A HAVERFORDWEST project which aims to improve the mental health of the people of West Wales by providing free support, is appealing for votes to be crowned National Lottery Project of the Year.

Get The Boys a Lift beat off stiff competition from 3,780 organisations to reach the public voting stage in this year’s National Lottery Awards, which celebrates the inspirational projects and people who do extraordinary things with the help of National Lottery funding.

There are 17 shortlisted finalists from across the UK, all of which will compete in a four-week public vote from 11th September to 9th October to be named the National Lottery Project of the Year. Winners will receive a £5,000 cash prize for their project and an iconic National Lottery Awards trophy.

Get The Boys A Lift (GTBAL) is a not-for-profit organisation launched by a group of friends which provides free mental health support to the people of Pembrokeshire while promoting open discussions about mental wellbeing. The project has gone from strength to strength since 2016, now offering a mix of in-person and online counselling services to anyone over 17.

The team run a clothing and coffee shop in Haverfordwest called ‘Our Place’, offering a unique café experience where visitors can chat to counsellors and make new friends. The project’s drop-in service has provided around 500 people with free and easy support, without the challenge of extensive waiting lists. The project’s online counselling service, which launched during the pandemic, also gives clients the option to have sessions remotely.

With support from The National Lottery, the project was able to buy a coffee van in 2022, allowing representatives to travel further afield, not only raising funds to maintain the organisation’s services, but promoting its core message about the importance of openness around mental health.

GTBAL runs regular events across the region, including outreach in schools and workplaces as well as community events. Its ‘Break the Stigma’ coffee van has been stationed at Freshwater West in Pembrokeshire across the summer, giving the team a chance to spread the GTBAL message to a wider audience, not only to local people, but the region’s many visitors. Profits from the project’s bespoke clothing range, which includes everything from hoodies to beach towels, go back into the team’s crucial work.

Greg Walters, Director at GTBAL, said: “It is a real honour to be nominated and to be part of this process. It feels really special to be recognised for the work we do at Get the Boys a Lift. Thanks the to support of our community we’ve been able to save a lot of lives. We hope that people will vote for us and we can continue to spread the word about the help we provide!”

Jonathan Tuchner, from The National Lottery, added: “We’re so pleased to have received so many nominations highlighting the excellent work that National Lottery-funded projects are doing up and down the UK. It’s no secret that times are tough, so it’s great to see so many people and projects dedicating so much time and energy into giving something back to their communities.

“It’s thanks to National Lottery players, who raise more than £30 million each week for good causes, that the work of these amazing projects is made possible.

“Get The Boys A Lift are making an incredible impact in their local community and they thoroughly deserve to be in the finals of the National Lottery Awards Project of the Year 2023. With your support, they could be a winner.”

To vote for Get The Boys A Lift, please go to lotterygoodcauses.org.uk/awards. Or simply use their specific hashtag on X (formerly known as Twitter) #NLAGTBAL . Voting runs from 9am on 11th September until 12pm on 9th October.

For further information please contact The National Lottery Awards: Oswyn Hughes on 07976 324 179 or email [email protected]

ALDI stores in Wales donated 66,200 meals to families in need during the recent summer school holidays. 

All of its Welsh stores supported local charities and foodbanks during a period of increased demand by redistributing surplus food via community giving platform Neighbourly. 

Since Aldi’s partnership with Neighbourly began in 2019, Aldi stores across the country have already donated more than 35 million meals – including over seven million meals so far this year.  

This summer, Aldi also gave every child in the UK a chance to try an Olympic or Paralympic sport for free as part of its ‘Get a Taste for Sport’ initiative, helping parents meet the cost of providing healthy activities during the summer holidays. 

Liz Fox, Corporate Responsibility Director at Aldi UK, said: “The school holidays are always an incredibly hard time for households across the country, made even worse by the ongoing cost-of-living crisis. That’s why we committed to supporting even more families in Wales this summer via our food donations scheme with Neighbourly, helping vital charities provide meals to those who need them most.” 

Steve Butterworth, from Neighbourly, added: “Demand on charities and foodbanks in Wales is incredibly high. This push in donations from Aldi was essential in helping so many families during the school holidays and we know how grateful the organisations were for the supermarket’s support.” 

Shoppers can also donate food to local charities, food banks and community groups via the community donation points in Aldi stores nationwide. 

Britain’s fourth largest supermarket also works with Company Shop, the UK’s leading redistributor of surplus food and household products, to redistribute surplus food from its Regional Distribution Centres to Community Shops around the country.  

ON MONDAY (Aug 28), Tenby’s all-weather lifeboat was promptly dispatched following an urgent call from the Coastguard. A distressed dog had reportedly taken an unfortunate tumble over the cliffs at Box Bay.

Mere moments after the distress call was received, the diligent volunteers of the Tenby lifeboat service were navigating the waters. The incident site was located approximately 10 miles west of their base station.

As the crew neared the beach, fortune smiled upon the stranded canine. An alert kayaker, who serendipitously happened to be in the vicinity, paddled his way to the beach. The quick-thinking individual managed to retrieve the shaken dog and deliver it into the capable hands of the lifeboat crew. Once aboard, the dog was given a thorough examination and was comforted, ensuring its safety and well-being.

In a final act of coordination, the dog was transported to Stackpole Quay, where Coastguard officials took custody, ensuring it awaited a reunion with its undoubtedly relieved owner.

The lifeboat subsequently made its journey back, marking another successful rescue operation.