“Pembrokeshire is ahead of the game when it comes to ways in which town and community councils are working with their local communities to get things done,” according to a Welsh Government civil servant who spoke to an audience of 70 people in Haverfordwest recently.

Representatives of community associations, town and community councils and Pembrokeshire county councillors and officers came together, in a conference organised by PLANED, to look at ways of working more effectively together. The event was chaired by Peter Davies, the former Sustainable Futures Commissioner for Wales.

The keynote address by Claire Germain, head of local government partnerships at Welsh Government, considered the future role of town and community councils and how they are being asked to engage more effectively with local residents, to improve community life.

Delegates also heard from representatives of Llantwit Major Town Council, and the community councils of East Williamston, Marloes and St. Brides and Dinas, who spoke about their innovative approaches to involving community members in delivering local projects.

Three workshops run by PLANED, One Voice Wales and Llantwit Major Town Council, also provided some top tips for community engagement.

“It’s clear that there is a strong appetite for town and community councils to continue getting together with community forums and others to share learning and ideas,” said Jessica Morgan of PLANED. “And we’ll be running further networking events for local councils and partners, with the next one in the autumn.”

For further information about these networking opportunities, please contact Karen Scott at PLANED, email: [email protected] or ’phone: 01834 860965