PACTO holds successful launch event as exciting journey officially begins
Pembrokeshire Association of Community Transport Organisations (PACTO) officially embarked on their journey to transform the sector in the county by hosting a successful launch event in Haverfordwest on Friday, March 25th.
Photo Caption: Guests in attendance at Pembrokeshire Association of Community Transport Organisations' 'With You On Your Journey' launch event at HaverHub in Haverfordwest.
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The event, which was titled 'With You On Your Journey', gave the organisation the opportunity to explain who they are, outline their mission and vision for the next three years, illustrate the importance of the sector and make clear how the support of partner organisations will be vital in helping to realise their ambitions.
With over 100 guests in attendance from more than 80 partner organisations across Wales and England, the event, which was held at HaverHub in Quay Street, was a landmark occasion that provided a real sense of optimism for what can be achieved in the years to come.
Hosted by Toby Ellis, the station manager for Pure West Radio, the event also proved to be an excellent networking opportunity for organisations which may not have otherwise had the chance to meet in person, further strengthening the community links within Pembrokeshire.
One of the funders of the project, Motability Foundation, were represented at the event by Grants Programme Manager, Elliot Mangham, Director of Charitable Operations, Lisa Jones, and Grants Manager, Stephanie Mawbey, who were given a clear explanation of exactly what their funding is going to enable PACTO to achieve, and the wider impact it will have on the community transport sector, before they were given the honour of closing the event by cutting the ribbon on the first wheelchair-accessible vehicle to be purchased with the funding.
Various members of the PACTO team gave speeches and presentations to outline their roles and what they entail, while the audience also heard from the Minister for Health and Social Services, Eluned Morgan, Community Transport Association Senior Development Officer, Emma Bingham, County Councillor for Narberth, Marc Tierney, GM Coachwork National Business Development Manager, Lee Jones, Bill Whyman from Hyppo Hydrogen, and Chris Garlick, a volunteer mentor for the Cranfield Trust.
The personal stories of service users who describe community transport as a 'lifeline' formed an important and emotional part of the day, while the selfless volunteer drivers were also featured, allowing guests to fully understand the lengths they go to provide an invaluable service.
Commenting on the success of the event, Transformation Project Manager, Wyndham Williams, said: “It was incredible to see so many of our partners joining us to hear about the exciting opportunity Pembrokeshire has to strengthen, unite, and future-proof the Community Transport sector in Pembrokeshire.
“The highlight of the day for me was to hear from passengers, service users, volunteers, and operators about their experiences with Community Transport. Time and time again 'Lifeline' was quoted by so many people, especially those who have mobility needs.
“There are exciting times ahead as we embark on our journey!”
Following on from the launch event, PACTO will be hosting a series of community consultation roadshow events across the county in the next few months, which will allow members of the public to ask questions and share their opinions to help provide a clearer picture of the sector in the county, as well as identifying the areas which require improvement and opportunities for collaboration.
PACTO have also created a survey to help them understand how services are currently being used, as well as identifying opportunities to adapt and develop these services and work with partners across the county to help improve understanding of what is available for residents. To complete the survey, please follow this link: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/CTpassengersurvey/
For more information on roadshow events, please contact PACTO on events@pacto.org.uk or 01437 701 123.
About the Motability Foundation. The Motability Foundation is a registered charity set up in 1977. The Motability Foundation funds, supports, researches and innovates so that all disabled people can make the journeys they choose. We oversee the Mobility Scheme and provide grants to help people use it, providing access to transport to hundreds of thousands of people a year. We award grants to other charities and organisations that provide different types of transport, or work towards making transport accessible. We also carry out ongoing research, in partnership with disabled people and key stakeholders in the industry, to inspire innovations that continue to champion accessible transport for all. Motability operating as Motability Foundation.