Community
Third sector winners announced

THE WINNERS of Wales Council for Voluntary Action’s (WCVA) prestigious Third Sector Awards Cymru 2014 were announced last night at a gala dinner

Ethnic Youth Support Team: Winners of the Award for the most admired
organisation, posing with host Jason Mohammad
hosted by BBC Wales presenter Jason Mohammad at the Marriott Hotel, Cardiff.
Run by WCVA and supported by voluntary sector services specialist Class Telecommunications, the awards had a shortlist of 19 groups from across the country.
WCVA Chief Executive Ruth Marks said the quality of work of the organisations nominated for awards continued to impress year on year: “The creativity and dedication of these groups never ceases to amaze our judges,” she added.
“The strength and breadth of the nominated organisations is testament to a vibrant third sector. The awards are a way to applaud and to give something back to the groups that make such a hugely positive impact on communities and individuals across Wales.”
Jonathan Levy, Chief Operating Officer with Class Telecommunications said: “Class is very proud to be supporting the Third Sector Awards Cymru for the seventh consecutive year. Each year, we are both humbled and inspired by the work of all the nominated organisations. This year was no exception.”
List of Third Sector Awards Cymru 2014 winners and runners-up
The Class award for best communications – for groups with effective or innovative ways of communicating their message to service users and volunteers.
WINNERS
Communities 2.0, a Welsh Government and European-funded programme aimed at promoting the benefits of being online and reducing digital exclusion.
Alzheimer’s Society’s Dementia Friends is a communications initiative with the aim of helping people with dementia feel included in their local communities.
RUNNERS-UP
Calan DVS one of South Wales’s leading domestic abuse support organisations.
WWF Cymru’s Welsh Wish\ Dymuniad Cymru is a campaign run by the Welsh arm of the world’s largest environmental network.
The environmental award – for organisations that have helped deliver environmental benefits for their communities.
WINNER
FareShare Cymru, which takes edible surplus food from the food industry and redistributes it, working with charities and community organisations across South East Wales.
RUNNERS-UP
Cardiff YMCA Housing Association’s Prefab Clothing, which trains homeless people to learn skills to help them find paid employment.
Draig Tex, based in Llandudno Junction, Conwy, a consortium of three North Wales social enterprises which exports surplus clothing from the third sector to Pakistan, East Africa, West Africa and Eastern Europe and works to keep the value of textiles in Wales, to benefit Welsh communities.
The health, social care and wellbeing award – for groups that have helped people ‘to be happier and healthier in their communities’.
WINNER
Gofal y Ddolen Community Support Service is run by The Red Cross Gofal service and developed with Denbighshire Social Services. Now, the service has been rolled out across most of Wales, supporting older people to cope and deal with the challenges of ageing.
RUNNERS-UP
The Ash Wales Filter Project (the Young Person’s Quit Smoking Project for Wales) is the only smoking cessation and prevention service in the country targeted solely at young people aged 11-25.
Neuro Therapy Centre, Saltney, Flintshire, which supports more than 400 people with conditions including MS, Parkinson’s, MND and ME.
Spice, a social enterprise that helps organisations to develop Time Credit systems. Founded in 2009 in the Rhondda Valley, it now operates across the UK with its main office in Cardiff.
The award for good governance – to recognise those groups whose trustees ensure their organisation is well run and exemplar.
WINNER
Calan DVS one of South Wales’s leading domestic abuse support organisations.
RUNNERS-UP
NewLink Wales, which was established to address skills deficits across the substance misuse sector in Wales and boost the capacity of treatment services by providing and training volunteers.
Tai Pawb (housing for all), a charity promoting equality and social justice in housing through a membership system open to local authorities, registered social landlords, third sector organisations, contractors and individuals.
The award for innovative fundraising – for organisations that have run campaigns or events demonstrating creativity and innovation in fundraising.
WINNER
Merthyr Tydfil Housing Association Youth Group was set up to help Merthyr Housing reach its goal of raising the aspirations and life experiences of its young people through education and fundraising.
RUNNERS-UP
Inner Wheel District 15 is part of the largest women’s organisation in the world. The District has 31 clubs across West and South Wales, and in 2013 – 2014 raised more than £30,000 for charities.
Xcel Project– Towy Community Church in Johnstown, Carmarthen – the only charity-run bowling alley in the UK. Proceeds are invested back into the community through a foodbank and a recycled furniture project.
Award for the most admired organisation – for organisations most respected for their inspirational work and the causes they represent.
WINNER
Swansea-based Ethnic Youth Support Team (EYST), which was set up in 2005 by a group of ethnic minority young people to fill a gap in provision for young BME people aged 11 to 25 by providing a culturally sensitive and holistic support service to meet their needs.
RUNNERS-UP
Taking Flight Theatre Company was founded to promote complete inclusivity for disabled actors.
Time to Change Wales, the first national campaign to address the stigma and discrimination faced by people with mental health problems.
Community
Landmarc raises the flag at Castlemartin to mark the start of Armed Forces Week

