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Torch Theatre faces ‘longer term challenges’

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THE TORCH THEATRE will remain closed until at least the end of October.
The news came in a statement released by the Theatre’s management on Friday, July 24, just as the Welsh Government announced restrictions would be lifted on the opening of cinemas, theatres, and museums, subject to social distancing regulations.
The statement described the period of enforced closure during the COVID-19 pandemic as ‘incredibly demanding’ and said the Torch was ‘fighting to survive’.
Even though the venue hopes to reopen on November 1, uncertainty about the extent of social distancing rules has persuaded its management to cancel all of its remaining live shows for this year.

TORCH THEATRE FACES ‘LONGER-TERM CHALLENGES’

Besides the revenue cost to the Theatre from its closure, the ripples from its closure are being felt across West Wales. The Torch Theatre is more than a venue. It is a centre for community life in Milford Haven and a hub for Pembrokeshire’s thriving creative arts sector.
To keep afloat, the Theatre made successful applications to the BFI, Film Hub Wales and the National Lottery Resilience Fund, the Arts Council Wales Stabilisation Fund, as well as being eligible for two Welsh Government Business Rates Grants.
The statement reads: ‘This crucial support has given us the security to plan essential maintenance, maintain audience and community engagement, and develop new modes of working’.
While the support has allowed the Theatre to take the first steps toward recovery, the venue’s management says it ‘does not provide the solutions to the longer-term challenge of surviving the COVID-19 crisis’.
The Theatre will use the closure period to carry out repairs on the building’s fly tower, which was damaged during February’s storms.
Funding for the repair work will come from Pembrokeshire County Council Enhancing Pembrokeshire Fund and Arts Council Wales, who will each cover a proportion of the costs after the settlement of the Theatre’s insurance claim for the storm damage.

CONTINUING CLOSURE LIMITED REOPENING

This decision to remain closed takes account of the following decisive factors:
• Consultation with audiences suggests that there is no appetite to return while there is so much uncertainty over the reproduction rate of Covid-19. To open any part of the operation without an audience is not economically viable and would quickly lead to redundancies.
• Film distributors are unable to confirm release dates and producers of live shows are cancelling and rescheduling tours to ensure that their businesses remain viable. As such, the Company cannot deliver a theatre programme.
• Taking account of its civic responsibilities, the Theatre’s management believes that it would not serve audiences, staff, volunteers or artists well to rush into reopening before reassurance the Torch is a safe place to return to.
• The need to undertake essential maintenance and remedial works on the fly tower renders an immediate opening impractical.
Bearing in mind those factors, the Theatre’s management team made what it calls ‘difficult decisions’ about reopening after November 1.
The management team’s statement says:
• With social distancing in place, it is not viable for us to produce or present live productions. As such, all live theatre performances will be cancelled for the remainder of 2020 including our Autumn production and festive pantomime, Jack and the Beanstalk.
We are currently in the process of rescheduling our own productions and visiting shows into our 2021 programme and will be contacting affected customers over the next few weeks.
• Pending release schedules from film distributors, we will hope to open with a cinema only offer for the rest of 2020, at a limited capacity to maintain social distancing requirements. Operational staff would be required to work in bubbles under strict health and safety guidelines.
The ambition to return with cinema only for November and December is dependent on the threat posed at that time by Covid-19, Government directives, securing further financial support and commitment from the film distributors.
• From January 2021, should conditions allow, we should like to return to live productions. This would prove our best-case scenario, allowing wider operations to return to something like normal levels in the New Year; however, this scenario comes with the most financial risk attached and is subject to change.
Should social distancing rules remain in place from January, we would be forced to continue with a cinema-only offer into 2021.
• There remain a host of unknowns and whilst we are planning for our best-case scenario, we are also preparing for the worst: should even a socially distanced cinema offer prove untenable from November, then we may yet be forced to close for the remainder of the financial year.

