News
Welsh Government unveils mortgage support scheme

THE WELSH GOVERNMENT has announced a new funding package for Welsh homeowners having difficulty paying their mortgage.
Julie James, Wales’s Minister for Housing, unveiled the Help to Stay Wales Mortgage Support Scheme on Tuesday, November 7.
TARGETED SUPPORT
With rising interest rates, energy costs and cost-of-living expenses, many homeowners cannot meet mortgage repayments.
As part of the Co-operation Agreement, the Welsh Government and Plaid Cymru considered introducing Local Authority Mortgages. However, that idea is a non-starter.
Instead, the Help to Stay Wales Scheme formed part of discussions about the mortgage market and how the Welsh Government can provide targeted support.

PREVENTION BETTER THAN CURE
With increased investment, the Welsh Government aims to prevent many individuals and families from entering possession proceedings and becoming homeless, adding to the already stressed waiting lists and high temporary accommodation costs for Local Authorities.
During 2022-23 and 2023-24, the Welsh Government provided more than £3.3 billion of support to help people struggling with the cost of living through targeted programmes which put money back into people’s pockets.
As part of the budget agreement with Plaid Cymru for 2023-24, £40m repayable capital funding has been made available over this year and next year to bring forward schemes to provide flexible financial support.
WORKING ALONGSIDE EXISTING SCHEMES
Help to Stay Wales will work alongside support offered by mortgage providers through the UK Mortgage Charter for customers struggling to afford their mortgage payments.
The Scheme will provide an option for homeowners who are at serious risk of losing their home by offering a partial repayment of an existing mortgage balance via a low-cost equity loan, secured by a second charge (behind first charge lender), reducing revised mortgage repayments to a level the applicant can afford.
The Development Bank of Wales will operate the Scheme and be interest-free for the first five years.
The purpose of the Scheme is to reduce the number of homeowners at risk of repossession and homelessness by offering them time to resolve their underlying financial issues.
UK FINANCE AND LENDERS SUPPORT SCHEME
Julie James MS said: “The current economic climate presents many challenges for homeowners as they face the significant rise in fuel costs, high inflation, escalating rent and house prices with incomes often not keeping pace.
“The aim of the Help to Stay Wales Scheme is to help homeowners to continue living in their precious homes.
“By widening our current mortgage rescue offer, we can help more people at an earlier stage before they face the awful threat of repossession.
“I would like to thank UK Finance and mortgage lenders already supporting the Scheme. I hope more lenders will provide their support over the coming weeks.
“We will continue to do all we can with our powers to protect vulnerable households through this cost-of-living crisis.”
Designated Member Siân Gwenllian said: “The detailed work undertaken through the Co-operation Agreement on the mortgage market has led to the creation of Help to Stay Wales to support people affected by soaring interest rates.
“By utilising the financial institutions and the powers we currently have in Wales, we have created a Made in Wales solution which will provide direct support to those facing the greatest difficulties.
“Despite having limited powers and resources in this area, our hope is that the direct support being provided in Wales will provide an additional safety net.”
AVOIDING THE STRESS OF REPOSSESSION
Chief Executive for Shelter Cymru, Ruth Power, said: “We’ve been campaigning for more support for homeowners struggling with their mortgage repayments.
“We welcome any initiatives that get upstream to prevent homelessness and widen the safety net for households facing a cost of housing and cost-of-living crisis.
“This Scheme will offer eligible households assistance from the early point of arrears accruing rather than waiting until they face the incredible stress of repossession.
“We must now ensure that as many households as possible have the option to use it to stay in their homes, learning from people at risk of homelessness how best such a scheme can help them.
“Anyone at immediate risk of losing their home can contact Shelter Cymru’s helpline on 08000 495 495 for independent advice.”
Mortgage Rescue, which has operated in Wales since 2008, is still available and remains a valuable last resort, but requires people to already be in possession proceedings to qualify for support.
Help to Stay Wales will extend this to include those facing possession proceedings and financial hardship.
CONSERVATIVES PROPOSE
AMBITIOUS ALTERNATIVE
Welsh Conservative Shadow Housing Minister Janet Finch-Saunders MS said: “It is not the role of the Welsh Government to hand out loans to pay off people’s mortgages.
“The UK Government has already secured a wide range of support directly from mortgage providers to support people.
“The Scheme raises several questions, including whether it is being targeted correctly and why social landlords are not being supported to invest in homes threatened with repossession.”
Speaking to The Herald, Janet Finch-Saunders explained: “A social landlord mortgage rescue scheme can work in two ways.
“The first is through a shared equity loan. If a homeowner qualifies, they will be given an equity loan from a housing association, enabling them to keep up with their mortgage payments. The loan is repayable to the housing association but is interest-free.
“The second option is mortgage to rent. If an individual cannot afford to continue owning a share of their property, the housing association could buy the property and rent it back to the individual.
“Whilst the second option would mean that the individual no longer owns their own home, they would still be able to live there, but by renting from a social landlord.
“Individuals would reach out to the relevant local authority/social landlord, so there would be no preying on struggling homeowners”.
Community
Milford Haven School warms hearts with over 200 gifts for local children

