PAUL SARTORI Hospice at Home is celebrating more than £3,000 of funding from the Co-op Local Community Fund and has announced it has once again been selected as a beneficiary for the 2025/2026 funding round.

The Haverfordwest-based hospice at home charity is now appealing to Co-op members across Pembrokeshire to choose Paul Sartori as their nominated cause, helping to secure crucial support until October 2026.

Co-op members can decide how the Local Community Fund is distributed simply by selecting a preferred local cause via the Co-op Membership App.

“We welcome this opportunity once again to appeal to Co-op members to choose us as their local Co-op cause, especially as funds for charitable organisations are becoming more difficult to access, with greater competition,” said Judith Williams, Grant Development Officer. “This is an opportunity for us to engage and encourage our community – and it doesn’t cost Co-op members a penny. Engaging with our local Membership Activator, Anwen, has really helped us to do this.”

The charity has received £3,044 in the 2024/2025 funding year. “This, along with the Co-op’s ongoing support, will help us make a difference and continue supporting end-of-life patients and their families in Pembrokeshire by providing the resources and equipment they need to live independently at home,” Judith added.

Since its launch in 2016, the Co-op Local Community Fund has supported nearly 40,000 community projects across the UK, with a focus on enabling communities to thrive by improving access to food, boosting mental wellbeing, creating opportunities for young people, strengthening community cohesion and supporting sustainable futures.

David Luckin, Head of Social Value and Community Engagement at Co-op, said: “We are delighted to hear the difference that our funding for Paul Sartori Hospice at Home is making in the community. As a co-operative, we are focused on creating value for our members and communities, and members have a say in where and how our funding is shared. We know that things are increasingly challenging for local causes, and our funding can make a real difference — helping people and communities thrive.”

The new round of support will help sustain the charity’s Equipment Loan Service, which provides essential items at short notice to help patients remain at home. The service complements statutory healthcare provision and often steps in where statutory services struggle to respond quickly, offering a compassionate, community-led model of care that promotes dignity and independence at the end of life.

All Paul Sartori services are free of charge and available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year thanks to local generosity. The charity provides home nursing care, 24-hour support, standby services, complementary therapies, physiotherapy, bereavement and counselling support, future care planning and training. These services enable people with life-limiting illnesses to remain at home — pain free, supported and surrounded by loved ones, where that is their wish.

Further information about Paul Sartori Hospice at Home is available at www.paulsartori.org or by calling 01437 763223.

Pic: Anwen Evans, Co-op West Wales Membership Activator (left), with Judith Williams, Grant Development Officer at Paul Sartori Hospice at Home.

Hopes raised for nearly 7,000 women in Ceredigion Preseli

ALMOST 7,000 women born in the 1950s across the Ceredigion Preseli constituency could be affected by an imminent UK Government rethink over whether they are owed compensation for receiving little or no notice that their state pension age would rise by up to six years.

In December last year, the then Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Liz Kendall announced that no compensation would be paid, despite the Parliamentary & Health Service Ombudsman recommending it. The Government did, however, accept that there had been maladministration, and said the women were entitled to an apology.

But on 11 November, her successor Pat McFadden told MPs that new evidence had been uncovered, prompting him to look at the matter again. The evidence relates to research commissioned by the Department for Work & Pensions on how many women would have benefitted from earlier notification letters about their rising state pension age — research which, he said, had not been shown to the previous minister.

The reversal came shortly before a Judicial Review brought by the Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) campaign, which was scheduled for hearings on 9–10 December. That case will now not proceed after the Government committed to:

Reconsidering the decision in full within 12 weeks, unless there is a compelling reason for delay that can be scrutinised by the court.

Retaking the decision entirely afresh, considering all relevant evidence.

Paying over half of WASPI’s legal costs, leaving the campaign with sufficient funds to challenge any future legal errors if necessary.

Pamela Judge, Co-ordinator of Ceredigion Preseli WASPI, said the development marked a major step forward.

