Willmott Dixon has set out the huge opportunity for companies and public sector procurers to make a real impact on the wellbeing of society by maximising the social value they can bring.
Its report, ‘Social Value – taking full account of a company’s true impact’, seeks to define the role of social value and how it enables the business sector to play a meaningful role in supporting a region’s strategy for skills development and economic growth.
Drawing on examples from Willmott Dixon’s own activities, the report sets out key recommendations for procurers and contracting organisations to maximise their presence in the community.
Rick Willmott, Group Chief Executive and Chair of the Willmott Dixon Foundation, said:
“We’ve been focused on our impact in communities for a long time, and this includes investing £2.2 million last year in our people’s time and materials to support initiatives that improves lives. It has given us a broad knowledge of what works and what doesn’t, and the report allows us to share how we believe business can achieve a lasting impact.
“Being a large company means we have the scale to do something that creates real change to society’s wellbeing. This is not only done through what we build and maintain; it’s achieved through the fantastic efforts of all our people who make a major contribution to enhancing their local communities.
“There is still a lot of thinking to be done – particularly around how to define and assess social value. We want our experience to play a part in this, and I hope today’s report provides a useful insight into social value from a contractors’ point of view.”
Willmott Dixon was a key contributor in the Government’s recent review of The Social Value Act.