It’s Your Carmarthenshire 2024

It’s Your Carmarthenshire 2024

EVENTS  > ITS YOUR CARMARTHENSHIRE 2024

It’s Your Carmarthenshire 2024

Partners

200 people from Carmarthenshire’s communities, businesses and organisations came together at Parc Y Scarlets on Wednesday 11th July 2024, for the inaugural “It’s Your Carmarthenshire” event, hosted by 4theRegion.  It was a full day of discussion on a range of interconnecting themes, highlighting the many opportunities that exist across Carmarthenshire, and how we can collaborate to leverage those opportunities for everyone’s benefit.

CARMARTHENSHIRE OPPORTUNITIES REPORT

THEMES & QUESTIONS

 This event aimed to increase everyone’s awareness of what’s happening, and create potential for new partnerships and new ways of working to address the challenges and opportunities we are all facing.  We think these types of open, cross-sector forum provide a good platform for local partners to share their updates with people who may not be aware of services, support and resources that are available, and to hear new voices and different perspectives.

In each of these discussion zones we were asking, what are the opportunities, what is already happening, and what else needs to happen?  The insight from those discussions on the day will be captured in a comprehensive report, which will be of interest to everyone working to create a flourishing future for Carmarthenshire.  Please contact zoe@4theregion.org.uk for info.

June Monthly Meetup – Community Resilience

June Monthly Meetup – Community Resilience

PROJECTS  > JUNE 2024 MONTHLY MEETUP

4theRegion Monthly Meetup – Community Resilience

Creative Monthly Meetup

We are lucky in South West Wales to have a strong third sector and a wide array of grassroots organisations working hard in our communities.

This month, our regional discussion brought together a dedicated and passionate group of community development people – from large charities like Faith in Families, to established organisations like PLANED, from small CICs and charities, to individuals with an idea and a desire to do good in their communities.

We asked, What Does Community Resilience Mean to You?  and What is Needed?

You can catch up on the full meeting recording, or view the PDF notes from the meeting here.

Full Meeting Recording

Meeting Highlights & Notes

What Does Community Resilience Mean to You?

Community resilience is about providing young people and adults with the resources to live active and independent lives, empowering them to participate and shape what happens in their lives and the places where they live. It is about collaboration—understanding and listening to local people and truly seeing things from their point of view before deciding anything. Building on people’s own knowledge of what their community needs and working together on those things is crucial.

Community resilience also involves being able to deal with and be prepared for change. This ensures that our community groups and organisations can survive and stay active over time. Resilient communities have an active network of local groups and organisations, but these groups face many challenges. How can we ensure that organisations remain resilient? Factors such as people coming and going, government changes, policies, and access to funding all influence how a community group can handle these challenges.

Community resilience is also about climate change adaptation. It involves developing good functional relationships with the people we interact with daily, creating strong networks. Local food systems and food resilience are also key components, including community-supported agriculture and community-based growing.

Thank you to everyone who shared your valued perspectives during this insightful discussion – a must watch for anyone trying to understand how to contribute to growing resilience local places and cohesive communities in South West Wales!

Coming Up in July 2024:

March Monthly Meetup – Construction

March Monthly Meetup – Construction

PROJECTS  > MARCH 2024 MONTHLY MEETUP

4theRegion Monthly Meetup – Construction

Creative Monthly Meetup

It’s always interesting to discuss our regional construction sector.  So much good stuff happening, but so many missed opportunities.  Local firms missing out on local contracts; challenges around recruitment and getting young people into the sector; and just not enough quality firms to meet the demand that exists.

This month, our regional discussion brought together a diverse mix of people and businesses from our network, to explore “opportunities in and for the regional construction sector”.

You can catch up on the full meeting recording below or click here for the full meeting report.

Full Meeting Recording

Meeting Highlights & Notes

“There’s a significant skills shortage in the industry, leading to the reliance on foreign workers. Collaborating with Gower College, efforts are being made to train students with the necessary skills, tailored by businesses to bridge these gaps across various sectors. Courses are now offered at night to accommodate working individuals, proving popular and beneficial. The construction sector offers lucrative opportunities, such as bricklayers earning £500 per day and quantity surveyors starting at £35k annually. It is essential to change perceptions and promote construction as a desirable career path for future generations.”  Mike Kavanagh

“Collaboration is essential for advance notice of opportunities. It is not easy to put a collaborative bid together; time is needed for trust and arrangements to be established. If notices come to the market too late, it is hard to collaborate on those bids. Think NOW about coming together as a network of companies, ready for contracts in the future. Small SMEs can unite, bringing together all trades, and establishing a coherent unit that can enter the bidding process as a group.”  Peter Austin, Swansea Bay City Deal

