What emerged was a clear message: we already have the tools and the lived experience to measure social impact well. What we need now is the confidence and consistency to use them.
Why Definitions Matter
Mark Teasdale opened the session by grounding the discussion in clarity. Social value, he argued, is the additional economic, social, and environmental benefit created by a project or programme, benefits that accrue to individuals and communities over time. Wellbeing, by contrast, is about how people feel: their health, happiness, security, and quality of life.
The two are inseparable. If a project claims to create social value but cannot demonstrate improvements in wellbeing, then something fundamental has been missed. Measurement begins with understanding what we are actually trying to change.
A Case Study That Brings the Issue to Life
If anyone needed reminding that social impact is not abstract, Mags Davison, CEO of RE N‑GAGE, provided it. Her charity works with young people aged 12 to 16 who are at risk of exclusion, already excluded, or vulnerable to exploitation. Many have experienced multiple adverse childhood experiences. RE N‑GAGE’s “Stride” programme offers a structured, intensive, and deeply human form of support: three full days a week for 12 weeks, combining life skills, mentoring, accredited qualifications, and a wraparound model involving schools, parents, and youth services.
The results are remarkable. Eighty‑two percent of the young people they support return to education, apprenticeships, or employment. Some outcomes defy quantification. As one parent put it, “You’ve given us our boy back.”
But funders still need evidence.
Turning Lived Impact Into Measured Impact
Bidwells worked with RE N‑GAGE to quantify their social and economic contribution. The analysis showed that for every £1 the charity spends, it generates £2 of social and economic value. A bespoke model, built using National Audit Office data, estimated that diverting a single young person from the criminal justice system could save the public purse £1.6 million. These figures were deliberately conservative.
The impact of the analysis was immediate. The report helped RE N‑GAGE secure major funding from the National Lottery, the Leathersellers’ Foundation, and the Richmond Foundation. One grant manager was explicit: “It was the report that got you over the line.”
This is what rigorous measurement can unlock: credibility, investment, and long‑term sustainability.
Homes England: A National Shift in How We Measure Value
Mike Wiltshire of Homes England offered a government‑level perspective. For years, regeneration schemes, especially in complex urban areas, have struggled to demonstrate value for money because traditional appraisal tools miss huge swathes of social benefit. Land value uplift alone cannot capture the wellbeing gains of moving someone from temporary accommodation into stable housing, or the placemaking benefits of high‑quality design.
Homes England responded by launching a multi‑year programme to build a robust, Treasury‑approved evidence base. This involved large‑scale national primary research, including thousands of people in vulnerable housing situations. The resulting methodologies are now accepted by HM Treasury and integrated into national appraisal guidance.
This shift means regeneration schemes in places like Blackpool or Sunderland can now demonstrate their full value. Social impact is no longer a “nice to have”, it is part of the economic case.
Designing for Wellbeing
Laura Brodrick brought the conversation back to design and delivery. The built environment sector is increasingly using social value frameworks, but the real shift is toward post‑occupancy evaluation, i.e. measuring how people actually live, feel, and thrive in the places we build.
She emphasised that measurement must inform design. Without a feedback loop, data becomes little more than reporting. The sector needs shared datasets, consistent methodologies, and a willingness to learn from what works and what doesn’t.
What Does Good Measurement Look Like?
Across the panel, a few themes stood out. Measurement must start with outcomes, not activities. It should combine quantitative data with qualitative insight. It should be conservative enough to build trust, but confident enough to capture the full picture. And above all, it should remain rooted in the human experience.
Because at its core, social value is not a spreadsheet. It is a young person returning to school. A family reunited. A community strengthened. A place transformed.
The built environment has the power to create these outcomes. Measuring them well is how we ensure we keep doing so.
