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Choirs to sing for local charity, Paul Sartori Hospice at Home

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TWO local choirs, the Paul Sartori Community Choir and Neyland Ladies Choir are collaborating to deliver an Evening Concert on Saturday 30th September 2023 at the Merlin Theatre, Pembrokeshire College in aid of Paul Sartori Hospice at Home. The concert will also feature solos from talented young musicians, including local singer Mared Phillips.

The Paul Sartori Community Choir has come a long way since it was founded in April 2022. It began as a way to unite the community and to raise awareness and much-needed funds for the local charity, known as Paul Sartori Hospice at Home. The choir, now a permanent fixture, has helped many find the joy of singing in an inclusive fun choir. It is led by Mark Heron, Musical Director, who has a special association with the charity, as he was christened by Father Paul Sartori himself (the inspiration for the charity). They delivered a successful performance recently at St Marys Church, Haverfordwest to a packed audience.

“It was a fantastic experience to perform to such a large, warm and welcoming audience at St Mary’s Church. The commitment and enthusiasm of choir members has blown me away, and I am sure the concert at Merlin Theatre will be another proud moment for me, as the choir stand in front of the audience and sing their hearts out once more,” said Mark.

The Neyland Ladies Choir was formed by the late Ivor Thomas in 1977, his intention being to restart a mixed choral society in Neyland, however only one gentleman turned up to rehearsal! They have recently celebrated their 45th anniversary with a celebration concert, which also commemorated the coronation of King Charles III. The choir enjoys a wide repertoire, performing at services and concerts locally and further afield, supporting many charities across Pembrokeshire. They have had a long association with the Paul Sartori Hospice at Home over many years and have regularly led the singing at the ‘Light up a Life’ ceremonies. The choir’s Musical Director is Lynne Kelleher and Accompanist is Miranda Davies.

“We have great pleasure in joining the Paul Sartori Community Choir to share music and once again raise vital funds for this fantastic cause,” said Lynne.

Tickets for the Evening Concert are available on the charity’s website or by phoning 01437 763223.

The Paul Sartori Community Choir is a relatively young choir, which was set up following a successful grant award from the Community Changemakers Fund delivered by South West Wales Connected (SWWCo); Great Western Railway (GWR); Transport for Wales (TFW) and 4theRegion. More recently they benefitted from a grant from the National Lottery Community Fund. The group have also been supported by local companies including Sigma Display who sponsored their a-frame promotional board.

Paul Sartori Hospice at Home provide a range of services to Pembrokeshire people living in the final stages of a life-limiting illness and the Paul Sartori Community Choir extends the support to the wider community. For further information on the charity and its services visit their website www.paulsartori.org or phone 01437 763223.

Photo: (press release picture) Picture of the Paul Sartori Community Choir (at St Marys Church) and Neyland Ladies Choir

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Community

Milford Haven School warms hearts with over 200 gifts for local children

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MILFORD HAVEN SCHOOL has once again led a successful Christmas charity initiative, bringing festive cheer to over 200 children in need.

For several years, the school has been supporting PATCH, the Defender House Charity, through its annual Toy Appeal. This November, a special tradition continued as a Christmas tree adorned with tags stood tall in the school, each tag representing a local child affected by deprivation.

Staff members at the school wholeheartedly participated by selecting a tag, purchasing a thoughtful gift, and placing it under the tree. These gifts were then collected by PATCH for distribution, ensuring a brighter Christmas for many children.

This year, responding to requests from the wider community, the initiative expanded beyond the school gates. Additional Christmas trees with tags were placed in prominent community locations including Milford Haven Library, Neyland Library, and Hubberston and Hakin Community Centre, allowing more community members to contribute to this noble cause.

The response was overwhelming. Over 200 presents were lovingly donated, highlighting the communal spirit of Milford Haven. Ms. Morris, the headteacher of Milford Haven School, expressed her immense pride in the staff’s involvement and extended heartfelt thanks to the libraries and community centres for their indispensable support.

“It’s more than just gifts; it’s about showing we care and understand the challenges some families face, especially during the festive season,” said Ms. Morris. She emphasized the school’s ongoing commitment to supporting local families and raising awareness of the community’s needs.

