Social Value has been a priority at 245 Hammersmith Road since it first came into existence. The property is a 242,000 square foot destination at the “heart of Hammersmith”, featuring a flexible workspace, three retail units, a public plaza, and a park.  

Since conception, property owners Legal and General and Mitsubishi London have been dedicated to ensuring that these spaces provide Social Value - and not just for the building’s users, but for all the local community. This commitment was eagerly taken forward by building manager BNP Paribas Real Estate once the building became operational.  

To ensure all their endeavours really produce tangible results, we have been measuring Social Value since the building was in construction. As the property’s community continues to mature, this focus on Social value will increasingly drive the mindset not only of the management team, but of all the building’s suppliers.

The importance of delivering Social Value for the community

Having these Social Value Measures firmly in place from the beginning has meant the team could focus on finding tangible ways to provide opportunities for those who might not get a chance to meet their full potential otherwise.

Assistant Building Manager, BNP Paribas Real Estate 

From the beginning, the building’s approach to measuring Social Value has been based around key themes outlined in the Social Value TOM System™:

• Promoting local skill and employment
• Supporting responsible and regional business growth
• Creating stronger and healthier communities
• Protecting and improving our environment

There are so many ways that we can meet targets on the platform and Social Value can be built into pretty much every aspect of what we do - from sourcing planting locally as we do with Hammersmith and Fulham Community Gardens, to providing placements for young disabled people trying to find their way into work, which we do with Action On Disability. It can even be as simple as providing a safe clean space for a local charity group to meet or hold a meeting. If we have the resource, why not share it with our neighbours and cultivate that community feel that we all love so much?

Assistant Building Manager, BNP Paribas Real Estate 

The financial and time commitments put into projects are logged in our platform and calculated against the TOM System. These have included work with Action on Disability, and the many networking events hosted at 245 Hammersmith Road, for example.

These efforts are clearly making a difference. By the end of the construction phase, the project had delivered £28.2 million in Social Value, 211% of the initial target. Meanwhile local economic value totalled £26.1 million. This included 61 mentoring hours for young people, 714 weeks of training and 440 hours of community volunteering. 

In year one, we managed to exceed our targets overall, reaching approximately 130%, which amounts to roughly £700,000 in Social Value provided to the borough. As we’re reaching the end of year two, we’re well on track to exceed this target once again. The pandemic certainly hasn’t stopped us from trying to provide for our community.

Assistant Building Manager, BNP Paribas Real Estate 

Looking ahead

In June 2021, the property won the Social Value Innovation Project Award. This is a testament to the team's creation of a ‘socially aware’ mixed-used scheme, with Social Value embedded into all decision making.

Undoubtedly, the team’s success can in part by attributed to embedding Social Value into the procurement process from the start. All contractors signed up to Social Value Portal, right from the initial design and build process.

The 245 Hammersmith Road management team is strongly committed to Social Value. Part of this includes exploring how its strategy can evolve as the building matures. The team is exploring ideas to incorporate Social Value in even more of the building's functions, including using a local charity to provide a service, or providing work placements for disadvantaged people. 

Social Value can be implemented in so many different ways that it can be tailored to any site, big or small. If people aren’t getting involved, they absolutely should be.

Assistant Building Manager, BNP Paribas Real Estate 

For more Social Value success stories in the real estate sector, read our dedicated report.