The journey through life can be a tough one, particularly when you’re wading through the unpredictable years of adolescence and early adulthood.

This is why the third sector youth charity, Milford Youth Matters, is proving an integral and inspirational platform from which thousands of young people are gaining a firm and confident foothold in life.

Set up in 2011, the charity is aimed at young people between the ages of 11 and 25, with its focus being on creating opportunities for people to begin engaging with society as well as acquiring skills which may equip them in securing future employment.

“It’s about helping young people to engage and then transition their skills back into the community,” explained charity co-ordinator, Dayle Gibby.

“But it’s also important to work with them and address any negative perceptions which they may have within the community.

"Milford Youth Matters works with young people from the town of Milford Haven as well as outlying areas such as Neyland, Johnston and Herbrandston and supports them in carrying out voluntary work, preparing and cooking meals for the hugely successful Winter Warmers and running their shop in Charles Street, Milford Haven.

“It’s all about getting young people to learn outside the classroom and develop new skills which they can then use in their community and also in future employment.

“We’re getting them to cook meals with the Winter Warmers which they’re running in partnership with the Port Authority, they’re running the Milford Youth Matters shop which provides vocational training opportunities such as customer service skills, stock control, cash handling and managerial issues, the organise a charity golf day each year as well as no end of voluntary roles with local organisations such as the litter picks and the Pembrokeshire County Show.”

Earlier this year Newsquest, which publishes the Western Telegraph, the Tivyside and the South Wales Guardian newspapers, launched a Our Communities Together Campaign in partnership with the Community Foundation Wales. This enabled local charities as well as voluntary and community organisations that are serving on the front line to apply for grants up to £5,000 a year as a result of the cost-of-living crisis. And Milford Youth Matters succeeded in achieving a £10,000 windfall spread across more than one year.

“This is a great financial boost for us and the money will be utilised right across the organisation, although there will also be a significant contribution to our winter warmer project,” continued Dayle.

“It’s wonderful to be able to see the pride on the faces of the young people who get involved with Milford Youth Matters as they realise that by doing what they do, they have ownership in something.  But they can also share that ownership with the town and the community around them.

“The journey for every single person here is a different one, but all we aim to do is try to raise the belief in everyone’s own individual abilities.”