NDA socio-economic report 2023 to 2024
Published 26 September 2024
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Foreword
The NDA has a unique legal duty to have regard for the impact of our activities on communities living near our sites as we progress our decommissioning mission across the UK’s earliest nuclear sites; safely, securely and cost effectively.
In April 2024, we published our new Social Impact and Communities Strategy. This strategy explains how we work to deliver the maximum positive social impact as we progress our mission and this 2023/24 Socio-economic report details how and where the grant giving element of our social impact work was invested over the last financial year.
Working in collaboration with each of our operating companies, the NDA group invests around £15 million each year into projects in communities near to our sites.
Our social impact work is based upon the priorities identified in our strategy, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and independently produced economic impact assessments that illustrate the economic value of our sites to their local communities.
Over the last five years, we have invested over £60 million of direct socio-economic funding across the UK, leveraging millions of pounds of further investment from partners, to support significant projects that enable permanent and sustainable change in our site communities.
In 2023/24, the NDA group invested £14.09 million of direct socio-economic funding. This report details how and where this money has been invested, including case studies reflecting how we work with our communities, stakeholders and colleagues to use our funding to maximum effect.
The NDA always believes that decommissioning activities should benefit local communities and that we must provide a positive legacy once our work is completed.
We are immensely proud of our work with local communities to date and are very ambitious to make further progress.
Jamie Reed
Director of Socio-economics
The NDA Social Impact and Communities Strategy
The NDA is an executive non-departmental government body charged with decommissioning the UK’s earliest nuclear sites safely, securely and cost effectively.
We do this work with care for our people, communities, and the environment, with safety as our priority.
The NDA Social Impact and Communities Strategy (2024) flows from the Energy Act (2004). This provides the NDA with a unique legal duty to have regard for the impact of our activities on communities living near our sites, in addition to the wider responsibilities all public bodies have under the Social Value Act (2012).
The strategy sets out how we work to deliver the maximum positive social impact from the significant public investment made in our mission each year. A key part of this is delivered through a programme of grant giving which is administered in collaboration with each of our operating companies and through which the NDA group invests around £15 million each year into projects in communities near to our sites.
Strategic themes and objectives
The NDA does not regard social impact as an additional or optional work stream. We believe that decommissioning activities should benefit local communities, whilst developing the required capabilities for future mission delivery and providing a positive legacy during and upon completion of our work.
The Social Impact and Communities Strategy aims to deliver against the following six strategic themes:
- Resilient economies – enabling and supporting the conditions for local economic output, improved productivity, and growth.
- Thriving communities – enabling and supporting the conditions for social cohesion, supporting disadvantaged groups and other social benefits.
- Sustainable incomes – improving aspirations and access to work through a programme of high impact education, skills, personal development and employability support activities.
- Sustainable growth – reflecting the importance of the climate agenda and working to achieve economic, social and competitive advantage for our nuclear communities by integrating sustainable growth into our socio-economic interventions.
- Social value chains – working closely with our suppliers to create social impacts with our supply chain.
- Collective impact – leveraging social impact and investment by working with our stakeholders, partners and communities to practice an integrated approach and culture of delivery.
Our intention is that through application of our strategy and through close working with our partner organisations and communities, we can achieve the following:
- Optimum allocation of the NDA group socio-economic budgets.
- A pipeline of high-quality projects of different types and values.
- Transparency of decision making supported by evidence.
- Demonstrable delivery progress and measurable social impact.
- Evidence of ‘adding value’ including maximising on third party funding where possible.
Evidence and analysis
Most of the NDA’s sites are in coastal, rural and relatively remote locations. We are a significant employer in many of these communities and in some we are the largest. All of our sites have quantifiable, yet varying impacts on their local economy.
