In Conversation with Lee Baldry: Why Social Value Matters at Waterman Aspen

Social value is about more than meeting requirements. It’s about making a positive difference in the communities where we live and work. We spoke to Lee Baldry, Growth Director for Tenders & Frameworks and Waterman Aspen’s Social Value Lead, to find out why social value is such an important part of who we are and where our journey is heading next.

What does social value mean at Waterman Aspen?

Social value is something we’re incredibly passionate about at Waterman Aspen. At its heart, it means leaving a positive legacy in the communities where we work and using our skills, knowledge and experience to make a real difference to people’s lives.

We’re proud that social value is increasingly recognised by our clients as an important part of how businesses should operate, but for us it’s about much more than meeting expectations. It’s about finding meaningful ways to give back and ensuring that what we do creates lasting benefits for local communities.

As social value continues to evolve, we’re constantly learning and improving. We’re exploring new ways to support communities, measuring the impact of our activities and making sure we’re focused on the areas where we can make the biggest difference. Whether that’s improving employability, supporting health and wellbeing, contributing to environmental initiatives, or inspiring the next generation, our colleagues play a central role. They bring their expertise, enthusiasm and time to activities that benefit others and, importantly, they often have a lot of fun while doing it.

How does Waterman Aspen in the Community (WAitC) help colleagues support causes that matter to them?

WAitC is one of the ways we turn our social value ambitions into action. It’s a really important investment from Waterman Aspen and gives colleagues the opportunity and support to get involved in activities that matter to them.

There are so many different ways to contribute. Colleagues can support mentoring programmes, deliver CV workshops, take part in STEM activities, work with SEND focused initiatives, volunteer in local communities or share professional expertise with charities and community organisations. We also support fundraising, recycling initiatives, charitable giving and programmes that create opportunities for people who may face barriers to employment.

What I like most about WAitC is that it’s not one-size-fits-all. Everyone’s got their own interests and causes that matter to them. WAitC gives colleagues the flexibility to choose something that reflects their own passions while making a positive impact in their local community.

Why is it important for Waterman Aspen to help young people understand the opportunities available in engineering and the built environment?

Quite simply, because the opportunities are incredible, and many young people don’t realise just how varied and exciting the industry can be.

Engineering and the built environment offer a huge range of rewarding careers, and we want to help young people discover those possibilities. By sharing our experiences and opening doors to new opportunities, we can help them build confidence and make informed decisions about their future.

That’s why we’re working with organisations such as the Smallpeice Trust and building relationships with educational partners, including Chelmsford College, Portsmouth UTC, and the ICE Quest initiative. We also support apprenticeships, scholarships, industrial placements, and T Level students taking their first steps into the profession.

Our colleagues get involved in everything from STEM activities and engineering challenges to careers talks, mentoring and CV workshops. These interactions give students a chance to hear real experiences from people working across the industry and to see the many different routes into a successful career.

It’s about investing in the future. If we can inspire even a small number of young people to pursue careers in engineering and the built environment, we’ve made a meaningful contribution. And hopefully, some of them will choose to join Waterman Aspen in the years ahead.

What would you like Waterman Aspen’s social value activity to achieve over the next few years?

I’d like to see us become even more focused on what individual communities need most. Every community faces different challenges and opportunities, so the more we understand those local priorities, the more effective our support can be. By aligning our activities with local needs and broader social indicators, we can ensure we’re directing our efforts where they can have the greatest impact.

We’ve already achieved a lot, but there’s still so much potential. I’d love to see Waterman Aspen continue to grow its reputation not only as a trusted technical partner, but also as an organisation that genuinely cares about people, communities and creating positive change.

---