”This is not just about building a great building and doing some nice ‘fluffy’ stuff on the side for our communities,” says Su Pickerill, group community investment manager at Wates. Pickerill is paid to care about the long-term impact of buildings on people’s lives. She is part of a growing band of professional do‑gooders with phrases such as “social value” and “community engagement” in their job titles – a decade ago these jobs were rare in construction, now they are the norm. 

Pickerill started off in the charity sector before switching a decade ago to the construction industry with a focus on sustainability. These days, she leads a team that supports Wates’ public sector bids by demonstrating the social value the company can create – through benefits such as local job creation or apprenticeship places – and she finds social enterprise partners to make sure the promises are delivered on.

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