Project Description

RealWorth was commissioned by the BSA to create a social value toolkit and guide to support the positive impact of individual branches. This toolkit includes a set of four connected resources for planning, delivering, and recording social value across the building society sector.

It builds on our 2025 evaluation, in which we explored the wider social value created by high street financial institutions, drawing on survey findings, interviews, focus groups, observational branch assessments, and operational data provided by societies that participated in the initial study. We then held two extra workshops in July 2026 to test, develop and receive feedback on the themes and processes.

We also presented the final toolkit to around 50 representatives of the different BSA branches to ensure the toolkit and guide met the clients' needs on a local scale. Building society branches come in a variety of types and varying capacities, and this helped ensure that the Toolkit was suitable for them all.

This work will help branches to strengthen their impact further by improving consistency, visibility, and learning, and by ensuring that good practice is supported, measured, and shared effectively.