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The Pembrokeshire Enterprise Network (PEN) is a network aimed at supporting and connecting small to medium sized businesses and entrepreneurs in the county, on the issues that matter to them.

The first meeting for 2019 took place at Twr Y Felin in St Davids on 29 January.

The event provided small to medium sized enterprises in the county, with the opportunity to learn from other small businesses from both Pembrokeshire and across Wales. Attendees were able to network, make new connections and share experiences.

Read about the meeting here.

One of the aims for the network, is to help support and inform the Pembrokeshire Business Panel. We will be working with them through PEN, to provide a rounded, connected, and supportive environment for businesses of all sizes, and in all locations, to grow and share experiences.

We at PLANED want to hear from all small to medium sized enterprises about the issues they want to discuss, areas they want support with and any ideas for speakers, topics and venues for future PEN events.

With thanks to those employers and partners who have already agreed to open their doors to the network for a series of bespoke engagement events this summer.

Please contact Ben, Networks Officer for further details, and to see how your business can get involved!

email: Benjamint@planed.org.uk

Pembrokeshire Business Initiative

The Pembrokeshire Enterprise Network continues the work of the Pembrokeshire Business Initiative, which closed after 34 years in May 2017.

In the 34 years of trading PBI helped small and medium sized enterprises across Pembrokeshire. Within this time, they received over 5,000 enquiries, and supported almost 2,000 business start-ups.

PLANED is working with ACRE (Action with Communities in Rural England), Rural Community Network NI, Scottish Rural Action and Irish Rural Link as part of the latest European Rural Parliament project known as ROAD (Rural Opinion Advocacy and Development).

This UK and Ireland project will focus on how rural links with European Countries can be maintained post March 2019. A workshop was held at the Scottish Rural Parliament in Stranraer and will now be followed by a series of debates and workshops including a survey across the UK and Ireland.

ROAD aims to raise the profile of the European Rural Parliament and demonstrate the importance of rural communities working together and sharing information. This survey is the starting point for a discussion on why it is important to maintain links with rural communities across the UK and Europe post Brexit. https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/MMVS2NC

Maintaining rural links with Europe

The Project :

Engagement will enable European Rural Parliament partners in England, Wales, Ireland, Scotland to demonstrate their commitment to European relations and having a voice in Europe. Partners will consider the situation of rural development post-Brexit and future working relations with other EU countries.

The information gathered, case studies, policy information, local views, etc. will be shared by partners across the UK and through the wider European Rural Parliament Network of partners in 40 countries. It will be used to help UK rural movements to maintain their European links and inform debate on future policy and local action at national and EU level and will also feed into the EC work on smart villages.

A wide range of events to engage rural communities will be led by countries across Europe leading up to the 4th European Rural Parliament to be held in Spain in November 2019. For instance, the Latvian Rural Forum is leading a youth project following a successful European Rural Youth Parliament in 2017.

The idea of National Rural Parliaments started in Sweden in the 1990s and the European Rural Parliament was launched in 2013. The national rural parliament campaign or movement is growing with Rural parliaments have taken place in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Estonia, Finland, Latvia and Slovenia.

The European Rural Parliament is jointly co-ordinated by three European rural networks, the Europe Rural Community Alliance (ERCA), Prepare Partnership for Rural Europe and European LEADER Association for Rural Development. ACRE is a full member of ERCA.