The firm which holds the deal to maintain the county's roads has launched a 'supply chain charter' in a bid to encourage positive, social change.

Infrastructure management giant Amey, which employs more than 160 people across six depots in the county, has a contract with Kent County Council to main the highways portfolio.

Now it wants to highlight the importance of social value in its work.

David Ogden, business director at Amey, explained: “Since 2011, we’ve been working with local SMEs and employed local people to deliver the highways services in Kent. We understand the importance of investing locally and procuring from businesses which use their profits to create positive, social change. Now we’re trying to encourage more organisations to do the same.

“Social enterprises such as Royal British Legion Industries (RBLI) in Aylesford are an integral part of our local team of SME partners and directly employed staff, and provide quality services at competitive prices while helping us to make a real difference to the communities in Kent.”

Amey has worked with RBLI since 2013 and has been able to take on two full-time employees purely through their contracts with Amey’s highways business, for which they manufacture road signs.

RBLI’s social enterprise, Britain’s Bravest Manufacturing Company, employs more than 100 people – 70 per cent of whom are veterans, have a disability or both.

Kate Bull, director at RBLI, said: “As a charity with a social enterprise, we win contracts with a wide range of businesses – but Amey is very different. What we learned very early on in our business with Amey was their sincere commitment to making proactive business choices which genuinely supported our beneficiaries.

“Having such a customer, one that also works closely alongside you and understands the way you work, is truly great for business.

“Not all larger organisations appreciate the difficulties which tendering documents can create for small businesses, when they have to take into account both commercial and social value elements, but Amey really takes the time to listen, which is both encouraging and positive for the development of our working relationship."

'We understand the importance of investing locally and procuring from businesses which use their profits to create positive, social change.' - David Ogden, Amey

Amey, which employs 20,000 people worldwide, has depots in Ashford, Aylesford, Faversham, Hayesden, Sandwich and Swanley.

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