Today’s building projects need to deliver more than just the construction itself. They also need to offer social value.

This focus on social value has been embraced by the construction industry. Whether it’s a new sports centre, school or community hub, social value is becoming entrenched within the industry.

And faced with the global pandemic, this sense of civic responsibility has never been felt more acutely.

In light of an uncertain future, online construction magazine Building partnered with engineering company Aecom to conduct a survey focusing on how social value is seen with the construction industry.

Here are five key takeaways from that study…

1 Social value is already a big thing in the industry

More than 75% of those questioned said that social value was frequently a consideration in procurement processes. It was described as “an essential requirement of winning work” and that it often pays for itself.

2 Social value is generally seen as a force for good

When asked what drives projects focusing on social value, 40% said that delivering sustainable and healthy priorities was a key focus. Other motivations included improving opportunities for disadvantaged children (17%) and creating local employment opportunities (15%).

3 The end users are the biggest winners in a social value project

45% of those questioned agreed that those on the receiving end of socially-minded initiatives benefit the most, while 23% said that voluntary, community or social enterprises were the main beneficiaries. Just 11% said it was commissioning clients who came out on top.

4 The message is getting through, but more work is needed before the concept of social value is fully understood

66% have a good or partial understanding of what social value is. However, 90% of respondents said that those in the industry lacked a firm understanding of the concept. Just 10% think it is fully understood within the industry. The key to getting that message across lies in good communication.

5 The impact of Covid-19 is likely to make social value a greater priority going forward

76% of those surveyed believe the impact of Coronavirus was likely to lead to social value becoming a higher priority in the future. 34% were certain this would be the case, while just 7% thought it would become less of a priority.

At a time when the construction industry is being urged to ‘build back better’, the survey’s findings reveal a workforce driven by a desire to give back.

At Paragon Structures, we keep social value at the heart of what we do. Focusing on the construction of sports and educational facilities, our tension fabric buildings provide low-cost solutions that offer long-lasting benefits to local communities and beyond.

To find out more take a look at some of our most recent projects or get in touch with the team. 

The government has created a new online platform full of action-packed videos and resources to help boost children’s physical activity during the school day.

The platform, which launched on Wednesday 23 September (aka National Fitness Day), is designed to support young people’s mental and physical health as they resume the new norm of life at school.

With schools now open, children are back together with friends and free from the (often traumatic experience) of homeschooling!

The Department for Education’s new online resource offers entertaining, engaging content – 30 minutes of physical activity that pupils can do without risking the spread of Coronavirus. Teachers and pupils can access the videos on YouTube.

On the platform, there are tips on how to make physical activity part of lessons, breaks and travel times. It also features content from Sport England about the ‘Daily Mile’, inclusive activities for pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), and ideas to get more girls involved in physical activity.

Speaking about the new resources, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said: “We know that keeping active is a vital part of every child’s education, as well as being important for their mental and physical health.”

He continued: “Events like National Fitness Day and the new Great British Week of Sport promote the benefits of sport and physical education, and I hope that our new resources will make it easier than ever to incorporate 30 active minutes into the school day.”

The Government has clear commitments relating to children’s sport and fitness. These include making sure that children are active for at least one hour each day (30 minutes of which should be at school).

Within the current climate it’s more important than ever to ensure that the physical and mental health of young people does not suffer. Incorporating physical activity into their daily routines is a good place to start.

Sport England CEO Tim Hollingsworth agreed that now is the time to start getting children active again. “There is clear evidence that it can help their attainment at school and contribute to their health and happiness,” he said. 

“These last few months have taken a big toll on children’s activity levels, so these resources are perfectly timed to support schools in offering new and exciting ways for all young people to be able to enjoy getting active.”

Getting active is important both inside and outside of school. At Paragon Structures we’re focused on providing communities with the facilities they need in order to keep fit and healthy. We specialise in the construction of modern, tension fabric buildings in which children can get the best sporting start in life.

