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How do we build a thriving, connected and sustainable region where people, places and the planet can flourish? The 4theRegion Podcast explores that question through real conversations with the people who are shaping the future of South West Wales.
4theRegion is a cross-sector movement bringing together businesses, community leaders, organisations, educators and residents who care about the wellbeing of our communities and want to create positive change. Through our events, projects and partnerships, we create space for collaboration, honest discussion and shared action.
This podcast is a way to stay connected to the wide range of voices, ideas and initiatives emerging across Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire. You’ll hear from people working on everything from wellbeing economics to local food, renewable energy, community wealth building, youth empowerment, regional identity and the green economy.
Our goal is simple: strengthen connection across the region so that everyone feels more informed, more inspired and more able to contribute to a happier, healthier and more resilient future. There is so much happening here, so many reasons to feel hopeful, and so many people trying to make a difference.
South West Wales is an incredible place to live and work. By tuning in, we hope you’ll discover ideas, insights and a renewed sense of possibility — because the future of our region really is in our hands.
Episodes
Monday Oct 26, 2020
Monday Oct 26, 2020
With less than 200 days to go until the Senedd Election, Future Generations Commissioner for Wales Sophie Howe is proud to have launched her ‘Manifesto for the Future’, providing key recommendations that Sophie believes political parties should consider within their manifesto work.
In this episode, we speak to Sophie about her role and her prorities as Future Generations Commissioner for Wales during an important time where the need to rethink and replan for the future is vital. We discuss many of the findings and recommendations in her ‘Manifesto for the Future’ which seek to highlight how we can recover and build back better. #BuildBackBetter #OurFutureWales
Read the Manifesto for the Future here: www.futuregenerations.wales/manifesto-for-the-future
Monday Oct 19, 2020
Monday Oct 19, 2020
Renewable energy is a key growth sector for our region, with ideal locations across Wales, such as the coastline and mountains allowing for tidal and wind to generate our power. We speak to a number of key businesses and organisations within the renewable energy sector about what is currently happening and what needs to happen in order to enable growth within the sector and allow wider access to clean, green power.
The UK & Welsh governments have made commitments to bring carbon emissions to net zero by 2050, with Wales' target to achieve a net zero carbon public sector by 2030. We ask our roundtable to share their perspectives on announcements the government have made, and if our governments are putting in the infrastructure and investments required to grow the renewable energy sector.
Monday Oct 05, 2020
Monday Oct 05, 2020
With lockdown giving people with a lot more free time, some have dedicated themselves towards growing fresh fruits and vegetables. Ange Bettany, who runs Hoogah café in the Uplands, Swansea, saw this time as an opportunity to transform unused spaces around her community, turning them into vibrant growing spaces and encouraging engagement with her local community. Room to Grow is a permaculture project dedicated to self-sufficiency and community unity and aims to turn concrete jungles into edible oases. We speak to Ange about how the project pilot scheme progressed, the challenges she has faced and what next steps she and the Room to Grow volunteers will take. #BuildBackBetter
Monday Sep 21, 2020
Monday Sep 21, 2020
This week, we speak to 4theRegion member Julie Jones, co-director of Gower Gas & Oil, about how businesses can benefit community cohesion in order to create a positive relationship between businesses and local well-being.
Julie shares her experience with projects that Gower Gas & Oil have supported, such as the 'Don't Dance Alone' campaign hosted by The Wave to highlight some of the difficulties currently facing older people in Wales and the creation of the Gower Isolation Support Group, a community group designed to coordinate support and information during the Covid-19 crisis.
Don't Dance Alone: https://www.ageuk.org.uk/cymru/latest-news/archive/supporting-the-dont-dance-alone-campaign/
Gower Isolation Support Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/853439298437596
Monday Sep 07, 2020
Monday Sep 07, 2020
South West Wales Connected is a new Community Rail Partnership established by Transport for Wales and hosted by 4theRegion. We speak to Jennifer Barfoot, who was appointed as Community Rail Officer earlier this year, about how she has been progressing in the role and the connections she has made during socially distanced meetings. We also speak to Becky Lloyd about her Community Bunting Challenge project and how it has manifested a spin-off project called Love This Place, coordinated by South West Wales Connected CRP. #BuildBackBetter
Monday Aug 31, 2020
Monday Aug 31, 2020
Dawn speaks to Wyndham Williams about the Connect to Kindness campaign, set up to encourage kindness in the workplace, at home and throughout the community. Wyndham also shares his Tinman Tuesdays project, which supports the community food bank in Narberth by safely collecting tins from people's driveway.
Connect to Kindness website: https://connecttokindness.wales/
Tinman Tuesday: https://www.facebook.com/tinmantuesday/
View the infographic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVIdTjCuMio&
Monday Aug 24, 2020
Monday Aug 24, 2020
We speak to various businesses and organisations from across South West Wales about regional #Procurement. If businesses and organisations in this region buy more from each other, we can keep more wealth here in South West Wales, develop our supply chain, and create more opportunities for people and local businesses. How can we encourage reorganisation of local economies, post-COVID, in order to maintain wealth recirculating within the region? #BuildBackBetter
Monday Aug 17, 2020
Monday Aug 17, 2020
In this episode, we speak to Swansea Bay City Deal Programme Director, Dr. Jonathan Burnes about his new role and what's currently happening in the City Deal office, including the Swansea Waterfront Digital District and the Yr Egin creative and digital cluster in Carmarthen, as well as future plans for the deal. We discuss with Jonathan his hopes for the future of South West Wales, what he'd love to see and what the impact of COVID-19 has on city deal projects.
Monday Aug 10, 2020
Monday Aug 10, 2020
We spoke to different educational providers throughout the region about how we can help school and college leavers to maximise their experience through work experience, further education and apprenticeships and explore what is currently offered, as well as future plans on how to further support young people in learning. Furthermore, there's a strong importance to retaining skilled young people within the region in order to capture what South West Wales has to offer for future generations.
In this episode, we explore how important it is to continue supporting the future education and careers of young people.
Monday Aug 03, 2020
Monday Aug 03, 2020
Dawn speaks to Jeremy Miles MS, Counsel General for Wales and Brexit Minister and Member of the Senedd for Neath, about actions that the Welsh government have been taking during lockdown in order to reconstruct the Welsh economy.
We face huge, unprecedented challenges in the near future and that journey should not rely heavily on a 'back to normal' approach. As the government works through the course of recovery, the approach will be committed towards social, economic and environmental justice under the Well-Being of Future Generations Act.
In May, Jeremy issued an invitation to people in Wales to share their thoughts on how the government should support future post-Covid recovery and reconstruction in Wales. To date, there have been over 1000 submissions sent to the dedicated mailbox. Submissions remain open and are encouraged to continue. Analysing and drawing on the ideas received is, and will be, a key part of recovery over the next few weeks and months.
You can email your thoughts to: ourfuturewales@gov.wales