Willmott Dixon Partnerships has announced its latest figures for community engagement in Birmingham, after being one of the first businesses to adopt the principles of the Birmingham Business Charter for Social Responsibility.
The principles of the Charter sees that each signatory pledges to deliver social value to local communities through their contracts with Birmingham City Council.
Since 2008, the company has trained 35 apprentices and invested more than £450,000 in the city through local community projects, working with organisations such as Acorns Children’s Hospice, SIFA Fireside, and St Basils.
Willmott Dixon was officially recognised for its commitment to the Charter during an awards ceremony at the Council House, where the Leader of Birmingham City Council, Sir Albert Bore presented the company with an official certificate.
The company will proudly continue to deliver its award winning work experience programme and apprenticeship scheme across its housing maintenance contracts with Birmingham City Council, creating valuable training opportunities for local people.
Willmott Dixon has also pledged to continue providing community projects of tangible value through its Transforming Communities initiative, leaving a positive and lasting legacy in the communities that it serves.
Willmott Dixon’s Operations Director Pauline Chatt said: “We are proud to give our support to the Birmingham Business Charter of Social Responsibility. The principles of the Charter deeply reflect Willmott Dixon’s ethos of leaving a lasting legacy in the communities that we serve.
“We aim to tackle social exclusion by providing transferable industry skills through investments such as the Willmott Dixon 4Life Academy. Also our community projects work to provide support of a tangible value to local charities and organisations across Birmingham.”
Cllr Stewart Stacey, Cabinet Member for Commissioning, Contracting and Improvement at Birmingham City Council, said: “The Birmingham Business Charter for Social Responsibility is one way of ensuring that as much of the council’s £1 billion spent on contracts as possible is used to get extra value for Brummies but it is also about setting out a new ‘way of doing business’ in our city as a whole.
“So, I am delighted that we are now at the stage where we can recognise the organisations like Wilmott Dixon that are setting a standard for ethical business practices for all other companies to aspire to, whether contractors or not.”
Willmott Dixon Partnerships is currently working with Birmingham City Council to repair and maintain 60,000 properties in the city. Its two contracts for the north and south of the city includes the areas of Edgbaston, Hall Green, Northfield, Selly Oak, Ladywood, Erdington, Perry Barr and Sutton Coldfield.
