Community

COUNTY COUNCIL WINS ‘INSPIRATIONAL EMPLOYER’ AWARD

Published

6 years ago

February 6, 2020

Pembrokeshire County Council has been named an ‘Inspirational Employer’ at a ceremony in Cardiff for Welsh employers. The award was presented on Wednesday (5 th February) by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP). It recognises the Council’s achievement not only in becoming the first local authority in Wales to achieve the Disability Confident Leader
status but also the work that it has done through Norman Industries and Workways+ to support people with disability and long term health conditions to gain paid work. Norman Industries is the Haverfordwest-based factory employing people with disabilities.

The award was collected by Karen Davies – project manager for the Council’s supported employability projects – and Rachel Bailey who was a Workways+ participant but now works for the Authority as a Learning Disability Champion for Employability.

The journey to Disability Confident Leader began when Rachel – who has cerebral palsy – gave a presentation at a DWP conference in December 2018 about the work she has been doing to promote employment for people with learning disabilities.

The process culminated in the Council achieving Disability Confident Leader status in September 2019.

Through this process the County Council was able to demonstrate the extensive support that it provides both in its own workforce and through projects like Norman Industries and Workways+. Said Karen: “Becoming a Disability Confident Leader was the culmination of a lot of work by a number of people including the Council’s Human Resources department.
“Pembrokeshire County Council is definitely leading the way in employing people with disability with over 60 people working within Norman Industries and Workways+ alone. “We have been able to demonstrate the benefit of employing people with disability and there is now interest across the council to open up employment opportunities.

Rachel revealed that working at Norman Industries had given her a lot more confidence.

She explained: “It has provided me with a purpose to be able to work. I really enjoy going out to events and I like getting the message across to people that being employed with disabilities and learning disabilities means that it is achievable.”

The inaugural Disability Confident awards attracted nominations from across Wales for employers and organisations who have shown outstanding commitment to the Disability Confidence campaign. The Council was nominated by Alyson Phillips, DWP’s Partnership Manager in Pembrokeshire.

RACHEL’S STORY
In September 2018 Rachel was a participant of Workways+. She really wanted a job – her first ever paid job – and worked with her Employment Mentor to consider work opportunities. When the opportunity to become a Learning Disability Champion came up, it seemed like a good match. Rachel does not have learning disabilities but her physical disability means that she understands the issues. With the help of her mentor Rachel applied for the job. Due to her pronounced speech impediment, the team at Norman Industries needed to amend the interview process to ensure that Rachel had a fair chance to demonstrate her ability in the interview.

Having accepted the offer, the team then worked with Rachel and Access to Work to ensure that she had the support both with physical adaptations and support in work to ensure she could do the job.

Community

Bongo Clive brings rhythm and smiles to VC Gallery celebration

Published

8 hours ago

June 20, 2026

Tom Sinclair

LEARNING DISABILITY WEEK MARKED WITH MUSIC, LAUGHTER AND INCLUSION IN PEMBROKE DOCK

THE VC GALLERY in Pembroke Dock was filled with music, laughter and energy as visitors came together to celebrate Learning Disability Week.

The event saw popular entertainer Bongo Clive lead a lively session of singing, drumming and participation, with those attending joining in throughout the day.

The gallery said the session had created a joyful atmosphere, with music helping to bring people together and celebrate inclusion, creativity and wellbeing.

A spokesperson for The VC Gallery said: “The smiles said it all. A huge thank you to Bongo Clive for bringing your incredible energy, enthusiasm and positivity to The VC today. You certainly had everyone moving to the beat.”

Learning Disability Week celebrates inclusion and the abilities, creativity and individuality of people with learning disabilities.

The Pembroke Dock event highlighted the role of community spaces such as The VC Gallery in supporting wellbeing, friendship and confidence through shared creative activities.

Community

Sir Karl Jenkins named Eisteddfod President for 2026

Published

9 hours ago

June 20, 2026

Tom Sinclair

SIR KARL JENKINS has been named President of the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod for 2026.

The internationally acclaimed Welsh composer, one of the world’s most performed living composers, will take on the role as the festival prepares to welcome performers, competitors and visitors from across the globe.

Sir Karl is best known for works including The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace, Adiemus and Requiem.

His appointment comes in a landmark year after The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace was voted the most popular work in the Classic FM Hall of Fame 2026.

Opening night return

Sir Karl’s presidential year will begin with the opening night concert, Uniting Nations: One World, on Tuesday, July 7.

