Longhurst Group announced as investor in HACT's social value roadmap

Longhurst Group is proud to be an investor in the Housing Associations’ Charitable Trust’s (HACT) social value roadmap.

The social value roadmap was launched in September and was developed by the UK Social Value in Housing Taskforce, which comprises 17 organisations including leading social housing organisations, the Regulator for Social Housing and international experts in social value.

The first meeting of the social value roadmap group is scheduled to take place in January 2021.

The roadmap will enable the social housing sector to use social value information to improve services, enhance decision-making and increase the impact we make.

We’re among a group of six organisations to be investing in the roadmap.

Charmaine Simei, our Director of Community Investment, said: “Our Improving Lives strategy was launched prior to the outbreak of Covid-19 as a clear and unwavering commitment to our social purpose and an understanding of our responsibility as civic and community anchors.

“This year’s shone a light on the depth of inequalities within our society, many of which we already knew of. However, the depth and breadth of these scars has been nonetheless shocking, and in many areas of life we can never unsee what the pandemic has revealed.  

Our Improving Lives strategy was launched prior to the outbreak of Covid-19 as a clear and unwavering commitment to our social purpose and an understanding of our responsibility as civic and community anchors.

“Going forward, the housing sector can no longer just be seen to be doing the right things - we need to understand our impact and its value.

“Contributing to the social value roadmap and the expansion of the UK Social Value Bank’s scope is an important piece of work that's key to supporting a new business paradigm across the sector, one that's financially, ethically, socially and environmentally sound.

“Many across the sector have been moving along this road for some time now -  2020 has just given us all one big push.”    

Andrew van Doorn, Chief Executive of HACT, said he was thankful to all the organisations that were investing in the roadmap.

He added: “These pioneering organisations have demonstrated their commitment to be at the forefront of social value measurement and implementation.

“We’re delighted that these organisations bring different perspectives based on business focus, size and geography to the social value roadmap.

These pioneering organisations have demonstrated their commitment to be at the forefront of social value measurement and implementation.

“Together we can deliver the future of social value in social housing.”

For more information about the social value roadmap, visit https://hact.org.uk/social-value-roadmap