The built environment shapes the communities we live in – but who gets a say in designing it? For Neil Onions, head of the social enterprise Beyond the Box, the answer is clear: everyone should. Since 2018, Beyond the Box has been at the forefront of efforts to empower underrepresented young people in the sector, fostering diversity and driving meaningful change. By collaborating with professionals, local authorities, and cultural organisations, it seeks to facilitate community engagement, co-produces vibrant cultural events, and applies co-design expertise within the communities that it engages with.

As a community interest company, it reinvests its income into the communities it serves, creating opportunities for young people to share their talents and perspectives. But Onions believes the current systems for delivering social value through procurement and design need urgent reform – and the work of Beyond the Box is a powerful example of how that change can begin.

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