PROJECTS  > JANUARY 2024 MONTHLY MEETUP

Our first Monthly Meetup of 2024 brought our cross-sector network together to discuss South West Wales as a region of OPPORTUNITIES!

We know people are facing problems, challenges and obstacles… but we also know that South West Wales is FULL of opportunities for all of us to live happier, healthier and more prosperous lives. We invited participants to share positive reflections, projects, initiatives, organisations and opportunities in South West Wales.

Catch up on the full recording below, or review the notes from this event:

To set the scene and connect to a sense of purpose, we asked the question: Why is it important that we amplify and share opportunities in South West Wales? Here are some key points people shared:

• There’s lot of support out there for all needs and areas.

• Small businesses all over the region are trying to grow, and they should keep going and stick at it.

• Research indicates the importance of looking outward, collaborating, and diversifying.

• Better collaboration, networking, and communication are key.

• The Bantu word “Ubuntu”, which can mean “I am because of who we all are.” which highlights how it’s important for communities to work together.

• Sharing opportunities in South West Wales is important for regional growth and development, as it not only attracts talent and investment but also contributes to the overall economic and social well-being of the community.

• By highlighting opportunities in South West Wales, we not only empower individuals, but also inspire a sense of community pride, encouraging residents to actively contribute to the region’s success.
  

A wide range of organisations and businesses were represented at this event:

• Serco
• Silverstone GE
• Solar Wheel
• Sunny Recruitment
• Swan TV
• Swansea Bay City Deal
• Swansea University
• The Swansea Positive
• Totec Recruitment
• Urban Foundry
• Vibe Youth
• Village Hotel

“We think it’s important to connect around what’s working well, and what we’re excited about. What are you excited about?”

Career & Skill Opportunities

• Excitement around social mobility and giving people in the region opportunities in the legal profession. 
• Opportunities for young people to get involved in community councils in Pembrokeshire via the Community Youth Work Team.
• People should be empowered to connect with their local communities to discover opportunities.
• Even voluntary work can be great for people’s well-being and is a way to discover opportunities and gain transferable skills.
• Cartref Creative is a new creative network created to amplify the talent that can be found in the region and explore how we can support one another.
• Serco Training and Recruitment Solutions (STARS) will be supporting employers with training and recruitment support for another two years.
• 4theRegion will be holding a Start-Up Expo on the 6th March, a day before the 4theRegion Swansea Conference. Both events are great opportunities to network with businesses and organisations across the region.
• 4theRegion also hosts events covering many sectors, which are a get opportunity to network and find out what’s going on across the region. You can find out about upcoming events here.

Opportunities for Community Engagement

• Bringing people together around art projects, working together, and giving those opportunities to a wide range of people. 
• It’s great to see Swansea becoming more multicultural and vibrant, there have been a lot more opportunities for ethnic minorities these past few years.
• More and more community transport schemes are popping up, which is great for people to access opportunities. 
• Community hubs can provide opportunities to gain skills, make friends, and other positive connections. It’s an opportunity to get involved with the community. 
• The growth of CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farms helps the community a lot. This opportunity is great for people living in urban areas who would like to volunteer with food-growing projects. CSA farms include Cae Tan and Big Meadow.
• Opportunity for small producers to take part in local produce markets (such as the Swansea Bay Street Markets organised by Urban Foundry)
• Opportunity for food and drink producer businesses of all types and sizes to register with the new phase of the Cywain project. They can then benefit from a wide range of industry-focused activities and support to help them to grow their business.
• The Swansea Positive is a recently launched newspaper celebrating all of the great things happening across Swansea. It will be a collaborative effort, so people are invited to see how they can get involved by emailing the team.
• 4theRegion’s monthly newsletter is packed full of opportunities from across the region and is a collaborative effort from its members. You can find past issues of the newsletter here, and also subscribe here.

What would you like to see?

• Maximising every opportunity and get involved with everything going on across the region. 
• 4theRegion is great at linking and connecting, and it’s important to have clearer signposting to where opportunities might be. 4theRegion will be flourishing even more.
• Communities of practice, working together to share learning and tackle challenges
• Young people seeing the opportunities available to them right here in South West Wales!
• Hoping to see more happening within the green economy, especially around community agriculture and food growing. 
• Supporting each other, making referrals to organisations that can support and keeping procurement in the region.
• Success could be seen in the adoption of innovative technologies and practices from the universities.
• Measure success by the number of jobs created in the region.
• The establishment of new businesses, expansion of existing ones, and a boost in regional employment rates.

Thank you to everyone who attended! We found this meeting to be a very exciting discussion about the year ahead, and we believe that South West Wales is full of opportunities. We will be going in-depth across a range of topics going forward, so please click here to see future events.

If you are a 4theRegion member and would like to speak at future events, please email lydia@4theregion.org.uk.