Blog | Continuing Our Commitment to Social Value – 2025 Results

In 2024, we were pleased to deliver £458,882 in social and local economic value through employment of local people, money spent with local suppliers, miles driven in zero emissions vehicles, and more. Through our continued efforts last year, we’re absolutely thrilled to report a £178,960 increase in delivered social value. This brings our 2025 total to £637,842, an increase in percentage terms of 39%.

How we measure social value

The National TOMs (Themes, Outcomes and Measures) framework, developed by the Social Value Portal, is one of the most widely used standards for measuring social value in the UK. The full framework includes five themes, 20 outcomes and 48 core measures designed to capture the economic, social and environmental benefits created through public sector contracts.

We report against the framework on a voluntary basis. This is not driven by tender requirements or procurement scoring – we do it because we believe understanding and measuring impact matters. To ensure our reporting remains proportionate and practical, we use the ‘Light’ version of the framework. This focuses on the most relevant, high impact measures, allowing us to track and improve the value we create without the need for a full-time dedicated reporting function.

Where we delivered social value, and how this compares to last year

Across the four areas (employment, economy, community and planet) we delivered social value against the following measures:

• Local people employed or retained
• Investment in training and skills development
• Spend directed through local supply chains
• Support for community initiatives through donations
• Support for community initiatives through volunteering
• Miles driven using zero emission vehicles

When you look at the amount of social value recorded in each of the above categories year-on-year, all but one increased. The only category where delivered social value decreased from 2024 to 2025 was local people employed or retained – and this was solely due to multiple long-term staff relocating outside of the defined local boundary.

The widespread increased in social value delivered in each area (bar one!) reflects a broader expansion of our activity across measurable impact areas, alongside more consistent tracking and reporting of outcomes.

Growth with responsibility

As our business grows, so does our responsibility to ensure that growth delivers wider benefit. For us, delivering social value is not a one-off achievement, and whilst we take pride in the significant increase in our 2025 score, we acknowledge the need for sustained focus and continuous improvement if we are to maintain and exceed last year’s result.

Let’s talk about your social value

If you’d like to learn more about social value – or explore how to calculate your own organisation’s social value score – our team is here to help. Reporting on social value does not require disclosure of commercially sensitive financial data. Instead, it demonstrates a commitment to doing business responsibly without revealing confidential information.

We’d be delighted to discuss how your business can measure its positive impact in a way that’s clear, practical, and aligned with your values.

Contact us today at info@lakesidegroup.co.uk to start the conversation.

Learn more: Understanding Social Value: Why It Matters and How Lakeside Group Delivered Impact in 2024 >