Testimonials

"The 'Cwtch the Bid' campaign was an inspiring effort that spread beyond a city and a region; it was an effort that galvanised the support and imaginations of people all across the country."

"I highly recommend Urban Foundry as experts in the theory of change model, as consultants helping with organisational change, and as a B Corp organisation caring for people and planet. Ben was great in setting the work parameters and Amy got the spirit of the organisation and our remit very fast. She has managed perfectly the different groups within our team and helped us design a whole theory of change model for our strategy within very tight deadlines. Her work and attitude were appreciated and praised across the whole organisation and she became one of us very fast. We will miss working with her on a daily basis but she leaves us with long lasting change and an amazing set of new skills."

"I just wanted to say a massive thank you for the B Corp Q&A you recorded with me. We have had some excellent feedback from our students, with many inspired to research Urban Foundry and B Corporations as a result of your video. Thank you again for working with Nottingham College and for the support you have provided."

"[Urban Foundry] were commissioned by Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council through a tender process to conduct an audit of existing arts provision across the County Borough of Neath Port Talbot , to generate knowledge in terms of expectations of arts delivery and possible gaps in provision and to develop content for a website and advise on its format in order to improve knowledge of what is already happening in the arts across the county. Through the establishment of twelve focus groups across the County Borough you were able to formulate a detailed response which was clearly articulated in a timely report, linked with effective strategies to adopt to address gaps/issues identified. The report has been invaluable in focusing our business development plans and also in prioritising spend. I would have no hesitation in recommending you."

"Urban Foundry were fantastic to work with on our Business Plan for our Hwb y Gors development in Cwmgors – a proposed zero carbon energy, arts and enterprise centre. Urban Foundry were so knowledgeable about the whole social enterprise sector and with a depth of local knowledge and contacts. Urban Foundry really added value to the document, challenged our thinking in a useful way, and made it a lot more fun to do!”

"I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending you to anyone who is looking to review their community engagement activity.  You were a joy to work with: incredibly professional, tactful and diligent throughout. You just got on with it and delivered on time and to budget.  Most importantly, your clear ability in this area gained the confidence of my colleagues in the whole consultation process. I will certainly use you again."

"Swansea Environmental Forum was at a key stage in its development, facing some challenging decisions about its future role and priorites. The Forum members enthusiastically engaged with your study and were most impressed with the specialist facilitation skills and consensus building that led to a very productive Action Plan. We would be eager to use you in future for similar strategic review work."

"Who amongst us doesn’t love to eat good food, browse through interesting crafts and artisan products and gather together with friends?  Well the people of Pontardawe certainly do.  It was brilliant to see so many people supporting the market and enjoying being together as a community.  All enabled by the excellent work of Urban Foundry.  I for one hope that this pilot project will show the demand for a permanent monthly market."

"When Jo Cox died, I initially questioned my capacity to ‘do’ anything in response. The increasing division, nastiness of rhetoric, and ‘them and us’ discursion on social media of 2016 felt like a negative, and paralysing development. As a West End Theatre Director, I wanted to make a statement of opposition to such developments. But it felt like a difficult mountain to climb. The idea I came up with, to stage Jo’s favourite musical in the heart of her home constituency Batley & Spen, using 120 young people from across the diverse communities of West Yorkshire, seemed at once perfect and overly-ambitious. We had 8 months to set up a charity, raise a six figure sum, build links within the community and build a pop-up theatre in a disused industrial space. I trusted myself artistically to deliver, but felt lost in the wider sense of building a new organisation. The key decision I made was in seeking a partnership with Urban Foundry, and in encouraging Dr Ben Reynolds to become a trustee of our fledgling organisation, cementing the links between our organisation and the work Ben had done to increase activity and a sense of community in Wales. Ben was a key actor in ensuring the company was built within the parameters of good governance and best practice, but more importantly always asked what I call the ‘impact’ question. At almost weekly meetings, the focus would switch according to the ever-shifting priorities – largely because we were trying to deliver a 2 year project in a third of the time to meet the anniversary of Jo’s death. We might suddenly be faced with deadlines for applications, and find our producer seeking help in moving forward. The next week, the overall accountancy structures of the new organisation needed cementing. The following meeting needed close focus on reaching elements of the community that might not normally access ‘the arts’. Various board members would provide solution. Dr. Reynolds was an expert at listening, asking the question ‘what is the impact’, and advising how such ideas could refine into something coherent. When the project was a success, when we received national media attention, and when 120 young people from some of the poorest communities in West Yorkshire stood together in a disused warehouse singing ‘I Dreamed a Dream’ – I had a palpable sense that the good practice and values of Urban Foundry had formed a foundation on which to build that dream. And one more thank you is due. Theatre inevitably happens ‘in the moment’. Of all our trustees, Ben Reynolds has challenged us to think about sustainability. That this summer, despite the impact on the arts by a global pandemic, the Batley & Spen Youth Theatre staged its fourth major project is in part down to Ben’s willingness to stay involved for the long term, and to always raise questions of development and sustainability. To ask the question, ‘What’s Next…?’"

