News

Fighting for hope

Published

10 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.”

News

Withyhedge Landfill faces political allegations and regulatory enforcement

Published

50 mins ago

April 19, 2024

Tom Sinclair

STEPHEN CRABB MP has vociferously criticised the Welsh Labour Government for its management of the Withyhedge Landfill in Pembrokeshire, claiming it has turned the area into a “dumping ground” for waste from across Wales. Mr. Crabb, supported by Paul Davies MS, alleges that substantial lorries deliver waste daily to the site, causing significant distress to local residents. The MP has repeatedly written to the First Minister, demanding immediate intervention, yet claims to have received no response.

Compounding the controversy, Mr. Crabb highlighted a substantial £200,000 donation to Vaughan Gething’s recent election campaign from the landfill’s owner, questioning the impartiality of regulatory practices. Despite ongoing political efforts, Mr. Crabb asserts that resolution lies solely with the Welsh Government, which has the ultimate authority to address these grievances.

Meanwhile, Natural Resources Wales (NRW) has escalated its enforcement actions against the site’s operators, Resources Management UK Ltd (RML), amid persistent community complaints about odour and gas emissions. A recent Regulation 36 Enforcement Notice demands a series of remedial actions by RML, with deadlines stretching into May 2024. These measures focus on improving the site’s gas management infrastructure and capping exposed areas to mitigate odour issues.

Huwel Manley, Head of South West Operations at NRW, expressed understanding of the community’s frustration, emphasizing the urgency of the required actions. “We are committed to ensuring RML Ltd. deliver these actions rapidly and effectively. Continued non-compliance will lead to further measures, potentially including a suspension of the environmental permit,” stated Mr. Manley.

Pembrokeshire County Council, represented by Chief Executive Will Bramble, also voiced disappointment over the ongoing issues, affirming full support for NRW’s stringent enforcement steps. The Council and NRW are working closely to monitor the situation and have encouraged the public to report any odour incidents promptly to aid in effective resolution.

As the deadline approaches, all parties involved are under increasing pressure to demonstrate tangible improvements and ensure the health and well-being of Pembrokeshire residents are prioritised.

News

Police issue update on the search for Luke, missing from Pembroke Dock

Published

1 hour ago

April 19, 2024

Tom Sinclair

POLICE have made the difficult decision to end the search for Luke, following a joint decision by all the agencies involved.

The police said: “After careful consideration of all the information and expert advice that has been made available to us, a joint decision has been made by all agencies involved that the search for Luke will now conclude and will consist of intelligence led enquiries in the coming days.

“Whilst this is an extremely difficult decision to make, we are satisfied that we have done absolutely everything we possibly can to try and locate Luke. His family have been informed of this decision and our thoughts remain with them at this difficult time.

“I would also like to reassure the public that in addition to the searches that have taken place at the estuary, a team of Police Officers have been conducting extensive enquiries in Pembroke Dock since Luke was reported missing.”

Meanwhile the family has made a heartfelt plea for any information that might help trace his last known movements.

Emma Dewhurst has issued an urgent appeal for information that could help track her nephew Luke’s whereabouts, last seen in the early hours of Saturday morning. Describing Luke as “jovial, kind, soft, and timid,” she reflects on his vibrant personality and gentle nature, noting his resilience and determination to push forward in life. “He is strong. He didn’t give up easily and kept going in his life,” she affirmed.

The family is reeling from the shock of Luke’s sudden disappearance. “We are all so shocked and upset,” Emma stated. “It’s profoundly distressing.”

In an effort to find Luke, his father has made the long journey from the north of England to Pembrokeshire. The emotional toll is evident, as Emma revealed, “His dad is devastated, and my mum [his grandmother] is in pieces.”

Luke was last recorded by CCTV at 6am, four hours after he left his accommodation. Emma is desperately calling on residents to review their CCTV or doorbell footage, hoping for any clue that might explain his movements during those critical missing hours. “Where has he been in that four hours?” Emma implored. “We need to fill these gaps to piece together the facts.”

She recalls Luke’s last day before he vanished, spent with his mother, ending with future plans unfulfilled. “It isn’t in his nature to just disappear,” she said. “We can’t give up. We all love him, miss him, and want him back safely.”

Emma also expressed a poignant message for Luke, should he be out there, feeling unable to come home: “If you don’t want to come home, at least reach out to someone. Let us know you are okay. That’s what my brother would want.”

If you have any information on Luke’s last known whereabouts, please contact Dyfed-Powys Police at 101, email [email protected], or reach out online at https://orlo.uk/RlB5o. For those wishing to remain anonymous, you can contact the charity Missing People at www.missingpeople.org.uk.

News

Labour promises ‘most significant investment in Britain’s ports in a generation’

Published

1 day ago

April 18, 2024

Tom Sinclair

LABOUR has said this week that it will “Build it in Britain” with the most significant investment in Britain’s ports in a generation, as part of Green Prosperity Plan to support the creation of 650,000 good jobs across the country.