Our understanding is underpinned by independent research into the social and economic impact of our activities on the communities near to our sites. These include:
- The economic contribution of the NDA to the West Cumbria economy – Oxford Economics (April 2022)
- Economic impact assessment of Magnox (now Nuclear Restoration Services) sites – Economic Insight (May 2022)
- Dounreay socio-economic report – Mace (September 2022)
These studies allow us to understand the importance of our sites in terms of employment and wider economic impact. They also give insight into how strong each local economy is and how economically dependent each local community is upon our sites.
The Social Impact and Communities Strategy aims to ensure that we make well informed decisions in relation to our grant programme based on an understanding of the impacts that our sites have upon these local communities.
Case studies
Partnership Working and Co-Creation
NDA group socio-economic teams routinely work in partnership with local stakeholders to better understand the economic priorities in our communities.
This was demonstrated in the production of our recently updated strategy, which benefitted from extensive local engagement followed by a period of public consultation before final publication. We talked to a range of local representatives and received formal responses from individuals, local authorities, stakeholder groups and the supply chain. This valuable input and feedback helped shape the strategy and its implementation.
Having a strong local economic vision with identified priorities helps our partners to meet the needs of their communities and attract inward investment into their area. When combined with insight from our economic impact studies, this work also helps us to make well informed decisions on the use of our grant giving programme.
Partnership working, including support for strategic economic planning, scheme development and NDA representation on working groups has benefitted communities across our group. Some examples include:
- Focus North - Enterprise Partnership - Dounreay
- North Anglesey Regeneration Plan - Wylfa
- Romney Marsh Partnership - Dungeness
- Cumberland Inclusive Growth Strategy – Sellafield/LLW Repository
- CX Project – future development of Chapelcross site
Project case study – Growing Well
Growing Well in West Cumberland is an ongoing project which directly contributes to the Thriving Communities theme in our strategy. NDA group funding for the project was provided through effective partnership working between Growing Well and the NDA socio economic team.
Growing Well is a long-established mental health charity with existing sites in Westmorland and Furness, supporting the recovery of adults who are suffering from severe mental ill health. Their work is undertaken primarily through engagement in horticultural activities. It aims to provide a safe, supportive working environment to nurture mental health recovery and welcome people experiencing depression, anxiety or more complex mental health issues.
They had an ambition to open another centre in Egremont in West Cumberland to address severe mental health issues in the area. Over a period of several months, the NDA worked closely with representatives from Growing Well to agree a project scope which would deliver the intended outcomes whilst being affordable and financially sustainable. NDA is providing £195,000 in grant funding to support the establishment of this important facility close to our Cumberland sites. The new premises in Egremont are now up and running, supporting people whilst also providing a source of locally grown fruit and vegetable produce. Project case study – South Oxfordshire Food and Education Alliance (SOFEA)
SOFEA is an innovative education and training charity based in Didcot, South Oxfordshire. The aim of SOFEA is to enable disadvantaged young people to (re)engage with learning, skills development and work, whilst also providing a number of social purpose projects including a network of community larders which support vulnerable individuals and families experiencing food poverty and food insecurity as well as associated financial, health and social issues.
Following a site redevelopment after the pandemic, a new training kitchen has been installed in the education space thanks to a £608,000 grant co-funded between Nuclear Restoration Services and NDA. The new kitchen will enable learners and trainees to develop new skills and creative talents, building personal credentials suitable for the catering and hospitality sector.
The development is part of SOFEA’s wider Nourish and Flourish Kitchen project which aims to develop free nutritional support within the community and address barriers to healthy eating.
The Nourish and Flourish Kitchen project was officially opened by His Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Queen when they visited SOFEA to launch the Coronation Food Project in November 2023.
Project case study – Whitehaven Bus Station and Barclays Eagle Lab
The redevelopment of the once derelict bus station in Whitehaven was recognised by the Institute of Economic Development (IED) at their 2023 awards, receiving the award for outstanding impact.
The IED is the UK’s leading independent professional body representing economic development and regeneration practitioners. Their annual awards recognise achievers in the public and private sectors and demonstrate the value of economic development work for local and regional communities.
