MORE than 70 girls from two Pembrokeshire secondary schools enjoyed a morning of sport, fitness and fun at Fishguard Leisure Centre.

Pupils from Ysgol Bro Gwaun and Ysgol Penrhyn Dewi took part in the event on Monday, July 6, which was organised by Sport Pembrokeshire and sponsored by Valero.

The initiative was designed to encourage more girls to become physically active by giving them the opportunity to try a wide range of sports in a welcoming and supportive environment.

Activities included football with POINT Youth Club, rugby with Whitland Ladies RFC, hockey with Fishguard and Goodwick Hockey Club, taekwondo, tennis, sailing, table tennis, rowing and bowls.

Participants were also given the opportunity to use the fitness suite at Fishguard Leisure Centre, with some experiencing gym equipment for the first time.

Young Ambassadors from Ysgol Bro Gwaun supported the event and helped to deliver activities throughout the morning.

Refreshments were provided by Morrisons and Princes Gate, while Hair Syrup and Boots donated a selection of gifts for those taking part.

Dan Bellis, of Sport Pembrokeshire, said: “The girls had a brilliant morning taking part in a fantastic range of activities.

“A big thank you must go to all the clubs and organisations that delivered sessions, the Young Ambassadors for their support, and the local businesses that provided refreshments and gifts.

“We hope the event has inspired the girls to try something new and continue taking part in sport.”

The participants responded enthusiastically to the chance to experience activities they may not previously have considered.

One pupil said: “It was so much fun and it was great to try so many different activities.”

Another added: “I loved trying all the different sports, especially the ones I had never done before.”

A third participant said: “I had never been in a gym before, so it was fun being able to use the bikes and treadmills.”

The event forms part of Sport Pembrokeshire’s continuing work to help young people discover new activities, build their confidence and develop lifelong habits of exercise and physical activity.

A national secularist organisation has backed Pembrokeshire County Council’s plans for Cilgerran school, while the Church in Wales continues to oppose the proposed change and has warned of possible legal action

PLANS to replace Cilgerran Church in Wales VC School with a community school have prompted sharply differing responses from education and religious organisations.

Pembrokeshire County Council has proposed discontinuing the existing voluntary controlled school and establishing a new 3-11 community school on the site.

The authority has argued that changing the school’s status could provide greater flexibility when considering its long-term future, including the possibility of federation with other nearby community schools.

However, the proposal has faced strong opposition from the Church in Wales, the Diocese of St Davids and members of the school community.

The Church has questioned the council’s justification for the change and says the overwhelming majority of responses submitted during the statutory consultation opposed the proposal.

It has also raised concerns about the future use of the school buildings and land, which are owned by the Diocese of St Davids.

The Church in Wales has issued formal notice that legal action may follow if the council proceeds and has said the diocese would not agree to the premises being used for a community school without the relevant legal and property matters being resolved.

Pembrokeshire County Council has said no change would be implemented until questions surrounding land ownership and occupation rights had been addressed in accordance with legal and statutory requirements.

The National Secular Society has now entered the debate, welcoming the council’s proposal.

The organisation, which campaigns for the separation of religion and the state, said community schools were more inclusive and better reflected the religious diversity of modern Wales.

It said: “Inclusive schools which educate pupils together are one of our best means of promoting community cohesion.”

The society also argued that publicly funded schools should be managed in the interests of families from all religious and non-religious backgrounds.

Its intervention is unlikely to resolve the disagreement surrounding the future of the school, with the council, the Church and local stakeholders continuing to hold significantly different views.

The proposal concerns the legal status and governance of the school. It does not mean that pupils or families with Christian beliefs would be excluded from attending the proposed community school.

Equally, opponents of the change argue that Cilgerran school’s Church in Wales identity is an important part of its history and relationship with the local community.

Any final decision will need to take account of the consultation responses, the council’s education strategy, the interests of pupils and staff, and the unresolved legal and property issues surrounding the site.

PLANS for works at a Pembrokeshire ‘bug farm’ to allow it “to maintain its high-quality farming, research, and educational facility” have been submitted to the national park.

In an application to Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, Dr Sarah Beynon of Doctor Beynon’s Bug Farm Ltd, Lower Harglodd, St Davids, through agent Pembroke Design Ltd, seeks permission to for the removal and replacement of a shed on site with a modern one, which the applicant says will “allow the business to extend its season to the visitor experience”.

Dr Beynon’s Bug Farm, just outside St Davids, is the vision of Dr Sarah Beynon, who wanted to combine her love of farming, academic research and education by setting up a centre of excellence in her hometown of St Davids.

It offers a ‘friendly quirky and unique attraction’ for nature lovers and foodies set on a historic Welsh farm.

It boasts a tropical bug zoo, a bug museum, a recently opened nature recovery centre, a farming history museum, a farm trail across wildflower meadows, wetland and woodland, a peaceful walled garden, an art gallery, an indoor play barn and gift shop.

The farm is also home to Grub Kitchen, the UK’s first edible insect café, which offers a nature-friendly menu created from largely organic and local produce, with plenty of non-insect options too.

A supporting statement accompanying the application says the post-war shed, originally used for farm machinery by the applicant’s uncle has long passed its ‘sell by date’, and is not practical or feasible to repair; its replacement “will allow the Bug Farm business to continue to use it to provide educational opportunity and match the building to the rest of the farm buildings”.

The statement adds: “The farm has been named as one of Wales’s top 10 farms for rare arable plants and was used as a 2026 PCNPA case study for a private Naturfa site. Ten percent of the farm has been planted with native woodland since 2023, and the farm has been invited to be designated as part of the National Forest of Wales and will apply for Naturfa status.”

It went on to say: “In creating the nature reserve Sarah has created an educational facility to showcase the work done and to explain the effects it has on improving the wildlife habitat. It has been a huge success.

“The existing proposed Nature Discovery Centre is an educational space to enthuse people about nature and what they can do to reverse the declines of wildlife by discovering just how fascinating it is.

“Over the last few years, work has been carried out on the Nature Recovery Education Centre. Phase 2- Fit Out is due to commence shortly.

“The current proposal to replace the shed will allow the site to maintain its high-quality farming, research, and educational facility.”

It finished: “Once complete the site will enhance the great agricultural, research and educational destination for schools, universities, conservation/ farming groups and day visitors alike.”

The application will be considered by Park planners at a later date.