JOBS UNDER THREAT WITHOUT MORE HELP

Whatever happens, when the UK Government’s Job Retention (‘furlough’) Scheme ends in October, and until ticket income returns to its normal level, the Torch will rely on financial intervention and support from the Welsh Government and other bodies to maintain its staff team and operations until things return to whatever ‘normal’ proves to be.
On July 5, the Westminster Government announced a £1.6bn package of support for the UK’s creative arts sector. Wales’ share of that funding is £59m for the whole of Wales’ cultural and creative industries.
Yesterday, Thursday, July 30, the Welsh Government announced it would allocate £53m of the £59m to the sector. The money’s distribution will be subject to an application process.
Speaking to The Herald this week, David Melding, the Conservatives’ Shadow Culture Minister, said: “While I acknowledge the support the Welsh Government has already given to the creative sector now was the time to demonstrate decisive leadership which they have failed to do.
“Wales rightly regards the creative sector as a strategic growth area and key to Wales’ economic success. It is also central to the nation’s ever evolving story and something we want to project worldwide. Rather than short changing the sector by £6 million the Welsh Government should have added to the funds now made available to Wales by the UK Treasury.”
Nick Capaldi, Chief Executive of the Arts Council of Wales said: “These funds ease the immediate threat of a collapse in the creative sector.”
Siân Gwenllian MS, Plaid Cymru Shadow Minister for Culture, said: “While I welcome today’s news that £53 million has been promised to the Arts industry in Wales, I would question what has happened to the £6 million – within the space of a month, £59 million has been reduced to £53 million and not a penny has reached the sector.”

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

Ben Lloyd, Executive Director of the Torch said: “Our team are working tirelessly to secure extra funding to help us to avoid job losses from November. Every alternative option will be explored.
“Throughout these times of hardship, we remain committed to our mission to engage, inspire, entertain and challenge our audience, and supported by the Arts Council Wales Stabilisation Fund we will seek alternative methods of delivering opportunities to our community.”
Peter Doran, the Torch Theatre’s Artistic Director said: “Here at the Torch we try and cover all aspects of theatre and the performing arts but at the end of the day, we pride ourselves on being theatre-makers, producing our own work; consequently, if we’re not able to produce, it feels like the creative heart has gone out of the building and so we are determined to get up and running again as soon as it’s safe to do so.
“To that end, we aim to come back in the New Year with all guns blazing and producing great pieces of theatre. We are all looking forward to that. In the meantime, we are planning some interesting community projects for people to get involved in and we also plan something for the schools as a Christmas treat. So look out for us.”
Ben Lloyd continued: Away from the art, we are also planning new membership, guardian, legacy and sponsorship schemes allowing our patrons and business partners to become more connected with us and support different areas of community and artistic activity. Further details and the launch of these new schemes are planned for September.
“A great number of our patrons have kindly donated the value of their unused tickets to the Torch over the past months and there has been a high level of interest in other ways our patrons can be more involved. The kind support of our patrons is always hugely appreciated and will be more necessary than ever in the coming months as we seek to bounce back brighter from this crisis.”
Ben concluded: “As a business and like many others, we are going into the unknown. We have never been in a situation like this before and have been operating on a knife-edge over the past few months.
“We have managed to put in place the first building blocks toward our survival. We have reason to be cautiously optimistic and remain determined to sustain for our community, our staff, our artists and the audiences of the future; but our situation remains critical, with many factors beyond our control and we will be seeking support from all quarters to help us get through the challenging months ahead.”

Health

Phone calls to reduce GP visits for 42% of patients this winter

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NEW research from the Royal Voluntary Service has shown that a simple phone call could significantly impact well-being, reducing GP visits by 42% among patients who receive regular telephone support.

The charity urges those feeling isolated this winter, particularly the elderly, to use telephone support services as a way to improve health and free up GP appointments, potentially reducing waiting times. It is estimated that if people experiencing loneliness in later life reduced their GP visits by just one appointment a year, this could free up 588,000 appointments annually.

As winter approaches, the Royal Voluntary Service reports that isolation can sharply increase, especially for adults over 75, with nearly half (47%) of people in this age group feeling lonelier in the colder months. Among those who live alone, one in six say they feel forgotten during winter, and 20% report having no one to turn to for emotional support.

In addition to loneliness, older generations face several winter worries, including increased heating costs, cited by 55% of respondents, and reduced ability to go out, which 29% said they dreaded as winter sets in.

To address these challenges, Royal Voluntary Service has launched the Stay Safe, Warm and Well campaign in partnership with Yakult. The campaign provides a guide for practical and emotional winter preparation, encouraging sign-ups for telephone support services and offering access to the Virtual Village Hall online community for events and activities. Practical advice on money-saving and energy-saving tips is also available through the guide.

Royal Voluntary Service Ambassador Elaine Paige, who has herself made support calls for the charity, described the positive impact these calls can have. “A warm, friendly phone call can transform someone’s day. Some conversations leave you smiling long after the call ends—something we could all use, especially in winter. For those facing the season alone, there are amazing people ready to remind you that you’re not alone,” she said.

The charity’s support services match volunteers with individuals across the UK for friendly chats, reducing isolation and boosting mental health. Catherine Johnstone CBE, Chief Executive of Royal Voluntary Service, said: “The feedback that conversations with volunteers are helping people to visit their GP less is testament to the value of connection.”

