Groundwork Wales-Impact Report-17-English

Delivering real and 

lasting change 

Groundwork Wales Impact report 2017 

WALES 

CYMRU

At Groundwork Wales we strive to change places and 

change lives, now and for future generations. That’s 

why we have the health, wealth and well-being of people 

and their communities at our heart. To this end we work 

with our partners in communities across Wales to make 

a real difference to people’s lives and prospects. 

Groundwork Wales 

Ty^ Mynyddislwyn Environment Centre, Bryn Road, Pontllanfraith, Blackwood, Gwent NP12 2BH 

Tel: 01495 222605 Fax: 01495 221033 Email: wales@groundwork.org.uk www.groundwork.org.uk 

Charity registration number 1096662 Company registration No: 3577896

01 Groundwork Wales Impact report 2017/Delivering real and lasting change 

Welcome/Croeso 

It’s a real pleasure to present you with this, the annual overview 

of our organisation and the impact we are making in the 

communities of Wales. We are justifiably proud of our results, 

thanks to the sterling work of our staff team and volunteers. 

This year, our report draws attention to the Well-being of 

Future Generations Act (Wales) 2015 designed to take Wales 

forward in sometimes new and often different ways. At 

Groundwork Wales, we have always worked in the spirit of this 

Act, doing things differently and helping others to do things 

differently too. We therefore continue to work with Welsh 

Government, Local Authorities and the health, private and third 

sectors, to make real and lasting changes in communities and 

for people. 

Our Business Plan aligns with the seven Well-being Goals 

for Wales embodied in the Act, and our operations on the 

ground incorporate the Act’s recommended ways of working, 

evidenced in our projects and programmes as outlined later 

in this report. 

In summary, our innovative programmes meet a range 

of outcomes for people and places, covering Health and 

Well-being, Employability and Skills and Energy and 

Sustainability, improving community resilience and cohesion, 

individual life-chances and environmental sustainability. 

Our continued success bears testament to our dedicated 

and resourceful staff team, and the support from partners, 

funders and volunteers. I hope that you enjoy reading 

about the great work we’ve done over the year. 

Katy Stevenson 

Chief Executive 

946 279 

outdoor spaces improved schools actively involved 

in projects 

212 

businesses actively supported


Measuring up 

Our distinctive way of working and helping others to work 

differently underpins the strategy outlined in Welsh 

Government’s Well-being of Future Generations Act. We 

have always known that learning to do things differently pays 

dividends, now and for the future. Our innovative initiatives, 

projects and programmes continue to make real and lasting 

changes and in so doing, contribute to the 7 Well-being goals 

at the core of the Act, and ultimately a better Wales for all. 

7 Well-being goals 

01 

A prosperous 

Wales 

02 

A healthier 


03 

A resilient 


04 

A more equal 


05 

A Wales of 

cohesive 

communities 

06 

A globally 

responsible 


07 

A Wales of 

vibrant culture 

and thriving 

Welsh language


Making an impact 

734 

new projects started 

27,188 

adult person days actively involved 

in projects 

343 

community organisations supported 

509 108,550 

Green Doctor visits delivered people benefitting from 

improved spaces 

1,202,672 

square metres of land maintained 

6,735 

trees planted 

447 

partners actively involved 

in projects 

7,776 

young people person days actively 

involved in projects


Working for the well-being 

of future generations 

We’re all about regeneration in its fullest sense. We deliver 

programmes that realise and release potential in individuals 

and communities. We work towards community cohesion and 

to tackle social deprivation. We work for the well-being of 

future generations. 

That’s why we align well with the 7 goals of the Well-being 

and Future Generations Act (Wales) 2015. That’s why we 

apply many of its principles to the delivery of our initiatives. 

The case studies that follow, chosen from many more, 

serve to illustrate how Groundwork Wales is delivering on 

those goals for individuals, businesses and communities 

throughout Wales, making real and lasting change. 

>


01/ A prosperous Wales 

We work to encourage the development of social enterprise and 

employability by supporting horticultural skills’ development and 

community market garden enterprise, landscaping maintenance 

and management. 

