News

Badger and the new broom

Published

10 years ago

February 26, 2015

AS 2014 wends its weary way towards 2015, Badger has glanced back over it to pick out his favourite morsels of news. Rather like juicy worms, stories keep on sticking their heads up, demanding Badger’s voracious attention. There is one story above all others about which Badger wants to speak with his readers. It is one on which Badger has spoken with you on a number of occasions over the year and a story to which he expects to return in the future. The petty idiocies of our county councillors are pretty small beer compared to the way the Welsh Government, and its all too biddable flunkies and placemen in local health boards across Wales have torn the heart out of communities.

Pembrokeshire is not alone in fi nding small community facilities, which we all might have taken for granted over the years, taken away with the stroke of a bean-counter’s pen. Cardiff is not much over 100 miles distant from most of Pembrokeshire. But as far as the Welsh Government’s ministers are concerned, we – and the other parts of Wales outside Cardiff Bay, beyond the M4 – may as well be on The Moon. To technocrats like Mark Drakeford, everyone outside the drones and party hacks to which they belong are laboratory samples, whose lives are rather like that of bacteria. Too numerous to eliminate, we poor specimens can be experimented upon without fear of upsetting those in the Valleys and old industrial towns of Wales who would elect a donkey if it wore a red rosette.

And, if you look at the current Welsh Cabinet, readers, it is evident most of those places have done just that. Our communities – not theirs – are the crucible in which Welsh Labour gets to test the notion of turning a glorified local authority – the Senedd – into a malign and immanent presence in our lives. Badger is a fi rm believer in Wales’ right to determine its own future. But bloody hell, readers, the current barmy army in the Bay sorely test his resolve on the issue! The truth is that the Welsh Government is too cowardly to tell people the truth: their ‘reforms’ are cuts.

Earlier this year, Welsh Government ministers were too lily-livered meet the protesters who had travelled to the Senedd by the coach load. Neither have they dared to show their faces to the public in Pembrokeshire since. Perhaps, and Badger is giving them the benefi t of a very large doubt, they are just too ashamed. The Local Health Board is no more than the blunt instrument– oh so very blunt, readers – with which the Welsh Government has beaten down local health care in our county. The Board plays a complex game with language always saying precisely what it means while leading others to reach a separate understanding.

Then, when the proverbial hits the fan, when the Board takes an action which results in protest, it is able to say that its position has been in the public domain for ages without protest and it is all too late to do anything about it now. Trevor Purt it was, in an interview with this newspaper’s editor, who tried that one on for size. With evident annoyance, he said that if the Board lost the then pending judicial review proceedings about specialist maternity services, it would simply run the consultation process again to ensure that it got the result it wanted.

What does that attitude say to you about the good faith with which the Health Board ran the consultation process? Rather like a stage magician, Trev the Magnifi cent wanted you to pick a card – to pick any card – to pick his card. Of course, having gutted healthcare in Pembrokeshire like a fi sh, Trev the Magnificent shortly thereafter decamped to Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board, there to try and perform his favourite trick of sawing a hospital in half. It worked in Rochdale, it’s working at Withybush: Trev the Magnifi cent is less an NHS executive than the grim reaper. Where he goes, service closures follow.

A new Chief Executive starts at our Local Health Board in the New Year. The question is how will he deal with Trev’s toxic legacy of resentment, mistrust and pig-headed indifference to the public? Frankly readers, such is the state to which essential services have been reduced in Pembrokeshire, will he even bother to try? Well, readers, back in the summer the Health Board appointed a new Chair: Bernardine Rees and from her actions we are well able to discern the Board’s direction of travel. There will be no more hiding away. Instead Bernadine has come out swinging with a new line. She wants to make it clear that she is a new broom determined to sweep clean. But there is a problem.

A stonking great big one right at the outset. Bernardine has deluded herself that the Board’s problem is communication. If only, the rationale goes, if only the Board could get its message through that taking child healthcare out of Pembrokeshire is a good thing. If only it could get its message through that consultant-led maternity services are unnecessary anywhere west of Carmarthen. If only all those beastly protesters and media types would stop being so beastly and let the Board tell people the good news about its slashing cuts to health services. It’s all a question of perception, see readers. And for good measure a new factor has been thrown into the mix.

