MEGHAN SMYTH, an A-level student and young carer for her disabled sister Mia, has attended Action for Children’s Young Carers’ Gala in London – an event celebrating the determination of young people who care for loved ones.

Having balanced schoolwork with caring responsibilities from an early age, Meghan took to the stage during the Gala to perform live with a band. Her story was also shared in a short film shown to hundreds of guests – a moment she described as unforgettable.

“Watching my video play at the Gala, I found myself looking around, wondering if I was being judged. Instead, I saw genuine warmth on everyone’s faces. In that moment I realised I wasn’t being judged but rather being supported. It truly felt like a dream,” Meghan said.

During the event, Meghan also met celebrities and supporters of the charity, including singer Alexandra Burke, who praised the courage and resilience of young carers across the UK.

Following the Gala, Meghan received a personal invitation from the Princess of Wales to attend a special carol service at Buckingham Palace – a gesture highlighting the importance of recognising and uplifting young carers who can often go unseen.

Action for Children representatives praised Meghan for her dedication and talent, and for the powerful way she shares her lived experience to inspire others.

The charity’s Young Carers’ Gala aims to shine a light on young carers across the UK who juggle education, work and caring responsibilities every day, often without the recognition they deserve.

For Meghan, the evening marked more than a celebration – it was a moment of validation, pride and hope for the future.

GOVERNORS at Ysgol Meidrim in Carmarthenshire have published a counter-proposal to the council’s plan to close the village school, as the six-week public consultation gets underway today (Jan 16).

The start of the consultation had originally been scheduled for Tuesday (Jan 13) but was delayed after the council had not completed the Welsh-language translation of the consultation documents in time.

In a message to the Chair of Governors, Ann Jones, the council’s Chief Executive, Wendy Walters, confirmed the consultation period would begin today (Jan 16). It is expected that both the Welsh and English versions of the consultation document will appear on the council’s website.

In response, the school’s governors have released their own 73-page counter-proposal, developed since the cabinet decision in November to proceed to consultation.

The governors’ plan is to secure a viable long-term future for Ysgol Meidrim by developing the school, outside teaching hours, as a Community Hub. The document includes research and a cost-benefit analysis, along with a list of potential funding sources to support the project.

The proposal, however, depends on the school remaining open and based on the current premises, with governors arguing that the school is essential both as a focal point for young families and as a key part of the funding model.

Alongside the main document, the governors have also published a supplementary paper which sets out alternative savings the council could make — claiming it could reduce education spending by around a quarter of a million pounds without closing community schools.

Supporters say they now want the six-week consultation period to be used for detailed discussions between council officers and governors, with a view to reaching a positive outcome.

Speaking on behalf of the governors, Sian Straczek, of Meidrim, said: “As school governors at Ysgol Meidrim, we were very disappointed that we have not been given a proper chance to explore all future options for the school with council officers.

“The statutory code requires the council to have explored with us all options before proposing closure — otherwise the ‘presumption against closure’ of village schools becomes meaningless.

“We have worked hard on this carefully-costed counter-proposal to develop our school as a valuable community hub out of school hours, and hope that we will now be given the opportunity during the consultation period for practical discussions with officers in a spirit of co-operation.”

The governors have also launched a campaign logo — “Mlaen Meidrim” (“Forward Meidrim”) — as well as a campaign video highlighting the school’s importance to the local community.

On behalf of Cymdeithas yr Iaith in Sir Gâr, Ffred Ffransis said the council’s own figures suggested the financial case for closure was weak.

He said: “The council’s own figures show that there will be 39 pupils at Ysgol Meidrim in two years, and that the total saving from closing the school — after deducting additional school transport costs — is only claimed to be £13,000 a year.

“If such a school is closed, then 20 more rural Welsh-medium schools will be under threat, in a total annihilation of our rural communities.

“The governors at Meidrim, all volunteers, have produced an amazing document and deserve a proper hearing, not just the standard negative written responses. Their counter-proposal could be an exciting pilot project — both in community-based primary education and in the wider revival of Welsh-speaking rural communities.

“Over the last decade Carmarthenshire County Council has been far more open in its discussions than was previously the case, and our hope is that there will now be positive, two-way discussion rather than the usual sterile negative responses.”

ADULTS in Pembrokeshire who have ever fancied trying their hand at scriptwriting are being invited to join a new series of creative writing workshops at the Torch Theatre in Milford Haven.

The theatre is running fun, fortnightly sessions designed to help participants explore and develop writing for the stage in a supportive setting. The workshops are open to anyone aged 18 and over, and no previous experience is needed — just a willingness to share ideas and get writing.

The sessions are part of the Torch Theatre’s wider programme of community activities, aimed at giving more people the chance to get involved in the arts.

Torch Theatre Senior Manager for Youth and Community, Tim Howe, said the workshops are designed to help writers turn ideas into playable scenes and believable characters.

“We will help get your ideas out of your head and on to the page, give your characters voices, and support you in sharing your work with others,” he said. “To get the most out of your experience, we aim to create a nurturing and creative space so we can turn you into a writer for the stage.”

Tim added that each term explores a different approach to writing, with the current focus on verbatim theatre — a style that uses real people’s words and transforms them into scripts for performance.

“At the end of each term, we hold an informal sharing of the work which you can invite family and friends along to,” he said.

The workshops will be held on Thursdays from 6.30pm to 8.30pm at the Torch Theatre, with sessions taking place on January 15 and 29, February 12, and March 5 and 19.

Each session costs £10, or £50 for the full term.

For more information, contact the Torch Theatre Box Office on 01646 695267, or email Tim Howe at [email protected].