro-funk was going to have a resurgence. It didn’t. In fact, I’m not sure there was really a ‘surgence’ in the first place.

“When I came to London, I played in a lot of bands, although it was all by ear.

“I still didn’t really know the notes on the guitar neck, but people would book me for gigs and said what I was doing was great.

“When I first started teaching, I was really fixing my own problems.

“Initially I thought I was going to support my music career,  but I ended up falling in love with the actual teaching itself – seeing people grow.”

The school is one of a number of independent businesses now calling Wood Wharf home - image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
The school is one of a number of independent businesses now calling Wood Wharf home – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life

developing a system of tuition

At first, Darryl taught students in the kitchen of the house he was sharing in Leyton.

More traditional methods of tuition follow graded exams as a way to mark progress and provide goals for players, but Kitchen Jam goes its own way.

Darryl said: “All the times I’d made progress as a musician were when I was playing in a band – it gave me something bigger to play for, like a gig coming up.

“So, I was looking for how I could give someone a personalised experience and that took me about six years to figure out.

“Once you get guitarists jamming in a room with others – people you may have thought you’d never spend time with – suddenly you all have something in common.

“It’s a community.

“I’ve been using the method I developed for more than a decade and we’ve had adults who couldn’t play the guitar at all go from that to fronting a band and playing gigs.

“Our approach is quite structured, but it’s intended to feel very fluid and be great fun.

“Everything you learn is in context and these are the milestones that unlock people’s abilities.

“We use a system of levels on the guitar so we can work out where people are before it then branches out into personal musical tastes.

“For example, someone might be able to play chords and some scales but doesn’t know how to solo.

“That’s a typical entry point at Kitchen Jam.”

Kitchen Jam comes complete with amps, guitar and a vintage Triumph motorbike - image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
Kitchen Jam comes complete with amps, guitar and a vintage Triumph motorbike – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life

from a kitchen table to a school

With a sound philosophy established, the next chapter in the business’ story began with a new location.

“Jen, my then girlfriend, who’s now my wife, couldn’t believe it was actually working, that I was getting people to come for lessons in my horrible house,” said Darryl.

“I was already using a community centre across the road as a venue where I’d invite guitarists from around the world to come and do workshops for my students.

“But she said she would figure out how to get a proper space.

“We looked at loads of places but the first unit we viewed – in Stratford’s East Village – was the one.

“It was closer to the stations and was a safer walk, so we thought we’d get more people. When we started trading it just exploded.”

Having grown and expanded, Kitchen Jam now caters to students of almost any age with sessions for babies as young as four months, guitar and ukelele programmes for younger children, lessons for teenagers and lessons for adults of all levels.

Darryl’s oldest student is in his 80s. It even welcomes bass players.

“This whole thing is about creating the space for what people want to do,” said Darryl.

“It’s about how we can help people fall in love with playing – with trying to do this thing.

“The first session is free and it’s always on a one-to-one basis – people need to know that relationship is going to work before they commit.

“If you’re a complete beginner, we’ll teach you something.

vIf you’re more experienced, you’ll go through an assessment to find out what your skills are, where it is you want to go and then we’ll formulate a plan.

“We also ask people to go away and list 30 songs that they love so we can get a rounder picture of who they are as a musician. 

“They might be guitar related or not.

“Mozart, Metallica and Eminem will all help us see where you may be going and what techniques you’re going to need to get there.

“It also helps us refine what we teach – we’re not going to force a student to learn power chords if they have no interest in music that uses them.

“Through this process, we produce a sheet for your teacher and that becomes the plan when you come to your first group lesson.

“Every class is an hour long and they’re themed so the student understands the context – it might be guitar theory, phrasing, soloing and so on.

“These allow players to build confidence by playing real songs and jamming regularly. 

“Our monthly rate includes five classes plus a workshop at the end of the month which is a larger, three-hour jam session based around one song.

“We break it down and play it through. Then there’s space to hang out after.”

a different offering to online

Kitchen Jam also organises gigs, open mic nights and facilitates the formation of bands to give students as much real-world experience as possible. 

Darryl is passionate about the benefits that playing in a group can bring, partly as an alternative to learning online in isolation.

“Playing with people or in a band on stage is completely different,” he said.

“You might end up learning really impressive things online – because that’s what gets attention – but they don’t always make sense when you’re jamming with a group.

“When you listen to the Beatles, for example, the musicianship is incredible but the individual parts probably wouldn’t get much attention on TikTok or Instagram.

“Real playing is about learning how to fit in with other musicians and understanding how the sounds are created and work together.”

The business’ latest branch feels like the ideal place to facilitate that understanding.

Fully equipped with high-end amps and walls dripping with mics, guitars, basses and even tools to keep the instruments in shape, it’s an impressive addition to the Wood Wharf street scene, not least because of the hefty (working) Triumph motorbike in the window. 

With a drum kit that’s always set up, substantial rugs on the floor and walls painted black, it’s just waiting to be filled with the sound of strings strummed.

key details: Kitchen Jam

Kitchen Jam’s Canary Wharf branch is located in Wood Wharf’s East Lane on the ground floor to the rear of 8 Harbord Square.

Initial one-to-one taster sessions are free. Guitarists signing up before April 1, 2026, will also benefit from the Founders discount, with monthly rates at £200 for adults, normally £257.

Three, six and 12 month packages are also available.

