Council makes sure local people benefit from its contracts with building firms as part of Housing Our Greenwich
Nearly 1,000 hours of employment support and over 35 new jobs have been created for local people through Housing Our Greenwich’s social value work. This forms part of our £430 million investment to improve council homes and create 1,750 new homes for people on our housing register.
We work with contractors to deliver these vital homes, and as such we make sure they give back to local people and provide benefits to the community – which is known as social value.
This can include new jobs, apprenticeships and work experience opportunities, the refurbishment of community spaces including kitchens and outdoor spaces, as well as donations and volunteering at community projects.
Cllr Pat Slattery, Cabinet Member for Housing, Neighbourhoods and Homelessness, said: “As well as delivering much-needed improvements so that residents' can have safe and secure homes, we’ve also made sure that local people are benefitting from the skills, resources and access to opportunities that our contractors can provide through things like new jobs, work experience opportunities and access to qualifications. These are all things that can really make a difference to the lives of people and create lasting change in local neighbourhoods.”
Through the council’s programmes, thousands of new homes are being delivered and improved with the help and hard work of local apprentices, work experience and fully employed residents working with contractors on schemes across the borough.
Aura Abasse, 18, is studying for T-Levels at Shooter’s Hill College. He completed a two-week work experience with the council’s kitchen and bathroom contractor Mulalley, last November.
He said: “During my work experience I got on-site experience of meeting new people and got to learn about the work of an assistant site manager, project manager and quantity surveyor. I went into residents' homes and got to experience and take part in validation checks to see if residents’ kitchens and bathrooms fit the requirements to be refurbished. I really benefitted from the experience and in the future, I would like to go into mechanical or electrical engineering.”
Cllr Majid Rahman, Cabinet Member for Planning, Estate Renewal and Development, said: “At the Royal Borough of Greenwich, we are committed to strengthening our communities and providing our residents with opportunities for employment and training. Social value gives us the ability to use our contracts to do more for Greenwich. It allows us to not just build infrastructure and provide services but to build an environment where residents and infrastructure can flourish.”
To date the council has delivered social value across a range of activities including:
- 922 hours of employment support
- 59 weeks of work experience
- 37 jobs for local people in construction
- 37 apprenticeships
- 53 hours of engagement with schools for young people
- refurbishment of the Middle Park Community Centre by AXIS, the Long Lane FC Clubhouse by United Living and upcoming kitchen refurbishment of the Somali Teaching Group in Woolwich by Mulalley
- a garden makeover of the Adolescent Assessment Resource and Residential Centre (a children’s care home) by Elkins Construction, Blakeney Leigh and Durkan Homes and a ‘secret garden’ created at James Wolfe Primary School by Blakeney Leigh