“This is a major success for WASPI and would not have happened without WASPI’s legal action,” she said. “With Ben Lake’s help we launched our campaign locally nearly seven years ago when the national campaign was already in full swing. It’s taken a long time to get this far.

“The Government has now raised our hopes by saying, quite rightly, that it will consider the matter of compensation afresh. Our hopes must not be dashed again.

“We know the Government can do the right thing. It is already compensating victims of the contaminated blood scandal, the postmasters who suffered losses due to faulty accounting software, and it has revised the Windrush compensation scheme. It’s time the WASPI women were treated fairly too.”

Ben Lake MP for Ceredigion Preseli said he welcomed the development.

“I am pleased that the Judicial Review does not need to go ahead as planned and that the Government will reconsider evidence that wasn’t previously available to the former Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.

“The UK Government must now give a speedy decision on their reconsideration of the Ombudsman’s findings. After years of disappointment, these women deserve certainty and long overdue redress.”

The Government’s reconsidered decision is due by 24 February 2026.

Lib Dems accuse UK Government of “deliberately depriving Welsh communities”, but Labour insists investment plans remain fair

WALES is set to lose out on more than £1 billion in transport funding over the coming years after the Welsh Liberal Democrats highlighted that the UK Labour Government has confirmed Northern Powerhouse Rail will proceed as an “England and Wales” project – despite the scheme not touching a single centimetre of Welsh soil.

Northern Powerhouse Rail – sometimes described informally as High Speed 3 – aims to improve rail connections between Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds and other major cities across northern England. But by designating it as an “England and Wales” scheme, the Treasury avoids triggering Barnett consequentials that would otherwise flow to the Welsh Government.

Sixth-billion shortfall

According to figures released by the Lib Dems, the decision could deprive Wales of between £1.34bn and £1.59bn over the project’s lifetime. This is in addition to the estimated £4bn in lost funding when HS2 was similarly classified, and a further £306m–£363m linked to East–West Rail between Oxford and Cambridge.

In total, Wales could be missing out on around £6bn across the three projects.

By contrast, Scotland is expected to receive £2.7bn in consequentials from Northern Powerhouse Rail, while Northern Ireland is set to receive just under £1bn.

Lib Dem criticism of Labour stance

The Welsh Liberal Democrats say the figures undermine Labour’s claim that Wales is receiving fair transport funding. Labour has pledged £445m for rail in Wales over ten years – an amount the Lib Dems described as “an absolute joke” when set against the billions flowing elsewhere.

The party has again called for heavy rail to be devolved to Wales, as it is in Scotland and Northern Ireland, arguing this would prevent future funding disputes. They also point out that the UK Government could choose to classify such schemes as “England only” – as was done with Crossrail – which would automatically provide Wales with consequential funding.

Welsh rail projects still awaiting decisions

Critics also note that several Wales-specific rail improvements, including electrification of the North and South Wales Mainlines, have not yet been committed to by Labour, despite being previously supported while in opposition.

‘Wales left behind’ – Chadwick

Welsh Liberal Democrat Westminster spokesperson David Chadwick MP said: “This Labour Government is deliberately depriving Welsh communities of billions of pounds in transport funding, whilst expecting a pat on the back for delivering crumbs.

“Labour has the power to change the system and stop these funding scandals, but has made its position clear – they are happy for Wales to be left behind, paying for megaprojects in England whilst our own rail and transport infrastructure collapses.

“The Welsh Liberal Democrats will continue to fight for fair transport funding that delivers for our communities and businesses.”

Labour response

A UK Labour Government spokesperson has previously said that its investment plans will deliver “a fair and balanced package for every part of the UK”, and that decisions on rail funding are being taken “in line with long-standing Treasury processes”. The Government maintains that its £445m investment commitment demonstrates its intent to improve Wales’s rail network.

The Welsh Government has also been approached for further comment.