AGW NEWSLETTER
Issue 1
AGW
Newsletter
February 2016 WWW.ARLOESIGWYNEDDWLEDIG.COM
Arloesi Gwynedd Wledig – What’s been happening? by Zoe
Pritchard, AGW Manager
Among the many projects being pursued by AGW are a Visitor Giving Scheme in Snowdonia, an innovative Wi-Fi solution in Aberdaron, a co-working space in Porthmadog and car charging network in Meirionnydd. While the link between them does not appear obvious, they are all seeking to pilot new solutions to challenges faced by the Gwynedd economy.
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Crowdfunding: Is it a practical and realistic fundraising option for Gwynedd enterprises? Crowdfunding is becoming an increasingly popular method for raising funds for a range of activities, from publishing a book, to paying for a wedding or setting up a village pub. Several organisations in Gwynedd have either tried crowdfunding with varied levels of success or have considered it as an option. With grants becoming harder to come by and cuts in public services, AGW developed a project with the aim of supporting and learning from Crowdfunding campaigns.
Since AGW was launched last year there has been focus on engaging, explaining and listening. There has also been an emphasis on developing projects that clearly demonstrate how the approach differs from mainstream programmes. This update provides an overview of the projects and ideas we are currently involved with and should provide a platform for delivering LEADER project over the next 6 years. Members of Padarn Peris, a community hydro team.
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The project will support three Crowdfunding campaigns with the aim of learning from the process and sharing best practice. To ensure AGW derive as much as possible from the project we are looking to collaborate on diverse campaigns using different digital platforms. We have already started to collaborate on a Crowdfunding campaign to raise funds for two community hydro energy schemes. Ynni Ogwen and Ynni Padarn Peris have decided to raise funds for their projects via a community share offer. In addition to supporting the marketing campaign and the production of a promotional film, AGW will also be evaluating the success of the approach and creating a film of the process. This will inform future projects and be shared with others in Gwynedd interested in running their own Crowdfunding campaigns. Both campaigns will be using Microgenius as their Crowdfunding platform provided by the Community Shares Unit at Co-operatives UK and Communities Shares Scotland. Microgenius is a new website where you can buy shares in community-based projects easily and safely. It allows supporters to find out about your community share offer, purchase shares in a painless process that does not require applications forms.
Visitor Giving: Would tourists make a small contribution to protect the area they are visiting? Visitor Giving is a scheme whereby visitors make a small voluntary donation that goes towards local projects. These donations are usually made by adding a few pounds to a restaurant, accommodation or activity bill. Several schemes already operate successfully
Visitor Giving: a scheme which has been successful in the Lake District.
in the UK and in 2013 Gwynedd Council commissioned a study into establishing Visitor Giving in Snowdonia. The study concluded that there was significant potential in the area and a small “pilot project” would be the best approach.
Click here for Microgenius video: Establishing a Visitor Giving scheme will require commitment from tourism businesses as they will be the ones collecting the money. In order to gauge local interest AGW invited Karen Mitchell from Nurture Lakeland (https://nurturelakeland.org/) to give a presentation on the successful Lake District Visitor Giving Scheme. Over 50 people came to the Victoria Hotel in Llanberis where they learnt about the scheme and were given the opportunity to ask questions. The feedback on the evening has given us the confidence that there is support for a Visitor Giving project. We will be working with the businesses, along with the Snowdonia National Park, Gwynedd Council and the Snowdon Partnership to structure the pilot. The emphasis will be on working with different types of businesses and trying a range of collection methods in order to learn from the process. If successful the pilot project will provide a platform on which a permanent project can be built. Here is a video of a news item on Visitor Giving in Gwynedd which was featured on S4C’s Newyddion 9:
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drew the group together is a common desire to support young people to live and achieve success locally and to help them do so, Be Nesa Llŷn will invest in their business.
BE NESA LLŶN ON SOCIAL MEDIA:
Be Nesa Llŷn – How can we keep investment local? (https://benesallyn.wordpress.com/)
There is a disconnect between the local economy and investment decisions. Money will often leave the area in the form of pension investments, stocks and shares or savings. However a group of business people in Pen Llŷn have decided to reverse this trend and invest in their local area and young people in particular.
AGW have worked with Be Nesa Llŷn to develop a structure to administer and distribute the financial support. To date a fitness instructor, a craftswomen and an egg producer have received loans. Be Nesa Llŷn is working well and many lessons are being taken from this model which can be applied in other areas of Gwynedd.
Pentre-Fi – Are there practical and affordable solutions to digital not spots in Gwynedd? The Gwynedd Local Development Strategy identified digital not spots as a problem in the county. There are many towns and villages where the phone signal is very poor and there is no access to either 3G or 4G. This can be a problem for local residents as well as tourists who often rely on access to the internet to plan their holiday.
Members of Be Nesa Llŷn: (left to right) Richard Parry, Hugh Evans, Carys Owen and Michael Strain.
Amongst the Be Nesa Llŷn members, there are farmers, owners of hotels, shops, solicitors, and engineers. They have a wealth of skills, experience and contacts that young people can take advantage of as they take their first steps into the world of business. The one thing that
AGW decided to trial a new approach in Aberdaron in partnership with local businesses. The village was selected as it is very popular with tourists; however it is only possible to get a phone signal on the bridge and there
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is no 3G or 4G. Having sought specialist advice it was decided to establish a Wi-Fi network across the village that would allow members of the public to access the internet free of charge.
awards and there will not be set criteria for selecting the best candidates. Instead the emphasis will be on creating short films and allowing the public to vote via various social media platforms.
