News
Record nominations received for Sport Pembrokeshire Awards

A RECORD number of nominations have been received for the 2023 Sport Pembrokeshire Awards.
A total of 296 nominations have been received in 13 categories for individuals and teams involved in a variety of different sports.
The three finalists in each category will be announced in the Western Telegraph on 15th November.
The overall winners will be unveiled at a gala ceremony at Folly Farm on 24th November, organised by Sport Pembrokeshire.
The awards are sponsored by Valero, the Western Telegraph, Folly Farm, and Pure West Radio.
Cllr Rhys Sinnett, Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services, said: “It’s fantastic that we have received a record number of nominations for the Sport Pembrokeshire Awards.
“It shows that sports and the Sports Awards are going from strength to strength in our County and people want to take the opportunity to acknowledge the hard work and achievements of our local sportspeople, coaches and volunteers.”
The nominations are as follows:
(some individuals/teams received more than one nomination)
Girls U16’s
- Sophie Howell (Swimming)
- Jemma Nand-Lal (Golf)
- Elisa Tyrell (Gymnastics)
- Nina Marsh (Sailing)
- Katie David (Surfing)
- Chanel Griffiths (Dance)
- Catrin Owens (Windsurfing)
- Ava Davies (Gymnastics)
- Maggi Clewitt (Gymnastics)
- Matti Davies (Horse Riding)
- Bronwyn Clissold (Swimming)
- Imi Scourfield (Dance)
- Grace Morris (Weightlifting)
- Chloe John-Driscoll (Shooting)
- Josie Hawke (Surfing)
Boys U16’s
- Kyle Gammer (Parkour)
- Kieran George (Swimming)
- Reuben Lerwill (Gymnastics)
- Jayden Crawford (Football)
- Finn Macare (Hockey)
- Ramon Siso (Football)
- Finley Bruce (Running)
- Macs Adams (Football)
- Tomos Nicholas (Rugby, Football, Cricket)
- Carter Heywood (Football)
- Ned Rees-Wigmore (Hockey)
- Sean Bolger (Boxing)
Club of the Year
- Windswept Watersports
- Haverfordweat Badminton Club
- South Pembs Sharks Under 14’s
- Pembrokeshire Vikings
- Pembrokeshire Parkour Club
- FF Dancers
- Crossfit Pembrokeshire
- Haverfordwest Gymnastics Club
- Vibe School of Dance
- Milford Waterfront Parkrun
- Pembrokeshire Tri Club
- Broad Haven Buccaneers Surf Lifesaving Club
- Neyland Yacht Club
- Haverfordwest Gymnastics Club
- Blue Horizons Surf Club
- Neyland Cricket Club
- Pembroke Cricket Club
- Haverfordwest Tennis Cub
- Tenby Dolphins Swimming Club
- Tavernspite Short Mat Bowls Club
- Fishguard Thunderbolts
- Hook Cricket Club
Junior Disability Award
- Lewis Crawford (Boccia)
- Ella Meacham (Paddle Ability)
- Saskia Webb (Swimming)
- Ioan Williams (Boccia)
Young Volunteer of the Year
- Ellie Phillips (Swimming)
- Leon Jarvis (Football)
- YHT Ambassadors
- Keira Edwards (Sailing)
- Carys Ribbon (HHVCS)
- Lukas Tyrrell (Sailing)
- Shannon Macarney (Disability Sport)
- Elizabeth Clissold (Swimming)
Junior Team
- South Pembs Sharks Under 14’s (Rugby)
- Pembs Schools County Football U14’s
- Johnston Tigers u8’s mini football
- Tenby Primary School Football Team
- Kilgetty Cricket Club u13’s & u15’s
- Haverfordwest Cricket Club U11’s