The revitalised Bus Station reopened in May 2021 following an extensive £8.2 million regeneration project co-funded by Sellafield Ltd and the NDA and delivered by BEC with support from the then Copeland Borough Council. The continued recognition underlines what can be achieved through collaboration and partnership.
Sellafield Ltd contributed £5.7 million to the project, as well as expert support, as part of the social impact multiplied (SIX) programme of community investments.
Two years on, the Bus Station is now a dynamic collaboration environment, designed for business start-ups and entrepreneurs and featuring co-working spaces, meeting rooms and a shared maker space giving access to equipment such as 3D printers and laser and vinyl cutting tools.
It’s also home to the first Barclays Eagle Lab outside of a major city in the north of England, helping to support and boost residents and creating 24 jobs.
Ongoing collaboration between Sellafield, NDA and Barclays Eagle Lab is helping to make it one of the fastest growing Eagle labs in the UK.
Project case study – Willie Mackie Skills Hub, Ayrshire College
In September 2023, Ayrshire College in Kilwinning officially opened their new Willie Mackie Skills Hub, which received £499,000 in funding from the NDA and Nuclear Restoration Services.
The Skills Hub will be the primary location in North Ayrshire for college students, primary and secondary school pupils, employers and their workforces, and residents to access high quality STEM vocational skills training, previously unavailable within the area.
The first year of operation has seen 219 students enrolled in construction technology, trades and renewables courses, including pre-apprenticeship and young workforce development programmes, and employed apprentices.
The NDA group socio-economic funding report 2023/24
The aim of this report is to provide a brief overview of the NDA group socio-economic commitments for financial year 2023/24.
For each operating company we have provided the total funding commitment for the 2023/24 financial year, and in the case of Nuclear Restoration Services (Sites), this is also broken down by site. We have also given examples of some of the projects supported by each operating company during the year.
Total group funding committed £14,086,486
| Sellafield Ltd | £9,669,369 | ` |
| Nuclear Restoration Services (Sites) | £1,034,812 | |
| Nuclear Restoration Services (Dounreay) | £754,404 | |
| Nuclear Waste Services (LLW Repository) | £131,669 | |
| Nuclear Decommissioning Authority | £2,496,232 | |
| Total spend/commitments | £14,086,486 |
Sellafield
Sellafield Ltd Social Impact Strategy
Total socio-economic spend for 2023/24 is £9,669,369
Notable Sellafield contributions in 2023/24
| Project Name | Project Description | Total cost of the project | Total funding committed by Sellafield | 2023/24 funding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Industrial Solutions Hub programme office | ISH will create an environment for new jobs, skills and training opportunities through businesses and industry collaborating to design, develop and manufacture innovative industrial solutions. This funds the programme team to drive and implement the ISH strategy. Find out more | £77,699,000 | £9,890,000 | £1,645,000 |
| Creation of a Digital and Gaming Hub | The ultimate aim of the project is to raise awareness of career and learning opportunities in the digital sector. Encouraging young people to choose digital subjects at GCSE level and beyond, thereby creating a supportive environment that supports digital and gaming startups and the local digital skills gap. Find out more. | £4,135,000 | £2,820,000 | £1,500,000 |
| Cleator Moor & Millom Towns Fund | The Towns fund is a government initiative delivered by Cumberland Council. It represents a unique opportunity for Cleator Moor and Millom to address economic decline, through an integrated set of proposals which respond to identified need and opportunity, as well as establishing a strong platform for sustainable economic growth and investment. Find out more | £24,809,552 | £6,974,450 | £1,572,500 |
