News

Fighting for hope

Published

12 years ago

July 29, 2014

SITTING IN her conservatory on a muggy July day, Chris Evans- Thomas looks anything but the determined campaigner who has no confidence in the Health Board’s promises about cancer day care in Pembrokeshire.

There is little sign of the inner steel that has motivated her to raise hundreds of thousands of pounds so that a cancer day unit could be built in Pembrokeshire. She is proud of all that Adam achieved in his short life and his legacy. A legacy felt nationally – by persuading the government to fund bone marrow match testing of blood donors – and locally by reaching out to Pembrokeshire people to help fund cancer care in Pembrokeshire. Recalling her son Adam, Chris becomes emotional as she recounts his struggle with leukaemia and his determination to help others survive the condition that claimed his life. “The important thing about the care Adam got was that – apart from acute care – it was all delivered locally. The staff at Withybush Hospital were excellent and provided the best that they could. It was important to Adam that he was amongst his family and friends when he received his treatment. “Adam would come in here and exercise and keep himself fit. I swear he ate his way through one lot of chemotherapy. He was a good-looking, fit lad. He crammed fifty years into the last few years of his life. He did so much. “Imagine having to travel in a hospital car to get chemotherapy treatment. You know it is likely to make you feel ill and there you are stuck with a four hour round trip to get it. That isn’t right. It is vital that those services are provided close to patients’ homes.” There it is, then. There is the determination and the motive that drives Chris Evans-Thomas on. “When I asked for the money back that was raised through the Bucketful of Hope appeal, I knew what I’d be up against. “When the Board told the media that the Bucketful of Hope fund was only £15,000 I was furious. That figure is clearly intended to trivialise the contributions made in good faith by people in Pembrokeshire towards the cost of providing decent cancer care services near their homes. “And what is more the Health Board knows – they must know – that the figure is not accurate. They must know that it isn’t the true position. And I will tell you how I know: Chris Martin [former Health Board Chair] told me – in front of others – a couple of years ago that if I wanted the money back – then a sum well in excess of a quarter of a million pounds – then he would arrange for it to be released to the charity. “He even handed me a piece of paper with the exact figure on it and asked me if I wanted the money back. “Then he went on to promise that the day unit would be built within twelve months. Fool that I was, I was taken in and told him that if the Unit was to be built so soon it would be better off used by the Board to fund that building. “Again and again, I have been in meetings with the members of the Board when this and that has been promised. I’ve sat in on any number of committee meetings. I’ve seen plans. I’ve heard all sorts of management-speak. I’ve been told all sorts of figures. Ten years on and not one brick has been laid, not one piece of carpet put down, not one patient has been treated in a new cancer day unit in Pembrokeshire. And now there has to be another consultation. “And in that time, in all those years since Adam started the ball rolling in Pembrokeshire, Carmarthen has not only had a new CDU, it has had improvements done to its new CDU. “When I saw that the Board had spent money on improving the then still new CDU in Carmarthen, I went ape! I banged the table and I demanded to know what the hell was going on. Did I get a proper answer? Did I hell as like! “I can still remember being told that no announcement could be made because there was an election coming up. That was 2010. Still no announcement. Only vague, airy-fairy promises that are always dependent on something or other. Look at the new Kidney Unit. Completed. Ready to go. Now I understand the Board is trying to get an external company to staff it. In the meantime, it’s a nice set of conference rooms. Or so I am told. I guess I will find out when I go to a meeting there at the end of the month.” She warms to her theme: “The Board shows no regard for Pembrokeshire or the work of all of the charities that aim to raise money. “Now people are directed not to give money to Ward Ten at Withybush, but to Pembrokeshire Cancer Services, the Board’s own fund. You see undertakers producing Orders of Service for funerals on which people are being directed to contribute to the Health Board’s own charity. “When the Board grabbed all the money raised in Pembrokeshire and changed it from being in a restricted fund to an unrestricted one, it gave itself carte blanche to do what it wanted with the cash. “The Board can say – and it has said – that it is acting within the rules set by the Charity Commission, but it is not acting within THE SPIRIT in which the donations were made by Pembrokeshire people for Pembrokeshire services. “I discovered that the Board had re-designated funds only when I asked to see the accounts. And those accounts don’t go back far enough to establish what the position was in 2004 and what Pembrokeshire’s share of the original charities pot was. There was £8.3m in that pot. How much of that was Pembrokeshire’s? I bet you it was a damn sight more than a third. “And what is worse, it is now using those charitable funds to provide core services instead of on extra services. Charity should not be about funding daily expenses for the Health Board. They get public money for that. Health charities are about providing the extras, the jam in the sandwich, if you like. Now the Board is using charity money to fund its own programmes, such as ‘Support for Life’. It has said in its own publications that its own charity needs to raise £2m a year. In can only do that by taking money away from other charities beyond its control. “If people want to make sure that their money is used as they or their loved ones intended, I would say give it to an external charity – and there are plenty of them – or give it to the League of Friends with instructions on what it is to be spent. At least then people will have some certainty that what they or their loved ones wanted with their money will be done.” Chris stops. We have been talking for a while, now. “The Board treats everyone in such a high-handed way. I went to a meeting recently and it seemed to me like the Board is using a language designed less to communicate than to confuse. Management-speak, jargon, call it what you want but it is all delivered in such a patronising tone. Prefacing comments with phrases like ‘I am a lawyer’ or ‘When I worked for the Welsh Assembly’ – implying that such is their status that you MUST accept what they say as gospel – is scarcely starting on the right foot. I took an accountant with me to the last meeting we had. That was an interesting experience. The Board didn’t like being challenged one bit. Chris flashes a quicksilver grin: “Now the Board is asking that I give them written notice of issues I want to raise with them at meetings.” She pauses again and smiles. “If they’re so smart, they can do their own homework. “After years of broken promises and everything always being pushed back, I feel like the Health Board has led me – and others like me – up the garden path. “There is so much that we can do – outside the Health Board – to target support and services in the place where people gave their money and intended it to be spent. All I want is the chance to deliver what it has not. “No ifs, no buts: they’ve had the money and all they’ve done is sit on it. It’s time to use it in Pembrokeshire.”

