News

Parents forced to buy unhealthy food due to soaring costs

Published

1 year ago

March 13, 2025

FAMILIES STRUGGLING AS THE COST-OF-LIVING CRISIS DEEPENS

THE RISING cost of living is forcing Welsh parents to buy unhealthy food for their children, as healthier options become unaffordable, a new survey by Barnardo’s Cymru has revealed.

According to the survey, around one in five parents (22%) admit they have no choice but to purchase unhealthy food every week due to financial constraints. The findings come as Barnardo’s Cymru reports visiting homes where there is no food, with some mothers skipping meals entirely to ensure their children can eat.

Maria Jones, a children’s services manager with Barnardo’s Cymru, said: “We are seeing families who are beyond crisis point. It is no longer a choice of heating or eating for some. They simply have no heat and their cupboards are bare.”

Children surviving on unhealthy diets

Families are increasingly reliant on supermarket discount shelves, purchasing whatever is cheapest, regardless of nutritional value. Jones added: “Too many children are now just living on chips. It’s a huge problem, and who knows what the long-term impact will be.”

To combat food insecurity, Barnardo’s Cymru has distributed thousands of pounds worth of food vouchers in recent months. However, even food banks struggle to provide fresh produce, leaving families with limited nutritious options.

Jones, who works in Newport, highlighted the city council’s role in supporting the distribution of supermarket vouchers. “We have had families breaking down in tears on the doorstep because they are so grateful to have help with fresh food,” she said.

Survey exposes growing crisis

The YouGov survey questioned 231 parents across Wales with at least one child under 18. Key findings include:

22% of parents bought unhealthy food weekly due to affordability issues.
41% said they had to opt for cheaper, unhealthy food at least once a month.
72% of parents who resorted to unhealthy food choices expressed concern over their children’s diets.
18% believed their children’s diets had worsened due to the cost of living.

Barnardo’s has also published a report, Nourishing the Future, which highlights the growing number of children missing out on nutritious food. The report warns that the average height of five-year-olds in the UK is declining, and Victorian-era diseases linked to malnutrition, such as rickets, are making a return.

Structural inequalities deepening food insecurity

The report, drawing on insights from children, parents, and experts, reveals:

Families and young people want healthier diets but struggle to afford them.
Healthy food is out of reach for those on low incomes or Universal Credit.
Structural inequalities in the food system make it harder for certain groups to access nutritious food.

Barnardo’s also highlights the additional difficulties faced by families in temporary accommodation. Many are living in single hotel rooms without cooking facilities and rely on takeaways for months. Even after securing housing, families often move into unfurnished spaces without basic necessities such as beds, cookers, or fridges.

Jones explained: “They have a roof over their heads but very little else. We often have to step in with essentials like blow-up beds while they wait for emergency grants.”

Calls for government intervention

Parents without access to budget supermarkets are also facing higher costs, as they are forced to shop at expensive corner stores.

Sarah Crawley, Director of Barnardo’s Cymru, said: “We are seeing the impact of poverty on children’s nutrition in homes across Wales. Far too many children and young people are missing out on nutritious food, with huge knock-on effects for their health.

“We know that parents are making big sacrifices so their children have the best food they can afford. But healthy food is out of reach for so many families.”

The charity’s report recommends government action, including:

Increasing the value of healthy shopping vouchers for low-income families.
Strengthening regulations on the quality of school meals.
Using revenue from future sugar or salt taxes to tackle food insecurity.

Barnardo’s Cymru is calling for urgent measures to ensure that no child in Wales has to go hungry or suffer long-term health consequences due to financial hardship.

News

150 years of Mothers’ Union marked at St Davids Cathedral

Published

47 minutes ago

June 21, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A SPECIAL service has been held at St Davids Cathedral to celebrate 150 years of the Mothers’ Union.

Members and officials gathered for the anniversary celebration on Sunday (Jun 21), where Bishop Dorrien welcomed those attending and spent time speaking with the Provincial Chaplain.

The occasion had particular significance for Bishop Dorrien, who is the third generation of his family to be a member of the Mothers’ Union.

The organisation, founded in 1876, continues to support families, communities and church life across Wales and around the world.

Those attending said the celebration was a fitting tribute to the work of generations of members, with hopes expressed for the next 150 years.

Caption:

Celebration: Members and officials gathered at St Davids Cathedral to mark 150 years of the Mothers’ Union (Pic: Diocese of St Davids).

Entertainment

Harbour Fest to bring music, food and maritime magic to Milford Waterfront

Published

1 hour ago

June 21, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Free family festival will celebrate Milford Haven’s seafaring history and coastal community

MILFORD WATERFRONT will burst into life on Saturday, June 27, as the first Harbour Fest sails into town for a day of music, food, family fun and maritime celebration.

The free event will run from 10:00am to 6:00pm at Mackerel Quay and across the waterfront, bringing together local traders, live entertainment, coastal organisations and independent businesses for a packed day beside the water.

Organisers say the festival will celebrate everything that makes Milford Haven special, from its seafaring history and working harbour to its growing reputation as a destination for food, shopping, culture and family days out.

