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Pembrokeshire Panniers Deliver Vital PPE

PEMBROKESHIRE PANNIERS Volunteer Motorcycle Couriers are delivering vital personal protective equipment (PPE) to social care and medical centres across Pembrokeshire. The volunteer group of mature bikers, who are more like Pembrokeshire’s Angels than Hells Angels, are co-ordinated by David Stewart-Walvin from Tenby with members living in Tenby, Kilgetty, Haverfordwest and Milford.
We are all aware of the vital life-saving work our care services and medical staff are providing at this difficult time. The need for PPE to protect workers and those they treat since the coronavirus outbreak is constant.
Local volunteers with a talent for sewing are working hard to provide equipment for local frontline Hywel Dda staff, hospices, GP surgeries, midwives, carers and key workers. Pembrokeshire Sewers, headed by Wendy Morse, are making headbands and uniform bags. Anthea Evenden co-ordinates Pembrokeshire For The Love Of Scrubs, with more than 140 dressmakers and stitchers making uniforms, scrub bags, reusable gowns, and headbands and Tenby Freemasons have donated plastic face shields.
As demand and production grow, so does the need for the items to be transported. This task was initially undertaken by Tuk Tuk Time Rainbow Delivery squad who offer free shopping, prescription collection and delivery services. Tuk Tuk driver Geoff began delivering essential equipment out of the Tuk Tuk delivery areas via motorbike. When Geoff returned to work he contacted fellow bikers and on March 20th Pembrokeshire Panniers Volunteer Motorcycle Couriers took to the road. The group are now registered with Pembrokeshire Association of Voluntary Services (PAVS).
In a typical day there is anything up to 20 deliveries. David Stewart-Walvin contacts the PPE co-ordinators who advise him what equipment needs transporting and where. David then arranges the jobs into delivery routes and sends out information to the Pembrokeshire Panniers via WhatsApp group.
“We are very grateful to Pembs Panniers for their invaluable help with collections and deliveries of fabric, completed scrubs, gowns, bags, headbands and masks around the county. Nothing is too much trouble and they’re always cheerful, rain or shine.” Said Anthea.
On a special mission, Pembrokeshire Panniers organised a relay type delivery service to get vital PPE to University Hospital Wales, Cardiff, where the daughter of Pembrokeshire Sewers organiser, Stephanie Morse, was receiving emergency dialysis. Respecting travelling rules and social distancing several bikers passed the PPE at different points in their locality in the form of a relay delivery reaching to Cardiff within 2 hours of despatch.
“We all want to help, our area of expertise is safe delivery via motorcycle. We are a fast response group handling collection and delivery of medical and PPE equipment to Social Care, Medical and Key Worker groups as well as mainstream hospitals. If services need PPE they contact the local volunteer groups who are making the PPE, we then arrange to deliver the required equipment.” said David.
Pembrokeshire Panniers are volunteers; the bikers are personally financing fuel and running costs for the essential journeys. If you would like to donate fuel costs or your business might like to sponsor them, please contact David via the email address below.
If you are a group making PPE, an organisation or medical service needing PPE please contact the numbers below and the Pembrokeshire Panniers will do their best to deliver, usually within 24-48 hours.
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Storm Christoph set to batter Wales says Met Office [Video]

STORM Christoph will cause heavy rain and flooding in Wales on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, the Met Office has said.
Forecasters are warning that there could be up to 200mm in some parts of north Wales and say that the heaviest and “most persistent” rain will be in Wales.
The warning states: “Several days of persistent, and occasionally heavy, rain are expected to affect the region as Storm Christoph affects the UK.
The heaviest and most persistent rain is likely to be across Wales and the high ground of northern England.
“By early Thursday, 30-60 mm of rain is expected to have fallen widely across the warning area, with 100-150 mm over the high ground of Wales and northern England.
“Up to 200 mm is possible across parts of north Wales and northwest England.
“Melting snow across higher parts of the Pennines may exacerbate the potential for flooding. Strong winds will also accompany the rainfall and may add to travelling difficulties across areas higher and more exposed routes.”
The warning is in place from midnight on Tuesday until noon on Thursday (January 21).
Welsh forecaster Derek Brockway says: “Large rainfall totals on high ground in south and northwest Wales.
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Enabling works start at regeneration site in Pembroke

WORK has started on the highly anticipated South Quay regeneration project in Pembroke.
Ambitious plans by Pembrokeshire County Council will see the site next to Pembroke Castle developed into a Visitor Centre, celebrating the town’s history and heritage and incorporating a new Library and Café.
The scheme will also include major enhancements to the public realm and landscaping improvements and public access to the building’s gardens at the rear.
Cllr Paul Miller, Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Economic Development, welcomed work starting on site.
“I’m delighted to see work getting underway. These buildings, right in the heart of Pembroke, have been left to rot for more than a decade by previous Council administrations but thankfully no longer. I am committed to Pembroke and am personally determined to help the town see a brighter future.
“Our investment in South Quay is just the first and most visible part of our commitment to the future of Pembroke and I’m looking forward to engaging with the community on the next steps over the coming months.”
The enabling works, undertaken by contractors Lloyd and Gravell are to ready the site for the development contract. They include the clearing and preparation of the site ready for the stabilisation of derelict buildings in Castle Terrace.
The South Quay project has secured £901,590 of Welsh Government Transforming Towns funding to support delivery of the first stage enabling works.
Deputy Minister for Housing and Local Government Hannah Blythyn said: “The regeneration of South Quay is a fantastic example of how support though our Transforming Towns programme can be used to breathe new life into an old building to create a centre that will become as asset to the local community and celebrate the town’s history. I look forward to seeing how this work progresses.”
Cllr Aaron Carey, County Councillor for Pembroke St Mary South, said it was good to see progress on site.
“No amount of plans or drawings can prepare you for the huge task at hand when the project is seen up close,” he said.
“We as a community are putting our generation’s mark on a thousand year old town and it’s really exciting to see the work being started on site after so many years as an eyesore in the castle’s shadow.”
(Pictured are Cllr Paul Miller and Cllr Aaron Carey at South Quay in Pembroke, where work has started on a key regeneration project.)
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