A Labour Government will “Build it in Britain” Keir Starmer said on Thursday, as he visited the North East of England to highlight Labour’s plans to deliver the most significant upgrade of Britain’s ports in a generation.

Visiting a port in the North East, Labour Leader Keir Starmer, Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves, and Shadow Energy Secretary Ed Miliband will set out how Labour’s £1.8 billion investment in Britain’s port infrastructure will help crowd billions more of private sector investment into the UK’s energy industry.

Labour’s announcement comes after Jo Stevens, Shadow Secretary of State for Wales, visited the Port of Milford Haven in Pembrokeshire last month alongside with Henry Tufnell, Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Mid and South Pembrokeshire, to learn more about the port’s operations and challenges.

After the visit, Shadow Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens said: “Upgrading our ports, like this one here in Milford Haven, can help us seize the golden opportunity we have to become a world leader renewable energy, delivering cheaper bills and the jobs of the future.

“But the Conservative government is holding Wales back, with narrow-minded, poorly run investment schemes that leave us lagging behind international competitors.

“A UK Labour government will switch on GB Energy to invest in projects that can secure our lead in floating offshore wind, unlocking the jobs and investment that the Tories have left to languish.”

Henry Tufnell, Labour’s candidate in this year’s General Election, added: “Pembrokeshire’s first Labour MP, Desmond Donnelly, was instrumental in the creation of the Port of Milford Haven, transforming Pembrokeshire’s economic fortunes. Today, as in the 1950s, we face a crossroads. We must put our county at the forefront of a new Labour Government’s industrial strategy to build it in Britain.

Labour’s Green Prosperity Plan will secure our energy supply, develop industry, and create good well paid jobs right here in our county. We don’t want the young people of Pembrokeshire to feel they must leave their home county to get on in life. We want to provide opportunity here, and we want to provide it now.”

Labour’s plan for ports will help reverse fourteen years of industrial decline under the Conservatives and support domestic manufacturing across the country. The pledge is funded through Labour’s Green Prosperity Plan, which includes a proper windfall tax on the oil and gas giants making record profits, to fund investment in British industries.Keir Starmer’s announcement comes as Labour confirms that its Green Prosperity Plan will help support the creation of up to 650,000 good jobs in Britain’s industrial heartlands, including here in Pembrokeshire, by crowding billions of private investment into industries such as Britain’s nuclear, steel, automotive, and construction industries.

The last Labour government led the way on upgrading Britain’s ports, providing funding for the development of port sites to support offshore wind turbine manufacturing. This industrial advantage has been squandered after fourteen years of the Conservatives, with recent research showing the UK could have created almost 100,000 more jobs in the wind industry if it had followed Denmark’s example in recent years and built up domestic supply chains in clean energy.

Speaking ahead of the visit, Labour Leader Keir Starmer outlined the choice facing millions of voters: continued industrial decline after 14 years of Conservative rule, or national economic renewal with Labour, saying:“The legacy of fourteen years of Conservative rule is Britain’s industrial strength reduced to the rubble and rust of closed-down factories. They have let good jobs go overseas and done nothing about it, and every community has paid the price.

“A Labour government will reindustrialise Britain – from the biggest investment in our ports in a generation, to a British Jobs Bonus to crowd billions of investment into our industrial heartlands and coastal communities.“

The wealth of Britain was once built on a bedrock of industrial jobs that offered security and a good wage. By investing in Britain’s homegrown energy sector, we can rebuild this dream for the twenty-first century- good jobs, higher wages, and the pride that comes from good work for all.”Through policies such as Great British Energy, the National Wealth Fund, and the mission for Clean Power by 2030, a Labour government will invest in technologies like floating offshore wind, hydrogen, nuclear, and carbon capture and storage, which will help secure Britain’s energy independence.

This will create a new generation of skilled jobs in growing industries, which will offer people good wages, give confidence in their job security, and provide them with opportunities to progress. This policy is part of Labour’s Green Prosperity Plan, to cut energy bills for families, make Britain energy independent, and rebuild the strength of British industry.

This historic investment in working people and their communities is the only way out of the high energy bills, energy insecurity, and the doom loop of low growth, high taxes and crumbling public services under Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives.Commenting on Labour’s landmark plan to invest in Britain’s port infrastructure, Shadow Energy Secretary Ed Miliband MP said: “Making Britain a clean energy superpower requires flourishing national ports. Whilst the Conservatives are letting other countries plunder jobs that could be ours here in Britain, Labour has a plan to help win the race for the industries of the future.“

This is what Labour’s Green Prosperity Plan will do for every community in Britain – slash energy bills, create good jobs, boost our national energy independence, and help to tackle the climate crisis.”