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Haverfordwest: Folk Rock Festival cancelled due to low ticket sales

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Status Quo, along with Mumford and Sons​:​  ​M​ ay play in Pembrokeshire next year

Status Quo, along with Mumford and Sons​:​
​M​
ay play in Pembrokeshire next year

THE ORGANISERS of Haverfordwest Folk Rock Festival have decided to cancel the event due to a lack of ticket sales. Management said that lack of sales revenue means they simply cannot afford to go ahead with the festival.

The Herald spoke to Doc Gee, the main organiser of the event, who said: “The aims of the Haverfordwest Folk Rock Festival were always for the good of Pembrokeshire, to give local artists the opportunity to work alongside top international artists to learn from them and build contacts. It was also to bring top acts to Pembrokeshire and create an annual event for Haverfordwest, which would bring an audience from away as well, bringing opportunities to the area and putting Pembrokeshire’s county town on the map.”

In order to obtain the planning license for the Conygar Stadium, strict guidelines had to be met. A large number of licensed steward, porter loos, crowd barriers car park attendants and other costly requirements meant that the festival was costing the organisers £20,000 before artists, marquees and generators were even bought. The final figure of the cost of putting on the new festival exceeded £50,000.

Though, this was not of concern to Doc Gee, as the costs were anticipated and were heavily discounted to help the festival. Similarly to all festivals, the advance ticket sales needed to cover 60% of the overall costs that were needed to enable deposits to be paid, while the remaining 40% would be covered by sales at the gate.

Doc Gee told is that the event was not aimed at being a profit making venture, with tickets being priced at a break-even level.

Although 2,000 people said that they would be attending the festival, which was 60% of the advance ticket target, these people did not but their tickets by the requested deposit date at the beginning of May. The advance ticket sales only reached a fraction of the amount the festival needed to go ahead.

Doc Gee told The Herald that the acts, suppliers of the stages and PA were very helpful, allowing the festival to delay payment. On May 12, the final day for the festival to pay their deposits, it was decided that the festival would need to downsize in order to be affordable for the organisers.

The headline bands were very understanding when they were told that the festival could not afford their performances and the number of people who could attend was reduced to 499. This meant that the number of stewards, portaloos and barriers could be reduced. Ticket prices were reduced to £9 and could be paid for at the gate, making the event affordable for everyone.

Still, the costs were greater than the possible income, so the festival had to be cancelled. Though, in the last two days, Doc Gee tells us, over 16,000 people have tried to purchase tickets online. They have also received a large amount of emails expressing how disappointed people are about the announcement.

“Putting on a new festival is always a risk,” Doc Gee said, “but it was something we felt was important for our community.”

Not too disheartened by the fact that this year’s festival will not go ahead, Doc Gee says he is already planning next year’s festival, with two huge bands lined up. The organiser said she will only go ahead if the early bird tickets, which will be released in July or August this year, sell by October 2015. The two bands who are intended to headline the festival are Status Quo and Mumford and Sons.

1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. maty

    May 19, 2015 at 3:05 pm

    “Doc Gee” is so full of lies and bullshit

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News

Senedd Member praises local community initiative in Haverfordwest

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SENEDD Member Paul Davies has praised Feed the Community as a “fantastic initiative” during a recent visit to Haverhub in Haverfordwest. The project, which is backed by several local organisations, offers free hot meals and activities to residents.

Feed the Community is organised by Councillors Randell Izaiah Thomas-Turner and Dani Thomas-Turner, with support from Haverfordwest Town Council.

Mr Davies said: “Feed the Community is a fantastic initiative and a great example of the local community coming together to create inclusive and welcoming events.”

He added: “It’s a wonderful opportunity for local businesses and charities to connect with residents and strengthen community ties. The event was well attended, and I was pleased to meet residents, business representatives, and volunteers. The positive atmosphere at the Hub was inspiring, and I was delighted to experience it firsthand.”

Pictured above: Paul Davies is seen with organisers Cllr Randell Izaiah Thomas-Turner and Cllr Dani Thomas-Turner. 

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Crime

More than 2,000 child sexual abuse image crimes recorded in Wales last year

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Private messaging platforms exploited by criminals

MORE than 2,000 child sexual abuse image offences were recorded by police forces in Wales over the past year, according to Home Office data. The figures highlight the exploitation of private messaging platforms by criminals to share illegal material, prompting renewed calls for stronger regulations.

The NSPCC has urged the UK Government to take decisive action to protect children in private messaging environments. The charity, along with Barnardo’s and the Marie Collins Foundation, has written to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and Science, Innovation, and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle, calling for Ofcom’s approach to private messaging to be strengthened.

