News
Little Haven has UK’s first smoke-free beach
SMOKING and vaping are to be banned on one of the most popular and beautiful seaside destinations in Pembrokeshire, in an attempt by Pembrokeshire County Council to improve the wellbeing of children and young people.
The smoke-free scheme, which will be enforced on Little Haven beach, has been put in place following the council stating that they believe that children often start smoking due to seeing adults and other respectable figures smoking or vaping in family-friendly public places where they often frequent.
This beach smoking ban will be the first of its kind in Wales, and possibly on a larger scale in the whole of the UK, following Brighton considering a possible smoking ban but deciding against it.
Public area smoking bans in the past have been criticised by some who argue that enforcing such a law is an infringement on personal rights and freedom.
County Councillor Huw George, Cabinet Member for Environmental and Regulatory Services, is launching the scheme.
He said: “We take public health very seriously. We want to do as much as we can to protect our children from smoking and to promote a healthy environment for all.
“Two-thirds of smokers start before the age of 18. We need to prevent children and young adults taking up the habit.
“We know children are at particular risk from second-hand smoke and that they are more likely to start smoking themselves if they see adults doing it in a family-friendly environment.
“It is vital to de-normalise smoking to reduce the rates of young people taking it up and also to reduce their expose to smoke and e-cigarette vapour in areas where they gather.”
Although during this ban no official penalty will be specified or enforced by law for smoking cigarettes, pipes, cigars or e-cigarettes on Little Haven beach, non-smoking signs will be in place around the area in a bid to deter anyone from sparking up.
The beach-going public will also be encouraged to self-police the new ban, persuading smokers to refrain from doing so on the beach where children are present.
Cllr George continued: “Anyone breaching the ban may be approached and politely requested not to smoke. It is similar to the ban on smoking in play areas across Wales.”
Teresa Owen, Director of Public Health for Hywel Dda University Health Board, said: “Anything which discourages smoking is a positive step forward.”
The smoking ban on Little Haven beach will be initially trialled for a year before being decided whether or not to keep the ban permanently.
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Business
Ascona wins at the 2024 Allica Bank Vreat British Entrepreneur Awards
PEMBROKESHIRE businessman Darren Briggs, founder of petrol station operator Ascona, has been named a winner of the prestigious Allica Bank Great British Entrepreneur Awards in the ‘Scale-Up Entrepreneur of the Year – Wales’ and the inaugural ‘Randal Foundation Entrepreneur of the Year – Wales’ categories.
Now in its 12th year, the Great British Entrepreneur Awards shine a spotlight on the individuals and businesses driving innovation, creating jobs, and shaping the future of the UK economy.
This year, the brand new ‘Randal Foundation Entrepreneur of the Year’ award celebrated entrepreneurs whose business embodied The Randal Foundation’s core mission – to save lives, improve life chances, and contribute positively to local communities.
Ascona has been committed to supporting local communities since its inception, having established The Ascona Foundation in 2020. The success of the Group over the years has enabled Darren and the team to support many charities in the areas in which it operates, with the Company donating over £400,000 to local, national and community organisations since 2017.
Darren Briggs, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Ascona Group, commented: “It is a great honour to be recognised for such prestigious awards at this year’s Great British Entrepreneur Awards.
“I am incredibly proud of Ascona and everything we have achieved over the years. This is another milestone for our business and the recognition is a testament to everyone’s hard work, commitment, and ‘Team Ascona’s’ ethos over the years.
“However, I am most proud of our charitable endeavors and the team’s commitment to giving back. It is something that is very close to my heart. We’re committed to supporting our various charity partnerships, including the Wales Air Ambulance this year, as we continue our extensive fundraising initiatives across the Group.”
Health
NHS staff at risk during pandemic due to PPE issues, Covid Inquiry hears
NHS staff in Wales may have put their health at risk during the Covid-19 pandemic by treating patients without adequate personal protective equipment (PPE), former health minister Vaughan Gething has admitted.
Giving evidence to the Covid inquiry, Gething acknowledged significant challenges in distributing PPE despite assurances that national-level supplies were maintained. He revealed that stocks of key items ran out far quicker than anticipated, with some equipment deemed unfit for purpose and discarded.