| Social Impact Investment Fund | An annual contribution used to support social initiatives in West Cumberland through areas identified by Cumberland Council. This includes leisure activity, development of large-scale investments, funding towards key services delivered by the third sector, social inclusion work and cultural activities. | £1,000,000 | £1,000,000 | £1,000,000 |
| Barclays Eagle Lab | The Eagle Lab is based in the Bus Station in Whitehaven. Local businesses are supported to grow and diversify, access national and global markets and participate in major national programmes driving innovation and creating opportunity in Cumbria and across the UK. It enables business start-ups and entrepreneurs to diversify, grow and collaborate. Find out more | £1,825,000 | £1,825,000 | £355,000 |
| Transforming West Cumbria Programme | Consisting of seven multi-year projects, Transforming West Cumbria was established to address some of the significant socio economic challenges in the area. It started in 2020 with the goal of enabling local people to take control of their own futures by empowering them to make positive changes and currently returns £5.34 of social value for every £1 invested. Find out more | £6,170,0000 | £6,170,000 | £804,950 |
| Child Poverty family support fund | The Family Support Fund will be delivered as part of Transforming West Cumbria’s Family Wellbeing programme to support vulnerable families living in poverty. The Fund will provide targeted financial support to families who are struggling economically, to relieve urgent need. | £200,000 | £200,000 | £200,000 |
| Together for Good Volunteer Platform | The platform is designed to connect non-profit organisations with businesses and volunteers in our local communities in West Cumberland and Warrington. Sellafield Ltd and its suppliers are committed to building more resilient and thriving communities and this platform will help to maximise the use of volunteers and enable businesses to monitor their impact. Find out more | £155,000 | £155,000 | £155,000 |
| West Cumbria Rivers Trust | Continued growth and implementation of the People on the Keekle project at Longlands Lake and the lower River Keekle and Mirehouse Ponds. Due to the success of the Forest Schools initiative, where children can attend once a week, they will also create wildlife and forest schools areas within local schools, so that access to the outdoors can support the curriculum. Find out more | £463,647 | £463,647 | £154,549 |
| Social Inclusion and community impact | This is an enabling project that supports a programme of activity addressing key issues in West Cumberland by improving engagement and providing project support with economically challenged communities. | £332,020 | £332,050 | £92,767 |
Nuclear Restoration Services Ltd (Sites)
NRS working with our communities
Total socio-economic spend committed for 2023/24 is £1,034,812.
| Site | Amount |
|---|---|
| Berkeley | £20,439 |
| Bradwell | £70,938 |
| Chapelcross | £3,285 |
| Dungeness | £50,813 |
| Harwell | £186,383 |
| Hinkley Point | £53,516 |
| Hunterston | £3,300 |
| Oldbury | £35,983 |
| Sizewell | £57,726 |
| Trawsfynydd | £317,787 |
| Winfrith | £30,162 |
| Wylfa | £204,480 |
Notable NRS (Sites) contributions in 2023/24
| Site | Project Name | Project Description | Total cost of the project | Total funding committed by NRS (Sites) | 2023/24 funding |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trawsfynydd | Menter Gwynedd a Môn (Enterprise Gwynedd and Anglesey) | To develop resilient communities in Gwynedd and Anglesey through a range of interventions. The activities align, with two focusing on developing capacity and confidence within our communities, and one supporting new entrepreneurs across both counties. | £4,033,564 | £500,000 | £250,000 |
| Harwell | South Oxfordshire Food and Education Alliance (SOFEA) | SOFEA is an innovative education and training charity, enabling disadvantaged young people to (re)engage with learning, skills development and work. | |||
| Find out more | £3,207,969 | £300,000 plus £308,952 NDA contribution | £150,000 plus £46,473 from NDA | ||
| Wylfa | Morlais - Marine Characterisation Research Project | To carry out research and development work. Find out more | £5,800,000 | £99,526 plus £600,000 NDA contribution | £99,526 |
