Community

Big day for Youth Opportunities Competitions

Published

10 years ago

December 30, 2014

LAST week saw the start of the annual programme of Youth Opportunities Competitions run by the Rotary Club of Narberth & Whitland with the first rounds of both the Young Chef and Youth Speaks competitions being held. The first was the Young Chef Competition held at Ysgol Dyffryn Taf by kind permission of the Headmaster Mr Robert Newsome, during the afternoon. The second was the first round of the Youth Speaks Competition, which is a debating and public speaking competition run for pupils at secondary schools, which was held at the Plas Hyfryd Hotel, Narberth.

The two secondary schools in the Narberth & Whitland Rotarty Club’s catchment area are Ysgol Dyffryn Taf, Whitland; and Ysgol Preseli, Crymych,. The two judges for the Young Chef Competition, Mr Bill Cotton and Mr Bruce Guy commented that over the fourteen years that they had been judging this competition, that this one was by far of the highest standard and that they had found it very difficult indeed to pick a winner from such talented young chefs. The cooking, presentation and taste of all the wonderful dishes produced was superb.

After some very difficult judging they announced that the winner was Eleri Bunn from Ysgol Preseli. The other participants, who all received high praise from the judges were – Rhian Cook, Nia James from Ysgol PreselI, and Katie Reynolds from Dyffryn Taf. The Rotary Club is very grateful to all those taking part, and particularly to the sponsors Lolfa Cynin of Lleti Cynin Leisure Centre at St Clears represented by Hari Stephenson.

Mr Rob Elward is the organiser of all the Rotary Club Youth Opportunies Competitions throughout the year. Eleri will now compete at the next round of the competition which includes all secondary schools from Pembrokeshire. If she is successful there she will have the opportunity to compete in the South Wales District Final, and then hopefully onwards to a UK Regional Final; and eventually to the big one which is the UK final which includes Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The Youth Speaks competition was held in the evening of the same day at the Plas Hyfryd Hotel in Narberth. This competition is split into two halves; one for younger pupils, the Intermediate Age Group for pupils under 14; and the other the Senior Age Group for pupils under 18. There were two teams taking part in each category. The Rotary Club are extremely grateful to the three judges for giving of their valuable time and expertise.

They were Richard Cole, Nan Llewellin and Merion Morse. Once again the standard of debate was very high giving the judges a very difficult task in reaching a decision. After giving some valuable feedback to each individual participant the judges announced that the winning team for the Intermediate Category were Team 2 from Ysgol Dyffryn Taf, Whitland; and the winners of the Senior Age Group Category were Team 1, also from Ysgol Dyffryn Taf. The next two Youth Opportunities Competitions, for Young Photographer and Young Writer, will be held early next year.

Community

Landfill odour sparks calls for inquiry and legal action

Published

9 hours ago

January 23, 2025

Tom Sinclair

RESIDENTS near Withyhedge landfill in Haverfordwest are demanding a public inquiry and considering legal action after foul odours returned just weeks after the site reopened on 6 January.

The landfill, closed last May to address odour issues, was declared fit to reopen by operator RML, which claimed its improvements would protect nearby communities. However, Colin Barnett, of campaign group Stop the Stink, said: “People in Crundale, Haverfordwest, and Spittal are being subjected to horrendous smells again.”

Describing the site as a “stink bomb on steroids,” Barnett supported Conservative MS Paul Davies’ calls for a public inquiry. “We’ve been flanneled by NRW, public health, and Pembrokeshire council. It’s disgraceful,” he said, adding that delays in resolving the issue had left litigation as the only option.

RML, part of Dauson Environmental Group, is owned by businessman David Neal, who has previous convictions for environmental crimes in 2013 and 2017. Last year, another of Neal’s companies pleaded guilty to environmental offences.

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) reported receiving 34 complaints since 6 January, with a rise in recent days coinciding with the end of a slurry-spreading ban. However, NRW stated no odours attributable to the landfill were detected and plans to inspect the site with Pembrokeshire council on 29 January.

First Minister Eluned Morgan said: “I’ll keep a very close eye on this, and if concerns persist, we’ll discuss further steps with NRW.”

RML and the Welsh Government declined to comment.

Community

Public transport users urged to ‘check before travelling’ due to storm

Published

10 hours ago

January 23, 2025

Tom Sinclair

TRANSPORT FOR WALES and Network Rail are urging all customers to check before they travel on Friday morning and into the weekend with weather warnings in place across the country.

