News

‘Bags of Help’ for Pembroke woodland

Published

10 years ago

April 19, 2016

Holyland Community Woodland: Pembroke project receives £8,000 from Tesco scheme for refurbishments

HOLYLAND COMMUNITY Woodland in Pembroke has managed to successfully bag a share of Tesco’s Bags of Help initiative.

The supermarket, teaming up with Groundwork to launch its Bags of Help scheme, dispensed a series of grants with values between £8,000 and £12,000.

The money, which was raised by Tesco’s 5p carrier bag charge, is given to local environmental and green space projects.

To whom the grants were given was decided by over eight million shoppers around Wales who voted in Tesco stores up and down the country.

It was recently revealed that the Holyland Community Woodland Project in Pembroke, which is managed by Pembroke 21C Community Association, has been awarded an impressive £8,000 of funding.

Following this announcement, it is expected that work on the site will begin soon, bringing the project to life.

John Hayes, Chairman of the 21C Community Association, said: “We are delighted to have received the grant and thank all those who voted for us in the local Tesco stores.

“It is now nearly ten years since we installed paths and a boardwalk through the reed bed and marsh areas of Holyland to create a circular walk around the woodland which has a wide range of important habitats.

It has been very well used and is much loved by the local community for walking, recreation and monitoring biodiversity.

“However, the boardwalk is now suffering wear in several places and needs upgrading.”

The project is hoping to improve access to the beautiful woodland area by upgrading the popular boardwalk. The group will raise the sunken sections that are prone to flooding as well as straightening other sections of the boardwalk which have been buckled by willow roots.

Additionally, the group will alter the boardwalk to help ensure that it can be safely enjoyed by wheelchair users by adding raised wooden edges all along, and installing posts to prevent movement of the walk.

Caroline Silke, Head of Community at Tesco, said: “Bags of Help has been a fantastic success. We have been overwhelmed by the response of our customers and the feedback has been brilliant.

“We can’t wait to see the money being put to use bringing these projects to life.

“Nominations for the next round of the initiative will open in April and we look forward to helping a further round of groups and projects bag their share of the bag charge fund.”

The grant will be used to pay for the additional materials needed, as well as the tool hire and the cost of labour to carry out the work, which will be done alongside a team of experienced volunteers.

Graham Duxbury, Groundwork’s National Chief Executive, said: “We have been delighted to have been involved in the Bags of Help project. It has been wonderful to follow the projects through the application process to the final announcement.

“This is money that will go directly back into the communities up and down the country creating places to meet people, be active, play or simply relax.

“This initiative is really putting something back into the local environment, transforming green spaces and helping the community at a grass-roots level.”

Voting ran in local Tesco stores between February 27 and March 6, with supermarket customers choosing which group they’d like to get the top award using a token given to them at the check-out in store.

Nominations and applications for the next round of the Bags of Help initiative’s funding will open on Monday, (Apr 18) and votes can be cast in local Tesco stores.

Crime

Man charged with strangulation and assault offences after October incident

Published

3 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Court Reporter

A MAN recorded in court as having no fixed abode has appeared before magistrates charged with intentional strangulation and two further assault offences.

Michael Sudbury, 50, whose address was not read out in court, but in Herald records is Glan Hafan, Llangwm, appeared before the bench facing multiple charges.

The charges relate to an incident on 22 October 2025 and include:

Intentional strangulation, contrary to section 75A of the Serious Crime Act 2015
Common assault
Assault by beating

No further details of the alleged incident were opened in court, and no plea was entered at this stage.

Sudbury was remanded on conditional bail, with the case listed to return to magistrates later this month.

Crime

Haverfordwest man sent to Crown Court on multiple serious charges

Published

4 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Court Reporter

Defendant remanded in custody

A HAVERFORDWEST man has been sent to Swansea Crown Court to stand trial on a series of A 49-year-old Haverfordwest resident has been committed to Swansea Crown Court to face trial on multiple serious charges deemed too grave for magistrates to handle.

David Guy, of Market Street, Haverfordwest, appeared before Haverfordwest magistrates facing a series of allegations stemming from a single case. The charges, which were not detailed in open court, include:

Assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH)
A second count of assault
Criminal damage
An additional allegation of interpersonal violence
A public order offence

Magistrates declined jurisdiction, determining that the matters exceeded their sentencing powers, and sent the case in its entirety to Swansea Crown Court.

Guy was remanded in custody pending his next appearance. The court register notes: “Sent to Crown Court for trial in custody – next hearing at Swansea Crown Court.”

A date for the initial Crown Court hearing will be set administratively. Guy will remain in custody until then.

The Pembrokeshire Herald will provide further updates as the case progresses in the Crown Court.

Crime

Castlemartin man back before magistrates over multiple alleged assaults

Published

4 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Court Reporter

Defendant remanded on conditional bail ahead of further hearing

A CASTLEMARTIN man has appeared repeatedly before magistrates this month over a string A 40-year-old man from Castlemartin has made repeated appearances before magistrates this month in connection with a series of serious alleged offences, including assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH), intentional non-fatal strangulation, common assault, and criminal damage.

Anthony Alcock, of Pwll Street, Castlemartin, is facing six linked charges stemming from incidents said to have occurred earlier this year. These appear to relate to the same complainant in what is understood to be a single ongoing domestic abuse prosecution.

During recent administrative hearings at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court, Alcock did not enter pleas while matters of bail and case management were addressed.

Charges Include:

Assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH)
Intentional non-fatal strangulation
Common assault on a woman
Criminal damage in a domestic context
Additional assault allegations involving the same complainant
Breach of bail conditions

Alcock was initially granted conditional bail but was subsequently brought before the court on two occasions for alleged breaches. On those instances, magistrates remanded him in custody ahead of further hearings. He was later re-granted conditional bail, subject to strict conditions such as no contact with the complainant and exclusion from specified locations.

Magistrates have now declined jurisdiction, ruling that the case—particularly the more serious charges involving non-fatal strangulation—is too grave for summary trial. It has been committed to Swansea Crown Court for plea, trial, or sentencing.

No detailed evidence has been presented in open court at this preliminary stage. Alcock remains on conditional bail pending his next appearance at the Crown Court.