Find out more about the music school here

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Third Space Wood Wharf delivers contrast therapy via cold plunge

Brass Monkey technology complements sauna and steam room facilities in the club’s pool area as demand for icy immersion increases

Into the blue: Third Space is embracing contrast therapy for its wellness benefits - image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
Into the blue: Third Space is embracing contrast therapy for its wellness benefits – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life

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…my feet slip in first, breaking the gently shifting blue surface of the water, liquid so chilled it feels silken as I sink down into it.

Muscles tensing, heart-rate climbing, my breathing quickens as my body goes into full fight or flight mode in response to the unrelenting cold.

But I don’t lose it to the panic, I take deeper breaths, bringing the shock under control, then relax into the balm of the icy water, counting my inhales and my exhales.

The monolithic sensation of the chill is all I can think about – sensory overload – until a few minutes later it’s time to wake and emerge from the water… 

Third Space mind and body master trainer, Clare Walters - image supplied by Third Space
Third Space mind and body master trainer, Clare Walters – image supplied by Third Space

some like it chilled…

“Contrast therapy and cold exposure are not new disciplines, they’ve been around since ancient times,” said Clare Walters, mind and body master trainer at Third Space.

“There has been a really rich culture of sauna and polar plunges in lots of the Scandinavian and eastern European countries and the practices in this country go back at least to Roman times with baths of different temperatures.

“However, there’s a growing recognition of their benefits in the wellness industry.”

Recently, in response to this demand, the luxury health club fitted a Brass Monkey cold plunge facility at its Wood Wharf branch, offering members who’ve heated up in its steam room and sauna, or who just feel the need for a profound full-body chill, a poolside option overlooking the dock far below. 

“The brand is one of the leading providers of ice baths and they really know their stuff,” said Clare.

“The products are of a really high standard with the water constantly filtered to ensure its clean and that the temperature remains stable. 

“That’s important, because you need that cold shock to get the benefits.

“Recovery and wellness is very much something we’re prioritising in our clubs and, for me, it’s a mission to help people regulate their nervous systems.

“We have lots of ways of doing that and cold exposure is an important tool we can use.

“We offer cryotherapy at our Recovery Spa in Third Space Canary Wharf, which some people prefer.

“It’s much colder than the water of a plunge could ever be, but it’s a dry cold for up to three minutes and you warm up quickly afterwards.

“You still get the benefits, but it doesn’t feel quite as intense. 

“An ice bath can feel more dramatic and, because exposure is for a longer time, there’s an aspect of building mental resilience to it as well.

“When you go into the cold, you’re experiencing something which, in large quantities, could be very bad and possibly fatal – but is very beneficial for small amounts of time.

“Doing hard things you don’t necessarily want to do can help build mental and emotional resilience.

“It’s similar to training really hard in the gym.

“When you push yourself lifting weights, for instance, you know you’ve accomplished something and you feel really good about yourself.

“There’s also a neurological aspect to cold exposure.

“When you plunge or do cryo, you get a huge rush of dopamine into the bloodstream – around 200% higher than your baseline rate. 

“Drugs may induce that kind of change but only for a few minutes whereas, a cold water rush can last for many hours.

“When I do a cold plunge, I can walk around the city for hours feeling happy.

“It can be really good for regulating mental health, particularly in the winter months, when it’s grey and dark and there’s very little Vitamin D coming to us.”

Ready and waiting, the Brass Monkey cold plunge at the Wood Wharf Club - image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
Ready and waiting, the Brass Monkey cold plunge at the Wood Wharf Club – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life

advice on cold plunging at Third Space

Alternating between hot and cold is also widely thought to further boost these benefits with both environments having the added bonus of easing muscle pain and other physical stresses.

But how best to approach the icy depths?

Clare said: “First of all I’d say you should not aim for a long period of time in the water.

“If you’re new to cold plunging, you should aim for 30 seconds plus, but definitely try to get all the way in. 

“I’ve seen so many people going in, getting to knee height, saying ‘no’ and getting straight back out again.

“Some get straight in and then out again.

There will be benefits, because you’ll be getting into your fight or flight response, but the real benefits come if you stick to it for a little bit longer.

“Doing it gradually can be real torture, so get in swiftly, but smoothly, not in a chaotic way.

“Get the water to neck height if you can – over you shoulders and to the back of your neck. It will feel more intense, but you’ll be able to calm down quicker.

“The gasp reflex is what we want – your sympathetic nervous system is triggered and your stress hormones are released.

“The heart rate starts to speed up and you get more blood flow around the body, but the longer we’re in the cold, we want to calm ourselves down – that’s when we think about breath.

“Focus on exhaling through pursed lips, which will force you to extend your exhale and start to calm down.

“Once you feel that’s happening, start to take an even, slow breath – breathing in for a slow count of four and then out for the same.

“Hold still. You can even close your eyes if you like.

“When I’m in the cold, my mind just goes clear, I just sit there and it feels amazing.

“Some people feel their extremities get cold – that’s because your blood vessels constrict and direct the blood flow to your vital organs to keep you alive.

“Combining a plunge with the sauna is great for this because in the heat your blood vessels open up and going between the two can be really good for circulation.

“Hands can also be kept out of the water for those who feel the cold in them.

“Ultimately a good rule of thumb to aim for is about one minute of immersion per degree of the ice bath.

“At Wood Wharf it’s kept between 5ºC and 7ºC.

“Typically women need less time, while men tolerate the cold a bit better.

“Conversely the opposite is true in the sauna. 

