WE couldn't look back at 2017, without highlighting just some of the incredible community efforts that have taken place this year.

More than £70,000 has been raised by local people and businesses to help individuals, groups and charities in need over the last 12 months.

Among those who have benefitted was Megan Sadler, an aspiring young gymnast from Milford Haven.

More than £9,000 was raised to help the youngster and her family fly to America, so she could receive corrective surgery for scoliosis - curvature of the spine.

Emma Clayton raised more than £1,200 to help buy her brother Matthew Griffiths a new wheelchair.

The 24-year-old from Milford Haven has spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy, a condition that affects all his limbs and means he cannot feed, bathe or dress himself.

The Port of Milford Haven handed a cheque for £3,000 to the Paul Sartori Foundation, after staff took part in the 12-mile Tough Mudder mud run.

Milford Mercury writer Jeff Dunn donated £2,368 to the foundation from sales of his latest book ‘It’s all write by me’.

Paul Sartori also benefitted from £3,700 through the Mercury Talent Shows, which took place in October.

And Cleddau Reach primary school also helped the hospice service out with a further £348.

The Port of Milford Haven also supported a number of other causes, including Pembrokeshire Special Needs Gymnastics Club, Milford Haven Sea Scouts, and Milford Haven Gymnastics Club.

Tesco Milford Haven proved its community champion status again, offering huge sums to a number of local causes through its community grants scheme.

The store also helped run a popular coffee club at Hubberston and Hakin Community Centre, donating more than £160 to the hall in December.

It also again supported the annual Milford Haven School art exhibition at the town hall, and raised money for Macmillan, British Heart Foundation, Diabetes UK, and supported various local groups through bag-pack events in-store.

Bronwen Barnard raised £2,000 for the Alzheimer's Society by taking part in the Cardiff Bay 10k race - four times what she had hoped to raise.

A woman diagnosed with incurable ovarian cancer raised more than £800 for the Shalom House palliative care centre.

Julie Chittleburgh, from Milford Haven, and her family organised a raffle, raising a fantastic £862, which will go directly towards patient care.

Danielle Rowe from Pennar raised £430 to support mental health support via the DPJ Foundation, by running the Southampton Marathon.

Danielle was moved to help the charity, which works to break down the stigma attached to mental health, in memory of her uncle, who took his own life.

More than £1,600 was raised in the wake of the death of a Milford Haven teenager in February.

A charity - Megan's Starr Foundation - was also set up in memory of 14-year-old Megan Evans by her mum Nicola Harteveld.

A further £1,500 has since been raised to improve awareness of and support for victims of bullying.

The tragic loss of Emma Fairbairn's unborn baby Flynn also prompted an outpouring of support from the community.

Around £1,300 was raised to help Emma give her son an appropriate funeral, with the remaining money going to charity.

Four-legged friends had a helping hand when Neyland Lodge donated £400 to Green Acres Animal Rescue Centre.

Milford Haven Junior School outdid itself this year, raising almost £7,000 for Red Nose Day, Macmillan Cancer Support, Cancer Research UK, Latch, Cystic Fibrosis and Children in Need.

Pudsey also received a whopping £3,641.55 from Milford Haven School from its Children in Need efforts, which included a car wash, talent show and 'drag show'.

It may have been the end of an era for pupils of Hubberston and Hakin, but they made sure to go out with a band, raising £757.90 through a Race for Life, £40 for Ty Hafan, £815 for Red Nose Day, £248 for Save the Children, and £900 for Children in Need.

This year saw the welcome return of the newly-reestablished Sandy Bear bereavement service.

They received £700 from Milford Haven Ladies Circle.

Staff at construction firm Morganstone gave £1,000 to PATCH (Pembrokeshire Action To Combat Hardship).

The food and basics bank also purchased a new van to help with pick-ups, thanks to donations of £5,000 from Milford Haven Town Council and the Bluestone Foundation, £2,000 from South Hook LNG, and £200 from Haverfordwest Town Council.

PATCH also received £150 from Liz Roach of Penycwm, who ran a sponsored 'slow marathon' - a mile a day for 26 days.

Five-year-old Lilly Jenkins had her hair cut for charity, and sister Hollie raised £125 for the family of Milford Haven youngster Tia Llewellyn, who lost her battle with cancer in December 2016.

And Van Dyk’s hairdressers raised £260 for the Meads School through a Christmas raffle.

Neyland Town Council donated £680 to Welsh Sailing Venture, to help disabled and able-bodied people experience sailing.

Milford Haven Soroptimists raised £700 to help disabled children in Rwanda.

More than £7,000 was raised to help a budding gymnast from Milford Haven travel to America for life changing surgery.

Valero donated £500 to Milford Haven Round Table, which once again provided a day of fun for all the family with the annual town carnival.

Round Tablers also supported several worthy causes, including a trip for Milford Haven School pupils to New York,

Milford Haven Town Council again supported a number of causes in 2017, including the Army Cadets, Pembrokeshire Disabled Bowlers, The Rotary Club of Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire Special Needs Gymnastics Club, Milford United Under-9s, All Pembrokeshire Cruse, and £200 to help PATCH meet its growing running costs.