Social impact at Wellington Place doesn’t sit on the edges of what we do. It’s built into the way the neighbourhood is designed, managed and experienced, shaping how people connect with the place and with each other every day.
Over the course of 2025, this approach translated into more than £421,000 in social value generated across skills, wellbeing and community activity. While figures help us understand scale, they only tell part of the story. What sits behind that number is a long-term commitment to stewardship and collaboration.
Progress hasn’t happened in isolation. In 2023, Wellington Place generated £88,000 in social value. That grew to £160,689 in 2024, before increasing significantly again in 2025, reaching a validated total of £421,076. Growth at this pace reflects something more than activity alone, it reflects consistency, trusted partnerships and an ambition to create lasting impact rather than one-off moments.
Opening doors to opportunity beyond our own community has been a central focus. Inspired, our school engagement programme delivered with Ahead Partnership, continues to play a vital role in this work. Designed to raise aspirations, increase access to relatable role models and nurture a sense of belonging within modern workplaces, the programme reached a significant milestone this year, engaging more than 1,000 students since launch.
During 2025 alone, more than 170 young people took part in workshops supported by more than 100 volunteers from across our occupier community, including Lloyds Banking Group, JLL and EY. The result is not just insight into future careers, but confidence, connection and a clearer sense of possibility.
Inspired includes Women of the Future and the Enrichment Festival, two events attended by Kimberley, a student from Mount St Mary’s in Leeds. Before taking part, Kimberley was unsure about what her future might hold. Through meeting women from a wide range of professions and backgrounds, she began to build confidence, develop essential interpersonal skills and see new possibilities for herself.
Meeting relatable role models proved particularly powerful. Reflecting on the experience, Kimberley said: “[My mentor] was from the same place as I was from, and it shook me, because you don’t usually see people from my culture going into work like this.” That connection helped shift how Kimberley viewed her own potential. Now working towards securing her place at college, she aspires to become a paediatric occupational therapist, explaining that a conversation with her mentor “made me open my eyes to see that I could do it if I really wanted to.”
Impact is also shaped through strong local relationships, and we’re proud to have supported ten local charities in 2025. We also worked with four higher education institutions and delivered more than 400 events, welcoming more than 17,000 people into the neighbourhood. From fundraising with Leeds Women’s Aid to ongoing, practical support for Holbeck Together, these partnerships reflect a commitment to listening and responding to local need.
Alongside larger initiatives, everyday engagement plays an equally important role. Free running clubs, book clubs, choirs and charity quiz nights offer simple but meaningful ways for people to connect, helping to foster a sense of belonging that extends beyond the working day.
Care for the wider environment remains integral to our approach too. Throughout 2025, activity included eco workshops, beekeeping, urban gardening, litter picking and green travel initiatives. As a Litter Free Leeds site, we loaned 181 litter pickers to local organisations during the year. Great Big Green Week brought around 400 people together for the Big Green Get Together, while our free bike hire scheme was used 483 times, supporting more sustainable travel choices across the city.
Social impact isn’t defined by a single year or programme. It’s cumulative, built through sustained effort, shared values and a willingness to work collaboratively. As we look ahead, our focus remains on embedding social impact into everyday activity at Wellington Place and continuing to create value for our business community and the city of Leeds.
Social value is measured using the Social Value Portal, and aligned to the National TOMs framework (Themes, Outcomes and Measures). To explore the detail behind the data, you can read our full Social Impact Report here.