The value within 

There is no value in wasting latent talent or neglecting 

environments that have the potential to thrive and act as 

catalysts for growth and prosperity. Doing so costs dearly; 

and historically, nowhere has this been more evident 

than in some of Wales’ most deprived communities. 

Groundwork Wales works to create a society that recognises 

the value in the local and global environment, encouraging 

individuals and communities to use resources efficiently and 

to respect the landscape. In tandem, we work towards the 

development of a skilled and well-educated population which 

we know leads to the generation of wealth and employment 

in the wider community. 

We are delivering community environmental projects such as 

our award-winning Healthy Rivers programme, designed to 

create better places by working together and recognising the 

value within. In so doing, we promote greener living and 

working, aid learning about environmental impact, and improve 

people’s prospects by increasing the confidence, skills and 

employability of those often furthest removed from the labour 

market, especially the young. 

Healthy Rivers in Wales 

Healthy Rivers has established itself at the forefront of river 

restoration in south-east Wales. Since 2012, Groundwork 

Wales has worked with our partners, including Dw^ r Cymru 

and Natural Resources Wales, to improve natural habitats, 

support greater populations of native fish and improve 

ecological status. 

The results speak volumes: the programme has resulted in 

over 75km of river being made accessible to migrating fish 

so as to increase the populations of salmon and trout. 

But there is much more. Healthy Rivers initiatives, such as the 

Big Clean at the River Ebbw, have helped engage local people 

as volunteers, improving skills and life chances. Importantly, 

the rivers of south-east Wales are now cleaner, and open for 

business, positioned to attract tourism to the local area and 

provide a much needed boost to the economy. 

All this hard work has not gone unnoticed. This year, Healthy 

Rivers was a category winner for the Urban Project Awards 

and one of 4 finalists for the 2017 UK River Prize.


£300,000 

funding secured from partners for 

river restoration 

// 

Respecting our fantastic waterways in 

Wales makes a lot of economic sense. 

The clean-up was a great success. 

Thanks to the volunteers, we removed 

over 3 tonnes of rubbish. 

Matthew Sellwood 

Groundwork Wales Healthy Rivers Project Officer


02/ A healthier Wales 

We operate a range of health and well-being programmes 

including outdoor exercise, engaging people with the green 

environment through sport, play and food-growing activities. 

Fit for the Future 

Inactivity is one of the leading risk factors for mortality, 

increasing the risk of many long-term conditions such as 

cancer, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and depression. 

At Groundwork Wales, we understand that this has an 

emotional cost for the well-being of individuals and families 

as well as the economic well-being of communities and 

Wales as a whole. According to Welsh Government it is 

estimated that the cost of physical inactivity to the NHS in 

Wales is £650 million per year. 

Our Go Green 4 Heath (GG4H) programme is designed to 

address this. Aligning with Government Policy relating to 

the promotion of physical activity and healthy lifestyles 

and supporting people with mental health conditions, 

we are working in communities in north and south Wales 

to encourage activity in the natural outdoors to prevent ill 

health and improve the management of chronic conditions. 

Neath Port Talbot Stroke Group (NPTSG) 

The NPTSG is just one of many groups across Wales who, 

thanks to GG4H, is engaging more with its local green 

environment. 

The NPTSG was first made aware of the programme in June 

2015 after the GG4H Project Leader introduced the idea of 

the group getting out and about in the local Gnoll Park and 

having fun at the same time. 

The group was delighted to find that Gnoll Park hired out 

Trampers (off road scooters) which allowed the whole group – 

stroke survivors, their partners, families and carers – to take 

part in green exercise regardless of ability levels. 

At that time the group had a small membership; but from 

those small beginnings, a recent count put the membership 

at over sixty, all of whom enjoy the bi-monthly ‘walk’ which is 

now part of the main calendar of events. GG4H has increased 

confidence and expanded horizons in those who thought that 

strokes had ruined their lives. Last year 7 adults, 2 children and 

3 scooters (which had been individually purchased) went to 

Disneyland Paris and had a ball! For the NPTSG, GG4H has 

truly laid foundations.


235 

beneficiaries have progressed to be 

come volunteers 

// 

We now lead by example and show other 

stroke survivors the beauty in our local 

surroundings, the benefits of getting 

outdoors, friendship and laughter. 

