Partnership working will be vital in Powys as the county recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, the county's Public Services Board has said.

Powys County Council Leader and Chair of the PSB, Councillor James Gibson-Watt said partnership working would be important in the county's recovery from the global pandemic in the Board's fourth annual report approved on July 29.

The board is a statutory strategic partnership established under the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 including Powys County Council, Powys Teaching Health Board, Mid and West Wales Fire Service and Natural Resources Wales.

It requires the partners and key local organisation in Powys, including Police, Brecon Beacons National Park, the third sector and community councils, to work together and take a more co-ordinated and long-term approach to the issues that really matter to the people of the county.

Powys County Council Leader and Chair of the PSB, Councillor James Gibson-Watt said:

"We ended the 2021-2022 year in a very different place to where we began, with public services, communities, the third sector and local businesses continuing to find new ways of doing things, being both innovative and resourceful as they emerged the pandemic to the "new normal".

"The partnership response coordinated and carried out through relevant emergency planning frameworks has been commendable and I have no doubt that the effectiveness is in part due to the relationships and connections developed through the PSB.

"We have continued to progress some of our Well-being Plan objectives and steps. These are at the heart of what the PSB is trying to do, to improve the opportunities and experiences for residents and communities in Powys. Projects that began in 2018-19 have continued to grow, with new ideas and the continued ambition of partners.

"As we move forward, the PSB will have an important role to play in supporting Powys to continue to recover from the pandemic,"

The full report can be accessed using the following link: https://en.powys.gov.uk/article/7509/Powys-Public-Service-Board---Our-Annual-Progress-Report