Wednesday 31st July, 2013

A service by Wates Group aims to help social enterprises trade with all of the Group's sites across the UK. Wates, one of the UK's largest construction firms, aims to spend £5 million with the sector by 2015.

The Social Enterprise National Brokerage service - run in partnership with Social Enterprise UK - will provide a ‘one stop shop’ for its teams of construction workers required to source services from social enterprises at each construction site.

Social Enterprise UK says the move is a sign that more private companies working in the public sector are embracing the Social Value Act, and trading with social enterprises for their access to local labour markets and expertise creating social value. Findings from the recent State of Social Enterprise Survey 2013 shows almost half of social enterprises now trade with the private sector, while 52% of social enterprises actively employ people who are disadvantaged in the labour market, and 57% draw 100% of their workforce from the local areas in which they operate.

The service is part of Wates’ 'Reshaping Tomorrow’s Communities' programme, which aims to support job creation in local communities; currently only 1 in 10 companies have employability as a key Corporate Social Responsibility priority in the UK. To date, Wates has traded around £4 million with the social enterprises sector, contributing to the increased average annual turnover of social enterprises from £175,000 in 2009 to £240,000 in 2012.

Nick Horton, Wates Project Surveyor, said: "I have championed the use of social enterprises within our supply chain. Our passion for engaging with social enterprises is an essential part of our commitment to leave a lasting legacy in the communities where we work."