An open public meeting for local history societies in Pembrokeshire which are interested in forming a federation is taking place on Wednesday, February 6.

The meeting follows a consultation of local history societies last year, organised by Pembrokeshire County Council's information and cultural services department. The aim of the consultation was to assess the level of support for the creation of a federation of societies. This would 'act as a parent body and as a forum for the exchange of ideas, discussions of common problems and solutions, and joint training'.

There was an excellent response from societies, with 17 saying that they would like to be involved in discussions, with a view to developing a federation. All contacts have been sent a copy of the report which includes a detailed breakdown of the results and recommendations for the way forward. The next step is the public meeting, where interested parties from the local history societies will be able to discuss how the federation will operate.

This will be held at the Reference and Local Studies Library, at Haverfordwest Library, on February 6, beginning at 6.30 pm. All local history societies, whether involved in the consultation or not, are most welcome to send representatives and to take part. For further information, please contact George Edwards (local and family history librarian) on (01437) 776126 or email [email protected]">[email protected]