NABMA Management Board met yesterday (Thursday) at Carmarthen, South Wales, and the home authority of our President Councillor Don Davies. A full pictorial record of the day is in the events archive.

Pictured are the President together with elected member Nabma delegates and representatives of Llanelli Rural Community Council who kindly hosted a drinks reception for NABMA on their visit to the town. The NABMA President is also the Chairman of the Community Council.

Llanelli Rural Council is one of nine community councils in the Llanelli district area. The Council, formed during Local Government re-organisation in April 1974, is made up of 20 elected members, advised by the Clerk to the Council.

The Council’s geographic area is approximately 26.78 square miles, with a population of 20,500 and surrounds the urban centre of Llanelli.

The NABMA visit enabled a full business agenda to be conducted and provided an opportunity to hear of the exciting regeneration plans for both Llanelli and Carmarthen markets.

NABMA delegates were delighted to share the recent successes of NABMA in terms of growing membership, financial performance, training and in attracting partnership ventures for research into the value of local markets linked to the food chain.

Key debates focused around the leading role that NABMA has played in facilitating and producing the Policy Framework document that will be presented to the Markets APPG at the House of Commons on Monday 18 June. The Markets Week campaign is endorsed by Gary Lineker with a NABMA aim of encouraging its membership to invite their local Member of Parliament to their market during the week to sign up their support for the markets industry.

NABMA President Councillor Don Davies expressed his delight in welcoming NABMA to his home town. “I am proud of our local markets and NABMA has been a great source of help to us during our long membership. It was a most pleasing and emotional experience to welcome my many friends in NABMA to my authority and share the proactive and lead agenda that NABMA has set itself as the voice of local authority markets.”

NABMA President Elect Councillor John Gareth Jones paid tribute to our President for his work and support for markets both at home and abroad. “The welcomes we received from both Llanelli Rural and Carmarthenshire County Council were outstanding and it is clear how much influence Councillor Don Davies has in pressing the case for support and investment in local markets. We were delighted to hear of the investment proposed for both Llanelli and Carmarthen markets and we look forward to returning in the future to see the finished products.”