Pembroke has been shortlisted in the Rising Star category of the ‘Great British High Street Awards 2019’ - which aims to find the UK’s most ambitious high street.

Run by The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) in proud partnership with Visa and backed by other partners, the awards look to celebrate the communities that are working to revive local high streets.

In their category, from Wales, Pembroke stand alongside - Caernarfon, Carmarthen, Llanelli, Flintshire, Welshpool and Caldicot.

The announcement comes as new research has found that seven out of ten consumers say that shopping locally makes them feel happy, with over a third citing supporting local shops and knowing where their money is going as the main reason.

High Streets Minister Jake Berry MP said: “Congratulations to the shortlisted nominees for this year’s Great British High Street Awards – the quality of the entries this year has been fantastic.

“High streets make people happier, and people want to see their hard-earned cash supporting the local economy. That is why we are celebrating those that go above and beyond to keep their high streets thriving for generations to come.

“Inspiring high streets like these will play a key role in the Government’s vision to boost local growth and level up our regions.”

Sundeep Kaur, Head of UK & Ireland Merchant Services at Visa, who commissioned the research, added: “We’ve seen some fantastic entries for this year’s Great British High Street Awards across both the Champion High Street and Rising Star categories. In particular, the desire to innovate stands out amongst this year’s entries, with high streets adapting to the challenges presented by a rapidly changing retail environment to find ways to thrive at a local level.

“As our research shows, high streets play a vital role at the heart of communities, so this is a great opportunity for those communities with shortlisted high streets to show their support by placing their votes on the Great British High Street website.”

Those interested in participating in the public vote can visit www.thegreatbritishhighstreet.co.uk for more information. Voting closes October 7.