With Storm Eowyn set to hit Wales and winds reaching 90mph on Friday morning, customers should expect disruptions and are strongly urged to check before they travel.

There will be alterations to rail services, replacement road transport on certain routes and blanket speed restrictions at some locations, meaning journeys could take longer than usual.

Stand by buses are being planned at key locations around the network in preparation for travel disruption.

Across Wales and the Borders, Network Rail have positioned response teams to address any storm related problems to keep disruption to a minimum.

TfW Operations Director Sarah Higgins said: “It’s so important for our customers to plan ahead when looking to travel this Friday.

“While we’ve made a number of changes to our services based on detailed forecasts, storms can still be unpredictable.

“We’ve seen the impact storms can have, with damage to trains and infrastructure sometimes taking weeks or months to repair, so our cross-industry approach will hopefully limit that and keep our colleagues and customers safe. We apologise to customers for any disruption to their journeys as a result.”

Network Rail Wales & Borders Operations Director Rachel Heath added: “Our priority is always keeping safe everyone who travels and works on the railway.

“Unfortunately, there will be some delays and cancellations on Friday, as trains will not run on some lines and there will speed restrictions on other parts of the route.

“We are working closely with our train operator colleagues to ensure we can safely reopen affected lines as quickly as possible and urge passengers to check before they travel.”

Rail service changes:

No services to run on the Conwy Valley Line all day, with replacement road transport in place.
No services to run on the Heart of Wales line all day, with replacement road transport in place.
Speed restrictions at various locations around the network, meaning some journeys will take longer than usual. These include:

  50mph speed restrictions imposed from 0200 to 1500 Friday on the North Wales Coast – Bodorgan to Llandudno Junction.
  50mph restrictions from 0200 to 1200 between Carmarthen to Kidwelly.
  50mph restrictions from 0200 to 1200 between Neath and Swansea.
  50mph restrictions from 0100 – 0800 between Newport and Llanwern.

Customers who have connecting tickets for the following operators who have suspended services due to the adverse weather conditions, we’ll honour tickets dated 24 January on either Thursday 23 January or up to and including Tuesday 28 January.

       London Northeastern Railway
       LUMO
       TransPennine Express
       Northern
       Grand Central
       Avanti

Community

Mid and West Wales Fire Service launches recruitment drive

Published

11 hours ago

January 23, 2025

Tom Sinclair

THE MID AND WEST WALES FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICE has announced it is halfway through its recruitment window for Wholetime Firefighters. The service is actively seeking individuals from diverse backgrounds to join their ranks and contribute to the safety and well-being of communities across Mid and West Wales.

Chief Fire Officer Roger Thomas KFSM emphasised the evolving nature of the firefighter’s role, stating, “The role of a Wholetime Firefighter goes far beyond tackling fires, road traffic collisions and water rescues. Modern-day firefighters play a crucial part in educating the public and working to prevent risks to life and the environment.”

The MAWWFRS is keen to attract applicants with a wide range of skills and experiences, recognising the diverse challenges faced by today’s fire service. “We encourage people from a variety of backgrounds to apply, emphasising the diverse skill set needed for this challenging yet rewarding career,” added Thomas.

This recruitment initiative is seen as a vital step in ensuring the service has the necessary personnel to respond effectively to emergencies and maintain safety standards across the region. The MAWWFRS covers a vast area, encompassing nearly two-thirds of Wales, making it the third largest Fire and Rescue Service in the United Kingdom.

Prospective candidates are encouraged to visit the MAWWFRS website for detailed information on fitness requirements, the application process, and how to apply. The online registration window closes at 12pm on Monday, 27th January 2025.

As the service continues its mission to create safer communities, this recruitment drive offers an opportunity for individuals to become part of a team that makes a real difference in people’s lives.

Citations:
[1] http://eastwoodacademy.co.uk/docs/How%20to%20write%20a%20newspaper%20article.pdf
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid_and_West_Wales_Fire_and_Rescue_Service
[3] https://midwestwalesfire.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s5689/HR%20People%20and%20Well-Being%20Update%20Report.pdf
[4] https://nickdale.me/2023/05/31/how-to-write-a-newspaper-article/
[5] https://www.gov.wales/find-your-local-fire-and-rescue-service
[6] https://www.mawwfire.gov.uk/eng/join-us/current-vacancies/
[7] https://www.superprof.co.uk/resources/questions/english/broadsheet-articles.html
[8] https://www.mawwfire.gov.uk
[9] https://www.mawwfire.gov.uk/eng/join-us/
[10] https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/body/mid_and_west_wales_fire_and_rescue_service