Anyone who has sailed with a yacht crew will know just how bonding that experience can be.

From the moment the boat is launched, the crew hauls away as one cohesive body, resulting in  one of the strongest team ethics imaginable.

But if you’re female, then a degree of  ‘gender division’ may rear its dampening head, quashing your confidence, your ability and your downright enjoyment of being at sea.

But now, thanks to the foresight of local vet Charlotte Hamilton and her iconic pink boat,  ladies of all ages and all sailing abilities are being introduced to the joys of sailing whilst supporting two of the UK’s foremost  breast cancer charities – Breast Cancer Now and Metup UK.

Two years ago Charlotte lost one of her closest friends to breast cancer,  following a ten-year battle after she was diagnosed with the disease when she was just 23.  In 2022, Charlotte’s mother was diagnosed with breast cancer; thankfully has made a complete recovery.

“Because of what I’ve witnessed, with my mother and with Connie, who was my best friend from college, breast cancer is something that’s very close to me,” Charlotte told The Pembrokeshire Herald from her home in Neyland.

“Connie was only 23 when she was diagnosed, but by then, the cancer had gone to her liver as they initially thought it was hormonal. She fought it for ten years and always wanted to visit Pembrokeshire, but sadly she died two weeks before she was due to come and visit.”

As a result, the pink boat is being sailed in memory of Connie, while the women who are learning to sail her are called ‘The Pink Puffins’.

Charlotte, who is a vet with the Fenton Vets practise in Haverfordwest, was given the boat some 18 months ago by her husband, Lloyd.

“Lloyd is a keen sailor who regularly races on the Cleddau,  but I’d never really taken part,” she explains.  “So  the idea was for me to start building my sailing confidence.  Last summer I took the boat out with two other women and we enjoyed it so much it got us thinking about starting to race.  If the men can do it, so can we.”

The boat is an Achilles 24 cruise-racer, capable of reaching decent speeds and covering good distances.

“She’s capable of crossing the Atlantic, although The Pink Puffins are perfectly content to stick with the Cleddau for the time being,” laughed Charlotte.

“Since launching her a few weeks ago, we now have around 40 women who are starting to sail her,. We train every Sunday at Neyland and we took part in our very first race last Wednesday.

“Ok, we didn’t win, but being able to take part was fantastic and that’s the whole purpose of The Pink Puffins.  It’s about having fun, and the women taking part can do as much or as little as they like.  A lot of women have never set foot on a sailing boat before, and because it tends to be such a male-orientated thing, the thought of learning to sail can be a bit intimidating. So if somebody wants to come out with us just to watch, that’s perfectly fine.  And if they want to get involved with sailing her a little later on, then that’s great.”

The interest that is already being shown and the rise in numbers means that additional racing sessions will be  introduced later this season on Sundays.

Everyone attending the training sessions and the races is asked to make a donation which will be shared between Breast Cancer Now and Metup UK, however  individuals can give as much or as little as they choose. If anyone is interested in finding out more about The Pink Puffins can email Charlotte on sailpinkpuffins@hotmail.com

PARAMEDICS across the UK are warning that patients are dying because ambulances are unable to offload them into overcrowded A&E departments — a situation tragically echoed in the death of a Pembrokeshire mother whose ambulance never arrived.

Charlotte Burston, 40, from Llanteg, began experiencing severe chest pains on Christmas Day 2023. Her teenage daughter called 999 twice, but was told it would be an hour and a half before help could arrive.

No ambulance was dispatched in time, not because of a lack of willingness, but because so many vehicles were already stuck in hospital bays, unable to hand over patients due to chronic delays and lack of space inside emergency departments.

With no other option, Charlotte’s stepfather drove her towards Withybush Hospital. She suffered a heart attack on the way and later died at Morriston Hospital on New Year’s Eve.

An expert report presented at a recent pre-inquest hearing concluded that had ambulance staff been present at her home, she would “on the balance of probabilities” have survived.

The case comes as a new report by Unison highlights the scale of the crisis facing ambulance services. A survey of almost 600 ambulance workers found that two-thirds had witnessed patients deteriorate during prolonged waits outside hospitals, and one in 20 had seen patients die in their care due to delays in handover.

More than half of respondents reported delays of over six hours, and one in seven had waited 12 hours or more outside emergency departments.

Unison General Secretary Christina McAnea said: “Ambulance workers want the best for their patients. But this is no longer the reality. Ambulances and hospital corridors have become makeshift treatment rooms. The pressure on the NHS is unsustainable.”

Unison is calling for urgent action to increase staffing levels across ambulance, hospital and community services, improve GP access, and expand social care capacity to free up hospital beds.

Pembrokeshire Coroner Mark Layton, who is overseeing the Burston inquest, said that had the 999 call been prioritised properly, paramedics would have been sent and the tragic outcome may have been avoided.

HOSPICSE across Wales are set to receive a further £5.5 million in funding to help continue delivering essential palliative and end-of-life care services.

The cash boost is in addition to the £3 million uplift in recurrent funding confirmed in the Welsh Government’s 2025–26 budget. The new funding will support Wales’ twelve NHS-commissioned hospices — including the country’s two children’s hospices — in managing financial pressures and ensuring fair pay for staff.

Hospices in Wales play a vital role in supporting patients, families and carers during the most challenging times, and are committed to providing dignified and personalised care outside of hospital settings.

Health Secretary Jeremy Miles said: “Hospices play a vital role in supporting families at some of the most difficult times.
We are committed to strengthening and improving palliative and end-of-life care to ensure everyone who needs hospice support receives dignified and personalised care, outside of hospital.”

Liz Booyse, Chair of Hospices Cymru, welcomed the announcement: “We welcome the Welsh Government’s commitment of funding. It is a testament to the importance of the hospice sector within our healthcare system, and we are immensely grateful. Our services provide vital care and support to over 20,000 children and adults affected by terminal illnesses each year.
This funding is a significant step forward, and we will continue working in partnership with the Welsh Government to achieve a sustainable funding settlement that will bring greater stability to the Welsh hospice sector.”

Matthew Brindley, Policy and Advocacy Manager for Wales at Hospice UK, added: “Recent years have been very tough for Wales’s hospices, amid a combination of rapidly rising costs and ever-growing need for end-of-life care.
We’re grateful to the Welsh Government for recognising both the pressure hospices are under, and the immense value they bring to Wales’ health and social care system.
It’s vital we continue to work together toward a more sustainable approach to hospice funding in Wales. Our population is ageing, with increasingly complex health needs. We need a strong, robust palliative and end-of-life care system — and hospices in Wales are ready to play their part.”