“Across a week, we say 11 minutes of cold plunging and an hour in the sauna will give you optimum benefit for both, although not in a single session.”

The sauna at Third Space Wood Wharf – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
The sauna at Third Space Wood Wharf – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life

embracing contrast therapy

With the facility at Wood Wharf up and running, further change is coming to the Canary Wharf club, which is set to open a new Wellness Spa later in the year.

This will include a hydropool, a cold plunge pool, a steam room, heated loungers as well as two different kinds of sauna.

There will also be a sky garden for members to relax in.

We’ll bring you more news on this major development in a future issue of Wharf Life. 

key details: Third Space membership at Canary Wharf

The Wharf membership at Third Space includes access to both its Wood Wharf and Canary Wharf clubs and costs £245 per month.

Group and Group Plus memberships, which include access to other sites are also available.

You can find out more here

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Mama Li brings Cantonese roast meats to Canary Wharf site

Latest store will feature sit-down dining, noodle soups and a bar as well as takeaway option as brand expands to Wood Wharf location

Mama Li specialises in Cantonese roast meats - image supplied by Mama Li
Mama Li specialises in Cantonese roast meats – image supplied by Mama Li

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“It was while I was working in finance in the City that I had the idea,” said Catherine Hua, founder of Mama Li.

“My mum has an extensive background working in Chinese restaurants and each day she would make me a packed lunch with Cantonese roast meats, rice and vegetables.

“I’d bring in food and heat it up because I didn’t really like the options around me – nowhere was offering the type of food or the quality my mum was making.

“Some of my colleagues noticed and started asking where I’d got my lunch. 

“When I told them I was bringing the meals in from home, they asked whether they could get some too.

“That’s when I thought there might be something here.”

During the pandemic, Catherine’s mum was furloughed amid the uncertainty and the pair decided to start a business together, initially cooking takeaway orders from a small kitchen in Shoreditch. 

“We named it after mum – it’s also what the chefs would call her in the kitchens that she worked in – and began with a small selection of rice, noodles and roast meats to see if people would like the food or not,” said Catherine. 

“We had crispy pork, roast duck, soy chicken and our BBQ pork.

“We also had egg fried rice, a small selection of noodles, beansprout chow mein, Singapore noodles and a selection of other wok dishes.

“We were delivery only at that point – it was easier because we were testing an idea.

“Then, we opened our first store in Tower Hill about a year and half later.”

Mama Li founder, Catherine Hua - image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
Mama Li founder, Catherine Hua – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life

expanding Mama Li to Canary Wharf

Since then, the business’ five-year journey has seen it open a second branch at London Wall in the heart of the City and now a third at Canary Wharf.

The new location recently opened its doors on Wood Wharf’s Union Square – one of a multitude of independent businesses that now call the area home thanks to a collaboration between Canary Wharf Group and Tower Hamlets Council to offer companies affordable commercial space.

In addition to Mama Li, those in search of food and drink can check out Nora, Ong Lai Kopitaim, Cafe Seek, Lockdown, Supershakes and Signorelli.

Other openings include floristry from The Flower Club, Wayne Hairdresser Salon, beauty salon Awe London, Pawsome Pet Grooming And Spa, The Island Reformer Pilates Studio and clothing repair business Omnifix.

Catherine, who recently moved to the Isle Of Dogs, said Mama Li has evolved with each opening and that the brand’s latest site was an opportunity to try something new.

Mama Li's new Wood Wharf store includes sit-down dining - image supplied by Mama Li
Mama Li’s new Wood Wharf store includes sit-down dining – image supplied by Mama Li

the evolution of a brand

“We call them stores because we were not offering a sit-down, restaurant-style table service in our first two branches,” she said.

“They’re more like a cafe. Customers order at our kiosk, go to the counter, get their food, find a seat, eat and then go.

“Of course, they can also get their meal as takeaway.

“This one is a bit of an evolution where we have introduced a sit-down dining experience with table service and a bar.

“That enables us to deliver a more extensive menu for those who want to spend a bit more time with us.

“Over the other side, we still have the to-go elements where people can order on the screens and either have a quick bite or grab their food and head off.”

Catherine remains in tune with her busy customer base, working full-time in tech as an analyst, while also running Mama Li.

Her mum continues as “the core of the business” overseeing its kitchens and operations.

“Without her, I don’t think there would be a Mama Li,” said Catherine.

“She makes sure we deliver and is constantly quality-testing to make sure everything is where it needs to be and everyone is doing what they need to do.

“She’s one of my biggest supports, as I am one of hers.

“Then there’s our incredible team, without whom we just wouldn’t be here.

“It is wild to see how far we’ve come in such a short space of time.

“I tell people this is still the beginning, but the journey has been incredible, the people we’ve met and worked with.

“I’m really grateful for the experience of building something together.”

Brightly coloured crockery stands ready at the new branch - image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
Brightly coloured crockery stands ready at the new branch – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life

based on the data

With a growing Asian population, opening in Canary Wharf felt like a good fit for Mama Li, but the decision to open further east was soundly based on the numbers.

“I’m a data person – every choice I make has to be backed by data,” said Catherine.

“I noticed a lot of our orders came from this area, so I thought, why not open a store nearer to our customers?

“We’ve had a lot of requests to open new branches, especially from this area.

“The opportunity for this space came up, so we thought it would be silly not to take the opportunity and run with it.

“It does make sense to be here and it’s a step in the right direction.

