Our Communities

Our Communities

Overview

Helical takes a strong interest in charitable, community and social issues. As a Group, we recognise that the buildings we own and develop have an impact on the local environment and the communities that live and work there. We believe that engagement with those communities is an important part of our activities. Community engagement is an ongoing priority throughout the whole development process.

Please refer to our Sustainability Strategy “Built for the future” for further details on our commitments and associated targets in respect of “Our Communities”. 

Sustainability Strategy

Objectives

  • We will implement considerate construction practices on all developments and refurbishments, including consulting with local communities and stakeholders on large schemes as part of the planning stages and throughout the construction process.
  • We aim to take part in numerous community initiatives and fundraising events, both as a company and as individuals.
  • We believe in the importance of providing education and experience opportunities for young people and is something we aim to continue doing in the years to come. Where feasible, we work with our contractors to run apprenticeships schemes for young people to learn practical skills on our construction sites, providing valuable experience in preparation for their futures.

Helical Bursary

The Helical Bursary was established in 2017 to support Real Estate and Planning students studying at Henley Business School, University of Reading.

The first Helical Bursary was awarded to Aurora Bennet, an exceptional student, who would not otherwise have had sufficient financial resource to support her study.

“ I can say, without a doubt, that if it wasn’t for the support of this foundation, for the inspiring individuals and firms in this industry, I wouldn’t be as inspired to work as hard as I do and be as successful as I am.”   – Aurora Bennet

Following Aurora’s graduation Helical has gone on to provide another Bursary to an outstanding student at Henley Business School.

LandAId

Helical has a relationship with LandAid, the Property Industry’s Charity, dating back to 1986 and has been a Foundation Partner since 2012.

In the last ten years Helical has raised / donated over £450,000 to LandAid and in 2020 became a Founding Partner of LandAid’s Emergency Covid Appeal, giving vital support to the vulnerable and homeless young people LandAid support throughout the pandemic.

In 2021 Helical became the headline sponsor of the LandAid 10K event, a landmark event in the property calendar. Twenty-one of Helical’s staff members participated and raised almost £7,000 in the process. More than five hundred people from the industry took part and in total over £75,000 was raised by the event. 

The Lord Mayor's Appeal

Helical is proud to be a long-standing corporate supporter of The Lord Mayor’s Appeal and to be in our third year as a ‘Collaborator’ of the Appeal.

The Lord Mayor’s Appeal aims to find solutions to the most pressing societal issues in London and beyond. Their strategy works on four key pillars to create a City that is Inclusive, Healthy, Skilled & Fair.

The Appeal partners with five organisations who are leading experts in addressing social issues to deliver ground-breaking programmes. These four Partners are:

Place2Be
Place2Be works to identify and support primary school children who are struggling with their mental health. The Lord Mayor’s Appeal has enabled Place2Be to train Mental Health Champions for over 180 schools in London and currently is funding Place2Think sessions giving staff a place to reflect with a Place2Be practitioner.

OnSide Youth Zones
OnSide Youth Zones is a growing national youth charity set up in 2008. It provides 50,000 young people aged 8–19 years old (25 for those with a disability) with inspiring places to go, with positive things to do, staffed by people to talk to who care.
The Lord Mayor’s Appeal has enabled them to open three new Youth Zones – Future in Barking & Dagenham, Unitas in Barnet and Legacy in Croydon.

Samaritans
The Samaritans provide a helpline for anyone in need of someone to talk to day and night, 365 days a year. Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic Samaritans were able to keep their helpline open for anyone who needed them.
Through the Lord Mayor’s Appeal partnership, Samaritans have reached over 25,000 people with the Wellbeing in the Workplace tool, an online training in which businesses upskill their employees in having conversations about mental health.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award provides life-changing experiences for young people. Achieving a DofE Award can be a game-changer. The structured programmes of volunteering, physical and skills-based challenges inspire, guide and support young people to succeed.
The Lord Mayor’s Appeal’s support is enabling DofE to reach 10,000 more young people who are from disadvantaged backgrounds with recent funding supporting these young people with the participation fee.

National Numeracy

National Numeracy works to improve employability and financial inclusion, by supporting thousands of Londoners in greatest need to build confidence, skills, and positive attitudes to basic numeracy through a network of 500 newly trained Numeracy Champions.

London City Farms and The Community Garden Association

Helical is pleased to support London City Farms and The Community Garden Association.

The City Farm Movement began in 1972 with one donated goat. Today, 13 city farms reach more than half a million Londoners who crave a taste for the countryside every year. The volunteer run initiative provides a safe space for communities to experience a slice of country life without having to travel far.

Helical aims to help raise awareness of city farms and all the wonderful things they do that bring together Londoners from different boroughs, backgrounds, generations and interests.

The farms range in size from 1.5 acres to 89 acres providing habitats for animals, pollinators and plants. From school visits, college placements, and offering public engagement open horizons to farming, the farms aim to educate and advocate sustainability, animal welfare and nutrition and teach London’s local communities and the younger generations how to protect and enjoy our natural world.

Supported volunteering programmes offer a wide range of opportunities for people of all skills and abilities and gives everyone a chance to contribute to society.

All of city farms volunteering programmes support wellbeing. There’s nothing like fresh green pastures to lift your spirits – particularly when filled with adorable animals. From Alpaca’s to Ferrets, this initiative provides a rural oasis amid the smog of the city that is free to enter and open to all.

