Pembrokeshire Communities First recently took a minibus of residents from Pembroke Dock and Monkton to the PAVS Pembrokeshire Volunteering Awards 2013 in Letterston.

The afternoon awards ceremony was a fantastic celebration of people who give their time to helping others. Congratulations to Maggie Hart and Shelley Ferrier, of the Old Priory Inn Community Café, Monkton, who were award winners in the Volunteer of the Year Award (over 25) category.

Maggie and Shelley have been volunteers running the Old Priory Inn community café since 2010.

They are open four days a week (Tuesday-Friday) from 9 am - 2 pm and provide a warm welcome, serving a variety of affordable nutritious meals and snacks.

The café has become a meeting point for people of all ages and Maggie and Shelley actively promote the café as a community facility.

The community café has also developed links with launch adult learning based at Monkton Priory Community Primary School and this means that the café hosts a variety of learning opportunities and courses. This year, the woodworking classes have been particularly successful.

Another award-winner was 15-year-old Kirsty Crocker from Monkton. Kirsty was awarded highly commended in the Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA) Wales wide awards for young volunteers (Under 25s). This is fantastic recognition for the time Kirsty spends volunteering in the community which includes attending meetings as well as organising activities, events and trips for children, young people and their families. Kirsty is also a member of the Pembrokeshire Youth Assembly and Funky Dragon, the Youth Assembly for Wales, and her commitment to these groups is another example of the way in which she chooses to spend her time to help others.

Pembrokeshire Communities First is supporting community groups in the new cluster area.

For more information, call 0845 345 5031 or see them on Facebook at Pembrokeshire Communities First.