SOCIAL VALUE LEAVING A POSITIVE LEGACY
FROM TRANSFORMATIVE PROJECTS TO MEANINGFUL SOCIAL VALUE
A socially responsible ethos has always been part of the Winvic Way and by exploring local needs and, tailoring our activities accordingly, we are enhancing the economic, social, environmental, and cultural wellbeing of local communities. Our Social Value Team gets involved as early as possible and in during Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) our experts can advise what activities are viable and undertake all liaison with the local authority. Keep reading to learn about a few of our projects and their exceptional social value outcomes. However, we’re raising our own high bar for 2025 and Winvic is committing to a Social Value Baseline across all its projects, irrespective of local planning authority or client requirements. As we’ve only just reached the end of 2024, our social value impact data for the year isn’t finalised yet, but we can’t resist highlighting our achievements in 2023 (and whisper that the 2024 stats are looking excellent).
We split the activities which bring long-lasting benefits to local people, communities and businesses into six categories:
- Apprenticeships and Work Experience
- Increasing Local Employment Opportunities
- Education Engagement
- Supporting Your Workforce
- Opportunities to Buy Local
- Supporting the Local Community
In 2023, we introduced a new Employee Volunteering Policy, which enables our employees to volunteer their time and talents for a day to a recognised charity or not-for-profit organisations and still be paid to make a positive difference in their local communities. Due to the fantastic response from our team members who volunteered 653 hours to community initiatives, we’ve increased our Sustainability Strategy KPI targets for 2025 and 2030 and will therefore deliver even more benefits to people and communities.
Here’s the impressive impact we’ve made…
2,546 hours of work placements
1,352 hours of work experience
546 hours of school engagement / STEM activities
130 educational events
9,584 students engaged
48 directly employed apprentices
180 hours of mentoring
52,754 employee training hours
653 hours of volunteering
67 community activities
£1.2m spent with VCSEs
7 VCSEs supported
43/45 Average Considerate Constructors Scheme Score
WORK INSIGHTS, SITE VISITS AND APPRENTICESHIPS AT BEDDINGTON LANE
We were appointed to construct four new units totalling 93,935 sq ft for the second phase of development at Prologis Park Beddington in Croydon, South London and created a Framework Employment and Skills Plan as part of the Section 106 agreement. Targets for the impact area of Sutton District included the delivery of Work Insights, Work Encounters: Site Visits and Work Experience: supporting six Apprenticeships or pre-Apprenticeship placements. We’re also working to Prologis’ Social Value requirement, which is part of their supply chain charter and uses the National TOMs (Themes, Outcomes, Measures) framework measurement tool to quantify the social and local economic value of our activities. The project – which was awarded a 44/45 Considerate Constructors Scheme (CCS) score with an added best practice point – is due to be completed in February 2025 and you can read about our social value achievements to date on the scheme over on our website.
UNCOVERING OODLES OF OPPORTUNITIES IN OXFORD
Since Jeremy Hunt visited Tritax Park Oxford, we’ve not only delivered a lot of construction works, but also a plethora of social value activities. This site achieved a 45/45 Considerate Constructors Scheme (CCS) score with an additional point for best practice. The Construction Phase Employment and Skills Plan that we created was agreed with Cherwell District Council and OxLEP and we’ve been holding regular meetings with these stakeholders and client Tritax to provide updates on our progress. We have two local residents working on site completing a shared apprenticeship with Winvic via Co-Train, our onsite Site Manager is studying a Level 3 Supervisor/Team Leader Apprenticeship and until September 2024, one of our Quantity Surveying Year In Industry students was placed on the project. Individuals from our site and Social Value teams set up stall at two careers fairs and spoke to hundreds of students from Banbury and Bicester College and Cooper School about construction roles and career paths. And we also welcomed students to site.
We collaborated with a specialist construction training centre – ACE Training – and provided the trainees with a site tour, an introduction to earthworks, a demonstration of some site plant and equipment. We know they particularly enjoyed our hyper-realistic dump truck driving simulation using a Virtual Reality (VR) headset and we were thankful that a digital marketing student on a week’s work experience with Winvic captured some of this site visit. We’ve also supported Abingdon and Witney College with their the AQA module content by providing an overview of the skills and qualities we look for in candidates applying for entry roles. This will feed into how the college helps to prepare their students for the world of work. And if that’s not all, we’re working with Activate Learning (Banbury and Bicester College) to arrange a site visit for their construction learners and liaising with Oxford County Council’s Education, Employment and Training (EET) service to provide a taster insight session into construction to 16 to 18 year olds who are not in education, employment or training (NEET).
