Community

First Minister highlights importance of childcare

Published

11 years ago

May 1, 2015

Tom Sinclair

First Minister Carwyn Jones: Chatting with some of the children at the centre

WELSH LABOUR LEADER Carwyn Jones today visited a Flying Start centre in Pembrokeshire to highlight Labour’s pledge to introduce 10 extra hours of free childcare for working parents of three and four year olds if Labour wins May’s General Election.
Labour investment contrasts with the Tories who have slashed funding for Sure Start provision in England resulting in the loss of 40,000 childcare places and the closure of 720 Sure Start centres.
Welsh Labour leader and First Minister, Carwyn Jones AM, said: “These are difficult times for many families in Wales, with parents working hard in order to make ends meet. Labour’s plans to introduce 10 extra hours of free childcare for working parents of three and four year olds will be a huge relief to those struggling to balance family time and work. We know too that the lack of affordable childcare can be a barrier to mums returning to work. In Wales we have recognised this and have invested in Foundation Phase scheme which will help transform the futures of children across Wales. The number of children benefitting from Flying Start provision under Labour has increased from 18,000 to 33,000 in this Assembly. Contrasting with harsh cuts by the Tories to Sure Start in England which has seen 720 centres close and the loss of 40,000 childcare places. This election is a choice between a Labour government that boost childcare provision and help parents back to work, or a Tory government with extreme spending plans and a commitment to slash education funding.”
He added: “I’m here to emphasise the importance of childcare, we’re in a childcare setting, and also the benefits from Flying Start, the Welsh Government scheme. We know that one of the major obstacles people will have to overcome to get back to work is what they do with children and being able to provide affordable childcare is really important to help people earn money and get back to work. We’ve already doubled the number of children who are entitled to Flying Start which is one of the schemes we run. It has been extremely successful and I have heard today how successful that has been where children development mentally a way ahead of where they should be which is great news and the pleasure to be made in terms of increasing access to childcare. When our children were young, having childcare was a really important issue and it’s that way for many people. What we want to do is make sure that where people have the opportunity to work, we know that work is the best way out of poverty, and people have that opportunity to work and that we do as much as we can for them to remove any barriers that prevent them from working. We want to make sure that we (Wales) have the same offer as is in place in England. We don’t want our children to be in a different position. We are already ahead of England in that sense. One of the things we did of course was to introduce Flying Start. In England they did it the other way, getting rid of sure start, and that meant that many families didn’t have the extra help that children needed. We take the view we want to give the best start in life to our kids.”
Labour candidate for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire, Delyth Evans, said: “Families across the constituency tell me that the cost of childcare is a huge issue for them. Labour’s plan to double free childcare will be a real help to families who are working hard and still struggling to make ends meet. It shows that Labour is listening to families and taking action to tackle the issues that matter to them.”

Community

Lauren Clewes begins trainee solicitor role at Eaton-Evans and Morris

Published

20 hours ago

April 12, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Pembrokeshire law firm confirms internal promotion after Lauren joined the business as a paralegal in 2024

LAUREN CLEWES has been promoted to trainee solicitor at Eaton-Evans and Morris Solicitors.

Lauren joined the firm in 2024 as a paralegal, working first with Helen Hodges and later with Pauline Mainwaring. Over the coming months, she will work alongside the firm’s fee earners across all departments as part of her training.

Sean Dyer, one of the firm’s directors (pictured), offered his congratulations on her promotion.

Community

Comedy in the Pavilion: Elis James at Eisteddfod y Garreg Las

Published

2 days ago

April 11, 2026

Richard Lewis

COMEDIAN Elis James will take to the Pavilion stage at the National Eisteddfod for the first time this year, performing on Wednesday, August 5 as part of the festival programme. Entry to the gig is included in the Maes day ticket, and with strong roots in the area, his return promises an evening of laughter and a warm homecoming atmosphere.

Famous for making quick connections with people from across Wales on his podcast ‘Elis & John’ on BBC Sounds, Elis will no doubt receive a warm welcome at the National Eisteddfod, arguably one of the best places in the world to connect with fellow Welsh people. With his observational comedy, often inspired by his upbringing in west Wales, this is expected to be an evening full of humour, marking the halfway point of the Eisteddfod week.

Elis said: “I’m very excited. I’ve never done stand-up in the Pavilion before. Mam will be there, I’m sure other members of the family will be there too, but don’t worry, I’m one of those people who is funny under pressure!”

Betsan Moses, the Eisteddfod’s Chief Executive, added: “It’s a pleasure to welcome Elis back home to the Garreg Las area.

“As a Welsh comedy giant, we’re looking forward to a night of humour in his company, reflecting the true spirit of the Eisteddfod.”

Elis was born in Haverfordwest and raised in Carmarthen. He’s a comedian, podcast presenter, actor and broadcaster. Since 2014, he’s presented a radio show with his friend and fellow comedian, John Robins, originally on Radio X before moving to BBC 5 Live in 2019.

Among the UK’s most popular comedians, Elis toured Wales with his show Derwydd in 2024, recording a performance at Carmarthen’s Lyric Theatre. He has since returned to English‑language stand‑up after a ten‑year break.

Day Maes tickets, which include admission to the gig, are available on the Eisteddfod website.

Eisteddfod Genedlaethol y Garreg Las will be held in Llantwd, north Pembrokeshire between August 1 and August 8.

Community

Letterston nursery cemetery container storage plans refused

Published

2 days ago

April 11, 2026

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

A CALL for a storage container for a “well-established and valued” Pembrokeshire children’s nursery in a nearby cemetery has been refused by county planners.

In an application to Pembrokeshire County Council, Diane Evans of Meithrinfa Do Re Mi Nursery sought permission for the installation of a storage container, partially in retrospect, at Horeb Cemetery, Station Road, Letterston.

A supporting statement said: “The container is required to provide essential ancillary storage to support the lawful and established nursery use within the [nearby] chapel building.

“The site forms part of an active cemetery, owned and managed by a group of trustees. The applicant is one of the trustees and has obtained formal permission from the trustees for the container to be sited on this land.”

It added: “The container will be used solely for storage of nursery equipment and materials, including outdoor learning resources, maintenance equipment, and items required to manage both the nursery grounds and the cemetery land. No additional operational activity will take place within or around the container.”

It said the nursery, which provides childcare for approximately 83 children from the local community, “operates with a strong community focus and promotes sustainability and environmental awareness,” with plans to soften the container appearance through the planting of trees, shrubs and flowers.

An officer report recommending refusal said: “Whilst the container itself is modest in size and of a simple rectangular form, the proposal does introduce a rudimentary and visually incongruous structure. Its appearance is out of scale with its surroundings and detracts from the polite architectural character of Horeb Chapel.

“Consideration has been made with regards to alternative locations within the site, however, due to site constraints, the applicant has stated that there is no other feasible position for the container. Given the restrictive nature of the site, combined with its use as a cemetery, raises concerns as to whether a shipping container by its form and design can be considered an appropriate or complementary addition.

“Although the applicant has provided justification regarding the operational need for the additional storage, and while the local planning authority recognises and supports the functional requirements of the nursery, consideration must also be given to more sympathetic design solution.”

One letter of objection raised concerns including the container design, scale, inappropriate siting, visual impact and concerns about its deterioration, along with a potential impact on property values.

The application was refused on the grounds it would be “an overbearing and visually intrusive feature,” having “a detrimental impact on the character and appearance of the site and surrounding area,” and it “fails to identify the green infrastructure baseline of the site and follow a stepwise approach to provide sufficient and accurate mitigation and compensation measures”.