Social Contract renewed to address region’s changing needs

Customers, communities, employees and the environment are the priority action areas for our new Social Contract.

The contract is a commitment to listen and deliver community investment that brings social and environmental value.

It commits us to “go over and above” business-as-usual activities with action-orientated initiatives that create long-term change and make a lasting difference.

The updated contract reflects the significant progress made in the three years since our inaugural contract was published and outlines plans for the year ahead.

Ellie Patey, NGED’s Community Engagement Manager, said: “Our new Social Contract sets out how we do business in a way that benefits our region and the people we serve, contributing positive solutions to local challenges.

“We have worked with customers and stakeholders to review and update our approach so it addresses their evolving needs and delivers meaningful social impact.

“We take our commitment to support our diverse communities very seriously and aim to deliver benefits through, for example, supporting grassroots groups, employee volunteering and STEM (science, technology, engineering, maths) outreach.

“As an employer, we’re improving social mobility by providing rewarding careers to people from all backgrounds, while environmentally we’re committed to leading the net zero transition and helping communities achieve their own net zero ambitions.”

As part of the new contract, we have has utilised an industry-wide social value framework, combining social return on investment and bespoke research, to measure the value it delivers to people, the environment and wider society.

For example, the annual Community Matters Fund awarded £500,000 in grants to support community organisations promoting physical activity, health and wellbeing. These projects are delivering a 5-year social return on investment of £2.89 over and above every £1 spent.

Over the last year the fund has provided grants totalling £6 million, benefiting 360,000 people, and another £1 million will be provided this year.

Other actions delivered as part of the Social Contract include:

• 6,000 hours of employee volunteering to local organisations in 2023-24
• Supporting the journey to net zero by investing £2.7 million in solar panels for schools by 2028, with schemes at two Birmingham schools completed
• Engaging 94,000 young people with electricity safety messages, surpassing our 80,000 annual target
• Upskilling 680 people and unlocking diverse talent through STEM outreach, internships, engineering competitions and skills-booster workshops
• Hiring 11 new Power Network Craft Assistant trainees in a social mobility scheme designed to remove educational barriers to an energy industry career, with 10 more due to be recruited this September

NGED’s Social Contract can be read in full here.