The pilot will involve locating hardware in seven businesses which will enable the creation of a Wi-Fi network across the village. Users will be able to access the internet free of charge and can also make internet calls if they wish. As this is a LEADER project the primary aim is to learn from the pilot and therefore we will be asking for regular feedback from the local businesses, as well as asking each user of Pentre-Fi to complete a short digital survey. After 12 months AGW will share best practice with other towns and villages in Gwynedd.
The intention is to encourage debate as to what makes a business Welsh and hopefully highlight how businesses can utilise the region’s valuable language and culture. ‘Prosiect 15’: Establishing a platform for successful Welsh speakers. The Welsh language is not often associated with the world’s foremost institutions, global brands or leading professions. However there are prominent Welsh speakers in all of these. The aim of ‘Prosiect 15’ is to provide them with a stage to talk about their experiences, their ideas and inspiration in the style of TED Lectures. Only in the medium of Welsh. AGW will support a single event in June in the new Pontio Centre in order to pilot the ‘Prosiect 15’ concept. The exploration of idea’s and innovation is relevant to Leader and if successful it could be repeated with a range of speakers across Wales.
The most Welsh business in the World: Does using the Welsh language provide tangible benefit to business? The Gwynedd Local Development Strategy identifies that the Welsh language is a valuable asset however the challenge is to realise its economic value. This is a ‘pump primer’ project that seeks to identify businesses making use of Welsh that can be used as examples of best practice. A ‘pump primer’ project differs from a regular pilot as it seeks to encourage engagement and dialogue that may lead to follow up activity. The ‘Most Welsh Business in the World’ project is seeking businesses that make use of the Welsh language in three categories, namely ‘The Most Welsh Street’, ‘The Most Welsh Shop’ and the ‘The Most Welsh Pub/Restaurant’. The project will not seek to emulate traditional businesses
In addition to demonstrating a link between the language and success, it is also an effective method of exploring the Welsh diaspora. Links developed via the ‘Prosiect 15’ project could be useful in developing other projects. And in case you were wondering why ‘Prosiect 15’, it’s the number of minutes each speaker will have on stage!
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Electric car charging – Is there an advantage for Gwynedd businesses to offer car charging facilities? The electric car market is growing quickly. In March 2015 customers in the UK bought more than 6,000 ‘plug in’ cars, compared with around 1200 in March 2014 - a 400% increase. Charging points are becoming increasingly widespread in locations such as National Trust properties and large hotel chains, and electric car owners often plan their route using websites such as zap-map.com. However smaller businesses are slower to invest in charging points and may be losing out. The Gwynedd Local Development Strategy identified the potential of electric vehicles in the region. In order to explore the opportunities, AGW will be installing charging points in 5 businesses in Meirionnydd. The aim is to increase local awareness, gather valuable data from businesses and electric car owners, and share good practice across Gwynedd and beyond. Video - introduction to Electric Cars:
Click here for Anafon video: Cyd Ynni – What collaborative opportunities are there for community energy companies? The Gwynedd Local Development Strategy identified the potential of community energy schemes in the region. They could produce a significant amount of low carbon energy, retain money in the local economy and create good employment opportunities. There are several community enterprises in Gwynedd that have either developed or are in the process of developing hydro schemes. Ynni Anafon in Abergwyngregyn are already producing energy while Ynni Ogwen (Bethesda) and Ynni Padarn Peris (Llanberis) are looking to start construction later this year. They all share similar aims, face common challenges and could benefit from working together; however until recently there was little organised collaboration.
Businesses eager to participate will be invited to apply through an open call. In order to learn as much as we can from the project, AGW are eager to recruit different business types, including accommodation providers, cafes and restaurants, and attractions.
Cyd Ynni: collaboration between the community energy enterprises
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Following discussions with the various stakeholders AGW agreed to commission a Business Plan which would identify and explore opportunities for collaboration between the community energy enterprises. This could potentially include sharing staff, co-buying in order to negotiate better prices, and establishing a local energy scheme. The name given to the project was Cyd Ynni which has now been adopted by the community energy group.
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reduce bills and carbon emissions. Mary Guille will be working within the community of Bethesda (1 of 6 communities within Cyd Ynni) to pilot and install a network of smart metres. Ensuring we receive the best quality information, the project will be run over a year with 200 participants from different backgrounds (working families, retired, low income) And a few other ideas are in the pipeline….. The projects listed above have been approved by the Arloesi Gwynedd Wledig Group and have/or will be implemented soon. These should not be considered as stand-alone or one off projects as many of them will stimulate other projects. This is often referred to as the adjacent possible. Other project ideas currently being developed include a digital academy in partnership with Gwynedd digital technology companies; a performer’s agency to provide opportunities for music and drama undergraduates; and project aimed at inspiring young’s people interest in slate. If you are interested in learning more about these or any of the AGW projects please do get in touch.
Energy Local (www.energylocal.co.uk/ ) is a new way to enable local communities to work together to pool their locally owned generation and manage local demand to
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Have an idea you think AGW should pilot? Complete this Enquiry Form. Click on the following links for further info:
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