Business

Farmers cautious but resilient as costs remain high across Wales

Published

13 hours ago

February 21, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Major supplier says confidence lower despite signs of stability returning

FARMERS across Wales are facing another difficult year as input costs remain significantly higher than before the pandemic, according to new industry insight from agricultural supplier Wynnstay Group.

The company, which has deep roots in rural Wales and generates around sixty per cent of its retail revenue in the country, says confidence among farmers is lower than this time last year, with rising costs, policy uncertainty and tightening margins influencing spending decisions.

However, there are also signs of resilience, with many producers focusing on efficiency and forward planning to cope with ongoing pressures.

Wales at heart of business

Wynnstay, originally founded by tenant farmers in Mid Wales in 1918, has grown into a major UK agricultural supplier serving more than 20,000 farming customers through manufacturing sites, stores and on-farm services. The group employs hundreds of staff across the UK and operates a nationwide distribution network supporting livestock and arable producers.

The company says Welsh farming businesses continue to play a central role in its commercial performance and long-term growth strategy.

Cautious investment decisions

According to Wynnstay, farmers are delaying some investment decisions but are increasingly seeking value-driven solutions that improve productivity.

Feed volumes have increased across the company’s Welsh store network over the past year, reflecting demand for blended feeds that offer greater flexibility and cost control. Rather than reducing purchases outright, many farmers are matching spending more closely to performance and output.

Fertiliser demand has also been strong, with sales ahead of last year, although some farmers have delayed buying in the hope prices may fall. Global supply pressures and rising gas costs mean prices are expected to remain firm into the busy spring season.

Costs still far above pre-Covid levels

Industry data shows overall farm input costs remain significantly higher than before 2020, with feed, fertiliser, fuel, electricity and machinery all continuing to put pressure on farm margins.

While some costs have eased from their peaks, they have not returned to previous levels, influencing buying behaviour across the sector.

Margins for livestock and dairy farms were strong last year, but Wynnstay says they are now tightening, particularly in the dairy sector where milk prices have fallen and volatility remains high.

Pressure on family farms

Smaller family-run farms are under greater strain than larger commercial operations, with less financial resilience to absorb rapid market changes. Reports of rising closures among family farms, particularly in dairy, reinforce concerns about the sector’s long-term sustainability.

Government policy changes are also contributing to uncertainty. The transition away from the Basic Payment Scheme and wider tax reforms have led many farmers to postpone larger investments until there is clearer long-term stability.

Local reaction

Pembrokeshire farmer Chris James said the situation reflected what many farmers were experiencing locally.

“We’ve definitely noticed the squeeze over the past year or two,” he said. “Costs for feed, fertiliser and fuel are still much higher than they used to be, and that makes you think twice about every decision. Most farmers I know aren’t cutting back on production — they’re just trying to be more efficient and careful with spending.”

He added: “People want to invest and move forward, but it’s hard when you don’t know exactly what the long-term policy picture will look like.”

NFU Cymru has also warned that rising costs and policy uncertainty continue to weigh heavily on farm businesses across Wales, with confidence affected by concerns over future support schemes and wider economic challenges. The union has called for greater long-term certainty to allow farmers to invest with confidence and maintain domestic food production.

