Our commitment to delivering long lasting, positive impact in our communities – our Social Value Legacy Plan
Our new clinical building at Calderdale Royal Hospital is a milestone development for the local area. Together with our construction partners, Laing O’Rourke, we will be delivering a Social Value Legacy Plan which shows how the project will deliver long lasting, positive impact in our communities, far beyond the physical footprint of the new hospital building.
Through thoughtful planning and collaboration, we aim to create opportunities for local employment, support small and diverse businesses, reduce our environmental impact, and engage meaningfully with the communities we serve. From apprenticeships to sustainable materials, from inclusive design to community involvement, every aspect of this project reflects the core values of both Laing O’Rourke and CHFT.
The Plan has five key themes; sustainable employment, thriving local economies, healthy communities, inspiring future generations, and protecting our environment.
Across the project, the Plan aims to deliver more than 1,500 weeks of apprenticeships, 1,000 hours of upskilling and training, 120 hours of community volunteering, as well as a commitment to reduce air pollution, carbon emissions and waste, to name a few.
The Plan is also aligned to the objectives and goals identified in both our CHFT five -year strategic plan and Local Authority health and wellbeing strategies.
Anna Basford, Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Transformation, CHFT, said: “Together, we are building more than a hospital building —we are building resilience, opportunity, and social progress. This is our commitment to our communities across Calderdale and Huddersfield, both now and for generations to come.”
Chris Northwood, Project Director, Laing O’Rourke, said: “The social value plan is targeting an overall social value benefit exceeding £66million from development of the New Clinical Build.
“To achieve this Plan’s aims, we will strategically collaborate with CHFT, the local business community, the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector, and education providers. These partnerships will enable us to deeply understand and deliver meaningful and effective social value outcomes which directly address local community need. We look forward to being part of the local community over the coming years.”
The social impact of our new A&E at HRI
The construction of the new A&E was an opportunity for us to give back. Our construction partners for HRI A&E, Integrated Health Projects, published a report in November 2023 which details the social impact the project has had on our local communities. If you need this report in a plain text format for accessibility reasons, please contact communications@cht.nhs.uk.
Our partners were almost exclusively local - local firms, and a local workforce using local suppliers.
We also had a special link-up with Kirklees College. Apprentices from the college spet a one week work placement on-site with us, alongside experienced construction workers in areas such as plumbing, electrical and bricklaying.