Former Launch Authority helped oversee 44 call-outs and brought decades of maritime and rescue experience to the role

A DEDICATED Fishguard RNLI volunteer has retired after years of service helping to keep the station ready for emergencies at sea.

Barry Scott stepped down from his role as Launch Authority after celebrating his birthday earlier this year and reaching the retirement age for the position.

During an eight-and-a-half-year voluntary career with Fishguard RNLI, Barry oversaw 44 shouts and played a key role in the station’s operational life.

He joined the station with a wealth of maritime and rescue experience, having spent 16 years as a Deck Officer in the Merchant Navy, followed by 25 years with HM Coastguard.

As one of the station’s volunteer Launch Authorities, Barry worked on a rota providing a 24-hour link between the lifeboat station and HM Coastguard at the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Milford Haven.

When a lifeboat was requested, the on-duty Launch Authority would be paged by the Coastguard and contacted by phone with details of the incident. They would then decide whether to authorise the use of the charity’s assets, unless there was an immediate risk to life, in which case the full crew would be paged at once.

Once details of a shout were confirmed, the Launch Authority would brief either the coxswain of the all-weather lifeboat or the helm of the inshore lifeboat. They would also keep an accurate record of which crew members went to sea and which responded to the pager.

During a shout, the Launch Authority would often remain at the station, recording useful information from radio transmissions. After the lifeboats returned safely and the crew came ashore, they would consult the boat officers and crew to complete the records before submitting a formal report to RNLI Headquarters in Poole.

Asked about the standout moments of his time with Fishguard RNLI, Barry said: “The camaraderie and working with volunteers who want to achieve the best outcomes.”

He added, with a smile: “And of course the cake.”

Reflecting on his years with the charity, Barry said: “It’s been a pleasure to work with individuals from all walks of life who are willing to drop everything at any time, day or night, to help others in difficulty in all weather conditions, and still be able to maintain a sense of humour in potentially difficult situations.”

The team at Fishguard RNLI thanked Barry for his service and wished him a happy retirement, with the hope that he will now be able to enjoy full nights of sleep without the pager going off.

Fishguard RNLI is currently recruiting more Launch Authorities. Anyone living close to their local station and interested in volunteering as part of a lifesaving team is encouraged to get in touch.

Campaign group raises concerns over council policy and private weapons firms operating in West Wales

WEST WALES AGAINST ARMS will hold a third community meeting in Aberporth this Friday as campaigners step up concerns over proposed drone surveillance in Ceredigion and the growing role of private arms companies in the area.

The meeting will take place at 6.30pm on Friday, April 17, at Aberporth Village Hall.

Organisers say the event will focus on two main issues: Ceredigion County Council’s draft plans to use drones for surveillance, and the continued use of Aberporth by private weapons companies.

Campaigners are questioning why the council believes drone surveillance is needed, pointing to figures they say show anti-social behaviour in Ceredigion is ranked very low. They are asking the authority to explain what evidence it has to justify the use of drones to monitor communities.

They also argue that the council’s consultation on its proposed UAV drone policy did not provide enough detail for residents and businesses to give properly informed responses.

Among the questions they want answered are where any alleged anti-social behaviour hotspots are, how many drones the council plans to use, what type they will be, which companies may supply them, and who will be responsible for training remote pilots.

West Wales Against Arms says the consultation, which ran over the Christmas period, was lacking in clear answers and concrete information, and argues that this should be a matter of concern for people living and working in the county.

The meeting will also look at wider activity linked to Aberporth and West Wales Airport. The group says Tekever, which supplies surveillance drones to the Home Office, has opened a UAV pilot school at the airport this year. It also raises concerns over Tekever’s work with QinetiQ, which runs MOD Aberporth, through the DroneWorks programme aimed at allowing more businesses to use the site for testing drone and weapons-related technology.

Organisers say the meeting will build on what they describe as productive discussions at earlier events and will give local residents the chance to raise concerns and question decision-makers directly.

Ceredigion County Council representatives have been invited to attend, including councillors Bryan Davies, Gethin Davies and Clive Davies, along with the council’s Partnership Manager and Corporate Lead Officer.

West Wales Against Arms says all members of the public are welcome.

WELSH CONSERVATIVE candidates for Ceredigion Penfro, Paul Davies and Samuel Kurtz, have called for greater backing for pubs and the wider hospitality sector after visiting The Ship Aground in Dinas Cross.

During the visit, they met staff and customers to hear first-hand about the pressures facing local pubs, including rising costs and the impact of the business rates multiplier following the latest revaluation, which has brought new calculations into force this month.

They said the figures underline the importance of the sector to the local economy. Across Mid and South Pembrokeshire, there are 162 pubs and five breweries, contributing £57 million to the economy and supporting 1,175 jobs. Across Ceredigion Penfro, 161 pubs and five breweries support 1,800 jobs and contribute £59 million.

Speaking after the visit, Mr Davies said: “Pubs are at the heart of communities across Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion. They support local jobs, bring people together and play a huge role in our tourism economy.

“These figures show just how important the sector is, but landlords are telling us the pressure is intensifying, with the business rates system hitting them particularly hard at a time when costs are already high.”

Mr Kurtz said his Best Local Pub competition had shown how valued pubs are by local communities.

“I’ve seen that first-hand through my Best Local Pub competition, which I’ve been running for the past few years,” he said. “It has highlighted just how much these businesses mean to their communities and how important they are to local tourism and community life.

“But I’m also hearing real concern from businesses more broadly. At a recent business rates roundtable Paul and I hosted, with around 150 local businesses on the call, there was significant concern about the impact of the revaluation and the extra pressure it could place on already stretched firms.”

Following the meeting, the pair, both former Members of the Senedd for Preseli Pembrokeshire and South Pembrokeshire respectively, renewed calls for the Welsh Government to review business rates and provide additional support for the sector.

Mr Kurtz said recent action by the Welsh Government was welcome, but did not go far enough.

“The recent confirmation of an additional £8 million to extend relief for hospitality businesses is welcome and will provide eligible ratepayers with 15 per cent relief for 2026-27, subject to a £110,000 cap across Wales,” he said.

“However, for many pubs and hospitality businesses facing rising costs, this will not go far enough.”

The Welsh Conservatives say they would take a different approach, including scrapping business rates for pubs altogether as part of wider support for the hospitality trade.

Mr Kurtz added: “We also want to see targeted support for tourism and hospitality businesses that recognises their importance to rural economies like ours.

“We need a longer-term solution that properly supports the sector and recognises the vital role it plays in our local economy, tourism industry and community life.”

Both candidates warned that without further action, more hospitality businesses could struggle to survive.

Mr Davies said: “If we want to keep our pubs thriving, we need to ease the burden on them now and give them the support they need to grow.

“This is about protecting jobs, supporting tourism and backing local communities. Our pubs are a vital part of what makes this area special, and they deserve our support.”

Photo caption:

Paul Davies, Samuel Kurtz and Brian Murphy with the owner of The Ship Aground in Dinas Cross.