Our Impact

Our goals

1. Student Futures – Changemaker Team

At UON, we believe that everyone has the unique opportunity to make a difference, change lives and inspire change. Through our Changemaker Commitments, every student and staff member has the chance to grow as a Changemaker.

Through these commitments, our students develop a Changemaker mindset; a mindset that embodies the key attributes and values required to be a forward thinking graduate, capable of making a positive social and economic difference in your future. Developing this Changemaker mindset is intrinsically linked to personal and employability growth, and is relevant to whatever path you decide to pursue after graduation.

2. SE Gold Mark Award

We are part of the social enterprise elite: an exclusive network of ‘Gold standard’ social enterprises, accredited for social enterprise excellence. The Social Enterprise Gold Mark is an independent guarantee that we put the interests of people and planet above shareholder gain. We have been assessed against robust criteria and have demonstrated excellence across key business areas, as well as a commitment to using profits and income to create benefits for society and the environment. We have proven to our employees, customers and other stakeholders that we are committed to continuous improvement across our business, and that we have the ability, capacity, ambition, and commitment to innovate in order to consistently deliver a positive impact on people and planet.

3. Research Impact

The University’s internationally leading, cutting-edge research places it at the forefront of learning, allowing it to deliver real impact in its local, national and global communities, and also allowing it to ensure that its teaching is informed by the latest research. Examples of this impact include: informing government policy and directly shaping HM Treasury’s work around social investment tax relief and state-aid support for the third sector; research that seeks to understand how to promote social mobility amongst disadvantaged young people; and supporting the education of young people in India. This demonstrates the University’s commitment to Transforming Lives and Inspiring Change through its research.

4. Social Impact Measurement

The University seeks to measure the social impact that it delivers and that of external organisations, through the Social Impact Matrix© methodology that it developed through its Institute for Social Innovation and Impact. This has led the University to support over 50 social enterprises, charities and government departments with impact measurement, whilst it has now has several annual impact reports for itself. These social impact reports allow the University to both demonstrate the social value that it is creating, but also to learn how it can improve and deliver even more impact in the future.

5. Procurement

Our commitment to social value creation runs through all areas of our strategic operations, including how we procure equipment and services. The University established the first University social enterprise Estates service for campus management (First Degree Facilities). The University has also leveraged in millions of pounds’ worth of social value to the local community, through the social value procurement clauses that it built into contracts for the building of the new £330 million Waterside Campus. This led to the employment of over 1,200 local people, the contracting of 40 local suppliers and over 100 people trained/upskilled locally.