Community

There’s Treasure at the end of the rainbow for Saundersfoot!

Published

5 years ago

September 14, 2021

Funding from Welsh Government of £10,000 is to be awarded to Saundersfoot

The West Wales Care Partnership (WWCP) is launching three Participatory Budgeting pilots, one each in Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion, and locally in Saundersfoot. Funded through the Welsh Assembly Government’s Transformation Fund, these pilots aim to explore a different way to manage public money and help to build stronger communities. Community members decide how part of a budget will be spent, by engaging with local people to find out what matters most to them and to generate ideas to achieve them.

This method empowers local people to play a key role in deciding how public money is spent on activities, projects, and services in their communities. In practice, this means community and voluntary groups can apply for funding to deliver projects of value to local people, and local people decide where the funding goes.

Pembrokeshire Association of Voluntary Services (PAVS) is working in partnership with a local steering group to make this happen in Saundersfoot as part of this Pembrokeshire pilot project. Saundersfoot was selected due to the fantastic work accomplished during the pandemic by the Saundersfoot Connect Facebook group and the appetite from the village for positive community action.

Funding from the Welsh Government of £10,000 is to be awarded to the village, and the community will be given the opportunity to decide what are the priorities, where and how it will be spent. An informal steering group to develop the pilot has been set up under the project title Saundersfoot Community Treasure Chest – Your Cash Your Voice, Your Choice.

Local businesses are also being asked to consider making a financial contribution to increase the money available in the Community Treasure Chest.

Three community engagement events have been organised to take place from 10am – 1pm at the Regency Hall on the 28th September and the 5th & 12th October. Come along to find out more information, and to tell us what matters to you. There will also be an opportunity to have your say on the Connect Saundersfoot Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/SaundersfootConnect Community members will asked to decide what will be the priorities and eligibility criteria, and surgeries will be organised to offer support and information to anyone who wishes to apply.

Chairman of the Steering Group and County Councillor for Saundersfoot Cllr. Phil Baker said: “We are delighted that the Village had been chosen to deliver a participatory budgeting project. It is a recognition of the exceptional volunteering effort that Saundersfoot has witnessed previously and brought into sharper focus during the Covid pandemic. The project is an exciting way for community groups to apply for funding for existing and new projects in the Village. I would take this opportunity to thank PAVS for putting us forward for this £10,000 pilot project.”

Most importantly the power is in the community’s hands. Once applications have been received there will be a community event, which will give the voting power to the community. Local people will be given the voice to decide which projects are prioritised in Saundersfoot.

For more information or to get involved please contact Vanessa John at PAVS [email protected] or Chairman of the Steering Group Cllr. Phil Baker

[email protected]

Look out for more information and ensure you’re part of the next chapter for Saundersfoot.

Community

Bongo Clive brings rhythm and smiles to VC Gallery celebration

Published

4 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

6 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

8 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)