“We wanted to extend our footprint out of the City and Canary Wharf was the natural direction to go in, both because of our current customer base, but also the office crowd too.

“I’d love to open more stores across London and perhaps beyond, but we’ll see how this one goes first.”

The Canary Wharf branch has an extended menu featuring a wide range of dishes including noodle soups - image supplied by Mama Li
The Canary Wharf branch has an extended menu featuring a wide range of dishes including noodle soups – image supplied by Mama Li

‘I want to see what they think…’

For Catherine, opening on the Wharf is all about watching the impact Mama Li has.

She said: “I’m excited to see people coming, for them to try our food – both those who have not been to us before and are eating it for the first time and those who have been before and are coming again.

“I want to see what they think and then use that feedback to do even better.

“We have a menu that caters for different groups. If you’re a meat eater, then we have our signature roast meats.

“These are hung on our meat display for everyone to see and you can see our chefs in action as well.

“Every meat order is chopped to order, so you know you’re going to get the freshest slices. Presentation is key for us too, we always try to make our dishes look nice and appetising.

“With our range of Cantonese roast meats, customers can have one, two or three different types paired with rice and vegetables, which is a complete, wholesome meal – my go-to is duck and crispy pork. It’s very comforting.

“In Canary Wharf, we’ll also be offering a new menu with noodle soups. The broth is made in-house and simmered for 24 hours for the flavour. 

“Again, customers will be able to choose to have different types of meats and vegetables paired with either more traditional thin, flat noodles or with a chewier, rounder variety.

“I started Mama Li because I wanted more people to experience the lunches my mum made for me.

“Having something to connect with is really important – when we were starting out, people would message us and tell us the food reminded them of home and that’s exactly what we wanted. 

“I hope people will continue to connect with us and get that comfort from what we’re doing.”

key details: Mama Li

Mama Li is located on Union Square in Wood Wharf’s 3 West Lane building.

Full details including menus and opening times can be found on the brand’s website here 

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UCL School Of Management expands Canary Wharf presence

The university is growing its east London presence with more space at One Canada Square and new student accommodation close to the estate

UCL School Of Management is expanding its presence on the top levels of One Canada Square - image supplied by UCL
UCL School Of Management is expanding its presence on the top levels of One Canada Square – image supplied by UCL

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University College London’s School Of Management is a good example of one of the things people often get wrong about Canary Wharf.

While today financial services companies continue to play a major part in the life of the estate, its diversification that is driving it forward.

Alongside residential towers, space for construction firms, events companies and life sciences bodies, has been created.

Towers originally conceived to house trading floors have been retooled, done up and re-leased to all kinds of different organisations.

Even 10 years ago – when UCL’s school relocated to the 38th floor of One Canada Square, just one year after its creation – things were already changing.

The mixed development at Wood Wharf had won planning permission two years earlier and the estate was preparing to become a place to live as well as work and visit. 

Having initially been attracted to the area’s status as a “major global business district”, UCL’s school has since grown into more space and developed its offering.

However, few – even today – might guess that the very highest floors of the Wharf’s landmark tower are occupied by academics and students rather than bankers. 

The university announced earlier this month that, in addition to floors it already leases in One Canada Square – 38, 48, 49 and 50 – it would also be taking on 46 and 47 too, levelling up to a total of six. 

UCL School Of Management's Professor Susan Smith - image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
UCL School Of Management’s Professor Susan Smith – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life

opening the spaces

“We’ll be opening up 48 this coming September and then the other two new floors the following year,” said Professor Susan Smith, a specialist in accountancy and deputy director for student experience at UCL School Of Management.

“Then we’ll have five floors all connected by a fantastic internal staircase.

“It’s really very exciting and we’re all going to get super fit.

“When we open level 47 we’ll also gain a terrace, which will act as one of our social spaces.”

When fully operational, the six floors together will accommodate the needs of some 4,000 students, all benefiting from the new facilities and spaces. 

Susan said: “We’ll be adding a new Bloomberg room, extra classroom space and informal study facilities.

“We already have signs from the Tube to help people find their way here.

“We’ve worked with our architects and have managed to get what we want, in terms of additional teaching space, which is incredibly important for us.

“There will also be places for students to hang out between classes.

“That includes more fun additions like table tennis and a café so people can buy refreshments up here as well as using the kitchen facilities to make their own.

“Of course, there are many options downstairs in the malls too.”

The school's upper floors will all be connected by an internal staircase when work is completed - image supplied by UCL
The school’s upper floors will all be connected by an internal staircase when work is completed – image supplied by UCL

expanding opportunity

Susan said being a part of the wider estate was attractive to students, given its offering.

“Being in Canary Wharf offers a huge number of opportunities, both for us and our students,” she said.

“They are part of a thriving neighbourhood that provides everything they need. 

“There are lots of things for them to do here – sports facilities and arts facilities, for example. 

“A lot of our students also use our main campus in Bloomsbury too but, with the students’ union presence here and our expansion over the next few years, we’ll have a range of activities on-site, as any other campus would do.”

UCL is an increasingly potent presence in east London with two campuses in Stratford playing a major part in the East Bank cluster.

As well as benefiting from interplay with those, the School Of Management also stands to gain from the arrival of Urbanest, a complex of three towers built beside Trafalgar Way just off the Wharf’s eastern edge. 

When they open later this year, the facility will be the largest student accommodation building in the capital with 1,672 student beds, 80 residential flats and a Drive-Thru McDonalds expected to open on its lower level in place of the restaurant that once occupied the site. 