"Thanks very much for all the help and advice you've given us - I've been involved in lots of M&E in the past and none of it has been done as thoroughly and professionally as you have managed over the course of this contract."

“Our ‘Movie Makers’ half-term activity was a fantastic opportunity for visitors with the acting bug, a love of the silver screen or those simply keen to experience a little of what it’s like to be on set and perform in front of a camera. Not only did people learn a little about performing for the camera, they also had the chance to get involved in some of the processes that go into making a film.”

"I commissioned Urban Foundry to carry out some community engagement around green infrastructure for the Council in early 2023.  I was particularly impressed with the team flexible and nuanced approach.  They adapted their working practises and approach to ensure the engagement was relevant to each community they worked in whilst remaining true and consistent to the required outcome of the commission."

"We were extremely happy with your work on supporting our city of culture bid for St Davids and the 100 of Dewisland.  The application was extremely strong and I'm sure surprised the judges. Significant credit must go to you for this. Nevertheless, we always knew that as the smallest city in Britain, we would be hard-pressed to be shortlisted in a competition designed for major urban centres. With that in mind, part of our strategy was also about ensuring that we would win even if we didn't win the competition. And so it has proved. During the process of bidding for City of Culture, Pembrokeshire got enormous exposure in the press worth well over £1 million if we had purchased the same kind of exposure through paid advertising. It also led us to a major three-year culture and arts tourism development project in North West Pembrokeshire, in partnership with County Wexford, Ireland which has seen us successfully capture £2 million of funding. We are now looking forward to delivering that three-year project which will in effect be a mini city of culture programme over a longer period of time, with better impacts and a more sustainable approach for such a small area."

“Our Reach the Heights funded Olion project used art based activity to engage young people to work with young people who were not in education, employment or training. Measuring the impact of the project was important to us to both satisfy the funding requirements but, more importantly, to share the stories and journeys of the young people who took part. Your extensive experience in this area provided us with credible evaluation that tracked and reported on the project in a sensitive and meaningful way. The project was a huge success and the evaluation celebrated this by providing impressive statistics and personal stories from the participants”.

"The process was not an easy one, but with your support we generated a positive dialogue with the building’s owners and other key people in the local area, established the condition and viability of developing the building, and developed a creative and dynamic vision, supported by a strong business case.  I am happy to recommend you to others seeking creative consultants that can help to make complex but exciting regeneration projects like these happen."

“It’s been a revelation working with a small consultancy firm on the evaluation of Renew Wales.”

"Really cool people, loads of families, it’s definitely the best place in Swansea at the moment."

"One of the most excruciating things about setting up a new social enterprise is deciphering exactly what it is you want, and why. Having someone to unravel the many ideas and help me reach what should have been an obvious conclusion has been a crucial turning point for my business and my career. With your advice, knowledge and support, I now have confidence to take some risks and reach my highest of goals, using the skills, experience and facilities I already have."

"I've known lead consultant Dr Ben Reynolds for several years and worked with him on a number of issues. In particular, most assiduously, he gave of his own time as part of a group to advise me on the rewriting of Community Work (4th Edition) to be published by McMillan Hargreaves in 2007. I've found Ben's comments extremely insightful and helpful and was most impressed by the quality of his work."

“I joined Urban Foundry as an intern as part of my Event Management Degree. When my internship finished I was offered a part-time job with them running their Unit Nineteen venue. It has given me new skills and confidence. It’s been a fantastic experience.”

"The mapping exercise was a particularly difficult thing to sell let alone take on and produce results for.  For that all the members of the group will be eternally grateful.  The presentation of the results was innovative, clear and immediately re-useable to further our thinking.  You produced material to order, on time and extremely professionally.  You have an immediate and overall understanding of the issues but also a keen and supportive interest in the arts. Your work in bringing the three consultations together and as a team member in pulling the whole strategy together as a piece was also extremely valuable and helpful.  When we presented the strategy to the Arts Council at the specific feedback conference with other authorities who had undertaken the same exercise, it was abundantly clear that the Swansea approach was light years ahead of the rest.  In particular, we had delivered what we said we would and the material - easily accessible and actually fun to have - was what was actually need to forge strategic ideas for the future for young people and the arts in Swansea. Your contribution to that achievement was vital. Thank you again on behalf of the City and County of Swansea Youth Arts Strategy core working group."

