Eight organisations from around Pembrokeshire embarked on PAVS’s first day tour of Social Enterprises in the north of the county.

Social businesses are a vibrant and growing part of the Welsh economy across all sectors – from health to entertainment, and in all economic areas where it addresses social, environmental and economic inequalities and market failure.

Businesses visited included:

Green Dragon buses – the well-known face of PRTA, Preseli Rural Transport Association were next, Emma Lewis’s lively talk and scooter leathers focussed the audience on their rapid success – they doubled in size last year, on their 10th anniversary of operations.

St Dogmaels –and the weekly Tuesday Local Producers Market. Several of these micro enterprises had started with initial set-up support and subsidy from Hanes Landoch, the SE who has developed and runs the Coach house café, shop education and exhibition facility in St Dogmaels.

The Hanes Llandoch enterprise is broad ranging and certainly plays on its unique selling point – the rich and visible heritage of the Abbey, the French order of monks and some of the unusual traditions they introduced hundreds of years ago. This successful community initiative managed to hook their aims and objectives – of revitalising the community, increasing job opportunities and social cohesion - on the valuable historic asset they have in the village. In this way they have managed to create a business which is sustainable [the café and shop] as well as achieve their social and educational aims by accessing support and funding from partners such as Cadw and Heritage Lottery amongst others.