A HOUSING group with properties across north Shropshire has published its latest figures this week.

The Wrekin Housing Group, based in Shrewsbury, published its Social Value Report on Tuesday, which sets out how the non-profit housing and care provider generated £55.9 million of social value in the local economy during 2019-20.

According to the report, Wrekin aims to improve wellbeing and resilience across communities and for individuals through social investment.

Group chief executive Wayne Gethings said the report is clear indicator of the ethos the company has.

He added: “At Wrekin, we make a difference to people’s lives and social value is at the heart of how we do this.

"The results of this report clearly set out how we share the benefits and opportunities right across the whole community, economically, socially and environmentally.

“Nothing says this better than our response to Covid-19 where, in addition to our usual services, we have completed more than 3,500 additional tasks ranging from delivering medicines to befriending phone calls.

"This is all down to our staff and the approach we take to our work every day.”

The report says that opportunities, initiatives, placements and other investments provided by Wrekin bought 49 people in to employment, created 21 apprenticeships and 45 training placements.

It added that Wrekin drives social investment in four areas: financial and social inclusion, health and wellbeing, environmental sustainability and employment, skills and training.

Outcomes include more than 350 volunteering days enabling staff to give back and others to gain new skills, saving over 498 tonnes of waste from landfill and providing dementia awareness training to over 500 people.