Inside Arcus with Jodie Burns
At Arcus, delivering a project means more than completing work on site. Our Projects division is committed to creating positive outcomes for the communities we work in, and social value is a core part of how we operate. From supporting local skills and education to strengthening local economies and reducing environmental impact, meaningful social value is built into the way we plan and deliver projects across the UK.
One colleague who plays a key role in this is Jodie Burns, Bid Manager and Social Value Coordinator for Arcus Projects. Here, she shares how social value is shaping the future of our work.
Jodie Burns
Bids Manager
Social value is now a crucial part of construction and built environment businesses. With the Procurement Act 2023, most public sector projects include social value as 10 percent of tender scoring, increasing the need for social, economic and environmental benefits across all projects.
I’m passionate about delivering social value and supporting local communities. With the cost of living crisis affecting schools, hospitals and organisations, it’s vital we help where we can.
As part of the bid team, I plan realistic social value from the start. I review customer aims, research local needs and identify organisations and council objectives to set meaningful targets, whether it is school career talks, volunteering or supporting community projects with materials, funding or time.
Across our nationwide projects, we have a strong focus on local employment and supply chains. Tendering to local subcontractors and suppliers boosts local economies, reduces travel and costs, and supports the environment. It is a win for our customers, our supply chain and the communities around them.
Frameworks like YorBuild3, Fusion21 and NHS SBS help us and our customers plan and monitor social value. Targets such as work experience, apprenticeships and education visits are now regular activities for our Projects team, with more colleagues getting involved each year. These are some of the most impactful activities we deliver, offering meaningful engagement that genuinely benefits people and communities.
We have had some incredible social value initiatives over the last 12 months. For example, two students from Camphill SEN College are completing eight weeks of work experience in our Leeds office. They are gaining first-time office experience, learning about construction and sustainability, developing digital skills and working with me on an environmental activity for our Projects team.
Over the last year we have also attended careers fairs, led school talks, run mock interviews at a local prison, volunteered at FoodCycle, donated to our local foodbank and renovated a church kitchen.
Looking ahead, I want to grow our social value efforts by building more relationships with local organisations and councils to bring even greater value to communities. I have already had some great conversations with charities, social enterprises and educational bodies, and we are planning some exciting activities for 2026. I look forward to sharing more next year.
As well as coordinating social value, I also manage tender submissions for the Projects team. I bring together all the information we need for bids, write our quality submissions, and track completed projects to build case studies for future work. It is a role that gives me a full view of how our projects progress and how our social value commitments come to life.
