Made in Britain, a not-for-profit trade organisation that champions British-made products, is providing British play equipment manufacturers with a competitive edge through its new Environmental & Social Value (ESV) Certification.
Sutcliffe Play and Wicksteed Leisure have recently adopted the ESV Certification to showcase their role in driving economic growth, environmental responsibility and positive social impact.
Aligned with the UK Government’s latest Social Value Model (2025) and the Procurement Act 2023, the Certification allows organisations to practically demonstrate their environmental and social value, helping them stand out without having to change operations or jump through hoops.
Andrew Love, Sales & Marketing Director at Sutcliffe Play, said: “As an employee-owned business, we have some rather stringent ethical standards. We have to be able to demonstrate what we’re doing for the environment and social value, and the ESV Certificate endorses our credentials in these areas.
“Our customers are predominantly councils, and social value is becoming enormous in the public sector, so the Certificate helps to show that we’re taking social value seriously.”
Lynne Egginton, Associate Director - Commercial at Wicksteed Leisure, said: “We’ve been manufacturing play equipment since 1918, and since day one, we’ve cared about our environment and our people. The ESV Certification sets us apart from the competition and shows what we’re about as a company.
“Not only that, but in recent years we’ve noticed that more tenders ask about sustainability and social value, so the Certification helps us in that regard - it’s definitely helped with the scoring that we’ve had from tenders.”
The Certification has been developed in collaboration with MAP UK & International and aims to help manufacturers promote their commitment to local jobs and skills, community engagement, environmental sustainability, and ethical and local supply chains.
Andrew Love, of Sutcliffe Play, continued: “Being a member of Made in Britain, we pride ourselves on sourcing locally and the benefits this brings to the community and surrounding areas. Most of our supply chain is within a 40 mile radius, so we’re providing turnover for small businesses in the area. And with everything manufactured in West Yorkshire, there’s a short road mileage wherever we’re delivering to in the UK, reducing our carbon emissions.
“We’re based on the outskirts of a country park and have a 450 sq m sandpit at the front of the factory with play equipment, so we’re continually giving something back to the community. We also specialise in inclusive play equipment which is designed for children with physical or mental disabilities, and some of the local SEN schools make use of our play area for this reason.
“From an environmental perspective, our customer team has recently switched to hybrid and electric vehicles so we’ve installed two new charging points, and we’re powered by renewable energy as the gas and electricity we buy comes from Welsh wind farms.
Lynne Egginton, of Wicksteed Leisure, added: “Our factory in Kettering has been in situ since 1876 and, in recent years, we’ve made a lot of sustainable improvements including changing all the lights to LEDs and installing fans on the ceiling to allow us to recycle hot air. For our products, we use a material called HDPE which is recycled and recyclable plastic, as well as recyclable metal and wood from FSC certified forests, and we’ve recently obtained carbon emissions certificates for all of our play equipment.
“We also like to positively benefit the local communities we work in and get involved with litter picking, donations to food banks and community groups, and wildflower seeding. In the past, we’ve also provided a bleed kit to be installed in one of our playgrounds that was located in a high ASBO area.
“And it’s not just about where we work - we care about who we work with. As a business, we’ve signed the Menopause Workplace Pledge, so all our managers are trained on how we can support our women in the workplace, and we provide free sanitary wear. We have also signed the Armed Forces Covenant and are both a Disability Confident and Mindful Employer, showcasing our commitment to employee wellbeing.”
John Pearce, CEO of Made in Britain, said: “It’s fantastic to see how the ESV Certification is benefitting Sutcliffe Play and Wicksteed Leisure, helping them to draw out and promote their environmental and social value credentials.
“These are two great British manufacturers making some of the best play equipment in the world, and they’re doing that in a sustainable, ethical way that has far-reaching impact. In helping them to highlight their environmental and social value, we’re helping them get the credit they deserve.
“We understand that UK buyers are increasingly required to consider environmental and social value standards when awarding contracts. Thousands of UK manufacturers already meet many of these standards without even knowing it - so this Certification simply helps them to draw out and promote it, giving them a new commercial edge in a highly competitive market.”
The ESV Certification is available to all Made in Britain members. To find out more about the certification and its benefits, visit www.madeinbritain.org/about/environmental-social-value.