The Board has now cynically adopted a plan to silence protesters by telling them that their campaigns are driving down staff morale – particularly that of the nursing staff. The Board is relying on public unwillingness to hurt the feelings of those who deliver care to throw its critics off the scent. They are using those at the sharp end as a shield to protect the Welsh Government’s blunt instrument from justifi able criticism about its past cynical double-dealing and snide manoeuvring. Look to the future, Bernardine says; judge my words on the Board’s actions. If one was judging on the message being promulgated by the Board since she took over, we can see a new aggressive and hectoring tone to the Board’s relationship with the outside world.

The Board’s claim that its problems are all the fault of the media and campaigners is self-serving tripe being dished up a body that has manag e d to lose the m o r a l argument w h i l e w i n n i n g the battle on the ground. The Board’s line is so far beneath contempt that when those who peddle it look up they see not the stars but the ceiling of the sewer. The problems Bernardine Rees faces as a new broom, readers are both that she is decidedly second-hand and that, such is the mistrust with which the Board is viewed in Pembrokeshire, it is not a new broom which is required. Rather, it will take an industrial vacuum hose to suck the poison out of the Board’s past relationship with Pembrokeshire. As a consequence, the Board had better start sincerely sucking up to Pembrokeshire very, very soon.

News

New £1m fund to boost Welsh tourism come rain or shine

Published

6 minutes ago

April 30, 2025

Tom Sinclair

A NEW £1 million fund will help ensure that tourism attractions across Wales can welcome visitors whatever the weather.

The ‘Year of Croeso Weather-Proofing Fund’ is being launched as Visit Wales celebrates the unique Welsh welcome that draws visitors back time and again.

The fund will provide grants of between £5,000 and £20,000 to eligible businesses, supporting them to implement weather-proofing measures.

Tourism is a major contributor to the Welsh economy, injecting £3.8 billion each year, and showcasing the wide range of experiences Wales has to offer — come rain or shine.

However, recent data from Visit Wales showed that poor weather was cited by 55% of businesses as the main reason for fewer visitors during summer 2024, ranking even ahead of cost-of-living pressures. Similarly, the Domestic Sentiment Tracker survey identified poor UK weather as the top factor discouraging domestic breaks.

Grants could be used for a variety of improvements, including canopies, sustainable drainage systems, covered seating areas, visitor shelters, and enhanced pathways and car park surfaces.

Announcing the fund, Cabinet Secretary for Tourism, Rebecca Evans said:

“Wales has an incredibly strong tourism offer and visitors can always be guaranteed a warm croeso.

But the weather — which has shaped our stunning landscapes — is becoming increasingly unpredictable and is now identified as the single biggest factor affecting visitor numbers to Welsh attractions.

Poor weather can impact normal operations, harm visitor experience, and even discourage visits altogether.

That’s why we have listened to the concerns of the tourism sector and launched this fund — to help attractions prepare for increasingly variable weather patterns.”

The Welsh Government’s tourism strategy, ‘Welcome to Wales: Priorities for the Visitor Economy 2020–25’, highlights the importance of tackling seasonality by promoting Wales as a year-round destination.

Welsh Government support for the sector in the coming financial year includes:

Visit Wales: Over £9 million revenue budget and £6 million capital budget

A £50 million Wales Tourism Investment Fund

A £5 million Brilliant Basics Fund

The Cabinet Secretary added:

“All visitors, wherever they come from, will find a destination delivering an outstanding experience — and we are always working to build on and improve Wales’ tourism offer.

These grants will help tourism attractions become more resilient, extend their seasons, and enhance the visitor experience — benefiting both businesses and the wider Welsh economy.”

Education

School leaders raise alarm over missing education cash

Published

1 hour ago

April 30, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Union demands answers over fate of Welsh Government funding

SCHOOL leaders from Wales will this week call on their colleagues across the UK to support efforts to prevent children in Welsh schools from being ‘short-changed’.

At NAHT’s annual conference in Harrogate, leaders will raise concerns that additional funding received by the Welsh Government for education may not be reaching schools – or even being spent on education at all.

The funding in question, known as ‘consequential’ money, is triggered by additional education spending by the UK Government under the Barnett Formula, such as the commitments announced in last autumn’s budget.

