GPSJ WINTER 2023 2024 LATEST - Flipbook - Page 16
GPSJ
FUSION21
Fusion21 and Newlands Developments
announce new partnership to drive social
impact
National social enterprise Fusion21 has officially announced a new nationwide social value
partnership with Rugby based developer Newlands Developments.
l-r Mark Chadwick
and Sarah Maguire
from Fusion21, Ben
Taylor and Ed Pigott from Newlands
Developments.
The ground-breaking
collaboration will see social
impact incorporated into all
Newlands Developments’
projects at the pre-planning
application stage to
ensure multi-million pound
developments benefit the local
area and people who live there.
Cast your mind back to March
Fusion21, based in Merseyside,
specialises in public sector
procurement and social value
services, and first joined forces with
Newlands Developments in 2021 on
their Brackmills Gateway project in
Northamptonshire.
The support from Fusion21’s
social value experts saw significant
benefits delivered for the local
community, including the creation
of 45 full-time jobs, subcontracting
packages awarded to 23
16
businesses within a 20-mile radius,
and a dozen on-site training courses
provided to local residents.
Impressed by the success of
Brackmills Gateway, Newlands
Developments approached
Fusion21 for their help with projects
nationwide.
Fusion21’s social value team is
now working with the developer on
extending their social value footprint
with a number of major planned
schemes.
The team is helping them to
maximise social value within
developments, which could be
through creating jobs, offering work
experience opportunities for young
people, or reinvestment within the
local borough through using local
supply chains.
Ben Taylor, Planning Director at
Newlands Developments, said:
“This is an exciting partnership for
Newlands who are fully committed
to embed our schemes in the
communities they serve. Fusion21’s
experience will assist us in meeting
the social value objectives contained
in our ESG & Sustainability
Strategy published earlier this year,
that includes preparing detailed
Employment, Training and Skills
Plans for all of our projects.”
Fusion21’s strong track record
was also a key factor for Newland
Developments.
They were involved in the £80
million Headbolt Lane infrastructure
project in Kirkby, which resulted in
£518,000 of local investment and
jobs for 117 Knowsley residents.
Over the previous 12 months,
Fusion21’s work to support
developers and contractors linking
social value to development
GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC SECTOR JOURNAL WINTER 2023/2024
resulted in over 300 jobs for local
people and 16 new apprenticeship
opportunities. A further 30 young
people benefited from work
experience placements with a focus
on inspiring the next generation to
consider careers in construction.
This generated almost £7 million in
social return on investment.
The procurement and social
value specialist is also working with
a number of major house builders
to monitor and support delivery of
social value including Taylor Wimpey,
Bellway, Equans, Redrow, Gleeson
Homes, and Vistry.
Sarah Maguire, Head of
Social Value at Fusion21, said,
“Our partnership with Newlands
Developments is reshaping how
we approach social value on a
large scale. Our expertise in social
value linked to planning and new
development is a real USP and
Newlands is a developer who is
keen to really give back to the local
community.
“Together, we’re rewriting the rules
of development to ensure we deliver
lasting change for local people and
businesses.
“Having a social value strategy
embedded at the planning
application stage is something
we’re seeing more and more local
authorities requesting. Our ambition
is to become the social enterprise
of choice for forward-thinking
developers who want to embrace a
transformative approach.”
For more information about
how Fusion21 can support
developers keen to add social
value to their projects, visit
https://www.fusion21.co.uk/
social-value or contact sarah.
maguire@fusion21.co.uk.
Tel. 0845 874 4082