Emma 

Secretary NPTSG, stroke survivor and Mum


03/ A resilient Wales 

We aim to educate and raise awareness of biodiversity, 

eco-resilience and climate change issues and bring to the 

fore the value of community green spaces, food security 

and resource efficiency. 

Doing things differently 

Our world is changing fast. Increasing globalisation, technology 

moving apace, and issues of climate change all pose challenges 

forcing us to adapt and respond in ways that are different from 

how we might have done things in the past. 

At Groundwork Wales we understand that the impacts of these 

changes on people, communities and the environment are 

likely to be unevenly distributed. It is a stark reality that the 

challenges of change hit first and worst on those people and 

communities that have least. Addressing these challenges 

requires changing behaviour and learning how to do things 

differently. 

It has been proven that communities and nations that do things 

differently can benefit and unlock opportunities associated 

with greener growth. That’s why our Green Doctor 

Programmes work to help make individuals and communities 

more resilient to global energy and environmental challenges. 

Green Doctor provides practical support to change thinking 

and improve energy management and efficiency in support of 

renewable energy generation and a more sustainable future. 

Green Doctor in Wales 

During the last year, Groundwork Wales has been delivering 

its Green Doctor Healthy Homes Project in the south Wales 

valleys including areas targeted for Regeneration under the 

Welsh Government Vibrant and Viable Places programme. 

The project has focused on raising awareness of energy 

conservation within the home, behavioural changes, and the 

installation of low-energy measures to help reduce the 

household bills of individuals in most need. Our Green Doctor 

Team has worked effectively with local partners and British Gas 

Energy Trust so that vulnerable households become more 

resilient to change and benefit from doing things differently. 

During this period, we were successful with our funding 

application to Smart Energy GB and as part of the Green 

Doctor Project, we have been raising awareness of the 

benefits of Smart Meters to support the national role out of 

Smart Meters and the Smart Energy GB marketing campaign. 

Through effective use of press, social media, events and Team 

visits to households, we have reached over 25,000 people and 

directly supported over 400 households with the Smart Meter 

sign-up process.


1,587 

individual energy-saving measures 

installed over a 15 month period 

// 

The visit was very useful. The gentleman 

that called gave some really good practical 

tips on energy-saving and provided us with 

some useful energy-saving gadgets. 

Carolyn & Rob Parsons 

Householders, south Wales


04/ A more equal Wales 

Our programmes are focussed on areas and communities 

where need is greatest, in consultation with strategic 

partners and programmes. 

Fair play 

Wales is open to huge opportunities. But it is also true that 

Wales faces huge challenges. De-industrialisation has left its 

legacy of deprivation in many of our communities and today, 

the back-drop of austerity since the financial crash and the 

increasing uncertainty of the UK withdrawal from the EU, 

are adding to this burden. 

Wales’ future will be shaped by changes made for the longterm, 

particularly tackling the gap between the richest and 

poorest and making society fairer, improving prospects for all. 

At Groundwork Wales we aim to break the cycle of 

disadvantage and inequality, and this aim underpins everything 

we do so that we help to achieve our vision of a fairer more 

inclusive society. We believe that increasing employability is 

vital to this vision and we recognise that moving people into 

work has a dramatic effect of the health, wealth and well-being 

of individuals, their communities and Wales as a whole. Our 

strength is our sensitivity to the diverse needs of particular 

localities. Merthyr Tydfil is one of many such areas. 

The Green Team in Merthyr Tydfil 

Our Green Teams create better and greener places while 

providing volunteer team members the opportunity to learn 

new skills, gain qualifications and improve employment 

prospects, through the structured programmes we offer. 

During 2016-2017 Groundwork Wales worked with Merthyr 

Tydfil County Borough Council’s Countryside Department 

(linking into the “Green Spaces Strategy”) to identify a site of 

local importance that could be enhanced by the Green Team: 

the former Bedlinog Colliery at Coed-yr-Hendre, part of a land 

reclamation scheme where 12,000 trees had been planted in 

2000. Though the trees were well established, they required 

maintenance to ensure sustainability. 