“There were some very real challenges,” Gething said, noting that gloves, expected to last 15 weeks, were depleted within 11 days. Aprons and other essentials soon became critical concerns. He also condemned opportunistic profiteering during the crisis, calling some suppliers “shysters” who exploited global demand to sell inadequate equipment.
The Welsh Conservatives described the revelations as “completely unacceptable” for NHS staff, while Plaid Cymru accused the Labour-led Welsh Government of “significantly letting down” frontline workers.
The inquiry also heard of chaotic conditions in some hospitals. An email from a consultant at Prince Charles Hospital in March 2020 described a dire situation, with staff lacking protection, low morale, and masks unavailable.
In some instances, healthcare workers resorted to makeshift solutions, including wearing bin bags or purchasing their own safety gear. Trade unions highlighted that schools even stepped in to produce masks and hand sanitiser for local health services.
When asked whether healthcare workers treated Covid-19 patients with inadequate PPE during the first wave, Gething replied, “I’m afraid that’s possible.”
Decisions under pressure
The session also addressed difficult decisions made during the pandemic. Evidence was presented that some patients with little chance of survival were not admitted to critical care due to limited space.
“It’s very upsetting to read,” Gething said, acknowledging the heartbreaking choices faced by medical teams, though he claimed to be unaware of specific instances.
Gething, who served as health minister until May 2021, conceded that delays in tackling hospital-acquired infections could have contributed to the challenges. He admitted he might have acted earlier in forming a task group to address the issue, which worsened during the second wave.
First Minister reflects on birthing partner rules
Current First Minister Eluned Morgan also testified, reflecting on delayed decisions to allow birthing partners in hospitals during the pandemic.
Morgan, who succeeded Gething as health minister in May 2021, acknowledged that guidance was not updated until May 2022, more than a year after England implemented similar changes.
“If I had my time again, that’s one of the things I definitely would have changed,” Morgan said, calling the delay regrettable for new parents.
She also defended the decision not to launch a national investigation into hospital-acquired infections, citing extensive reviews conducted by health boards. However, Morgan acknowledged shortcomings in resuming routine surgery and criticised poor management at some facilities.
The inquiry continues to examine decisions made by Welsh ministers and NHS leaders during the pandemic, focusing on lessons learned to prevent similar issues in future crises.
Entertainment
Miles Jupp: On I Bang
SINCE Miles’ last tour finished at The London Palladium in 2017, he’s been in The Full Monty on Disney Plus, The Durrells and Why Didn’t They Ask Evans? on ITV, as well as a heap of episodes of Frankie Boyle’s New World Order and Have I Got News For You. He’s made an award-winning radio series and he’s published a novel. But for Covid, he would have played a lead at the RSC. Hey ho. Nevertheless, he’s done a play in the West End and played the Emperor of Austria and Europe in a Ridley Scott film and now he heads here to the Torch Theatre in Milford Haven!
Yet one sunny day in the middle of all this, he suddenly suffered a brain seizure. This led to the discovery of a tumour the size of a cherry tomato, and a rather pressing need to undergo major neurosurgery. Obviously, one doesn’t wish to make a big deal of it, but the experience has left him with a story to tell and a few things that he’d like to share with the room. So that’s exactly what he’s doing in his new show On I Bang – a tale about surprise, fear, luck, love and qualified medical practitioners.
Having received rave reviews by The Times, The Guardian and The Telegraph, On I Bang with Miles Jupp is one not to be missed here at the Torch, and tickets are selling like hot cakes. Awarded four stars and described as “Elegantly funny, terrible English account of a tumour” by The Guardian and awarded five stars by The Arts Desk 2024, this a performance that will be talked about for months to come.
Join Miles Jupp: On I Bang when he visits the Torch Theatre on Friday 10 January at 8pm.Ticket price: £25. For tickets phone the Box Office on 01646 695267 or visit torchtheatre.co.uk.
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tomos
March 10, 2016 at 9:55 am
What is the point of this? It has no legal footing
ieuan
March 10, 2016 at 6:49 pm
Huw George in the papers again? does he do any actual work to justify his pay?
Oh hang on he’s gone one better, he’s now publicised this ridiculous thing on National Telly!
Get a life Huw!!
Fletch Harris
May 21, 2017 at 3:54 pm
Brilliant!