The Terra Carta

In January 2021 Helical plc signed up to HRH The Prince of Wales’ Terra Carta, which forms part of HRH’s Sustainable Markets Initiative and works to put nature, people and planet at the heart of global business.

Launched by HRH on 11 January 2021, the Terra Carta lists ten action articles for the decade and aims to provide an integrated roadmap towards an inspiring, inclusive, equitable, prosperous and sustainable future for the sake of present and future generations. It will harness the power of nature, combined with the transformative power, innovation and resources of the private sector.

Helical plc has pledged to support the Terra Carta, its principles and action articles, as they complement and echo existing sustainability commitments and aspirations of the business. This includes transitioning to a net zero carbon business and will be supported by the release of “Designing for Net Zero” Helical’s step by step guide to designing low carbon and resilient buildings.

HRH The Prince of Wales, said: “The more companies that sign up to the Terra Carta, the greater its capability will be to drive the change we so desperately need. I can only encourage more people to join this urgent call to arms.”

Gerald Kaye, Chief Executive, said “HRH The Prince of Wales has been a long-time advocate for environmental protection and preservation and we are proud to support his latest initiatives and become a Terra Carta supporter. The Terra Carta reinforces Helical’s commitment to sustainability and aligns with our long term aspirations in creating a truly sustainable business.”

St Bartholomew’s Gatehouse

The church of St Bartholomew the Great was built in 1123 and is one of the most important 12th century monuments in London. Its gatehouse is no less interesting than the church itself. The 13th century stone arch with its two-storey Tudor building above has one of the most eye-catching frontages in London, providing a tantalising glimpse from the street to the church beyond.

The iron gates of this famous gatehouse were replaced in 1932 and were in much need of restoration after nearly a hundred years of use. Helical was delighted to donate to the Heritage of London Trust – a charity which champions heritage across the city – so that they could repair the handsome metalwork so that the approach to St Bart’s would be transformed as the church nears its 900th birthday.

Conservation specialists from Arts Heritage removed corrosion and old paint, repainted the metalwork, and re-gilded the distinctive coats of arms. The beautiful lanterns above the gates were also repaired and now illuminate the Priory church in the distance.

Helical is so pleased to support the Heritage of London Trust’s work. As a business which started life in the early 20th century as a company making and selling reinforcing steel for the construction industry, we have much enjoyed watching the tender restoration of the historical gatehouse which sits amongst the sleek offices and flats around Bart’s Square. The gatehouse to London’s oldest parish church is an incredible reminder of a past city that can be otherwise hard to find, and the specialist conservation provided by the Heritage of London Trust will ensure this important landmark can be admired for many more centuries to come.

LandAid COVID-19 Emergency Fund

Helical has a very long standing relationship with LandAid and is proud to have been a Strategic Partner for many years. LandAid works to bring the property industry together to support charities delivering life-changing services for young people who are or have been homeless, or who are at risk of homelessness in the future.

In March 2020 LandAid set up their COVID-19 Emergency Fund in response to the severe hardship being created by the global pandemic. Their aim was to raise £1,000,000 to provide emergency assistance for vulnerable and homeless people across the UK. Helical was very pleased to support LandAid COVID-19 Fund by becoming a Founding Partner and helping to launch the appeal with a £20,000 donation.

Helical staff also supported the Fund by participating in remote fundraising events and by supporting #ContributeYourCommute.

Just one month after launching the appeal LandAid had raised over £500,000 which was immediately distributed to more than 60 charities providing emergency support to vulnerable and homeless people across the UK.

LandAid 10K Run

In 2021 Helical was the headline sponsor of the annual LandAid 10K run.

Helical staff, plus one fluffy mascot, got involved by either running, walking or adjudicating 10K around Battersea Park on a very hot evening in June and raised almost £7,000 in the process.

More than five hundred people from the industry took part and in total over £75,000 was raised by the event.

 

This is for LandAid

In July 2020 LandAid were unable to hold their annual 10K run fundraising event so instead opted to hold the LandAid QuaranTEN where participants could run or cycle 10 miles or 10 kilometres or walk 10,000 steps.

Thirteen members of the Helical team ‘stepped up’ and along with family members raised a fantastic £1,500 by running, walking and peddling their way around their local areas. In true British Summertime tradition conditions varied from hot to windy to torrential rain but heroic performances prevailed throughout and generous sponsors supported everyone’s efforts. 

Altogether more than 760 individuals from within the property industry participated in the event and a grand total of over £120,000 was raised to support LandAid’s work to abolish youth homelessness.

The Atlas Ascent

On 27 September 2018 a 15 strong team of Helical employees embarked on a four day Charity Trek to the Atlas Mountains, reaching the top of northern Africa’s tallest peak – Jbel Toubkal at 4,167m. This incredibly rewarding challenge stretched the team both physically and mentally, raising over £140,000 for two notable charities, LandAid and The Lord Mayor’s Appeal, with 100% of funds raised split equally between the two charities.

LandAid is the property industry charity working to end youth homelessness in the UK. LandAid brings together businesses and individuals from across the industry to support charities delivering life changing projects for young people who are or have been homeless, or who are at risk of homelessness.

The Lord Mayor’s Appeal partners with organisations who are leading experts in addressing social issues to deliver ground breaking programmes, which will not only change, but also save, people’s lives. This year’s appeal supports Place2Be, OnSide Youth Zones and Samaritans.

Sustainability Policies and Reports Built for the future