However, NAHT Cymru says it has been unable to confirm whether any of the extra funding received by the Welsh Government has reached schools, despite lodging Freedom of Information requests with officials in both Wales and England.

At the same time, many headteachers in Wales are struggling to set budgets without making painful cuts, including to staffing. A recent NAHT Cymru survey found more than half (53%) of schools predicted they would be in deficit this academic year.

Dean Taylor, headteacher at Pentrepoeth Primary School in Bassaleg near Newport, will urge delegates at the conference to back a motion calling for education funding in Wales to be ring-fenced.

The motion states that “education consequential funding should be ring-fenced for spending on education at Welsh Government and local authority levels, ensuring that children and young people in Wales are not short-changed.”

It calls on NAHT’s national executive to use its bargaining and lobbying strength to demand that all education consequentials received by the Welsh Government are spent transparently and equitably across Wales.

The motion is seconded by Rebecca Penn, headteacher at Charles Williams Church in Wales Primary School in Caerleon.

Laura Doel, NAHT Cymru’s national secretary, said: “At a time when schools are contemplating deficit budgets, cutting pupil spending, and making staff redundant, they deserve answers from the Welsh Government about the destination of this extra funding.

“Without transparency, there will inevitably be suspicions that this money is not reaching schools. If that is the case, it will be even harder for schools to provide the education children deserve.”

Another motion, proposed by Kerina Hanson, NAHT Cymru’s vice president and headteacher at Pennard Primary School near Swansea, calls for the union to campaign for the reintroduction of the Small and Rural Schools Grant.

The motion states: “Small and rural schools are an integral part of the education system in Wales. For many communities across the nation, the school is the heart of that town or village.

“The Welsh Government’s Community Schools Initiative sits at odds with the reality that small and rural schools are not fairly funded or valued.”

It argues that restoring the grant would help ensure small schools are properly supported during discussions about school reorganisation, prioritising the educational experience of learners.

A third motion, proposed by NAHT Cymru president Dafydd Jones, headteacher at Ysgol Melyd in Prestatyn, urges the union’s executive to lobby the Welsh Government to fully implement the 26 recommendations made by the Independent Welsh Pay Review Body last year.

So far, only seven recommendations have been actioned, with key measures – including protected leave for school leaders and better pay and non-contact time for additional learning needs coordinators (ALNCOs) – still outstanding.

The motion also calls for a fit-for-purpose school improvement service, maximising frontline funding and learner impact, following the Welsh Government’s commitment to review the middle tier consortia, which it describes as “overly bureaucratic.”

NAHT’s conference will take place on Friday 2 May and Saturday 3 May.

Community

Volunteers pass RNLI assessments at Angle Lifeboat Station

Published

8 hours ago

April 29, 2025

Tom Sinclair

SIX volunteers at Angle RNLI Lifeboat Station have successfully completed key assessments, marking an important milestone in their ongoing training with the charity.

Earlier on Tuesday (Apr 29), crew members Nathen Houston, Anthony Thomas, Marc Blockwell, Bobby Davies and Neil Coles were all signed off on their Tier 2 competencies. The assessment, carried out during live exercise launches, tested their ability to carry out a variety of operational tasks safely and efficiently aboard the station’s lifeboat.

Tiered assessments are a core part of the RNLI’s structured training programme, designed to ensure volunteers are fully prepared to respond to emergencies at sea. Volunteers progress through the tiers as they demonstrate competence in areas such as navigation, boat handling, safety procedures, and teamwork under pressure.

Later the same day, Rhiannon Creese was successfully assessed as a Launch Authority. In this vital role, she will be responsible for authorising the launch of the lifeboat when required — a decision made in close coordination with HM Coastguard and other emergency services.

A spokesperson for Angle RNLI said: “These achievements reflect the hard work and dedication of our volunteers. The training is thorough and challenging, and passing these assessments means they are ready to take on more responsibility during lifeboat operations.”

The RNLI relies on volunteers for the majority of its lifesaving work, with crew and shore-based personnel undergoing extensive training to ensure they are ready for the demands of maritime rescue.

Angle Lifeboat has seen an increase in volunteers since their rescue vessel has been spending time moored in Milford Haven at the Port Authority Jetty.