Community

24-hour run and walk for SWAT

Published

11 years ago

January 16, 2014

A MAN from Haverfordwest will be doing a 24-hour run and walk to help raise awareness for the Save Withybush Action Team. Mark Llewhellin will start on the morning of January 25 on Freemans Way before doing a circuit around town and finishing at Merlins Hill.

Mark told the Herald: “I went out the other day to see what I could do without any proper training and I managed to run and walk between 9-10 hours”.

When he was 16 Mark trained to be in the army, but he failed the 1.5mile run and was voted fattest person in the troop, but that made him more determined to succeed. He added: “I was laughed at because I said I wanted to be a commando but a year later I achieved it and was awarded a green beret.

“It doesn’t matter where you are in life, what your current situation is, you can still achieve great things by setting goals and believing in yourself one day at a time.

“I feel stronger now mentally than what I was when I broke the 100k treadmill world record at 27.”

Mark did not realise how serious the NHS cuts were and says it’s time to take action. He added: “I think Dr Chris Overton and the SWAT Team have done a fantastic job of highlighting the situation. If these cuts go ahead then there will be unnecessary deaths in the county. The reason I decided to do the 24-hour event is because it can highlight the issue and no matter how painful this will be for me it will be still be quite easy compared to losing a child which sadly will happen for many people if we let these cuts go ahead”.

Mark is currently in the process of inviting celebrities with local ties to Pembrokeshire to support the hospital. One of them who he has a tremendous amount of respect for is Christian Bale. Christian was born five days after Mark in Haverfordwest and is now a huge movie star. The event is sponsored by Grill Bar Haverfordwest and Eddies Rocks nightclub.

Mark is hoping that people will join in the SWAT protests so the people can have a say in their families’ future. Five days later, on Christian’s 40th birthday, schools around the county are having a super hero fancy dress fun and sports day to support the hospital.

Anyone is encouraged to join in with Mark on his run and walk on January 25 for any leg of the journey to show support.

For more information you can visit the SWAT Facebook page or they can visit www.pembswat.org.uk

Community

Milford Haven and Neyland Police issue appeal for missing man

Published

3 hours ago

April 25, 2025

Tom Sinclair

POLICE are appealing for information to help locate a 54-year-old man who has been reported missing from the Milford Haven area.

Neil is described as being around 6ft 2in tall with a shaved head. He has tattoos on his arms and one of his fingers, and sometimes wears glasses.

He was last seen on Friday afternoon (Apr 26) wearing a black Superdry hoodie, ripped jeans, and orange and black Nike Air trainers. Neil is believed to be on foot.

Anyone with information that could help is urged to contact Dyfed-Powys Police: 🖥️ | Online portal
📧 | [email protected]
📞 | Call 101, quoting reference 262 of April 26.

Community

Fire service delivers vital kit to Ukraine

Published

9 hours ago

April 25, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Wales joins UK’s largest firefighting aid convoy

MID and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service (MAWWFRS) has taken part in the UK’s largest ever convoy delivering vital firefighting equipment to Ukraine, joining 17 other Fire and Rescue Services (FRSs) from across the country.

The convoy, coordinated by FIRE AID and supported by the UK Government, left the UK in early April. It travelled through France, Germany and Poland, delivering over 30 fire service vehicles and more than 15,000 items of equipment to support Ukrainian firefighters on the front line of the ongoing war.

Since the Russian invasion in 2022, UK fire services have donated 119 vehicles and over 200,000 pieces of equipment to Ukraine. Each participating service ensured local needs were met before donating surplus kit.

Watch Manager Rob Kershaw represented MAWWFRS on the convoy. He said:
“It’s been a privilege to be part of this convoy and to represent both FIRE AID and Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service.
We received invaluable support and assistance from fire and police services across every country we passed through. Their help in coordinating, escorting, and hosting the convoy was outstanding.”

Chief Fire Officer Roger Thomas KFSM added:
“MAWWFRS is proud to support our colleagues in Ukraine by donating and delivering essential equipment.
The events in Ukraine have deeply affected the fire and rescue community, and this convoy is a demonstration of our ongoing commitment to helping those still working under extreme conditions.”

The donated equipment will support firefighters in Ukraine who continue to operate in war zones to save lives and protect property—often at great personal risk. Since the conflict began, 100 Ukrainian firefighters have been killed and 431 injured. A total of 411 fire stations and 1,700 firefighting vehicles have been destroyed.

Community

Trefin to host VE Day 80th anniversary celebrations

Published

9 hours ago

April 25, 2025

Tom Sinclair

TREFIN and surrounding communities will mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day with a full day of commemorative events on Thursday, May 8—culminating in the lighting of a coastal beacon.

The local programme closely mirrors events happening across the UK to honour Victory in Europe Day, marking the end of World War II in Europe on May 8, 1945.

The day will begin at 9:00am in the centre of Trefin with the reading of the VE Day 80 Proclamation, Together We Stand, followed by the raising of a special VE Day 80 flag to unite the nation in remembrance of those who sacrificed so much during the war.

At 12 noon, in Trefin Square, piper LCpl Spencer of Cawdor Barracks will perform Celebratum, a tune specially composed for the occasion.

At 6:30pm, Llanrhian Church bell will ring out in unison with churches and cathedrals across the UK. Simultaneously in Trefin Square, the “Lamp Light of Peace” will be blessed, and a handbell performance by local adults and children will take place. Participants are encouraged to wear wartime-style clothing, with prizes awarded for the best costumes.

Evening celebrations will then move to The Ship Inn, where a fish and chip supper will be served (advance booking and payment required). A display of wartime memorabilia will also be available to view.

At around 8:00pm, the community will proceed from The Ship Inn to Penlac field, overlooking the coast, for the continuation of the festivities. Attendees will be invited to sample the official Women’s Institute VE Day 80 Orange and Ginger Cake. Warm clothing is recommended.

There will be music from the wartime era, and local choir Côr y Felin will lead a singalong of well-known songs from the period. Representatives from each decade since the end of the war will read the VE Day 80 Global Tribute, joining communities across the world. A minute’s silence will be held in memory of those who did not return home, followed by a bugler performing the Last Post and Reveille. The piper will then play Flowers of the Forest.

Just before the lighting of the beacon at 9:30pm, the community will join nearly 1,000 choirs across the UK in singing I Vow to Thee, My Country. The coastal beacon is part of the official chain being lit across the country and worldwide (in respective time zones). The “Lamplight of Peace” will also be lit in solidarity with lanterns around the globe.

Those wishing to continue the celebrations can return to The Ship Inn afterwards.

Organisers are encouraging all attendees to dress in wartime-themed attire throughout the day, with a prize for the best-dressed individual.

The events are being coordinated by the Gwelliant Trefin Improvement Group (GTI) and Llanrhian Connected Community. All are welcome.