Durham-based, national water retailer, Wave, launched its Social Value Commitments last week (20 October) at its first Social Value Corporate Volunteering Day at the Tees Barrage, Stockton upon Tees.
The event, organised in partnership with North East Procurement Organisation (NEPO), aimed to inspire people to make a positive difference in their communities.
The Wave team, along with NEPO staff and eight North East local authorities1, supported Canal & River Trust, the charity that looks after the Barrage, by removing litter from the local waterway, planting bulbs for next spring and path maintenance. The COVID-19 safe event, was opened by Cllr Bob Cook, leader of Stockton on Tees Borough Council.
Jane Austin, HR Director at Wave said, “Our business activities have always been designed to do good for people, the planet, our customers and their communities, and we want to hold ourselves accountable by clearly defining our purpose and goals.
“Social value means more than just words on paper though. We hosted this event so we can begin to show what it means for us in practice. It was a great opportunity to work with local organisations to make the environment more pleasant for residents, visitors and wildlife.
“This is only the start of our plans. Our social value commitment will be central to how Wave will operate in the future.”
Nicola Shelley, Managing Director at NEPO, added, “We were delighted to join Wave at the Tees Barrage, and get involved in improving the waterway. As procurement professionals we talk about social value every day and events like this really bring to life the positive impact our work can have. We look forward to working with Wave on future social value initiatives and delivering benefits for the local economy, community and environment.”
Part of the Wave’s mission is to work in an economically, socially and environmentally sustainable way. Its new social value commitment is made up of four key pillars that shape its business strategy:
- Our company – We aim to continually improve by maintaining and building on our quality, environmental and health and safety management accreditations2, working to clear policies and processes and ethical procurement practices.
- Our customers and communities – As a great place to work, we work to enhance the potential for our people to succeed and provide value to the businesses and local communities we work with.
- Our people – We support the wellbeing of our people and build confidence and aspirations by providing opportunities for learning, encouraging personal and professional development opportunities for them and their families.
- Our planet – We aim to reduce water consumption by 9.4 million m3 and cut CO2 emissions by 1,500,000kg by 2026. Working collaboratively with all our customers and contractors, we aim to collectively save water, energy and carbon and reduce the impact of climate change.
The NEPO framework was developed by the Public Buying Organisation (PBO) to offer a comprehensive and compliant water partner for the public sector. By joining the frameworks, customers will benefit from excellent customer service, competitive pricing, access to water efficiency measures as well as social and environmental value.
- Local authorities taking part in the event included:
- Sunderland City Council
- Stockton on Tees Borough Council
- Northumberland Council
- Middlesbrough Council
- Durham Council
- Newcastle Council
- Hartlepool Council
- South Tyneside
- In addition, the event was attended by representatives from Cleveland Fire Brigade
Accreditations include:
- Quality Management (ISO9001:2015)
- Health and Safety Management (ISO45001:2018)
- Environmental Management (ISO14001:2015)