Our communities
Creating and sustaining a social value for those communities that work, live and visit the areas where our buildings are located is a key indicator that our activities are generating wider and lasting benefits.
Through community engagement, we believe we are creating spaces where people can thrive. As a property developer, we are responsible for the regeneration of significant and important areas of London and have always worked hard to maintain close relationships with our communities through open dialogue, engagement and the supporting of local charities and organisations.
- Bring social, economic and environmental benefits to the areas in which we operate
- Design and operate our buildings to support health and wellbeing
We acknowledge the profound influence our development and related activities can have on local neighbourhoods, communities tenants and the local economy. Not only are we able to support communities through corporate giving and fundraising but also via direct involvement through staff volunteering.
At our development sites, in partnership with our main contractors, we actively manage and monitor the social impact of our development activities. We issue a monthly newsletter to all local residents and businesses to ensure they are made aware of progress, any upcoming disruptive activities and details on community events and initiatives.
At our existing assets we invest in local initiatives and support communities, this includes creating a calendar of events and initiatives to ensure we are positively engaging with local residents, schools, community groups and businesses, facilitating Green Groups to discuss ESG issues and supporting local charities.
Charity partnerships
Educational Engagement Programme with Places for London
Helical is pleased to be a partner in the Places for London Educational Engagement Programme with the aim to inspire the next generation of young people into the built environment sector. The Platinum Portfolio Joint Venture is keen to use the scale of its programme to encourage young people into the industry. This is vital given research has shown that an additional 22,800 workers are expected to be required to meet construction demand in Greater London by 2027.
During our first year in partnership we've begun to address the significant challenge facing our sector regarding the low recruitment rates of young Londoners, especially those from ethnically diverse backgrounds and women. Through a series of programmes, including work experience placements, in-school sessions, and career events, we've worked to attract, inspire, and support a new generation into the built environment.
Volunteering for Single Homeless Project
Helical holds a number of volunteering days in support of Single Homeless Project, a charity that runs over 80 centres in London and supports over 10,000 people experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, homelessness every year.
In August 2025, 16 members of the Helical team spent the day clearing and landscaping the garden of a north London centre for women. The centre offers short term accommodation and support for women at immediate risk of homelessness. Their sizeable garden had become overgrown and was underused so the Helical team worked extremely hard clearing the space, removing rubbish, weeding, trimming back trees and plants and planting shrubs around the garden and in the newly formed flower bed. They also built and arranged garden furniture so the garden could be used and enjoyed by those living and the centre.
In December 2025, a team of staff attended a centre in west London and spent the afternoon decorating and preparing the communal areas for Christmas, helping create a homely and festive environment for clients living there over Christmas.
In January 2026, 8 Helical employees spent the decorating “The Hub”. The Hub is a space in Single Homeless Project’s Harrow Road Assessment Centre which is in constant use throughout SWEP (Severe Weather Emergency Protocol). SWEP is activated during periods of extreme cold to ensure people sleeping rough are offered emergency accommodation. When SWEP is in place, local authorities and homelessness services work together to provide a safe, warm place to sleep, along with support and access to longer-term housing options. The team helped to make the space brighter and more welcoming to its users by redecorating the room, building furniture and rearranging the space to provide more private areas for the clients.
In March 2026, a team of 10 spent the day at Single Homeless Project’s allotment in northeast London. The allotment is part of the East London Mental Health Service and is used by clients to learn life skills, connect with nature, meet new people and spend time with support workers. The fruit and vegetables grown are used at tge Comeback Kitchen initiative where clients learn to cook nourishing meals. The Helical team worked to clear weeds and tidy paths, lay woodchip, plant seeds and shrubs, build furniture, and label vegetable patches, helping make the space more inviting and getting seeds sown in time for spring.
The Helical Work Placement Programme
In October Helical worked with the Places for London Employment and Skills team to run our first ever work placement programme.
Helical designed a market research challenge and supporting job description which was promoted by the Places for London Employment team via their skills hubs. Applicants wrote to Helical providing their CVs and covering letters and then the Helical Operations Manager and Property Analyst ran a recruitment day during which they met with all shortlisted applicants, holding interviews with them all and providing a feedback report. Following completion of the recruitment day, two individuals were selected to complete the market research project which case based in Helical’s offices and supported by the Helical team for a week in October 2025.
