News

Sandy Bear: Leaked letter explains council’s proposals to replace vital service

Published

9 years ago

April 18, 2016

Tom Sinclair

County Hall

EXCLUSIVE

PEMBROKESHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL says it has been working with the local health board to look at how The Emotional Health and Wellbeing Service (EHWS) can be reconfigured to deal with drastic funding cuts.

Suggestions include bolstering in-school services, which are already in place.

The news comes as Hwyel Dda University Health Board says that it will shut the doors on the Sandy Bear child bereavement service next month.

Cllr Sue Perkins

The health board’s move follows last month’s letter from Pembrokeshire County Council explaining to Hywel Dda stating that there were problems with providing funding following “significant” reductions to two grants.

The Sandy Bear service was entirely funded via the council, by the Families First (Welsh Govt) and the Youth Justice (UK Govt) grants.

Cllr Sue Perkins, Cabinet Member for Children and Safeguarding, has been under pressure from colleagues including Cllrs Tudor and Woodham who have expressed surprise and shock that such an “important service” is to close. They have asked for clarification following last week’s Scrutiny Committee meeting.

Speaking last week, Cllr Perkins said that no decision had yet been taken by the council, and that she would be fighting tensure support would still be available to children and young people, even if this had to be in a different form to Sandy Bear.

However, a leaked document – a letter sent by e-mail to all councillors – suggests that Pembrokeshire County Council has already made arrangements for what will replace the service.

Councillors have now been told that officers have been working with the Health Board over the last month – long before any announcement that the Sandy Bear service was to be scrapped.

Cllr Sue Perkins said in the letter: “[We] will continue to offer a bereavement support service, and Pembrokeshire children will receive the same level of bereavement support service as in other parts of the Hywel Dda area.

“We are confident that no child will be disadvantaged as a result of the changes that we will make.

“More work will be done on the proposal, and a detailed and final statement on the shape of bereavement support and wellbeing services in Pembrokeshire will be made in early May, well in advance of any discontinuation of Sandy Bear.

“This will be jointly issued by Pembrokeshire County Council and Hywel Dda Health Board.”

sandybear The letter explained to Councillors: “The Youth Justice grant was cut by £45,000 at the beginning of the 2015/16 financial year, and then cut again by £20,000 during the year. Pembrokeshire Youth has also had to deal with cuts of £49,000 from Families First, and £40,000 from PCC core funding.

“The total reduction in funding to Pembrokeshire Youth over the last 12 months therefore totals £154,000. We know that the Youth Justice grant will be cut again for the 2016/17 financial year, but we do not yet know how much by – it could be anywhere between £20,000 and £50,000.

“The Families First grant was cut by £170,000 for the 2016/17 financial year. From April 2017 onwards, the intention of the Welsh Govt is to ‘align’ the Families First funding stream with the Communities First and Supporting people funding streams. We don’t know at this stage what impact this will have on the total monies available in the County, but we anticipate further reductions.

“As a consequence of these reductions, we have had to give notice to the Health Board that there was a risk to the continued level of funding to the EHWS, and that it was likely that the funding to the service would have to reduce by around £45k.

“This was formally done on the 10 March.”

Crime

Man jailed for Pembroke Dock cannabis farm involvement

Published

1 hour ago

November 15, 2024

Madeline Knox

AN ALBANIAN man, Armando Beti, 37, was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison at Swansea Crown Court on Friday (Nov 15) for his role in producing class B drugs.

Beti, who has prior convictions in 2022 and 2023, was arrested on October 3, 2024, at 10:00am after police found him hiding in a neighbouring building’s attic. The arrest followed a raid on the former Woolworths building on Dimond Street, Pembroke Dock, where officers discovered three rooms containing 594 cannabis plants. The crop was described as part of a wholesale operation, with an estimated street value of between £64,000 and £196,000, depending on yield.

Using an aerial drone, police tracked Beti as he attempted to escape by crossing two rooftops. He pleaded guilty immediately after his capture, claiming the cannabis farm was already operational when he arrived 10 days earlier. Beti described himself as merely the gardener, tasked with watering the plants, and alleged he was coerced into the role by individuals he met at an immigration detention centre to repay a debt.

Beti’s defence counsel stated: “He is under no illusion regarding the seriousness of his offending. He is eager to start his prison sentence so he can ultimately reunite with his wife in Albania.”

However, Judge Geraint Walters rejected Beti’s claims, citing a pattern of similar excuses in previous cases. The judge noted that Beti had been convicted in Cardiff in 2022 for cultivating over 600 cannabis plants, during which he also claimed to be a coerced gardener with little knowledge of the operation.

In delivering the sentence, Judge Walters said: “People like you need to understand that judges are not completely naive. We know what is going on. We are well aware of the activities of criminal Albanian gangs in this country, as are you.”