| Wylfa | Isle of Anglesey County Council, North Anglesey Strategic Regeneration 2023/24 | To build upon the works undertaken as part of the previous, successful, three-year programme. This will ensure that progress continues to support the vision of community improvement in North Anglesey. | £110,000 | £75,000 | £75,000 |
| Hinkley Point | Somerset Education Business Partnership - sustaining the impact | Somerset Education Business Partnership connects employers with education providers to help businesses develop future talent and young people to develop employability skills. Find out more | £515,000 | £195,000 | £48,750 |
| Dungeness | Folkstone and Hythe District Council, Rural England Prosperity Fund Resource | Funding for a Rural Prosperity Officer to provide support for rural areas that often face specific challenges such as lower productivity rates, poorer connectivity and poorer access to key services and opportunities. | £571,471 | £80,000 | £44,000 |
| Bradwell | Maldon District Council, Strengthen and Improve Productivity in Rural Economies and Communities | To develop and deliver a grant process aimed at strengthening and improving productivity in rural economies and communities. | £560,328 | £80,000 | £40,000 |
| Trawsfynydd | Project Red Dragon | Consultancy funding to assist Bala Lake Railway Trust to satisfy planning and regulatory requirements. Find out more | £36,725 | £36,725 | £36,725 |
| Sizewell | Hand on the Tiller | To support two roles within Leiston Longshop, dedicated, to leading the museum to benchmark stature as an inclusive cultural institution that helps to attract tourism, investment and infrastructure improvement to the Leiston/Sizewell area and serves as a source of community pride and cohesion. | £368,328 | £82,200 | £31,400 |
| Winfrith | Dorset Wildlife Trust Heathland Heritage Traineeships | To provide training and work experience in the countryside management sector for six young people (over three years), local to the NRS Winfrith area. | £161,460 | £94,560 | £26,910 |
NRS Dounreay
Socio economic support for communities near Dounreay
Total socio-economic spend for 2023/24 is £754,404
Notable NRS Dounreay contributions in 2023/24
| Project Name | Project Description | Total cost of the project | Total funding committed by NRS Dounreay | 2023/24 funding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wick Harbour Works | Harbour Entrance Improvement Works Phase 1 [Find out more] (https://www.wickharbour.co.uk/) | £1,052,076 | £150,000 | £150,000 |
| Wick River Campsite Redevelopment | Wick River Campsite Upgrade - Phase 2 Find out more | £450,837 | £80,000 | £80,000 |
| North Coast Visitor Centre | Visitor attraction which houses the NRS Dounreay heritage collection. Find out more | £450,000 | £225,000 | £75,000 |
| John O’ Groats Mill Redevelopment | The project will bring an unused B listed former corn mill now on the Buildings at Risk Register back into use as a new heritage visitor attraction and community venue. | £5,344,575 | £100,000 | £50,000 |
| Caithness Business Fund - The Future Skills Apprenticeship Scheme | To deliver a bespoke apprenticeship scheme Find out more | £100,000 | £50,000 plus £50,000 NDA contribution | £50,000 plus £50,000 from NDA |
| Rumster Outdoor Centre – Rotunda | Creation of an outdoor classroom Find out more | £100,000 | £43,000 | £43,000 |
| Focus North Programme Manager and support | The role of Programme Manager is to co-ordinate the activities of the partners in Focus North to ensure that there is effective and efficient use of resources to ensure delivery of the Programme. | £240,000 | £120,000 | £37,926 |
| Caithness Chamber of Commerce Business Mentoring Project | A programme delivering business mentoring support to a range of individuals looking to start-up businesses in the Dounreay travel to work area. Find out more | £100,000 | £100,000 | £35,000 |
| Venture North Destination Management Organisation | Venture North currently supports members and the tourism industry in Caithness and Sutherland with funding provided to support the sustainable recovery of the tourism industry from the pandemic. Find out more | £550,728 | £97,040 | £34,595 |
Nuclear Waste Services (LLW Repository)
Total socio-economic spend for 2023/24 is £131,669.
