News
Safety initiative wins £90k funding
DYFED-POWYS Police and Crime Commissioner Christopher Salmon has secured funding of £90,000 for a new service to help vulnerable people.
The money, from the Home Office, will help fund two specially equipped vehicles to be staffed by police officers and with facilities for mental health nurses.
They will help those in mental distress when involved in an incident.Police – often first on the scene at an incident – now occasionally have no choice but to take the person into custody until health treatment can be provided.
It is hoped the Mobile Assessment and Support Team (MAST) units will reduce the need for such action. A partnership between Dyfed- Powys Police, Hywel Dda University Health Board, Powys Teaching Health Board and the Welsh Ambulance Service, the units could be operational by the end of this summer.
Mr Salmon said: “For a number of reasons, police cells are regularly used for those suffering with potentially traumatic episodes.
“MAST is the innovative alternative; it will provide the most appropriate service to people in mental distress at the earliest opportunity– and will save time and money for the police, ambulance and health services.
“I’m delighted that my application for Home Office funding has succeeded. This project will offer new support to individuals at a time when they’re particularly vulnerable and will help Dyfed-Powys Police and others become more effective on the front line.”
Dyfed-Powys Chief Constable Simon Prince said: “MAST will provide the communities of Dyfed-Powys with a mobile and dynamic assessment facility during mental health detentions.
“The vision for the project is to take bold and innovative steps to provide a better service for people suffering with issues relating to their mental health.”
Hywel Dda University Health Board Deputy Chief Executive Karen Howell said:
“We are pleased and excited by the opportunity to work more closely with Dyfed-Powys Police and other partner agencies, to ensure the needs of our population are better met.
“This innovative development will ensure that vulnerable people experiencing a mental health crisis receive timely and appropriate care and treatment more flexibly in their own communities.”
Powys Teaching Health Board Director of Nursing Carol Shillabeer said:
“We and the wider mental health partnership are committed to supporting those with mental health needs. It is important to get them the help they need swiftly.
“We work closely with a number of other public services to ensure the safety of all of our patients and I welcome the addition of the MAST service.”
Dyfed-Powys Police managed 176 such detentions in the 10 months up to February 2013. Only three (2%) resulted in a crime being recorded and, on average, it took eight hours 48 minutes in detention for the individual to be seen by the appropriate mental health team.
The Dyfed-Powys bid to the Home Office’s fledgling Police Innovation Fund was £90,701 for 2013-14. The police force and health partners will collectively contribute a further £60,468 for the year. The 2014-15 running cost for MAST will be £220,675 and met by the local partners.
Dyfed-Powys Police mental health detentions cost the taxpayer around £313,000 every year in policing budget. It is hoped that MAST will decrease such detention figures by 80% and that a £249,200 police saving will be made in 2014-15.
Among the other services provided by the project will be a 24-hour on-call phone advice service, with access to specific advice for under-25s.
News
Body found in missing person search in Carmarthenshire

IN THE LAST few moments, Dyfed-Powys Police can confirm that a body has been found this afternoon, Wednesday, November 29, during the search for Angharad, who had been reported missing.
Formal identification has not yet taken place, however Angharad’s family has been informed of this development.
Police said: “Our thoughts remain with the family at this difficult time.”
Education
Excellent progress on construction of new Welsh medium primary school

A CELEBRATION event was held on the site of the new Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Penfro in Pembroke on Tuesday 14th November to mark the reaching of the highest point of the building, traditionally known as the ‘topping-out’ ceremony.
The event was hosted by Morgan Sindall Construction & Infrastructure Ltd and attended by pupils and staff from Ysgol Gelli Aur, the Executive Headteacher of the new school, governors of the Temporary Governing Body of Ysgol Bro Penfro, Cabinet members, senior Council officers, and a members of the project team.

Pembrokeshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Education and the Welsh Language, Cllr Guy Woodham, said that he was extremely pleased with progress at the site.
“Whilst I was unfortunately unable to attend the ceremony, my Cabinet colleagues have shared with me their experience, and the excellent progress being made on the new school.
“I am particularly pleased that the project remains on budget, and on programme, which means that Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Penfro will be in a position to admit pupils in September 2024.”
Members of the school’s Temporary Governing Body expressed their delight with the building.
The Executive Headteacher of Ysgol Bro Penfro, Mr Dafydd Hughes, confirmed that pupils and staff thoroughly enjoyed the event and that everyone connected with the school is excited at the prospect of moving to the new school next year.
“The fact that a new Welsh medium primary school is being built in Pembroke is an important and exciting development on so many levels.
“As Executive Headteacher of Ysgol Bro Penfro I am committed to ensure that when the school opens its doors in September 2024 every pupil will be given opportunities to flourish and thrive in a welcoming Welsh medium setting. I am also focused on ensuring that the whole Pembroke community takes great pride in the school.”
Pupils were very excited to see the new school. Among the comments received were: “We loved signing the steels, it will help us to remember when we came here when our school was being built and we will always be a part of our new school”
“I can see that everyone is working really hard to build us our school. The school is so much bigger than we expected and can’t wait to start learning in our new classes”.
The project is being funded by Welsh Government and Pembrokeshire County Council, and will provide a significant contribution to the Council’s Welsh in Education Strategic Plan.
News
County mourns loss of revered priest and community pillar, Father McGreal

THE CATHOLIC community in Pembrokeshire is in mourning this week after the passing of one of its most well-known priests, Father Owen McGreal, aged 88, former parish priest of St Teilo’s Catholic Church, Tenby and former governor of Mary Immaculate RC School in Haverfordwest.
It is understood that Father Owen passed away peacefully on Tuesday morning (Nov 28).
Although he had retired from his role as parish priest in 2014, he remained active in the community, serving as a cover priest. He attended a Paul Sartori event in Haverfordwest just a few weeks ago.
In 2009, family, friends, civic guests, clergy, religious, and parishioners gathered together at St. Teilo’s Catholic Church, Tenby, to attend a Concelebrated Mass of Thanksgiving for the Golden Jubilee of Father Owen’s ordination to the priesthood.
His brothers, Lt. Col. Patrick McGreal and Mrs. McGreal, Fr. Michael McGreal (who passed away last year, aged 92), and many nephews, nieces, great-nephews, and great-nieces came from Ireland to celebrate this great event. Among the guests were Rt. Rev. Bishop Thomas Burns SM, then the recently appointed Bishop of Menevia; Bishop Emeritus Rt. Rev. Daniel Mullins, former Bishop of Menevia; and fellow clergy.
In 2014, on his retirement, there was a concert at St Teilo’s bidding farewell to Father Owen after a total of almost 25 years of dedicated service.
Father Owen had dedicated a large part of his life in the church to the service of young people, so it seemed fitting, many said, that the concert included young talented musicians from not only Tenby but also from as far away as Norway and the USA.
On the news of Father McGreal’s passing yesterday, Leanne Prevel, Acting Headteacher of Mary Immaculate RC School, said in a letter to parents and guardians: ‘It is with heavy hearts that we share with you the death of Father McGreal, former parish priest, school governor, and long-term supporter and champion of Mary Immaculate School.
‘We understand that this news will have come as a shock to members of our school community.
‘Should you or your family need any support at this time, please do not hesitate to contact the school, or the Parish…’
‘Our Mass planned for December 8 will now be for the repose of the soul of Father McGreal. We also intend to hold a gathering at the school to remember and celebrate his life in the next couple of weeks. Further details will be shared with our school community in the coming days.
‘We remember in our prayers, Father Owen McGreal, and those impacted by his death.'”
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