Youth artwork brings colour and creativity to Haverfordwest Railway Station
A partnership of local services, transport stakeholders and community organisations has come together to support improvements and introduce new artwork at Haverfordwest Railway Station, with a strong focus on youth engagement and creative participation.
The work has involved South West Wales Connected, Pembrokeshire County Council Youth Justice, The Edge Youth Centre and Regeneration Teams, Kier, Transport for Wales, Dyfed-Powys Police, The VC Gallery, Haverfordwest Action Forum and several local artists.
As part of the Pembrokeshire County Council Haverfordwest Public Transport Interchange funded by Welsh Government, Kier delivered station refurbishment works, including cleaning and improvements to the waiting area and public facilities. An unused building on Platform 2 was also cleaned and prepared for the display of artwork. The art installations were funded through the UK Government Shared Prosperity Fund.
Young people supported through Pembrokeshire County Council services produced a series of artworks now displayed in the station waiting area and on the Platform 2 building. Additional works created by local artists have also been installed, bringing new colour and creativity to the station environment.
This project has brought together different strands of community involvement and creative work, contributing to a more welcoming environment for passengers and visitors, while providing opportunities for young people to take part in meaningful creative activity.
Continuing to improve the key gateways into the town, from Haverfordwest Railway Station to the new Haverfordwest Public Transport Interchange (HPTI), is an important part of supporting wider town centre regeneration efforts. These enhancements help create a more attractive, welcoming and connected environment for residents and visitors, strengthening first impressions of the town and contributing to its overall appeal as a destination to live, work, visit and invest.
Cllr Rhys Sinnett, Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services, said: “It’s great to see art and culture brought to people as opposed to them actively seeking it out and we have a great tradition in Pembrokeshire of young people producing public art in this form. The fact that this is a wide-ranging partnership of groups only adds to the value of the project. I hope people take an opportunity to have a look at what has been created.”
Ian Rees, Regional Director for Kier Construction Western and Wales, said: “We’re proud to have supported improvements at Haverfordwest Railway Station through our work on the wider public transport interchange project, and to be leaving such a positive legacy for the local community.
It’s been fantastic to see so many stakeholders come together to support and celebrate the creative young people involved in this project, providing a more welcoming space for passengers and visitors.”
Philip Merchant, Project Manager for South West Wales Connected, said: “As South West Wales Connected, we took on this project as a response to community feedback that the station was not a welcoming place, in its environment and for passenger wellbeing.
It was a challenge and an opportunity to take this on as a blank canvas and it was so enjoyable to work with many partners who all had the same vision and reasons to upgrade this important railway station.”
Nathaniel Owen, Senior Customer Operations Manager for Transport for Wales, said: “Transport for Wales are delighted to have worked closely with Pembrokeshire County Council, Kier Construction, South West Wales Connected and local artists and stakeholder to deliver some small but important improvements to the station environment at Haverfordwest. We hope customers will enjoy looking at the artwork done by local people for local people when they travel with us.”
This initiative reflects a shared commitment to partnership working, supporting young people, and improving public spaces for the wider community.