Community
Police team up with Health Board to combat mental illness


PC Thomas and mental health practitioner, Edward McHugh: Supported
by a team of 11 officers who have received training.ill
DYFED-POWYS POLICE and Hywel Dda University Health Board have joined forces to help people in mental distress over Christmas, and reduce the amount of times police cells are used as places of safety for those waiting to be assessed. A triage service has been operating for the last two weekends, and will also be available this weekend. The service, based in Carmarthen Police HQ is led by PC Celt Thomas and mental health practitioner, Edward McHugh. They are supported by a team of 11 officers who have received training.
The team have access to police and health records, and are able to provide background information to officers so they can provide specific assistance to people who need tailored help. Most information and advice will be provided to officers remotely, via telephone or police radio contact. The service also aims to reduce the use of Section 136 of the Mental Health Act and to provide better signposting and pathways into services for people following incidents. Evidence from the national pathfinder triage pilots show that having a mental health triage service significantly reduces the number of Section 136 detentions.
The practical benefits of mental health triage include access to patient records, information, intelligence, and specialist advice to enable better decision-making at the scene of incidents, a range of tactical options being made available to police officers as alternatives to detentions under Section 136 of the Mental Health Act, proactive signposting and referral to wide range of services and better communication between agencies. Det Superintendent Andy John said: “This isn’t the first time we have worked together to provide this service. Last December, we ran the service for four evenings in December.
“It resulted in providing information and advice to officers in relation to 34 incidents, averting two Section 136 detentions and supporting an elderly couple to remain at home. Without the service, both would almost certainly have been admitted to hospital for different reasons. Referring vulnerable people for additional services and support, including young people, enabling direct admission to residential Mental Health wards. As a result of this, Dyfed Powys Police and Hywel Dda University Health Board agreed to formally pilot the service for a year, and established a Project Board to develop and oversee the pilot.
Karen Howell, Chief Executive (Interim) of Hywel Dda University Health Board said: “The street triage service is a fantastic example of prudent healthcare – healthcare that fits the needs and circumstances of patients whilst avoiding wasteful care not to the patients benefit. By working together, different organisations will provide a more timely assessment of a person’s mental health and a more positive experience for the times when they come into contact with a police officer.”
Dyfed-Powys Police and Crime Commissioner Christopher Salmon, who secured Home Office funding of £90,000 for the new service, said: “I want to help vulnerable people – and this practical and useful service will do that. “This service provides an appropriate service to people in mental distress at the earliest opportunity – and will save time and money for the police, ambulance and health services. “It offers new support to individuals at a time when they’re particularly vulnerable and will help Dyfed- Powys Police and others become more effective on the front line.”
Key partners on the project board include: Dyfed Powys Police; Hywel Dda University Health Board; Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire & Ceredigion Local Authorities; West Wales Action for Mental Health; University of South Wales and the Welsh Ambulance Service The Triage service will be formally evaluated by a postgraduate student of the University of South Wales, who will undertake both a quantitative and qualitative evaluation with service users. The student is also a service user, and has shared her experiences with Project Board member in order to shape and enhance the service.
Community
Hedgehogs successfully rehomed at Bluestone National Park Resort

