Community

Llangwm awarded lottery grant

Published

11 years ago

January 27, 2015

Tom Sinclair

Ambitious plan: Llangwm passes another milestone with HLF grant.

THE HERITAGE LLANGWM TEAM has been awarded a grant of £340,400 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to not only revitalise the church, but also to uncover the village’s Flemish roots. This follows an initial HLF grant of £17,700 in January last year to develop the plan, and takes the team most of the way towards its goal. The project began to take shape more than two years ago when a survey of the church, St Jerome’s, revealed a need for urgent, and expensive, repairs.

Team members put on their thinking caps and came up with a plan which included the addition of modern facilities for worship, concerts and events. It became apparent that the temporary closure of the church would also provide a once in a lifetime opportunity to explore the village’s links with Flemish incomers whose ancestors had first crossed to Britain with William the Conqueror. Research has shown that St Jerome’s was built by Flemish craftsmen, but as with many old churches, its medieval features were stripped out by the Victorians.

Heritage Llangwm team chair, Pam Hunt has been leading the investigations, said: “We hope to discover traces of the Flemish community, and also explore DNA evidence to find out if long-standing families from Llangwm have links with the original Flemish settlers, and if so, where in Flanders they came from.” Although the team now has most of the funding needed to carry out the work, more must be raised before the HLF grant can be released. The team is now investigating possible additional donors.

The Head of HLF in Wales, Jennifer Stewart said: “Places of Worship are a strong, visual connection with our past and always tell a powerful, local story.” The project will carry out crucial work to the building meaning that it can be enjoyed more widely throughout the community, and the research into its fascinating past will help to share St Jerome’s story with both local communities and visitors.”

Community

Narbelles WI support Food Bank with festive donation

Published

6 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Group marks December meeting with charity collection and Christmas celebrations

NARBELLES WI rounded off the year with a festive December meeting featuring a bring-and-share buffet, party games and a Secret Santa gift exchange.

Members also used the occasion to support families in need across the county, collecting food items and presenting a £120 cheque to Ann Watling from Pembrokeshire Food Bank. The donation represents the proceeds of the group’s bucket collection during Narberth Civic Week 2024.

A spokesperson for the WI said the group was delighted to finish the year “with fun, friendship and a chance to give something back to the community.”

(Photo: Narbelles WI members presenting the cheque to Ann Watling, Pembrokeshire Food Bank.)

Community

Annual charity carol service raises funds for good causes

Published

1 day ago

December 13, 2025

Tom Sinclair

MID and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service held its annual Charity Carol Service on Wednesday (Dec 10) at Ebeneser Baptist Chapel in Crymych.

The event brought together members of the local community alongside Fire Service staff for an evening of carols, readings and festive refreshments, marking the Christmas season in a warm and inclusive atmosphere.

This year’s service supported two important charities — the Fire Fighters Charity and Cancer Research Wales — with all proceeds going directly towards their ongoing work.

A total of £597 was raised on the night, which will be shared equally between the two charities.

The Service thanked the congregation at Ebeneser Baptist Chapel for hosting the event, as well as everyone who gave their time, support and generosity to make the evening such a success.

Community

3 Amigos toy bike run under way across Pembrokeshire

Published

1 day ago

December 13, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Castle Inn fun runners back festive charity event

THE ANNUAL 3 Amigos Christmas toy bike run is under way this afternoon (Saturday), with hundreds of motorcyclists setting off from Pembroke to raise funds for children’s services.

Riders gathered at The Commons car park in Pembroke from around midday before departing shortly after 1:00pm. The festive convoy is travelling along its traditional route, taking in Pembroke Dock and continuing through parts of the county including Neyland, Milford Haven and Haverfordwest.

The event is organised by the 3 Amigos and Dollies Motorcycle Group and has become a much-anticipated Christmas tradition in west Wales, with toys and donations collected for children receiving care within the Hywel Dda University Health Board area.

Also supporting the event are fun runners from the Castle Inn in Pembroke, who have been fundraising in aid of the 3 Amigos. The group are pictured alongside participants from today’s run.

The 3 Amigos have been raising funds for children’s wards and health charities for more than twenty-five years, with their Easter and Christmas events continuing to make a positive difference to young patients and their families.

Organisers have thanked the public for their support and asked road users to be mindful of the large convoy as it passes through towns and villages this afternoon.

Photo caption:
Festive fundraising: Fun runners from the Castle Inn, Pembroke, pictured supporting the 3 Amigos Christmas toy bike run (Pic: Martin Cavaney/Herald)