SDF SV – A LEGACY FOR SCHOOL CHILDREN AND VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES
We hailed the work of our Social Value Manager on page 9 and explained how she’s leading the social value working groups for National Highways’ Scheme Delivery Framework contractors, and here we’re going to tell you about the two legacy projects that Emma and the team have driven. In addition, we’ve delivered 44 collaborative initiatives on the SDF across the southeast, northwest and northeast regions.
Over 200 children are benefitting from our social value impact at Hook Primary School, plus many more in the future. We ran a competition with the schoolchildren for them to design their own new playground and two of our T Level students from Wakefield College turned their wonderful, wacky and weird suggestions into a feasible design. A selection of our subcontractor partners worked alongside Winvic team members in school holidays to make the children’s dreams come true. Now, wheelchair-friendly paths run around the previously neglected embankment to areas with swings, waterplay, a sandpit and a storage shed. Every class also planted a tree and year six leavers’ classes will plant another tree each coming year.
Nitelite CIC’s motto is that no person should be without food, drink and hygiene essentials in this day and age, and we proudly supported the charity to prepare its new Community Hub by providing plasterboard for the build in conjunction with supply chain partner Mways. The Community Interest Company (CIC) provides cashless aid providing food and drink to the most vulnerable in the community. Always looking to maximise the social value we deliver, we used the opportunity to train 2 local students from Middlesborough College, offering them valuable hands-on experience while contributing to this important community project. Thanks to the collaborative efforts of the YNE Social Value Working Group the newly refurbished Community Hub now boasts a retail space, community cafe, community fridge, and essential facilities for public use, including showers, washing machines and dryers. This welcoming space designed is thoughtfully designed to meet the diverse needs of the community and foster a sense of belonging.
WHAT A SUM IN BRUM – SOCIAL VALUE SUCCESSES
If you’re a Winvic Word fan, you might remember we spoke about working closely with Birmingham City Council (BCC) and their Employment Access Team (EAT) across five social value strategies in last year’s issue. BCC’s administrative area has the highest youth unemployment rate in Europe, so training and employment – categorised as new entrant Job Starts, Apprentices, Graduates or Work Placements – are the highest priorities.
As per the Section 106 agreements, we created an Employment and Skills Plan, and our goal was the delivery of 60 person weeks for the above categories for every £1m of the project value. With three of the five projects now complete, we’re delighted to be able to share that these targets weren’t just met but exceeded… and even smashed!
At the time of publication, we’ve delivered over 26,000 person weeks of employment and training opportunities with Birmingham residents.
Corkfield – completed November 2023
This project for PATRIZIA in leafy Edgbaston on the outskirts of Birmingham comprises 375 studio, one, two and three-bed apartments. Not only are PATRIZIA and residents impressed with the new homes and facilities, the industry professionals at The Love To Rent Awards have recognised Corkfield as the Best Build To Rent Development in the Midlands. 4,773 weeks delivered = 166% of the target While training and employment were at the top of the list, PATRIZIA and Winvic created a partnership with the adjacent Midlands Arts Centre (MAC) and Warwickshire County Cricket Club (WCCC), a venue for the Birmingham Commonwealth Games. A project entitled ‘In Common’ helped to set the scene for Corkfield’s future residents’ community integration. MAC organised a public call-out and 13 people, aged seven to 67 – with a commonwealth heritage and who live or work in Edgbaston – were selected and captured by award-winning Birmingham photographer Maryam Wahid. A 70-metre-long outdoor portrait gallery was installed in the public plaza during the Commonwealth Games, celebrating the community’s vibrancy, culture, and heritage.
Moda, Loudon's Yard - completed October 2024
We gave you an overview of this project comprising 398 one, two and three-bed apartments on page 10 and we’re very proud of our social value outcomes. 5,569 weeks delivered = 193% of the target By focusing on opportunities for young people alongside our subcontractor partners and the BCC EAT, we had 42 people under the age of 24 either working or training on site. A total of 31 Apprentices and eight placement students from Aston University, South and City College Birmingham and Walsall College also gained hands on experience constructing Moda, Loudon’s Yard.
The Bath House – completed December 2024
Another project hailed as industry leading by the 2024 Love to Rent Awards, The Bath House won the Social Value Impact in BTR category. This is another scheme we talk about on page 10, and we're extremely proud of the outcomes achieved.
7,330 weeks delivered = 238% of the target The Bath House was just one project to also receive recognition from the Considerate Constructors Scheme (CCS) National Site Awards – you’ll find more on that below – and it was awarded a 46 score with the additional point given for best practice collaboration. One exciting activity we arranged was a STEM outreach day, where we engaged over 120 students from City Academy through interactive insight sessions to help them learn about exciting roles in construction that are linked to STEM subjects including a construction tower building activity. Additionally, we hosted 15 students from Ark St Alban’s Academy for a workplace visit as part of the Careers Ready programme and welcomed T Level students from Walsall College as part of our Enrichment Programme which we speak about on page 15.