- Fishagurd Netball Club Under 12’s
- Ysgol Penrhyn Dewi Tennis Team
- Neyland Pink Pirates U13’s
Unsung Hero
- Andrew Richards (Rowing)
- Ross Hardy (Cricket)
- Jon Phillips (Parkrun Milford)
- Luke Howell (Sailing)
- Teresa James (Football)
- Kyle Davies (Cricket, Football, Rugby)
- Dave Astins (Triathlon)
- Sean Hannon (Cricket)
- Emyr Hughes (Ysgol Bro Gwaun)
- Richard Arthur (Cricket)
- Craig, Max, Toby &Tipper (Rugby)
- Sam Rossiter (Cricket)
- Piers Beckett (Sailing)
- Dave Petrie (Cricket)
- Karen Lewis (Parkrun)
Senior Team
- Hook Black Diamonds T20 Cricket team
- East Williamston Short Mat Bowls Club
- Llangwm RFC Youth
- Fishguard Thunderbolts
- Milford Haven Ladies Hockey Club
- Haverfordwest County AFC
- Haverfordwest Ladies Rugby Team
- Cresselly Ladies Cricket Team
- Jonathan Gladstone & Andrew Hudson (Short Mat Bowls)
Male Achievement
- Bleddyn Gibbs (Weightlifting)
- Simon Richards (Cricket)
- Jack Paul Newman (Parkour)
- Liam Ashley Davies (Parkour)
- Jeremy Cross (Tennis)
- Ceri Stone (Cycling)
- Moritz Neumann (Crossfit)
- Jonathan Gladstone (Short Mat Bowls)
- Rhys Llewellyn (Athletics)
- Mickey Beckett (Sailing)
Female Achievement
- Sophie Butland (Dance)
- Sanna Duthie (Running)
- Nel Allen (Golf)
- Imogen Scourfield (Football & Dance)
- Gracie Griffiths (Race Walking)
- Makala Jones (Swimming)
- Seren Thorne (Target Shooting)
- Ava Midgeley (Cricket)
- Kate Dickinson (Bowls)
Disability Sport Award
- Bleddyn Gibbs (Weightlifting)
- Jack Surtees (Football)
- Jules King (Crossfit)
- Nia Morgan (Paddle Ability)
- Michael Jenkins (Discus)
Club Organiser
- Rachel Grieve (Rugby)
- Llangwm RFC Youth
- Jon & Debbie Phllips (Parkrun Milford)
- Kelly Griffiths (Athletics)
- Jen Harries (Athletics)
- Brian Millard (Disability Sport)
- Nadine Tyrell (Gymnastics)
- Huw Jones (Golf)
- Daisy Griffiths (Gymnastics)
- Stefan Jenkins (Cricket)
- Jack Kinnersley (Rugby)
- Fraser Watson (Cricket)
- Jamie Phelps (Cricket)
Coach of the Year
- Chris McEwen (Boxing)
- Georgia Picton (Dance)
- Sam Feeneck (Crossfit)
- Joseph Lewis (Football)
- Simon Thomas (Football)
- Hannah Davey (Dance)
- Jamie Barrellie (Rugby)
- Mike Jarvis (Football)
- Lewis Davies
- Joel Codd (Football)
- Tyler James (Parkour)
- Michael Newman (Parkour)
- Brad (Football)
- Colin Williams (Cricket)
- Luke Hayward (Football)
- Andrew Barcoe (Football)
- Wayne Griffiths (Atheltics)
- Nathan Greene
- Barry Parsons & Gareth Scourfield (Rugby)
- Simon Roach (Weightlifting)
- Angiolina Martib (Rugby)
- Phil Sadler (Surfing)
- Daisy Griffiths (Gymnastics)
- Kyle Davies (Cricket, Rugby, Football)
- Nadine Tyrell (Gymnastics)
- Lowri Jones (Dance)
- Lauren Smith (Gymnastics)
- Chris Barker (Squash)
- Dayfdd Bowen (Rugby)
- Ross Hardy (Cricket)
- Trevor Badham & Colin Williams (Cricket)
- Mark Jones (Rugby)
- Tom Richards (Tennis)
- Rhian Homer & Emily O’Connor (Netball)
- Stuart Tyrie (Ju Jitsu)
- Bruce Evans (Tennis)
Pictured at top of page: Cresselly Cricket Club, last year’s winner of Club of the Year.
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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