Looking beyond the show: understanding the wider impact of the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society

We’ve recently started working with the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society (RWAS) on a new piece of work looking at its social and economic impact. 

For many people, the Society is closely associated with the Royal Welsh Show—and that will be a key part of the study. But the focus here is broader than that. We’ll be taking a step back to explore the full range of what RWAS does across the year, and the contribution it makes to agriculture, rural communities and the Welsh economy more widely. 

It’s work that goes beyond the showground—supporting the sector, creating opportunities, and helping to sustain rural life across Wales. This study is about capturing that bigger picture and builds on Wavehill’s growing portfolio of tailored socio-economic impact assessments across a range of sectors and organisations. 

Aled Jones, Chief Executive of the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society, said: 

“As a charity with a proud history dating back to 1904, it’s important that we have up‑to‑date evidence of the impact we make today. While iconic events like the Royal Welsh Show and Winter Fair are central to what we do, we are also active all year round.  With over 11,000 members across Wales and beyond, a strong network of county advisory committees, and one of the finest showgrounds in the UK operating year‑round as a multi‑event centre, our reach is wide and varied. The economic impact is significant, but just as important is our social and cultural role in supporting agriculture and strengthening the wellbeing of rural communities. We’re really pleased to be working with Wavehill to better understand and evidence that wider impact.”  

Michael Pang, Project Manager at Wavehill, added: 

“It’s great to be working with the Society on this. There’s a lot of recognition of the Royal Welsh Show, but also a much broader story to tell about the role RWAS plays across the year. This work is about helping to bring that to life.”