More than 150 Pembrokeshire residents discussed important issues at a special meeting in Narberth.
The first-of-its-kind 'It's Your Pembrokeshire' event, held on May 8 at The Queen’s Hall, was hosted by 4theRegion, a not-for-profit organisation keen on promoting prosperity and wellbeing in South West Wales through connectivity.
The event, which was targeted towards local businesses, individuals and community groups, ensured dialogue between participants who wouldn't ordinarily connect.
The goal was to discuss issues crucial to Pembrokeshire residents and facilitating the building of local networks.
Eight key topics - Transport, Creative Economy, Youth Empowerment, Climate & Nature, Jobs & Skills, Food & Farming, Community Action and Buying Local - were discussed at length.
Attendees contributed in room-wide talks, asked questions and were part of small breakout groups.
Zoe Antrobus, founder of 4theRegion said: "We were overwhelmed with the energy in the room for 'It's Your Pembrokeshire'.
"Over 180 business owners, organisations, residents and activists came together to co-create ideas for positive action around some of the hot topics in Pembrokeshire.
"We'd really like to thank our 4theRegion alliance whose passion for the region enables us to make events like this happen".
Participants were overwhelmingly enthused by the event.
Helen Bantock from Frowen Fields Glamping and Camping said: "This event was a great opportunity to make new connections and meet likeminded people.
"As a small business owner, I was able to connect with other small businesses and we've arranged to follow up with each other.
"It can be really hard when you work for yourself, so events like this are really important for staying motivated, as well as finding out about the support available across the county."
The event was also lauded for connecting the community and potential collaborations.
Jeremy Martineu from North Pembrokeshire Trade and Tourism said: "These events are so important for networking, for meeting people you already know and people you have not yet met.
"We need to develop new ways of working across Pembrokeshire – for the community itself to get hold of the problems we've got and to access the resources to solve them.
"This event was an opportunity to hear other people's ideas which we can implement, as well as trying to influence other people with our own ideas and opinions!"
4theRegion co-founder, Dawn Lyle said: "Everything that was discussed on the day will be captured in a report, which we hope will lead to new collaborative projects and partnerships.
"It's more important than ever to ensure we are all working together across South West Wales to create resilient and prosperous communities."
A detailed report about the event will be circulated to attendees and is also available on request by emailing Zoe@4theRegion.org.uk.
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