• More than 5,000 residents received digital devices and support

• Nearly 38,000 local people accessed learning opportunities

• Hundreds engaged in volunteering and community-led initiatives

• Over 100,000 workers benefiting from Fair Employment Charter

• Mayor Rotheram said: “That’s what social value is all about: making sure that every pound we spend delivers something extra for our communities.”

Mayor Steve Rotheram today welcomed a new report on the Combined Authority’s work to spread social value across the Liverpool City Region, describing the approach as building “a better, fairer future for everyone in our region”.

The Social Value Annual Report found that, over the last year, embedding social value delivered benefits including free travel for more than 800 care leavers, 110,000 workers benefitting from the Fair Employment Charter, and 38,000 local people accessing learning opportunities.

And at least £17m in social value was delivered through procurement, partnerships and programme design.

Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram said:

“We’re using our spending power to make life fairer, greener, and better for the people who live here.

“That’s what social value is all about: making sure that every pound we spend delivers something extra for our communities – whether that’s supporting a local business instead of one based hundreds of miles away, giving someone their first chance at work, or making our region more inclusive and accessible for everyone.

“This report shows what that looks like in practice. Behind every number, there’s a story – of someone gaining new skills and finding confidence, of a community space being brought back into use, or of a supplier doing more than just meeting the contract and going the extra mile to make a difference.”

Key achievements highlighted in the report include:

• Delivering £17m in social value through procurement, partnerships and programme design

• Enabling nearly 38,000 local people to access learning

• Signing up more than 160 employers to the Fair Employment Charter, with nearly 110,000 people benefiting from decent employment practices

• Providing free travel to more than 800 care leavers to support independence, employment and social participation

• Boosting digital inclusion by working with partners to provide more than 5,000 people with free devices, data, and digital skills training

• Contributing more than 800 hours of volunteering, supporting environmental clean-ups, food banks and grassroots projects

• Training more than 240 employees and suppliers in social value planning, delivery and evaluation

• Establishing a 55-member Social Value Practitioners Network, meeting monthly to build shared capability and peer learning in the region

The report also includes case studies highlighting the range of activities that are embedding social value in every area of the Combined Authority’s work. More than 160 companies have now signed up to Mayor Rotheram’s Fair Employment Charter, covering nearly 110,000 workers.

Through the charter, local employers are committing to secure, fairly paid and inclusive work, creating better jobs and fairer outcomes across sectors. Early data shows measurable improvements in recruitment, pay, retention and morale. For employees the charter leads to formal contracts, progression opportunities and reduced in-work poverty. For employers, benefits include lower turnover, higher productivity, and enhanced reputation.

Through its Aspire Discover Training Programme the Combined Authority is currently providing six trainees from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic backgrounds with the opportunity to take their first steps into public service through a 12-month structured training experience.

The programme is designed to build confidence, provide networking opportunities, and remove barriers to accessing meaningful career pathways into public service. It is the first positive action initiative of its kind within the Combined Authority and has attracted interest from partner organisations across the region.

Working with transport operators and care leavers, the Combined Authority has introduced free travel for more than 800 care-leavers, enabling them to access learning and work opportunities, and removing barriers to their success.

And as part of work to remove the Kingsway tunnel gantry, contractors A E Yates delivered significant social value by donating the £3,000 value of the recycled steel to Foxfield SEND school in Wirral.

The team also organised a digger experience and sensory construction activities tailored to the needs of the school’s pupils. This offered early exposure to careers in construction, delivered in a way that was inclusive, adapted and inspiring. Pupils explored real equipment, wore PPE and engaged in imaginative play, introducing them to engineering, building and teamwork.