Community

Cancer patients targeted with parking fines outside Haverfordwest support centre

Published

2 months ago

April 29, 2026

Adam’s Bucketful of Hope says vulnerable users, elderly volunteers and charity drivers have paid more than £1,000 after Ateb introduced camera-controlled parking at the former library car park

LOCAL cancer victims, many of whom are battling their final months of life, are being targeted with unnecessary parking fines by local housing company Ateb.

Since taking over the former library in Haverfordwest town centre, together with the adjoining car park, Ateb has been claiming car parking fees monitored by Parking Eye Limited.

But the system means that patients attending the nearby cancer support centre, Adam’s Bucketful of Hope, are being issued with multiple fines, court summonses and even bailiff action.

Many fines are being served on vehicles which drop patients off at the centre and immediately drive off.

These include an 89-year-old volunteer who, despite paying her parking tickets, has received three separate threatening letters; a courtesy van which was fined £100 for transporting charity equipment to a fundraising event; a motorist who recently accrued a £200 fine for delivering a patient and returning later that afternoon to pick her up from the centre; and a Polish van driver who collects the charity’s ragbags for Wilcox Recyclers, who has paid £120 in parking fines.

“Why should these people have to pay?” said Chris Evans-Thomas, who co-founded the charity with her son Adam, who sadly died of leukaemia at the age of 35.

“We don’t pay when we go to the hospital, we don’t pay at the doctor’s surgery, so why are our patients, many having reached the last months of their lives, being dealt all this stress whenever they visit our support centre?

“We’ve repeatedly asked to meet Ateb face to face in order to discuss the issue, but they’re ghosting us.”

Chris claims that when Ateb purchased the library back in April 2022, the housing company assured the charity that the existing arrangement would be honoured, enabling regular charity volunteers to use their five allocated car parking spaces free of charge.

“But the parking system is now all on camera, so even if we just drive in to drop somebody off, the driver of the car is fined,” she continued.

To date, the centre’s cancer patients and volunteers have spent a total of £1,062 on tickets issued on vehicles using the five designated parking spaces. A full refund has now been requested by the charity.

“We’ve been based at this site for almost 20 years and have always operated from the back entrance. But since Ateb took over the car park, all this has changed.”

Support for patients

The charity’s principal purpose is to support cancer sufferers, many of whom are terminally ill, by providing a wide range of free treatments to boost their personal rejuvenation and respite.

These include contemplative sessions in the respite and rejuvenation room, hair and beauty treatments, and a wide range of craft and singing sessions.

The charity works closely with the VC Gallery and also welcomes anyone undergoing hospital treatment for other illnesses, both physical and mental. People who are too sick to attend can use the “messenger wall” to interact with others attending the centre.

“A lot of people finish their treatment at hospital and are then told they can go home, and for many this can be daunting,” continued Chris Evans-Thomas.

“Suddenly they no longer have all the camaraderie they received from the medical staff and they start feeling anxious and lonely. This is why the centre is so important to so many of our users.

“But since Ateb bought the library, our numbers have seen a steady decline because a lot of our users don’t want to risk using the car park and get a £100 fine, so they’ve stopped attending.”

The problem is further exacerbated by the fact that some of the centre’s older users are unable to use the car park’s card and phone payment system.

Terminal diagnosis

One of the centre’s regular attendees is Yvonne who, last November, was told that her cancer is terminal.

“I was told that I’ve got a year to live, maybe two years maximum,” she said.

“I’m already serving a life sentence, so why should I have to deal with all this added trauma from Ateb?

“They’ve sent me four letters and threatened me with court proceedings, but I’m in the middle of my cancer treatment. Having to deal with all this just adds to the stress.

“Everyone in life has come across people who are suffering from cancer and it hits the heart of everybody. But Ateb is just carrying on with their threats without giving any thought to what it’s doing to us.”

Moving to Foley House

Meanwhile Chris Evans-Thomas said that Adam’s Bucketful of Hope is currently preparing to relocate to another part of town.