“This new accommodation means our students will be able to live and study in close proximity,” said Susan. 

“As a university, we’ve consciously taken the decision to build around the locations we have in east London and, as we’re growing at Canary Wharf, it’s made sense to take more space in the tower too.”

The campus will be able to accommodate 4,000 students following the expansion - image supplied by UCL
The campus will be able to accommodate 4,000 students following the expansion – image supplied by UCL

shifting focus

The school offers a wide range of courses at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. In addition to degrees in such areas as Information Management In Business, Management Science and International Management, new undergrad courses for 2026 include Management For Social Change and Technology And Innovation.

“We have something to offer people whether they are starting out in their careers or looking to maybe shift the focus of what they’re doing,” said Susan. 

“Typically, the latter might be looking at our MBA programmes or more specialist areas to take a different path.

“For example, we run a course in using data to improve leadership – our MSc in People Analytics And Human-Centric Management.

“We’re always horizon scanning –  networking with the business community, other academics and thinkers in various fields – to ensure what we’re offering is relevant.

“One thing that remains constant is the foundational skill of adaptability – we want our students to be independent and critical thinkers, to be flexible, so they can thrive as the world changes.

“They will need to do that much more than we have had to as their careers will likely be very different from the ones we’ve experienced or can imagine.”

The new floors will offer students and staff more facilities including teaching spaces - image supplied by UCL
The new floors will offer students and staff more facilities including teaching spaces – image supplied by UCL

an attractive location for UCL

As one of the world’s top university’s, UCL attracts students from across the world.

“A large proportion of those studying with us in Canary Wharf are international and come from a diverse range of countries,” said Susan.

“I think they feel at home in the environment we’ve created here.

“We feel we provide an excellent student journey, but it’s not just about what happens in class.

“They have access to some amazing opportunities and a wonderful peer group, which will hopefully be with them for life. 

“They also have the chance to work with businesses on the Wharf and we are engaged in projects with a number of local companies.

“We also run a summer school with Canary Wharf Group and I’m a trustee of the University Schools Trust which supports primary and secondary education in Tower Hamlets so we have links to the community here too.

“I’m most excited about the school having a critical mass here and becoming a fully fledged campus. It will be even more of a destination for staff and students.”

key details: UCL School Of Management

You can find out more about UCL School Of Management in Canary Wharf on the university’s website, which includes a full list of courses available.

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Vertus’ 50-60 Charter Street offers next level living in Canary Wharf

Twin towers benefit from a full complement of amenities as built-to-rent operation learns and grows on the east London estate

50-60 Charter Street by Vertus, a pair of towers housing rental apartments at Wood Wharf - image supplied by Vertus
50-60 Charter Street by Vertus, a pair of towers housing rental apartments at Wood Wharf – image supplied by Vertus

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Launched towards the end of last year, Vertus’ latest build-to-rent apartments in Canary Wharf may best be described as next-level.

The twin towers of 50-60 Charter Street are connected by communal spaces at their base, rising high on Wood Wharf to overlook South Dock and house some 756 apartments ranging in size from 463sq ft to 1,397sq ft.

Perhaps what really sets Grid architects’ structure apart from the rest of the now extensive Vertus portfolio – which includes nearby aparthotel Vertus Edit for shorter stays – however, is the 14,000sq ft of communal space.

The main lobby space at 50-60 Charter Street - image supplied by Vertus
The main lobby space at 50-60 Charter Street – image supplied by Vertus

Arranged over two lower floors, this includes informal co-working spaces, an evening lounge, a games room with arcade machines, shuffleboard and pool and a snug with one of the largest flatscreen TVs I’ve ever seen, allowing it to double as a screening room.

For fitness there’s a studio space kitted out with Reformer Pilates machines, a chunky free weights room and a large gymnasium with luxury health club-grade cardio and resistance machines.

Workers can also make use of a string of private pods to minimise distractions or book characterful meeting rooms.

Then, for relaxation, there are flexible, purpose-built dining rooms for social gatherings or larger parties.

That’s before you even mention the ground floor lobby, which boasts a grand piano, an honesty market and a bold feature staircase to take residents up to the main communal areas.

Vertus residential building manager, Sam Pickering - image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
Vertus residential building manager, Sam Pickering – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life

smooth operation at 50-60 Charter Street

The person in charge of ensuring all of this operates smoothly is Vertus residential building manager Sam Pickering.

Born to Kiwi parents in the UK, he grew up in New Zealand, moving to Britain in 2015 “for a year”. His career has taken him through hospitality into looking after student accommodation before moving into build-to-rent and joining Vertus in 2024, initially to manage its 8 Water Street building.

“I remember at my interview saying that one of my goals was to manager a flagship site, although I didn’t expect it to be within a year,” said Sam, who is meticulous in his attention to detail, admitting he can’t resist rearranging coasters in the communal areas by colour when they’ve become disordered.

“We’ve got fantastic spaces – they’ve been very well thought out. Vertus has taken all the best parts from the other buildings they’ve opened.

“You enter via a very large reception foyer. It’s incredibly grand, with amazing gardens, high ceilings and open spaces.

Apartments range in size from studios to three-beds - image supplied by Vertus
Apartments range in size from studios to three-beds – image supplied by Vertus

“One of the benefits here is that our concierge team, who do a fantastic job, are truly here 24-hours.

“The residents build very strong relationships with them and it’s something that really sets us apart.

