Community

UK search and rescue teams gather for training exercises in Wales

Published

2 years ago

May 5, 2024

LAST week, members of the UK’s domestic and international search and rescue teams came together to carry out highly specialised training in Wales’s capital city.

Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) and International Search and Rescue (ISAR) teams are typically deployed in the wake of events such as natural disasters or acts of terrorism, and are responsible for finding and freeing trapped people.

From Monday 22nd April to Wednesday 24th, teams from across the UK rallied in Cardiff and Gloucester for training exercises, travelling from fire service bases in Essex, Kent, Hampshire, Lancashire, Lincolnshire, Merseyside, West Midlands, Scotland, South Wales, and Mid and West Wales.

Utilising both the Heath hospital and the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, the teams conducted dog and drone exercises as part of routine training which is vital in aiding their search and rescue efforts. With the assistance of eight highly specialised sniffer dogs and state of the art drone equipment, the team practiced their urban search and rescue training across three days.

Kevin Dite, Watch Manager at South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, and USAR/ ISAR team member, said: “Different drones are deployed for different reasons. The cameras are useful for open area searching, and some have thermal imaging capabilities, stability systems, and of course they can cover large areas much faster than we can.

“We tend to do this training quarterly, at a minimum. The dogs need to be kept intact and protected, and of course, drone work has a massive skill fade as it’s such intricate flying, so we try and do it as regularly as we can. It’s also about getting the dogs used to the drones; with the low-level humming in the background something that will be constant for them in their rescues.”

In the event of a large-scale disaster, it is safer to send small drones into buildings, followed by the dogs with their acute sense of smell, to search for missing people. The dogs are trained to ‘alert’ to a live person by barking until their handler arrives and rewards them with a favourite toy.

Once the search team pinpoints a lost person, they have a range of tools at hand to make an area safe and to free trapped people. Every rescue is different, but might including shoring up fallen masonry, cutting through debris to help someone to safety, or using heavy lifting equipment to create exit routes.

Last year, some members of these teams were deployed to Malawi, Morocco, and Turkey after national disasters struck the areas – with the drones, the dogs, and their handlers in situ.

Tristan Bowen, USAR team leader and ISAR team member, said: “The dogs are useful because they will do the job of 20 technicians in half the time. They can collapse themselves into the smallest spaces and have been trained to search for live bodies in destitute areas, using their remarkable scent to detect human life, and can pick up on sweat, carbon dioxide, aftershave or perfume, etc.

“Part of this training involves exposing our operatives to the different scenarios they may come across; be it cold weather survival, hot places, urban areas, city centres, or large-scale venues. We will all be familiar with the explosion which occurred at the Manchester Arena after the Ariana Grande concert in 2017, so the idea is to expose our dogs in the event of deploying into any kind of structure which could pose issues to them in terms of the number of people, the actual scale and size of the building, and all the hidden voids within the building.

“We get deployed internationally quite regularly. I’ve been to Turkey, Nepal, Haiti, and Christchurch New Zealand to assist international relief efforts. As you can imagine, it’s no small feat to ship us all out – we’re classed as a heavy rescue team with all our equipment; including technicians, doctors, vets, dog handlers, structural engineers – the team is huge.

Crew Manager Niamh Darcy and her dog, Vesper, a four-year-old Belgian Malinois, are both members of the USAR and ISAR teams. Vesper works as a search and rescue dog as part of Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service (MFRS), and has been deployed to numerous disasters, most recently the 2023 earthquakes in Turkey and Morocco. Alongside her handler, she has been responsible for locating multiple live casualties and reuniting them with their families.

Vesper also won the Crufts Hero Dog Award 2024 this year, within the category of ‘Extraordinary Life of a Working Dog’ – a category which was open to fire services, the police, and the army.

Niamh said: “Vesper can clear a building by herself and can indicate to me if there is no need for us to enter a building. These dogs do an awful lot of agility training; you really need a dog that’s meticulous in this kind of role, they run over rubble piles and zone in on a hit, and once the canines have done their job then we commit and zone in on an area to break or breach or lift things off people.

“Malis in general are a very bright breed. They have a very high mental capacity, are very agile, and Vesper in particular is extremely friendly and sociable. However, even if the dogs are proficient in searching, they still need that exposure to travel with you, and they need stamina. We can go for up to 14-hour days when we’re deployed, and she’s very adaptable in that sense.”

A spokesperson said: “Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service provides emergency response cover, public safety information and prevention and protection programmes across 12,000 square kilometres, which is almost two-thirds of Wales. It is the third largest Fire and Rescue Service in the UK and covers six local authorities areas: Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Neath Port Talbot, Pembrokeshire, Powys and the City and County of Swansea.

“South Wales Fire and Rescue Service aims to make south Wales safer, by reducing risk. We work to protect and serve across the 10 Unitary Authorities that make up our diverse area, working in partnership with our colleagues in other frontline services.”

Community

Bongo Clive brings rhythm and smiles to VC Gallery celebration

Published

10 hours ago

June 20, 2026

Tom Sinclair

LEARNING DISABILITY WEEK MARKED WITH MUSIC, LAUGHTER AND INCLUSION IN PEMBROKE DOCK

THE VC GALLERY in Pembroke Dock was filled with music, laughter and energy as visitors came together to celebrate Learning Disability Week.

The event saw popular entertainer Bongo Clive lead a lively session of singing, drumming and participation, with those attending joining in throughout the day.

The gallery said the session had created a joyful atmosphere, with music helping to bring people together and celebrate inclusion, creativity and wellbeing.

