We are pleased to confirm the appointment of Kellie Newell as Head of Social Value for OCS UK & Ireland.
Kellie brings a strong operational background in inclusive recruitment, grassroots partnerships, and real-world impact. Her appointment demonstrates our ongoing commitment to making people and places the best they can be. This involves creating opportunities, building trust, and delivering meaningful outcomes in the communities we serve.
We caught up with Kellie to learn more about her journey, what motivates her, and her ambitions for the role.
From recruitment to real-world change.
Kellie started her career in internal recruitment within the facilities management sector. Her first experience of social value occurred while supporting BT’s Stratford operations during the London 2012 Olympic legacy programme, where she was tasked with recruiting local people into employment. That early exposure ignited a long-term commitment to community-focused hiring, which has shaped her approach ever since.
Since joining OCS in 2021, she has worked as a Social Value and Innovation Practitioner within our technical services team, forming partnerships across London to help people from underrepresented backgrounds into sustainable roles. She is also Co-Chair of the OCS Armed Forces Network, where she advocates for veterans and service leavers both inside and outside the organisation. As part of her wider commitment to inclusive employment, she works to support colleagues with service backgrounds and raise awareness of the value they bring to the workplace. Facilities management is often a natural next step for ex-forces personnel, offering roles that draw on transferable skills such as leadership, teamwork, adaptability, and problem-solving.
“I’ve always believed in giving people a fair chance, especially young people, care leavers, veterans, and those who’ve been out of work for a while. Often, all it takes is someone recognising their potential and opening a door,”
She has played a key role in delivering our social value programme with the City of London, assisting in the design and implementation of practical support for those most excluded from the job market. Her work reflects the operational strength and purpose-driven approach that underpin OCS’s broader social value objectives.
Scaling what works, strengthening what matters.
OCS already delivers a broad range of meaningful social value programmes across the UK and Ireland. From our partnership with the Ministry of Justice, supporting service users into employment, to our collaboration with Everton in the Community, helping local people secure roles on the new Everton Stadium contract, our teams continue to create pathways into work where they are needed most.
In her new role, Kellie will focus on building on this success, strengthening what works, increasing its visibility, and ensuring we continue to lead with consistency and care.
“We’re already making a real difference in many communities, and it’s something we can be proud of. My goal is to build on that, sharing best practices, supporting more colleagues to get involved, and helping customers meet their social value goals in a practical and measurable way,”
She will continue to develop partnerships with schools, charities, and employment services, leveraging the scale and reach of OCS to connect people with life-changing opportunities.
“We are active in communities every day, and we have roles that can genuinely transform someone’s life. Whether it’s a cleaning role, a catering apprenticeship, or a pathway into engineering, we can help make that initial connection,”
Volunteering with purpose.
Passionate about the role of volunteering, Kellie sees it as a vital way of living our TRUE Values: Trust, Respect, Unity, and Empowerment.
“Many grassroots organisations have lost funding, but they still need support. We can offer time, skills, and practical help. Whether that’s food deliveries, maintenance tasks, or just being a pair of hands at the right moment, volunteering fosters community spirit and demonstrates our caring through action, not just words,”
She has also championed close working relationships with local organisations such as Pecan, recognising the long-term impact that trusted, community-rooted partnerships can have when supported consistently through time, people and purpose. Her work with Pecan has included supporting food bank collections, helping coordinate the installation of a new security system, and encouraging colleagues to get involved through fundraising efforts such as marathons and Christmas giving campaigns.
She is collaborating closely with the OCS CHROMA networks and local champions to expand access to volunteering and foster a stronger culture of shared purpose.
Looking ahead
Kellie’s long-term vision is to see social value embedded in everyday life at OCS.
“I want social value to feel natural and expected. Not a tick-box exercise, but something we do because it reflects who we are. I want OCS to be recognised not just for the scale of our services, but for the lives we help change through employment, engagement, and action,”
We are proud to welcome Kellie into this role and look forward to the continued impact she will make for our colleagues, customers and communities.
