News

Tenby police officer’s double life as RNLI volunteer

Published

5 years ago

December 6, 2018

FROM patrolling the streets to rescuing people at sea, a Tenby man is leading a double life as both a Dyfed-Powys Police officer and a volunteer with the RNLI.

PC Rob Garland comes from a family with an astonishing 180 years of combined service to the lifeboat service in Tenby, and gives up his free time to help people and animals in danger at sea.

He has spoken about his experiences as Dyfed-Powys Police celebrates its officers and staff who give up their time for other agencies as part of the UN’s International Volunteer Day.

PC Garland, who joined the RNLI at the age of 17, said: “Being in Tenby, I spent most of my time down the harbour, on the beaches and was always in and out of boats. It was a natural thing for me to do.

“My family have a long tradition with the Tenby RNLI. My great-grandfather was the coxswain (skipper), as was my great-uncle, while other uncles and my grandfather were also on the crew.

“It was kind of inevitable I was going to join.”

Not only does he have RNLI in the family, but PC Garland explained that the crew itself is a community who combine their efforts to get the job done.

“We have a great crew in Tenby, we all know we are there to do a job however we do have a laugh with it also,” he said. “We do lots of events within the community and work close in hand with all partner agencies at these events.

“However, when the pager goes off, everyone is immediately focused and the professional approach is unrivalled.”

The jobs PC Garland and the crew are called to range from helping disabled fishing trawler, heading out to broken down cargo ships that weigh over 150 times the weight of the lifeboat, or to children in an inflatable dingy being blown off the beach. He added that more and more, the crew is called to help animals in distress.

“Recent years have seen an increase in us going to dogs over cliffs, as the dog may still be alive in the water, and also to ensure the safety of the dog owner,” he said. “If they know help is on the way, it can and does stop them from taking extreme risks in going into sea or scaling down cliffs to get their pet.

“Being a dog owner myself, it’s hard to see a dog that has fallen 60 meters on the rocks below and the owner distraught trying to get to it. We do our best to recover the dog provided its safe for us to do so and to bring the dog back to the owner in a respectful and dignified way.”

PC Garland is on the crew of Tenby’s two lifeboats, and explained that the smaller inshore lifeboat d-class is used for searches and rescues in the surf, shallow water and confined locations – often close to cliffs, among rocks and even inside caves. The other boat is the bigger all-weather Tamar class, which can go to sea in any weather and is self-righting in the event of capsizing.

Looking back over shout-outs, he said: “Back in October 2017, we launched the all-weather boat into very rough storm 10 conditions during Storm Brian to reports or a person having been washed off the rocks.

“During the shout, I fractured my hand due to the impact of the waves on the boat, which was regularly being submerged by large waves. Thankfully it turned out to be a false alarm with good intent.

“I also remember launching in February 2016 s to a cargo ship which had suffered engine failure south of Caldey Island and was adrift. We launched to assist and to hold it off Caldey Island until a salvage tug arrived.

“The waves on this shout were some of the largest I have seen, they even dwarfed the cargo ship that was 94 meters in length. Thankfully, the cargo ship missed Caldey Island dropped its anchor to the east where we stood by for a few hours to ensure that it was no longer drifting.”

As a police officer, PC Garland fits call-outs around his shifts – even attending a shout minutes after getting back into bed following a night shift.

“I am aware that as a police officer my day job comes first,” he said. “I am a volunteer with the RNLI, however it does not pay my wages.

“Once I am home, having finished a shift, I will turn my pager on and answer the call should it come in. On my rest days or annual leave if I am in Tenby I will always carry my pager with me.

“It has come to the point where if my partner and I go out for a meal that I always leave my wallet and car keys with her, as I have left her in the restaurant taking them with me, which can take a bit of explaining to the staff.”

News

Crime Commissioner candidate welcomes retail crime crackdown

Published

8 mins ago

April 25, 2024

Tom Sinclair

A RAFT of new measures has been announced in the fight against epidemic levels of shoplifting on our highstreets.

Increased use of tagging for repeat offenders and the roll-out of facial recognition cameras are part of the crackdown.

A new standalone offence for assaulting a shop worker will carry a sentence of up to six months in jail or an unlimited fine. Criminal Behaviour Order will also ban offenders from returning to that shop.

The moves have been welcomed by Conservative Police and Crime Commissioner candidate for Dyfed Powys, Ian Harrison.

Ian said: “Shoplifting is the scourge of our highstreets. Local shops are the heart of our communities, especially in rural areas, and this sends out a tough message to those who think it is acceptable to rob local businesses and abuse the people who work in them.”

“Of particular concern is the appearance of organised shoplifting gangs, targeting our smaller High Street retailers. One local shopkeeper advised me that police response has been woefully inadequate.”