Six offences recorded daily

The data shows that 2,194 child sexual abuse image crimes were recorded by Welsh police forces in 2023/24, equating to around six offences per day.

  • Dyfed-Powys Police recorded 192 offences.
  • South Wales Police recorded 964 offences.
  • North Wales Police recorded 535 offences.
  • Gwent Police recorded 503 offences.

A separate Freedom of Information request by the NSPCC revealed that, in cases where police documented the platform used by perpetrators, half (50%) of offences occurred on Snapchat. Meta platforms accounted for a quarter of cases, with 11% on Instagram, 7% on Facebook, and 6% on WhatsApp.

Call for stronger protections

In their letter to the Government, child protection charities expressed concerns over Ofcom’s Illegal Harms Code of Practice, published in December 2024. The charities argue that the code does not go far enough to protect children from the worst forms of abuse on private messaging services, despite the Online Safety Act aiming to address such risks.

Ofcom has stated that platforms are only required to remove illegal content where it is ‘technically feasible’. However, campaigners warn that this loophole allows some services to avoid implementing basic protections for children.

Police data suggests that private messaging platforms are involved in more child sexual abuse image crimes than any other type of online platform. Offenders exploit the secrecy of these services to target children and avoid detection.

The role of end-to-end encryption

The NSPCC is calling on the UK Government to push Ofcom to strengthen its codes of practice and ensure online safety regulations adequately tackle this issue. The charity also wants private messaging services, including those using end-to-end encryption, to introduce robust safeguards.

End-to-end encryption is a secure communication system where only the sender and recipient can access messages, preventing service providers from detecting illegal content. This, campaigners argue, creates a ‘safe haven’ for child abusers.

Childline reports rise in cases

Data from Childline provides further evidence of the dangers of private messaging platforms. Last year, the service delivered 903 counselling sessions to children experiencing blackmail or threats to expose or share sexual images online—a 7% increase compared to 2022/23.

One 13-year-old girl who sought help from Childline said: “I sent nude pics and videos to a stranger I met on Snapchat. I think he’s in his thirties. I don’t know what to do next. I told him I didn’t want to send him any more pictures and he started threatening me, telling me that he’ll post the pictures online. I’m feeling really angry with myself and lonely. I would like support from my friends, but I don’t want to talk to them about it as I’m worried about being judged.”

NSPCC chief executive’s warning

Chris Sherwood, NSPCC Chief Executive, said: “These offences cause tremendous harm and distress to children, with much of this illegal material being repeatedly shared and viewed online. It is an outrage that in 2025 we are still seeing a blatant disregard from tech companies to prevent this illegal content from proliferating on their sites.

“Having separate rules for private messaging services lets tech bosses off the hook from putting robust protections in place. This enables crimes to continue to flourish on their platforms even though we now have the Online Safety Act.”

He added: “The Government must set out how they will take a bold stand against abuse on private messaging services and hold tech companies accountable for keeping children safe, even if it requires changes to the platform’s design. There can be no excuse for inaction or delay.”

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Health

Welsh NHS Confederation calls for long-term workforce plan

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Leaders urge government to address staffing challenges

THE WELSH NHS Confederation has responded to an Audit Wales report highlighting workforce challenges in the health and social care sector, calling for a fully funded, long-term staffing plan.

Darren Hughes, director of the Welsh NHS Confederation, said: “We welcome Audit Wales’ report on NHS workforce challenges. It’s no secret that the workforce is the lifeblood of the NHS and social care services.”

He reiterated long-standing calls for the Welsh Government to invest in a costed Long-Term Plan to create a sustainable workforce, ensuring the NHS and social care services can meet future demand.

Growing workforce, rising costs

Hughes acknowledged ongoing efforts to reduce reliance on agency staff and fill vacancies but warned that while the NHS workforce is expanding, staffing costs are rising unsustainably.

“Audit Wales rightly questions the sustainability of these rising staffing costs in the current financial climate,” he said.

Multi-disciplinary teams needed

NHS leaders believe that multi-disciplinary teams are key to meeting the evolving needs of the population. However, Hughes expressed concerns over the lack of a national workforce plan and unclear system leadership arrangements.

“Now more than ever, we must work together across NHS and social care boundaries to find long-term solutions to recruitment and retention,” he added.

The Welsh NHS Confederation represents the country’s seven local health boards, three NHS trusts, Health Education and Improvement Wales, and Digital Health and Care Wales.

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