Merthyr Tydfil Military Preparation College provided the 

disciplined young energy to make it happen. Backed by the 

training and skills of staff from all partner organisations, the 

Green Team learned about woodland management, picked the 

area clean of litter, and removed hundreds of metres of stock 

fencing erected over twenty-years ago, but no longer necessary. 

The result is a more natural landscape and a group of more 

skilled young people with an interest in the maintenance of that 

site, and importantly, other similar projects in the area.


624 

volunteer days spent creating 

greener places 

// 

A local community group wanting to 

improve the area (Merthyr Tydfil) has 

sprung up after seeing all the hard work 

going on at Coed-yr-Hendre. 

Gillian Hampson 

Biodiversity Officer, Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council 

Planning & Countryside Department


05/ A Wales of cohesive 

communities 

Our initiatives are delivered at grass-roots level and are 

developed in consultation with communities. 

United and connected 

Research has shown that people’s individual well-being is 

heavily influenced by the physical and social characteristics 

of where they live, work and visit. People do better in 

communities that are attractive, well-connected in the 

widest sense, and where people get on with each other. 

People’s sense of well-being is also served better if they take an 

active role in decisions that affect the communities they live in: 

that they are involved in the discussions and what they say is 

listened to. We have learned over our long history, working at 

the heart of communities, that our impact is greater when our 

initiatives are arrived at in consultation with communities and 

delivered at grass-roots level, rather than imposed top down. 

At Groundwork Wales we know that by changing places 

we can change lives. It sometimes needs only a small positive 

intervention to bring about a sea change. Our Environmental 

Participation initiatives are just one such example of many, 

designed with the aim of bringing this about. 

Environmental participation in 

Lansbury Park, Caerphilly 

Lansbury Park is rated as Wales’ most deprived area in the 

Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation. The factors include high 

unemployment, low skills, and disruptive family and work 

patterns. Together this can make for considerable social isolation. 

Groundwork Wales has been working with its partner, 

Communities First, to improve people’s quality of life at Lansbury 

Park. Over the summer of 2017, we delivered an Environmental 

Participation initiative to bring families closer together through 

the common goal of constructing home-made go-karts. 

Children and adults worked together to assemble the karts, 

developing basic tool skills and simple construction techniques. 

The karts were constructed using reclaimed timber gathered 

by our Project Officer, Martin Kelly, and reclaimed paint donated 

by The Furniture Revival, a social enterprise owned by 

Groundwork Wales. 

The project culminated with a ‘soap-box derby’ held on what 

residents called ‘The Stretch’ – a pedestrian ‘high street’ 

through the heart of the estate. Here, drivers and pusher teams 

negotiated obstacles among crowds of onlookers and cries of 

‘Victory’. Everyone involved enjoyed the event and agreed it 

made the area feel well used.


33 

young people and 14 adults engaged in 

1 project lasting 33 hours 

// 

This type of family-orientated activity is 

needed in the community. I thought it 

brought my family together. They worked 

well as a team and learned how to share. 

Caroline Pocknell 

Grandparent


06/ A globally responsible Wales 

We manage the Green Dragon environmental management 

standard, providing environmental management support to 

organisations with international reach and impact, as well 

as delivering environmental education in communities. 

Going green – local and global 

There is scientific consensus that human-induced climate 

change is responsible for significant and widespread 

irreversible impacts. Depleting finite natural resources is 

literally costing the earth. That’s why we work with our 

partners, individuals and businesses in Wales to promote 

respect for these precious resources and to safeguard them 

for future generations. 

We’re part of the bigger picture too. We understand that if 

we can help people to do things responsibly and promote 

commitment to a low-carbon society and a greener future, 

we can create commercial edge for green growth in Wales, 

and help re-position it on the global stage. 

Corporate and social responsibility therefore lies at the heart 

of our environmental and energy management programmes. 

We continue to deliver Tesco ‘Bags of Help’ community grant 

scheme where the 5p bag charge in Tesco stores is being used 

to fund over 306 community projects across Wales. Working 

in partnership with Western Power Distribution we have 

embarked on an ambitious tree-planting project. Over 6,000 

native trees have been planted to date, increasing biodiversity 

and contributing to the vibrancy and viability of our 

communities. 

