2026 County Durham Pound Board Meets to Plan the New Year
Since 2022, the County Durham Pound has helped unlock over £1 billion in social value for local people, businesses and communities. That’s not a projection, that’s what happens when the right organisations commit to spending local. Social value can be generated through local hiring, supporting community projects and engaging with local businesses or charities to deliver outcomes that benefit local people.
The role of the County Durham Pound remains focused on linking up organisations to maximise social, economic and environmental value within County Durham.
The 2025/26 period saw some amazing achievements, case studies and events take place, highlighting the value of these local partnerships. Our Partners and Supporters came together to invest in communities, support local organisations and leverage their supply chains to ensure that every pound possible is spent within Durham to support local residents.
One highlight of the work done over the last 12 months is the Langley Park Boxing Club.
In July 2025, one of our Partners, Karbon Homes, worked to secure an empty building so that the Langley Park Boxing Club would have a permanent home, with grant support also coming from Lumsden & Carroll (Esh Construction) who are part of the County Durham Pound as an official Supporter. Projects like this show how the County Durham Pound can bring organisations together to generate real, lasting social value.
With the start of April and the new financial year, we were excited to welcome the 2026 County Durham Pound Partner cohort back to Corten House for the first board meeting of the year.
The 2026 Partners Board:
The meeting was a great way to catch up on the latest developments in social value creation, measurement updates and planning the next few months of work in County Durham.
Commenting on the meeting, Jessica Alexander, Social Value Lead for Karbon Homes, a Partner of the County Durham Pound, said:
“Karbon is proud to be part of the County Durham Pound, a partnership that strengthens collaboration across the county, encourages shared learning, and drives meaningful social value for our communities.”
Social value can also be delivered by supporting our natural environment and focusing on sustainability. A brilliant example of community engagement that focused on improving our shared ecosystem in County Durham was the Big Spring Clean that recently finished. We saw Partners and Supporters join local litter picks right across the county, helping to keep our streets and green spaces tidy for everyone to enjoy!
Richard Carroll, Head of Procurement at Durham County Council, said:
“The County Durham Pound has successfully brought together partners from all sectors to support local people across the county. We have already seen an incredible £1 billion in social impact delivered in Durham, but our ambitions for the year ahead are even greater.
“The recent April board meeting highlighted the shared dedication of our 2026 Partners to fostering growth and community wellbeing throughout County Durham.”
Every pound spent locally is a pound working harder for Durham. If your organisation wants to be part of that, the Supporters Charter is where it starts. Find out how to get involved: https://countydurhampound.co.uk/supporters-welcome-info/