Social Value Impact in Lewisham sees £74m injection into local economy

Lewisham Council has released its Social Value Impact report for 2023, which goes into great depth about what the Council, though its partnerships and procurement methods, has been doing to increase social value in the local community. Over 800 jobs have been secured for local people, and £18 million in wages. 82% of the Council’s spend stays within the London regional economy, making it the highest in the country.

Social value is how the Council makes the most of its relationships with partners and suppliers, and how and where it procures goods and services, to create wealth in the community. Done well, it injects money into the local economy, supports local businesses, provides opportunities for training and employment for residents, improves the environment, and builds a future that means all residents can maximise their wellbeing.

In the wake of the pandemic and amid a cost-of-living crisis, the need to build wealth in the community and target support to the most vulnerable households has never been more critical. Twenty-five per cent of Lewisham households are estimated to be vulnerable to rising living costs and one in four households are experiencing either food or fuel poverty, and those with negative budgets has doubled between 2022 and 2023.

This report clearly demonstrates the Council’s determination to underpin economic resilience through sustainable procurement and the focus on local suppliers is paying off. The report details a £74 million spend on local supply chains with 50 local contracts awarded, keeping money locally, securing 824 jobs for local residents, which means £18 million in wages for local people.

Cllr Amanda de Ryk, Cabinet Member for Finance and Strategy, said, “After some very tough years facing a pandemic, a cost-of-living crisis and budget cuts, it has never been more critical for the Council to deliver the benefits of social value for our local people.

The report is a call to arms for existing and potential suppliers and shows that when we work together, we can ensure equality of opportunity and outcome, maximising prosperity and wellbeing for everyone across the borough. We have been determined in our approach to building community wealth, we are making sure that every single Lewisham pound counts.

There are some excellent case studies in the report, from new laptops donated to schools, to Lewisham Works helping a single mum into good work, to £80,000 worth of community donations to sports training programmes at primary schools. It’s really impressive how far this work reaches into the local communities.”

The report covers not just economic benefits but also covers community art projects, volunteering, social inclusion, sports, the environment and much more.

You can read the report in full here.

Lewisham Works Case Study

“I’m a single mum and have been struggling to find work that fits around childcare for over a year”.

Kay initially met a Connecting Communities Advisor from City of London in April 2022. Upon a recommendation from the Lewisham Council Benefit Cap team, Kay requested to transfer to the local team, where she met her advisor Sian. Kay had been with other employment support programmes before but felt a difference with the Lewisham Works team. Kay received wrap around support from Lewisham works, from matching her skills with a potential job, to ensuring she had smart clothes she felt good in for the interview, to skills training, interview tips, and even childcare during the interview.

Kay said, “I have been with a few programmes and never got anywhere. This is the only programme I have been with actually helping you look for work. Others feel like they ring you cos it’s something they have to do, rather than helping you look for work. With Sian I felt like I was getting somewhere.”

Adventure Playgrounds Case Study

A great example in the report is the management of the Council’s Adventure Playgrounds. Volunteers come and help with the maintenance by repairing wooden frames, weeding, mowing and painting. This has resulted in thousands of hours of volunteer work, worth up to £200,000 in maintenance costs, and provides an opportunity for those who want to give back to their community.

Riverside Youth Club Case Study

Since 1969, Riverside Youth Club has been an iconic and much-loved centre in one of Lewisham’s most disadvantaged areas. In recent years, the building has become extremely dilapidated and was at risk of closing within five years.  Through our partnership with Youth First, a London based charity who provide our Youth Services contract, we partnered with Millwall Community Trust to secure a £745,000 grant from the Premier League, the FA and the Government’s Football Foundation to revitalise and expand Riverside Youth Club in Deptford. Youth First led the public campaign which resulted in substantial donations from private donors and local trusts and foundations to secure the award. Youth First estimate that with the revitalised centre they will be able to work with up to 1,000 young people a year, making a significant impact to the area and its residents.

Warm Welcomes – Lewisham Local Case Study

In the face of rising energy costs, Lewisham Local were commissioned to co-ordinate commercial and voluntary organisations to offer their spaces as ‘warm welcomes’ over the winter. These were welcoming warm shelters the community could access for free, with many organisations offering complementary support, activities, and hospitality. Twenty-five spaces were able to access small grants to extend their offer, but over 50 stepped up voluntarily with no additional funding, including pubs, cafés and gyms. This amounted to 11,355 hours of time donated over the three months as warm spaces, or the equivalent of £31,000 worth of heating!