News

Welsh stations reveal mixed picture in women’s railway safety survey

Published

6 minutes ago

July 27, 2026

TRAIN stations across Wales have been highlighted in a major new survey by leading women’s charity Soroptimist International Great Britain and Ireland (SIGBI), which examined safety standards at stations across the UK.

The survey highlighted concerns at a number of Welsh stations, including Saundersfoot, where surveyors noted that passengers face a mile-long walk to the town centre along an unlit road, and Chepstow, where concerns were raised about a lack of CCTV coverage and emergency phone provision.

The report also identified many local stations, including Pembroke, Pembroke Dock, Kilgetty, Penally, Milford Haven and Narberth, as being permanently unstaffed. Surveyors warned that limited staffing, isolated station environments and gaps in emergency provision can leave women feeling vulnerable, particularly during evening journeys.

While Cardiff Central, Llandudno and Aberystywth were highlighted as examples of good practice, the findings reflect wider national concerns about passenger safety and access to assistance, particularly in rural areas.

Across the UK, only 10 percent of stations are staffed at all times, 30 percent are permanently unstaffed and fewer than half (44 percent) display clear information about who is responsible for passenger safety.

Gillie O’Rourke, President of SIGBI, said: “These key measures, which can help women feel more secure, remain inconsistent, patchy and mixed at best. This leaves women increasingly vulnerable when travelling by train.”

SIGBI has been campaigning for safer railways for women and girls for over 30 years. First launched in 1996, ‘The Future of the Railways’ was an investigation into personal safety on the railways, which the charity’s members – known as Soroptimists – used to lobby the Government into taking action to do more to protect women on public transport.

It was launched in response to a Soroptimist being attacked on a train in the London area.

Soroptimists carried out grassroots research into the experiences of female passengers, visiting more than 500 overground stations across Britain. Their work also included consultation with station managers and rail staff to build a comprehensive picture of safety and accessibility on the rail network.

SIGBI published a report making recommendations to the UK Government on how to improve safety in stations, claiming the Government’s approach to passenger safety in railway stations was ineffective.

In 2024, the project was relaunched to ask the same questions of the UK’s railway stations, to see how much has changed. The results of the new survey are the outcome of 388 surveys undertaken by Soroptimists covering 373 stations and 985 platforms.

The survey’s aims were to assess the visibility of railway staff, emergency help points, and station signage, and to evaluate the clarity and quality of safety information.

The new findings expose a persistent gender safety gap across the rail network, raising urgent questions about accountability, visibility, and the protection of female passengers after dark.

“It is shocking that in almost 30 years so little has changed, the same issues persist, the same voices are going unheard, and progress feels more like a circle than a line,” Gillie added.

In response to the investigation’s findings, SIGBI is calling for the introduction of minimum safety standards for all stations, particularly during the evening. The charity believes urgent action is needed to address the gaps in basic safety provision across the rail network.

This includes reliable emergency help points, monitored CCTV, adequate lighting and clear emergency contact information.

SIGBI is also pressing for greater accountability, with clear signage showing who is responsible for safety, alongside improved accessibility measures and facilities to ensure all passengers – especially women and girls – can travel with confidence.

Lindsay Green, Programme Director at SIGBI, said: “Our goal is to stand up for women and girls, advocating for equal rights, opportunities, and representation. The relaunch of our railway safety project has been key in advancing this important issue and bringing it to the forefront of policy makers’ agendas.

“The timing of the survey’s relaunch happened to coincide with the British Transport Police’s last report which stated that violence against women and girls on British railways had risen by more than 50 percent since 2021. Clearly, more needs to be done, and urgently.

“We’re proud to be playing our part in helping to shape a safer environment for women when travelling.”

In addition to its work with this report, SIGBI is carrying out ‘Bystander Awareness’ training in communities up and down the UK, in a bid to help further identify and prevent violence against women and girls.

Read SIGBI’s Railway Station Safety Survey Report here: https://sigbi.org/railwaysurvey/

Charity

Ascona Group honoured for £450,000 Wales Air Ambulance fundraising effort

Published

1 hour ago

July 27, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Pembrokeshire-headquartered company’s logo unveiled on charity helicopter as it works towards £1 million target

A PEMBROKESHIRE business has been honoured for its longstanding support of Wales Air Ambulance after its logo was unveiled on the tail of one of the charity’s helicopters.

