Community events planned in lead-up to June street festival

BUSINESSES in Milford Haven are preparing for the return of the town’s popular Founder’s Day celebration, with a series of fundraising events planned in the coming months to support the much-loved community festival.

Members of Milford Haven Business Circle are once again organising Founder’s Day, which will take place on Saturday (Jun 6) on Charles Street.

The event has become a highlight of the town’s calendar, drawing together local businesses, performers, families and visitors for a day of entertainment and celebration in the heart of Milford Haven.

To help fund the event, organisers have put together a programme of community fundraising activities in the lead-up to June.

The first of these is a Curry Night hosted by The Taste of Haven café on Charles Street on Saturday (Mar 21). The evening will begin at 6:00pm and promises a curry-themed dining experience in a relaxed and sociable setting. Tickets cost £25 per person and can be booked directly through the café.

Next on the calendar is the Big Bingo Bash at the Boulevard Theatre on Friday (Apr 11). The family-friendly evening will offer a lively take on traditional bingo, with prizes and entertainment planned throughout the night. Doors open at 6:30pm, with eyes down at 7:00pm. Organisers are also inviting local businesses to donate prizes to support the fundraising effort.

Music fans will also have the chance to attend “Alfie – The Elvis Experience”, taking place at the Pill Social Centre on Saturday (Apr 25). The event will feature a tribute performance celebrating the music of Elvis Presley. Standard tickets are £10, while a VIP table package costing £100 includes seating for six people, nibbles and a complimentary bottle of wine.

Tickets are available from Moon Goddess Emporium on Charles Street, Ambulance Friends on Charles Street, or online via Eventbrite.

Another highlight in the fundraising programme will be StyleFest 26, a charity fashion show celebrating local style and creativity. The event is being organised in partnership with Captured Soul Photography and will showcase collections from Elizabeth Christie Bridalwear, Chic Boutique and Haverfordwest Soroptimists, who are sponsoring the prom section of the show.

Standard tickets for StyleFest 26 cost £10, with VIP tables available for £100 including seating for six guests, nibbles and a complimentary bottle of wine.

Organisers say they are also keen to hear from additional boutiques, models and creative professionals interested in taking part in the show. Hair stylists, makeup artists, backstage volunteers and technical support are also being invited to get involved.

Alongside the events, community raffles are also helping to boost the fundraising campaign. Local business Patch has donated two hampers, with tickets available at The Taste of Haven. Captured Soul Photography is also offering the chance to win a performing arts portfolio photography session worth £400 through a raffle on its Facebook page.

Organisers say the growing programme of events reflects strong support from Milford Haven’s business community and they hope residents and visitors will come along to enjoy the activities while helping support preparations for Founder’s Day.

When the event returns in June, Charles Street will once again be transformed into a lively celebration of the town’s businesses, creativity and community spirit.

A HISTORIC theatre in Fishguard has unveiled a newly carved replica foundation stone after the original, dating back nearly 150 years, became too weathered to read.

The ceremony took place on Sunday [Mar 8] at Theatr Gwaun, where staff, trustees and volunteers gathered to mark the installation of the replacement stone.

The original foundation stone was laid in 1878 by Martha Philipps when the building first opened as a Temperance Hall. Over the decades, exposure to the elements caused the inscription to fade significantly, raising concerns that the historic detail would eventually be lost.

The project to preserve the stone was driven by Swanny MacCarthy, a former Fishguard resident with strong ties to the theatre. Mr MacCarthy previously volunteered as a carpenter at Theatr Gwaun and has also appeared on stage there.

After noticing the deteriorating condition of the stone, he set about organising a replacement.

To recreate the original, Mr MacCarthy commissioned Goodwick sculptor Darren Yeadon, who produced an accurate replica carved from local spotted dolerite – also known as Preseli bluestone. The new stone was made in two pieces to match the design of the original.

Over recent weeks, Mr MacCarthy and Mr Yeadon carefully removed the old stone and installed the replica in its place.

Despite wet weather on the day, the unveiling ceremony went ahead successfully, with those involved in the theatre’s running turning out to witness the moment.

Theatr Gwaun has thanked both men for their work, paying particular tribute to Mr MacCarthy for spearheading the effort to preserve an important piece of the building’s history.

Among those attending the ceremony were relatives of Martha Philipps, including her direct descendant Dafydd Williams. Mr Williams still owns the mason’s trowel used by Mrs Philipps when she laid the original foundation stone in 1878.

The replacement ensures the historic inscription can continue to be seen and appreciated by future visitors.

Originally established as a Temperance Hall, the building has evolved over the years and today operates as a popular community theatre and cinema at the heart of Fishguard.

LINK, the UK’s Cash Access and ATM network, has today announced local people and businesses in Pembroke Dock will benefit from a new banking hub. The town has been recommended a hub following community requests for an access to cash review.

Pembroke Dock is the first banking hub to be recommended in Pembrokeshire and to date, LINK have recommended more than 270 hubs across the UK.

Banking hubs are a shared banking space, similar to a traditional bank branch, but available to everyone. When opened, the hub will consist of a counter service where customers of any bank can withdraw and deposit cash and make bill payments. In addition, there will be private spaces where customers can speak to community bankers from their own bank for more complicated matters that require specialist knowledge or privacy. The banks work on a rotating basis, so there will be staff from different banks available on different days.  

The banking hub will now be delivered by Cash Access UK. Over the next few weeks, it will begin to engage with the local community and will start to look for potential sites. There are currently 12 hubs open in Wales, and over 200 across the UK.

Dr Chris Ashton, Chief Commercial Officer, LINK: “While more people are choosing to bank and pay for things digitally, we know that many people still rely on cash and face-to-face banking. That’s why we’re delighted to recommend a new hub in Pembroke Dock – the first in Pembrokeshire. When it opens, the hub will be a huge boost for the local community and high street.” 

Henry Tufnell, MP for Mid and South Pembrokeshire: “I am delighted that LINK has recommended a banking hub for Pembroke Dock following our constructive engagement last month. This is something I have been pushing for over a year, working with LINK, government ministers, the regulator, Lloyds Bank, the Post Office, and my constituents.

A banking hub will provide much-needed face-to-face banking services for residents in the south of the county, many of whom have had to travel significant distances since the closure of the Lloyds branch.

Access to in-person banking services remains vital for communities across Pembrokeshire, and I will continue to work hard to ensure these services are delivered.”

Sam Kurtz, MS for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire: “I am absolutely thrilled to welcome LINK’s decision to recommend a banking hub in Pembroke Dock, a landmark moment for our town and the wider South Pembrokeshire community.”

“This hub will provide residents and businesses with the vital banking services they need, right here in our town, reducing the need to travel long distances and strengthening the local economy. It’s a win for fairness, accessibility, and for every resident who has campaigned tirelessly alongside me for the past 12 months.”

“I look forward to working with LINK, local stakeholders, and residents to turn this recommendation into reality and ensure Pembroke Dock gets the service it deserves.”

Anyone can contact LINK at this website: https://www.link.co.uk/initiatives/bank-branch-closures/

Additionally, to check for your nearest free access to cash point, you can download the app or visit the Cash Locator tool here: https://www.link.co.uk/consumers/locator/