"Working in close collaboration with Urban Foundry we invited Ben Hamilton-Baillie to Swansea for a two day visit to assist us with our thinking on the redesign of our City Centre. The two days were highly informative and inspirational for all staff involved. This event has been a milestone in helping us to start to develop a more innovative and coherent approach to our urban planning."

"I am pleased to report the successful conclusion of a session at the LDP Public Enquiry earlier today concerned solely with our site. I put this down to all the preparatory work you and others have done to get us to this stage."

"Through your commission by Healthy Directions to provide tailored business support undertaking a business audit and exploring the project's exit strategy, we found you to be very professional in your approach and extremely supportive in your manner. The work undertaken met all the required timescales and fulfilled the purpose of the brief; it was concise and written in a style that was appropriate for a wide range of stakeholders.  Its content was honest and practical, making recommendations that the project was able to act upon. Healthy Directions valued the work undertaken by you and would have no hesitation in recommending your services to others."

"You are really organised and build strong relationships with the organisations you work with. Our clients rate you highly and we've had rave reviews recently from a community engagement assignment you led. We've asked you to deliver against outcomes for us on a number of projects and you've consistently delivered high quality work on time and in budget. Our clients report that you are a pleasure to work with and we are more than happy to recommend you."

"The Regeneration Swansea Visioning workshop was expertly facilitated by Ben using the theory of change approach. This approach enabled everyone to engage and put their thoughts forward and it was a very enlightening workshop."

"You were inspirational in the role of 'Chair’, giving an informative and insightful overview of the importance of the arts in the creative regeneration of our towns, and how this could apply here in Haverfordwest."

“Urban Foundry provided me with valuable work experience and gave me a head start when I graduated”

"You acted as our consultant on the 'Small Grants Scheme' we ran last year. You gave prompt, professional advice throughout the process helping establish a very successful project. We would definitely use your services again."

“The Walsall myplace proposal benefitted considerably from the help and support of the team. The capital plan, the work with young people and the partnership aspects were stronger and more sustainable, and the partners were pleased with the outcomes of the various workshops led by the myplace support team.”  

“The structure of the feasibility study was made clear from the offset, methods of work were thorough and the tight timescale adhered to throughout the process. The final report and business plan was presented in a professional structured format in the agreed time.  It is obvious that they are experts in their area of work, their expertise and excellent communication skills have enabled them to produce a study and business plan of very high standard which will be used in supporting grant applications for the community over the coming years. St Ishmaels Community Council have no hesitation in recommending you; you were a pleasure to work with."

"The Marina Markets have had a significant impact on the number of Sunday visitors to the National Waterfront Museum. The bustling, friendly and 'green' spirit of each event fits exactly with the museum's ethos and approach to customer care. As a result we often programme our own events around the market's calendar - to mutually beneficial results."

"During my time at the Academy, I gained a lot of transferable skills that are immensely useful in preparing me for venturing into the working world. I definitely levelled up in my time management and organisational skills. I was lucky to be given guidance but also space to take my own initiative and expand my ideas and knowledge while working on the project."

"Urban Foundry run a lot of projects so no two days are the same and that's amazing! I experienced so many different event management roles throughout my internship. The team are all lovely and willing to help with absolutely anything I needed. I've loved the past seven weeks and look forward to the rest of my internship and hope to volunteer with Urban Foundry and Unit Nineteen in the future."

"I just wanted to say how great it was working with Amy on the evaluation (thanks Amy!). It really helped that we were confident that Amy understood the sector and what we were trying to achieve. It was a really positive experience and Amy also provoked conversations between staff interviewed, I think staff really benefitted from the opportunity to reflect on what had been done – so not just an evaluation but also a reflection and acknowledgement of what had been achieved."

"Urban Foundry delivered a series of workshops for our Community Regeneration Team at Pobl, focusing on theory of change, evaluation, urban regeneration and pop-up urbanism, and green infrastructure. They were really great sessions that provoked deeper thinking, reflection and generated conversation. The ideas discussed were backed by modern examples which really helped to capture our team’s imaginations and energy to push into new thinking spaces for community regeneration."

"You were able to offer us support and training that practically we have been able to use in our own organisation because we were able to discuss at the outset a bespoke package of support. Too many providers these days provide standard courses off the shelf and have no real interest in the organisations that purchase them which we definitely can't say about you."