The two participants excelled in their challenge, conducting thorough research and collecting detailed data. From this they created a presentation which they gave to the CFO and CIO.
The participants of the work placement scheme provided very positive feedback and Helical are excited to run another programme in 2026.
“My one-week work placement with Helical was valuable and rewarding. It gave me the opportunity to apply my research skills to the company’s most recent developments. I also gained real insight into commercial property development, from the creative aspect—the concept and ideas—through to delivery. Working with the development team deepened my understanding of how market research and design strategy work in a professional environment.
My experience at Helical was highly positive. The team was warm, friendly, and approachable; it was easy to ask questions and get clarity on any concerns and I was impressed by their collaborative culture and the firms close knit nature.”
Hajara, participant in the work experience programme
“One of the most valuable parts of the experience for me was visiting sites that were not only completed and in use but also in development. This was extremely valuable because it allowed me to see how a project progresses and becomes integrated into people’s lives and utilise the space in various ways.
I also highly valued having the opportunity to research the adjoining sites that would affect Helical’s projects, which are in development, because it gave me insight into how the team elevates and adapts to the surroundings using the actual context to inform their decisions.
I found the work environment incredibly stimulating as I was comfortable in asking many people different questions as well as being able to observe things like team meetings and site viewings, which gave me a well-needed perspective into what goes into the daily operations of managing the projects that teams collaborate on, which bring the spaces to life.”
Fatima, participant in the work experience programme
Workshop in celebration of International Women's Day
In 2025 Helical hosted team of young women studying Real Estate for a workshop in celebration of International Women's Day.
The workshop was hosted by our Senior Development Executive Nikki Dibley and our Head of Sustainability Laura Beaumont. Our CEO Matthew gave a presentation to the students and two of our Non-Executive Directors, Sue Clayton and Amanda Aldridge, spoke about their career and experiences within the property industry.
The sun shone brightly on an outdoor networking event attended by all the Helical team and the students participated in a branding and marketing challenge resulting in some truly impressive pitches!
Thank you to all the students who attended the event and best wishes for their very promising careers ahead.
Volunteering for St Mungo's Care Home refurbishment project
Helical volunteers supported a fantastic initiative run by Mace to redesign and refurbish a St Mungo's care home for men with a history of homelessness.
The Mace architects and design team provided inclusive designs for the tea room, library, dining room, arts room, staff office, and entrance lobby to make them more homely settings for the residents.
Mace, Helical and St Mungo’s volunteers supported the painting and decorating works, which were overseen by Lucas, who provided the materials and lead project manager for the duration of the works.
Volunteers also supported with furniture assembling and waste disposal, with skip deliveries arranged by Brewsters.
Thank you to everyone who supported this brilliant project.
Volunteering at Hackney Night Shelter
Helical spent an afternoon volunteering at Hackney Night Shelter which has been providing shelter and support to homeless guests for over 25 years and is run almost entirely by a large community of volunteers.
The group met with one of the Directors of Hackney Doorways who explained the way the shelter is funded and operates, the demand on services, the changing landscape of homelessness and the charity’s plans for the future.
Helical volunteers spent the afternoon completing housekeeping, decorating and maintenance jobs around the centre as well as shopping for and preparing the evening meal for the guests staying at the shelter.
“Hackney Night Shelter greatly appreciated the support from the staff at Helical. We could not function as a charity without voluntary support and this is especially helpful during the day when our guests are out. The team deep cleaned all the guest bedrooms, prepared a scrumptious dinner and made sure we were fully stocked with supplies in time for the return of our 20 guests in the evening. That night we had a new guest arriving and they were so grateful for how the welcome and how their room looked, all thanks to the Helical staff. All of the staff said how they would happily have the team back again to help out. We had especially great feedback about the apple cake!”
Volunteer Coordinator
The LandAid Trek
The "WalkaHelics" successfully completed the challenging LandAid Trek, hiking 27km across the Black Mountains.
They enjoyed a tough but beautiful day with a backdrop of spectacular scenery and were delighted to raise over £11,000 to support LandAid's work to end youth homelessness.
Thank you to all our generous sponsors and to the fantastic WalkaHelics!
