Creating social impact
We’re creating a long-lasting, positive social impact by supporting our customers and communities. Generating impact through employment and education programmes and impactful use of our spaces, we support local talent essential to the UK’s growth industries.
Our 2030 commitments
affordable workspace, retail units, community and arts spaces at our places
people benefiting from employment support
people benefiting from education partnerships
CREATING LOCAL OPPORTUNITIES
We’ve reached some significant milestones in our social targets.
By focusing on local education initiatives, we're enabling social mobility and inclusivity for people of all stages. Our skills and employment programme, Bright Lights, continues to provide meaningful support, training and job opportunities for local people at every career level.
And continues to grow our support for local organisations by providing affordable, high-quality spaces.
This all generates direct social and economic value for communities around our places, underpinned by our Social Impact Fund.
Social Impact Fund delivered since 2020, including £8.1m of cash investment
direct social and economic value generated since 2020
Key Downloads
Sustainability Reporting
FOCUSING OUR EFFORTS
Our work on creating positive social impact covers three critical areas, that are important in all our communities – education, employment and affordable space. The way we put these into practice is always place based - tailored around local needs and opportunities for communities at each place. This work is made possible by our Social Impact Fund, driving social and economic value for communities that need it most.
You can find more detail on our performance in our Sustainability Reporting.
Social Impact Fund
Since 2008, our Social Impact Fund has provided vital funding for charities and projects in and around our places. We’ve made a £25m commitment to 2030, comprising £15m of cash contributions and £10m of affordable space. This is focused on our three commitment areas of education, employment and affordable space, particularly supporting people experiencing social or economic disadvantage. Our Social Impact Committee approves all expenditure from our Fund. This Committee comprises representatives from across the business and is overseen by our ESG Committee. It meets quarterly. We report investment in accordance with the B4SI international standard. To find out more about how our Fund operates, see our Social Impact Funding Guidelines in our Policy library below.
Sustainability Reporting Policies & Procedures
Since 2008, our Social Impact Fund has provided vital funding for charities and projects in and around our places. We’ve made a £25m commitment to 2030, comprising £15m of cash contributions and £10m of affordable space. This is focused on our three commitment areas of education, employment and affordable space, particularly supporting people experiencing social or economic disadvantage. Our Social Impact Committee approves all expenditure from our Fund. This Committee comprises representatives from across the business and is overseen by our ESG Committee. It meets quarterly. We report investment in accordance with the B4SI international standard. To find out more about how our Fund operates, see our Social Impact Funding Guidelines in our Policy library below.
Sustainability Reporting Policies & Procedures
Space
To grow social impact, we provide high-quality spaces to local community organisations, charities, social enterprises and small businesses for free or at a significant reduction. Part of our affordable space support also includes removing barriers to entry for small, local organisations through leasing and property management assistance.
Employment
We support local training and jobs through Bright Lights, our skills and employment programme. Bright Lights enables local people to access opportunities in our sector and at our places. This helps secure the skills our business, suppliers, customers and communities need as we work towards an equitable low carbon future. Initiatives include pre-employment training, virtual programmes, mentoring, work placements, graduate schemes, internships and apprenticeships.
Education
We focus our resources on needs-based education programmes – supporting local young people as they grow into the careers of the future and securing the skills our business, suppliers, customers and communities need. Our partnerships include primary and secondary school projects, college events and university workshops, often involving customers, suppliers and local partners. We encourage all our partners to consider opportunities to develop green skills, supporting a just transition.
Social Value
Our target to generate £200m of direct social and economic value by 2030 gives a financial value to the outcomes of our social sustainability programmes. This includes £100m from our Social Impact Fund and £100m from our spend with SMEs. In addition, we are aiming for £100m of indirect value by 2030, primarily through our development activity. We follow the Impact Evaluation Standard framework, and our data is externally audited. This reflects our robust and transparent approach.