“The procurement agents (buyers) should take that on, rather than bundling big lots together. Buyers need to make those contracts accessible. Currently, it only happens with the smallest, unprofitable aspects of work, not the big profitable stuff. Lazy or risk-averse buyers. We have been utterly unable to access work through the city deal. All the big contractors are closed to our particular trade.”  William Silverstone – Silverstone Green Energy, Pembrokeshire

“We have many people here in South West Wales who don’t know about all the opportunities available. We are in a privileged position to hear about the fantastic opportunities in our region, but we really need to get that message into communities and colleges. We need to reach young people with these messages. The opportunity is for our young people and those living here now, so they can stay and thrive in the communities they have grown up in. We need to make people realise this.”
Zoe Antrobus, 4theRegion

“The size and opportunity in retrofitting buildings to meet 2050 environmental standards are substantial. The average cost of a retrofit for a dwelling is £60,000. With 328,000 dwellings at £60,000 each, this represents a £19.7 billion opportunity. Even with a smaller scale, there’s still a £14 billion market in retrofitting, which could translate to £140 million in annual expenditure within our region, creating 4,000 jobs with good salaries. This could be a transformational opportunity for our area.  Twenty-five per cent of this contract value is in overheads and profits for the main contractor. There is a huge opportunity for local entrepreneurs and a significant need for training!”  William Silverstone – Silverstone Green Energy, Pembrokeshire

“It is a practical reality that only a few contractors in Wales are equipped to manage large contracts. Clients should clearly specify in the procurement process their preference for a significant portion of the budget to be spent locally. It is also important to acknowledge that many local companies may not have the capability to undertake the projects being put out to tender. How can a contractor grow to a size where they can handle such levels of risk and capacity? It would be beneficial to receive insights on this matter.”  Peter Austin, Swansea Bay City Deal

May Monthly Meetup – Regional Food

May Monthly Meetup – Regional Food

PROJECTS  > MAY 2024 MONTHLY MEETUP

4theRegion Monthly Meetup – Regional Food

Creative Monthly Meetup

Connecting all the good things happening around local and sustainable food across South West Wales

This month, our regional discussion brought together the four local food partnerships – Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire, Swansea and Neath Port Talbot, to update on their activites and priorities.

It was great to hear about all the work that the food partnerships are taking forward, and useful to connect the dots across the four counties.

You can catch up on the full meeting recording, or view the PDF notes from the meeting here.

Full Meeting Recording

Meeting Highlights & Notes

Click to read the full report with updates from the 4 partnerships:

  1. Sue Latham from PLANED, Pembrokeshire
  2. Mary Duckett, from Bwyd Abertawe, Swansea
  3. Phil McDonnell from Neath Port Talbot Food Partnership
  4. Augusta Lewis from Bwyd Sir Gar

Coming Up in June 2024:

The Swansea Start-Up Expo Business Information

EVENTS  > THE SWANSEA START-UP EXPO

The Swansea Start-Up Expo

Support Info Provided by stakeholders:

In partnership with key organisations, this one-stop event offered attendees a wide range of advice, support and expertise to start a business in Swansea Bay, attracting 350 prospective entrepreneurs.

Hywel Bassett – Business Wales:

Please find below the contact number to ring for any individual – both ‘Pre Start’ and ‘Trading Businesses’  wishing to receive  help and support from Business Wales.

03000 6 03000

Call the Business Wales Helpline on 03000 6 03000. The Business Wales Helpline is available via e-mail, Live Chat and phone from Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm except on public holidays.

The web site has comprehensive details of support that the Business Wales service can offer.

Bethan Eakins – Multiply Gower College:

Discover attached flyers below.

Additionally, our website features a growing selection of courses, updated monthly, all offered free of charge to individuals aged 19 or over residing or employed in Swansea.


Enhance your everyday skills with us! Explore more at Gower College Swansea.

Ben Reynolds – Urban Foundry:

  • Monthly street markets at Mumbles (second Saturday of the month), Marina (second Sunday of the month) and Uplands (last Saturday of the month) – booking via www.swanseabaystreetmarkets.co.uk
  • PopUp Wales, providing access for short-term popup spaces for test trading for start-ups, interest can be registered at www.popupwales.com
  • We will have our Social Innovation Hub operating by the summer at HQ, which will provide additional cowork space (we’re at capacity currently except for informal coworking in the café) and offices for hire, as well as additional events space for hire, I can provide further information on that once it’s ready to go – bit of work to do yet
  • We will have some Green Infrastructure work in the second half of this year through an SPF supported project, but no dates yet for that

There’s also the monthly anti-social networking event at HQ Urban Kitchen, which takes place on the third Thursday of every month from 5-7, no sign-up required, you can just turn up (info on that attached) 

Sid – Find A Business Expert

We offer all businesses £100 – £50 into Tide bank account and £50 to use on FaBE services/experts. No issues if they don’t want use the £50 on a FaBE membership they can just take the £50 into Tide bank account.

