Social Value

What is Social Value?

Social value is the term that describes the economic, social, and environmental impact on local people caused by a company or organisation as a direct result of the actions that they take to carry out work or services in a geographical area.

Below are some examples of initiatives Link CCTV Systems have completed to achieve our Social Value goals.

You can read Link CCTV Systems’ 2023 Environmental Report here.

Chelmsford SOS Bus

Link CCTV recognises the good work undertaken by the Essex-based Open Road charity.  In December 2017, we donated and installed CCTV equipment to support Chelmsford’s SOS Bus initiative; a highly successful project over Essex that offers a safe -haven to the vulnerable, injured and intoxicated during the cold and busy weekend nights. Not only does the bus enable trained staff to provide support for people at risk, it also diffuses trouble and allows medical attention to be provided where needed. In doing so, the negative impact on the night time economy in Chelmsford and Colchester has been significantly reduced.

In its first three years of operation, Colchester’s SOS bus has helped over 3500 vulnerable individuals, treated over 1400 people requiring medical assistance and has prevented more than 2146 hospital admissions.

Chelmsford’s Cadets

Link CCTV recently upgraded the CCTV hardware in the control room at Chelmsford City Council. Our engineers carefully dismantled the monitor wall and refurbished the salvaged equipment enabling  the Cadets to utilise a high-end system without the associated costs.

Corelli College and AFC Kingfisher

We are the proud sponsors of AFC Kingfisher, the football team of Corelli College in Blackheath. As a client of ours, it is most gratifying to be associated with the dedication and hard work of the students of Corelli College.

Grange Park Infant School

To encourage safe-guarding and security of the children at Grange Park Infant School in Hillingdon, we provided high-vis tabards to the school.  This essential safety apparel is regularly used for school-trips, litter-picking and other outdoor activities for the children. We are proud to be associated with such an initiative.

MS Therapy

Link CCTV was pleased to be approached by the Hertfordshire MS Therapy Centre, a charity based in Letchworth.

The centre offers a range of therapies to anyone with long-term or MS-related neurological conditions.

Based on their safety and security requirements, a CCTV system was donated, installed and commissioned by Link for the benefit of both staff, volunteers and all those who have cause to use the centre.

The Link CCTV Training Academy

The Link CCTV Apprenticeship Scheme was implemented in September 2018 to organically nurture our own engineers, tailoring their training and support to their individual needs.

Taylor Brace is one of our current Junior Engineers and is in the final year of his apprenticeship. Taylor’s area of responsibility is the southern section of East Anglia which includes the catchment of  Chelmsford City Council. Taylor resides close to Chelmsford and is highly mobile, negating  his required travelling and alleviating any downtime for his local clients.

Ryan Mitchinson, Link CCTV’s managing director himself graduated from a similar apprenticeship scheme within the company and has progressed through the business. Having an MD with first-hand experience as an apprentice , not only serves as an inspiration for our current (and future) apprentices, but it enables a specific and unmatched understanding of the experience and the support required.

Yorkshire 3 Peaks Challenge 2022

In September 2022, Link CCTV Systems completed the Yorkshire 3 Peaks Challenge, having raised £2,237 for the British Heart Foundation. The challenge, which must be completed within 12 hours, involves a 24 mile walk, 5200ft of ascent in the Yorkshire Dales. The Link team, made up of a mix of experienced walkers and novices completed the challenge in just over 10 hours.

Plastic-Free Initiative

We are passionate about working towards a more sustainable future. This includes reducing single-use plastic packaging.

In accordance with our Ethical Procurement Policy, we utilise suppliers who share our ethos, who agree that working towards a healthier and safer future for our planet is paramount. Excel is just one example of a cabling vendor who has swapped to plastic free packaging:

Not only does this have a significant impact on our carbon footprint, but the cost is also reduced. The new packaging ensures substantial time-saving for the installer, reducing the preparation time by up to 60%.

Food Bank Donations

At Link CCTV Systems, we are proud to donate to local communities and give to those less fortunate than ourselves, especially during these difficult times. Therefore in December 2022, we collaborated with two of our clients (who wish to remain anonymous) and gathered essentials to donate to two local food banks in the Hertfordshire/Essex Area.

We collected tinned food, tea bags, pasta, toiletries, baby wipes and much more; which were distributed to the relevant food banks in time for Christmas.

Bird Box installation and Environment Awareness training 

Here at Link CCTV Systems we put the care of our environment very high on our agenda.

Such is our concern that we have committed to ensuring that all our service technicians and install teams have undergone RoSPA-approved Environment Awareness training, which has been systematically supported with in-house Toolbox Talks on the subject matter.

We believe that the survival of our business – (in fact every business) – in the long term, hinges on how we look after our ecosystem. Commensurate with this thinking, we at Link have considered enhancing the biodiversity around our own offices here in Stevenage.

So, in accordance with our own Environmental Management System (EMS), we have embarked upon the installation of bird boxes around our site, designed for such birds as Robins, Tits and Sparrows.

Local Procurement

We believe in supporting our local communities and other small businesses. Therefore, all uniform which is worn day to day by our Engineering Team is sourced locally. Our offices are based in Stevenage, and just 7 miles away in Letchworth Garden City is ‘Essential Safety Wear’, who provide us with all of our uniform and PPE.

Castlepoint Shopping Centre Food Pantry

We are proud to have supported Castlepoint’s Food Pantry with required donations to support the team through rising food costs.

Dave Porcas, one of our Area Service Managers, kindly took time out of his day to collect essentials, including: porridge, pasta, toiletries, baked beans, tuna, and much more, to donate to the food pantry on behalf of Link CCTV Systems.

Sprout Branded Pencils

To steer away from the conventional branded corporate gifts, we now give away branded sprout pencils to our clients and prospects. The sprout pencil is an eco-friendly sustainable pencil that can be planted after use.

Pond Clean Up

Link CCTV Systems take on many challenges day-to-day, but during the Summer of 2023 they faced an unfamiliar one, tackling an overgrown pond area.

A team of 6 Link CCTV Systems’ employees, all dressed for the occasion in luminous Link CCTV branded hi-Vis’s, grouped together at Ascot Crescent Pond in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, and spent the day cleaning up the area. Bushes were trimmed, pavements were de-weeded, litter was binned, and the whole area was given some much needed TLC. And after 12 hours of tireless labour, Ascot Crescent Pond is left unrecognisable to its former state. The result? A picturesque spot perfect for local residents to enjoy.

Watch our pond clean up video here.