Our vision and progress for social value

At Thornacre Engineering, we believe that digital transformation should be a force for positive change across society. Our commitment to social and environmental responsibility isn’t just about meeting obligations – it’s about leveraging our expertise and resources to create lasting positive impact in the communities we serve.

Social Value Creation

Social value sits at the heart of our work in the public sector. We recognize that digital transformation isn’t just about improving efficiency – it’s about making services more accessible, inclusive, and beneficial for all members of society. Through careful measurement and targeted initiatives, we ensure our work creates tangible social benefits beyond the immediate technical improvements.

Digital Inclusion & Accessibility

We’re dedicated to bridging the digital divide and ensuring public services are accessible to all. Our commitment goes beyond meeting minimum standards – we actively work to identify and remove barriers to digital service access, particularly for vulnerable and underserved populations. Through our work:

• All our solutions exceed WCAG 2.2 Level AA accessibility standards
• We provide free digital skills training to community organizations
• We conduct regular accessibility audits and improvements for public sector websites
• We offer pro-bono consulting for digital inclusion initiatives
• We maintain dedicated accessibility specialists on all projects
• We regularly test with diverse user groups
• We provide accessible documentation and training materials

Skills Development

The digital skills gap represents a significant challenge for public sector organizations and the communities they serve. We take a proactive approach to addressing this challenge, combining formal training programs with hands-on learning opportunities to build lasting digital capabilities:

• Delivery of free technical training programs for public sector staff
• Mentorship programs for early-career technologists
• Partnerships with local universities for internship opportunities
• Regular knowledge-sharing workshops and seminars
• Development of reusable training materials and curricula
• Support for coding bootcamps and tech education initiatives
• Career development programs for underrepresented groups in tech

Community Engagement

We believe that sustainable digital transformation requires strong community engagement. Rather than working in isolation, we actively seek opportunities to involve and benefit local communities through our work:

• Annual commitment of 500+ hours to pro-bono technical support for charities
• Regular participation in local STEM education initiatives
• Support for local tech meetups and community events
• Partnerships with social enterprises to expand their digital capabilities
• Community feedback sessions on public sector digital services
• Digital inclusion workshops for community groups
• Support for local digital innovation initiatives

Environmental Responsibility

Digital transformation offers significant opportunities for environmental improvement, but only if implemented thoughtfully. We take a comprehensive approach to environmental responsibility, considering both our direct impact and the environmental implications of our solutions.

Sustainable Operations

Our commitment to environmental responsibility starts with our own operations. We’ve implemented comprehensive sustainability measures across our business and continue to seek new ways to reduce our environmental impact:

• Carbon neutral operations since 2022
• 100% renewable energy usage in our offices
• Zero single-use plastics policy
• Comprehensive recycling program
• Electric vehicle fleet for business travel
• Remote-first working policy to reduce commuting impact
• Sustainable procurement guidelines
• Energy-efficient office equipment and practices

Green Technology Solutions

We use our technical expertise to help organizations reduce their environmental impact. Through careful solution design and implementation, we help clients achieve both operational and environmental improvements:

• Cloud optimization to reduce energy consumption
• Paperless process implementation
• Smart building management systems
• Energy usage monitoring and optimization
• Data center efficiency improvements
• Sustainable IT infrastructure design
• Green hosting solutions
• Environmental impact assessment tools

Environmental Goals

Setting clear, measurable environmental targets helps us maintain focus and accountability. We regularly review and update these goals to ensure we’re making meaningful progress:

• Net-zero operations by 2025
• 50% reduction in supply chain emissions by 2026
• Zero waste to landfill by 2025
• 100% sustainable packaging by 2025
• All client solutions to include environmental impact assessment by 2025
• Complete transition to green cloud providers by 2025
• Full supply chain sustainability audit program by 2025

Economic Impact

Beyond environmental and social considerations, we recognize our responsibility to contribute to sustainable economic development. Our approach focuses on creating lasting economic benefits for the communities where we work.

Local Economic Development

We believe in the importance of strong local economies. Through targeted policies and initiatives, we work to ensure our success contributes to local economic growth:

• Priority hiring from local communities
• Living Wage Employer certification
• Local supplier preference policy
• Support for local tech startups
• Investment in regional digital infrastructure
• Partnerships with local educational institutions
• Support for local business digitization initiatives
• Economic impact assessments for major projects

Fair Business Practices

Ethical business practices form the foundation of sustainable economic development. We maintain high standards in all our operations:

• Transparent pricing and billing
• Fair payment terms for suppliers
• Equal opportunity employment
• Regular pay equity reviews
• Ethical procurement policies
• Clear career progression frameworks
• Regular salary benchmarking
• Comprehensive benefits packages

Measuring Our Impact

We believe that meaningful impact requires rigorous measurement and accountability. Rather than relying on anecdotal evidence, we maintain comprehensive tracking and reporting systems to ensure our social and environmental initiatives deliver real results. Through regular assessment and transparent reporting, we can continuously improve our impact and share best practices with others.

We track and report our social and environmental impact through:

• Annual sustainability reports
• Social value assessments
• Carbon footprint measurements
• Community impact evaluations
• Regular stakeholder feedback
• Economic impact analysis
• Skills development metrics
• Diversity and inclusion statistics

2025 Impact Goals

Setting specific, measurable goals helps us maintain focus and demonstrate progress. Our 2054 goals represent ambitious but achievable targets that will meaningfully increase our positive impact across all areas of our work. These goals were developed through consultation with stakeholders and analysis of where we can create the most significant benefits.

For the coming year, we’ve set specific targets:

• Provide 1,000 hours of free digital skills training
• Support 20 charities with pro-bono technical services
• Reduce operational carbon emissions by 25%
• Create 10 new apprenticeship positions
• Launch digital inclusion grant program
• Implement comprehensive impact measurement framework
• Establish community advisory board
• Develop replicable social impact programs

Future Vision

Our commitment to positive impact shapes our long-term strategy and growth plans. As we continue to expand our capabilities and reach, we’re focused on scaling our positive impact alongside our business operations.

Expanding Our Impact Programs

• Developing new training and mentorship initiatives
• Increasing our pro-bono service capacity
• Launching additional community support programs
• Creating new partnerships for social impact
• Expanding regional presence and impact
• Developing specialized programs for underserved communities
• Building impact measurement capabilities

Innovation for Good

• Researching new sustainable technologies
• Developing solutions for social challenges
• Supporting public sector innovation
• Sharing knowledge and best practices
• Creating open-source tools for social impact
• Exploring emerging technologies for sustainability
• Building collaborative innovation networks

Building Lasting Change

• Creating sustainable impact frameworks
• Developing replicable program models
• Building impact measurement tools
• Establishing long-term community partnerships
• Embedding impact considerations in all projects
• Creating knowledge sharing networks
• Supporting systemic change initiatives

We believe that by maintaining this comprehensive approach to social and environmental responsibility, we not only contribute to a better future but also deliver better outcomes for our clients and their communities. Our experience shows that organizations that prioritize positive impact alongside technical excellence achieve more sustainable and valuable digital transformations.

Want to learn more about our impact initiatives or discuss potential partnerships? We’re always eager to connect with organizations and individuals who share our commitment to positive change.