Power to the People - social value democracy

Councils are under pressure. And it is likely to get worse.

Parks, pools, leisure centres and playing fields are a cost on the balance sheet. Wiley developers run rings round planning officers, offering some cash now to take these costly assets off their hands. It’s an easy and understandable win for the council officer - the money is in NOW and the costs in the future have disappeared.

The playing field for the local football club is now in the hands of Queen’s Park Hotspur United’s Academy. The swimming pool is closing. The Church has had to close because the roof is falling down…

But councils also MUST factor in social value

Under the 2011 Social Value Act all infrastructure projects need to factor in Social Value. And finally, after 10 years of wild west, questionable practise, in 2020 HM Treasury defined what Social Value is:

“social value, also known as public value, is based on the principles and ideas of welfare economics and ...therefore includes all significant costs and benefits that affect the welfare and wellbeing of the population, not just market effects”.

Power to the people!

So here’s the fightback - arming groups of responsible citizens with all those treasury economics on social and public value at the click of a button and augmented with A.I. enhanced communication support to explain it to the man / woman in the street. 

Essex FA

Designed with Essex FA precisely to protect playing fields but equally relevant for building a business case for investment in the ground and the club.

National Churches Trust

The National House of Good study turned into a simple, practical calculator for every church to talk about the economic value of the foodbanks, mental health, choirs, drug and alcohol support and youth groups they run. Believe in good.

Much more of this to come. The revolution in social value starts here.

Wolfie would be proud….