A spokesperson for The VC Gallery said: “The smiles said it all. A huge thank you to Bongo Clive for bringing your incredible energy, enthusiasm and positivity to The VC today. You certainly had everyone moving to the beat.”

Learning Disability Week celebrates inclusion and the abilities, creativity and individuality of people with learning disabilities.

The Pembroke Dock event highlighted the role of community spaces such as The VC Gallery in supporting wellbeing, friendship and confidence through shared creative activities.

Community

Sir Karl Jenkins named Eisteddfod President for 2026

Published

12 hours ago

June 20, 2026

Tom Sinclair

SIR KARL JENKINS has been named President of the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod for 2026.

The internationally acclaimed Welsh composer, one of the world’s most performed living composers, will take on the role as the festival prepares to welcome performers, competitors and visitors from across the globe.

Sir Karl is best known for works including The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace, Adiemus and Requiem.

His appointment comes in a landmark year after The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace was voted the most popular work in the Classic FM Hall of Fame 2026.

Opening night return

Sir Karl’s presidential year will begin with the opening night concert, Uniting Nations: One World, on Tuesday, July 7.

The concert had been due to take place in 2025 but was postponed, causing disappointment for volunteers, performers and audience members who had travelled from across the UK and overseas.

The Eisteddfod has now brought the event back with support from the Arts Council of Wales.

Sir Karl said: “I’m delighted to be returning to the Llangollen Festival this year and especially honoured to do so in the role of President.

“Llangollen is always a very special place to be, with its unique sense of community and international spirit.

“I’m greatly looking forward to conducting my most recent choral work, One World, particularly following the postponement of last year’s performance.

“It’s a piece that I feel reflects the very essence of the festival, bringing together outstanding musicians from across the globe to form one powerful collective voice.”

Global chorus

The evening will feature a full performance of One World, conducted by Sir Karl and performed by an international massed chorus made up of WorldChoir and NEW Voices, accompanied by the Llangollen International Orchestra.

The work blends Jenkins’ distinctive musical style with themes of humanity, compassion and environmental stewardship.

The concert will also include a complete staging of Peace Child: The Musical, which places young people at the heart of its message of peace and global citizenship.

Opening the evening will be the world premiere of Greeting the Dawn, a newly commissioned bilingual work by emerging Welsh composer Sam Buttler.

The piece was written for the 2026 Eisteddfod through the Harmony Without Borders initiative, continuing Llangollen’s tradition of supporting new talent and giving Welsh composers an international platform.

‘Great cultural ambassador’

John Gambles, Chair of the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, said: “We are absolutely delighted that Sir Karl Jenkins has agreed to serve as President of the Eisteddfod for 2026.

“Few musicians have done more to promote the values of peace, friendship and international understanding that lie at the heart of our festival.

“Sir Karl is one of Wales’s greatest cultural ambassadors and his music has inspired audiences across every continent.

“The fact that The Armed Man has just been voted the nation’s favourite classical work is a testament not only to his extraordinary talent, but also to the universal appeal of the messages of peace, hope and humanity that run through so much of his music.”

Mr Gambles added: “The postponement of One World last year was heartbreaking for everyone involved.

“We knew how much the concert meant to audiences, performers and volunteers alike, and we were determined to find a way to bring it back.

“Thanks to the support of the Arts Council of Wales, we can now finally give this extraordinary concert the audience it deserves.

“With Sir Karl as our President, the return of One World, the world premiere of a major new Welsh composition and the powerful message of Peace Child, this promises to be one of the most memorable and significant opening nights in the Eisteddfod’s history.”

Festival programme

The Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod returns for its 79th year on Tuesday, July 7.

This year’s programme includes performances from Michael Ball, Emeli Sandé with the Absolute Orchestra, Uniting Nations: One World featuring Sir Karl Jenkins, and the Choir of the World competition.

Thousands of competitors from around the world will also take part in the daytime programme, with the Parade of Nations returning on Friday, July 10.

Tickets are on sale now, with prices starting from £33.

Further information is available at llangollen.net.

Community

Lord Rhys emerges from the mist in St Davids

Published

14 hours ago

June 20, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Giant puppet begins historic journey marking 850 years since the first Eisteddfod

MIST swirled around St Davids Cathedral on Friday evening as a giant Lord Rhys puppet emerged from the fog to begin a journey celebrating 850 years since the first recorded Eisteddfod.

Accompanied by traditional musicians and followed by crowds of spectators, the towering figure cut an imposing sight against the backdrop of the ancient cathedral.

The procession marked the start of Taith yr Arglwydd Rhys (The Journey of Lord Rhys), a cultural pilgrimage retracing the legacy of the Welsh prince whose gathering of poets and musicians at Cardigan Castle in 1176 is widely regarded as the first recorded Eisteddfod.

As fog drifted across the city and church towers faded into the background, the scene felt more like a chapter from Welsh folklore than a modern-day celebration.

The giant puppet, accompanied by fellow performers and musicians, travelled from St Davids Cathedral to Oriel y Parc before beginning a wider journey through west Wales.

The travelling celebration will visit communities across Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion before culminating in Cardigan, where Lord Rhys originally staged his famous cultural gathering eight and a half centuries ago.

Video and photographs shared by DrifterStDavids captured the remarkable atmosphere, with many describing the spectacle as one of the most memorable cultural events seen in St Davids for years.

Photo caption: Lord Rhys emerges from the mist outside St Davids Cathedral as celebrations begin to mark the 850th anniversary of the first recorded Eisteddfod

(Pic: SmallWorld – Video: Drifter St Davids)