University reflects on decade of impact as Future Generations Report 2025 released

Date: Tuesday, May 6, 2025

Wrexham University’s Civic Mission team remains committed to their work in helping to put an end to social inequality across North Wales by 2030.

The pledge comes as leaders from across Wales reflect on a decade of transformative impact as the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales’ released its new Future Generations Report 2025 this week.

Nina Ruddle, Head of Public Policy Engagement who leads the Civic Mission team at the University, hailed the team as a “driving force for positive change” through them firmly embedding the principles of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 across its projects, partnerships and community programmes.

These projects tie in with the University’s newly launched 2030 vision and strategy – and role regionally as a modern, civic university, which aims to deliver skills and impactful research which drive economic growth for the wellbeing of current and future generations.

Some examples of those initiatives include:

• The team’s work with the 2025 Movement – a movement for social change across North Wales, which has been featured as a case study in the new Future Generations Report. The Civic Mission team supported the Movement’s work developing Social Prescribing community of practice and working alongside Warm Wales on the ‘Healthy Homes – Healthy People’ programme which has been so successful it is being delivered across Wales.
• The Civic Mission team, in collaboration with the Public Service Boards in North Wales, delivered a North Wales Children’s University supporting 1,115 young people, and also led engagement with young people and citizens from across Wrexham as part of the Wrexham City Board – focussed on setting the priorities for the young people of Wrexham.
• In recent weeks, the University has launched a new suite of wellbeing, leadership and public health postgraduate programmes.

Speaking about the report and the work of the Civic Mission team, Nina said: “We strongly welcome the publication of the new Future Generations Report 2025 and remain fully dedicated to the Well-being of Future Generations Act.

“As an institution and team, enabling the Act is at the heart of everything we do.

“Although there are significant challenges happening in the world right now – it’s crucial that teams and organisations work to tackle them together in new and innovative ways – focused on making life better for people, the planet and for current and future generations.

“We are proud of the work we do – and how we go about it. As an institution we mobilise and bring partners together for the betterment of the communities in which we serve – with the overarching goal of helping to end social inequality across North Wales by 2030.

“We look forward to the next 10 years in helping address the commissioner’s recommendations from the report.”

The launch of the Future Generations Report comes to mark the 10-year anniversary of the Well-being of Future Generations Act.

To celebrate the launch of the report, Derek Walker – the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales – held the Future Generations Action Summit this week with more than 300 representatives from 56 public bodies from across Wales, including the University’s Civic Mission team, in attendance.

Professor Joe Yates, Vice-Chancellor of Wrexham University, added: “Higher education has a vital role to play in helping shape a more resilient and prosperous Wales.

“The launch of the new Future Generations Report 2025 reinforces the importance of working together across sectors to inspire our young people and build a thriving Wales for future generations. We are committed to deepening this work and expanding our impact even further, as an anchor institution.

“We look forward to continuing to work with partners to champion inclusive growth, community resilience, and the health and wellbeing of future generations in Wales.”

The Future Generations Commissioner for Wales also spent time with the University’s Civic Mission team this week for the launch of the North Wales Civic Engagement Partnership, held at the University’s St Asaph campus.

Led by Wrexham and Bangor universities, the partnership is an ambitious new regional model, which sets about to break down some of complexities in current ways of working with the aim of driving ongoing collaboration and change by focussing on better coordination, shared resources and developing a collective commitment to foster partnership working across North Wales.

Photo caption: From left, Professor Joe Yates, Vice-Chancellor of Wrexham University; Nina Ruddle, Head of Public Policy Engagement who leads the Civic Mission team at the University; and Derek Walker, the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales.