North Manchester is the most deprived area in England in respect of health and disability-related deprivation, the second most deprived in respect of income deprivation, and the fourth most deprived in respect of employment deprivation.

As part of the NMGH redevelopment, we have produced a healthcare-led approach to regeneration and social value that has been developed by a working group made up of the Consultant Team, MFT and MCC that aligns to other North Manchester based regeneration projects with the aim to sharing best practice and collaborating on social value activity.

A great deal of work has been carried out to date as part of the planning stage, including:

• Economic Benefit Analysis
• Procurement Strategy
• Social Value Action Plan that incorporates the National TOMs
• Engagement with key stakeholders and workshops with local VCSEs to identify and understand local needs
• Charter and pledge event with the Design Team

The Social Value Action Plan has been designed to address the health, social and economic struggles of North Manchester and aligns to MCC’s response to Covid recovery for the city. Split into three themes, the plan comprises:

• Employment, Skills and Education
• Health and Wellbeing
• Community Resilience

As part of the Strategic Regeneration Framework, consultations are currently taking place for the project, offering members of the public the opportunity to be involved in the process. Maximising social value will be at the heart of the project to ensure North Manchester residents benefit socially and economically. We will use a social value calculator tool to record our endeavours which in turn will provide us with a return on social investment.

On the lead up to Christmas, the wider project team are supporting The Booth Centre, Wood Street Mission and Manchester Cares with monetary and gift donations to help them continue doing their good work in the community. We are delighted to announce that our chosen charity partner for 2021 will be ‘We Love Manchester’ that supports numerous smaller charities across the city.

In the New Year, we will be accommodating a three month project for MMU architecture students that will encompass transport, logistics, carbon zero, a cost analysis and a digital model using Revit. To assist students with their project brief, site visits, presentations and 1-1s will take place with support from MFT, Arcadis, AFL, Sheppard Robson, Arup, Curtins and Hive Projects.

Furthermore, we will be hosting employability workshops for Manchester College pupil referral units and ESOL students. Our Social Value Manager will be mentoring Year 8 and 9 students at Our Lady’s High School from January to help raise the aspirations of young people.

Social value in business

The impact of the pandemic has highlighted the importance of Social Value and the need to support local residents and businesses more than ever. Covid has stressed how unemployment and economic worries can have a serious impact on our mental health and wellbeing which in turn can have a detrimental affect on our physical health.

Social Value is about helping to create a lasting legacy and encompasses the three pillars of sustainability: Social, Economic and Environmental. By generating employment, training, and education opportunities, we are not only helping to prepare young people for the world of work but upskilling and recruiting unemployed people will enhance their skillset, confidence and wellbeing whilst reducing worklessness and benefit claim statistics. Supporting SMEs will ensure they can continue trading, retain their staff in employment and boosts the local economy. By offering our time to local charities and fundraising on their behalf whilst promoting their services will ensure they are able to continue doing their good work in the local community in serving the needs of those most vulnerable. To support our vision and local VCSEs, employees are granted one day of paid leave to volunteer for a charity of their choice.

It is proven that the environment that you live and work in can also impact your mood and outlook on life. By helping to create and develop green spaces in addition to supporting environmental initiatives, together we can help to create a better future for future generations.