Weather shocks impact behaviour

Extreme weather during 2025 — including a very dry spring followed by periods of intense heat and a challenging wet autumn — also affected purchasing patterns, with farmers spacing orders and prioritising essential inputs as conditions changed.

Ordering behaviour is now returning to more normal patterns as conditions stabilise.

Outlook for 2026

Despite ongoing pressures, Wynnstay says it is cautiously optimistic about the year ahead.

Many farmers are making careful decisions around efficiency, nutrition and planning, and the company believes there are opportunities for businesses to strengthen their position through 2026 with good cost control and smart investment.

Summing up the sector, the company said Welsh agriculture remains resilient, with farmers showing determination and adaptability despite continuing challenges.

Community

Community meeting planned to secure future of historic Boncath building

Published

13 hours ago

February 21, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Residents invited to support bid to buy former WI meeting room for community use

A PUBLIC meeting has been called in Boncath as residents prepare plans for a community buy-out of a historic corrugated iron building that has served local people for generations.

Villagers will gather at Boncath Village Hall on Tuesday (Feb 24) at 7:00pm to discuss proposals to purchase Bwthyn Boncath — the former Women’s Institute meeting room — and transform it into a community heritage space for the village.

WI members support community purchase

Local WI members have already agreed to offer the community first refusal on the building, paving the way for a potential community-led purchase.

Supporters say the project would preserve an important piece of local heritage while creating a flexible space for events, exhibitions, and activities in the heart of the village.

PLANED helping lead initiative

The meeting will be led by Cris Tomos of PLANED, the community development charity that previously helped facilitate the community purchase of Tafarn Sinc in Rosebush in 2017.

Mr Tomos said the Boncath project could become another example of successful community ownership in North Pembrokeshire.

He said: “It would be great to have another corrugated building owned by the community in North Pembrokeshire — especially in 2026 as Tafarn Sinc celebrates its 150th anniversary.”

Organisers estimate that around £12,000 will be needed to secure the purchase, with further fundraising planned to support restoration and future use.

How to get involved

Anyone interested in supporting the project or learning more is encouraged to attend the public meeting.

Further information is available via the Bwthyn Boncath Facebook page or by contacting PLANED on 01834 860965.

Photo caption: Community members gather to support plans for the purchase of Bwthyn Boncath (Pics supplied).

Entertainment

New theatre show explores realities of motherhood in Pembrokeshire

Published

14 hours ago

February 21, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A NEW theatre production exploring the joys, pressures and complexities of modern motherhood in Pembrokeshire is set to premiere in Haverfordwest next month.

Pembrokeshire writer Ceri Ashe, known for Bipolar Me, 99er, Farmers Townies & Grocles, has teamed up with comedy writer-producer Angharad Tudor to create Enjoy Every Minute / Joia Bob Munud, a community-rooted performance commissioned by SPAN Arts and Unlimited.

The project grew out of the pair’s own experiences of motherhood and mental health, and began with a series of creative workshops held in 2025 for mothers of children aged four and under. Thirteen free places were offered to local mums with no previous creative experience, with weekly sessions taking place at Milford Haven Library and the Pill Social Centre.

Participants took part in poetry, storytelling, singing and movement sessions, with children welcome but the focus firmly on giving mothers time to explore their own creativity and wellbeing.

Ceri Ashe and Angharad Tudor said: “While we valued mother-and-baby groups, we felt something was missing in Pembrokeshire — a space for mums to explore creativity, connect honestly, and take time for themselves. To see it grow into a fully-fledged creative project rooted in the community has been a true pinch-me moment for us both.”

The resulting stage production features a cast of professional Pembrokeshire actors including Anna Monro, Anna Collcyz, Maya Jones, Tessa Ryan, Ceri Ashe, Cathy Davies and Janine Grayshon, alongside a chorus of community singers.

Alternative lyrics to well-known nursery rhymes — written by mothers who took part in the workshops — form part of the performance, capturing the humour and realities of parenting life.

The show blends poetry, storytelling, music and physical performance, aiming to offer an honest and heartfelt portrayal of motherhood while celebrating resilience and community connection.

A British Sign Language-interpreted performance will take place during the 4:00pm showing.

Creative team:
Director: Ceri Ashe
Assistant Director: Siobhan McGovern
Musical Director: Sara Benbow
Movement Director: Tessa Ryan

The performances will take place at Albany Hall in Haverfordwest on Saturday, March 14, with shows at 12:00pm and 4:00pm. The production runs for approximately ninety minutes.

Tickets operate on a pay-what-you-can basis starting at £5, with free tickets available for carers.

SPAN Arts, a Narberth-based community arts charity with more than thirty years of work in Pembrokeshire, commissioned the production as part of the Unlimited Partner Commissions programme, supported by National Lottery Awards for All funding.