The Holloway – completion April 2025
While we have around four months remaining on this project, we’ve already surpassed the target for the delivery of person weeks for employment and training. 6,868 weeks delivered = 228% of the target Doubling the target is some achievement! In addition, we supported Walsall College T Level students, hosted the Birmingham Girlguides for a site tour and construction careers talk, and held Deaf Awareness Training sessions on site as part of our support for social enterprise Argonaut Cleaning who were employed on the site. The site team also led a community project in collaboration with subcontractors Chelserv, RSW and Central Contractors to support Martineau Gardens, which you can read more about below.
Crown Place Birmingham – completion November 2025
Showcased on page 4 for its innovations and below for its CCS recognition, this scheme has eleven more months of construction before it reaches handover. Our Social Value Team and their collaborative delivery strategy are right on schedule to exceed the targets at Crown Place Birmingham, just like on the four projects above. 1,849 weeks delivered halfway into construction Just one fantastic result of our work to engage with students is that two T Level students have now gone on to Apprenticeships while working at this site. Activities which make a positive and long-lasting legacy to real people’s lives come in many forms and we’re proud of all our work, but the activity, which melted all our hearts was creating a Santa’s Grotto and gardens at Birmingham Children’s Hospital. Collaboratively across these projects, our teams have also supported several community projects and charities, including two local homeless charities, Tabor Living (Father Hudson's Care) where our team members volunteered time to help prepare its new accommodation and donated a skip and installed railings to transform the garden and outdoor area. We donated hygiene items in Dignity Bags to SIFA Fireside as well as volunteered time to help to prepare, serve and clear food and organise clothes and food donations. At the non-profit Martineau Gardens therapeutic community garden, we provided both resources and materials for the repair of their community pergola and pavillion doors, improved their toilet facilities and volunteered at their events and donated heated bodywarmers so everyone can stay warm during winter activities. A local primary school welcomed a makeover too and our team refreshed their garden and undertook painting and repair jobs.
ONCE, TWICE, NINE TIMES A WINNER
Our team members attended regional ceremonies in London and Manchester and collected a total nine Considerate Constructors Scheme 2024 National Site Awards. Furthermore, we won the Social Impact Award in the CCS Gala Awards based on our community focused evidence from across all our sites covering over the award criteria’s specified period... which is a lot! It’s fantastic to be recognised for the efforts that we have made to be a considerate neighbour and leave a positive legacy in the communities close to our sites. We’re equally proud that the following winning sites represent the pinnacle of considerate construction.
Holloway Head, Birmingham: Gold Flick back to page 10 to read more about this 484 apartment Build-to-Rent scheme. Kent Street Baths, Birmingham: Silver We also talk about this BTR project which contains 406 homes on page 10. Crown Place Birmingham: Silver If you missed reading about this project and our UK first innovations, turn back to page 4. DZ3, Hinckley Park: Silver This project comprising three logistics and manufacturing units totalling 340,000 sq ft, 47,000 sq and 60,000 sq ft is on page 7. SEGRO Logistics Park Northampton (SLPN): Bronze We touch on this project on page 8, but also check out Winvic Word 2023 for in-depth details on the highways works. EMA4 Peddimore, near Sutton Coldfield: Bronze The Amazon occupied unit at IM Properties’ Peddimore has a 547,000 sq ft footprint, and you can learn more about the project’s impressive social value impact in the previous issue of Winvic Word. Symmetry Park Rugby: Phase 1, Bronze and Phase 2, Bronze We talk about the third phase of Symmetry Park Rugby on page 6, but these two awards are for the first two phases, which you can read about in last year’s Winvic Word. Prologis Park West London: Bronze For more details on this 6.3ha project and it’s impactful social value outcomes, check out the previous issue of Winvic Word.
CCS Score at Crown Place Birmingham * including 3 points for innovation
COLLABORATING WITH CECA CONTRACTORS TO SUPPORT COMMUNITIES
In September we supported the Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA) at their Social Value Conference 2024. The event was conceived by the CECA Midlands Foundation Group - which is chaired by Heidi Salmons, our Head of Marketing, Communications and Social Responsibility - to support members in social value roles by addressing challenges and showcasing best practices. Heidi, together with our social value, environmental and sustainability teams led an engaging workshop. They provided attendees with practical tools and insights into the sustainability and environmental themes of social value frameworks and an understanding how this can positively impact local communities.
The 120 attendees were split into groups and with the same project scope and map, they focused on the circular economy, biodiversity net gain or carbon and worked together on solutions across design, construction and through local community engagement. They also had to consider how the outputs and outcomes would be transparently and accurately measured. The conference, which focused on Environment and Sustainability, Local Employment and Skills, and Supporting Business Growth, was a fantastic day.
