PLANED’s Carmarthenshire Living Well Centre, received another strong endorsement this August, when Welsh Government’s Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice and Communities, Jane Hutt MS, visited the Centre, to meet with partner organisations, and hear more about the communities and individuals it serves.
Developed by community development charity PLANED, which now manages and facilitates the Centre, the Carmarthenshire Living Well Centre, has grown into a collaborative hub where around 20 charities, community projects, and statutory partners, work together to support an average of 600 clients each month.
From advice and guidance, to counselling, physical activity, and inclusive community sessions, the Centre offers services that benefit people of all ages across the county – from preventative initiatives to post-acute care support.
Iwan Thomas, Chief Executive of PLANED, said:
“The Living Well Centre is a genuine example of collaborative working in practice, placing communities and individuals at the heart of wellbeing. Since PLANED first developed the Centre with our amazing partners and supporters, it has grown into a space that promotes collaboration, positive interventions, and preventative support for those who need it most.”
Organisations currently based at the Centre include People Speak Up, Age Cymru Dyfed, Carers Trust, Sandy Bear Children’s Bereavement Charity, Delta Wellbeing, Foothold Cymru, and Angor, alongside statutory partners such as Hywel Dda University Health Board Primary Care services and Carmarthenshire County Council projects.
After her visit, Cabinet Secretary, Jane Hutt MS said:
“It was inspiring to see how the support available at the Living Well Centre is making a real difference to people’s lives, helping them get the help they need, as effectively and efficiently as possible. At a time when demand is increasing, and resources are under pressure, this kind of collaborative, community-led approach, shows how services can be more joined-up, more responsive, and ultimately more effective. I look forward to exploring how this holistic, proactive way of supporting people, could be shared more widely across Wales.”
With sessions ranging from Lindy Hop dancing to Seated Tai Chi for over-75s, and support groups for those living with Fibromyalgia, learning difficulties, depression, and anxiety, the Centre continues to expand in response to community needs.
One of its key successes has been the speed of referrals between organisations: what once took days is now achieved in minutes, as colleagues can simply connect face-to-face in the same building.
The Centre, based at Parc Dewi Sant in Carmarthen, has also become a training ground for local apprentices, who work alongside tradespeople on enhancement projects at the Centre as it expands, gaining valuable hands-on experience outside the classroom.
Looking ahead, PLANED is working with partners in Pembrokeshire to explore replicating to some degree, the Carmarthenshire model in Haverfordwest, building on the learning and collaborative relationships established here, but with an emphasis on a Pembrokeshire based solution and focus.
The Carmarthenshire Living Well Centre’s success has been made possible thanks to funding and support from local health partners, who have recognised the value of bringing providers together in one shared space, demonstrating the real difference, collaboration can make, in improving wellbeing and helping communities across West Wales to live well.
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