Green Dragon in Green & Co Ltd, 

Cwmbran 

At Groundwork Wales, being green is part of our DNA. 

Our bespoke Green Dragon Standard supports companies 

in implementing Environmental Management Systems 

appropriate to the nature and scale of their activities. 

The aptly named Green & Co Ltd is a leading independent 

accountancy firm in Cwmbran providing professional services 

to individuals and businesses. 2014 saw them awarded Firm 

of the Year at the British Accountancy Awards. 2017 sees 

them as finalists yet again. 

Green & Co are seen as forward thinking and dynamic. They 

recognise that concern for the environment is an integral part 

of their business. It was their aim to achieve a high standard 

of environmental and sustainable performance through the 

implementation of a structured EMS. 

Choosing Green Dragon Environmental Standard has enabled 

them to adopt a structured step-by-step approach ensuring 

that each phase of the management system has been 

integrated and established before moving on to the next. 

Importantly it has encouraged people to think responsibly 

about activities from simply switching off lights and computers 

to reducing the amount of waste they recycle.

17 Groundwork Wales Impact report 2017/Delivering real and lasting change 

101 

Accredited Environmental Management 

Systems (EMS) achieved 

// 

Implementing the Green Dragon standard 

has made people at all levels more aware 

of how their activities impact on the 

environment and has encouraged them 

to take steps to reduce this impact. 

Mike Williams 

Client Services, Green & Co Ltd


07/ A Wales of vibrant culture and 

thriving Welsh language 

Our programmes are spread throughout various cultures and 

communities, urban and rural, and with Welsh language 

speakers across Wales. 

Growing and thriving 

It is proven that outdoor play in natural surroundings is a low, 

or even no-cost means of improving the health and well-being 

of children and families, instilling greater confidence, and 

enhancing life chances. But there are often barriers to getting 

children and families to think positively about the great 

outdoors: economic, geographic and even cultural. 

Groundwork Wales delivers outdoor play in natural 

surroundings to children and families in communities across 

Wales. Funded by Welsh Government these Sustainable Play 

programmes are designed to leave a legacy of the benefits of 

outside play experience to children and communities in need, 

and lay the foundations for a more positive future. 

We work with our partners, including Local Authorities, 

Housing Associations and other third sector organisations 

to identify communities in most need of play provision and 

other specific needs of that community – such as linguistic – 

and respond with high quality play sessions and informal and 

accredited training of lasting benefit to families regardless of 

ability or income. 

Sustainable Play in Neuadd a 

Parc Llanddewi Brefi Hall and Park 

Llanddewi Brefi is small village, in rural Ceredigion, a firstlanguage 

Welsh county in west Wales. The surrounding area 

consists of isolated farms and families, and has been described 

as both ‘play deprived’ and ‘socially deprived’ in regards to its 

access to services. 

Our Sustainable Play Team responded to these needs after 

being contacted by the Secretary of the Llanddewi Brefi 

Community Council, Susanne Ryder, who outlined the 

challenges of families and children with nothing to do in 

the summer holidays, often prohibited from travelling to 

play areas by long journeys and high fuel costs. 

The Village Hall provided the ideal location to get our 

Sustainable Play programme into action: situated at the heart 

of the village, it has access to a playing field, wooded areas 

and a play park. The Team has delivered play sessions and play 

training, so that with the help of volunteers, the sessions can 

be sustainable, allowing children and families the opportunity 

to play, socialise and communicate in Welsh. In this way, 

Sustainable Play is supporting the living, vibrant culture of the 

area for future generations and Welsh Government’s aim to 

increase the number of Welsh speakers to 1 million by 2050.


23,760 // 

children and young people engaged 

in outdoor play sessions to date 

The play sessions were a massive success 

with both the children and the parents, 

and in turn, increased the use and users 

of our Hall, woodland and open spaces. 

Susanne Ryder 

Llanddewi Brefi, Ceredigion


Analysis of income 

Big Lottery Fund £290,505 

Local Authority £247,281 

Private Sector £381,963 

Public Agencies & National Charities £223,907 

Welsh Government £829,428 

Social Enterprise Activities £207,312 

Total £2,180,396 

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