Monda, February 17, was ‘Random Acts of Kindness’ Day. Many acts of kindness go unnoticed as people just do what they do. Hundreds of volunteers across the county gave their time and energy to a cause they support, from drop-in support groups to more formal volunteering, as they would on any other day. As Pure West Radio noted on the day it was ‘Pembrokeshire doing what it does best’.

PAVS (Pembrokeshire Association of Voluntary Services) part of Being Kind Pembrokeshire, in partnership with Gravells KIA Narberth, got out and about in the Kindness KIA to celebrate this kindness. The Kindness KIA visited all three community fridges, two Knit and Natter groups, the VC Gallery Breakfast Club, Pembroke Dock Heritage Centre, Neyland Men’s Shed, Paul Sartori Store (Milford Haven), Hubberston and Hakin Community Centre and Milford Youth Matters. The KIA even visited Gen Power Hyundai Power Products who had kindly donated gardening equipment to the VC Gallery to help maintain the gardens of Veterans.

At each stop a little ‘thank you’ (supported by Morrisons and Tesco Haverfordwest) was left for the volunteers. Flowers, chocolates and sweets were also left at random locations along the route, including bus stops and car parks.

Ian Gravell, general manager at Gravells, said: “Thank you all for allowing Gravells KIA Narberth to be involved in this great event. I thoroughly enjoyed being a small part of the day and saw for myself that the happiest people are not those getting more, but those giving more.”

Wyndham Williams PAVS Community Connector Plus Officer, said: “‘Random Acts of Kindness’ Day was a great appetiser for the new ‘West Wales Is Kind Campaign’ which is due to launch in Pembrokeshire soon.” West Wales is Kind is a partnership including Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire.

The campaign will focus on the development of a regional set of activities to incentivise active citizenship. It will be based on an intergenerational approach that fosters, and nurtures, connections to alleviate loneliness and isolation prevalent in many of our communities. It brings together key initiatives to strengthen community connectedness in Pembrokeshire.