To find out more, take a look at the golf and cricket centres we completed at Millfield School in Somerset, the feasibility study we carried out for Swim England or get in touch with the Paragon team today.

Improving the lifestyles of pregnant women who struggle with weight problems could mean their children enjoy long-term cardiovascular benefits.

These are the findings of new research by King’s College London, supported by the British Heart Foundation and Tommy’s charity. Researchers looked at how diet and physical exercise among pregnant women with obesity could positively benefit the women and their children three years after giving birth.

Speaking about the findings, senior author Professor Lucilla Poston said: “Obesity in pregnancy is a major problem because it can increase the risk of complications in pregnancy as well as affecting the longer-term health of the child.”

Analysing data from the UK Pregnancies Better Eating and Activity Trial (UPBEAT), the pregnant women were divided into two groups. The first group continued eating and exercising as they normally would, while the second were given a diet and fitness plan to follow.

When researchers assessed the children aged three years, they found better cardiovascular health outcomes for those whose mums had followed the food and fitness plan during pregnancy.

In addition, the researchers also found that women who followed a healthier lifestyle during pregnancy were more likely to continue with it after childbirth.

Tracy Parker, senior dietitian at the British Heart Foundation said: “Keeping physically active and maintaining a balanced diet are both important ways of keeping our hearts healthy.”

She continued: “This research shows that for pregnant women, the benefits don’t end there. A healthy diet before, during, and after pregnancy can have positive long-term health benefits for mother and child.”

Previous research has found that the food and exercise habits of mums can impact their children’s health. This latest study expanded on that work and the team will follow up their research when the children are aged eight to 10 to see if the cardiovascular benefits continue through childhood.

It’s not just pregnant women who benefit from more physical activity – we all do – but we need access to sporting facilities to do so.

Paragon Structures helps place fitness and exercise firmly at the heart of the community. Our eco-friendly, state-of-the-art, tension fabric buildings cost less and take less time to build than conventional buildings. And with their open, bright interiors, they make exercising a pleasure, not a chore.

Take a look at some of our most recent projects or talk to the team to find out more. 

Swim England has a challenge on its hands. With more than a quarter of public swimming pools remaining closed despite being given the green light to reopen, the nation’s swim and leisure facilities need a major overhaul.

Which is why Swim England’s head of facilities Richard Lamburn commissioned Paragon Structures to produce a feasibility report detailing its vision for swimming and leisure spaces of the future.

The resulting report is an innovative, accessible and flexible concept design created by Paragon Structures alongside Cowan Architects and other industry experts.

This cost effective, high quality and eco-friendly solution could help place swimming and leisure at the heart of our communities once again.

Here are some of the main highlights from the report.

Keeping construction costs down

A key advantage of Paragon’s insulated, tensioned membrane structures is lower build costs. A quick look at the figures says it all – £2,500 per sqm compared to £4,000 per sqm for conventionally-built pools. And you don’t need me to tell you, the less the construction costs, the more swimming pools can be replaced.

Design costs are also reduced by having the sprung structure and Myrtha pool designed and manufactured off-site. Again, for comparison, we’re talking 10 days’ design time compared to six to eight months for a conventional structure.

Operating costs are also kept to a minimum thanks to the innovative FTMicron4 pool filtration system, which improves water quality and reduces plant room size.

Providing quality design and structure

Conventional building methods often rely on steel structures, but aluminium offers greater performance and versatility. Featuring an aluminium and membrane structure, the concept pool design is rust proof and long lasting. Each structure comes with a 50-year frame warranty and 25-year membrane warranty, and will maintain tension levels throughout that time.

Users benefit from a better quality swim environment thanks to daylight roof panels and reflection off the white interior membrane. Together these provide plenty of natural light and a bright, welcoming space.

Excellent acoustic qualities also enhance the user experience (essential for swimming galas and competitions).

