The Broadway generates over £17 million in social value

About The Broadway

The Broadway consists of six buildings ranging between 13 and 19 storeys tall and is surrounded by extensive public realm works. It sits on a 1.72-acre triangular site between Broadway, Dacre Street and Victoria Street, and contains 268 luxury apartments designed by architects Squire and Partners.

The ground floor houses 25,000 sq. ft. of high-end retail units, while floors one to three provide 116,126 sq. ft. of prime commercial space. The colonnade between the east and west buildings feature landscaped residents’ gardens on the roof terraces.

Located in SW1, The Broadway is within walking distance of the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey and St. James’ Park.

Defining social value

At Multiplex, we understand the positive impact that considerate construction can have, and our purpose is simple - to build a better future where opportunities are harnessed and our people, projects, communities and industry reach their full potential.

Our ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) Strategy was developed with a socio-environmental angle in mind. Our Social Equity Strategy ‘Leave No One Behind’ can be found here. We encourage the connections between the ‘E’ and the ‘S’ aspects of ESG, to complement our evidence based approach to governance.

Multiplex Senior Social Value Manager, Luciana Campos shares her approach to delivering social value at The Broadway:

For me, social value is about making a conscious effort to work towards being a more ethical business. Not just because it’s good for the business, but because it’s the right thing to do from a moral standpoint.

It’s great to see the way in which the wider industry is adapting, taking a more proactive approach towards generating meaningful social value and positively impacting project stakeholders.

Through our activities at The Broadway, I wanted to ensure longevity by empowering the local community, supporting activities and initiatives that addressed their needs. This applies across all facets of our operations, whether we are: investing in the communities surrounding our projects; fundraising and donating to charities; upskilling the workforce; training the next generation; supporting schools, colleges and universities by sharing our expertise; promoting the industry and careers; offering work experience placements; supporting social procurement; or simply volunteering our time to different causes.

Social value is about adding genuine value to our business and society by creating a positive legacy that lasts. It also provides a catalyst for further collaborative action – which is something I will continue to strive for.

Measuring social value

The measurement of social value has become the new standard within the construction industry.

Throughout the project lifecycle at The Broadway, we promoted transparent governance reporting by partnering with third party software provider, Loop, one of the UK’s leading social value businesses. Loop are partners of Social Value International, Social Value UK, and approved by the Cabinet Office and Office of National Statistics. Using Loop enabled us to monitor, measure and evaluate our impact.

Through inputting project achievements into this tool for The Broadway, we can confirm that £17,489,661 in monetary value was generated as a result of our works. Our social value ratio was 4%; meaning that 4% of our project value was invested back into the local community. These are figures to be proud of.

Some examples of the social value we have created at The Broadway

To maximise social outcomes on The Broadway project, we embedded social value, job creation, human rights, diversity & inclusion and health and wellbeing throughout the project.

The Broadway team worked collaboratively with our supply chain partners, the City of Westminster, and a variety of project stakeholders to maximise the social value opportunities presented by this development. This included working with groups promoting diversity and inclusion, such as: Construction Youth Trust; City of Westminster College; Westminster Adult Education Services; Bounce Back; and Women into Construction, amongst others.

As part of Multiplex’s Ethical Labour Principles, The Broadway team collaborated with independent organisation, Worker Feedback Club, to conduct ethical labour audits. This was in addition to our regular onsite worker interviews, which helped ensure that our workforce were aware of their rights and were being treated fairly.

Throughout the duration of the project the team organised a variety of fundraising and donation events for multiple charities. From laser tag and golf events to football tournaments, cake sales, clothing, food and toiletries donations, Easter and Christmas Raffles and gift appeals, each activity centered around supporting the Westminster community.

We raised a total of £74,686.31 for multiple charities and undertook 1,919 hours of volunteering through a number of engagement events.

The Multiplex approach to social value

At Multiplex, our approach to social value is central to our company identity. We genuinely mean what we say — the proof is in our Social Value and Community report. It shows that our commitment to creating and delivering on social value is one of the most important things we do as a company – it’s what gives our projects meaning.

Our approach is underpinned by delivering measurable action against the UN Sustainable Development Goals, which aim to eradicate poverty, reduce inequalities, and protect the lives and prospects of everyone, everywhere.

We have a dedicated team of social value professionals who are passionate, motivated and driven to ensure that we deliver on our promises. It’s not just about ticking boxes, social value is built in to the way we deliver our projects — making sure no one is left behind.

Highlights of the project

Throughout the duration of the project, City of Westminster College ran a course designed to support people who have been out of work to get into construction, which was well attended. The course provided mentoring, assistance towards gaining a CSCS card, and a chance to meet with construction companies actively hiring at ‘Meet the Employer’ events. Volunteers from The Broadway attended these sessions monthly.

Feedback from the candidates and Westminster College was very positive. After one of the Multiplex sessions, a job seeker stated:

“It has been very interesting. I did not realise quite how many different roles there were.”

The Broadway were also glad to exhibit at the Westminster Jobs Fair 2019, engaging with hundreds of people from the Westminster area. Luciana Campos, Senior Social Value & Community Manager, had the opportunity to discuss upcoming roles at The Broadway with potential candidates.

In partnership with Westminster job coaches, Multiplex volunteers advised attendees on application processes and interviews, and information on training to get them job-ready.

As part of The Broadway, Multiplex also partnered with local job brokerages to support subcontractors on the project to employ locally, create new entrant opportunities and target candidates from diverse and disadvantaged backgrounds.

Luciana Campos was the Senior Social Value Manager at The Broadway. While her responsibility to maximise the social value created through our delivery of the project was contractual, it was also personal. Of the project, she says:

“For me, social value is about creating meaningful change, making sure no one is left behind. Creating genuine social value is a different, but equally important, set of deliverables on all our projects. At Multiplex, we do more than just create buildings — and that’s what makes it fulfilling. Everyone benefits.”

The full Social Value report can be viewed below.