Cwmni Egino (CE) was set up by the Welsh Government in 2021 to explore socio-economic growth opportunities from new nuclear development in North Wales, focusing on the possibility of future development at the site of the former nuclear power station in Trawsfynydd.
Recognising our expertise in Social Value Strategy development, Useful Projects and our local partner, Ynys Resources Ltd, were commissioned to develop a Social Value Handbook, setting out how CE will support the successfully delivery of their mission to ‘help create the conditions for the region to thrive by facilitating the maximum social, economic, and environmental benefits from new nuclear investment’.
A vision for the future
Our methodology for developing the Handbook included a baseline review to understand the socio-economic and environmental context in North Wales. Across interviews and workshops with CE, we co-designed key components for the Handbook, including:
- Vision for the future.
- Objectives and outcomes across each of the People, Place, and Economy pillars.
- Guiding principles.
- Priorities and actions for 2024/2025 - setting out key areas for CE to take active short-term steps (alongside others) to ensure a positive impact.
- Recommendations for embedding the approach across seven organisational factors.
- A checklist for developing initiatives in the future.
- Recommendations and options for measurement and reporting.
The published Social Value Handbook can be viewed here.
In 2024, we were commissioned to further support CE with the implementation of various Social Value initiatives. One of these was a collaborative research project with Ynys Resources Ltd with the aim of understanding the multidimensional factors that underpin the shrinking workforce in North Wales, and how the low carbon economy could help support people to stay, return, or migrate to the region.
This research included:
- A literature review of existing research publications and articles.
- Analysis of publicly available datasets to identify migration patters.
- Lived experience interviews and a focus group.
Our findings will be shared with stakeholders in the low carbon economy in 2025 to inform future collaborative action around the issue.
