Latest news with #KarbonHomes
Yahoo
08-08-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Karbon Homes praises 'positive impact' of £2.8m social value activities
Karbon Homes has celebrated the 'positive impact' of its £2.8 million social value activities on customers and communities across the North East and Yorkshire. The housing association worked alongside 47 contractors and suppliers in the 2024/25 financial year, matching a record number of social value commitments to various projects and charitable organisations in the region. Their efforts were summed up in the annual social value report, which scrutinises the benefits of these initiatives on community wellbeing. Philip Pollard, assistant director of customer and community engagement at Karbon Homes, said: "Social value is a key part of our procurement activity, using the returns we get from our contracts and suppliers to create valuable, often life-changing opportunities for our customers and communities. "From helping residents find jobs to improving local spaces and supporting essential services, our programme really helps us go beyond just cash value. "It's about people, futures, and real-life impact." Karbon Homes also overhauled its social value measurement framework last year, ensuring that it aligns with their broader strategy. The refresh ensures that the outcomes recorded accurately reflect the broader impact of Karbon's expenditure, particularly concerning employment. Activities and investments are made for the benefit of customers, identified by working closely with regional partners to determine how Karbon's supply chain can best support them. Jess Alexander, social value lead at Karbon Homes, said: "At Karbon, we believe in creating strong, thriving communities, and it's fantastic to be able to utilise social value commitments to bring real benefits to people's lives. "I've loved being able to work with our contractors and suppliers to find ways they can make a lasting difference to our customers' lives." The social value commitments of three material contracts suppliers, Jewson, CEF and Wolseley, have enabled Karbon to partner with the Greggs Foundation to fund breakfast clubs in 11 primary schools across the North East. This £60,000 investment is part of a broader approach to combat the cost-of-living crisis, which is affecting numerous families in the area. The Social Value Lead role within Karbon has been funded through its dividend from procurement partner Prosper's Social Value Dividend Fund. Its dividend for the new financial year is also funding an additional Social Value Coordinator role within the structure. Edward Baker, a resident of Consett, is among those benefiting from the breakfast club at The Grove Primary School. As both a parent with children attending and a member of the school's teaching staff, he said: "The club is fantastic, not just for the kids but for the parents. "I have to get to work first thing and without this before-school provision, I'd be at risk of not getting to work on time. "My eldest does struggle when he first comes into school, but I find that having him come in that bit earlier to have breakfast helps him settle down and as a result his behaviour is a bit better. "It's a big bonus for us. "It also means that I don't need to worry about breakfast mid-week; I know the school's going to have it sorted."
BBC News
04-03-2025
- General
- BBC News
Work begins on County Durham mine water heating system
Work is under way to create a mine water heating system which will supply hundreds of from disused mines will eventually be used to heat houses in a new community near Seaham in County the 1,500 homes on the Seaham Garden Village development, which will be built over the next 10 years, will be heated through an ultra-low carbon district heat Mark Wilkes, Durham County Council cabinet member for neighbourhoods and climate change, said the project will have "significant environmental benefits". Water is extracted from former coal workings to protect the groundwater aquifer which provides drinking water to households. This water is extracted and treated to remove heavy metals before being discharged out to sea. The heat in the water currently dissipates into the atmosphere but, under the new project, it will instead feed into the heat network. Miners' legacy Durham County Council, the MRA and Karbon Homes are working together on the scheme to heat 750 affordable homes at Seaham Garden Village, with Vital Energi designing, building and operating the heat mine water project has received £4.3m from the government's Heat Networks Investment Project, including £3.23m towards said the mine water will be "there for the long-term, for decades"."If you think about oil and gas, these are finite resources that are coming from overseas," he said."This is right here in County Durham. It's that legacy from all of those people who worked in the mines." Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. Send your story ideas here.