TO CELEBRATE Armed Forces Week 2025, Landmarc Support Services (Landmarc), together with the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO), is raising the Armed Forces Day flag at Castlemartin Training Area in Pembrokeshire, demonstrating their appreciation and support for service personnel.
The raising of the flag takes place each year at Defence Training Estate (DTE) sites across the UK and is witnessed by both Armed Forces personnel and civilians. This year, Landmarc and DIO are extending a special thank you to full-time serving and reservist troops, Cadet Force Adult Volunteers, veterans and their families, by proudly flying the official Armed Forces Day flag at military training establishments across the nation.
Working in partnership with DIO, Landmarc provides the support services that enable the Armed Forces to live, work, and train on the UK Defence Training Estate. As part of this ongoing commitment, Landmarc is extending its guaranteed interview scheme to military spouses, civil partners and long-term cohabiting partners who meet the basic role criteria to ensure fair treatment throughout the recruitment process.
The scheme reinforces Landmarc’s pledge to the Armed Forces Covenant, which was re-signed in 2024 following the company’s achievement of the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) Gold Award.
Mark Neill, Managing Director at Landmarc, said: “Having supported the Armed Forces for more than two decades, we’re proud that over 25 per cent of our team comes from a military background. Expanding our guaranteed interview scheme to military spouses and partners is another important step in recognising the loyalty and service these individuals contribute to our country, while also reinforcing our ongoing commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant.
“As a veteran myself, I know first-hand how important Armed Forces Week is for improving morale across our military communities, and we are proud to show our support during this special week.”
Brigadier Hatcher, DIO’s Head of Overseas and Training Region added: “Armed Forces Week is an opportunity to show our appreciation for the men and women of the Armed Forces community, providing a welcome morale boost to serving personnel, veterans, and their families.
“It’s fantastic to see the public, businesses, and fellow service members come together in support. Alongside our colleagues at Landmarc, we are proud to raise the flag at sites across the country to honour their contribution.
Community
Scam email targeting Pembrokeshire residents claims unpaid council tax

PEMBROKESHIRE residents are being warned to stay alert after reports of a scam email falsely claiming to be from the local authority.
The email, which carries the subject line “We’re writing to you about what seems to be an unprocessed council tax payment,” has been received by a number of residents in recent days.
It goes on to claim that the recipient has an outstanding balance on their Council Tax account and invites them to click a link to “check” the details. The message is signed off by a so-called “Local Taxation Authority”.
Pembrokeshire County Council has confirmed that the email is fraudulent and was not sent by the council.
“All genuine emails from Pembrokeshire County Council will come from an address ending in @pembrokeshire.gov.uk,” a spokesperson said. “We urge residents not to click on any links, open attachments, or provide any personal or financial information if they are unsure about an email’s authenticity.”
The council is advising anyone who receives the scam email to forward it to the National Cyber Security Centre at [email protected] for investigation.
The local authority reminded residents to always check the sender’s email address and contact the council directly through official channels if they have any concerns about council tax or other communications.
Community
West Wales activist recalls fear and resolve after Gaza march derailed in Egypt

Jim Scott from Mathry describes stressful journey, adapted plans, and Egyptian fears over diplomatic fallout
A PEMBROKESHIRE campaigner who travelled to Egypt this month to join the Global March to Gaza has shared his personal account of a fraught and ultimately curtailed international effort to demonstrate solidarity with Palestinians trapped under siege.