The concert had been due to take place in 2025 but was postponed, causing disappointment for volunteers, performers and audience members who had travelled from across the UK and overseas.

The Eisteddfod has now brought the event back with support from the Arts Council of Wales.

Sir Karl said: “I’m delighted to be returning to the Llangollen Festival this year and especially honoured to do so in the role of President.

“Llangollen is always a very special place to be, with its unique sense of community and international spirit.

“I’m greatly looking forward to conducting my most recent choral work, One World, particularly following the postponement of last year’s performance.

“It’s a piece that I feel reflects the very essence of the festival, bringing together outstanding musicians from across the globe to form one powerful collective voice.”

Global chorus

The evening will feature a full performance of One World, conducted by Sir Karl and performed by an international massed chorus made up of WorldChoir and NEW Voices, accompanied by the Llangollen International Orchestra.

The work blends Jenkins’ distinctive musical style with themes of humanity, compassion and environmental stewardship.

The concert will also include a complete staging of Peace Child: The Musical, which places young people at the heart of its message of peace and global citizenship.

Opening the evening will be the world premiere of Greeting the Dawn, a newly commissioned bilingual work by emerging Welsh composer Sam Buttler.

The piece was written for the 2026 Eisteddfod through the Harmony Without Borders initiative, continuing Llangollen’s tradition of supporting new talent and giving Welsh composers an international platform.

‘Great cultural ambassador’

John Gambles, Chair of the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, said: “We are absolutely delighted that Sir Karl Jenkins has agreed to serve as President of the Eisteddfod for 2026.

“Few musicians have done more to promote the values of peace, friendship and international understanding that lie at the heart of our festival.

“Sir Karl is one of Wales’s greatest cultural ambassadors and his music has inspired audiences across every continent.

“The fact that The Armed Man has just been voted the nation’s favourite classical work is a testament not only to his extraordinary talent, but also to the universal appeal of the messages of peace, hope and humanity that run through so much of his music.”

Mr Gambles added: “The postponement of One World last year was heartbreaking for everyone involved.

“We knew how much the concert meant to audiences, performers and volunteers alike, and we were determined to find a way to bring it back.

“Thanks to the support of the Arts Council of Wales, we can now finally give this extraordinary concert the audience it deserves.

“With Sir Karl as our President, the return of One World, the world premiere of a major new Welsh composition and the powerful message of Peace Child, this promises to be one of the most memorable and significant opening nights in the Eisteddfod’s history.”

Festival programme

The Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod returns for its 79th year on Tuesday, July 7.

This year’s programme includes performances from Michael Ball, Emeli Sandé with the Absolute Orchestra, Uniting Nations: One World featuring Sir Karl Jenkins, and the Choir of the World competition.

Thousands of competitors from around the world will also take part in the daytime programme, with the Parade of Nations returning on Friday, July 10.

Tickets are on sale now, with prices starting from £33.

Further information is available at llangollen.net.

Community

Lord Rhys emerges from the mist in St Davids

Published

11 hours ago

June 20, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Giant puppet begins historic journey marking 850 years since the first Eisteddfod

MIST swirled around St Davids Cathedral on Friday evening as a giant Lord Rhys puppet emerged from the fog to begin a journey celebrating 850 years since the first recorded Eisteddfod.

Accompanied by traditional musicians and followed by crowds of spectators, the towering figure cut an imposing sight against the backdrop of the ancient cathedral.

The procession marked the start of Taith yr Arglwydd Rhys (The Journey of Lord Rhys), a cultural pilgrimage retracing the legacy of the Welsh prince whose gathering of poets and musicians at Cardigan Castle in 1176 is widely regarded as the first recorded Eisteddfod.

As fog drifted across the city and church towers faded into the background, the scene felt more like a chapter from Welsh folklore than a modern-day celebration.

The giant puppet, accompanied by fellow performers and musicians, travelled from St Davids Cathedral to Oriel y Parc before beginning a wider journey through west Wales.

The travelling celebration will visit communities across Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion before culminating in Cardigan, where Lord Rhys originally staged his famous cultural gathering eight and a half centuries ago.

Video and photographs shared by DrifterStDavids captured the remarkable atmosphere, with many describing the spectacle as one of the most memorable cultural events seen in St Davids for years.

Photo caption: Lord Rhys emerges from the mist outside St Davids Cathedral as celebrations begin to mark the 850th anniversary of the first recorded Eisteddfod

(Pic: SmallWorld – Video: Drifter St Davids)