THIS month, May 2025, Bluestone National Park Resort in Wales has rehomed three juvenile hedgehogs aged one year old as part of the five-star holiday resort’s long-standing partnership with Pembrokeshire Hogspital. Pembrokeshire Hogspital rescues and rehabilitates sick, injured and orphaned hedgehogs, returning them to the wild in most cases.
Three hedgehogs, twin brothers and a single unrelated female, are now in the process of a soft release at Bluestone National Park Resort. A purpose-built lodge is made for them, gradually they are given more space, the fences are then taken away, and food will continue to be provided for them until eventually they are successfully integrated into the wild.
Marten Lewis, director of sustainability at Bluestone, said: “Over the past five years, Bluestone has been part of several heartwarming hedgehog releases. This spring we were delighted to have rehomed and released more hedgehogs who have received incredible care from Pembrokeshire Hogspital. This one is extra special as we also got a little help from our community, asking Bluestone’s social media followers to name the hedgehogs’ new ‘lodges’; so, the new official lodge names are Tŷ Draenog and Hodge Lodge.”
Bluestone has a longstanding partnership of five years with its local Hogspital, having donated money for an intensive care unit to provide incubators for looking after baby hedgehogs; and serving as an emergency release site, which is a safe place for hedgehogs that are ready to leave the Hogspital but for a variety of reasons can’t be taken back to where they were found.
Find out more about how people and the planet are at the heart of Bluestone National Park Resort and book a stay at bluestonewales.com
Community
Kilgetty public toilets to be transferred to community council

A TRANSFER of a Pembrokeshire village’s public toilets to the community council from the county council won’t lead to it forking out for remial repairs, councillors heard.
A question submitted at the May meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council by local member Cllr Alistair Cameron, Transfer of Responsibility for Kilgetty Public Conveniences from Pembrokeshire County Council to Kilgetty Begelly Community Council, asked for an update on the transfer.
“Kilgetty Begelly Community Council is willing to accept responsibility for maintaining Kilgetty Public Conveniences. However, two actions are necessary to enable the transfer to take place.
“The county council needs to terminate its lease with the Co-op to enable the community council to negotiate a new lease with the Co-op.
“The county council needs to undertake repairs and maintenance work on the public conveniences so that they are in a fit state for the community council to take them over. Please could the relevant Cabinet Member(s) let me know how much progress has been made against these two actions?
“Could the Cabinet Member confirm that until the county council have completed the two actions above (i.e terminated the lease with the Co-op and undertaken the necessary repairs and maintenance work to bring the public conveniences up to an acceptable standard) there will be no requests for maintenance payments made to Kilgetty Begelly Community Council.
Responding, Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services Cllr Rhys Sinnett said the council was continuing to work with the community council, with discussions surrounding the surrender underway, including agreeing any remedial works, which would be undertaken at the county council’s expense.
He said there would be a 28-day advance notice once agreements were in place with the landowner.
Members also heard it was hoped to arrange a site meeting for all concerned parties.
Back in 2023, Pembrokeshire County Council’s Cabinet produced a list of public toilets in the county at potential risk of closure if community asset transfers to town and community councils or other sources of funding weren’t agreed.
At the time, Kilgetty was one of those listed for a potential asset transfer.
Community
Art Afoot trail brings sculpture and storytelling to Fishguard and Goodwick

A NEW public art trail is turning heads in North Pembrokeshire as sculptures, kinetic installations, and augmented reality artworks transform the coastal towns of Fishguard and Goodwick.
The initiative, called Art Afoot, links the twin towns through a trio of scenic walking routes, using existing paths such as the Goodwick Moor boardwalk, the Marine Walk overlooking Fishguard Harbour and Lower Town, and a community orchard route.



All trails are free, family-friendly and open daily, encouraging locals and visitors alike to explore the area’s rich natural beauty and cultural heritage in an interactive way.
Each of the artworks—many of which were inspired by drawings and ideas gathered through community engagement sessions—tells a story about the area’s unique biodiversity, wildlife, and local history. Highlights include a dramatic steel seahorse sculpture, a kinetic shoal of fish that moves in the wind, and a finely detailed dragonfly installation located within the wetlands.
One of the more playful features is a cut-out board showing traditional Welsh costume, allowing walkers to pose for photos as part of the living artwork. QR codes placed along the trails unlock augmented reality experiences via smartphone, adding another layer of interaction to the journey.
The trail map, which includes both new and existing works—such as the well-known Last Invasion Tapestry displayed at Fishguard Library—is available online and in print from local venues.
Organisers say Art Afoot offers not only a creative boost to the area but also a new way to appreciate Pembrokeshire’s coastal paths and community spaces.
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