PEMBROKESHIRE is preparing to play a central role in one of Wales’ biggest cultural events, with this year’s National Eisteddfod y Garreg Las now moving firmly into view.

Broadcaster and presenter Mari Grug has been announced as President of the 2026 Eisteddfod, which will open on Saturday, August 1.

The event is expected to bring thousands of visitors to west Wales, with Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion and surrounding communities set to be at the heart of the celebrations.

Mari, who was brought up on a farm in Mynachlog-ddu and educated at Ysgol y Preseli in Crymych, will address the audience from the Pavilion stage during the opening ceremony.

She said: “It’s a great honour. Receiving the invitation was quite a shock, to be honest. I certainly wasn’t expecting it, but those who know me know that the Eisteddfod has always been a huge part of my life.”

Mari is well known to viewers and listeners across Wales through her work on S4C programmes including Heno and Prynhawn Da, as well as Radio Cymru.

She has also presented coverage from major Welsh events including the Urdd Eisteddfod, the Royal Welsh Show and the National Eisteddfod.

The announcement comes as preparations continue for a major event on Friday, June 19, when the Crown and Chair for this year’s Eisteddfod will be presented to the local executive committee.

That evening will also launch celebrations marking 850 years of the National Eisteddfod, with a five-metre-high giant puppet of Lord Rhys, created by Small World Theatre Company, travelling through local towns and villages.

The event will begin at 5:45pm at St Davids Cathedral, before moving to Oriel y Parc for a ceremony marking the start of the celebrations and the unveiling of this year’s Crown and Chair.

The Crown has been designed and made in silver by Elen and Dylan Bowen, the husband-and-wife team behind Bowen Jewellery in Newcastle Emlyn.

The Chair has been designed and crafted by Tomos Lewis and is being donated by the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority.

Mari said she hoped to act as an ambassador for the Eisteddfod and encourage more people to visit the Maes.

She added: “I hope I can be some kind of ambassador for the Eisteddfod, and attract more people to come to the Maes to enjoy what I have enjoyed for years.

“The week of Eisteddfod y Garreg Las is certain to be busy. The timetable is already full of events and ceremonies, but hopefully there will also be time to enjoy the week.”

Mari was previously involved when the National Eisteddfod came to St Davids in 2002, when she was the presenter of the flower token.

She said: “It was a wonderful experience to be part of the Eisteddfod the last time it came to the area. That was also a busy week, with Gorsedd ceremonies and competitions — and enjoying ourselves in the evenings.

“I’m looking forward to playing a role again this year, this time as Festival President.”

Mari will also be admitted to Gorsedd Cymru on Friday, August 7, on the Maes at Eisteddfod y Garreg Las.

More information about the Eisteddfod and tickets is available from the official Eisteddfod website.

Caption: Mari Grug has been named President of this year’s Eisteddfod y Garreg Las (Pic: Glyn Rainer).

THE WELSH GOVERNMENT is to convene an emergency summit after The Herald revealed that newly qualified paramedics in Wales had been left without paramedic jobs despite continuing pressure on the ambulance service.

The Herald previously reported that dozens of Newly Qualified Paramedic graduates were facing uncertainty after completing their training, with no available NQP posts within the Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust.

The issue has now been confirmed by Health and Care Minister Mabon ap Gwynfor in response to a written question from Welsh Conservative MS Darren Millar.

Mr ap Gwynfor said there are 82 graduates and no available NQP roles within WAST this year.

He said the situation reflected a “temporary mismatch” between the number of graduates and the availability of funded vacancies, driven by financial constraints and service redesign.

However, he confirmed that 62 of the graduates have secured Emergency Medical Technician roles within WAST, although not paramedic posts.

Of those, 42 have been allocated training courses in September and October, while a further twenty have been placed on a reserve list either to replace anyone who withdraws or to be allocated to a course in early 2027.

The minister said the issue was not limited to Wales, with restrictions on available posts being seen nationally.

He added that the Welsh Government was working with WAST, Health Education and Improvement Wales, universities and professional bodies to identify potential solutions.

A stakeholder summit will now be held later this month to consider immediate support for graduates who have not secured a post and longer-term action to stop the same situation happening again.

Pressure on ambulance services

The development comes at a time when ambulance services in Wales remain under sustained pressure, with delays, hospital handover problems and concerns over patient care continuing to affect communities across the country.

For new readers, the controversy centres on the gap between workforce training and actual funded jobs.

Paramedic students have completed their qualifications at a time when the NHS continues to face demand for emergency care, yet the ambulance trust does not currently have the funded vacancies to employ them as paramedics.

Welsh Conservatives said the situation demanded a full explanation.

Natasha Asghar MS, Shadow Minister for Health and Social Care, welcomed the summit but said it would be “of little comfort” to graduates who had expected paramedic jobs to be available.

She said: “Vague references to financial pressures and service redesign have been cited as reasons for the situation, but this isn’t good enough.

“We need a proper explanation of how we got to this extraordinary situation where we have newly qualified paramedics, who are much-needed in the service, but there aren’t suitable jobs for them.

“This is unforgivable at a time when all efforts need to be focused on driving down waiting times, ending corridor care at A&E units and improving patient care.

“We look forward to the summit coming to clear conclusions about what actions the new government can take to ensure this doesn’t happen again.”

THE SHARE of UK businesses classed as “innovation-active” has fallen sharply over the past decade, raising concerns about the ability of firms in Wales and across the UK to compete, grow and adapt.

New figures show that only 34% of UK businesses were innovation-active between 2022 and 2024, compared with 53% ten years earlier — a fall of 19 percentage points.

The National Centre for Universities and Business (NCUB) said the decline should worry policymakers, universities and employers, particularly at a time when productivity, investment and economic growth remain under pressure.

For Wales, the figures are especially relevant. Many Welsh businesses are small or medium-sized firms operating in rural, coastal or post-industrial communities, where access to finance, skills, research partnerships and new technology can be more limited than in larger urban centres.

The warning comes despite repeated political promises to make the UK a science and technology leader. NCUB says the problem is not a lack of research talent, but a failure to turn ideas into commercial activity across the wider economy.

Rosalind Gill, Director of Policy at NCUB, said: “A shrinking base of innovative businesses is a serious concern. Innovation is not confined to a handful of frontier sectors or high-growth companies. It depends on businesses across the economy investing, adapting and bringing new ideas, products and services to market.

“The UK has many strengths. We continue to produce world-class research, generate promising discoveries and collaborate effectively across institutions. Innovation is not created by research alone, however.

“It depends on businesses investing in R&D and innovation, shaping demand, adopting new technologies and working with the research base to solve real-world challenges.”

Ms Gill said the Government’s focus on growth, innovation, reforms to UK Research and Innovation, and a new Industrial Strategy were welcome, but businesses needed clearer long-term priorities and simpler routes from research to market.

She added: “When we speak to business leaders, they consistently highlight the importance of clearer long-term priorities, stronger pathways from research to market, reduced complexity across the research and innovation system, and greater confidence that the UK is a place where innovative firms can start, scale and succeed.”

The NCUB said the challenge now is to ensure that research strengths translate into business investment, commercial activity and economic impact.

For Wales, that means ensuring universities, colleges, manufacturers, farming businesses, tourism operators, renewable energy firms and digital start-ups are not left behind as the UK attempts to rebuild its innovation economy.