Being part of the Newport Place Programme gives employees at global consultancy Mott MacDonald the chance to support a grassroots project close to home.
The firm became involved with Business in the Community’s programme from its outset in October 2022.
Their current and most significant commitment has been to the Pill Mill Garden scheme, a project aimed at transforming an underused space in the Pillgwenlly area of Newport into a community garden. Twenty of Mott MacDonald’s staff have been involved in the project, offering their expertise and time as part of the company’s corporate social responsibility initiative.
According to Stephen Hughes, one of the project team based in Cardiff:
“This is a project and initiative which really chimes with our values and purpose. It’s about bringing people and planet together at a local scale.”
Mott MacDonald’s involvement has been rooted in the idea of committing not just funds through their Brilliant Neighbours Initiative, but time and talent to the programme. The firm is an employee-owned business and, as Stephen explains, it has a strong presence in the region, regularly engaging with community groups. This participation aligns with the company’s broader mission of achieving social outcomes, which makes the Place Programme an ideal platform to contribute meaningfully at a local level.
According to Stephen: “We monitor our volunteering hours just like we do our usual business work, ensuring that staff can balance their professional responsibilities with their community commitments.” For Stephen and other early career professionals on the team, the volunteering is a great way to gain technical skills as well as project management experience.
The impact of the Pill Mill Garden scheme has already begun to emerge. Stephen describes the engagement session they ran with young people in the community, where they were encouraged to share their ideas for the garden.
He said:
“We got the sticky notes out, we got the colouring pencils out. We had the opportunity to crowdsource ideas and I’d say nature and food were the really big themes coming from the young people. Think flowers, bird boxes, bees, apples, insect tunnels.
“We had lots of different ideas which we’ve now had the opportunity to put into a design brief. The exciting thing with the Pill Mill scheme is that this isn’t just a feasibility study. It’s an opportunity to translate those ideas into some practical outcomes.
“There’s real enthusiasm for the project, both from our side and from our partners on the ground including Newport City Council and Gwent Wildlife Trust.”
The benefits for Mott MacDonald and its employees are just as significant as those for the community. Stephen highlights the pride that comes from working on a project close to home, while also developing skills that can be applied to future community projects.
“It’s refreshing to be involved in something so close to the grassroots level,” he adds. For the business, the Newport Place Programme has been a way to strengthen ties with the local community, while showcasing the company’s commitment to social responsibility.
Alongside the Pill Mill scheme, the company has been involved in a range of other initiatives in Newport, choosing schemes based on the skills they can offer. One example has been their engagement with local schools as part of the World of Work Week, where Stephen led a session on transport planning for primary school students in Newport. Other colleagues, including ecologists and engineers, have also taken part, with one particularly popular session involving bridge-building exercises using dry pasta and spaghetti.
“Our engineers love getting the kids involved in STEM activities. It’s fun, but it’s also important work, introducing them to careers they might not have considered,” says Stephen.
Looking ahead, Mott MacDonald hope the Place Programme will continue to build on its successes, fostering resilience in Newport through strong partnerships between businesses, community groups, and local authorities.
“Newport has a real vibrancy and passion,” says Stephen. “We’re keen to ensure that sense of civic culture is renewed and resilient for the future, through good times and bad.”
Stephen’s message to other businesses in Newport is clear: get involved.
“It’s extremely satisfying to work with such a professional and committed Board. The Newport Place Programme offers a fantastic opportunity to tackle local challenges while practising responsible business.”