“Urban Foundry’s founder, Dr Ben Reynolds, has been supporting the Enterprise team at Swansea University over the last few months, helping to support entrepreneurial students and graduates on their start-up journeys as their Entrepreneur in Residence. He’s delivered in-depth, educational and inspirational sessions on entrepreneurship, both online and in-person, as well as providing start-up consultations to a number of students on a 1-2-1 basis. Students who’ve met with Ben truly valued his advice and he’s been a fantastic addition to the Enterprise team’s services.”

"Because you have worked in the Third Sector I know that as well as your intellectual ability, you will apply your considerable practical experience to your consultancy work. That is why it has been a pleasure to work with you on community social and economic regeneration projects and the Compact Consultancy over the past year or so."

“[You were] an excellent communicator, empathising with the difficulties faced by community groups whilst working with them to find solutions.  Your judgements were invariably sound and very well thought through - you instinctively knew how to work with, not for community groups - and your cheerful and positive approach to work is a delight!  Feedback from groups was nothing but positive.  All deadlines were met to a high standard and as well as being skilled at higher-level complex development work, you understand that the finer project detail is important too. We have greatly enjoyed working with you and have no hesitation at all in recommending you to others.”

“Your strong organisational skills and attention to detail with the ability to problem solve and think creatively are not a usual combination. You are very easy to work with and you always deliver to a high quality.”

"Working with you has been a great experience in helping us really think about how the people living in our communities interact and connect with place, space and each other. You have challenged us to understand the huge potential in our communities for creating great places to live and thrive."

"[You were] … very professional in your work, highly intelligent and both efficient and effective in the way you perform your duties. You have demonstrated excellent communication skills and worked well with individuals and organisations alike. The presentation of your work is exemplary and I would have no hesitation in recommending your services to any group or organisation at any level."

"Urban Foundry undertook a Mid Term Evaluation of the Collaborative Communities project in December 2011 which was a particularly complex piece of work that involved working with the 8 partners of the project and community groups that the project has supported. The work undertaken was very professional and the communication between the company and myself and partners was excellent throughout the working relationship. I would recommend Urban Foundry to any other organisation wishing to undertake similar evaluation studies because of their experience; the quality of their work and their ability to understand the requirements."

"On behalf of Jazz Heritage Wales thank you for all the work you put in updating the format for the Before Freedom Primary Schools pack. The updates are of course more accessible as they are on the modern format, and bilingual. In addition, I must congratulate you on the presentation, as the way you have laid it out has really helped to make the content clearer to the reader. Your work will allow this important story of the Slave who arrived in Wales in the 1830s to be shown to much wider audiences through the People’s Collection Wales, and the HWB teachers resource. The timeline was also a tricky piece of work, helping us to work out what was needed, and how best to present it, and it has already been well received. It has been printed out now, for the book to hand round, and looks very good in this format, as well as the slideshow. Again, it seems to really tell the story very clearly, and with both pieces of work, you have delivered them on time, and with the maximum efficiency."

"The service was very professional, but at the same time felt personal and friendly. The resultant report was well thought out and written with clarity. Your work has certainly helped us see with new eyes and start to take large steps forward toward where we wish to be. Your approach was very good at bringing people of differing opinions together. Any difficult situations were tackled with tact and good humour. It has been my pleasure to have now worked with you in a number of different situations and I have no hesitation in recommending your services to others.”

"Thank you for the Measuring Impact session - it was really interesting and there were some lovey messages of thanks."

"Urban Foundry undertook an Impact Assessment of our award winning Chepstow High Street Regeneration Scheme in 2010. Due to unavoidable delays, the tendering process took place in late summer with limited timing to complete visitor surveys. You quickly identified the necessary resources to complete the study within a tight timescale to a high standard. Many Thanks."

"You were perhaps the first to spot the potential of the Prize and I am certain that the Prize would not have taken off had it not been for your initial lead; the Prize became a reality and 2006 saw things come to a triumphant conclusion. In all of this you were indispensable. Your advice was always sage and you skillfully handled relations with a host of local bodies, not least the local authority. To an unusual degree you combine administrative sagacity with artistic flair and enthusiasm. In other words you are a truly creative administrator and one with a sharp understanding of how local authorities and other public bodies operate."

"Working with you has stimulated fresh ideas across departments in Natural Resources Wales. The project, which was completed as part of our trial into natural resource management has provided us with a set of principles to help NRW sustainably manage our natural assets in the urban environment for people, the environment and the economy. Working with you has allowed our staff at local level to create connections with other organisations in your network for future collaboration. Your staff were very communicative throughout the project and have a creative outlook, which has encouraged local staff in NRW to be more flexible and innovative in our approach, seeing opportunities not barriers. The local knowledge not only of the surrounding environment but, also the many organisations who worked within the project area was invaluable. A professional high quality report was delivered to schedule, which is appropriate for us to use in our discussions with a range of stakeholders from community members to local Councillors and Assembly Members. A pleasure to work with."

