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

Barcud Housing Assistant will walk over hot coals to raise funds for Charity

Published

1 day ago

May 29, 2026

Tom Sinclair

BARCUD Housing Assistant, Amanda Evans, is a brave ‘sole’ as she has agreed to do a Firewalk to help raise funds for Wales Air Ambulance. The charity, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary, relies entirely on public donations to keep both the rapid response vehicles and helicopters running.

The firewalk is a sponsored walk with a difference! It might be the shortest and hottest walk, but it takes strength of mind to complete the challenge of walking five metres, barefoot, over hot coals which reach temperatures of up to 800°C!

Amanda has never done a Firewalk before but last year she changed her mindset and since then the word ‘no’ hasn’t been in her vocabulary. She said, “Doing a Firewalk sounds awesome. I decided it would be a giggle to sign up on behalf of Barcud to raise funds for Wales Air Ambulance. Why not? It would be great to have a crowd at the Firewalk in Aberaeron to show support and cheer me on.”

Day to day Amanda works at Barcud’s office in Glyn Padarn, Aberystwyth. She works as part of a team with housing officers to provide support for tenants.

Barcud is based in mid and west Wales with a 300 strong workforce and 4,500 tenants. This is the group’s first year of fundraising for a specific charity and at the annual colleague conference last winter the majority were in favour of supporting a charity, that, like Barcud, helped and supported those living rurally.

Gail Windley, Wales Air Ambulance’s Events and Partnership Fundraiser said, “We’re delighted to be launching our firewalks this year on our special 25th anniversary year. Fundraisers will take on the ultimate challenge of walking over hot coals to helps save lives across Wales. This is a wonderful challenge aimed at all physical abilities and one that needs some courage.

“Walkers don’t need any previous experience to take part in the firewalk, as all the training will be provided on the day. We want to reiterate that this is not an activity to be tried at home and should only be done during a professionally organised event.

“The Charity relies on donations to continue to keep our helicopters in the air and our rapid response vehicles on the road. Fundraising events, like the firewalks, will help to continue this lifesaving service for the people of Wales. It will be an unforgettable day for the participants and their supporters.”

Amanda will be doing her Firewalk at Moody Meadows in Aberaeron from 6pm on Friday, 10th July 2026. Any donations to support Amanda, and Barcud reach its fundraising target of £5,000 would be very gratefully received. Click here to support Amanda online: https://firewalks.walesairambulance.com/amanda-evans

Community

Tesco expands free fruit and veg scheme to more Welsh schools

Published

2 days ago

May 28, 2026

Tom Sinclair

New research suggests most children in Wales are still falling short of five-a-day

TESCO is expanding its Free Fruit & Veg for Schools programme across Wales after new research found that most children are not eating their recommended five portions a day.

The supermarket said only four out of 37 children in Wales, around 10.8%, eat their recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables on a typical school day.

The research also found that almost a third of Welsh parents said their child refuses fruit and vegetables altogether.

Tesco said it will double the number of schools supported by the programme from September, with an ambition to double it again the following year.

The scheme currently provides funding to more than 500 schools across the UK with higher-than-average free school meal eligibility, allowing them to provide pupils with fruit and vegetables during the school day.

Since launching in 2024, the programme has already reached more than 188,000 children across the UK, with pupils consuming more than 15 million portions of fruit and vegetables in its first year.

This year’s expansion is expected to support more than 388,000 children across the UK.

Tesco said the programme is designed to help children try a wider range of fruit and vegetables, build confidence with healthy food, and encourage better eating habits.

The company said pupils taking part have already sampled more than 100 different varieties of fruit and vegetables.

The research also suggested that choice and presentation can make a difference. More than three quarters of Welsh parents said their child is more likely to eat fruit and vegetables when they can choose them themselves, while many said making food fun or visually creative encouraged children to try more.

Ken Murphy, Tesco Group CEO, said: “We’ve set out an ambition to help one million children get free fruit and veg through our school and community programmes, supporting the development of healthy habits.

“Schools have told us what a positive impact the Tesco Free Fruit & Veg for Schools programme has already made, so we’re delighted to be able to double the number of schools receiving support from September.”

Elaine Hindal, Chief Executive of the British Nutrition Foundation, said: “A significant number of children in the UK are growing up with diets that don’t support their health.

“Early food experiences matter, as they can help to shape children’s confidence, habits and long-term health outcomes.

“By helping children enjoy and regularly eat fruit and vegetables from a young age, programmes like Tesco Free Fruit & Veg for Schools can help to make a lasting difference to diet and health now and in the future.”

Tesco is also inviting children to create fruit and vegetable-packed recipes as part of its Giant Fruit and Veg Challenge, with the winning dish to be served in more than 1,500 schools.

The supermarket has set a target of helping one million school children across the UK access free fruit and vegetables through its school and community programmes by July 2029.

Community

Banking hub to open in Pembroke Dock library within days

Published

2 days ago

May 28, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Temporary facility set to offer face-to-face banking support as permanent home is sought

A NEW temporary banking hub is expected to open in Pembroke Dock within the next week, offering residents and businesses access to everyday banking services following the closure of traditional high street branches.

The facility, which is being established inside Pembroke Dock Library, was visited this week by county councillor Jonathan Grimes and Preseli Pembrokeshire MS Paul Davies, who received an update on progress from Debbie of Cash Access UK.

According to Cllr Grimes, the temporary hub is now nearing completion and will provide a valuable service to the local community, particularly for residents who still rely on face-to-face banking and cash services.

At present, it is understood that NatWest, Lloyds and Barclays will each have a dedicated day at the hub during the working week, with staff available to offer advice, support and assistance with account-related queries. Other banks are expected to be confirmed in due course.

Importantly, customers will not be restricted to using services only from their own bank. The hub will allow people from any banking provider to carry out routine transactions such as cash withdrawals, deposits and other day-to-day banking needs.

The temporary facility will operate Monday to Friday from 9:00am to 5:00pm and will be based inside the library while plans continue for a permanent banking hub in the town.

Jonathan Grimes, county councillor for Pembroke St Mary South and Monkton, said he was pleased with the progress being made.

He said the temporary hub “already looks fantastic” and would be a “really valuable addition for the community.”

The long-term location for the permanent Pembroke Dock Banking Hub is still being finalised by Cash Access UK, with the permanent site expected to open within the next 12 months.

The move comes amid growing concern over the loss of high street bank branches across Pembrokeshire and the impact this has had on elderly residents, cash-reliant businesses and people without easy access to online banking.

Banking hubs have been rolled out across the UK to plug the gap left by branch closures, offering shared facilities where customers from different banks can access essential services under one roof.

Photo caption: New banking hub: Jonathan Grimes and Paul Davies receive an update on the temporary Pembroke Dock Banking Hub at Pembroke Dock Library (Pic: Supplied).