“All we’re asking is for Ateb to listen to our plea and help our patients continue using the centre until we move to our new location in Foley House, having outgrown the building here in Dew Street,” she concluded.

“The feasibility studies have all been completed, with the result that we’re hoping to move in the next two years. This means we only need Ateb’s support for a short period of time.

“If we can give them our users’ registration numbers, there would be no problems.”

Ateb response

Meanwhile Ateb responded stating: “Ateb have worked closely with a range of local residents, businesses and the Local Authority to offer various solutions and concessions to local parking needs including aligning our parking terms to that of other nearby public car parks.

“We will continue to operate the parking within the displayed terms of operation and engage in issues that are made aware to us at the relevant time.”

Community

Beating of the Bounds brings music, boats and tradition to Haverfordwest

Published

3 hours ago

June 14, 2026

Tom Sinclair

CENTURIES-OLD CEREMONY DRAWS FAMILIES TO THE RIVERSIDE

HAVERFORDWEST’S historic Beating of the Bounds returned on Sunday (Jun 14), with boats, music and crowds gathering along the riverside for one of the town’s most distinctive civic traditions.

The ceremony saw the Mayor of Haverfordwest and Admiral of the Port, Cllr Randell Thomas-Turner, lead a water-borne procession along the Western Cleddau to the White Stone, the painted boundary marker of the Borough and Port of Haverfordwest.

He was joined by Deputy Mayor Cllr Adam Benson-Davies, Town Sheriff Cllr Dani Thomas-Turner, Deputy Lieutenant Patricia Porter OBE and her daughter, the Chairman of Pembrokeshire County Council, the Chairman of the Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society, Reverend Sophie Whitmarsh, Andrew Merfyn Phillips the High Sheriff of Dyfed, and other invited guests.

A flotilla of boats from Neyland, Milford Haven and other parts of the Haven made its way upriver for the ceremony, with civic leaders and dignitaries travelling out to the White Stone.

Upon reaching the marker, Reverend Sophie Whitmarsh, the Mayor’s Chaplain, gave a blessing as the boats gathered around the painted white rock.

Cllr Thomas-Turner then delivered the traditional proclamation, formally reaffirming the town’s ancient boundaries and rights.

He declared: “Let it be known that I come to the White Stone and do this day acknowledge and maintain the ancient bounds and privilege of the Borough and Port of Haverfordwest.”

The ceremony was accompanied by a busy family event at the Quayside Car Park, where Pure West Radio broadcast live from the riverside and crowds enjoyed face painting, bouncy castles, ice cream and food stalls.

Civic gathering: The Chairman of the Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society, ***The Chairman of Pembrokeshire County Council***, ***and The High Sheriff of Dyfed pictured with their wives (Pic: Herald)***

***Civic tradition: Town Sheriff Cllr Dani Thomas-Turner, Mayor of Haverfordwest Cllr Randell Thomas-Turner, Deputy Lieutenant Patricia Porter OBE and her daughter at the Beating of the Bounds ceremony*** ***(Pic: Herald)***

***Toby Ellis from Pure West Radio broadcasting from the event with assistant (Pic Darthy Media)***

Local artist and musician Steve Bartram performed during the afternoon, while children from Vision Arts entertained the crowd with songs from Disney films and musical theatre, including I’ve Got No Strings from Pinocchio.

Milford Haven Town Band also performed, adding a traditional soundtrack to the occasion as the historic ceremony unfolded on the river.

***Music for the civic occasion: Milford Haven Town Band performed at the event (Pic: Aad Oostermeijer)***

With the Bristol Trader open and people sitting out on benches along the river enjoying the evening atmosphere, the event brought a relaxed summer feel to the town centre.

Security for the event was provided by RM Training and Security Solutions, helping ensure the celebrations ran safely for families and visitors.

First aid cover was provided by St John Ambulance Cymru, with four team members on site throughout the event.