“With the design and facilities of 50-60 Charter Street, a lot of consideration has been put into what people want.

“The whole building has been designed around that.

“The dining rooms are flexible, for example – two of them can be separated or combined into one.

“Vertus offers very high-end living and with lots of services.

“Residents can bring their dry-cleaning down, and we can have that delivered and then brought back, for instance.

“We’re here to provide those experiences – we want the whole building to feel like a home.

“There are all these reasons to come down from your apartment and enjoy the other spaces, even if it’s just to get a coffee.

“That’s been very popular – we’re always having to top up the mugs.”

The evening lounge at the scheme can be divided into semi-private areas if desired - image supplied by Vertus
The evening lounge at the scheme can be divided into semi-private areas if desired – image supplied by Vertus

creating a community

Since the first residents moved into 10 George Street in 2020, not far from its latest building, Vertus has made a point of putting in place the architecture to bring residents together.

Its events team, Dor Rugira and Brogan Murray, hosted 197 gatherings in 2025 with an attendance rate of 81% across the Canary Wharf Group subsidiary’s buildings.

Sam said: “There is a real community on the estate.

“These events operate across the portfolio which is brilliant because it allows people who are living in such close proximity to meet each other and build friendships.

“That’s been really lovely for the staff to see.”

The Snug or screening room - image supplied by Vertus
The Snug or screening room – image supplied by Vertus

built for service

Sam’s role is to ensure the areas he looks after run smoothly, allowing the wider team to deliver the service that residents expect.

“On a day-to-day basis, it’s about the safety of the building – making sure the residents are taken care of, making sure all the safety checks for fire and water are done, that the place is safe to live in and that everyone is comfortable and their needs are met,” he said. 

“We are very fortunate to have a very diverse team here.

“We’ve got the buildings managers and the property managers who deal directly with the apartments.

“Any initial concerns will go through them, and if there’s anything wrong, it will come to me.

“The concierge team do a fantastic job, liaising with the residents to make sure of that.

The Games Room at 50-60 Charter Street - image supplied by Vertus
The Games Room at 50-60 Charter Street – image supplied by Vertus

“The people who live here are an eclectic mix.

“We have students, lots of couples – many who are young professionals.

“We have groups of friends sharing, which is quite common in our two-beds and three-beds.

“It’s been very popular since launch and that’s because Canary Wharf is a developing area.

“Even if you’re not working on the estate, you’ve got the Elizabeth Line, the Tube and the DLR so you’re very well positioned to get around London quickly.

“Now we have residents living here, it really feels good to see the spaces being used.

“Managing it is a really lovely job to have and I’m really excited as we expect the numbers to grow over this year.

“For me, it’s been a tremendous opportunity and Vertus has been spectacular.

“It’s been such a place to learn and grow and develop, and I’m so grateful for all the opportunities I’ve had.

“Personally, I’m really looking forward to seeing how people take to the facilities we have here and to see them enjoying themselves.”

50-60 Charter Street boasts three fitness studios including one featuring cardio and weights machines - image supplied by Vertus
50-60 Charter Street boasts three fitness studios including one featuring cardio and weights machines – image supplied by Vertus

key details: 50-60 Charter Street

Homes in the first phase of 50-60 Charter Street are available now, with more properties set for release in July. 

Prices start at £2,600 per month for a studio, £3,000 for a one-bed, £4,100 for a two-bed and £5,200 for a three-bed. Properties come fully furnished.

You can find out more about Vertus’ homes here

A studio apartment at 50-60 Charter Street - image supplied by Vertus
A studio apartment at 50-60 Charter Street – image supplied by Vertus

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Creative Virtual on why the firm believes human-curated AI is better

Founder and CEO of the Canary Wharf-based business, Chris Ezekiel, explains how his firm’s approach is proving attractive to larger organisations

Creative Virtual founder and CEO, Chris Ezekiel – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life

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It feels like a big year for Chris Ezekiel.

Not only is he gearing up to become a father for the third time – a sibling is on the way for sons Matthew and Harry – but Creative Virtual, the company he founded on the Isle Of Dogs 22 years ago, recently went live with a hybrid human and AI system to help Australia’s largest mobile network better deal with its customers.  

“We think it’s a world first,” said Chris, who still lives locally despite running the global business as its CEO.

“Our project with Telstra sees a large enterprise using conversational AI and chatbot technology in a public-facing way – a hybrid approach with all the appropriate guardrails in place.

“There are other companies doing this with AI, but only on a small scale.

“We spent the best part of 2025 building the system and linking it in to all their operations.

“It’s all about knowing when to give a generative answer, something more structured or a combination of the two.

“Our system also does things like summarising, classifying and making all these decisions in real time.

“I’m very proud that we’ve displaced two of the world’s largest companies in this field – IBM and Salesforce – to deliver this solution.

“As soon as Telstra switched it on they doubled their containment rate, which means twice as many interactions have been automated rather than going through to a human in their contact centre.

“Now we have a road map to do much more over the course of the next 12 months.

“Our system is going to be the central point of communication for all their interactions with existing clients and potential customers – all with a clear escalation path for more complex queries or situations.

“There’s always going to be a need for that.”

beyond ChatGPT

Chris said that, while the arrival of ChatGPT in 2022 and the subsequent proliferation of large language models that generate responses had been significant for the sector that Creative Virtual operates in, many firms had done little in the way of implementing the technology.

“People have this perception that computers have to be 100% accurate, or the job they do is not acceptable,” he said.