The changing areas meet all age-group and gender compliance requirements. Plus, all of Paragon’s facilities come with a BREEAM rating of Excellent (placing them in the top 10% of buildings in terms of sustainability performance), and are Swim England compliant.

Focus on energy efficiency and sustainability

With businesses re-assessing their attitude to climate change, building infrastructure needs to follow suit. With the government urging industry to ‘build back better,’ the more impressive a structure’s eco-credentials, the better the building.

Our concept design incorporates a high proportion of recyclable components. What’s more, the eco-friendly structure can fit into just four shipping containers – meaning less vehicle traffic during construction. Its lightweight aluminium construction also significantly reduces the size of concrete foundations and associated earth removal.

There has been much talk about how to make concrete greener, but one route to eco-friendliness is to use less of it. The prefabricated stainless steel pool featured in the concept design reduces the amount of concrete used during the construction process.

Finally, Paragon’s solution boasts excellent insulation (far greater than building reg requirements) that reduces u-values, energy loss and climate control costs. The highly tensioned membrane creates an airtight building envelope that offers year-round comfort and lower operating and energy costs.

From design to reality

This might be a concept design for now, but it could easily become a reality for many communities around the country.

Our design offers an effective solution to replacing the UK’s ageing stock of pools, delivering on all fronts – cost, quality and sustainability.

You can read the feasibility report in full, or contact myself or one of the team at Paragon Structures to find out what we could do for you.

Every year, SportsAid Week brings people together for a week of fun and fundraising. This year, people may have to come together in more socially distanced ways, but there’s still opportunity for fun and to celebrate Britain’s next generation of sporting heroes.

Taking centre stage in the fundraising effort, the #MyMiles challenge urges us all to get moving and clock up the miles. It doesn’t matter how many miles you cover, it’s about achieving your goal.

By posting your progress on social media, you can show the nation’s young athletes you’re keeping them company (if lagging behind a little). Last year, an impressive 51,001 miles was clocked up. Will there be a new PB in 2020?

This year’s Covid-19 pandemic has created unprecedented challenges for Britain’s young athletes (think training schedules in chaos and makeshift training equipment in back gardens and bedrooms). The campaign highlights just how resilient, adaptable, innovative and dedicated these future sporting stars have been.  

#MyMiles has two aims. One: to tell the stories and generate awareness of the country’s young athletes. And two: to invite people to raise money for the cause. 

The pandemic has had a huge impact on the charity sector and people’s finances, so everyone should just do whatever they can.

Want to get involved? Here’s what you need to know.

1 Will you complete the challenge by yourself or with friends and family? Either set yourself a personal goal or be part of a bigger team.

2 Think about your type of exercise. Running, swimming and cycling are the obvious ways to clock up the miles, but they may not be for you. Table tennis, football, yoga or taekwondo could work just as well. Think of 20 minutes of exercise as one mile and you’re off! Just check government guidelines to ensure your activity fits with the current restrictions.

3 Choose your target. It doesn’t matter whether you commit to a single mile or hundreds – it all helps. If you want to up the challenge, set yourself the goal of exercising all seven days.

4 Set up a fundraising page. Head to JustGiving to set up a fundraising page and encourage friends and family to donate. All the money raised will cover the cost of training, competitions, and equipment for our future Olympians and Paralympians.

SportsAid Week will take place from 21st to 27th September this year.

At Paragon Structures, we know the importance of sport and exercise in our daily lives. Our state-of-the-art tension fabric buildings can house a range of sports – from swimming and football to basketball and indoor golf. 

The rapid construction is also a fraction of the cost of conventional construction methods, giving communities of all sizes and economic means the chance to have high quality sporting facilities that everyone can enjoy. 

Having affordable sporting facilities will help us all get more active and nurture the sporting heroes of the future.

Get in touch with the team to find out more.

By investing in community sport and physical activity, we can improve wellbeing, build stronger communities and create a return on health and social care spending.

This is according to a new report by the Sport Industry Research Centre at Sheffield Hallam University, which revealed that every £1 invested this way generates nearly four times as much for the economy and society.