***Keeping the crowds safe: St John Ambulance provided First aid Cover (Pic: Herald)***

Beating the Bounds is an ancient civic custom, once used to mark and remember parish or town boundaries before modern maps and records. In Haverfordwest, the tradition survives in a particularly distinctive form, with the Mayor travelling by boat to the White Stone to acknowledge the historic bounds and privileges of the borough and port.

This year’s event combined formal civic ceremony with music, family entertainment, river activity and a strong community turnout, helping to keep one of Pembrokeshire’s best-known traditions alive for another generation.

Photos by The Pembrokeshire Herald, Aad Oostermeijer, Cllr Thomas Tudor and Darthy Media

Community

Pembrokeshire Chess Club crowned Welsh champions

Published

5 hours ago

June 14, 2026

Herald Sport

PEMBROKESHIRE Chess Club is celebrating a fantastic weekend after being crowned champions of the Welsh Chess Union Premier League Under-1850.

The club played its final match of the season today, beating Abergavenny to win the league outright.

Earlier in the season, Pembrokeshire recorded wins against Castell Nedd, North Cardiff and Morriston, as well as drawing with Cardiff Tigers.

Although the club previously won the competition online during the Covid period, this is its first over-the-board league title.

A club spokesperson said it was “great to represent the county against teams from across Wales” and congratulated all the players who registered for the competition.

Those involved were Ben Brewer, Martin Jones, Scott Hammett, Mark Paffard, Henry Burton, Huw Jones and Kevin Heady.

Following its recent AGM, the club has now decided to enter two teams in next year’s competition, giving more members, especially junior players, the chance to take part.

It was also a successful weekend for two of the club’s juniors, Jozef Othen and Harry Harling, who played with distinction in an invitation Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire match against Carmarthenshire on Saturday afternoon.

Jozef also competed in an online Megafinals event on Saturday morning, progressing to the Gigafinals.

The club will hold its first ever Junior Rapid Tournament on January 24, with more details to follow.

Pembrokeshire Chess Club also praised FIDE Master Alexis Harakis, who has been coaching and supporting juniors and senior members of the recently formed Fishguard Chess Club.

The club said his involvement would help raise standards and benefit chess across the county.

Pictured are today’s winning team: Ben, Martin, Scott and Mark.

Pembrokeshire Chess Club are the 2026 champions of the Welsh Chess Union Premier League Under-1850.

Community

Christians gather at Pembroke Castle for day of prayer and praise

Published

10 hours ago

June 14, 2026

Tom Sinclair

HUNDREDS of worshippers gathered at Pembroke Castle today for a major Christian event bringing churches together from across Pembrokeshire and beyond.

The Picnic, Prayer and Praise event took place on Sunday (Jun 14), with people invited to bring chairs, blankets and picnics for an afternoon of worship inside one of Wales’ most historic castles.

***Faith at the castle:*** **The mayor of Pembroke, Cllr Jonathan Grimes** **and Town Crier, Cllr Gareth Jones, attended the event**

The event was led by Sound of Wales, alongside local churches, and also included Korean Christians from London who took part in their own distinctive style.

The programme began at 1:00pm, with free entry for worshippers between 12 noon and 5:00pm.

***Visitors: Mayor of Pembroke, Cllr Jonathan Grimes, and Pembroke Town Crier, Cllr Gareth Jones, with members of the SCON Korean Christian youth group***

Organisers said the aim was to unite Christians in prayer for Pembrokeshire and Wales, while celebrating faith through music, worship and fellowship.

Castle Trustee Roger Baker previously described the gathering as “an extraordinary opportunity to unite Christians in one of the great castles of Wales.”

***Faith at the castle: Worshippers gathered at Pembroke Castle for the Picnic, Prayer and Praise event on Sunday (Pic: Herald).***

He said: “What a way to give Pembrokeshire a united voice of praise to our God and our Lord Jesus Christ.”

The event has become a growing fixture in the Pembrokeshire Christian calendar, with previous gatherings attracting large crowds despite challenging weather.

Today’s event made full use of the castle’s dramatic setting, with worshippers gathering within the ancient walls for an afternoon of praise, reflection and community.