A record-breaking year for social value at VGC Group
VGC is celebrating after achieving a record-breaking £18m of social value delivered in 2021 through our recruitment / employment activities and corporate social responsibility programmes.
The programme covered a vast range of activity from working with young people, engaging with schools, supporting ex-offenders, volunteering, supporting careers initiatives and working with the homeless.
VGC provides skilled people and supports projects for the UK’s leading infrastructure contractors, and during the last few years it has built up a social value delivery programme that reaches out across many different parts of society.
Last year it supported 3,444 young people and dedicated 216 hours to working directly with schools.
Its award winning, ‘Go Beyond the Gates’ programme helps ex-offenders into sustainable employment so they can live independently and break the cycle of unemployment, homelessness and re-offending.
In 2021, it employed 75 ex-offenders, supported a further 257 ex-offenders and worked with three prisons to release people on temporary licence to VGC sites. This was supported with ‘in employment’ mentoring and coaching to enable a smooth transition.
The teams at VGC also took part in volunteering initiatives, hosted workshops with the homeless and attended local authority careers fairs.
The programmes are led by Kimberley McGinty, Corporate Social Responsibility Manager who has been a key part in the successful delivery alongside the VGC operational teams. Kim, said: “The delivery of social value programmes is quite rightly becoming a key performance indicator in the delivery of any large scale construction project. We are delighted to not only having delivered a substantial amount of value for 2021 but also make a considerable impact on the lives of those we are supporting from ex-offenders, those suffering from homelessness through to long term unemployed and those at risk of becoming NEET. A huge thank you to everyone within the VGC business who help support and drive each programme. I am looking forward to seeing what we are able to achieve for 2022”.
As VGC’s corporate social responsibility programme goes from strength to strength, it has appointed a Skills, Employment and Education Coordinator based at its Midlands office to support Kim with programme delivery.
Shaughna Hoskins brings a wealth of experience from Babcock and Network Rail.
Ciara Pryce, Chief Operating Officer at VGC, said: “We are delighted to have achieved a record-breaking social value delivery programme worth £18m in 2021.
“It makes a considerable impact on the lives of those we are supporting from ex-offenders and the homelessness through to the long-term unemployed and those at risk of becoming not in education or employment.
It is also essential that for every pound the government spends on infrastructure, it is essential that we deliver a lasting social and economic legacy beyond the construction phase
“A huge thank you to everyone at VGC who helps support each programme.
“With continuing investment, I’m looking forward to seeing what we are able to achieve in 2022!”
