CEREDIGION PENFRO Senedd Member Paul Davies has met with Openreach Cymru at the Senedd to discuss progress on the rollout of full fibre broadband across west Wales, raising concerns about connectivity in parts of west Wales.

Pembrokeshire currently has the lowest level of full fibre coverage in Wales at just 59%, with neighbouring Ceredigion the second lowest at 67%.  Mr Davies stressed that while progress is being made, more needs to be done to close the gap and ensure rural communities are not left behind.

Mr Davies said, “Expanding full fibre broadband is essential to supporting economic growth, public services and digital inclusion across Wales and we all require access to reliable, high-speed broadband in our lives.

“Whilst the full fibre network is now available to more than 80% of premises across Wales, the coverage in areas like Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion shows there’s still plenty of work to be done. We need to see a stronger focus on these areas so that residents and businesses can benefit from the same opportunities as those in better-connected parts of Wales.”

“I will continue to work with Openreach Cymru to ensure that broadband rollout is delivered as quickly and efficiently as possible. Improving digital infrastructure is vital for economic growth and I want to ensure that communities in Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion are not left behind.”

Campaigners calling for removal of Dyfed-Powys Police chief constable

A PROTEST calling for the removal of Dyfed-Powys Police Chief Constable Dr Richard Lewis is set to take place outside Llanelli Police Station this weekend amid concerns over child safeguarding.

The demonstration, organised through a public Facebook event by Zackery Lee Griffiths, is due to be held on Saturday (May 23) at 11:00am and is expected to last around three hours.

Promotional material for the event describes it as a “predator awareness” protest and claims the chief constable has “failed to safeguard the children of Carmarthenshire.” Organisers are urging people to gather in Llanelli to demand what they describe as “mass action” to better protect children.

The event page states: “The chief constable has allowed our kids to come under huge harm – we are calling for mass action on Saturday as we protest to remove him and protect our kids.”

The protest appears to centre on wider concerns around child protection and policing, although no specific incident or case is referenced in the publicly available event information.

Dyfed-Powys Police has not publicly responded to the planned demonstration.

The Herald has approached Dyfed-Powys Police for comment regarding the allegations being made by organisers and whether senior officers intend to respond to concerns raised by protesters.

Anyone planning to attend is advised to follow police guidance and ensure any demonstration remains peaceful and lawful.

NEW digital resources aimed at helping pupils explore one of the most significant events in modern Welsh history have been launched by the National Library of Wales.

The Aberystwyth-based library has created a virtual escape room and interactive learning materials focusing on the drowning of the Tryweryn Valley.

The resources, available through the library’s website, are designed to support the Curriculum for Wales and help pupils develop historical knowledge, language skills and literacy.

The first resource, aimed at children aged seven to 11, offers a behind-the-scenes look at the library and its collections through an interactive quiz.

The second, aimed at pupils aged 13 to 15, is a virtual escape room in which learners solve a series of clues linked to the history of Tryweryn.

The project forms part of the National Library’s wider aim to support schools across Wales and comes during the National Year of Reading.

Owain Dafydd, the library’s education and skills manager, said: “It feels very timely during the National Year of Reading to release these new resources that will support language development and literacy skills, as well as sharing the story of one of the most significant events of the 1960s in Wales.

“It demonstrates perfectly how the library’s collections can be used to learn in a creative way and contributes to the aims of the library’s Engagement Strategy — Your Library — to engage with all schools in Wales.”

The virtual escape room was funded by Adnodd and developed with Jengyd, a company specialising in Welsh-language escape rooms. The team includes secondary school teachers, helping to ensure the resource is both educational and engaging.

Items from the National Library’s collections, including photographs, artworks, documents and newspaper reports, feature in the new materials. Creative work by Caryl Lewis and Samantha Wynne-Rhydderch has also been included.

Samantha Wynne-Rhydderch said: “I’m delighted that my poem, which examines in a strict syllable count, the experience of being made homeless, is being used as a literacy resource. I would never have dreamt this 20 years ago when I wrote 71,200 Megalitres about this unforgettable part of our history.

“I am very grateful to the National Library for their time and energy in making this happen.”

Adam Lewis, a teacher at Ysgol Plascrug, Aberystwyth, said the materials would help bring Welsh history into the classroom.

He said: “From a teacher’s point of view, the resources expand and enrich the children’s learning, bringing the subjects to life.

“It offers valuable access to schools, bringing the library’s collections directly to them.”

Caption: Children enjoying the new interactive learning resources at the National Library of Wales.