Who Are We?
Legal & General Homes are working with the Social Value Portal and have helped embed the UK’s first Social Value Charter into its business as it builds new homes at Buckler’s Park in Crowthorne.
It is not just about constructing houses in the local area, Legal & General Homes believe the key to delivering real benefits is not only through effective engagement with local communities, but that this must be done on a genuinely collaborative basis.
The Crowthorne Community Charter provides a focus around which everyone who lives and works in Crowthorne has the chance to identify the local needs, priorities and opportunities for the area. In this way, citizens and community groups have their voice heard and can take responsibility for co-designing and co-delivering specific solutions.
A consultation was conducted, and the community came up with four key themes:
Physical – Economical – Environmental – Social
This gave local people a chance to say what would make a difference. The Community Charter also helps local businesses get involved and add social value locally to enable communities to engage, grow and flourish.
If you would like more information on our Social Value Programme, please take a look at the Legal & General Homes website: www.landghomes.com/social-value
The Big Red Bus – Adding Social Value
Meena Bahra – the Community Co-ordinator for the project made initial contact with Oaklands School and met with Stuart Lee and the school’s Leadership Team to look at ways of adding social value to the school. Working closely with the Legal & General Homes team they designed a project that would help launch the ‘Big Red Bus’ initiative.
Some of Legal & General Homes’ sub-contractors were able to help with the building works on the bus, including; electricity installation, fitting bookshelves, installing a new floor to make it easier for children to move around and even laying some paving stones into the ground – which had been painted by the school children. In addition, Legal & General Homes will be donating a grant in kind to the project to help make a new ‘Learning Chill-Out Zone’ that will support the children of Oaklands School, Crowthorne.
We’re all excited to see the initiative come to life and we hope the children really benefit from the new supplies.
By Meena Bahra
Community Coordinator
meena.bahra@socialvalueportal.com