The initiative’s success not only brought joy to children but also reinforced the strong bonds within the Milford Haven community. The generosity and compassion shown by the school and its wider community stand as a testament to the power of collective effort in making a significant difference in the lives of those in need.

As the festive season approaches, the Milford Haven community can take pride in their substantial contribution to the PATCH Charity Toy Appeal, embodying the true spirit of Christmas and bringing the warmth of “Nadolig Llawen” – Merry Christmas – to many.

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Police and Crime Commissioner’s Office wins prestigious national award for its custody visiting

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The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Dyfed-Powys has won a prestigious national Gold award for the quality of its Independent Custody Visiting Scheme.

The Independent Custody Visiting Scheme is a volunteer scheme that is run by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner.

Arising after riots in the 80s centred around public distrust in policing, and in particular the policing of black communities, independent custody visitors (or ICVs) are volunteers who give their time to make unannounced visits to police custody across the UK, ensuring the rights, entitlements and wellbeing of detainees throughout the country.

In Dyfed-Powys, there are currently eighteen volunteers who act as Independent Custody Visitors, and make unannounced visits to police custodies in Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire, and Powys. 

They report their findings to the Police and Crime Commissioner, who in turn holds the Chief Constable to account.

The Independent Custody Visiting Association (ICVA) Quality Assurance Awards were presented at a ceremony at the Old Library, Birmingham on 29 November.

ICVA is the national organisation which supports, leads and represents locally-run custody visiting schemes. Schemes manage teams of independent volunteers who visit those detained in police custody.

There were four graded levels of award, and the Dyfed-Powys Scheme was delighted to have received the Gold standard; meaning their Scheme provides an excellent standard of custody visiting and volunteer management. The Scheme was established in Dyfed-Powys in 2001, and since its roll out, thousands of visits have been made to custody suites across the force area.

Welcoming the award, Dafydd Llywelyn, Police and Crime Commissioner for Dyfed-Powys told The Herald: “I am thrilled to announce that our Independent Custody Visiting volunteer scheme in Dyfed-Powys has been honoured with a prestigious national Gold Award.  This recognition reflects the commitment and dedication of our volunteers and the high standards of custody visiting and volunteer management in our region.

“It is a testament to the collaborative efforts of our community, Dyfed-Powys Police and my Office, reinforcing our commitment to excellence in ensuring the welfare and rights of individuals in Custody.  I would like to congratulate and thank all of our volunteers for their hard work – we are proud of this achievement and will continue our efforts to maintain this gold standard in the service we provide to our community”.

On a blog, published following the awards ceremony to congratulate volunteers, ICVA Chief Executive Katie Kempen said; “I am so grateful for all of your incredibly hard work on the Quality Assurance Framework, in what for many have been quite challenging times.

“At the opening of the assessment window, many of your schemes were still in a period of Covid recovery and getting schemes back up to resilience, recruiting and training new volunteers all over the country.

“As we have moved through the process, many of you have come into post and as well as getting accustomed to your new role have taken on the Quality Assurance Framework too. I am so proud of each and every scheme and their award.

“It hasn’t happened without a commitment to the scheme, to the amazing volunteers and ultimately to the fair and effective treatment of those deprived of their liberty by the state. Thank you all so much.

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Community

Pure West Radio is Prestige Wales Awards Radio Station of the Year

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PEMBROKESHIRE’S very own Pure West Radio is celebrating it’s multi-award winning status after being crowned Radio Station of the Year for a second year running.

Prestige Wales Awards is available to around 30,000 readers across Wales who nominate their favourite businesses in variety of categories.

Pure West Radio has now built to a strong team over 90 – a mix of volunteers and paid-staff – that provides a comprehensive and varied programme of shows and outside broadcasts covering Pembrokeshire.

Its commercial community radio station business model has been recognised as sustainable and attractive to advertisers and the wider community in Pembrokeshire and Pure West Radio is one of the most trusted media brands in the region.

“It’s a great honour to receive this award again” said Toby Ellis, Station Manager. “We love what we do with great passion serving Pembrokeshire, it’s our duty to deliver quality hyper local content to the community and to be recognised for that is just wonderful”

Pure West Radio will be launching on DAB in 2024 and will be looking to recruit people in marketing, sales, content creation and broadcasters – so watch this space!

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