4theRegion Launches Ambitious Five-Year Programme to Transform South West Wales

4theRegion, a community interest company committed to driving positive change across South West Wales, last week announced an ambitious five-year transformation plan at the organisation’s Annual General Meeting. This strategic plan marks a bold new chapter for South West Wales, focused on connection, collaboration, and community-led development.

Building on over eight years of stakeholder engagement and cross-sector collaboration, the new programme aims to unlock the region’s enormous potential – from its resilient communities and proud local heritage to its entrepreneurial spirit and emerging green economy.

The programme is built around five interconnected missions, each designed to tackle key challenges while fostering local strength and opportunity:

Stronger Local Supply Chains: Supporting local businesses, producers, and suppliers to keep more spending within the region, this mission champions economic self-reliance, job creation, and a thriving homegrown business ecosystem.

Backing Community Action: Empowering grassroots changemakers to take action in their neighbourhoods, this mission fosters wellbeing, resilience, and the ability to build stronger, more resilient communities.

Youth Empowerment: Offering hope, purpose, and local pathways to success for the next generation, this mission connects young people with opportunities, role models, and support networks – helping them build fulfilling lives in South West Wales.

Positive News & Local Media: Recognising the power of storytelling, this mission reshapes regional identity by amplifying good news, success stories, and positive developments – laying the foundation for transformation.

Green Economy: Focusing on sustainable, locally rooted economic development, this mission promotes community wealth-building, green jobs, and environmental stewardship that serves both local people and planet.

Regional steering groups will guide the delivery of the five missions, with projects and activities building on existing strengths of businesses and organisations in 4theRegion’s network.

Dawn Lyle, Managing Director of 4theRegion, said: “Our vision based on five key strategic priorities will allow us to focus on supporting people, businesses and organisations within our region to work together towards a happier, healthier South West Wales with a thriving economy, to ultimately flourish.

“We’ve been disempowered as a society due to a variety of factors, but the future of our region is in our hands. Transformation will happen when we all work towards a shared vision with shared values, it’s a whole-system approach to addressing the challenges and opportunities we face, and everyone has a part to play.”

Danial Ahern, General Manager at Alpha Safety, a local training provider and 4theRegion member, said: “4theRegion speaks for a lot of the same ethos and values that we’re about as a business. It’s about lifting others and empowering others through collaboration and giving back. Keeping it local essentially just allows us to build those networks and build stronger connections.

“Training and upskilling others needs to start at youth-level so you can start to imprint those values to drive skills with the idea to hopefully create more action across the other values and keep learners within the area.”

Over 80 businesses were represented by business leaders and individuals in attendance at the AGM, many of which are 4theRegion members and supporters, committed to working towards positive change across the region.

Find out more about the ambitious Transformation plan and how to get involved on 4theregion’s website: www.4theregion.org.uk/transformation.