Representatives from 10 groups with a wide variety of links to local heritage in south west Pembrokeshire, met for the second time in Pater Hall, Pembroke Dock on Tuesday evening.

The Heritage Forum was started by the Pembroke Town Walls Trust and communicates with around 30 different local groups whose work covers any aspect of our astonishing local heritage - family histories, community and social history, aviation, buildings, landscape and biodiversity, gardens and horticulture, industry, maritime, museums, archives and linking all intergenerationally through new technology.

The group representatives shared conversations about their work, the difficulties they encounter, their objectives and plans for the future. The aim of the Forum is to enable members to talk and communicate together about how they might support each other, develop new work and joint projects, avoid duplication and misunderstanding and work within local plans and strategies.

Rebecca Armstrong from Responsible Tourism Matters attended the meeting at the request of Pembroke Dock Town Team. She is a tourism consultant commissioned by the Town Team to carry out a feasibility study funded by Arwain Sir Benfro - the Local Action Group for Pembrokeshire, administered by PLANED through the LEADER programme.

“The area has a rich heritage story for local people to be “roud of,” said Rebecca. "Collaboration by groups and attractions will help them promote and share that story with visitors too.”

Trust has started the forum, it is not led by any specific group, but is an open forum for all interested and relevant groups to join in.

It will meet quarterly, and the next meeting is to be hosted by the Carew Cheriton Control Tower volunteers one Saturday morning in March next year. The agreed date will be posted on websites and Facebook pages and in the meantime, groups will keep in touch with each other by e-mail.

Picture are the group who met in Pater Hall representing Carew Cheriton Control Tower, Dyfed Family History Society, Martello Tower & Paterchurch, Pembroke Story at Tabernacle, Pembroke Civic Trust, Pembroke Dock Town Team, Pembroke Town Walls Trust, Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, Pembroke 21C CIC and Tanyard Youth Project.