Community
Bethany home from rickshaw challenge
MILFORD Haven is proud to welcome home the stars of The Children In Need Rickshaw Challenge this week.
16-year-old Bethany Freeman and her mother Amanda have recently arrived back in Milford Haven after cycling 700 miles across Britain over eight days. The trek began in Giants Causeway, Ireland and ended in London.
The Herald managed to get hold of Amanda for a talk about how much she enjoyed The Rickshaw Challenge.
“It was so much harder than I thought,” said Amanda. “Bethany loved it. She missed her father a lot at the beginning. I had tried to tell her that he wasn’t going to be there but I don’t think she actually realised it. We were riding along one day and she saw somebody that looked like him and she started shouting ‘Dad!’”
Bethany and Amanda cycled with four other people in The Rickshaw Challenge as well as their partners and met many celebrities on the way.
“We met Jason Donavan, but Bethany wasn’t phased by that. She knew who he was, and she stood with her arms around him for about half an hour! We also saw Amir Khan in Bolton and we met the cast of Eastenders in Albert Square,” says Amanda. “It was such an adventure”.
Amanda had to cycle five miles up hill in the Lake District. She told The Herald how she got to do it: “This was the highest point in The Rickshaw, and all the men were wanting to do it saying ‘I’ll do it’, then someone else would say ‘No, I’ll do it’. In the end, Matt Baker came in and said ‘The next part is five miles up hill. You’re doing it Amanda’. I couldn’t really say no!” Amanda was filmed with tears in her eyes while cycling uphill due to the intensity of it. Amanda recalls the moment: “I was dying. Had it been a normal push bike I would have got off and walked, but The Rickshaw isn’t like a normal bike. It’s very solid and you can feel every bump. Plus it was being filmed!”
Bethany is only 4ft 11ins and was the smallest rider on The Rickshaw. Bethany had to have a special seat which was lower than the rest and was softer.
When cycling out of Birmingham, Bethany fell off The Rickshaw bike. Amanda said: “I didn’t see her fall over but when I looked she was lying on the road. I rushed out to her to see if she was okay, and she lifted her head and said ‘It’s all your fault mum’, which is her usual reaction to falling over. I knew that she was okay after she said that!”
Amanda continued: “She was okay. She had a helmet and protective clothing on, which did help her. Her coat ripped though and she wouldn’t wear it again, so I had to wear it afterwards! I also had to get on The Rickshaw then for her. I could see she was fine, so I didn’t mind”.
Bethany rode The Rickshaw bike into Oxford on day seven. BBC Children In Need raised £250,000 in half an hour that night through text messages. “It was such a great experience. People were chanting her name when we cycled past and one lady ran after us and gave Bethany a pair of reindeer slipper to put her feet up afterwards – she loves them!”
After meeting a number of celebrities and getting a mention from Oprah Winfrey, Milford Haven is proud to have Bethany and Amanda home safely.
Congratulations to you both from all here at The Pembrokeshire Herald.
Community
Drop in sessions to help reshape Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service
MID and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service (MAWWFRS) is pleased to announce the launch of a series of community drop-in sessions designed to gather feedback from residents and stakeholders. This initiative aims to identify issues and challenges that may impact the delivery of the Community Risk Management Plan 2040 (CRMP 2040).
The CRMP 2040 outlines the Service’s commitment to addressing risks, threats, and challenges faced by communities. These drop-in sessions provide an opportunity for residents to help shape the future of fire and rescue services in Mid and West Wales, ensuring safety and well-being remain a priority.
Shaping the future together
Deputy Chief Fire Officer Iwan Cray said: “We believe the best way to serve our communities is by involving them in the planning process. These drop-in sessions are an opportunity for us to listen, learn, and collaborate with the people we serve.”
The drop-in sessions, details of which are available on the MAWWFRS website, offer a platform for open dialogue. Residents can share their insights, concerns, and suggestions, contributing to the development of a modern Fire and Rescue Service tailored to their needs.
A data-driven approach
The CRMP 2040 adopts a data-driven approach, focusing on prevention, protection, and response to reduce emergencies’ impact and enhance public safety. By tailoring services to community needs, MAWWFRS is committed to building safer and more resilient communities.
Get involved
Community members are encouraged to attend these sessions and provide their feedback. To thank participants, MAWWFRS is offering a chance to win a £100 Amazon voucher. To enter, simply attend a session and complete the survey.
For more information about the plan or the upcoming drop-in sessions, visit the MAWWFRS website or contact the team at [email protected].
About MAWWFRS
Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service is dedicated to protecting and serving the communities of Mid and West Wales. Through prevention, protection, and response, the Service works tirelessly to ensure the safety and well-being of all residents and visitors.
Community
Landfill odour sparks calls for inquiry and legal action
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
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
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