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.”

Community

Doorstep warning issued after reports of suspicious callers in Pembrokeshire

Published

14 hours ago

April 14, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Residents in Haverfordwest and St Davids urged to watch out for vulnerable neighbours after social media alerts

A WARNING has been issued to residents in parts of Pembrokeshire after separate social media reports of suspicious doorstep callers in both Haverfordwest and St Davids.

In Haverfordwest one resident said a man called at his home at around 6:10pm on Tuesday (Apr 14), claiming he was an ex-convict from South Shields selling cheap household goods in an effort to get his life back on track.

The Merlins Bridge resident said the man claimed there was a wider team operating in the area in a similar way. He reported that the caller then knocked at several more homes along Venns Close before heading towards Greenhill Drive and the roundabout.

The man was described as wearing black waterproof trousers and a royal blue waterproof coat, with dark medium-length hair and no hat. He was also said to be carrying a large holdall, possibly containing items for sale.

In a separate post circulating online, residents in St Davids were also warned to be cautious after reports of men wearing backpacks and baseball caps going door-to-door.

The post claimed police had been in the area several times during the day looking for the individuals. Residents were urged to keep doors locked and to contact police if they saw anything suspicious.

While none of the claims have been independently verified by The Herald, the reports have prompted calls for people to remain vigilant, secure doors, gates and vehicles, and check in on elderly or vulnerable neighbours.

Residents suggested the activity may be linked to so-called “Nottingham Knockers”, a term often used to describe cold callers selling goods door-to-door, sometimes amid concerns that vulnerable households may be targeted.

He said he had reported the Haverfordwest incident to Dyfed-Powys Police via the force’s website. The reference number given was CDS-76190-26-6300-002.

Anyone who sees suspicious behaviour is advised to report it to Dyfed-Powys Police.

Crime

Romino’s licence revoked after illegal workers found and fire risks exposed

Published

15 hours ago

April 14, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Takeaway in Cardigan ordered to shut by 11:00pm after council hearing backed by immigration officials, police and fire service

A TAKEAWAY in Cardigan has lost its premises licence after repeated enforcement visits uncovered illegal working and serious fire safety failings.

Ceredigion County Council’s Licensing Sub Committee decided to revoke the premises licence for Romino’s Pizza and Kebab following a hearing held on Monday, April 7.

The review was brought by Home Office Immigration Enforcement and supported by Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service and Dyfed-Powys Police.

During four separate visits to the business, officers found a total of eight people said to be working illegally at the premises.

Fire safety inspectors also identified a number of serious breaches, leading to prohibition notices being issued because of the risks posed to staff, customers and the wider public.

The committee concluded that revoking the licence was proportionate and necessary in order to uphold the licensing objectives, in particular the prevention of crime and disorder and the protection of public safety.

As a result of the decision, the business will now be required to close at 11:00pm unless an appeal is lodged.

A spokesperson for Ceredigion County Council said: “We welcome the Licensing Sub Committee’s decision to revoke the Premises Licence for Romino’s in Cardigan. This reflects the seriousness of the issues identified and the clear risks posed.”

The action follows earlier enforcement steps taken in March.

On March 5, immigration officers visited the premises and found two Turkish men allegedly working there illegally. A closure notice was issued at once, preventing access to the site and stopping any work from taking place.

The Home Office said that on three previous visits, a further six people had been found working illegally at the same business. Those responsible were handed fines totalling £135,000.

An illegal working compliance order was later granted at Llanelli Magistrates’ Court on March 6. Such orders place strict conditions on a business, including requirements to carry out right-to-work checks and permit ongoing inspections.

Although the takeaway later reopened, the Home Office pressed ahead with its application for a licence review on the grounds of preventing crime and disorder.

A spokesperson said illegal working harms lawful businesses, drives down wages and can be linked to organised immigration crime.

Business

Sauna Uno brings coastal wellness experience to West Wales

Published

18 hours ago

April 14, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Bespoke mobile sauna offers sea views, cold-water immersion and private group bookings along the Pembrokeshire coast

A UNIQUE mobile sauna experience is bringing a fresh take on relaxation and wellbeing to the West Wales coast, combining traditional heat therapy with sea air, cold-water immersion and some of the region’s most dramatic views.

Sauna Uno is a custom-built mobile sauna designed to offer guests the benefits of a Nordic-style sauna experience in a striking coastal setting. Operating from selected locations in West Wales, it allows visitors to step from the warmth of a wood-fired sauna into the open air, with the option of a cold plunge or sea swim as part of the ritual.

Set against the backdrop of beaches, cliffs and Atlantic skies, the experience is built around contrast — intense heat followed by cold water, shared conversation followed by quiet reflection, and the comfort of the sauna against the raw beauty of the Pembrokeshire coastline.

Designed for comfort

Inside, Sauna Uno has been carefully designed to create a welcoming and practical space for both individuals and groups. The sauna includes a spacious seating area, large viewing windows, heated changing facilities, and a selection of herbal teas, cold water and natural essential oils to enhance the experience.

The aim is to combine the health benefits of sauna use with the calming effect of the coastal environment, creating something that feels both restorative and memorable.

Its owners say the concept is about more than simply getting warm.

Sauna Uno is intended to offer people the chance to slow down, reconnect with nature and enjoy a moment of calm in a busy world — whether that is after a sea swim, as part of a wellness session, or simply as a social experience with friends.

Popular for groups and private hire

The mobile sauna has proved especially popular for group bookings, with enough space for friends, families and small parties to enjoy the experience together.

Bookings are regularly made for birthdays, private gatherings, group wellness sessions and retreat-style coastal days out. The setting, combined with the shared nature of the sauna experience, has made it an increasingly attractive alternative to more traditional celebrations.

To encourage group celebrations, Sauna Uno is currently offering a ten per cent discount on birthday group bookings.

That offer is expected to appeal to those looking for something a little different — an occasion centred on wellbeing, the outdoors and spending quality time together rather than the usual restaurant or nightlife options.

A growing wellness trend

Sauna culture has grown in popularity across the UK in recent years, with more people turning to heat therapy, cold-water immersion and outdoor wellness experiences as a way to support both physical and mental health.

Regular sauna use is commonly linked to improved circulation, muscle recovery, reduced tension and stress relief. Many enthusiasts also say the combination of heat and cold helps improve mental clarity, resilience and overall wellbeing.

At coastal sites, that effect can be heightened by the surrounding landscape, fresh air and sea views, turning a sauna session into a more immersive experience.

Visitors to Sauna Uno have praised the quality of the heat, the design of the sauna and the peaceful atmosphere created by the coastal locations. Sunset sessions and winter bookings have proved particularly popular, with many describing the combination of hot sauna and cold sea air as both invigorating and deeply calming.

Making the most of the coast

By operating as a mobile unit, Sauna Uno is able to make use of carefully chosen coastal spots across West Wales, bringing the experience closer to the sea and giving guests access to some of the area’s most scenic locations.

For many, that sense of place is what sets it apart.

Rather than being tucked away indoors, Sauna Uno makes the natural environment part of the experience itself — offering a way to enjoy the coast in all seasons, whether under clear skies, in the golden light of sunset, or with wild weather rolling in off the Atlantic.

With interest continuing to grow and weekend sessions often booked in advance, organisers are encouraging people to plan ahead for private hire, birthday bookings and group visits.

For bookings and enquiries, their Facebook page can also be found by searching Sauna Uno.