Blog
AtkinsRéalis celebrates £1.3 million social value milestone with SCAPE Scotland
20/12/2023
The AtkinsRéalis team has helped a wide range of clients across both the private and public sectors deliver high-quality built assets.
As social value leaders within the built environment, we have been actively supporting SCAPE Scotland's Community Legacy Programme and have played a pivotal role in developing the Community Legacy Charter.
Delivering the best results on projects
So far, we have delivered more than £1 million of social value benefit across our current projects. This figure includes spending over £174k on local supply chains, volunteering in local communities and making thousands of pounds worth of donations or in-kind contributions.
We first worked with SCAPE in 2008 and are delighted to be able to build on the successes of our previous frameworks.
We're currently working together on ambitious projects for a diverse range of clients, including:
- Scottish Fire & Rescue Service
- Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh
- East Dunbartonshire Council
- Glasgow School of Art
- University of Edinburgh
- East Ayrshire Council
Client feedback has been exceptionally encouraging, with an average performance score of 90%. In addition, some of our long-standing clients are now taking advantage of SCAPE's consultancy framework thanks to its swift route to market and collaborative approach. The collaboration is second to none, with inter-framework partnership often the norm, allowing us to work closely with, for example, the contractor or infrastructure frameworks.
Our appointment to the Scape Consultancy Framework has given AtkinsRéalis an incredible opportunity to support our clients and local communities in a meaningful way. It means we can go beyond regulatory requirements by getting involved in local, smaller projects, such as inspiring school children to consider a career in construction, or by donating to important causes."
Jessie Denholm
Social Value Lead, AtkinsRéalis
She continues;
"We have delivered £1m in social value for the people of Scotland, which we aim to grow as we continue to deliver projects. There has been a significant cultural shift within our business over the last few years, culminating in a rebrand across our business and new name – AtkinsRéalis Collaboration has been key to unlocking creativity and innovation within our social value approach. The opportunities for creating social value are endless and I am looking forward to exploring these further with our clients, and also with the Scape Community Legacy Programme in the coming months and years.”
Sharing best practice
We were pleased once again to be asked to participate in SCAPE Scotland's Economic Forum in September 2023 at the Johnnie Walker Experience in Edinburgh.
At the event, Jonathan Holyoak, who leads the Engineering Net Zero programme globally for the Engineering Services part of AtkinsRéalis, took part in a lively and engaging discussion around decarbonisation.
The Economic Forum was an excellent example of collaborating with our SCAPE Framework Partners and clients to work together to deliver cost-effective, sustainable projects.
Above: Jonathan Holyoak from AtkinsRéalis participates in a Decarbonisation panel alongside Angela Pllu from Balfour Beatty, Richard Orr from River Clyde Homes and Carl Rushton from McLaughlin & Harvey.
Making a difference through volunteering
In support of clients and communities, our team at AtkinsRéalis have embraced a range of volunteer activities which totalled 522 hours last year. These included:
- Our Glasgow office engaged 20 volunteers in two-day maintenance projects at Hansel Village in Ayrshire, as part of our commitment to Doon Campus.
- A team from our Edinburgh office raised over £2,000 for Rock Trust, Scotland's youth homelessness charity, by participating in the Kiltwalk and a team competed in the Balmoral 10K.
We have also made various donations including PPE to Napier University and uniform bank donations totalling £2,000.
Positive outlook for the future
SCAPE doesn’t just deliver individual projects. It drives positive change for communities, economies, and environments, and it acts as a trusted partner for clients in the public sector.
We look forward to continuing our partnership with SCAPE and reaching the next milestone of 200 projects together.
We are delighted to see our partner AtkinsRéalis reach such a milestone and applaud them for their passion and continued commitment to social value. Their collaborative approach adds value, drives innovation and places net zero and social value at the heart of our public sector service delivery, bringing massive benefits to our local communities.”
Lillian McDowall
Head of Business Development, SCAPE Scotland
Written by:
Kirsty Whitfield
AtkinsRéalis Regional Managing Director for Scotland & Ireland