Community engagement and outreach activity

Their activity included:

• attending health and wellbeing events with Citizens Advice, DWP, Dŵr Cymru, Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion Councils and attending winter immunisation clinic events with Hywel Dda Health Board;
• visiting Ceredigion, Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire and Wrexham County Borough Council’s Food banks and Warm Hubs throughout winter and providing marketing for service users;
• attending MP and MS events in Clwyd East, Clwyd North;
• presentations to diverse community groups including Carmarthenshire 50 Plus Forum, Chinese in Wales and Plant Dewi sessions supporting young families;
• attending networking meetings held by Aneurin Bevan Health Board, Cardiff Council, Ceredigion Association of Voluntary Organisations (CAVO), Denbighshire Voluntary Services Council (DVSC), Hywel Dda Health Board, North-East Wales Wellbeing Network, Powys Association of Voluntary Organisations (PAVO), Pembrokeshire Association of Voluntary Services (PAVS), Swansea Council and Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board;

Attending events

The PDMs attended 189 outreach events and partner meetings in 2024-2025. This included attending the Money and Pensions Service Money Guiders Wales Conference, National Energy Action Cymru's Fuel Poverty Forums in North and South Wales, Citizens Advice Advisor Network and NHS Wales Sustainability Conferences. There were a range of health and wellbeing focused events in partnership with local authorities, charities, and support organisations, including the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), Dŵr Cymru, and Ceredigion Council.

Delivering training

The PDMs delivered a total of 74 training presentations to organisations which included Age Cymru, Awel Amman Tawe, Cardiff Council Independent Living Service, Care and Repair, Coal Industry Social Welfare Organisation (CISWO), Deg Cymru, Dŵr Cymru Customer Vulnerability Team, E.ON, Flintshire County Council's Domestic Energy Efficiency Team, Foothold Cymru, Hospice of the Valleys, Macmillan Cancer Support, Menter Cwm Gwendraeth Elli, Monmouthshire Council, Severn Wye Energy Agency, Swansea Western Bay and Ynni Llŷn.

Direct mail with local authorities

The PDMs worked with 15 local authorities to deliver direct mailing campaigns to promote Nest, which reached a total of 34,764 households. These were Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Cardiff, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Flintshire, Gwynedd, Merthyr Tydfil, Neath Port Talbot, Newport, Pembrokeshire, Powys, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Swansea and Torfaen. This was an effective way of reaching vulnerable households at risk of fuel poverty.

Importance of partnership work for Nest

The PDMs continued to work alongside primary partners such as Age Cymru, Care & Repair Cymru, Citizens Advice Cymru, Dŵr Cymru, Money and Pensions Service, SP Energy, Warm Wales and others to ensure residents in Wales were made aware of how to access available support.

Delivering additional benefits

Our community benefits strategy incorporated and delivered outcomes to:

• generate employment and training opportunities for priority groups;
• deliver and support educational and equality and diversity initiatives;
• help build capacity in community organisations; and
• support our supply chain development.

Our focus area for 2024-25 was to ‘help build capacity in community organisations’ and our activities included:

Community Engagement: Driving Impact Across Wales

Our commitment to creating a greener, fairer future has been at the heart of our work throughout 2024 and into 2025. Through strategic partnerships, volunteering, and targeted initiatives, we’ve delivered measurable benefits across four priority themes: Digital Inclusion, Community Regeneration, Biodiversity, and Welsh Language. 

Celebrating Achievements

Award-Winning Impact: Recognized as Regional Vulnerable Customer Support Organisation of the Year at the Energy Efficiency Awards, affirming our leadership in supporting vulnerable households.

Volunteering Hours: Over 200 hours logged in biodiversity and community regeneration activities, including school engagement and mock interviews for 120 Year 10 students. 

Community Registration

Cwrt Mytton Residential Home: 128 volunteer hours transformed communal spaces for dementia care residents, creating sensory gardens and exercise areas.

Catch22 Include School Wales: Nest arranged the installation of 3 boilers, 8 water heaters, and 2 EV chargers, ensuring safe, sustainable facilities for 40 pupils with social and emotional needs.

Welsh Language 

As part of our commitment to strengthen our staff’s Welsh language skills in the workplace, all of our staff based in Ebbw Vale have completed the Work Welsh Welcome modules, with 411 additional hours of advanced Welsh language learning.

Biodiversity

Bryn Bach Park in Blaenau Gwent, is a local nature reserve set in 340 acres of idyllic grass and woodland with a stunning 36-acre lake at its heart. The Nest team assisted with planting 300 Hawthorn trees, enhancing biodiversity and creating habitats for local wildlife.

Inclusive Employment

Nest successfully renewed our Level 2 Disability Confident Employer status, reinforcing our pledge to attract, retain, and develop talent inclusively.

Looking Ahead

Our partnerships continue to transform lives and landscapes, and we’re committed to building on this momentum. Our next steps include:

• Expanding Biodiversity Projects: Extend our involvement to two new local nature reserves, creating habitats that support wildlife and enhance green spaces.
• Strengthening Community Regeneration: Deepen relationships with stakeholders to deliver meaningful regeneration initiatives that improve quality of life for communities across Wales.
• Increasing Digital Inclusion: Provide targeted support for rural households, ensuring access to essential digital tools and services.
• Supporting Welsh Language Development: Deliver 200 additional hours of Welsh language training for staff, reinforcing our commitment to cultural and linguistic inclusion.