Announcing Excalon as Social Value Pioneers

Posted 29th May 2019

At Social Value UK we are proud to announce Excalon as Social Value Pioneers. Excalon are based in Salford, Greater Manchester and has over 14 years’ experience as a major contractor.

Excalon’s standard delivery model is to engage the services of their in-house specialist resources for project management, health, safety and environmental management, design, engineering, civil operations, cable laying and jointing/connection services to provide innovative, workable and sustainable solutions and practices in challenging environments and minimising disruption by working closely with their clients and all stakeholders.

In recent years, Excalon has been awarded numerous high-profile contracts to install EHV/HV energy networks in the North West of England associated with the major investment and development of the region, including Media City in Salford and the Airport City in Manchester. Excalon have also secured a fixed term framework agreement to provide a comprehensive service to the North West’s electricity distribution network operator, Electricity North West Limited (ENWL)

More recently Excalon has also won two new frameworks with Western Power Distribution for delivery of 66kv and 132kv underground cable works and a framework with Northern Powergrid for Cable Supply and Installation.

Ahead of announcing Excalon as Social Value Pioneers, we had a brief Q+A with them.

Why do you think social value is important? In your organisation, your industry or in wider society?

We consider social value to be a key focus for us as a business. Excalon is a leading infrastructure contractor specialising in the provision of services to the utilities industry. We therefore have a significant impact on local communities, working with Distribution Network Operators and Local Authorities to develop local infrastructure, linking communities through projects such as our work with ‘Transport for Greater Manchester’, to expand the Metrolink tram network throughout Greater Manchester and improve transport in the region, which is integral to the Government’s plans for Manchester and the proposed Northern Powerhouse.

Such projects demonstrate how Excalon contribute to the long-term and significant impact on local communities adding long term social value and economic development.

Does your organisation have a background in social value/social accounting/SROI?

Excalon already have a number of activities underway that demonstrate our Social Value commitment. This includes:

1. Provision of Apprenticeship Opportunities
2. Upskilling of existing employees through the Apprenticeship Levy using a variety of operational and professional training standards. Our people attended 792 training days in 2018 demonstrating our significant commitment to skills development.
3. Recruitment from the local community and local school work placements (annually)
4. Charity Fund Raising – most recently the Company held a successful fundraising Golf Day, donating the £10,000 raised in honour of the Charity’s great work towards their latest appeal to raise £4m for an iMRI scanner.

What are your plans for your SVUK membership?

Through our membership as a Social Value Pioneer, we will focus on developing our Social Value Proposition further, joining workshops, Social Value working groups, webinars and utilising all resources available through membership.

We are working towards the Level 1 Social Value Certificate and will maintain a key focus on progression through the certificate levels over time.

We will commit to training those responsible for driving the Social Value agenda utilising the training available as part of the membership.

Katrina Beck, Head of People and Organisational Development said: “Excalon is delighted to be an early adopter of the ‘Social Value Pioneer’ movement and look forward to developing our Social Value Proposition. We are already focused on industry skills development, providing sustainable local employment, meeting our commitments to our clients, and delivering some of the North West’s most significant infrastructure development projects, providing sustainable impacts on our local communities for future generations to come. We hope to develop the social value measurement of our projects to provide us with valuable information that will enable us to develop our social value strategy further”

For more information, please contact Katrina Beck FCIPD, Head of People and Organisational Development.
[email protected]
07880087473