Ascona Group, an independent forecourt and roadside retail operator, has pledged to raise £1 million for the lifesaving charity and has already generated approximately £450,000.

The amount raised is enough to help fund the equivalent of more than 110 Wales Air Ambulance missions.

The helicopter branding has been introduced in recognition of the company’s continuing fundraising partnership with the charity and its support for communities across Wales.

Ascona Group founder and chief executive Darren Briggs became Wales Air Ambulance’s first business ambassador in 2025 and has played a leading role in developing the partnership.

A significant proportion of the money has been raised through the company’s work with fintech organisation Pennies.

Customers are given the opportunity to donate 30p when paying by card or digital wallet. At Ascona’s Welsh sites, each customer donation is matched by the company.

The initiative has so far raised more than £300,000.

The partnership also has personal significance for Mr Briggs after Wales Air Ambulance attended a serious incident involving one of Ascona Group’s longest-serving employees.

Mr Briggs is also a qualified helicopter pilot and said he had great respect for the skill and professionalism of the charity’s flight crews.

He said: “Seeing the Ascona Group logo on the tail of one of the Wales Air Ambulance helicopters is an incredibly proud moment for everyone connected with our business.

“This has never simply been about fundraising. It is about supporting a service that saves lives every single day.

“I have always believed that commercial success should create opportunities to make a lasting difference in the communities we serve.

“That philosophy has shaped Ascona Group from the very beginning, and I am incredibly proud that our colleagues, customers and business partners have embraced it so wholeheartedly.

“When we pledged to raise £1 million, we wanted to build a genuine relationship with the charity rather than simply write a cheque.

“To have our logo carried on one of the helicopters is a tremendous honour.

“As a helicopter pilot myself, I have always had enormous respect for the crews who fly these missions in incredibly challenging circumstances.

“Every time that helicopter takes off, its crew is giving someone the very best chance of survival, and we are proud to play a small part in helping make that possible.”

Wales Air Ambulance says it must raise £13 million each year to keep its helicopters flying and its rapid-response vehicles on the road.

The average cost of attending a mission by air or road is approximately £3,545.

The charity attended 3,365 missions during 2025 and has completed more than 57,400 missions since its first flight on St David’s Day in March 2001.

Phae Jones, director of income generation at Wales Air Ambulance, said the decision to display Ascona Group’s logo recognised the company’s “enduring support” for the charity.

She said: “We do not place a company’s logo on one of our helicopters lightly.

“It is a visible symbol which recognises Ascona Group’s enduring support for our lifesaving work across Wales.

“Since Darren became our first business ambassador, both he and the wider Ascona team have gone above and beyond.

“From pledging to raise £1 million and becoming headline sponsor of our 25th anniversary gala dinner, to inspiring colleagues, customers and business partners to support the charity, their contribution has been truly exceptional.

“Our crews come to the aid of countless people across Wales every day, and we simply could not deliver our lifesaving service without businesses and individuals like Darren and Ascona Group.”

The company’s fundraising will continue in November when Mr Briggs joins other supporters on a 100-kilometre trek across the Sahara Desert in Morocco.

He hopes the challenge will raise a further £5,000 towards the company’s £1 million target.

Ascona Group was founded in Pembrokeshire in 2011 and has grown from a single service station into a business operating 70 roadside sites across England, Wales and Scotland.

The company employs around 910 people and says its sites serve more than 350,000 customers each week.

Community

Little Haven Regatta returns with full day of family fun

Published

2 hours ago

July 27, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Sailing, swimming, kayaking and children’s events will feature at the popular village regatta on Sunday, August 9

ONE of the highlights of Little Haven’s summer calendar will return next month, with the village regatta promising a full day of races, activities and entertainment for all ages.

Little Haven Regatta 2026 will take place on Sunday, August 9, featuring sailing races, children’s beach games, open-water swimming, kayaking and paddleboard events.

The day will begin at 9am with a one-mile open-water swim, organised by MUUK Adventures. Entry details are available through the organisation’s website.

