News
No council decision made on ‘vital’ Sandy Bear bereavement service

County Hall
THE CABINET member for Education and Safeguarding, Cllr Sue Perkins, has said that no decision has been made on the Sandy Bear bereavement service.
That was despite the Hywel Dda Health Board making a statement that the service would be coming to an end in June.
Cllr Perkins made the comments at the Children and Families Overview and Scrutiny Committee on Thursday, April 14.
She said that the news was a red herring and said there would still be a bereavement service provided in the future.
Cllr Guy Woodham said: “I do not recall at any stage being made aware of £50,000 funding was going to be withdrawn this year.
“Obviously and rightly this is causing a lot of public concern and I would like an explanation as to how we find ourselves reading about it in the paper before we know about it before an Overview and Scrutiny Committee.”
Cllr Sue Perkins said: “The Committee will know that we have looked at lots of different strands of funding, we’ve found ourselves with £170,000 being removed from the Families First grant so we are looking at lots of different things.
“The decision on Sandy Bear has not been made. That is a complete red herring. No decision on Sandy Bears has been made whatsoever, it hasn’t come to Cabinet. In the mix of everything we are looking at, that has been one of them.
“I will not, as a Cabinet member, agree to a reduction in a service unless we can provide it in a different way so I will not agree to have no bereavement counselling, I will not agree to having no other counselling for children and bereavement counselling has to be the highest form of it.
“Until that comes to a decision with Hywel Dda, we can make sure that whatever provision we provide in the future, I don’t know what that is, and I make it a guarantee that we will always have a high level bereavement service within that.”
Cllr Rhys Sinnett said there had been a lot of comment being made on social media that the service would close in June and asked whether options were still being discussed.
Cllr Perkins added: “As far as I am aware, there has been no decision made and I have made it quite clear that I will not agree to any decision made without me being informed and being absolutely confident that that provision and the best provision is, it might not be that they need high-end provision, but as far as I am concerned that is not the case.”
Cllr Jonathan Nutting said: “This council is under fire on every direction. We know that this has been going around in the press and social media and all we have done is sit on our hands. We should have come out and said that no decision has been made.”
The Director for Children and Schools, Kate Evan-Hughes said: “Hywel Dda will make a determination on the service but in the discussions we have had with them it is about making sure that we provide the service that the children and young people need, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it won’t be delivered in the same way.”
Cllr Mike John said he was pleased to hear that they would not be giving the service up unless there was something satisfactory in place to take its place.
Cllr Jonathan Nutting highlighted a statement from the Health Board which reads: “The Sandy Bear Service will end in June 2016 as a commissioned service.
“We continue our work with the county council and other partners to explore new opportunities for bereavement services for children young people and their families.”
Cllr Nutting said that the council did not have their finger on the pulse while Cllr Davies asked for Cllr Perkins to give the committee updates on the future of the service.
Charity
Tenby club raises £1,000 for Wales Air Ambulance
TENBY INNER WHEEL CLUB has raised £1,000 for Wales Air Ambulance after holding a popular fish and chip supper fundraiser.
The club has supported the lifesaving charity for 12 years, raising £8,600 in total.
The latest event, held at the Boathouse in Saundersfoot, included both lunch and evening sittings, as well as a raffle.
The Inner Wheel Club of Tenby is a women’s organisation focused on friendship and service. It currently has 23 members who raise money for a range of good causes.
Karen Tulley, from the club, said: “Our members use our skills to promote and help good causes, while having plenty of fun at the same time.
“We are all aware that Wales Air Ambulance relies totally on donations and receives no government funding, which is why we are always keen to make this a really good event and raise as much money as we can.
“The air ambulance service is essential, particularly in rural areas.”
Following the fundraiser, Mike May, Wales Air Ambulance Regional Fundraising Manager, attended the club’s annual meeting, where he was presented with the £1,000 cheque.
He said: “A huge thank you to everyone at Inner Wheel Club of Tenby for raising a further £1,000 for our service.
“The members have fundraised for us for 12 years and in that time they have raised an incredible £8,600, which is amazing. We really do appreciate their ongoing support of our all-Wales charity.
