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THE WELL-BEING OF FUTURE GENERATIONS ACT - SUMMARY FOR THE PUBLIC SERVICES BOARD MEETING 17th NOVEMBER 2016

The Well-being of Future Generations Act places a duty on certain town and community councils to take all reasonable steps towards meeting the local objectives included in the local well-being plan. A community or town council is subject to that duty if its gross income or expenditure was at least £200,000 for each of the preceding three financial years. In the local councils that meet this criterion are Town, , Pembrey and , Town, , Cwmamman and .

These town and community councils have created a forum that meets regularly two officers from Carmarthenshire County Council – the PSB Lead and the Senior Community Regeneration Officer - and to consider how they can continue to develop their approach to the principles of well-being.

Below is a summary of some of the actions and activities that local councils have taken or are taking that will contribute further towards the principles and requirements of the Act.

LLANELLI TOWN COUNCIL

 Llanelli Community Partnership was set up in 2014 and supported by Cynefin. It cover the wards of both the Town and Rural Council in Llanelli;  The Town Council and the Partnership were early adopters of the Future Generations Act in 2014;  The importance of branding within the community is recognised, so that the Future Generations Act can be seen more clearly – for example, the creation of the ‘Llanelli We Want’ in 2014;  Independence from the Town Council has been key for the Community Partnership, with the Town Council supporting many of the community priorities that have come from consultation and community chat;  The Town Council has a community development strategy in place for 2016 with a key focus on the Future Generations Act goals and 5 ways of working;  Examples of the projects that the Partnership is delivering with the support from the Town Council are ‘PAVE the Way’ (a cancer rehab project), ‘Cleaner Greener Llanelli’ (joint project with Llanelli Rural Council) ‘Dementia Friendly Llanelli’ (Joint project with the Community Resource Teams) and the creation of a community emergency plan;  Llanelli Town Council, the Community Partnership and the wider network in Llanelli have taken part in a number of activities to encourage participation in the well-being assessment;

LLANELLI RURAL COUNCIL

 Produced a well-being statement;  Integrated the national well-being goals into its forward plan;  Changed its formal reporting practices to council by incorporating the five ways of working towards the sustainable development principle;

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 Employed a Community Development Officer as a direct response to the Act to help extend the Council’s influence and reach into the community to improve quality of life;  Produced a Whole Place Plan (2015:2030) that links to the national well-being goals and which identifies a number of key interventions based on evidence of need;  Supported Cynnal Cymru’s Sustainable Development Charter by becoming a signatory to the charter; and  Taken up annual membership with Cynnal Cymru/Sustain

 Llanelli Rural Council has been nominated for an award by Cynnal Cymru/Sustain Wales for its work in connection with sustainable development.

CWMAMMAN COMMUNITY COUNCIL

 Cwmamman Town Council recognises that no community is too small to benefit from the Act. In order for smaller communities to benefit the most then we should be working with our neighbouring communities, developing projects in partnership and sharing our skills.  We have found that detailed and broad data, localised down to individual community level, is not always readily available. As such, Cwmamman is undertaking a community feasibility study and consultation exercise in partnership with Community Development Cymru. Localised data from the members of the PSB would add a significant amount to this process. This will then give a very detailed image of the needs, desires and aspirations of our community and allow for the development of effective and successful initiatives.  The Council has, or in some cases is in the process of, taking over a range of assets through asset transfer from Carmarthenshire County Council. We see this as a true opportunity for the Town Council to deliver services specific to our community whilst utilising the Act as a framework for best practice and direction.  The Council is currently working on three main strands in relation to the Act based upon information that is currently available. These are: education & skills, environment & sustainability and culture. We are eager to work with all key partners in these areas.  The primary focus at present, given the relative isolation of the community from third sector organisations and service providers, is to develop a network of professionals and community members. This has begun with the organisation of a Well-being Professionals Meeting and continues with the development of community focussed projects which engage with these professionals.  Thus far, utilising the Act as advocacy, Cwmamman Town Council has secured an ‘Awards for All grant’ for the placement of emergency defibrillators, the Police Commissioner’s grant for delivering intergenerational projects and are currently working towards a project to make our buildings more sustainable for the future.  Through our work Cwmamman Town Council will now be hosting the Carmarthenshire focussed event for Community Development Cymru’s Well-being of Future Generations Act consultation project.

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CARMARTHEN TOWN COUNCIL

 Recently produced its first annual report modelled on the principles of the Well-being goals;  Has in place an environmental working group and a Fairtrade working group that seek opportunities to identify sustainable and environmental development projects locally;  Provides grant aid to local applicants specifically for environmental projects – funded by the income generated as part of the development of the solar farm at Red Court, Llanllwch;  Applications for funding grants must demonstrate how they contribute towards the Well Being goals;  Currently reviewing the option of a community development role;  The Council has recently met with officers from Carmarthenshire County Council to consider how the information collated from the assessment – specific to the area of the Town Council - can be used to prepare a strategic plan and also the Council’s response to the Local Well-being Plan;  A seminar for Town Council Members recently took place resulting in the identification of a strategic plan that will incorporate the Well-being principles and goals.

PEMBREY & BURRY PORT TOWN COUNCIL On consideration of the seven well-being goals, the Council believes that it already functions in a manner which is aligned with the goals. However, in response to the Well-being of Future Generations legislation, the Council recognised the importance of a more structured approach and therefore set up a Well-being and Future Generations Working Group.

In relation to the specific goals:

A prosperous Wales

The Council supports new and existing local businesses by providing affordable, suitable premises for them to operate.

Burry Port’s hosting of the 50th anniversary of Britain in Bloom will provide a wonderful opportunity to promote the town and bring in visitors and trade for local businesses.

 A resilient Wales The Council has been successful in winning its category in the Wales in Bloom campaign for three successive years and has been chosen as a finalist in the 2017 Britain in Bloom campaign for the second time. The Council’s focus in this competition has been the promotion of sustainable planting which has received accolades from the judges.

 A healthier Wales The Council actively supports a variety of organisations that promote physical activity and well-being by providing accommodation, such as a boxing gym, fitness gym,

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aikido classes and a variety of fitness classes. The Council provides grant aid to assist organisations, such as the local rugby and football clubs. The Council also carries out some maintenance work free of charge to assist the local bowls club.

The Council has recently committed to working in partnership with a dementia carers’ group and Cefn Sidan Rotary Club in order to attain “dementia friendly” communities in Pembrey and Burry Port.

 A more equal Wales The Council provides financial assistance to numerous community groups that draw from varied socio-economic backgrounds and will continue to do so.

 A Wales of cohesive communities The Council has commenced, supported and/or driven many initiatives and events, such as Wales in Bloom, Pembrey & Burry Port summer and Christmas Carnivals, bus shelter provision, retention of Burry Port police station and the Friends of Burry Port Harbour.

 A Wales of vibrant culture and thriving Welsh language The Council promotes, accommodates and financially supports local cultural organisations, including Burry Port Operatic Society, Burry Port Town Band and Burry Port Male Choir. The Council also provided match funding for bi-lingual local heritage boards, which are shortly to be erected.

 A globally responsible Wales Pembrey and Burry Port has a rich history with international links, The Council, in particular, maintains the Amelia Earheart monument which receives international visitors. The Council also provides financial assistance to St Illtyd’s Church, Pembrey for maintenance of the graveyard, which contains a memorial with direct reference to Napoleon Bonaparte.

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