Community Benefits

When a contract is awarded by the Council to a business, there is an expectation that the contractor will agree to provide additional benefits for local schools, residents, and/or community groups. This is referred to as ‘added value’, and it is about achieving more from public spending to benefit the local community.

Community benefits can provide employers with links with schools, work experience opportunities, training opportunities, Apprenticeships, and jobs, in order to aid contractors in providing their added value. Community Benefits can also provide environmental benefits by securing materials or equipment for community projects or other innovative opportunities designed to benefit the residents of East Lothian.

Community Benefit opportunities can be found on Marketplace, the Guarantee, and the Work it databases. Negotiated opportunities are sent to schools, partners, and community groups.

If you require support in regards to Community Benefits, please get in touch with East Lothian Works, stating that you are looking for the Community Benefits Co-ordinator, and we will be happy to help.

Find out more

Holly

With illness impacting on her time at school there were concerns that seventeen-year-old Holly would fail to reach her potential and would not get qualifications that she was capable of. A referral was made to East Lothian Works for support

Kat really helped me to finish my fourth year at school. She would walk in with me and give me the encouragement I needed and spoke with my teachers which helped me get through the day" - Holly

Success

Holly successfully completed her fourth year at school but continued to work with East Lothian Works, where she was offered a wide range of opportunities to help build confidence and learn new skills. The team worked alongside Bridges Project, a valuable partner, and Holly took part in confidence building, mindfulness and self-evaluation classes there.

Photography

With increasing confidence, Holly joined a photography group and she helped to produce a calendar which featured her images and was sold in aid of a local charity. She is also learning to play bass guitar and attended Herbspace, another valuable partner, where she learned about plants and herbs and chilled in the yurt with friends.

Film-making

Holly is currently enrolled in the British Film Institute Screen Education Course and working towards an exam later this year. Her course involves creating and filming her own story boards and learning more about film making giving her plenty of further opportunities to explore in future.