PERIWINKLE the sea sprite is mischievous, big-hearted and the guardian of the
Cleddau who loves exploring the Pembrokeshire coast and the loveable character
can’t wait to meet you all this December as Rapunzel comes alive on the Torch
Theatre stage.

From Broad Haven and Little Haven, to Druidstone, Newgale and St
David’s, Periwinkle has magical powers and abilities, can harness the armour and
strength of a crab, or the speed and agility of a fish!

Eifion ap Cadno, who plays Periwinkle, hails from Bangor in north Wales. He trained
in Acting and Contemporary Theatre at East 15 Acting School before heading out to
perform with theatre companies across the UK, Germany and Austria. This will be
his first ever pantomime appearance, and he can’t wait to entertain Pembrokeshire
audiences.

“I’m very much looking forward to taking part as everything about it is so positive.
The original script is mad, the cast members are so generous and supportive,
everyone involved is just so talented and a joy to work with. Moving from rehearsals
in the studio to the main stage and seeing all the design and technical elements
come together has been so magical. I feel very privileged to be a part of such a
brilliant team and production,” said Eifion.

Audiences will love Periwinkle’s fabulous look, all clad in netting, seaweed, shells
and coral, with enormous hair that is very blue. Periwinkle can move like a jellyfish,
sometimes a crab, sometimes a fish, or anything sea-dwelling and can be very silly
at times.

“Periwinkle has a rather fantastic and elaborate appearance, to put it mildly. Gettinginto costume, applying all my make-up and putting on the wig (it’s not my real hair,
sorry to disappoint), is definitely a big part of getting into character. The designer and
wardrobe team have done such an amazing job of bringing Periwinkle to life – I find
that once I’m all dolled up, most of the work has already been done!”

The magical and mischievous Periwinkle has been a favourite with school children
during the school pantomime sessions and the audience support has put Eifion at
ease.

“The truth is, nothing can quite prepare you for the stage – it’s such a different
experience finally having all those children sat watching you! And they’ve not sat
quietly so far, they’ve really got involved. Periwinkle, wants to be best friends with
the audience and get them to help fight the mean witch Mother Gothel and this has
meant a lot of audience interaction!”

Rapunzel, the hair-raising adventure can be seen on the Torch Theatre stage now
until Sunday 28 December. Relaxed Environment Performance Saturday 13
December at 2pm and BSL Interpreted Performance on Tuesday 16 December at
6pm. Ticket price: £24.50 | £20.00 Cons | £78.00 Family. For further information visit
the Torch Theatre website www.torchtheatre.co.uk or phone the Box Office on
(01646) 695267.

NATWEST CYMRU has announced it will extend its charity partnership with Wales Air Ambulance into 2026 after staff fundraising efforts raised more than £31,000 for the lifesaving service.

The total of £31,650 is enough to fund the cost of nine emergency missions.

Staff across Wales were asked to vote for their chosen charity last year, with Wales Air Ambulance receiving almost 60% of the final vote.

Jessica Shipman, Chair of the NatWest Cymru Regional Board, said the partnership had been a significant achievement for staff and customers alike.

“We’ve had such a fantastic year working in partnership with Wales Air Ambulance, learning about what it does and understanding why it is so important,” she said.

“This is the first time our franchise in Wales has been able to choose its own charity, and we are incredibly proud to be able to hand over a cheque for £31,650.

“Every part of Wales can benefit from the services Wales Air Ambulance provides.”

Ms Shipman stressed that the money was raised entirely through staff-led fundraising.

“People might see that amount and think this is a big bank with big purse strings, but I can honestly say every single penny was raised through staff volunteering,” she said.

“There were bucket collections, fundraising events, and we could not have done it without the support of our family, friends and wonderful customers.”

She added that the decision to extend the partnership reflected shared values.

“At NatWest we are about supporting communities, helping people thrive and sometimes even changing lives through the work that we do,” she said.

“There are natural synergies between us and Wales Air Ambulance, which is why we have decided to continue supporting this incredible service as it prepares to mark its 25th anniversary.”

Over the past twelve months, NatWest Cymru staff have taken part in a wide range of fundraising activities, including abseiling down a church in Rhyl and skydiving in Swansea.

Kirstin Jenkins, Local Director for North and West Wales branch banking and Deputy Chair of the Regional Board, said the enthusiasm shown by staff had been remarkable.

“It’s been great fun,” she said. “Everyone has really rallied together and come up with outstanding ideas to help us raise awareness and as much money as possible.”

She highlighted events such as a coffee and cake fundraiser in Brecon during the Jazz Festival, and Wales Air Ambulance’s involvement at the start and finish of the Team GB Baton Relay.

“One of the most surprising things for many of us was learning that Wales Air Ambulance relies entirely on fundraising and public support,” Ms Jenkins said.

“That was a huge motivation. People understand that this service could impact their life tomorrow if they ever needed it.”

Gemma Yorke, Director of Business Banking for NatWest, said coordinating around five hundred staff across Wales had been a major achievement.

“We are split across many divisions, but we have all worked together to support the charity staff chose,” she said.

“A big part of this partnership has also been raising awareness. People see the helicopter in the sky, but don’t always stop to think about what is happening on the ground.”

The Wales Air Ambulance Charity delivers consultant-led, hospital-standard emergency care directly to patients and, where needed, transfers them to the most appropriate hospital.

The charity relies on public donations to raise around £13 million each year to keep its helicopters flying and rapid response vehicles on the road, with NHS consultants and critical care practitioners supplied through the Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service.

Abi Pearce, Corporate Partnerships Manager at Wales Air Ambulance, said the support from NatWest Cymru had been invaluable.

“We are profoundly grateful for the outstanding £31,650 raised, which is the equivalent cost of nine lifesaving missions,” she said.

“It has been an incredible year of collaboration, travelling across Wales to keep up with the fantastic fundraising efforts.

“We are delighted the partnership will continue into 2026 as we celebrate our 25th anniversary.”

Belongings found on shoreline prompted multi-agency response in Pennar

ANGLE RNLI assisted in a three-hour search for a missing person in Pembrokeshire on Sunday evening, the charity has confirmed.

The lifeboat crew was tasked at 6:57pm to support an ongoing search in the Pennar area after coastguard teams from Dale, St Govan’s and Llansteffan had already been deployed for several hours.

The coastguard search was escalated after personal belongings were discovered on the shoreline, along with footprints leading into the water, prompting concerns for the individual’s safety.

Following the request for assistance, the Angle RNLI lifeboat launched and arrived on scene shortly afterwards, beginning a coordinated shoreline search.

Conditions were described as difficult, with a strong southerly wind and driving rain significantly reducing visibility.

Due to the circumstances and potential risk to life, Coastguard Rescue Helicopter R924, based at Newquay, was also deployed to assist with aerial searches of the area.

After a thorough multi-agency operation, all search assets were stood down at around 10:00pm.

Police later confirmed that the missing person had been located safe and well in Pembroke Dock.