Southeastern, one of the country’s busiest and largest train operators, has today unveiled new figures showing the scope and scale of its work to support local people and communities across south east London, Kent and East Sussex. Southeastern is a public sector, not for dividend, company.
The information is included in the 2024 Social Value Report, which sets out Southeastern’s financial and non-financial efforts to improve its social value. Social value is a term used to set out the wider economic, social and environmental effects of an organisations actions.
The Report catalogues the businesses ongoing efforts to build a better, more reliable and sustainable railway by supporting and investing in our colleagues, local suppliers, services and the wider regions we serve.
The report outlines Southeastern has:
- Spent £274 million with local suppliers
- Provided full time jobs to 200 apprentices
- Worked with partners and to enable a 44% reduction in anti-social behaviour and disorder at known hotspots
- Supported over 86,000 students
- Invested £200,000 with local Community Rail Partnerships
Steve White, Managing Director, Southeastern, said:
“At the heart of Southeastern are our customers, colleagues and stakeholders. We operate one of the busiest rail networks in the country, keeping customers moving between London and Kent and parts of East Sussex and helping the communities we serve to live, work and grow.
“We recognise that we play a vital role in delivering social value within our communities and can reduce economic and social inequality and support social mobility and local economic growth. In building a sustainable railway there is a real opportunity to be an economic enabler by connecting people and places.
“To achieve these aims, and to ensure we make a positive contribution to society, we have created this Social Value report as a call to action that provides both a structure and meaning to our work, and a vision that shows where we want to go. In this way, we can make better decisions, focus our efforts, work with likeminded partners such as the Purpose Coalition and share our hopes for the future.”
To read the full report, visit: www.southeasternrailway.co.uk/about-us/working-with-us/procurement
At the start of 2023, Southeastern identified six priority areas for its social impact efforts:
1) Our work with the Purpose Coalition
Southeastern has signed up to a Social Mobility Pledge (the Pledge). The Pledge is a commitment by businesses to bear social mobility in mind when considering access to opportunity, outreach, and recruitment; a valuable consideration given the diverse cross-section of society our network serves. Working with the Coalition will test our approach and look to achieve more to deliver on our purpose.
2) Promoting local skills and jobs
To promote growth and development opportunities for all within a community and ensure that they have access to opportunities to develop new skills and gain meaningful employment.
3) Supporting growth of local responsible businesses
To provide local businesses with the skills to compete and the opportunity to work as part of public sector and big business supply chains.
4) Healthier, safer and more resilience local communities
To build stronger and deeper relationships with the voluntary and social enterprise sectors whilst continuing to engage and empower citizens.
5) Decarbonising and safeguarding our world
To ensure the places where people live and work are cleaner and greener, to promote sustainable procurement and help secure the long-term future of our planet.
6) Promoting social innovation
To promote new ideas and find innovative solutions to old.
