Santos’s Creative EcoFactory addresses issues of social development and inclusion in a city recovering from a history of financial crises and high unemployment. This initiative supports vulnerable people within the community by helping them develop a skillset in woodwork and offering potential career paths within the Old Market District. With support from both the private and public sectors, the Creative EcoFactory School provides a variety of social, environmental and cultural benefits such as offering a haven for self-development, the use of existing historic buildings that require regeneration, and the promotion of the preservation of forests by only using recycled wood. The Creative EcoFactory was awarded the ‘IF Social Impact Prize’ in 2017 due to the positive impact it is having on its community, the preservation of its culture and on its environment. This award enhanced the project’s notoriety and allowed for further funding, allowing it to continue to support the community and wider beneficiaries.