168
Local people employed or retained
Introduction
Welcome to our Unlocking Social Value Report for 2025/26.
At Karbon, we’re committed to helping create strong, thriving communities. Through our Unlocking Social Value programme, we work with our supply chain to deliver benefits that go beyond financial investment and make a meaningful difference to people’s lives.
Social value can take many forms, from supporting residents into employment and improving local spaces, to strengthening essential services and creating opportunities that leave a lasting positive impact.
In 2025/26, we delivered £5.7 million in social value projects. This reflects our continued focus on building meaningful partnerships and working closely with contractors and suppliers so their contributions have the greatest possible impact in our communities.
We were proud to win ‘Best Social Value Project’ at the Housing Executive Magazine Awards, demonstrating our commitment to delivering meaningful social value.
Thank you to all the contractors and suppliers who have supported this work. Your generosity and commitment are helping to build strong foundations for life.
To find out more, read our latest report below or visit our webpage.
Philip Pollard,
Assistant Director, Customer and Community Engagement
Philip Pollard, Group Director Karbon Foundation and Customer Engagement
How we procure goods and services
Chris Smith, Group Procurement Manager
We are focused on delivering high-quality products and services for our customers while achieving strong value for money. Our procurement process helps us identify the right suppliers to work with, while following public procurement regulations to ensure our approach is fair, open, and transparent.
We welcome businesses of all sizes that share our values. Environmental and social responsibility are central to the way we work, and we expect every supplier to follow our Contractor Code of Conduct.
Each year, we invest more than £190 million across a wide range of goods and services, including:
- Food and care services
- Repairs, maintenance, and construction materials
- Utilities and office supplies
- Waste management and transport
- Professional services and ICT equipment
Alongside this, we deliver a significant capital investment programme, building more than 500 new homes every year.
To find out more about our procurement process, visit our webpage.
Chris Smith, Group Procurement Manager
Measured using the National TOMs
Social value delivered
1,455
Weeks of apprenticeships
2,674
Hours of support to help unemployed people into work
2
New Start placements
16.6
Weeks of unpaid placements
52
Weeks of paid work placements for young people
383.5
hours of support for students at schools and colleges
34
Hours of expert advice to micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSEs)
466
Volunteer hours
£65.9k
Value of support for community projects through donations (time and materials)
£368k
Incoming funding to the social value fund
£5.7m
Total social value delivered 2025/26
Case study: Volunteering to open up the outdoors
Case study
Volunteering to open up the outdoors
Pupils at Seaham Trinity Primary School are benefitting from a newly revamped forest school space, following a huge makeover by volunteers from Karbon Homes and Esh Construction.
The school approached us knowing that some of its pupils may one day be living in the 750 new affordable homes we are developing at Seaham Garden Village, just up the road from the school, and were keen to establish a local link.
Esh Construction is the lead contractor for the affordable homes being developed, and Trustgreen has been appointed to manage the garden village’s green spaces. Each organisation donated time, resources and materials required for the school’s landscape maintenance project.
Case Study: North East mentors inspire teenage girls
Case study
North East mentors inspire teenage girls
Pupils in Year 9 at North Durham Academy, Stanley, start a journey of personal discovery with volunteer mentors from Karbon Homes and RE:GEN as part of a mentor programme delivered by The Girls’ Network.
The programme is the first cohort of a three year partnership between The Girls’ Network and Karbon Homes, aiming to provide an opportunity for girls from underserved communities to achieve their potential by connecting them with professional female role models.
The unique partnership sees Karbon and RE:GEN expand the charity's reach into County Durham. It is the first time one of the charity's partners has provided all mentors for a specific school. Karbon brings an established connection with North Durham Academy as part of the housing association’s ongoing placeshaping work in Stanley.
Rachel Graham, Head of Careers at North Durham Academy, said: “15 of our pupils have been matched with fantastic mentors and we are excited to see how they will guide the girls through the next few months to support their career ambitions.”
The mentor programme is funded through Karbon’s social value partnership fund with RE:GEN, alongside both organisations offering volunteer mentors from a range of job roles. RE:GEN’s social value commitment is linked to the large scale planned investment contracts they have with Karbon. Match funding from Karbon takes the total programme investment to £48,000 across the next three years.
Case study: Partnership opens new doors
Case study
Partnership opens new doors
A local Consett charity has opened the doors to its new premises on Steel Street in the town centre. Building Self Belief, which provides support to vulnerable young people, hopes the centre will be a vibrant home for its range of support services, from group wellbeing workshops to team-building activities.
Renovation of the community centre is thanks to £13,000 of funding from Karbon Homes’ Unlocking Social Value Fund. Karbon has proudly partnered with Building Self Belief for several years, supporting the charity with a number of its projects and services.
CEO of Building Self Belief, Christine Thomas, said: “The support we’ve received from Karbon and its partners has turned the dream of a new venue into reality. The contractors have done a great job and it’s made a huge difference to us. It has given us a truly positive start to our work in our new building.”
The social value funding includes a contribution of £9,000 from two of Karbon’s contractors Mitie Property Services and City Electrical Factors, topped up with match-funding from Karbon.
This covered the cost of paint and labour to decorate the full building, provided by Mitie Property Services, and all the lighting and electrical materials to upgrade the existing fittings, provided and installed by City Electrical Factors.
The donation helped Building Self Belief unlock further funding from Durham County Council, to cover the cost of replacement windows.
Find out more
However big or small, the commitments from our contractors and suppliers make a huge difference to the lives of our customers.
Visit our Unlocking Social Value page to find out more about our programme.
Our social value stories
Social value is built through strong partnerships and a commitment to creating lasting impact in our communities.
By working closely with our contractors and suppliers, we’re able to bring together ideas, resources, and expertise that help support residents, strengthen communities, and open up new opportunities.
As our social value work continues to grow, so too does the team and the network of partners helping us deliver it. I’m proud of the progress we’re making together and excited to share some of the stories behind that impact.
Jessica Alexander,
Karbon Homes Social Value Lead
Jessica Alexander, Karbon Homes Social Value Lead