“Fundraisers like these will ensure that the Wales Air Ambulance continues to be there for the people of Wales when they need us most.”
Wales Air Ambulance is a consultant-led service which takes hospital-standard treatment to patients and, if needed, transfers them directly to the most appropriate hospital.
The charity must raise £13m every year to keep its helicopters in the air and rapid response vehicles on the road.
Pic: Mike May, Wales Air Ambulance Regional Fundraising Manager, at the cheque presentation.
Community
Protest planned outside police station calling for Chief Constable’s removal
Campaigners accuse Dyfed-Powys Police of failing to safeguard children in Carmarthenshire
A PROTEST calling for the removal of Dyfed-Powys Police Chief Constable Dr Richard Lewis is due to take place outside Llanelli Police Station this weekend.
The demonstration, organised by campaign group Predator Awareness and activist Zack Griffiths, is scheduled for Saturday (May 23) at 11:00am.
Promotional material shared online claims the protest is being held because the current Chief Constable has “failed to safeguard the children of Carmarthenshire”.
Campaigners are urging members of the public to gather outside Llanelli Police Station under the slogan: “No more silence. No more excuses. Protect our children.”
The specific concerns behind the protest have not been fully outlined publicly, although organisers have linked it to wider safeguarding concerns.
When approached by The Herald, Dyfed-Powys Police confirmed officers were aware of the planned demonstration.

A police spokesperson said: “We are aware of plans for a protest in Llanelli this weekend.
“We will always seek to facilitate lawful peaceful protest while balancing it with the rights of others, keeping the public safe, and preventing crime and disorder — and we encourage anyone organising a protest to contact us so we can work together to ensure any demonstrations are done safely and with respect for the wider community.”
The protest is expected to take place outside Llanelli Police Station on Saturday morning.
News
Bank holiday rail works to affect Cardiff and Valleys passengers
PASSENGERS are being urged to plan ahead this bank holiday weekend as essential rail improvement works take place across the Cardiff and Valleys network.
Transport for Wales said all lines through Cardiff Queen Street will be closed on Sunday (May 24) and Bank Holiday Monday (May 25).
Rail replacement buses and service diversions will be in operation to keep passengers moving.
Services from Treherbert, Aberdare and Merthyr Tydfil will continue to run into Cardiff Central via the City Line, through Ninian Park. Replacement buses will run between Radyr and Llandaf, Cathays, Cardiff Queen Street and Cardiff Bay.
The works come as warm weather is forecast and services to popular coastal destinations, including Barry Island and the North Wales coast, are expected to be busier than usual.
Passengers are also being reminded that a new timetable came into effect on Sunday (May 17), with some trains now calling at different stations and at different times.
Industrial action by West Midlands Railway is also expected to affect Shrewsbury to Wolverhampton and Hereford to Birmingham routes on Friday (May 22) and Saturday (May 23). TfW said its own services are likely to be busier as a result, with extra capacity provided where possible.
Sarah Higgins, Operations Director at Transport for Wales, said: “Transport for Wales will be running its normal timetable over the Bank Holiday weekend, but some services may be much busier than usual due to industrial action at West Midlands Railway affecting Shrewsbury–Birmingham and Hereford–Birmingham services on Friday 22 and Saturday 23 May.
“With high temperatures also forecast, customers are encouraged to take extra care when travelling, check for the latest travel information using the TfW website, mobile app, or social media channels, and to stay hydrated.”
On Sunday and Monday, buses will replace trains between Rhymney or Caerphilly and Cardiff Central, and between Radyr and Cardiff Central via Llandaf, Cathays and Cardiff Queen Street.
Penarth to Coryton services will terminate at Cardiff Central, with tickets accepted on Cardiff Bus routes 21, 23 and 27. On Monday only, tickets will also be valid on Cardiff Bus routes 92, 93 and 94 between Penarth and Cardiff city centre.
For the Cardiff Bay Line, tickets will be accepted on Cardiff Bus route 6, with an additional hourly bus running between Radyr and Cardiff Bay, calling at Llandaf, Cathays and Cardiff Queen Street.
Passengers are advised to allow extra time, carry water, and check before travelling.
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