The report, commissioned by Sport England, highlights the need to invest in community sport and physical activity as a way to boost the economy and redress the balance of inequalities within our communities.

The findings show that every £1 spent on sporting facilities in the community will generate £3.91 – and a happier, healthier, more thriving society in the process.

The research shows that community sport and physical activity adds around £85.5 billion in social and economic benefits. That’s more than £72 billion in social value thanks to a healthier population, more consumer spending, increased work productivity and greater educational fulfilment – and more than £13 billion into the economy as we buy more sport-related items.

Tim Hollingsworth, chief executive at Sport England said the findings highlighted the importance of this investment.

He explained: “Today more than ever, community sport and activity has a vital role to play in offering a solution to some of society’s biggest problems like our health, both mental and physical, helping to make life fairer for everyone, and growing and improving our economy.”

The report revealed the extent to which physical activity can help reduce the number of serious physical and mental health conditions – £5.2 billion in healthcare savings and £1.7 billion in social care savings.

A further £20 billion in value came from building stronger, safer communities – the result of fewer crime incidents, more sports volunteers (£5.7 billion), and greater levels of social trust, belonging and community engagement (£14.2 billion).

Investment in physical activity has never been more important. Numerous studies have shown how important exercise is in the fight against the Coronavirus pandemic. Not only does it guard against obesity and underlying health conditions linked to Covid-19, it is arguably as important as social distancing, hand washing and wearing a face mask.

At Paragon Structures, we provide the indoor sporting facilities people need to enjoy sport, get fit and stay active. We specialise in state-of-the-art tension membrane structures, offering rapid build times and low construction costs.

Take a look at our recent projects, including a concept design created for a Swim England feasibility report.

Many people were frustrated by the delay in opening swimming pools as lockdown restrictions eased. That frustration has now turned into despair with the news that some pools may never open again.

Coronavirus has only served to compound the problem of the UK’s dwindling swimming pool numbers. 

Swimmers left high and dry

Since the government announced pools could reopen on 25th July (after a wait of 128 days), research from Swim England has revealed that 223 of the 1,002 publicly accessible swimming pools remain closed indefinitely. 

Some remain closed due to staffing costs, others because of urgent costly repairs and upgrades to pool tanks, filtration and plant. 

That’s because, according to Swim England, 44% of England’s swimming pools are more than 30 years old. Considering that pools are built with a 25 to 30-year lifespan, the chances of older pools reopening seem pretty remote.

Building back better – how to boost dwindling pool numbers

As the national governing body for swimming, Swim England is seeking practical and affordable solutions to the ageing stock of swimming pools within the UK. Therefore in conjunction with a group of leading industry specialists, including the award-winning Cowan Architects, Paragon Structures carried out a feasibility report to develop a blueprint for the future of swimming facilities.

Our report aims to give Swim England and local communities what they need the most – a cost-effective swimming and activity centre to replace the ageing stock of pools.

Richard Lamburn, head of facilities at Swim England, says: “As the national governing body for swimming, our role is to ensure our facilities are protected and supported in reopening following Covid-19. 

“We also have an eye on the long-term future and the replacement of ageing, unsustainable facilities. We therefore welcome solutions put forwards such as this for local and private sector partners to consider when developing long-term strategies for the replacement and addition of swimming facilties.”

Promoting health and wellbeing in an environmentally friendly, cost-effective package calls for cutting-edge building and pool technology. By using our insulated, tensioned membrane structure to build new swimming pools and facilities we can achieve multiple benefits:

·        Lower build costs: The price per square metre comes in around £2,500. In traditionally built pools, this figure is closer to £4,000.

·        Increased energy efficiency and sustainability: Compared to traditional pool buildings, the running costs and carbon footprint of these structures are much lower. Plus, our buildings have a BREEAM rating of Excellent (placing them in the top 10% of buildings in terms of sustainability performance).

