A charity supporting Pembrokeshire people with mental health issues has been voted the Valero Pembroke Refinery ‘Charity of the Year’ for 2017 in a site-wide ballot by members of the workforce.

Mind Pembrokeshire will receive a special focus from the refinery’s community engagement, volunteering and fundraising activities throughout the year.

Mind Pembrokeshire operates a range of services across Pembrokeshire for those with direct or indirect experiences of mental health issues, and aims to promote a positive attitude to mental, emotional and physical wellbeing.

Tracey Price, director of Mind Pembrokeshire, said: “Mind Pembrokeshire is excited to be Valero’s 2017 ‘Charity of the Year’. Looking after our mental health is incredibly important, and with more and more people in need of Mind Pembrokeshire’s services, we are looking forward to working closely with the refinery and its workforce to help raise awareness of mental health affecting people here in Pembrokeshire.”

Stephen Thornton, Valero’s public affairs manager, said: “Mind Pembrokeshire’s commitment to improving the quality of life for those affected by mental health issues in our local communities struck a real chord with Valero personnel when deciding who should be our latest ‘Charity of the Year’. We are delighted that Mind Pembrokeshire will be able to benefit from Pembroke Refinery’s longstanding community engagement programme, and hopefully together we can make a positive difference to people with mental health problems in Pembrokeshire and across West Wales.”