Tenby Connects (how to ‘do’ a community website!)
If you visit most ‘town websites’, you are likely to find a boring generic site filled with ads for visiting zoos, aquariums, and directions to the nearest superstores and car park directions. Not good enough! Let’s pop over the border to beautiful Wales, to discover a site that is a sublime example of how to foster community, and makeover your town or village!
Tenby Connects is a beautifully designed website for one of Wales’ most popular holiday destinations. It’s packed with profiles of local volunteers and small shops and businesses, plus has many projects that local people can get involved with. It’s really inspiring, take a look!
The projects in Tenby include:
A Community Fridge – This is where people donate food (not yet out of date) and people basically just help themselves for free (read our post on food safety for people and pets).
Friday Wellbeing and Cooking Group – this is held over winter to offer tips on healthy budget cooking, and to try out wellbeing techniques (it’s aimed mostly for unpaid carers).
The No Throw Party Kit – for a small fee, you can borrow a set of reusable plates, bowls and beakers for 30 guests (with table cloths and reusable cutlery) to avoid buying single-use plastic items.
Litter-Picking Groups – equipment can be borrowed to pick up litter at regular meets by the harbour.
Repair Cafes – these are held once a month, where volunteer experts repair items brought in by members of the public – for free (or perhaps a cup of tea and some biscuits!)
Town Ambassadors – volunteers basically wander around the town on foot, answering questions to help local people and visitors. An ideal hobby for resident chatterboxes!
A Community Edible Garden – this is run by volunteers, again to provide free food for local people. Volunteers also help look after plants for pollinators in public gardens.
Use no-dig gardening (and avoid netting) to help wildlife (and ensure ponds have sloping sides). Also read our post on pet-friendly gardens.
If you fancy helping out nature in your community (in Wales, England or anywhere else), download Patch of the Planet’s 10-Step Nature Gardening Course (by a couple of ecological gardeners based in Wales).