·        Reduced maintenance: The cutting-edge design and corrosion-resistant structure keeps maintenance costs to a minimum.

·        Rapid build time: The fully insulated structure can be erected in five weeks, with the fit-out taking 35-40 weeks compared to a year or more for a conventionally built structure.

In addition to providing a state-of-the-art swimming facility, the flexibility of the Sprung structure allows the design to be tailored to meet the individual needs of the community. Our detailed floor plan includes space for activity areas, a changing village, café, viewing galleries, reception and offices.

Swimming for all

There’s more than just the physical benefit of taking the plunge; swimming is just as important for our mental wellbeing, social lives, and escapism.

Swim England’s Value of Swimming report showed that swimming participation in England saves the health and social care system more than £357 million each year. The report also highlights that swimming significantly reduces the symptoms of anxiety or depression for 1.4 million British adults.

If the decision around whether to reopen pools is based purely on profit, those in less affluent areas are going to miss out.

Sprung structures can be used for a whole range of sports, not just swimming.   

Our goal is to get the nation active through high quality, low-cost, energy efficient sporting facilities. At Paragon Structures, we want to level the playing field and provide the facilities our communities need to stay active.

Take a closer look at our feasibility study for Swim England and the other projects we’ve recently completed.

Alternatively, you can get in touch with me or another member of the Paragon team to discover what our structures can offer you or to request your own feasibility report.

We’ve all become reliant on our smartphones, and now, new research shows that our devices are also making us lazy – Brits in particular.

Researchers have revealed that smartphones have made Britain the laziest country in Europe, reports The Telegraph. A study looking at levels of sedentary behaviour among adults found a 22% rise in the UK between 2002 and 2017.

In the study, sedentary behaviour is defined as sitting down for more than four and a half hours a day.

According to the study’s authors, inactivity among 35- to 44-year-olds is particularly high. Also driving the change towards more sedentary lifestyles is the tendency for adults of all ages to use handheld devices during leisure time.

Figures from other countries in Europe show that after Britain, France saw the next highest increase in sedentary behaviour, with a 17.8% increase. Next was Germany, with a rise of 7.4%. Followed by an increase of 3.9% in Spain and just 0.2% in Italy.

Across Europe as a whole, inactivity rates increased between 2002 and 2017 by around 8%.

Inactivity is widely recognised as being damaging to health and one of the biggest drivers of conditions such as cancer and Type-2 diabetes.

The study, which was published in the BMC Public Health journal, argues that governments should do more to encourage people to eat well and get fit in their battle against unhealthy lifestyles. The authors point out that a greater focus on the dangers of spending too much time sitting down would mean an increase in fitness levels.

Professor Xián Mayo Mauriz, one of the latest study’s researchers said: “Our findings suggest that in addition to encouraging physical activity, governments should focus on reducing the amount of time people spend sitting per day.”

A study in 2016 estimated that around 4.4% of all deaths in Europe were a result of sedentary lifestyles. That’s 230,000 deaths each year that could be avoided if everyone was more active.

This most recent study found that men were more prone to sitting down for more than four and a half hours a day compared to women. In the UK, sedentary behaviour among men increased by 25.2% for men and 16.5% for women.

Last year, a study of smartphone users in the UK revealed that people spend an average of three hours and 25 minutes on their phones each day. Time spent on social media alone takes up 52 minutes.

While the study focused on the behaviour of adults, it is thought that these trends are likely to apply to children as well. Previous research has found that children should be limited to 90 minutes of screen time each day to avoid becoming obese.

At Paragon Structures we provide the facilities needed to get the nation moving. Our fabric membrane structures deliver modern, environmentally-friendly sports facilities at a fraction of the cost of conventional construction methods.

If you’d like to find out more about our low-cost construction solutions, get in touch with the team today.

There has never been such high demand for local sports facilities as there is right now. As many sports centres remain reluctant to fully reopen due to Coronavirus, online searches for facilities are at all all-time high.

