Case studies

Lancashire County Council

Delivering social value initiatives to support the local community

Delivering social value initiatives to support the local community
 
 
Blog

2 minutes

27th February 2024

Share this article:

 
 

We offered a social value proposal as part of our mobile contract with Lancashire County Council, with measurable benefits for those in the community who are most in need.

The challenge

Lancashire County Council wanted to provide additional support for its residents and have a positive environmental impact, beyond the standard telecoms provision.

The social value solution

While delivering our mobile contract with Lancashire County Council, we were able to offer a package of measures to promote social value in the local community, benefiting those most in need, which in turn brings measurable benefits to the council in terms of engagement and trust.

 

Providing social value solutions that helped address the digital divide was a key requirement for the council. As such, we were able to leverage our charitable partnerships to deliver localised support.

 

We partnered with leading digital inclusion charity, Good Things Foundation, to create the National Databank community. Organisations can register to join the National Databank to provide free mobile data, texts and calls to those who may overwise struggle to stay connected.

 

Through this partnership, Lancashire County Council’s 66 libraries are now all part of the National Databank scheme. In one year alone, the council’s library services distributed more than 1,200 free SIM cards to local residents at risk of data poverty.

 

To support the development of local skills, our Social Value team worked closely with the Lancashire Levy Network to identify local businesses wishing to upskill their workforce through apprenticeship qualifications. As part of our commitments, we’ve donated £20,000 to fund four new health and social care apprenticeships in partnership with a Preston-based organisation who provide care services for domiciliary, mental health and learning disabilities care.

“Virgin Media O2 Business came to us with a range of options to help us promote social value. We couldn’t have done it without them, their resources, their experience and their partners.”

 

James Bennett, Digital Procurement Manager, Lancashire County Council

 
 

The outcome

  • Measurable benefits for local people including provision of free data for the digitally excluded and upskilling via apprenticeships
  • Improved interactions with residents
  • Improved perceptions of the council
  • Visible improvements to local area

Social value services provided

  • 1,200 free SIMs provided for local people who are digitally excluded
  • £20,000 in apprenticeship funding to train local people
  • Beach clean-up in St Anne’s
 
 

To speak to one of the team

call 0800 064 3790

Related articles