Visitors will be able to browse stalls from local makers and producers, enjoy street food and live performances, and explore a Marine Zone featuring organisations involved in sea safety, marine conservation and coastal life.

The Marine Zone will include Seagrass Network Cymru / Project Seagrass, Pembrokeshire Coastal Forum, Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service, Dyfed-Powys Police, NCI Wooltack Point, Rudders Marine Training, RNLI Milford Haven and RNLI Angle Lifeboat.

RNLI Angle Lifeboat is expected to be based on the Mackerel Stage, while the Sea Cadets will be giving rope-tying displays at Milford Haven Museum, where craft activities will also be taking place.

Live entertainment will run throughout the day, with performances from Tom & Abz, Will Scott, Ryan Bristow, Milford Haven Town Band, Kyle Kirkhouse and ShantyJacs Sea Shanties.

Businesses across the waterfront are also joining in. All Pets Vet Care will hold a family-friendly open day with a bouncy castle, treasure hunts, quizzes, craft activities and behind-the-scenes tours. Aurora Artisan Crafts will host vocal performances, Biffy’s Bar & Restaurant will feature solo acoustic music from Laurence Lewis, and Martha’s Vineyard will offer seafood street food with live music from Ryan Bristow and Steve Bartram.

At Tŷ Milford Waterfront’s outdoor plaza there will be face painting, children’s activities, pop-up artists and an afternoon DJ set, while Phoenix Bowl and Pirate Pete’s Adventure Play will have inflatables and glitter tattoos outside.

The Waterfront Gallery will host introduction to felt-making workshops with textile artist Carole Fletcher, giving participants the chance to create a woollen felt flower pin brooch or phone/glasses case. The workshops start at 10:30am, 1:00pm and 3:30pm and cost £5 per person.

A wide range of traders will also be attending, including 5th Flock Spirits Co, Cinnamon Grove Distillery, Cwm Deri Wines & Liqueurs, Ferncraft, Get Loaded, J.J. Pottery, Major Nuts, Orange Garden Design, Pembrokeshire Chilli Farm, Pembrokeshire Gold, Pembrokeshire Lottery, Plumstone Welshcakes and SlateArtSJ.

With music drifting across the marina, food stalls lining the waterfront and lifeboats, sea safety teams and coastal groups adding a strong maritime flavour, Harbour Fest is expected to bring a lively summer atmosphere to one of Pembrokeshire’s best-known waterside destinations.

Organisers say the event is suitable for families, friends and visitors of all ages, with plenty to see and do throughout the day.

Photo caption: Harbour Fest will take place at Milford Waterfront on Saturday, June 27 (Pic: Milford Waterfront).

Community

Artist explores memory, community and changing rural life in new Cardigan exhibition

Published

2 hours ago

June 21, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A NEW exhibition exploring memory, belonging and the changing face of rural life is opening in Cardigan.

West Wales artist Sue Dewhurst will present From the Outside Looking In at Oriel Cardi Bach, with the exhibition running from June 27 to July 30.

The collection brings together several new series of work reflecting on the people, places and traditions that shaped Dewhurst’s childhood in the 1970s.

At the heart of the exhibition are the Chapel Girls, a group of paintings focusing on women who might once have filled the chapels that dominated Welsh village life. In Dewhurst’s work, they are now seen finding new forms of belonging through shopping trips, bingo halls, dating apps, bottomless brunches and everyday rituals, while redundant chapels stand silent around them.

The exhibition also includes A Bit of a Do, a series inspired by weddings, family parties and village hall celebrations.

Among the familiar characters are the mysterious woman in her best hat who appears at every gathering, the accountant calculating buffet logistics, the retired nurse dancing barefoot long after everyone else has gone home, and Harry, a grumpy gent with a mysteriously missing fingertip that nobody dares ask about.

Dewhurst’s Ghost Town series will also feature, exploring the changing landscapes of northern mill towns and communities transformed beyond recognition. These works sit alongside expressive coastal paintings inspired by New Quay and the Ceredigion coast.

A further installation of miniature “party paintings” will be presented like treasured relics rescued from a forgotten village hall or working men’s club. Wrapped with handwritten stories and nostalgic memorabilia, the pieces invite visitors to remember people and moments that might otherwise disappear.

Sue said music also plays an important role in the exhibition.

She said: “Music is so evocative for me and can instantly transport me back to a certain point in time.

“I’ve always been fascinated by the lives we don’t usually celebrate – the women who held communities together, the odd characters who turned up at every family occasion, the places that shaped us and the memories that linger long after buildings and traditions have changed.

“This exhibition is really about looking back with affection and humour, while recognising that we are all, in one way or another, trying to find where we belong.”

Originally from Lancashire and now based near Llandysul, Dewhurst has spent more than thirty years working in the arts. She previously ran Oriel Haywire in Llandysul before its closure around eighteen months ago.

From the Outside Looking In opens at Oriel Cardi Bach, Cardigan, on June 27 and runs until July 30.

Visitors are invited to rediscover familiar faces, forgotten stories and the beauty found in ordinary lives.