Announcing the crackdown, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “I am sending a message to those criminals – whether they are serious organised criminal gangs, repeat offenders or opportunistic thieves – who think they can get away with stealing from these local businesses or abusing shopworkers, enough is enough.”

Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium, said the voices of three million people working in retail had finally been heard after relentless campaigning for a specific offence for assaulting shop workers.

She said: “Victims are ordinary hardworking people – teenagers taking on their first job, carers looking for part-time work, parents working around childcare. This announcement sends a clear message that abusive behaviour will not be tolerated.”

Retail crime is reported to cost business across the UK over £1bn every year.

News

70 Pembrokeshire clubs benefit from Sport Wales funding

Published

11 mins ago

April 25, 2024

Tom Sinclair

SEVENTY Pembrokeshire clubs have been successful in receiving grants from the Be Active Wales Fund over the last financial year.

In total the clubs received more than £407,800 from the grants scheme from Sport Wales in 2023/24.

The fund backed 25 different sports, ranging from archery, basketball and cricket to sailing, short mat bowls and weightlifting and everything in between.

The Be Active Wales Fund is open to applications from not for profit community clubs and groups to help develop and sustain their activities.

Grants range from a minimum of £300 up to a maximum of £50,000.

The scheme will support coach education courses, the purchase of essential items of equipment right up to larger projects such as floodlighting and boats for sailing clubs.

For advice and support with your application contact Alan Jones or Lois Hilling at Pembrokeshire County Council’s Sports Development department, Sport Pembrokeshire on [email protected]

The Be Active Wales Fund is always open for applications.

More information is available on the Sport Wales website.

Business

Welsh Secretary commends growth of medical device company IQ Endoscopes

Published

16 mins ago

April 25, 2024

Tom Sinclair

THE Secretary of State for Wales, David TC Davies, has commended IQ Endoscopes for the clear progress it is making on its ambitious growth journey and the value it is bringing to the local economy.

The Cabinet Minister turned the spotlight on the impact of private equity investment and venture capital following a fact-finding mission to the medical device manufacturer’s Chepstow HQ in South Wales.

The visit was organised by the British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (BVCA), whose members, BGF – one of the largest and most experienced investors in the UK and Ireland – and the Development Bank of Wales, alongside a consortium of existing investors, boosted IQ Endoscopes’ expansion with a £5.2 million investment in 2022.

Mr Davies, the MP for Monmouth, commented: “IQ Endoscopes is an outstanding example of how a business can excel with the right support and investment, which has allowed the team to innovate, grow, create jobs and bring value to the community.

“IQ Endoscopes is a fantastic company on the brink of an extraordinary achievement as they push the boundaries of medical technology, but these pioneers could not have turned their bold vision into reality without the backing of BGF and Development Bank of Wales.”

Tim Rea, head of early stage investments at BGF, said: “IQ Endoscopes has been able to generate a great deal of momentum to date as the team navigates its way towards launching a truly innovative technology which will help ease the strain on our healthcare system and improve patient outcomes worldwide.

“We’re proud to support IQ Endoscopes, providing strategic guidance and funding at a crucial stage of the company’s journey.”

IQ Endoscopes has created a single-use endoscopy device which is not only cost-effective and scalable but also sustainable and has the potential to revolutionise early diagnosis of a range of cancers and gastro-intestinal conditions.

Matt Ginn, IQ Endoscopes Chief Executive Officer, said: “IQ Endoscopes has undergone rapid acceleration. Funds from our 2022 investment have enabled my team to focus on market access strategy ahead of product launch.

“We’re now pushing forward at speed to develop a device which will soon transform the way patients undergo vital treatments and procedures, as well as boosting the economy with up to 100 new jobs.

“To support this growth, we’re looking to raise further investment in the near future and as such, we’re keen to explore interest from further UK venture sources.”

Michael Moore, British Private Equity and Capital Venture Association Chief Executive, added: “We were delighted to arrange for the Welsh Secretary to visit IQ Endoscopes and demonstrate the real impact that private capital has in small and innovative businesses up and down the country.

“In 2022, 27.5bn was invested by private capital into UK businesses in sectors across the UK economy, ranging from consumer products to emerging technology. There are over 12,000 UK companies backed by private capital which currently employ over 2.2 million people in the UK. A majority of the businesses backed are outside London and 90% of the businesses receiving investment are small and medium-sized businesses.”

Dr Richard Thompson, Senior Investment Executive at the Development Bank of Wales, said: “We’ve worked closely with IQ Endoscopes since our initial investment in 2020 attracted them to Wales. Having secured regulatory approval in the UK and US, they’re making significant progress.

“The company is one of many that is helping to position Wales at the forefront of the health-tech sector and we’re proud to be playing a part in their global success story. We’re looking forward to the difference their technology can make to help patients and to reduce the NHS waiting times for endoscopy services.”