Yakult Marketing Manager Reshma Patel added: “Our research with Royal Voluntary Service shows that one in four adults over 75 feel they’d benefit from practical and emotional support over winter. We are committed to helping people access the Stay Safe, Warm and Well guide to support their overall well-being.”

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Crime

Welsh shop workers face ‘surge in shoplifting linked violence and abuse’ says union

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A NEW survey by retail trade union Usdaw has revealed disturbing figures on the abuse, threats, and violence endured by Welsh shop workers, with incidents increasingly linked to shoplifting. Released during Respect for Shop Workers Week, which runs from November 11 to 17, the statistics highlight a troubling trend that is impacting thousands of retail employees.

Usdaw’s survey, based on responses from over 4,000 retail staff, shows that in the past year:

  • 69% experienced verbal abuse.
  • 45% were threatened by customers.
  • 17% were assaulted.

Usdaw General Secretary Paddy Lillis commented on the findings, saying: “Shop workers deserve far more respect than they receive. These reports from Welsh retail staff make grim reading. It is shocking to see over two-thirds of our members subjected to abuse, threats, and violence. Seven in ten of these incidents are related to theft, much of it tied to addiction and organised crime.”

Usdaw’s survey suggests that shoplifting is increasingly becoming a flashpoint for violence. Many shop workers report encountering hardened criminals who appear to steal goods “to order” or to fund addictions. According to the union, incidents are on the rise across Wales, with police-reported shoplifting up by 33% in the past year.

Usdaw member testimonies paint a vivid picture of the dangers faced on the shop floor:

  • One respondent described being “spat at, pushed against a wall, punched, and threatened with a knife.”
  • Another reported that, after refusing to sell alcohol, they were told to “F**k off” and threatened with a beating by a group of five.
  • Others spoke of being punched, spat on, and verbally abused, with threats that often left lasting emotional scars.

New measures on the horizon

Usdaw has been calling for greater legal protection for retail workers for years, and it appears these calls are finally being heard. The recent Crime and Policing Bill, announced in the King’s Speech, proposes to:

  • End the £200 threshold for prosecuting shoplifters, which has been a source of frustration for retailers.
  • Introduce town centre banning orders for repeat offenders.
  • Allocate funding for tackling organised shoplifting and increase police presence in shopping areas.

“We welcome these new measures and hope they will provide much-needed protection,” said Mr. Lillis. “After 14 years of neglect under successive Tory governments, we are encouraged by the steps the new Labour government is taking to address the retail crime epidemic.”

As Christmas approaches—a time when retail crime tends to peak—Usdaw is urging the public to “respect shop workers” and remain calm as stores become busier.

Usdaw, which represents around 360,000 members, primarily in retail, launched its Freedom From Fear Campaign to tackle the growing issue of violence against shop workers. The final results of the 2024 survey are expected in March 2025.

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Charity

Milford Haven RNLI celebrates heartfelt donation from Neyland Ladies Choir

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MILFORD HAVEN RNLI Fundraising Group received a generous donation of over £1,000 from Neyland Ladies Choir this October, marking a touching tribute to Mrs. Dorothy Beckett, one of the RNLI’s longest-standing supporters.

The Neyland Ladies Choir held a special concert at St. Mary’s Church on Waterloo Road, Hakin, to celebrate Dorothy Beckett’s 90th birthday. A lifelong supporter of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), Dorothy has played a crucial role in lifeboat fundraising in the Milford Haven area, dating back to the 1970s. She was instrumental in establishing the Hakin Point RNLI fundraising group, which has raised over £500,000 to support the RNLI’s lifesaving work.

The concert’s proceeds were presented in a moving ceremony at Bethesda Baptist Church in Neyland. Accepting the donation on behalf of the RNLI were Steve Lewis, Chairman of the fundraising group, and Thomas Kehoe, Deputy Coxswain of the Angle Lifeboat.

Adding to the evening’s celebrations, Alice Coleman, RNLI Community Manager, presented Dorothy with the Long Service Medal, recognizing her fifty years of dedication to the institution. This award, given by the RNLI, honors Dorothy’s unwavering commitment to saving lives at sea.

“Thank you, Neyland Ladies Choir and Dorothy Beckett,” said the RNLI in a heartfelt message to the community. “Your support and dedication mean the world to us.”

The Milford Haven RNLI Fundraising Group encourages supporters to share and spread the word, hoping that Dorothy’s legacy inspires continued community support.

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