“If a human makes a mistake, it often doesn’t get the same level of attention as a machine failing or given an answer that’s wrong.

“As a result, many larger organisations were paralysed when it came to putting new systems in place.

“During this time, we stuck to our guns and did what we’ve always done – tune into what organisations really want.

“That’s what’s brought us success. We’ve kept humans in the system to curate answers, working alongside generative AI and other technologies, meaning we can combine their talents when communicating with customers – something that’s reassuring to large organisations such as banks or telecommunications firms.

“With these clients there’s a large number of processes that their customers need to go through – billing enquiries or applications for accounts and credit cards, for example.

“These need high levels of curation and can’t be left to AI.

“That’s why clients like our approach. They can have very tightly controlled parts of the process alongside the simpler enquiries that can be dealt with by AI.

“Our tagline remains completely relevant today – we’re about the science of conversation and finding the best ways to automate those interactions whether that’s via chatbots, texts, WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger.

“We’re still doing that, but using the latest techniques.

“Our project with Telstra – all that hard work – has resulted in a big global showcase for Creative Virtual.

“We have built some bespoke systems for the client, but many of our standard techniques are ready to scale for other organisations.

“One of the most important elements is the expertise to  understand what this technology can and can’t do – what you can measure and how to set an organisation’s expectations.

“Having this blueprint as we go into 2026 is absolutely key for our business.”

designed to be flexible

Creative Virtual has built its approach to conversational interaction around the idea that it can rapidly and easily switch out AI systems to benefit its clients as the technology develops.

However, Chris believes that while the sector is showing advancement in several areas, it is important to recognise its limitations.

“There are some very clever people in the industry who claim that we’ll have artificial general intelligence very soon, that computers might even become sentient,” he said.

“But we don’t even understand human intelligence at this point.

“You have to take a step back and recognise all these new systems such as large language models are still based on silicon chips – ones and zeros – backed by incredible processing power, but a model that hasn’t changed since the invention of the computer.

“With quantum computing, biological systems or a combination of the two, it may be possible for AI to do a great deal more, but will it become self aware, will it be able to feel things? 

“I think its impossible to say that our existing computer models will take over the world.

“I’m not arguing that we haven’t seen advances in systems that can predict the next word or phrase or that these engines can’t simulate intelligence or awareness. 

“But that to have emotions the computers that run them will need more than ones and zeroes.

“I’m sceptical that artificial general intelligence is just around the corner, even if discussing it makes for a good story in the media.”

doing more and more jobs

One thing Chris is certain of is that AI technologies will be increasingly used to automate large parts of our lives.

“AI will do many of the jobs humans do today and robotics will come increasingly into play, such as self-driving cars,” he said. 

“It is going to be an exciting area and AI is already being used to help doctors with diagnostics and to process large volumes of data in many different fields.

“That’s how we use the technology, for customer services, training virtual sales people and bringing our systems into the retail experience. 

“There will be robots in stores capable of retaining far more information about products on sale than a human ever could, for example.”

That’s not to say AI is perfect or that the large companies involved in developing new models aren’t overly optimistic about the value of their creation.

“With all the billions being invested, there is, perhaps, a bubble – but AI is not going to go away as a tool, just as the end of the dot com boom wasn’t the end of the internet,” said Chris. 

“This technology is very much with us and it will be used to automate many things that are not automated at the moment.

“Overall, I think it will enhance our lives and it will encourage us to be more creative as people.

“Who wants to sit in a contact centre answering the same mundane questions day-in, day-out? We have to evolve our technology so the workforce can do more involving things.

“One of the key issues for firms is that, with so much AI generated content, everything will start to feel very similar. 

“That’s why I think our current approach is the correct one.

“Having humans work alongside AI has always felt to me like the perfect combination.

“We need human curation so that organisations are able to retain their voice and project their brand whether it’s an AI or a person talking to their customers. 

“That’s one of the attributes of our project with Telstra. Its strength has been in the testing we’ve put the systems through against real-life conversations – a way for our client to see our systems work and that gives them confidence. 

“We launched with them during the Black Friday and Cyber Monday periods and it was the best possible time to stress-test what we’d put in place.

“Organisations change their content all the time, so our system had to know Telstra’s products, offerings and sales information and deliver that to customers without error.

“It hasn’t been easy to achieve that, but the feedback from them is that this is the first product they’ve had in years that has been on time, on budget and on spec, which is pretty incredible.

“It’s already delivering real business results.”

key details: Creative Virtual

Creative Virtual is based in Canary Wharf’s Cabot Square and operates globally.

Find out more about its services here

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Winter Lights returns in 2026, celebrating 10 years in Canary Wharf

Blockbuster annual art festival is set to welcome 16 installations from January 20-31, with many thousands of visitors expected to visit the estate

Visitors can find Trispheric Garden by Reelize Studio in Cabot Square - image supplied by Canary Wharf Group
Visitors can find Trispheric Garden by Reelize Studio in Cabot Square – image supplied by Canary Wharf Group

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The biggest cultural event in Canary Wharf is set for an extra special return this month. Winter Lights 2026 will be the 10th time the estate has been filled with illuminated artworks and the latest festival features a bumper crop in celebration.

Running every day from January 20-31, with pieces switched on from 5pm-10pm, the latest Winter Lights extends across the whole of Canary Wharf, with highlights from Westferry Circus to Wood Wharf.