We have vetted experts on the platform, all from owner managed businesses and many from Swansea so contributing to the local economy – our service is free to identify suitable experts, have an exploratory chat and if the entrepreneur wants to work with them, everything is direct. We do not take any commission.

We can help them get found online, drive traffic to their website/LI profile and network with hundreds of businesses every week – £11.53/week for Expert membership. A starter membership is only £5.77/week

We have many other Free resources on our website under guides. We also have content from an entrepreneurship programme we delivered to Swansea University graduates. This is included in the starter membership

Dylan Williams-Evans – UWTSD

In relation to workshops that we have available through the Scale project please see the link below for the latest offering.

A handy tool that could be shared is the Business Wales Events Finder (link below) as this has a huge variety of business workshops including startup.

They also have a finance/grant funding finder tool which again is very useful.

Debbie Price – NPT Council

Check out my information along with a direct link to Funding Support and Events featured on our website:

Name: Debbie Price
Role: New Business Support & Development Mentor
Organization: Neath Port Talbot County Council


Explore our new website for comprehensive Business Startup Help and New Business Support services specific to Neath Port Talbot.

Carl Gough – Cwmpas

We believe our economy and society should work differently, putting people and planet first. Cwmpas is a development agency working for positive change.

Our friendly team of advisers can offer expert help and support across a wide range of areas.

Stephen Williams – Swansea Council

Explore the wealth of insights provided in our funding workshop presentation, designed to equip you with the knowledge and strategies needed to secure essential funding for your business ventures.

Additionally, delve into our comprehensive Business Grants summary, offering a concise overview of available funding opportunities tailored to your needs. Access these invaluable resources by downloading the attachments below.

Kim Mamhende – The CAE

The CAE provides support to aspiring entrepreneurs and start ups through the following services:

  • Idea generation and feasibility studies
  • Setting up and registration
  • Business coaching and mentoring
  • Training and workshops
  • Networking opportunities
  • Access to resources

We also understand that the entrepreneurial journey can be a lonely one, and are here as a critical friend to help you navigate through it.

April Monthly Meetup – Young People!

April Monthly Meetup – Young People!

PROJECTS  > APRIL 2024 MONTHLY MEETUP

4theRegion Monthly Meetup – Young People!

Creative Monthly Meetup

What are the opportunities for young people in South West Wales?

This discussion emphasised the importance of engaging young people in South West Wales and ensuring their active participation within their communities. There was a strong focus on involving them directly in decision-making, and ensuring that young people are well-informed about available opportunities, from apprenticeships to outdoor learning to life coaching!

Hear from numerous regional organisations about their projects and initiatives for and with young people.  As usual, collaboration across different sectors is essential to create more inclusive opportunities and make young people feel valued, connected and supported to thrive in South West Wales.

Full Meeting Recording

Meeting Highlights & Notes

Colleagues from across our region share their updates and announcements as part of a co-created celebration of the array of opportunities for young people in South West Wales!

James Dovey from the Battle Arcade Project, Llanelli – Engages young people in building arcade machines and learning to use CNC machines, exposing them to new technologies and ways of working.

Zubs Iftikhar from YMCA, Swansea – Offers a comprehensive range of projects supporting young people: 5-day open access Youth Service drop-in; LGBTQ youth group available on Tuesdays; YTalent music project; Young Carers Service for individuals up to age 25 – and so much more.  Keen to work with local organisations to support young people.  If anyone would like any further information please get in touch Zubs@ymcaswansea.org.uk

Ffion from Working Options – Recently expanded into Wales, focusing on employability and life skills for ages 12-19.  Provides industry insights and skill sessions, emphasising transferable skills.  https://workingoptions.org.uk/  ffion@workingoptions.org.uk ! Please feel free to reach out as we begin to expand into Wales to inspire and support the next generation.

Ruth Robinson from SCVS – For those that are working with volunteers aged 14-25 in Swansea we have a Youth Bank Grant available. This up to £1,000 to support youth led ideas. For more information Ii can be contacted at ruth_robinson@scvs.org.uk

Alex from Pembrokeshire County Council Business Support Team – Organising a 2-day boot camp for young people’s business start-ups, covering branding, marketing, and social media for individuals aged 16 and above.

