Pembrokeshire Poverty Summit highlights support

The aim was to shine a light on some key issues related to poverty here in Pembrokeshire, and the collective response to support some of the most vulnerable members of our communities.

Pembrokeshire County Council’s third Tackling Poverty Summit welcomed around 100 representatives from across Pembrokeshire, including officers from the Local Authority, Third Sector and national bodies such as the Bevan Foundation.

CEO of the Bevan Foundation, Dr Steffan Evans, was invited as keynote speaker to provide an update on how The Bevan Foundation is working to end poverty in Wales. He provided some much-needed Welsh context for our local work, as well as detailed insight into Pembrokeshire data and what action moving forward has the potential to make the biggest and most sustainable impact when considering how we build a more prosperous County for all.

A key element of the day was collaboration. Topics such as Food Poverty and the Words to Action project really showcased the opportunity and added value of better aligning services and resources, with a more joined up approach clearly being the most efficient way to inject meaningful and sustainable support into our communities.

Sophie Buckley from PAVS facilitated a workshop, which aimed to begin the process of refreshing the original Tackling Poverty Strategy. Originally published in 2023 and after much work over recent years to implement and progress the actions committed, now is the time to reflect on whether the priorities once identified still serve the current issues presenting. Attendees actively engaged in this opportunity to celebrate what has gone well and positively impacted Pembrokeshire since the strategies’ inception, as well as embracing the chance to consider areas for improvement and creative ideas for change as we move forward. 

Throughout the day there was an important focus on tangible action and what work is currently being undertaken to support local residents. In particular the LIFT (Low Income Family Tracker) pilot was celebrated as having generated significant financial gains for local households.

This tool has assisted in identifying a number of households who were missing out on financial assistance they were eligible for, and in the last six months alone by using the insights provided, campaigns have achieved over £300,000 of financial gains for local families.

This truly demonstrates the positive impact of a more targeted approach to income maximisation and is a powerful example of a more proactive way of working to connect local people to the support available to them.

Cllr Marc Tierney, anti-poverty champion and Cabinet Member for Young People, Communities and the Wellbeing of Future Generations said: "What we learned at the summit is that the causes of poverty are complex and remain a challenge, in particular, for young people and their families.

"The solutions are complex too and must involve all levels of government doing all they can to support those most in need.

"Pembrokeshire has made tackling poverty a priority, working with the third sector to focus our efforts on where we can make a real difference locally. That work continues, as we heard at the summit, with strengthened resolve to respond to the experiences of local people, sharing knowledge and expertise and by working together to shape what we do next."

James White, Head of Engagement, Performance and Community, added: "This was Pembrokeshire's third annual summit, and it's clear that it is becoming a firm fixture in the calendar.  As ever we were pleased to welcome Steffan Evans from the Bevan Foundation as our keynote speaker.

"The summit was particularly useful in informing the refresh of our Poverty strategy, which we will undertake later this year - income maximisation, early intervention and support for families, and joined-up systems and easier access to support were the big takeaways. Thank you to all who attended the summit and also to everyone who is working to fight back against poverty in Pembrokeshire."