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.
News
Pembrokeshire siblings receive award for saving their father’s life

CAI and Celyn Llewellyn, a brother and sister from Pembrokeshire, have received prestigious recognition at an award ceremony in London.
The pair were awarded a British Heart Foundation Heart Hero Award on 6th December after their father, John, had suffered a cardiac arrest at their home in Fishguard in November last year. John’s life was saved by the quick thinking of his two children who carried out CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation).
The British Heart Foundation’s Heart Hero Awards is an annual event to honour incredible people who’ve shown remarkable bravery and gone above and beyond to help others while coping with the devastating impact of heart disease. The event celebrates everyone from CPR lifesavers to innovative fundraisers, research champions and healthcare heroes working in the NHS. The ceremony was attended by a star-studded guest list including Pippa Middleton, Vernon Kay and David Seaman, amongst others.
“If it can happen to us, it can happen to anyone.”
Cai (19) and Celyn (22) were nominated for the award by their mother, Nicola.
Nicola said, “My husband John was just doing his usual morning workout in our home-made gym. It’s not very often the kids are home on the weekend, but on this particular Sunday morning, Cai and Celyn were making a cooked breakfast when John suddenly staggered into our kitchen. They immediately alerted me to call 999.”
Celyn had realised something was seriously wrong as John was unable to speak or catch his breath, while Cai put his arms around John to help him to the sofa. No sooner than Cai and Celyn had moved John to the sofa, he went limp. Despite no previous experience in CPR, the pair had to jump into action.
Cai said, “It was like a light switch. Dad suddenly was like a dead body next to me on the couch and was no longer in control of himself. Something just clicked inside me – I managed to put him on the floor and cut his t-shirt off to begin CPR.”
Meanwhile, Celyn was aware that the nearest defibrillator to them was at the village hall, situated around 300 yards from their house and sprinted to retrieve it while the family received support over the phone from the emergency operator.
Celyn added: “None of us had ever used a defib before. We didn’t even know we needed a code to access it, but the four-digit code is now etched in my brain. Once I got back with the defibrillator, the next 20 minutes were crucial. Cai was amazing – he was so calm taking on responsibility of using the defibrillator and finding the electrical rhythm with support over the phone from 999. We had to shock him three times in between 20 minutes of CPR, before the fire brigade arrived as first responders.”
It was a long wait for the family as emergency services took over, and he was eventually flown by air ambulance to Morriston hospital in Swansea – over 60 miles from their home on the west coast.
Doctors believe John’s cardiac arrest was caused by a ventricular arrhythmia, and he was fitted with an ICD (Implantable cardioverter defibrillator) a few weeks later. An ICD is a small device which can treat people with dangerously abnormal heart rhythms. The British Heart Foundation continues to fund research into ICD research, to save and improve more lives in Wales and across the UK. In Wales, just one in 20 people survive a cardiac arrest when it occurs outside of a hospital setting.
On receiving the award, the Llewellyn family said were proud to accept recognition while they adapt to what they call their ‘new normal’. John has now been diagnosed with heart failure, and while the incident has had a physical toll on John’s health, he continues to make incredible progress.
John said, “As a family unit, we’ve made so much progress in a year. At Christmas last year we were still so on edge and for months we were all quite scared to leave the house in case something happened. I am still here because Cai and Celyn acted with a maturity and a calmness that has left me just so proud of them.”
Celyn added, “You can sometimes feel alone in this bubble of being impacted by heart failure, but through the BHF we have found a community of people who understand or even share our experience. Information from BHF is available to help us every step of the way through dad’s recovery. We are now encouraging everyone we meet to get CPR training and to find their local defibrillator. If it can happen to us, it can happen to anyone.”
Dr Charmaine Griffiths, Chief Executive of the British Heart Foundation, said: “I’m blown away by the incredible stories of our winners who have shown such courage, resilience, and bravery in the face of heart and circulatory disease.
“These awards are truly heartwarming and make me so proud to be part of Team BHF. Thank you to our judges, hosts, celebrity guests and supporters for creating such a magical evening for the BHF and the heroes we celebrated. We hope the awards inspire others to take action against heart and circulatory diseases – by learning CPR, fundraising, or even donating unwanted goods to one of our stores.
“Our heart heroes are among the 7.6 million people in the UK living with heart and circulatory diseases. This Christmas, our research is a gift that keeps on living, helping to keep families together and hearts beating for Christmases to come.”
Support the BHF by giving a gift that keeps on living this Christmas: https://www.bhf.org.uk/christmas
Community
Police and Crime Commissioner’s Office wins prestigious national award for its custody visiting

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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