According to data from Playfinder, the UK’s largest online booking service for sports facilities, searches for football pitches have increased 162% year on year. However, 73% of football pitches are currently closed.

It’s a similar story with tennis – searches are up by 140%, but 65% of courts remain shut.

Speaking to the BBC about the findings, Playfinder’s founder and CEO Jamie Foale explained: “People are not having their appetites to play sports fulfilled.

“We have huge demand but not enough supply to keep up as there are not enough facilities feeling confident enough to reopen.”

Playfinder lists 5,600 venues across the UK, which can be booked online. But while searches for sports facilities are at exceptional levels, bookings through the website have dropped by 85%.

The government’s ‘Better Health’ campaign urges people to lose weight to beat Coronavirus. However, people’s urge to get more active is being undermined by the lack of available sports facilities, says Foale.

The Covid-19 crisis could affect a wide range of grassroots sports in the UK. Badminton England, England Netball, Basketball England, Volleyball England and Table Tennis England have all expressed fears that indoor facilities have almost entirely disappeared.

Gyms, pools and outdoor spaces have been able to reopen over the past month, but sports that rely on indoor facilities remain “in limbo”, reports the Guardian.

Katy Ritchie, head of development for England Netball explains that 50% of netball activities take place in indoor sports halls. But with many gyms using sports halls as additional gym facilities and schools focusing on reopening to pupils in September, indoor sport spaces simply aren’t available.

As Foale states: “The industry is largely driven by memberships – based around swim and gym – and what they are trying to do is restart their memberships, which is completely understandable. Booking pitches has not been a priority.”

At Paragon Structures, we provide indoor sports facilities to help people stay active and keep grassroots sports alive. Specialising in sports facility construction for both the leisure and education sectors, our state-of-the-art tension fabric buildings offer a rapid build time and low construction and maintenance costs.

Take a look at some of our most recent projects or get in touch with the team to find out more.

We all know that encouraging our children to keep fit and healthy is important for their physical and mental wellbeing, but a new study has now revealed that having an overweight mother or father can impact a child’s weight in different ways, too.

The study, carried out by researchers at City, University of London (CUL) and reported in Food Navigator found that children with an overweight or obese mother have a higher chance of being overweight themselves, compared to the impact of having an overweight father.

The research – entitled ‘Is the intergenerational transmission of overweight gender assortative?’ – showed that when both parents are overweight or obese, sons are more likely to become overweight than daughters.

Using data from Public Health England, the researchers looked at levels of childhood obesity levels in three age groups: pre-school (birth to five years), primary school (six to 11 years) and teens (12-16 years).

A number of other factors were taken into account, including the age of the parents, their mental health, whether they smoked, alcohol consumption, socio-economic status, and ethnicity.

The findings revealed that even though mothers aged 30 or over are less likely to have overweight children, if they are obese themselves, the risk of their child becoming overweight or obese increases.

It also found no evidence that being an only child means you are at greater risk of becoming overweight. The only circumstances in which this may be the case is if both parents are obese – in which case, the child’s chance of being overweight increases.

Speaking about the study, one of the study’s lead researchers at CUL Professor Mireia Jofre-Bonet explained: “The implications of the study are important as they suggest special attention is needed for families where both parents are overweight.”

She added: “Health policy interventions should place special attention to school-age female children, particularly when their mother is obese.”

Figures from the International Association for the Study of Obesity suggest the UK has the highest number of overweight and obese children (those aged between five and 17 years) in Europe.

Encouraging children to get active is essential – but to do that you need the right sporting facilities.

At Paragon Structures, we want to help improve the health and wellbeing of children and adults in all communities. Our quick-to-build, energy-efficient multi-sport structures are bringing a wider range of sporting activities to people around the UK.

All our buildings comply with Sport England guidelines and can be used for indoor football, netball, golf, gymnastics, fitness centres, and swimming.

If you’d like to find out more about our structures and how we can help communities get active and stay healthy, get in touch with the team today.