Social Value: Beyond The Bottom Line
For organisations of all sizes, social value is the commitment to generating measurable, positive impacts on society and the environment through everyday business activities. It’s about ensuring that economic activity contributes to the well being of communities, creating a legacy that goes beyond profit.
At its core, social value is built on three pillars
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Social: Improving community well being, health, inclusion, and safety.
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Economic: Creating local jobs, supporting small businesses, and fostering fair work and skills development.
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Environmental: Reducing carbon emissions, promoting sustainability, and protecting natural resources.
How does choosing Brightwayz as a supplier help increase your social value?
Brightwayz objectives are:
1. To promote safe, active, sustainable everyday travel for children and adults – for health, environment, social and community benefits
2. To promote the social enterprise and co-operative ways of doing business – addressing challenges with commercial solutions whilst putting people and planet before profit.
| Pillar of Social Value | Brightwayz’s Aims in Action | Impact Created |
|---|---|---|
| Social (People) | Promoting safe, active travel for health & community benefits. This directly improves community wellbeing by increasing physical health, reducing traffic danger, and encouraging social interaction in streets and neighborhoods. Putting people before profit ensures activities are genuinely community-focused, not extractive. | Healthier, more connected communities. Reduced social isolation. Improved road safety and public space. Greater social equity through accessible transport.
See for example our cycle hub which is a venue for people to meet up and bring their bikes for repair. |
| Environmental (Planet) | Promoting sustainable travel for environmental benefit. Every trip walked, cycled, or wheeled instead of driven reduces carbon emissions and air pollution. Putting the planet before profit embeds ecological responsibility into our core business model. | Lower carbon footprint for communities. Improved air quality (especially around schools). Contribution to climate goals and local environmental protection.
Purchases of promotional products from Brightwayz Green Promo has enabled us to produce our guide for parents and schools on how to get more children walking and cycling to school |
| Economic (Profit with a Purpose) | Using commercial solutions to address challenges. This is the “social enterprise” model: creating a viable business that solves social problems. Brightwayz generates economic value (jobs, services) while reinvesting/surpluses to further its mission. This creates a sustainable engine for change, distinct from reliance on grants. | Creates local, meaningful employment. Develops a resilient, mission-locked business. Delivers cost savings to public bodies (e.g., through improved health, lower congestion). Demonstrates a new, ethical economic model.
See our Get Down To Town scheme to bring more people into the town centre to give a boost to local businesses |
Pillar of Social Value
Social (People)
Brightwayz’s Aims in Action
Promoting safe, active travel for health & community benefits. This directly improves community wellbeing by increasing physical health, reducing traffic danger, and encouraging social interaction in streets and neighborhoods. Putting people before profit ensures activities are genuinely community-focused, not extractive.
Impact Created
Healthier, more connected communities. Reduced social isolation. Improved road safety and public space. Greater social equity through accessible transport.
