The PLANED project in partnership with Carmarthenshire County Council
CCTAL recently worked with PLANED, the community development charity responsible for the Carmarthenshire Living Well Centre at Parc Dewi Sant, to support improvement works at its vital community facility.
The Centre brings together more than 30 partner organisations and services under one roof, providing free advice, workshops, health support, consultations, and activities to residents across Carmarthenshire five days a week. With visitor numbers growing to around 700 per month, PLANED saw a need to enhance its offices, meeting rooms, and outdoor areas to better support both staff and service users.
To meet this need, we coordinated a general maintenance project in partnership with Carmarthenshire County Council, starting in late August 2025. Council staff carried out essential work including decorating, carpentry, plumbing, and electrical tasks across the site.
Our Pathway to Your Future work experience programme also played a key role. Learners had the opportunity to work on a live community project while gaining practical skills: Thomas Janas, placed with IWEC, completed electrical work; Harri Jones, supported by Jones and Maher Ltd, carried out carpentry; and Sianco Emmanuel, on placement with Carmarthenshire County Council, handled painting and decorating.
The project provided valuable benefits for our learners. They were able to apply and transfer the skills they had been developing through their placements in a real-world environment, gain confidence working on a live project, and see the immediate impact of their contribution on the local community. It also helped them build workplace experience, teamwork skills, and a sense of responsibility that will support their future careers.
Our Training Manager, Lynette Anthony, said:
“Seeing Thomas, Harri, and Sianco take what they’d learned on their placements and apply their knowledge and skills on a real-life project has been fantastic!
“The time, guidance, and expertise from Jones and Maher, IWEC, and Carmarthenshire County Council have made it possible for the boys to get practical experience while contributing to a community project that is going to help the local community massively”
The Carmarthenshire Living Well Centre continues to be a hub for health, third sector, and community services. From mental health and dementia support to education, exercise, and advice, the Centre provides a coordinated, accessible service that helps individuals get the support they need – all entirely free of charge.
This project is a great example of how partnerships between local authorities, community organisations, employers, and training providers like CCTAL can both improve community facilities and create meaningful learning opportunities for young people – a great success for our Pathway to Your Future programme and its candidates!
