News

Lisa’s a life saving hero!

Published

11 years ago

December 19, 2013

A LEISURE centre employee who saved the life of a football player has been named an Unsung Hero by Pembrokeshire County Council.Fishguard Leisure Centre Duty Officer Lisa Starkey was nominated by – among others –the father of the young man she saved.

In January this year Lisa was working at the leisure centre when 32-year-old Nicky Badland collapsed with a suspected heart attack, while training on a nearby pitch with Fishguard Sports AFC.

Lisa ran on to the pitch and immediately performed CPR until an ambulance arrived.

“Her presence of mind and cool head under a tense situation undoubtedly saved our son,” said Geoffrey Badland.

“Although Lifeguards have intensive training in CPR techniques, few have to use their skills in a real life situation. We will always be indebted to Lisa.”

Lisa was presented with a framed certificate at County Hall this week by Ian Westley, Director of Transportation, Housing and Environment.

Now in its 10th year, the Unsung Hero Award is presented to an individual council employee, who has demonstrated extraordinary commitment in the delivery of first class customer service.

Members of the public as well as council employees are able to put forward nominations for the award.Just missing on the top prize were three runners up, who were all Highly Commended.

They included social services transport driver, Wyndham Arnold; Haverfordwest Leisure Centre employee, Nicola Cunningham and County Hall car park attendant, John Hughes.

Wyndham Arnold was nominated by a customer at Wintern Day Centre in Fishguard, who said he went above and beyond the call of duty in his work taking his customers to appointments, to collect their pensions or to the bank and shops.

“He makes sure everyone is safely in our homes, he will cheer us up when we are feeling down, nothing is too much for him to do to help- us in so many ways,” the customer said.

Nicola Cunningham was nominated by a Leisure Centre user, who praised her dedication and enthusiasm which had seen the children of Haverfordwest benefit from all the activities she was involved in.

“In addition to the weekly swimming lessons that Nicola is involved in, she has also singlehandedly created and continually improved the leisure centre rookie life saving club. From there not being any children’s life saving provision two years ago, Nicola is now the driving force in attracting in excess of 90 children to the weekly sessions.”County Hall car park attendant John Hughes received several nominations, praising his people skills and professional and courteous manner.

“It is an unenviable job as he often has to incur the misplaced wrath of a frustrated driver hoping to slip undetected into the car park for an unauthorised visit,” said one nominee.

“In my experience when this occurs John calls on his considerable people skills and invariably reacts in a calm and dignified manner, thus defusing potentially awkward situations.”

News

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby resigns following child abuse report

Published

44 mins ago

November 12, 2024

Tom Sinclair

THE Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has announced his resignation following the publication of a damning report that reveals the Church of England covered up decades of abuse by prominent barrister John Smyth QC.

Welby stated: “Having sought the gracious permission of His Majesty The King, I have decided to resign.”

The resignation follows the release of the independent Makin review last week, which detailed how Smyth, over a span of five decades, abused children and young men in the UK and Africa. The report estimates that as many as 130 boys and young men suffered severe physical, sexual, psychological, and spiritual abuse at Smyth’s hands, leaving lasting scars on their lives.

The review highlighted a critical missed opportunity, concluding that Smyth might have faced justice had Archbishop Welby reported the abuse to police a decade ago. Smyth, who died in Cape Town in 2018 at age 75, was under investigation by Hampshire Police but was “never brought to justice for the abuse,” according to the report.

Climate

Wales eyes £47 billion in renewable energy investment by 2035

Published

3 hours ago

November 12, 2024

Tom Sinclair

WALES is on the cusp of a £47 billion renewable energy investment wave that could transform its economy, create thousands of jobs, and breathe new life into communities. This promising outlook was unveiled today at the Future Energy Wales 2024 conference at Newport’s ICC, showcasing preliminary analysis by BiGGAR Economics on the economic potential of renewable energy across the nation.

Commissioned by RenewableUK Cymru, in partnership with Solar Energy UK and Marine Energy Wales, the study highlights the substantial economic gains Wales could achieve by meeting its renewable energy targets across onshore wind, offshore wind, solar, and tidal power.

**Heavy lift: The turbine under construction** **(Image: MHPA)**

The research projects an average annual investment of nearly £4 billion, reaching a peak of £7 billion by 2028. Offshore wind alone is expected to attract £32.4 billion, forming the foundation of Wales’ economic growth through 2035. However, capturing this opportunity requires an effective industrial strategy and substantial port infrastructure upgrades to support thousands of new, high-quality jobs.

While offshore wind presents long-term growth, onshore wind offers Wales a rapid boost, with a potential £4.5 billion in investments enabling an increase to over 3 GW capacity by 2035, contingent on addressing planning and grid capacity challenges.

The NESO 2030 Clean Power report underscores the need for grid reform to expedite renewable energy across the UK, but Wales remains hampered by immediate planning resource shortages.

The latest data from the 2024 Welsh wind power report shows a surge in renewable project interest, with Wales’ pipeline expanding by 18% this year, from 9 GW in 2023 to over 10.5 GW in November 2024, largely due to new onshore wind projects. However, with current deployment rates, Wales is forecast to contribute only 5% of the UK’s total wind capacity by 2035—well behind Scotland’s 64 GW target.

RenewableUK Cymru’s Call for Strategic Support

Jess Hooper, Director of RenewableUK Cymru, said:

“Wales stands at the threshold of a historic opportunity. By harnessing this renewable investment potential, we can secure Welsh jobs and build a robust, long-term local economy. But achieving this vision requires strong, immediate support from both the UK and Welsh governments.

“We urge a coordinated, four-nations approach to accelerate wind deployment and grid upgrades. With strategic investment in grid capacity and planning, wind energy can become central to Wales’ clean energy future—delivering real benefits for our climate, economy, and communities.”

£47 Billion Equals 208 Principality Stadiums

Nikki Keddie, Director at BiGGAR Economics, added:

“The scale of Wales’ renewables potential is extraordinary. The £47 billion needed to reach our targets is equivalent to building 208 Principality Stadiums. Investment in renewables will boost energy security, employment, industrial growth, and rural development.

“To maximise economic benefits, it’s crucial to dismantle barriers to project delivery and create opportunities for local businesses to capture value. We look forward to the next phase of this report, where we will detail the economic share Wales can secure.”