Attracting many thousands of people each year, the free festival is an enormous team effort, spearheaded by Canary Wharf Group’s Arts And Events team.

“Selecting which works to display is a tough process,” said Lowri Harries, associate curator of public art at CWG, who has chosen this year’s installations alongside Arts And Events  manager Camilla McGregor.

“In response to our open call we had the most submissions we’ve ever received – 225.

“It probably takes about 10 hours to go through them because we want to make sure we’ve really considered the relevant ones in detail.”

Camilla added: “Not all festivals operate this way, but I think it’s very democratic because we really are open to all artists.

“At each festival, the majority of the pieces on show come from our open call. 

“Each time we do it, we’ll know some of the artists but many will be new to us.”

Canary Wharf Group's Lowri Harries - image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
Canary Wharf Group’s Lowri Harries – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life

a theme to mark a decade

Winter Lights 2026 has been shaped with a theme, aimed at inspiring creatives to respond with work.

Lowri said: “I’m really excited about this year’s because there are a few ways we’ve given it a different identity.

“The festival is already well established in London – lots of people know about it – but we’ve tried to give it a bit extra.

“The theme is Dreamscape, which we feel is open-ended enough to allow lots of different submissons but brings to mind the idea of dreams and landscapes.

“Our space is unique with the architecture familiar to so many people and it’s meant to spark imagination and curiosity.

“We’ve commissioned artist Anna Lomax to create an exhibition poster for us with a limited run, which will be on sale at Circle Collective in Jubilee Place during the event.

“We’ll stock about 500 of the prints, which people can buy during the festival and visitors can also get a printed brochure too.

“Anna has also created three installations for us, which will be in the malls, so we’re back inside for the first time in a while.”

Camilla added: “With the theme, we wanted something that would appeal to everyone. 

“It’s evocative of a childlike interest in the world and artists were free to approach that in any way they liked.

“The intention is for Dreamscape to really tie everything together.”

InBloom by Kumquat Lab is set to be displayed in Wren Landing - image supplied by Canary Wharf Group
InBloom by Kumquat Lab is set to be displayed in Wren Landing – image supplied by Canary Wharf Group

selecting some highlights

A full list of installations and their locations is available here, but Lowri and Camilla have picked out some highlights and works to look out for.

“I’m really looking forward to seeing Aether by Architecture Social Club in Montgomery Square,” said Camilla.

“The artist behind it is Max Cooper, who is very well known.

“It features light, a soundscape and music and is more of a performance than a sculpture.

“People will be able to walk under it and it’s always great to use space so visitors can get different perspectives on the pieces.”

Lowri said: “There are a number of new commissions specifically for this festival.

“East London artist Marcus Lyall is returning with Manifestation – a projection piece in Wood Wharf.

“We’ve also tried to include more interactive exhibits this year and it will be really interesting to see how audiences react to that.

“There’s Lacto-Reacto-Light by Jack Wimperis at Canary Riverside, which is a large wall made from recycled milk bottles that reflects the movements of its audience.

“There’s also InBloom by Kumquat Lab at Wren Landing – a work about the pollination of flowers with orbs that change colour when hands are moved over them, with sounds emitted during the process.”

Camilla added: “I’m also really excited to see how people interact with At The Hand by LaCroix at Harbour Quay Gardens.

“It’s a holographic hand controlled by the audience down beside the water.”

Canary Wharf Group's Camilla McGregor - image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
Canary Wharf Group’s Camilla McGregor – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life

ones to watch at Winter Lights 2026

Another showstopper to look out for will be Amplitudes by Limbic Cinema. Projected onto mist in Eden Dock, the piece will be on a constant loop at the heart of the Wharf.

Camilla said: “We’re doing something new this year – for the first time ever, the public will be able to vote for their favourite installations, either via QR code where they are displayed or on our website.”

The winner will then be announced online and via social media to celebrate the top piece’s popularity. 

Hulahoop by Scale is set to be displayed in Union Square on Wood Wharf - image supplied by Canary Wharf Group
Hulahoop by Scale is set to be displayed in Union Square on Wood Wharf – image supplied by Canary Wharf Group

plan your visit

Regarding logistics, CWG’s advice is to visit the festival on a weekday, with weekends expected to be extremely busy. 

“We’ve extended free parking for three hours to weekdays as well as weekends for those spending £10 in Waitrose to encourage people to come during the week,” said Lowri. 

“We’ll be hosting Winter Lights Bites street food hubs at Jubilee Park, Montgomery Square and Union Square, curated by Karnival during the festival.

“These traders will be offering 20% off food Monday-Wednesday, so it’s a great time to visit.”

Restaurants and bars are also likely to be busy during the festival, so early booking is recommended. 

Camilla said: “We can’t wait for people to see this year’s Winter Lights. It’s art that’s accessible and free to enjoy.

“The event brings an audience to the estate and that’s great for the businesses here but it’s also a real benefit to Canary Wharf in introducing people to our cultural offering.”

Flower Power by Aerosculpture, Jean-Pierre David and Christian Thellier will be on show at Westferry Circus - image supplied by Canary Wharf Group
Flower Power by Aerosculpture, Jean-Pierre David and Christian Thellier will be on show at Westferry Circus – image supplied by Canary Wharf Group

key details: Winter Lights 2026

Winter Lights 2026 runs from January 20-31 from 5pm-10pm and is free to attend.

There are 16 special installations to discover alongside nine from Canary Wharf’s permanent art collection.

For a map of the location of all the artworks follow this link.

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