Community

Charity appeal raises over £3k

Published

12 years ago

February 11, 2014

AN appeal set up for the Kidney Wales Foundation Charity in support of Adam Hughes of Tenby has raised the magnificent sum of £3,075.45.

Adam, a popular Teaching Assistant at Ysgol Greenhill School, was unfortunately diagnosed with kidney failure in April 2014, and is now on daily dialysis whilst he awaits a kidney transplant.

Following the diagnosis, Adam’s girlfriend Sabrina Revell and friends Alan Townsend, Stephen Handicott and Kathryn Hudson decided to run the Tenby 10k and the Cardiff Half Marathon in support of the Cardiff based charity, Kidney Care Wales, to raise much needed funds.

Donations of sponsorship came in from family, friends, work colleagues and many others in the community who all gave very generously in support of the appeal, and the fund was also swelled with the very kind donations received from the Welsh Cake Ladies of St John’s Church (£200), a collection at the Harvest Festival of Tenby V C Infants School (£240) a collection jar at the Buccaneer Inn Tenby (£103.72) and members of both Tenby and Saundersfoot Rotary Club. Special mention also to John Handicott who collected a large amount from the very generous Tenby harbour community.

The fund was also boosted considerably over the Christmas period with a magnificent collection of £375 in lieu of 50th birthday presents for Mr Russell Knox of Carew, (popularly known of course as Mutley), along with a collection of £260 at a New Year’s Day ‘Banish the Turkey’ walk around the Carew Mill Pond by members of Carew Football and Cricket Club and others from the Carew community organised by Mrs Carol Cole and her brother Mr Kerry Waters. (Many contributors to these two events had already sponsored the runners and their generosity is very gratefully appreciated).

All the runners, Adam and parents Linda and John Hughes are extremely grateful to everyone for all their support both for the appeal and for the family since Adam was diagnosed. The runners will not be resting on their laurels though and are now busy training for further runs in aid of Kidney Care Wales in 2014 including the Tenby and Cardiff 10k and the Cardiff Half Marathon. Adam is now on the transplant list for a kidney transplant. The transplant list for all of the UK is run from Bristol with some 10,000 people of all ages currently waiting for a kidney. When kidneys become available those on the list are checked for a match, and the person who is the best match and has been waiting the longest is selected.

Unfortunately the average time on the list is some three years and there is a great need for more people to become donors. All involved in the above appeal would encourage everyone to join the Organ Donation list, this can be achieved in just a couple of minutes online at www.organdonation.nhs.uk or you can do so by phoning the free phone number 0300 123 23 23.

There is a need to greatly increase the number of people who are willing to consent to organ donation and whilst it is very welcome that the opt-out system was coming to Wales, that was not until 2015, and even then there was the need to change people’s perception that organ donation was a good and natural thing to do. You can also read Adam’s blog ‘Life on the Transplant List’ on the internet at this link. http://adamjohnhughes.wordpress.com/

Community

Sewage protest to be held at Broad Haven as campaigners demand action

Published

8 hours ago

May 14, 2026

Rieve Nesbitt-Marr

Paddle Out demonstration joins UK-wide call for tougher rules on pollution

PUBLIC protestors will gather at Broad Haven this weekend as part of a UK-wide campaign calling for urgent action to tackle sewage pollution in rivers and coastal waters.

The Paddle Out Protest, organised by Surfers Against Sewage, will take place at Broad Haven North Beach at 1:30pm on Saturday (May 16).

The event is one of more than 50 protests planned at beaches, rivers and lakes across the UK, as campaigners step up pressure on governments and water companies over sewage discharges, rising water bills, and what they describe as a lack of accountability in the industry.

Other demonstrations in Wales are expected at Caswell Bay, Swansea; Llyn Padarn, Llanberis; Coney Beach, Porthcawl; Whitmore Bay, Barry Island; and North Beach, Aberystwyth.

Surfers Against Sewage says new polling shows more than half of people in the UK are concerned they could become ill after swimming in rivers, lakes or the sea due to poor water quality.