Ruth from Selva Coaching – A new social enterprise aimed at coaching young people in their 20s on identity, life goals, and core values.  If you have a person in their 20s in your life who is feeling lost and not sure what to do next please send them my direction as I can offer them some free 1:1 coaching as part of my pilot project.

James Morgan from Swansea Arena – Developing new projects including setting up a music tech academy to offer students real-world, hands-on experience.  The creative sector is growing, and the arena wants to platform and promote local musicians and artists.  jamesmorgan@theambassadors.com

Keith Harries from Coleg Sir Gar – Currently offering free numeracy training for people aged 19+ through the Mulyiply project. Details are available on the college website.

Tom Moses, CWBR Youth, PLANED – Highlighted the importance of showcasing positive things to young people and discussed how to amplify these initiatives.  Focuses on connecting young people with town councils and has been successful in integrating them into decision-making processes.  Announced a new project bid for a regional project to connect young people with elective representatives and community project leaders to enhance youth voice.  Looking for collaborators for this initiative. To share the learnings from the Cwbr Youth project – online event Tuesday 23rd 7pm tom.moses@planed.org.uk

Rhys Harries from Inspiring Skills – Skills Competition Wales, which provides vocational competitions for young people to showcase their skills.  Winners get the opportunity to progress to UK and World Skills competitions.  Emphasises nurturing mindset skills as well as vocational skills, with support from colleges.

Claire Reid, Gower College Swansea – Fantastic opportunities being shared here. It would be great to collaborate to support our 4,500 full time and 10,000 part time learners across the Swansea area and beyond. As Enterprise Champion I am passionate in supporting students across all learning areas and at all levels of study. Please do get in touch. claire.reid@gowercollegeswansea.ac.uk

Will Evans, founder of Will’s Petting Farm, Swansea – Will is a young entrepreneur;  Excited about working with schools and children to show the lifecycle of a chick, helping connect children with nature and animal care.  will@willspettingfarm.co.uk

Sue Poole from Young Dragons – Focused on promoting opportunities in the construction sector across the region, to primary age children, with special attention to introducing careers to females in construction.  Collaborates with various construction companies through the City Deal, Cyfle, and Raven Delta Group.  www.young-dragons.co.uk

Andrew Veevers from Mosaic Professional Development – Discusses the gap between teaching and professional development, promoting experiential learning as a new way to engage with professional development.  CMI highlighted that 82% of managers lack formal training; his approach is proactive in helping people develop necessary skills.

Ian Howells from ACO Training – Offers apprenticeships in Business Admin and Accounting to young people.

Jessica Davies – DVLA – Runs DVLA’s Employability Skills programme, offering free skills sessions within Swansea, NPT, and Llanelli.  Facilitates mock interviews and provides CV tips (general and Civil Service-specific), also demystifying the Civil Service to make it more accessible to those without degrees.

Lucy Cummings from PLANED – Acts as a catalyst for care-focused micro-enterprises in Carmarthenshire.  Provides one-to-one support for setting up and expanding micro-enterprises in the care sector.  Also facilitates a network group for social workers and health board staff.

Saadia Abubaker, founder of Saadia Speaks – Runs a youth empowerment platform aimed at inspiring, uplifting, and empowering young people, especially those from minority ethnic backgrounds.  https://www.saadiaspeaks.com/

Tasmin Lee Peckham from Educ8 Training Group – Offers apprenticeships through the Welsh Government, working directly with employers to recruit apprentices from school and provide accredited qualifications.  Apprenticeships fully funded in Wales for both existing and new staff – TasminP@educ8training.co.uk

Geraint Turner, Swansea MAD – There are a series of webinars and workshops with young people in May-June being run by youth organisations across Wales.

Ashley Davies from Canolfan Gwili – New venue available for all kinds of events, centremanager@llanedi.org.uk

Caroline from Swansea College of Art (UWTSD) – Graduate Summer Show is on Friday 17th May 6-9pm Alex and Dynevor Campus. Please come and join us to celebrate the wonderful creative students we have.

Lynette Anthony, Cyfle Building Skills – Shared Apprenticeships and Work Experience in Construction.  www.cyflebuilding.co.uk   lynette.anthony@colegsirgar.ac.uk 

Final Notes

  • In the chat, participants asked whether there has been any thought to have a regional conference around young people – all the organisations that work with them coming together and showcasing success stories.
  • If any of these new connections turn into collaborations then please reach out to us at 4theRegion and let us know – these are good news stories that we would love to share!  lydia@4theregion.org.uk 
  • Participants are encouraged to promote and apply FGA ways of working and goals across their projects.
  • Open invitation for collaboration among partners on various initiatives to further enhance opportunities for young people in the region.

Coming Up in May 2024: