Case Studies

Somerset Council, based in the South West of England aims to build a fairer, greener, resilient and more flourishing Somerset that cares for the most vulnerable and listens to the community.

Through Somerset Council’s use of the South West Procurement Alliance’s (SWPA) frameworks over the years, namely the Housing Construction (H1), Fire Safety (FS1), Aluminium Windows & Doors (A7), Water Management (WM1) and Consultancy Services (CS1) frameworks, Somerset Council were provided with Community Funding in the form of a rebate from SWPA , enabling them to support their Somerset communities by investing in resources, assistance and care they may need.

The South West Procurement Alliance (SWPA) is a not-for-profit organisation, we reinvest our surplus to support local initiatives in South West communities, working collaboratively with our valued Clients and Associate Partners to direct the funding to those who need it most.

The funding was awarded during 2024 to our Associate Partners, based on their spending through our frameworks. They help to bolster projects, local initiatives, and community activities. For Somerset Council, procurement is an important driving force for identifying and realising cost efficiencies and ensuring value for money. Somerset Council invite contractors to tender for a contract with us and as part of their tender, they often include an element of social value within their proposal.

Social Value is an important key part of our commitment to our communities. Contributions made by our contractors and suppliers bring additional support and resources to our communities. Partnership working is an important part of the way we work, and successful projects can often include social value contributions alongside support from community groups and volunteering.

In August 2024, Somerset Council’s Tenant Engagement team were asked to start collecting social fund commitments because they soon realised that the financial contributions from their partners was significant and could be used to make a real difference within their communities.

They initially thought that it would be easy to spend the money that they had collected, however this proved challenging for a team of two, with generous partner contribution and many worthwhile groups and causes needing the support.

Somerset Council’s Tenant Engagement team started a "Social Fund" group which consisted of five tenants and two officers. Many heads were better than one and soon the ideas started flowing. Like everything, there needed to be a process, so they started designing a criteria, eligibility document and an application form. They held eight meetings during the financial year and agreed to fund twenty projects and spent a whopping £17,391.55, included in this was SWPA’s contribution. The Social Fund group was also able to gift a laptop, printer, office chair, two room decorations and achieved four impressive deep cleans.

The Results and Benefits Delivered
Somerset Council, their Tenant Engagement Team and Social Fund Group managed to achieve some spectacular results, contributing thoughtfully to the groups and community that needed it most.

Using SWPA’s contribution Somerset Council were able to support:
• District Nurses
• Somerset Sight
• St Peters Brownies
• St Peters Guides
• Early Years Wellington
• Courtfields School, Wellington

District Nurses
Somerset’s district nurses were in need of some new scales to weigh babies within the community. With the help of the Bell Group and SWPA , they were able to present the district nurses with 2 new sets of scales. This meant that they no longer had to share scales and waste time borrowing them from each other. As a result, their residents will benefit from a better service.

Somerset Sight
Somerset Sight also provide guidance and hands-on support for a variety of devices, software, and applications that empower individuals with visual impairment. They needed a new iPhone to enhance their ability to support people with sight loss. iPhones are renowned for their outstanding accessibility features. An iPhone would allow the team to deliver practical, hands-on demonstrations, helping service users build their digital confidence.

Having access to up-to-date devices is essential for the technology support service. Ensuring that trainers are equipped with the latest hardware and software, enables them to provide relevant and effective training and help people with sight loss live more independently, with less isolation. SWPA funded a new Apple iPhone 15 so that Somerset Sight could continue to provide relevant, up to date digital training within the community.

St Peters Brownies
St Peter's Brownies in the Lyngford area of Taunton were given the opportunity to purchase discounted Legoland tickets for a fantastic day out in March 2025. The Brown Owl of the group explained to us that although they could afford to purchase the tickets, they could not afford the travel expenses associated with the trip and without transport they were going to have to cancel the outing. Luckily, with the help from SWPA they were able to fund the cost of a coach for the girls. The day was a success and everyone thoroughly enjoyed it!

St Peters Guides
St Peters Guides based in Priorswood, Taunton meet weekly during term time, offering girl guiding to girls aged between 10-14. Their membership numbers have not yet recovered following the ‘covid effect’ which is a national issue. Despite this, they have continued to see their costs increasing to the point that they have had to question the future of the Girl Guides in Priorswood because balancing the books has become increasingly difficult. Together with SWPA, Somerset Council were happy to be able to secure the future of the guides for another year by paying the annual hall fees and continue to provide a dedicated space for the girls to meet, socialise and retain friendships.

Early Years Wellington
Wellington Town Council approached Somerset Council because they had plans to start a Community Early Intervention hub, benefiting the whole Community. However, before their doors could open, they needed to make some improvements and asked for 100 litres of paint so that they could decorate the whole of the building and a countertop water boiler so that they could make refreshments for their clients. With the funding that they had received from SWPA, together we were able to make this happen!

Courtfields School, Wellington
Courtfields Secondary school approached us because they really wanted to provide an anatomy designed workshop to provide students with an in-depth understanding of human anatomy through practical dissection sessions.

They felt that the workshop would significantly enhance the science curriculum at the school by providing students with practical experience: hands-on dissection sessions that bring textbook concepts to life. They felt that it would give their students exposure to potential careers in medicine and healthcare, inspiring them to pursue further studies in these fields.

They had sourced other funding but still did not have enough to fully cover the costs involved. This is where SWPA was able to step in and cover the remaining costs, ensuring that this exciting workshop would take place.

“It has been a pleasure working with SWPA this year and as a result we have been able to help fund some really great local projects, together with other contractors, we have been able to support and make positive impacts within our community” - Sharon Yarde, Tenant Engagement Lead for Somerset Council.

For more information about Somerset Council and the great work they achieve within their communities, use the link provided. To find out more about how the South West Procurement Alliance (SWPA) can support your next project, contact the team.