A CALL to change a mixed-use therapy centre to a children’s care home classification has been submitted to Pembrokeshire planners.

Skybound Therapies Ltd, through agent Carl Bentley Architectural Services, seeks permission for the change of use of the Skybound Care Farm & Therapy Centre, Campbell Farm, Wiston, near Haverfordwest.

A supporting statement says: “Situated in a discrete rural setting in Pembrokeshire, the Therapy Centre is at the heart of a family-owned Care Farm. It is a working beef and forestry farm, providing a unique and tranquil environment for their services,” adding: “Skybound Care Farm offers a variety of services for both children and young adults. From young adult day opportunities to week-long intensive programmes. The forestry fields provide an ideal setting for practicing walks. Visitors can interact with animals, learn about water safety near their ponds, and immerse themselves in the peaceful beauty of the working farm. Vegetable growing and harvesting is a recent addition to the Care Farm.

“Skybound welcome clients from the local area as well as those travelling from all over the UK and abroad. There is a variety of accommodation types close to the farm and centre, including a holiday village, caravan parks, holiday cottages and log cabins. Many clients like to combine visits to the care farm / therapy centre with exploring local beaches, amenities and attractions.

“The Care Farm HQ and Therapy Centre are in Southwest Wales, but they also cover many locations across the UK, including Cardiff, Newport, Bristol, Birmingham, Leeds, Yorkshire and Norfolk. Skybound are taking on new locations all of the time.”

It says the original Therapy Centre which was constructed in 2012/13 when it “began its journey as a leading national and international therapy centre providing behaviour analysis, positive behaviour support, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy for children and young adults with special needs and behavioural issues”.

In August 2022 planning permission was granted to extend the therapy centre, completed in 2024; the business currently employs 45 staff on a full time and part time basis, a small number of staff are located at the Care Farm & Therapy Centre and at other locations across Wales and the UK.

“Whilst the centre has been running since February 2024 the applicant and business has found that the use of the centre is changing from previously planned and consented usage,” the statement says.

It says that since then discussions have taken place with council planners to clarify the centre’s current planning use class, along with “other opportunities and ideas for the expansion of the business and services to potentially use other existing buildings at the site are currently being investigated, which will no doubt take further time to consider”.

“There is a long-term plan to expand the Care Farm & Therapy Centre activities within the whole of the site and this full planning application is the third stage of the plan. The long-term plan is to provide more ‘settings’ to provide more training, utilising more of the farm setting for example with further interactions with small farm animals and to perhaps house some therapy sessions within other existing farm buildings to provide different types of training settings.”

Late last year, the site was granted permission to extend staff facilities through a temporary building.

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

STUDENTS in Pembrokeshire with a passion for agriculture or related fields are being invited to apply for a £1,000 bursary to support their further education or career development.

The Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society’s Student Bursary Award is now open to applicants currently studying—or about to begin studying—agriculture, veterinary science, agricultural engineering, food technology, forestry, or other related subjects.

Last year’s winner was Catrin Palferey from Llanfyrnach, who began her studies at Aberystwyth University in autumn 2024.

Mansel Raymond, Chairman of the Society’s Bursary Committee, said: “I would urge all Pembrokeshire students who are pursuing subjects clearly aligned with agriculture to apply. This bursary will not only support your studies but will also give you valuable experiences—such as taking part in an interview, which is a key employment skill. It could make a real difference to your future career in the agricultural sector.”

Applicants will be shortlisted by an independent judge, with finalists invited to attend an interview. The winning student will also be asked to give a short presentation at a future meeting of the Society’s Show Council.

Mr Raymond added: “The standard of applications is always exceptional, and it’s heartening to see so many talented young people in our community. We are really looking forward to hearing from this year’s applicants.”

To be eligible, students must not have previously won the bursary. Applicants must either be currently studying, or have been accepted to study, a relevant subject at A-level or higher at a UK college or university. They must also have their family home in Pembrokeshire.

The bursary is tax-free and will be awarded to the student who submits the best-written dissertation explaining how the funding will help them complete their course.

The closing date for applications is 12:00pm on Tuesday, 1 July 2025.

Further information and application forms are available at:
pembsshow.org/at-the-show/student-bursary-award/

Pictured:

The 2023 Pembrokeshire County Show bursary winner Lottie Wilson receiving her £1,000 prize from Robert James (Image: PAS)

A FAILURE by dog owners across the UK to recognise the danger their pets pose to livestock is continuing to result in devastating attacks on sheep, the National Sheep Association (NSA) has warned.

The warning comes as the NSA launches its annual Sheep Worrying by Dogs Awareness Week and shares the findings of its latest survey, which reveals that 87% of respondents experienced at least one dog attack on their flock in the past year.

The most common cause identified is dog owners refusing to keep their pets on a lead while walking in the countryside.

NSA Project Manager Nicola Noble said: “Dog owners often assume their beloved pet could not be capable of causing harm to other animals, yet it is an instinctive response of a dog to chase, and for some, attack prey animals such as sheep. Barking, chasing, and physical attacks can all have devastating effects on sheep, especially at this time of year when so many are heavily pregnant or have young lambs at foot.”

Survey results released this week (Apr 14) show the situation is worsening, despite years of awareness-raising by farming and countryside organisations. On average, each farming respondent reported four sheep deaths due to dog attacks over the past year—an increase on previous years. These figures do not include unborn lambs lost when pregnant ewes miscarry from the trauma of being chased or attacked.

The consequences of sheep worrying are not only physical. They include long-term suffering for the animals and significant financial losses for farmers—through vet bills and a reduced number of healthy animals to sell.

Mrs Noble added: “Sheep worrying by dogs not only causes suffering to livestock but is also a real cause of stress and worry to farmers. Many farmers told us their mental health has been impacted by the continued threat to their animals. Alarmingly, 80% of those surveyed reported a negative experience when asking dog owners to put their pet on a lead, with nearly half receiving verbal abuse and, in some cases, even physical aggression.”

The issue of straying dogs is also highlighted in the survey. Some 43% of respondents discovered evidence of sheep worrying without witnessing the attack itself—suggesting dogs had either escaped from gardens or that owners were unwilling to admit their pet had attacked livestock.

More than half of the reported incidents occurred in private fields with no public rights of way, again suggesting either straying dogs or a blatant disregard for private farmland.

This makes identifying the dogs involved—and seeking compensation—especially difficult. Almost half of the farmers surveyed said they didn’t even attempt to claim compensation, citing a lack of faith in the system and feelings of helplessness when reporting incidents to the police.

NSA Communications Manager Katie James said: “It’s a common misconception that nothing will be done if sheep worrying is reported to the police, but if no reports are made, the scale of this issue will never be fully understood. This hampers our efforts to push for stronger legislation and proper enforcement.”

To help build a clearer picture of the scale of the problem, the NSA has launched a new online reporting tool for farmers. Mrs James added: “Although it is not a legal obligation to report attacks, we are urging all sheep farmers to use our new service alongside making reports to the police. The online log form is simple and quick to complete.”

The reporting tool and further advice are available at www.sheepworrying.org.uk.

The Sheep Worrying by Dogs Awareness Week runs from today (Monday, April 14) until Sunday, April 20. Throughout the week, the NSA will share real-life case studies and highlight new technologies being developed to help secure more prosecutions of those responsible for allowing attacks on sheep.

Follow the NSA on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok for updates.