A MAJOR environmental protest is set to take place in Broad Haven (north) on Friday, May 17, as part of a national campaign against sewage pollution in UK waters.

The event, known as the Paddle Out Protest, is being organised by local representatives of the charity Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) and will serve as the flagship demonstration for Wales this year.

Campaigners are calling on all ocean, river, and lake users to take part in the peaceful protest, which aims to highlight the growing problem of sewage discharges at popular bathing spots across Pembrokeshire.

Local organisers Ella Staden, Kate Beardsmore, Lloyd Nelmes, Kate J, and Kate Evans have planned a full day of activities centred around Broad Haven beach.

The day will begin at 12:00pm with placard-making and creative sessions at Sunshine Italian (now rebranded as Rwts) on the seafront. A community beach clean will follow at 1:30pm.

At 2:30pm, participants will take part in the main event — a mass paddle out into the ocean — led by a member of the national Surfers Against Sewage team.

Before the paddle out, speeches will be given by Sian Richardson, founder of the global Bluetits cold-water swimming movement, and Sue Burton, Pembrokeshire’s Marine Special Area of Conservation Officer.

The day will conclude with an after-party at Rwts starting at 4:00pm. Those who joined the protest will be offered discounts, with live music from 5:00pm, a DJ set from 6:00pm, and food and drink including BBQ, pizza, and local refreshments available throughout the evening.

Ella Staden, SAS regional representative, said: “It’s important that the community comes together to show support for a charity that is fighting extremely hard to protect our oceans and make sure our Blue Flag beaches remain a safe place to surf and bathe.

“A lot of people in Pembrokeshire have been impacted by sewage overspills — whether that’s falling ill, being unable to enjoy water activities, or simply not being able to take our families to the beach.

“We urge every single person who cares about the water to come and get involved, as this is a great opportunity to make it crystal clear to the government that we won’t stand for it anymore.”

More details can be found on Facebook by searching for ‘Paddle Out Protest Broad Haven’.

SIX volunteers at Angle RNLI Lifeboat Station have successfully completed key assessments, marking an important milestone in their ongoing training with the charity.

Earlier on Tuesday (Apr 29), crew members Nathen Houston, Anthony Thomas, Marc Blockwell, Bobby Davies and Neil Coles were all signed off on their Tier 2 competencies. The assessment, carried out during live exercise launches, tested their ability to carry out a variety of operational tasks safely and efficiently aboard the station’s lifeboat.

Tiered assessments are a core part of the RNLI’s structured training programme, designed to ensure volunteers are fully prepared to respond to emergencies at sea. Volunteers progress through the tiers as they demonstrate competence in areas such as navigation, boat handling, safety procedures, and teamwork under pressure.

Later the same day, Rhiannon Creese was successfully assessed as a Launch Authority. In this vital role, she will be responsible for authorising the launch of the lifeboat when required — a decision made in close coordination with HM Coastguard and other emergency services.

A spokesperson for Angle RNLI said: “These achievements reflect the hard work and dedication of our volunteers. The training is thorough and challenging, and passing these assessments means they are ready to take on more responsibility during lifeboat operations.”

The RNLI relies on volunteers for the majority of its lifesaving work, with crew and shore-based personnel undergoing extensive training to ensure they are ready for the demands of maritime rescue.

Angle Lifeboat has seen an increase in volunteers since their rescue vessel has been spending time moored in Milford Haven at the Port Authority Jetty.

THE START of a formal consultation of a potential federation of two Pembrokeshire schools has been backed by senior councillors.

At the April 28 meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council’s Cabinet members were asked to note the decisions of St Florence VC School and Penrhyn VC School to commence consultation on establishing formal federations for the two schools, and to obtain Cabinet’s approval for the Director of Education to commence consultation on behalf of the two schools.

A report for members said the two schools had been in an informal ‘soft federation’ since September 2022, with the headteacher of St Florence acting as Executive Headteacher.

“Prior to this period, the Headteacher at Penrhyn VC School was a longstanding appointment since the school opened in September 2017 and subsequently leaving the authority in August 2022,” a report for members said, adding: “In order to ‘formalise’ the collaboration that is currently taking place, the governing bodies of both schools have considered establishing a Federation. The initial soft federation was set up due to challenges in recruiting a headteacher at Penrhyn VC School.”

In the report given by Cabinet member for education Cllr Guy Woodham, it was stressed the federation is “not an amalgamation, a take-over or a route to closure,” but a partnership of the two schools “sharing a joint vision for a venture that would serve the interests of pupils, staff and both school communities”.

The schools would remain as separate establishments; they would be funded and inspected separately, produce separate accounts and report their assessment results separately.

The report concluded: “Both schools will now work with local authority officers to undertake the appropriate consultation. As a school-led federation, determination of whether to proceed subsequently will rest with the two governing bodies.  The local authority and Diocesan Director of Education (Church in Wales) endorses the decisions of the governing bodies to proceed to consult on this matter.”

Members unanimously backed the recommendation, moved by Cllr Woodham.