"Swansea Council is delighted to work in partnership with Ben Reynolds from Urban Foundry who facilitated our Business Swansea Start-up Enterprise Club session on Pop Ups and Leasing Commercial premises. It is fantastic that our local business experts are prepared to share their knowledge and expertise for the benefit of the City’s Start-up community."

"You provided invaluable assistance when the Council was pursuing its Cydcoed Grant application; it was of immense help to me personally and I was very pleased and relieved when we were successful in receiving a grant of £25,000. I have no doubt that the success of the bid was in no small part due to the work that you had put into the scheme."

‘‘Urban Foundry have been and continue to be a pleasure to work with.  Their knowledge and expertise enabled the set-up of a monthly market in Port Talbot that they continue to run, proving sustainable even during this present climate. Good practice, a collaborative approach and continued commitment has been key during COVID providing consumer confidence, helping small businesses and promoting buy local."

‘Thanks to you and your team for absolutely everything. Lovely working with you, and keep up the brilliant work"

"Oriel Science's pop-up exhibition gallery was constructed in 6 days in a commercial premises in Swansea’s city centre. Swansea University employed Urban Foundry to be our venue’s site manager and you superbly oversaw this complex and time-critical project. We launched on time with everything in place and the visitor numbers to the gallery are a testimony to the project’s success, which relied heavily on your experience, knowledge and organisational skills."

"Urban Foundry worked with us on a whole Farm visioning event and delivered training on outcomes monitoring. The work is thorough, professional and grounded in a clear understanding of the needs of third sector organisations and the environment in which we operate. We’re planning to use them again!"

“CIME (Creativity & Innovation in Micro Enterprise) is an INTERREG funded initiative with the overall aim of embedding Creative & Innovative thinking into all areas of business. Partners include SERA (South East Regional Authority), and Kilkenny Enterprise Board, Ireland and in Wales Swansea Metropolitan University and University of Wales Trinity St David. You were selected to carry out an independent evaluation of the impact of a 4 Tier Programme and a series of Networking events that were delivered in Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire & Ceredigion. CIME worked with over 200 businesses and organisations in a variety of sectors. You were a pleasure to work with. Your approach was extremely professional and your methodologies were robust and adaptable. You very quickly understood the ethos of the whole project and I would have no hesitation in recommending you!”

"PopUp Wales provided us with the perfect launchpad to elevate our business in Swansea. Their short-term lease scheme allowed us to experiment around how an office space would work for us. As a proud Swansea based company it was great to do this in a prime central location, providing new and unique experiences to clients and enabling our team to work better together. Our thanks to Gareth, Ben, and the whole team at PopUp Wales for being an instrumental part of the building of our business. We’ve now moved to a new longer-term office in the heart of Swansea, we remain committed to supporting digital in Wales."

"Working with Urban Foundry is a real pleasure.  The team’s ability to understand the fabric of local communities and help drive and shape opportunities for developing enterprise is invaluable.  A really insightful and knowledgeable team who can support the wider placemaking agenda and create social value in the community”

"I am sure that without your help with what can only be described as a "minefield" of application forms and correspondence, we would not have been successful in our bid for Cydcoed grant funding. Many thanks for all your assistance and support."

"Having spotted your insight and creative approach during your input to the Swansea Arts Strategy process, I had no hesitation in engaging you to formulate the business plan required for the second-stage application to the DT100 fund. The collaboration demonstrated your thoroughness, efficiency and quick grasp of strategic issues. Consequently, the resulting document will serve not only as an application but also as a useful roadmap for the Festival's next stage of development. I should recommend you warmly to any arts organisation seeking an objective, analytical approach to future business and artistic planning."

"The Uplands Market has been a massive boost to trade and to the Uplands in general. Market days are lively and vibrant, there is always a really good atmosphere and the huge increase in footfall is good for everyone. After several years the Market continues to make a positive impact and long may it continue!"

“I would like to thank the team at Urban Foundry for their excellent work in producing a Process and Impact Report for the Swansea Food Poverty Grant 2019/20.  The Covid-19 pandemic made this an especially challenging task, not only due to the challenges of working during lockdown, but also that this was a very difficult time for the grant recipients in meeting the demand for food support.  The report has informed future plans for collaboration and establishing a Swansea Food Poverty Network.”