Community

Pembrokeshire schools could enter into formal partnership as consultation backed

Published

4 weeks ago

April 29, 2025

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

THE START of a formal consultation of a potential federation of two Pembrokeshire schools has been backed by senior councillors.

At the April 28 meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council’s Cabinet members were asked to note the decisions of St Florence VC School and Penrhyn VC School to commence consultation on establishing formal federations for the two schools, and to obtain Cabinet’s approval for the Director of Education to commence consultation on behalf of the two schools.

A report for members said the two schools had been in an informal ‘soft federation’ since September 2022, with the headteacher of St Florence acting as Executive Headteacher.

“Prior to this period, the Headteacher at Penrhyn VC School was a longstanding appointment since the school opened in September 2017 and subsequently leaving the authority in August 2022,” a report for members said, adding: “In order to ‘formalise’ the collaboration that is currently taking place, the governing bodies of both schools have considered establishing a Federation. The initial soft federation was set up due to challenges in recruiting a headteacher at Penrhyn VC School.”

In the report given by Cabinet member for education Cllr Guy Woodham, it was stressed the federation is “not an amalgamation, a take-over or a route to closure,” but a partnership of the two schools “sharing a joint vision for a venture that would serve the interests of pupils, staff and both school communities”.

The schools would remain as separate establishments; they would be funded and inspected separately, produce separate accounts and report their assessment results separately.

The report concluded: “Both schools will now work with local authority officers to undertake the appropriate consultation. As a school-led federation, determination of whether to proceed subsequently will rest with the two governing bodies. The local authority and Diocesan Director of Education (Church in Wales) endorses the decisions of the governing bodies to proceed to consult on this matter.”

Members unanimously backed the recommendation, moved by Cllr Woodham.

Community

Public invited to explore Pembroke Port at Open Day and Stakeholder Meeting

Published

13 hours ago

May 23, 2025

Tom Sinclair

MEMBERS of the public are being invited to go behind the scenes at Pembroke Port as part of a special Open Day and Annual Stakeholder Meeting hosted by the Port of Milford Haven.

The event will take place on Wednesday, 18 June, at Catalina House, Pembroke Dock (SA72 6JD), offering a unique opportunity to discover the inner workings of one of Wales’ busiest ports.

Running from 2:00pm to 6:00pm, the Open Day will include guided bus tours around the site, giving visitors a rare, close-up look at port operations and activities across the facility. Port staff, local business representatives, and partners from across the supply chain will also be on hand to discuss their work and answer questions.

From 6:00pm to 7:30pm, the Port’s Annual Stakeholder Meeting will be held, where attendees will hear updates from the Chair and Chief Executive, meet members of the Board and senior management, and take part in a Q&A session. Questions can be submitted in advance via email to [email protected].

Throughout the day, visitors can explore the wide-ranging roles of the Port of Milford Haven – from commercial marine services and energy sector support to community initiatives and leisure activities. A number of external organisations will also be present, including emergency services, marine experts, and conservation groups highlighting Pembrokeshire’s diverse wildlife.

Community

RNLI lifeguard patrols extend across Welsh beaches for half term

Published

21 hours ago

May 23, 2025

Tom Sinclair

THIS weekend RNLI lifeguard patrols are extending the number of patrolled beaches across Wales, as the lifesaving charity are encouraging the public to visit a lifeguarded beach.

This Saturday 24 May, RNLI lifeguard patrols begin at a number of beaches across Wales for the half term holiday. The RNLI are advising those planning a trip to the coast, to visit a lifeguarded beach.

Tom John Lead Lifeguard Supervisor for Swansea said: ‘There are plenty of lifeguarded beaches around Wales to choose from during half term. Remember to swim and bodyboard between the red and yellow flags, and surf, kayak or stand-up paddleboard between the black and white flags.

‘The lifeguards position the flags in the safest area of the beach, if you see a red flag the lifeguards have deemed that area of the beach as unsafe – so do not enter the water. If you ever have any questions, feel free to approach the lifeguards who will be happy to help and can provide local beach safety advice for the conditions that day.’

From Saturday 24 May, RNLI lifeguards will be patrolling from 10am-6pm at the following locations:

In Denbighshire, Rhyl and Prestatyn will be patrolled every day from 24 May – 1 June. They will then be patrolled on weekends only up until 29 June when they go live full time for the remainder of the season.

In Ceredigion Borth, Aberystwyth South, Llangrannog, Tresaith and Aberporth will be patrolled every day from 24 May – 1 June. Borth and Llangrannog will continue to be patrolled full time, whilst the other beaches will be patrolled on weekends only up until 19 July when they go live full time until 31 August.

In Pembrokeshire, Whitesands, Newgale Central and Tenby South will be patrolled every day from 24 May – 1 June. Whitesands and Tenby South will continue to be patrolled every day, Newgale Central will be patrolled on weekends only up until 15 June when it goes live full time.

In Swansea, Aberavon, Langland, Caswell and Pembrey will be patrolled every day from 24 May – 1 June. Aberavon, Langland and Caswell will continue to be patrolled every day, with Pembrey to be patrolled on weekends only up until 5 July when it goes live full time.

In Bridgend and the Vale of Glamorgan, Rest Bay, Coney Beach, Trecco Bay and Whitmore Bay will be patrolled every day from 24 May until the end of the season.

Chris Cousens RNLI Water Safety Lead said: ‘If you’re visiting the coast, remember to visit a lifeguarded beach. It’s safest not to go into the water alone – the person you’re with can help you stay safe and get help in the event of an emergency.

‘If you unexpectedly find yourself in difficulty in the water, float to live. If you see anyone else in difficulty anywhere along the coast, call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coastguard.’

The RNLI’s advice for anyone struggling in the water is ‘Float to Live’:

Tilt your head back, with your ears submerged
Relax and try to breathe normally
Move your hands and feet to help you stay afloat
It’s fine if your legs sink, we all float differently.

Community

Safety plea issued for DIY enthusiasts after cable damage

Published

21 hours ago

May 23, 2025

Tom Sinclair

DIY enthusiasts and builders in South and West Wales are being urged to take extra care when digging to avoid hitting underground electricity cables, which is dangerous and can lead to power cuts.

Digging into a live high voltage cable can cause explosions and fires that may lead to fatalities or severe injury, including burns to face, hands and body.

Most cables are laid in trenches between 450mm and one metre deep and often there are no permanent markers to show their presence.

National Grid Electricity Distribution is advising workers to:

find out if electrical equipment is near the digging area by checking cable location plans
ensure someone competent at using a Cable Avoidance Tool (CAT) locates all cables shown on the plans
mark cable locations on the ground surface with waterproof road paint or marker
dig trial holes by hand to locate exact positions of cables using an insulated spade or shovel – never a pick, fork or power tool
remember cable record plans are not guaranteed to be completely accurate. Kerb lines, roads and buildings may have been moved or altered since the cables were laid
if a cable is hit, clear the area of personnel and call 105 to report it

Chris Cleveland, National Grid Electricity Distribution’s Head of Safety, said: “There’s a high risk of serious injury if an underground cable is damaged and that’s why we want anyone carrying out excavation, drilling, piling, demolition and site investigations to check in advance if live cables are anywhere near their work area.

“As well as possible injury and delaying people’s projects, damaging cables can also cause significant disruption to other customers and lead to considerable repair costs for those responsible.”

Details of how to obtain National Grid Electricity Distribution cable location plans can be found at: https://www.nationalgrid.co.uk/our-network/check-before-you-dig-location-of-our-cables-and-equipment