Donation will help charity fund energy-saving improvements and secure pool’s future

A COMMUNITY-RUN swimming pool in Pembrokeshire has received a £1,000 donation to support major sustainability improvements.

Swim Narberth, the charity which runs Narberth Swimming Pool, has been given the funding by Wales & West Utilities, the gas emergency and pipeline service.

The money will go towards the charity’s energy-efficiency project, which aims to cut energy use, reduce carbon emissions and make the facility more resilient for the future.

The pool was saved from permanent closure in 2014 following a community campaign. It is now used by more than 500 children and 1,000 adults every week.

Planned improvements include replacing the ageing roof, installing a modern high-efficiency air-handling system and upgrading the pool’s existing solar panels. The upgrades are expected to reduce energy use by more than 30 per cent.

Chris Walters, chairman of Swim Narberth, said: “As a small rural charity, support like this plays a vital role in helping us reach our £40,000 community match-funding target, which will unlock significant investment from the Welsh Government’s Community Facilities Programme.

“We are so grateful for Wales & West Utilities’ support and the funding will go towards our extensive improvements at the pool, including roof replacement works and major plant efficiency upgrades to help secure the pool’s long-term future.”

Narberth Swimming Pool provides learn-to-swim programmes, water safety education, inclusive and disability-friendly sessions, and health and wellbeing activities for people of all ages.

It is also the only accessible swimming facility within a 10-mile radius, serving families, schools and community groups across the surrounding rural area.

Sophie Shorney, engagement and social impact manager at Wales & West Utilities, said: “We are proud to support the communities in which we work and are pleased to lend a helping hand to an organisation that provides such an important service for the local community.

“We are pleased that this money will be put to good use and drive improvements that will help safeguard the future of the pool, while reducing running costs and environmental impact.”

Wales & West Utilities delivers energy to more than 7.5 million people across Wales and the south west of England through a network of more than 35,000 kilometres of underground pipes.

More than 300 professionals sign open letter calling for prevention-focused care and urgent reform

OCCUPATIONAL therapists across Wales are urging the new Welsh Government to act before pressure on the NHS and social care system deepens further.

More than 300 members of the Royal College of Occupational Therapists in Wales have signed an open letter calling for a major shift towards prevention, early intervention and care closer to home.

They say too much support is currently arriving only after people have reached crisis point.

The therapists argue that earlier help in the community could reduce hospital admissions, ease pressure on overstretched services and improve lives across Wales.

Occupational therapists work across the health and care system, supporting premature babies and families in neonatal care, helping children take part in school, enabling adults to stay in or return to work, and helping older people live safely in their own homes.

The Royal College says the profession is often overlooked, despite playing a vital role in keeping people independent and reducing demand on hospitals.

Its members are calling for five key changes, including embedding occupational therapists in every community healthcare cluster, improving workforce planning, putting prevention at the heart of health policy, ending inconsistencies in provision, and opening leadership roles to occupational therapists.

Paul Smith, RCOT Policy and Public Affairs Lead for Wales, said: “Wales can’t afford to keep waiting for a crisis to happen.

“Occupational therapists are already preventing hospital admissions, easing pressure on stretched services and supporting people to do the occupations they want and need to do.

“But they need to be positioned to provide the right support at the right time to make maximum impact.”

The call comes amid continued concern over waiting times, delayed discharges and pressure on hospitals, including in rural parts of Wales where patients often face long journeys for care.

RCOT says ministers, health boards, councils and sector leaders must now work with the profession to ensure people receive the right support earlier, closer to home, and before problems spiral into crisis.

CAMPAIGNERS took to the sea at Broad Haven today in a colourful protest demanding urgent action over sewage pollution in Welsh waters.

Surfers, paddleboarders, swimmers and families gathered on the beach on Saturday, with banners calling for cleaner seas and an end to pollution incidents affecting rivers and coastal waters.

The protest was part of the Surfers Against Sewage campaign, with demonstrators carrying placards reading “Keep the sea clean”, “Stop the pollution” and “Cut the crap”.

Mid and South Pembrokeshire MP Henry Tufnell attended the demonstration and made a speech supporting calls for tougher action. He has also recently written to Welsh Water raising concerns about pollution and water quality in the Tenby area.

Local community councillor Jeff Tierney, who works on and in the water at Abereiddy, said he fully supported the campaign.

Cllr Tierney said: “As a surfer, local community councillor and someone who works on and in the water at Abereiddy, I fully support the Surfers Against Sewage campaign.

“We are lucky at Abereiddy our water is excellent, but it’s clear the water companies have failed to invest adequately in ageing infrastructure over the past decades, allowing unregulated sewage discharges, poorly maintained drains and outdated treatment systems to become the norm.

“The result is that some of the treatment works are completely overwhelmed with sewage now effectively bypassing the treatment process, resulting in some rivers and coastal areas at times becoming unsafe and hazardous for swimmers, surfers, fishermen and other water users.

“Clean water should not be viewed as a luxury. It’s essential for public health, tourism, local livelihoods and the environment.

“The more this issue is brought into the public domain to make the public aware and put pressure on Natural Resources Wales to do their job properly, the better.”

Campaigners said the issue is no longer just an environmental concern, but one affecting public health, tourism, local businesses and confidence in Wales’ coastal waters.

Broad Haven, like many Pembrokeshire beaches, is central to the county’s identity and visitor economy.

Saturday’s protest showed the strength of feeling among those who use the sea regularly and believe not enough is being done to protect it.