Police believe the operation uncovered in Pembroke Dock is linked to a wider network of organised crime targeting rural locations for cannabis cultivation.

Community

Pembs Agricultural Society’s Christmas Fair expands to an all-weekend event

Published

5 hours ago

November 15, 2024

Tom Sinclair

PEMBROKESHIRE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY’S Christmas Fair will be an all-weekend event next month. The Christmas shopping extravaganza is all set to take place on Saturday, 14 December as well as Sunday, 15 December.

The Parkhouse building on the Haverfordwest Showground will be transformed into a Christmas paradise. There will be even more stalls this year with a wide variety of quality local businesses exhibiting as well as festive music, Santa in his Grotto and an outdoor food court.

Judith Roach and Emma Thomas, the event organisers, said, “We are excited to be able to announce that our Christmas Fair will be on for two days rather than just one this year. We continue to build on the success of last year’s event with twice the opportunities to attend and even more stallholders. It will be the perfect start to the festive season as the Parkhouse Building will be transformed into a one-stop-shop for those preparing for Christmas.”

The Fair will be open from 10am until 4pm and admission is free. Visitors will find unique gifts, handmade decorations, art and beautiful homeware. Some of the county’s very best food and drink producers will also have stalls to give visitors the opportunity to stock up on all their festive treats. From decadent chocolate brownies, fudge, festive spirits to Welsh cheeses, there’s something to tantalise everyone’s tastebuds. There will also be a range of outlets for ‘on the go’ eating and drinking.

One special guest at the event will be everyone’s favourite bearded gentleman in red – Santa will be taking time out from his busy schedule to attend the event. There will be a charge of £3 per child to visit Santa and all proceeds will go directly to Sandy Bear charity to support their work. Each child will receive a small gift from Santa as part of their visit. Parents can book in advance via the website: www.sandybear.co.uk/santa

Adam Thorne, Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society’s President is looking forward to the festive event. He said, “The Society would like to thank Judith and Emma for all the hours they have put in, voluntarily, to organise the two-day Christmas event. We’re delighted to be able to offer visitors the opportunity to do all their Christmas shopping whilst enjoying the festive atmosphere.”

Follow Pembrokeshire County Show’s Christmas Fair event page on Facebook for a full list of stallholders in the run up to the event.

Community

Officials announced for 2026 Eisteddfod in Pembrokeshire

Published

16 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Tom Sinclair

THE NATIONAL EISTEDDFOD returns to Pembrokeshire in 2026, and organisers have named the officials who will steer this major cultural event over the next year and a half.

With the artistic and local committees already established, meetings to finalise competitions and adjudicators are underway to ensure the List of Competitions is ready by spring. Committee members have also been voting over the past weeks to elect key officials for the Executive Committee.

John Davies, former leader of Pembrokeshire County Council, has been appointed Chair of the Executive Committee. Known for his deep connection to Pembrokeshire and extensive experience with national organisations, Davies aims to make the Eisteddfod a true community event, welcoming involvement from all corners of the region.

Tegryn Jones, Chief Executive of Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, takes on the role of Deputy Chair (Strategy). With a strong passion for Welsh culture and language, Jones brings a wealth of experience working with local communities, visitors, and volunteers across three counties.

Deputy Chair (Culture) is Carys Ifan, Director of Canolfan Egin and a seasoned cultural organiser. Based in Llangrannog and originally from Llandudoch, Ifan has led numerous artistic and community projects across the region.

Cris Tomos, a community development veteran with over 30 years of experience, will lead the 2026 Eisteddfod Local Fund. Working with PLANED, a community development charity, Tomos has supported countless community enterprises and co-operatives in Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion, and Carmarthenshire.

Non Davies, recently elected as Executive Committee Secretary, brings extensive cultural management expertise as Ceredigion County Council’s Corporate Manager for Culture. Having chaired the Cardigan Local Fund Committee for the 2022 Ceredigion Eisteddfod, Davies is well-versed in managing cultural projects.

National Eisteddfod Chief Executive, Betsan Moses, said: “We’re looking forward to working with John and the team over the next few months as we prepare for the 2026 Eisteddfod.

“There’s almost a quarter of a century since the Eisteddfod was last held in Pembrokeshire, and we’re very much looking forward to returning to the area. 2026 is an important year for us as we celebrate 850 years since the first Eisteddfod was held in Cardigan Castle in 1176.

“We’re looking forward to working in a new way within a catchment area which includes parts of another two counties, which is, of course, a chance to work with local people in Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire again.”

Further announcements are expected in the coming weeks, including the sale of competition prizes and opportunities to donate the Crown and the Chair.

The National Eisteddfod will be held in Llantood from August 1–8, 2026.