Reflections from Our First ESG Roundtable: Insights on Social Value

We held our first ESG Roundtable in November, and it was a useful learning experience for me. This inaugural session focused on social value, bringing together people from across industries—public and private, corporate and non-profit—to share their thoughts, hopes, experiences, challenges, and everything in between. Here are my three key takeaways from the roundtable.

The Power of Bringing People Together

It was impactful to sit in the same space as people from diverse professional backgrounds, all sharing the same passion and focus on impacting lives through social value. Whether it was Adam Fahn from East London NHS Foundation Trust, where we’ve provided over £14 million worth of social value commitments since 2022, or Darren Burns, Director of D&I at Timpson Group and Head of Timpson Foundation, known for breaking down barriers to employment for ex-offenders and setting the benchmark for social value among corporate organisations. Hearing from Charity Hanley from Young Enterprise and Graham Farhall from Delta Airlines about long-term corporate partnerships with charities and their far-reaching impacts was equally enlightening. The diversity of experiences and backgrounds coming together to facilitate conversation is immeasurable in its value. This is a key aspect of how we forge our paths as corporate organisations as we shape our social value initiatives.

Know Who You’re Doing It For

We were joined by Nigel Seaman, Founder and CEO of Combat2Coffee. Nigel, a veteran who suffered from depression, anxiety, and flashbacks from his time in the armed forces, shared his story. He explained how a few simple accommodations, like making space for when he had his “shakes,” would have made him feel more welcome in the workplace. Hearing from someone like Nigel was moving, reminding us not just why we do what we do with our social value work, but also how much power we have to make the workplace more welcoming for people with diverse life experiences. We learned that the little decisions we make can significantly impact an individual’s ability to earn a living and get a new start in life.

Every Organisation Has a Job To Do

At OCS, we see our social value commitments not as mere obligations but as part of our DNA embedded in our TRUE Values. As a sizable business with a wide reach into local communities, we know it is our duty to leave those communities better than we found them, beyond just the business we do there. Learning from Charity at Young Enterprise about the difference it can make to students’ career prospects when they are introduced to various options and begin to build a network of professional contacts through mentorships and school visits was an important lesson. We understand the value of having touchpoints in communities, and that’s where we need to keep moving and expanding. Every community needs to know that the businesses in their space have their best interests at heart, and we can only demonstrate this by giving back in any way we can.

I’m thrilled by the success of our first roundtable and already have plans to hold many more. I’m immensely grateful for the insights and knowledge shared by all the attendees and look forward to hosting more. It was an informative day, and my team and I have come away with a lot to think about and a lot already in motion. One thing we are sure of is the importance of social value.