A helmsmen’s briefing for the sailing events will take place on the slipway at 10.30am, before the Goultrop Open Handicap race begins at 11am.

A class or handicap race will follow at noon, with the Bahamas Classic Pursuit race getting underway after lunch at approximately 2.15pm.

Children’s games will take place on the beach from 1pm, while the inshore events are scheduled to begin at 3.45pm.

These will include kayak and paddleboard races, with participants encouraged to bring their own equipment where possible, followed by the popular children’s swimming races.

The day’s final sporting event will be Tudor’s Mackerel Race at 5.30pm.

Prize-giving and the raffle draw will then take place on “the Wall” at approximately 6.30pm.

Organisers said timings are approximate and advised visitors to pick up an official programme for full details on the day.

Additional parking will be available in the field next to Atlantic View, between Little Haven and Broad Haven.

Organisers said: “Come along and enjoy a traditional village regatta catering for all ages. Join in the fun, or sit on the wall with a coffee or a cold beer and enjoy the action.”

Community

New creative team transforms the Maes ahead of Eisteddfod y Garreg Las

Published

12 hours ago

July 26, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Festival site in Llantwd is taking shape ahead of the National Eisteddfod’s arrival in Pembrokeshire from August 1 to 8

WORK is well underway to transform fields at Llantwd into the Maes for this year’s National Eisteddfod, with a new creative team leading preparations for Wales’s largest cultural festival.

Visitors can expect a fresh layout and a range of new spaces and experiences when Eisteddfod y Garreg Las opens its gates next month.

Llwyfan y Maes and Mas ar y Maes will have a different look and feel, while new areas including Llwyfan Llên and the Tebot Hud are being introduced to add to the festival atmosphere.

Preparations began in mid-June and are being led for the first time by Angharad Davies, the Eisteddfod’s Head of Operations and Production.

Her role covers every aspect of creating the temporary festival site, from installing y Pafiliwn and coordinating contractors to arranging electricity, water supplies, access routes, toilets and other essential services.

Angharad joined the Eisteddfod team shortly before last year’s festival in Wrexham, but this is the first time she has been involved in developing the Maes from a blank canvas.

She said: “We’re looking forward to seeing everyone on the Maes this year. It’s been an exciting opportunity to rethink how the site works.

“Our aim is to create a Maes that feels vibrant while keeping that sense of community that makes the Eisteddfod so unique.

“We have to think about everything, from the large structures, stages and cabins to water and electricity supplies, access routes, toilets and all the smaller details that ensure the Maes works.”

Angharad brings extensive experience in theatre, festivals and major events to the role.

After studying at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff, she worked in theatre and at events including Glastonbury and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, as well as on international productions.

She later spent several years planning and producing shows for Theatr Cymru.

Angharad has been working alongside Cordelia Ashwell, of Decordia, who has played a central role in developing the creative vision for this year’s Maes.

Cordelia is also a graduate of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, and the pair have combined their production experience with local knowledge and suppliers from the Garreg Las area.

Their designs aim to make the most of the site’s location, with views towards the Preseli Mountains forming a natural backdrop to the festival.

Cordelia said: “Working on the Eisteddfod has been a special experience and has made me prouder than ever of my Welsh heritage.

“It has been a privilege to collaborate with local students and businesses, and to see their excitement at being part of such an amazing project and having the Eisteddfod on their doorstep.

“It’s really important to us that the Maes reflects the local area. We have a fantastic team from the Garreg Las area working with us, and that makes a huge difference.”

Angharad described the project as being similar to building a temporary town.

She said: “Everything needs to come together at the right time and in the right place, and its success depends on great teamwork and people who are willing to go above and beyond.

“I’m very proud of the team. Everyone is doing their best, and it is a privilege to lead this work.

“Our aim is to create a Maes that functions well, looks fantastic and gives everyone a very warm croeso.”

Eisteddfod y Garreg Las takes place at Llantwd, Pembrokeshire, from August 1 to 8.

Further information is available from the National Eisteddfod website.

Picture caption:

Angharad Davies and Cordelia Ashwell on the Maes ahead of Eisteddfod y Garreg Las 2026.