- Download
- Further details
-
Our Commitment to Social Value
This is a bitesize summary for easy reading, or you can download our full statement.
We know that doing good goes beyond just providing basic services. That's why we're committed to Social Value – actions that benefit our community, economy, and environment.
What is Social Value?
Social Value is anything that makes a positive difference. We can achieve it through our everyday work, like buying goods and services, and also through partnerships with local businesses and groups.
Our goals
- Do the most we can to benefit our community.
- Include Social Value in our important plans and decisions.
- Make sure our agreements with others (like contracts and grants) include Social Value goals.
- Encourage everyone to get involved in making Gravesham better.
How We'll Do It
- Working Together: We'll ask our community what's important to them. Then, we'll create a list of ideas for how businesses and groups can help.
- Council Action: We'll look at how we're already doing good things and find ways to do even more, like volunteering and supporting local projects.
- Partnerships: We'll work with others to make their projects even more beneficial to our community.
Our priorities
- Community Action: Helping out in our community.
- Skills & Employment: Providing training and job opportunities.
- Small Business Support: Helping local businesses thrive.
- Carbon Reduction: Protecting the environment.
- Equality & Ethics: Making sure everyone has equal opportunities.
- Health & Wellbeing: Helping people stay healthy and happy.
- Exemplar Employer: Being a great place to work.
- Housing & Regeneration: Building better communities.
Measuring success
We work with our suppliers and local businesses to deliver economic, social and environmental wellbeing to our community. Here's a snapshot of just some of the things that have been delivered.
2024/2025
Volunteering: 1,143 hours donated £33,135. From foodbanks and schools to community gardens, rescue dog walking, homeless hubs and litter picking - our people have been making a difference.
Skills & employment: £1,438,485 invested. Creating real opportunites for local people - investing in their futures through apprenticeships, training and job creation. 27 workers upskilled through targeted training, 4 local construction apprenticeship schemes, local construction jobs investments and 18 apprenticeships supported.
Community support: Community Support value totaling at £11,410. Sponsoring free family events, refurbishing community spaces, community planting, foodbank donations & deliveries, volunteer drivers, fresh fruit pots, boxes of christmas cakes for residents and christmas tree sponsoring.
Total estimated social value: £1,500,000+
2025/2026
Volunteering: 3,110 hours donated £57,571. This includes over 360 careers advice sessions delivered in local schools, as well as 900 bags of litter collected by Street Champions.
Skills & employment: £1,094,653 invested. Over 135 individuals received direct support through employment skills training and job opportunities , including job placements and apprenticeships.
Community support: £88,000 secured. We have secured money to support local foodbanks, homelessness organisations, community gardens and community events.
Total estimated social value: £1,240,225
Next steps
- We'll figure out what's already happening in Gravesham.
- We'll ask the community what they want to see.
- We'll create a plan with clear goals and deadlines.
- We'll update our policies and guidelines.
- We'll set up ways to track our progress.
We believe that by working together, we can make Gravesham even stronger.
