News

Tenby firefighters shortlisted for award

Published

8 years ago

February 16, 2017

TWO firefighters from Tenby have been shortlisted for a St David Award, it was revealed today (Feb 16) as First Minister Carwyn Jones announced the 2017 finalists.

Firefighters Gary Slack and Billy Connor have been shortlisted in the Bravery category after they battled strong currents at Castle Beach in Tenby to save two children from drowning in August 2016.

The St David Awards are the national awards of Wales. They acknowledge the extraordinary achievements of people in or from Wales and recognise the great deeds and contributions made by people from all walks of life.

Announcing the finalists, First Minister Carwyn Jones said: “The St David Awards, now in their fourth year, are all about celebrating people who have gone the extra mile to make a difference to someone else’s life, overcome adversity or achieved something truly inspirational.

“Once again, the St David Awards finalists are an exceptional group of people. Every single one is a credit to Wales – it is going to be tough to choose the winners! I look forward to celebrating their outstanding achievements at the awards ceremony on March 23.”

Winners will be chosen in each category of Bravery; Citizenship; Culture; Enterprise; Innovation, Science and Technology; International; Sport and Young Person.

Gary Slack and Billy Connor are on-call firefighters at Tenby Station with 3 years’ service.

On August 7, 2016, whilst performing community PR activities at Tenby Harbour, they were part of a crew that were alerted to swimmers in difficulty at Castle Beach.

On reaching the beach with their watch manager, they saw 2 children, a brother and a sister aged 13 and 14, in obvious difficulty about 100m from the shore, in an area where rip tides are commonplace.

With the fire engine approximately 1/4 of a mile away, the remainder of the crew raced to get the necessary equipment. The children were becoming increasingly tired, swimming against a strong current and swell conditions, and were beginning to disappear beneath the water, at increased risk of drowning.

Given the time it would take for the crew to return with the equipment, and that both mother and father were about to enter the water in an attempt to save their children, the decision was taken by their watch manager (based upon their open water swimming experience) that they enter the water and undertake a rescue swim.

Billy swam to the boy and brought him to safety while Gary swam out to the girl and kept her afloat whilst trying to bring her back to shore. However, the sea conditions proved difficult and Billy returned to assist in recovering the girl to the beach.

There the children were both treated by Fire Service personnel who gave first aid until an ambulance arrived. Both were successfully rescued and were taken to hospital with concerns of secondary drowning.

Gary and Billy were praised by the RNLI, whose own lifeboat based at Tenby was attending another rescue 12 miles from Tenby on the day, and said that had both firefighters not intervened, the outcome would have likely been fatal.

The awards ceremony is set to take place on Thursday, March 23.

Charity

Letterston dog show raises over £750 for local charities

Published

17 hours ago

December 25, 2024

Tom Sinclair

ON SUNDAY (Dec 22), Letterston Ring Craft successfully raised £755.55 for two Pembrokeshire-based charities during a fun dog show event. The funds were equally split between South Pembrokeshire Cat Rescue and Letterston Memorial Hall.

The event featured a variety of well-attended classes, including child handling and fancy dress, drawing participation from dog enthusiasts of all levels.

This fundraiser marked the first charitable event supporting South Pembrokeshire Cat Rescue. Founded and managed by Lizzy Austwick, the rescue organisation aids unwanted, feral, and sick cats across Pembrokeshire and responds to urgent cases in Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion. The rescue provides neutering support for stray and feral cats, directs owners to available resources, and specialises in helping stray cats with severe injuries, raising essential funds for their care.

For assistance, Lizzy can be contacted via the rescue’s Facebook page or at 07575 131443.

Letterston Ring Craft welcomes new members interested in training and showing their dogs, from local companion shows to prestigious events like Crufts. The club meets every other Sunday in Letterston, and further details can be found on their Facebook page.

Looking ahead, the next fun dog show is scheduled for early next year and will support Belle’s Story Charity. For more information or to get involved, contact Gentle Lowe at 07956 653401.

Charity

£3,800 donated to services across Withybush Hospital

Published

18 hours ago

December 25, 2024

Tom Sinclair

THE CAMROSE VINTAGE WORKING DAY team has donated £3,800 to services across Withybush Hospital.

Their 37^th annual event raised a record breaking £25,000, which has now been distributed among 26 local charities.

They donated the funds to the Stroke Ward, Specialist Respiratory Team, Chemo Day Unit and Heads Up! Hair Loss Initiative at Withybush Hospital. Each service received £950.

The Heads Up! initiative provides a person-centred, holistic hair loss service for cancer patients. It brings together healthcare and haircare professionals from local communities to give patients the knowledge and products needed to manage their hair loss with dignity and choice.

Katie Hancock, Fundraising Officer, said: “Thank you to Andrew, the team and the supporters of the Camrose Vintage Working Day for your generosity once again. Your donation to each service is amazing and will make a big difference. We are hugely grateful for your wonderful support.

“The support of our local communities enables us to provide services over and above what the NHS can provide in the three counties of Hywel Dda and we are extremely grateful for every donation we receive.”

Pictured above: Andrew James, Chairman of Camrose Vintage Working Day with Withybush Hospital staff from the Stroke Ward, Specialist Respiratory Team, Chemo Day Unit, Heads Up! Hair Loss initiative.

Community

Neyland Community Christmas Lunch a festive success

Published

19 hours ago

December 25, 2024

Tom Sinclair

NEYLAND TOWN COUNCIL rolled up their sleeves to support this year’s Community Christmas Lunch, spreading festive cheer and warm hospitality to attendees on Christmas Day at the Alumchine.

Councillors Steve Campodonic, David Devauden, Steve Thomas, and Brian Rothero began their efforts as early as 7:30am, working tirelessly to ensure the event ran smoothly.

The dedicated organisers, including Trish Campodonic, Pam, and Lloyd Hamilton, along with other volunteers, created a welcoming space filled with festive spirit and a delicious meal with all the trimmings.

The event brought together members of the community who might otherwise have spent the day alone, highlighting the warmth and generosity that Neyland is known for.