Since 2010 ‘chilly’ bottles have been donated by Banner to Great Places, this is a great opportunity to provide some insight on how a simple water bottle, has great social value.
The bottles are earmarked by Great Places for an "Independence & Wellbeing" scheme, in support of their fall prevention campaign. Dehydration causes light headedness and could lead to falling. Falls affect 1 in 3 people aged over 65s, and 1 in 2 aged over 80’s – a staggering 1 in 20 result in a fracture.
Further bottles donated are used in the "A Bed Every Night" scheme, so residents can have a hot drink or soup throughout the day. The bottles can keep liquids hot for up to 12 hours!
But social value is about having impact, not just freebies. So what difference will the humble water bottle make?
The bottles keep water cold for up to 24 hours, making it more desirable to drink thus, improve hydration! Over 600 people are admitted to hospital every day relating to falls, with fragility fractures costing £4.4bn each year. Hydration = fewer falls, ambulance call outs and hospital admissions, making a significant saving on the public purse.
One of the most common types of plastic waste… drink bottles. 99% of plastic is made from fossil fuels and less than 7% was recycled – a shocking contributor to the climate challenge, not to mention the impact on eco-systems, as 8 million tonnes enter our oceans each year. Stainless steel is a more sustainable resource than plastic. The bottles are tough, meaning they will be longer lasting and are fully recyclable at the end of their lifespan.
If Great Places purchased these, this would have cost £1887.90! A massive saving and a kick starter for the falls prevention campaign.
Banner has a longstanding commitment to social value, firmly forming part of their business culture. "We welcome opportunities to work with Great Places to benefit others, and we are committed to reduce the consumption of single use plastic”
Steven Roberts manages the contract, he says, “It’s great for Banner to be engaging with our social value program, especially given this is their own initiative, and without me having to ask. On face value this is a fairly simple gesture, but a hot soup or brew in the cold can be the most comforting thing. It’s also brilliant to see the benefits from the program going towards such care critical aspects of the business – A Bed Every Night and the IWB schemes in this case. This really is profit for purpose!”
Great Places Housing Group provides affordable social housing across the North West and Yorkshire.
As one of the largest home building housing associations in the North, they work in some of the region's most diverse areas; meeting the differing needs of the communities that we serve. Their values drive their business and they are committed to improving the lives of the people living in over 19,000 homes.