Kate Bassett-Jones, Broad Haven protest lead, said: “Our local beach saw 116 sewage alerts in 2025 alone – that’s pollution warnings every three days.

“For a place renowned for its stunning coastline and thriving marine environment, this should not be happening.

“Local people should be able to enjoy the sea safely all year round, and visitors should not have to worry about getting sick when they come to Pembrokeshire.

“Communities are fed up with sewage pollution being treated as normal. Enough is enough.”

Surfers Against Sewage also claims Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water discharged sewage more than 100,000 times in 2025, for a total of more than 813,000 hours.

The charity is calling for legally binding targets to end untreated sewage discharges, stronger enforcement powers, improved funding for Natural Resources Wales, and year-round water quality testing.

Giles Bristow, chief executive of Surfers Against Sewage, described the situation in Wales as “catastrophically failing”.

He said: “We are paddling out across Wales to show the newly elected Welsh Government that we won’t back down until it takes the action needed to end the sewage crisis plaguing Wales’ wild waters.”

The protests come at the start of the bathing season and follow the announcement of a Clean Water Bill in the King’s Speech.

Community

Teifi river revival project secures £1.4m lottery funding

Published

1 day ago

May 13, 2026

Tom Sinclair

COMMUNITIES along the River Teifi are set to play a central role in a major new project aimed at improving the health of one of west Wales’ most important rivers.

The Teifi Fyw — Living Teifi: People and Nature Together project has been given the green light after securing more than £1.4m from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

The conservation project aims to respond to climate change, biodiversity loss and declining river health, while also recognising the Teifi’s deep cultural and historic importance to the communities which live and work along its catchment.

The first stage will be a two-year development phase, bringing together scientific evidence, local history, lived experience and creative work to help shape future restoration plans.

The project will be coordinated by Natural Resources Wales, working with the West Wales Rivers Trust, the Mining Remediation Authority, Strata Florida Trust, Mentera, Ceredigion County Council, UNESCO-MOST BRIDGES at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, and The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales.

It will also build on existing work carried out by the Teifi Nutrient Management Board and local stakeholder projects including Llais yr Afon and P.R.A.M.

Cllr Clive Davies welcomed the announcement, saying he looked forward to seeing the project outcomes realised.

The River Teifi is one of Wales’ best-known waterways, flowing through Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire before reaching the sea at Cardigan.

Project leaders say the aim is to ensure that restoration work is not only based on environmental evidence, but also reflects the values and priorities of the people who know the river best.

Community

Henry Tudor Centre designs to go on display in Pembroke

Published

1 day ago

May 13, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Public invited to help shape new heritage centre exhibition

MEMBERS of the public are being invited to view the emerging exhibition designs for the new Henry Tudor Centre in Pembroke.

The centre, due to open in spring 2027, will be based at South Quay and will tell the story of Henry Tudor, the son of Pembroke who went on to become Henry VII and founder of the Tudor dynasty.

The exhibition designs will be on display at Pembroke Town Hall from Friday, May 22, to Friday, May 29.

The Henry Tudor Trust, which will operate the new heritage centre, is asking residents and visitors to give their views on how Henry Tudor’s story should be told.

The designs have been developed by exhibition specialists Image Makers, with feedback forms available for members of the public to submit comments. These responses will help refine the exhibition as the project develops.

The new logo for the centre, created by Haverfordwest-based marketing company Media2Motion, will also be on display.

Work is currently underway to refurbish the Grade II-listed building at South Quay, which will house the new exhibition. The centre will also include a new public library, replacing the current library on The Commons, as well as a café.

The capital project is being funded by the Welsh Government, UK Government and Pembrokeshire County Council.

Additional support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund will fund a programme of events and activities at the new centre, alongside volunteering opportunities and educational resources for schools.

The exhibition plans can be viewed at Pembroke Town Hall from Monday to Thursday, 9:00am to 3:00pm, and Friday, 9:00am to 1:00pm. The town hall is closed on Saturdays and Sundays.