Community
Six-year-old honoured at British Citizen Youth Awards
THE INAUGURAL British Citizen Youth Awards – honouring young people who have positively impacted society, communities, charities or other good causes – took place at the Palace of Westminster.
20 youngsters from across the country were honoured, with each having their own unique and inspiring story, including six-year-old Elly Neville from Pembroke.
The medal presentation ceremony, which is in association with Specsavers, cast a light on some of the nation’s brightest stars of the future.
The awards were presented by Kimberly Wyatt of the Pussycat Dolls, whose band has sold over 55 million records worldwide.
Elly Neville, a six-year-old girl from Pembroke, has helped raise more than £50,000 for Ward 10, a dedicated cancer ward, at Withybush Hospital in Haverfordwest.
Ward 10 is special to Elly and her family because her 54-year-old father, Lyn, needed a bone marrow transplant in 2005 after he was diagnosed with blood cancer. Over the following four years he was a regular visitor to the ward for treatment, and he now visits a London hospital once a year for check-ups.
Despite being told that he wouldn’t be able to have any more children, Lyn’s wife, Ann, gave birth to Elly not long after his treatment ended. This was seen as a miracle considering what they had been through in the very same hospital just years prior.
In April 2015, Elly won £20 in a school competition for her collage of the Pembrokeshire county flag. She decided that she wanted to raffle the flag to raise money to go towards the refurbishment of the Ward 10, which was the start of her fundraising campaign called ‘Elly’s Ward 10 Flag Appeal’.
She has continued to fundraise in the community, with her family organising fun days and local people helping with activities such as bungee jumping off Cleddau Bridge, which have all added to the ever increasing tally on her JustGiving page.
The money Elly has raised has gone towards improving the ‘patient environment and experience’ at Ward 10, adding in equipment that the Hywel Dda University Health Board couldn’t finance, such as a high-spec ‘Sara Stedy’ enhanced standing aid to allow patients to go to the toilet. The health board has since stated that it will submit a bid to the Welsh Government later this year for funds to refurbish the ward.
Elly’s father, Lyn, said: “Seeing Elly receive her award was inspiring. It was a wonderful way to celebrate all of her fundraising achievements for Ward 10 and it was an honour to meet with other families of young people who have done amazing things to improve the lives of others.”
Dame Mary Perkins, co-founder of Specsavers, said: “The society we live in tomorrow will be shaped by the children of today, which is why championing amazing young role models is so very important.
“The young people that become the recipients of the first British Citizen Youth Awards will, I am sure, inspire other youngsters to emulate their good work and embody the spirit of transparency, integrity, determination and achievement that define these awards.
“Whatever it is that they have done to make a significant impact on society, their community, a charity or other good cause, it will have been with a selflessness and commitment that deserves to be publically acknowledged. These unsung heroes are the rising stars of the future – let us shine a light on them and celebrate!”
Community
Tractor run lights up Pembrokeshire and raises funds for charity
THE PEMBROKESHIRE ILLUMINATED TRACTOR RUN took place today (Dec 21), raising funds for two vital charities: the Catrin Vaughan Foundation and Wales Air Ambulance.
Starting at Clarbeston Road AFC at 6:00pm, the brightly lit convoy of nearly 200 tractors made its way through Withybush Hospital and Haverfordwest High Street before finishing at the Pembrokeshire County Showground.
The annual event has become a highlight of the festive calendar, drawing large crowds to witness the spectacle of tractors adorned with colourful lights and decorations.
Funds raised from the event will support the Catrin Vaughan Foundation, which provides crucial assistance to families facing hardship, and the Wales Air Ambulance, delivering life-saving emergency medical care across the region.
Organisers praised the dedication of local farmers and volunteers, whose commitment ensures the event’s continued success year after year.
(Image: Nia Marshall/Facebook)
Community
Festive celebrations at St Davids Cathedral this weekend
ST DAVIDS Cathedral is set to host two special events on Sunday (Dec 22), offering a blend of joyful participation and traditional carol singing to mark the Christmas season.
In the morning, families are invited to the Scratch Nativity at 11:00am. Attendees are encouraged to come dressed as wise men, angels, sheep, or shepherds and take part in an unrehearsed retelling of the Christmas story. Canon Leigh described the event as: “Complete, wonderful chaos for an hour… but with some poignant, thought-provoking moments to centre ourselves on the real meaning of Christmas.”
Later in the evening, the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols by Candlelight will take place at 7:00pm, featuring the Cathedral Choir. The event, steeped in tradition, will see the cathedral bathed in candlelight as carols and scripture readings fill the historic space.
Doors will open at 5:45pm for those seeking unreserved seating, and a large turnout is expected for this beloved Christmas celebration.
Community
Restoration of a pond hopes to support biodiversity in Pembrokeshire
AN OLD millpond at the heart of the Wallis and Ambleston community, and a site of Special Scientific Interest, has now been improved to benefit water quality and increase biodiversity in an area of South Wales, thanks to funding from Nestlé Waters UK.
Wallis Pond was created in 1836 as part of the tributary of the Wester Cleddau River to supply water to a local mill. Back in 1978, it was restored and later re-opened by HRH King Charles III, the then Prince of Wales.
Over the years, the pond had become completely silted up, restricting the waters passage and the pond’s ability to retain water, resulting in a reduced diversity of habitat in and around the millpond.
Pembrokeshire County Council, Heavyside Landscapes and Nestlé Waters UK have come together to restore the millpond with regulatory guidance from Natural Resources Wales and support from the Ambleston Community Council.
The project saw the pond re-dug and de-silted, and the old sluice gate replaced to re-establish the millpond. With the pond now able to hold more water, it is hoped to help build resilience to the increased frequency and intensity of storm events, alleviating the risk of flooding in the local area.
Retention of flows in the pond for a longer time should help reduce silt build-up and prevent nutrients such as phosphates and nitrates from travelling downstream in the Cleddau catchment, helping to protect water quality, improve aquatic habitats, and encourage eels, otters, damselflies, and other wildlife species.
Restoration of Wallis Pond is one of the projects that Nestlé Waters is working on as part of its efforts to help regenerate local water cycles and create a positive water impact everywhere the company operates.
Matthew Faulkner, Factory Manager at the Nestlé Waters site in Princes Gate, said: “We are proud to be a part of the Wallis Pond restoration work, aimed at delivering long-lasting benefits in Pembrokeshire, where we bottle at source Princes Gate and Nestlé Pure Life waters. This beautiful landscape is not only our home, but also home to some incredible flora and fauna which are vital for keeping the area rich and thriving in biodiversity.
“We’re working hard to protect this land and the water beneath our feet. Water is a shared resource and a shared responsibility, and caring for it takes the whole community. That’s why we’re grateful to be working with partners on this project that will hopefully have a positive impact on the local ecosystem and community.”
Cllr Rhys Sinnett, Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services at the Pembrokeshire County Council, said: “We welcome this funding to enhance the biodiversity in Wallis Pond which can be enjoyed by the residents of Ambleston, the wider communities in Pembrokeshire and the visitors to our fantastic county.
“This is an excellent example of partnership working that has significant benefits for the environment and the wellbeing of generations to come.”
Eirian Forrest, Clerk at the Ambleston Community Council, said: “We are grateful to Nestlé Waters UK for the funding and wish to thank everyone who has been involved in this project, especially the Pembrokeshire County Council team, for pushing the project forwards.
“The Community Council are delighted that the work has finally been done and look forward to the positive impact it will have on biodiversity. We have already received many positive comments from members of the community. The improved pond encourages locals to take a walk around the area, as well as sit down to watch and enjoy the wildlife.”
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