A renewed plea for more volunteers to come forward to help with community events in Tenby has been made by local councillors.

Speaking at Tuesday night’s meeting of the town council, Clr. Mrs. Christine Brown said that the De Valence venue had recently held a number of successful events, including a local wedding, Hallowe’en parties, and with the Blues Festival coming up, it was always welcome if anyone local could ‘lend a hand.’

“We’d be very grateful if anyone could volunteer to give us a hand and join us for the Tenby Blues Festival event, which runs from November 11 to 13, even if it’s collecting glasses for the bar or stewarding,” she said.

The Mayor of Tenby, Clr. Laurence Blackhall, said that the event was a ‘fabulous festival’, but that the De Valence did need voluntary support to help run it.

He told his colleagues that he would be organising a meeting with the Pembrokeshire Association of Voluntary Services to be held at the De Valence, on Thursday, November 17, at 10 am, to look at a project in general, on how to encourage more volunteering in Tenby.

“We’re very fortunate that we have a lot of committed volunteers in the town, but this will look at ways of encouraging more volunteering, and how to take ideas forward. Any outside bodies interested in joining the discussions, are welcome to attend,” he said.

“It is difficult and we try to reach out to people in the press and in the community, but I think that people just assume that as councillors represent the De Valence Trust, then they assume we have enough volunteers, but the venue is a separate entity from the town council, that only works in conjunction with it,” concurred Clr. Mrs. Brown.

Deputy Mayor, Clr. Mrs. Sue Lane, agreed that as chairman of Tenby in Bloom, it had been a struggle to attract new volunteers to help with the cause.

“I sent out around 250 invitations to a small social gathering before, but apart from members of the Tenby in Bloom committee, only four people turned up, so it is a bit soul destroying at times.

“The message we need to get out is that it’s not the town council that needs your support for these organisations and events, it’s the community of Tenby!” she added.