City Hall

As part of Riverside Sunderland, Sunderland City Council procured and awarded a contract to Bowmer and Kirkland for the design and construction of the City Hall office development, together with associated external works. In addition to building the new City Hall, Bowmer and Kirkland also committed to £34,492,358 social value worth including:

• Employing more local people by employing long term unemployed and those not in employment, education or training (NEETS)
• Improving skills and employability for both young people and the wider local community
• Working with the community by volunteering and donating to community projects
• Reducing the impact on the climate by reducing CO2 emissions and reducing air pollution by reducing the use of high carbon vehicles

Achievements to date:

• Already reached target of 10 local employees of which five are NEET
• 40% of the workforce are within a 40-mile radius
• Schools poster competition encouraging children to make a poster about what keeps children happy during lockdown. The response from the schools was very positive resulting in a small class of key worker children (aged 4 to 11 years) having their posters displayed on a Mental Health Awareness board located in the site welfare cabins, this board will offer contacts/help/awareness to anyone on site
• Workshops were held in September 2020 with Sunderland MIND to support the wellbeing of staff, due to the positive outcome the workshops are being arranged at 3-month intervals
• 461,000 car miles saved due to staff working from home or cycling to work
• Plastic drinking water cups on site have been replaced with paper cups whilst encouraging staff to bring their own reusable drinking vessels to work
• Recycling old hard hats to use as plant pots