Notable NWS contributions in 2023/24
| Project Name | Project Description | Total cost of the project | Total funding committed by NWS (LLW Repository) | 2023/24 funding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Better Tomorrows Year 3 | The Better Tomorrows project aims to secure a quality youth provision for all teenagers in Cumbria. The project offers support on training youth workers, setting up and securing safe spaces for youth groups with the aim of creating a sustainable youth provision for the future. Find out more | Approximately £1 million over three years | £150,000 | £50,000 |
| Winter Warmth Match Funding Champion | Cumbria Community Foundation’s Winter Warmth Appeal supports vulnerable older people who struggle to heat their homes, so they can stay warm and healthy during winter. Find out more | £20,000 | £10,000 | £10,000 |
| Whitehaven Proud and Diverse Hub | Funding to provide emergency warm accommodation for vulnerable minority families / individuals, host regular meeting groups for diverse community groups and age ranges - especially older persons to help combat loneliness. The Hub also includes a café / community drop in area as well as a dedicated youth zone in the basement. | £125,000 | £9,609 | £9,609 |
| Calderwood House room upgrades | Funding to help refurbish Calderwood House with decorating and replacement of carpets / bathroom flooring etc to residents’ rooms, helping to improve their health and wellbeing. Find out more | £9,275 | £9,275 | £9,275 |
| Bright Stars 2023 | Bright Stars is an eight-week programme designed to introduce Cumbrian Primary School children to leadership, entrepreneurship and teamworking skills. Find out more | £8,800 | £8,800 | £8,800 |
Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA)
NDA: working with our communities
Total socio-economic spend in 2023/24 is £2,496,232
Notable NDA contributions in 2023/24
| Project Name | Project Description | Total cost of the project | Total funding committed by NDA | 2023/24 funding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sutherland Spaceport | The project will deliver the required infrastructure to enable vertical launch capability. Find out more | _ | £3,000,000 | £1,250,000 |
| Growing Well (Egremont) | Growing well is an established mental health charity. This project is to develop and open a third site at the (currently redundant) Beck Green in Egremont. Find out more | £975,412 | £195,000 | £180,000 |
| Cumberland Inclusive Growth Strategy | To support the development of a new Inclusive Growth Strategy for Cumberland. | £200,000 | £100,000 plus £80,000 Sellafield contribution | £100,000 plus £80,000 from Sellafield |
| Coastal Community Forest | To establish a community forest on the west coast of Cumbria Find out more | £200,000 | £200,000 | £100,000 |
| Cumberland Council - The Big Question | To support Cumberland Council to better understand the underlying reasons behind the high suicide rates in Cumberland and to better place services, organisations and communities to respond to these challenges. | £95,000 | £85,000 | £85,000 |
| Phoenix Enterprise Centre (Cleator Moor) - Digital Access, Advice, Food and Support (DAAFS) | The DAAFS project will provide the support infrastructure required to assist unwaged, low-waged and financially disadvantaged residents of Copeland to access employment, gain digital skills and move towards financial independence. Find out more | £577,727 | £224,864 | £79,008 |
| Focus North | Project Support Resources 2021-2024 | £639,000 | £487,000 | £154,000 |
| Gwynedd Covid Recovery Programme | To implement a new, flexible support package to address the serious impact of Covid on the Gwynedd economy. The project aims to establish new businesses, re-establish some badly hit businesses and support large-scale employment generating developments. | £1,160,692 | £464,277 | £154,761 |
| Menai Science Park | To fund three new posts that will provide the capacity to facilitate and boost economic and research opportunities across the region. The project will also deliver the Egni Conference Programme over 3 years, develop a STEM outreach programme in partnership with STEM Gogledd and education providers and deliver over 2,000 hours of expert business advice to SMEs, start-ups and work with the community to increase engagement and inspire new initiatives. Find out more | £635,000 | £360,000 | £120,000 |
| Romney Marsh Employment Hub | Delivery of a new high specification business centre and business development support resources. Find out more | £2,175,238 | £705,238 | £54,020 |