Jim Scott, from Mathry near St Davids, was among a small group of UK and Welsh activists who travelled to Cairo with the hope of reaching the Rafah crossing—via Ismailia and the Sinai desert—to hold a peaceful humanitarian presence near Gaza’s border.
The march, which attracted thousands of participants from more than 54 countries, was intended as a symbolic act calling for the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza. But on the ground, Scott says, the effort quickly became complicated by shifting instructions, heavy surveillance, and growing pressure from Egyptian authorities.
“A moral imperative”

“I spent a week wrestling with the decision,” Scott told The Herald. “It felt like a moral imperative. I didn’t know if I was going or not—then I started planning, and the act of planning became part of the commitment.”
He flew to Cairo in early June and connected with other participants via local and international chat groups. At least eight to ten people from Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion, including members of CND Cymru, had joined the international delegation.
Scott said that the original plan—to take organised buses from Cairo to Al Arish and walk approximately 30 miles through the Sinai desert to Rafah—began to shift around June 13 as questions emerged about whether the Egyptian government would permit the action to proceed.
“The bus plan hadn’t disintegrated exactly—it had adapted,” he said. “There was a lot of uncertainty about whether we would be allowed to reach Rafah, so the guidance started to change.”
Changing plans and regional detours

On June 14, Scott and his travelling companion Jo Barrow—who works as a teacher in Iraq—opted to take an alternate route to Ismailia by heading north from Cairo via Zagazig, avoiding heavily monitored roads.
“We realised that taking the main highway would likely bring us into contact with checkpoints,” he said. “Our route wasn’t risk-free, but it was more discreet.”
As they travelled, group chats lit up with reports of growing interference. “From the 13th and 14th onwards, we started hearing that people were being stopped, some had their passports taken, and the situation was getting more difficult. There was fragmentation. People were getting stuck, some were being turned back.”
“No tourists permitted to remain”

After arriving in Ismailia, the pair received location instructions for a tourist resort rumoured to be able to accommodate 4,000 marchers. But confusion and logistical disarray followed.
“We reached Ismailia after dark and ended up being redirected from our accommodation,” Scott said. “We were getting two to three hours of sleep a night. The sense of being watched hadn’t stopped.”
The next day, while near the resort, Scott and Barrow were approached by police. Initially, the officers were courteous, but then one delivered a translated message using a phone:
“I am the Egyptian police. No tourists are permitted to remain in this area. You have to go back to Cairo immediately or you will be arrested.”
They complied and were instructed to book a hotel in Cairo to confirm their travel. The pair left Ismailia and returned to the capital, where the atmosphere was becoming increasingly tense.
“By that point, UK organisers were reportedly being detained in cafés, and it was clear downtown Cairo was no longer safe,” Scott recalled. “We relocated south of the city. It was stressful—people felt they could be arrested at any moment. The surveillance was constant, and hotels were passing information to authorities.”
Egyptian fears over diplomatic fallout

Scott said conversations with Egyptian locals offered insight into the government’s motivations.
“The word on the street from Egyptian people was that the authorities were genuinely fearful for our safety. They felt that if Israel opened fire and foreign nationals were killed, it would trigger a huge diplomatic crisis—and devastate Egypt’s tourism industry, which is vital for the country.”
He said locals acknowledged that foreign protesters were being treated more gently than Egyptian citizens would have been. “One said to me: ‘They treat you like babies compared to how they treat us.’”
According to Reuters, over 400 activists were deported and dozens more detained. The march was officially cancelled on June 16.
Scott returned to the UK on June 20. Barrow returned to Iraq the next day.
“Far more than a performative action”
Despite the disruption, Scott believes the effort had a lasting impact.
“This was far more than a performative action,” he said. “We had no choice but to act and fill a void. When governments fail to uphold international law, ordinary people have to step in.”
In a letter to Pembrokeshire MP Henry Tufnell and Eluned Morgan MS before departing, Scott wrote: “I feel I must act where you have not acted. The UK Government has failed to stop a genocide and has, in fact, been complicit by continuing to authorise arms sales and military cooperation with Israel.”
He welcomed Morgan’s later remarks acknowledging that Welsh citizens had travelled to Egypt for the march and said it was important to have that public recognition.
“For some people watching back home, it wasn’t just another protest. It was their loved ones out there. That helped build awareness in a new way.”
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