Following on from our rebrand to PATH, last week we attended the Pembrokeshire County Show to further raise awareness of the growing homelessness problem in the county.

Based in the Community Hub, organised by PAVS, the busy two days were spent talking to the general public and partner organisations.

We also spoke to politician such as Mark Drakeford MS and Paul Davies MS, and were interviewed for a segment on Pure West Radio.

Whilst many of the show visitors were unsurprised by the scale of homelessness post-Covid, especially with the pressures added by the rising cost of living, there were equally as many people who were shocked to learn there was in fact a homelessness problem in Pembrokeshire.

To put the problem into perspective, we explained that:

• Pembrokeshire has the third highest rate of homelessness in Wales, behind Cardiff and Newport.
• Over 650 people live in temporary accommodation at any one time.
• Around 5,500 people are on the housing waiting list.
• We help over 2,000 people every year.

To further spread the message, we handed out hundreds of leaflets about the help and advice we provide those facing homelessness.

As well as educating the attendees about the homelessness problems, we also had a lot of interest in our mental health counselling and brand new maths and numeracy project.

Our proactive approach to prevent homelessness before it happens through services like these gained a lot of praise, with dozens of show attendees signing up over the two days.