The Where the Severn Smiles project (Nov 2021 – Jun 2023), led by Open Newtown with eight delivery partners, was funded through the Enabling Natural Resources and Wellbeing (ENRAW) Fund. The project aimed to connect Newtown’s community, businesses, and farming sector with green spaces, sustainability, and wellbeing.

Despite delays caused by the pandemic and funding approvals, the project delivered a rich programme of activities, reaching over 3,500 beneficiaries. Its strongest achievements were in community engagement, wellbeing, creative use of green spaces, and fostering social capital. Some workstreams (notably business and farming) faced challenges due to external factors (economic climate, timing, staff changes), but important groundwork and learning were established for the future.

Key legacies include:

  • A culture of collaboration between local organisations.

  • A network of creative and nature-based practitioners.

  • Plans for a new Employee Assistance Programme for businesses.

  • Stronger community identity and social capital through successful events.

  • Learning on how to engage young people and farmers in sustainability.

Download the comprehensive evaluation report here:

Workstream 1: Wellbeing in Green Spaces

Partners: Cultivate, Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust, Oriel Davies Gallery

  • Delivered horticulture, conservation, and creative workshops in green spaces.

  • Strong engagement: sessions were inclusive, informal, and therapeutic, supporting wellbeing and social interaction.

  • Activities included gardening, wild women’s group, nature crafts, creative writing, and arts workshops.

  • Collaboration with intermediaries (e.g., Family Centre) extended reach to hidden communities.

  • Clear positive outcomes: participants reported increased happiness, reduced anxiety, new skills, and stronger connections to nature and community.

Impact: Highly successful in improving wellbeing and creating long-lasting community networks.

Workstream 2: Wellbeing and Resilience in Business

Partners: Ponthafren, Circular Economy Mid-Wales, Robert Owen Community Banking Fund

  • Aimed to support businesses with staff wellbeing, environmental efficiency, and access to sustainable finance.

  • Engagement with businesses proved very difficult, partly due to the pandemic, cost-of-living crisis, and lack of strong business networks.

  • Some progress: wellbeing support piloted with businesses, leading to Ponthafren’s plan to launch an Employee Assistance Programme (a lasting legacy).

  • Environmental audits and loan fund struggled to gain traction; no loans were taken up.

Impact: Left behind useful learning and a potentially valuable business wellbeing programme.

Workstream 3: Sustainable Farming

Partners: Severn Rivers Trust, Robert Owen Community Banking Fund, Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust

  • Engaged ~100 farms, focusing on soil health, biodiversity, water management, and sustainable practices.

  • Relationship-building was strong, with soil testing and water audits acting as useful entry points.

  • However, delays (funding, weather, lab errors) meant results came too late to influence outcomes within the project timeframe.

Impact: Foundations laid for future work with farmers, but outcomes limited due to timing.

Workstream 4: One Planet Generation

Led by Open Newtown with partners

  • Aimed to empower young people on climate action and deliver outdoor nature-based activities for children/families.

  • The youth climate leadership strand was too ambitious; engagement with teenagers was difficult post-COVID.

  • Refocused on creative, nature-based workshops (forest schools, river safaris, bushcraft, arts).

  • Established Hafren Nature Adventures and a network of skilled local practitioners.

  • Successfully reached schools and families, improving children’s connection with nature and environmental awareness.

Impact: Strong success in nature-based education for children; limited impact with older youth but valuable groundwork for future projects.

Workstream 5: Open Events

Partners: Open Newtown, Oriel Davies Gallery

  • Delivered four large-scale community fairs (Spring, Summer, Autumn Share, Spring 2023) plus support for other groups’ events.

  • Events celebrated Newtown’s green spaces, local produce, culture, and sustainability.

  • Extremely popular: attracted hundreds, created a strong sense of community, provided platforms for local groups and practitioners.

  • Evaluated as one of the most impactful and valued elements of the project, generating long-term social capital.

Impact: Major success, building community pride, connection, and identity around green spaces.