MILFORD HAVEN ROUND TABLE is asking residents in Hakin and Hubberston to help keep roads clear ahead of this Saturday’s Carnival Procession.

Organisers say the event is shaping up to be one of the biggest yet, with a large number of floats, lorries and support vehicles expected to make their way through Hakin before the procession begins at Waterloo Square.

Residents living along Gelliswick Road, Rectory Avenue, Glebelands and Picton Road, particularly near the junction with Observatory Avenue, are being asked to avoid double parking or parking on pavements where possible between around 11.45am and 1.00pm.

The route being used by the floats and support vehicles is shown on the map.

Some of the vehicles involved are large, and organisers say keeping the roads as clear as possible for the short period will help ensure the procession reaches Waterloo Square safely and on time.

Milford Haven Round Table said the carnival “belongs to the whole community” and thanked residents for their continued support.

They added: “Your understanding and cooperation, even for this short time, will make a huge difference and help make this year’s Carnival another fantastic day for our town.”

Residents are also being encouraged to share the message with friends, family and neighbours who live along the affected roads.

YOUNG people from Pembrokeshire and Neath Port Talbot will gather in Carmarthen next week for a Welsh education project aimed at tackling what organisers describe as a growing crisis in youth confidence.

Cymbrogi Futures will hold its fourth annual Tomorrow’s Changemakers Hackathon at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David on Friday, July 10, bringing together five finalist teams of 12 and 13-year-olds to pitch ideas linked to tourism, hospitality and the built environment.

The event comes against a stark national backdrop. Latest figures from the Office for National Statistics show more than one million young people aged 16 to 24 across the UK are not in education, employment or training. In Wales, Welsh Government data shows the proportion of 16 to 24-year-olds classed as NEET rose to 17.0% in the year ending December 2025.

A recent report by the Institute for Public Policy Research has also warned that many young people are losing faith in their futures, with only one in four 16 to 29-year-olds believing that people have a fair chance to succeed through talent and hard work.

Cymbrogi Futures says its programme is designed as a practical response to those concerns, giving pupils the chance to work with employers, community organisations and mentors on real-world sustainability challenges.

The Tomorrow’s Changemakers programme is rooted in the Curriculum for Wales and inspired by the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act. It asks learners to act as researchers, designers, communicators and problem-solvers, rather than simply studying climate and economic issues from a distance.

This year’s programme has reached around 1,000 learners across three counties, with five teams making it through to the Carmarthen final. Since 2022, Cymbrogi says the programme has worked with thousands of learners across Wales, with further expansion planned into Swansea, Powys and Bridgend from September 2026 and Bristol in 2027.

Ian Chriswick, Director of Cymbrogi Futures, said Wales already had the foundations for a more hopeful approach to education.

He said: “Wales has a ground-breaking curriculum that asks us to truly teach the future. But at a time when we should be celebrating its successes, we hear instead of record teacher burnout and falling learner morale.

“Tomorrow’s Changemakers is a direct, practical response to that, and to the question of why so many young people are losing faith in their own futures.”

The programme is backed by a range of Welsh and UK partners, including Milford Haven Port Authority, Cwm Environmental, Morgan Sindall Construction, Tai Tarian Housing Association and Admiral Insurance.

Organisers say the aim is not only to inspire pupils, but also to connect them directly with sectors that will need new skills as Wales moves towards a lower-carbon economy.

Milford Haven Port Authority, one of the UK’s major energy hubs, is involved as Pembrokeshire looks to position itself at the centre of floating offshore wind, green hydrogen and future energy infrastructure. Other partners bring links to construction, housing, insurance, the circular economy and community resilience.

Owen Stacey, Senior Social Value Manager, said: “For any business that cares about investing in the skills of the future or demonstrating social impact in their communities, this programme delivers on both counts.

“This is our third year and it’s exactly what the industry needs.”

The event will include a welcome lunch, keynote addresses, team pitches, collaborative judging and an awards ceremony. Organisers describe the format as friendly and informal, with adult participants asked to act as “cheerleaders first, judges second.”

Representatives from the Future Generations Commission, Welsh Government, local education authorities and academic partners are also expected to attend.

The wider policy context is significant. The new Plaid Cymru-led Welsh Government has placed education, skills, climate action and the green economy at the centre of its programme. Cefin Campbell MS, who represents Sir Gaerfyrddin, is now Deputy Minister for Skills and Tertiary Education, while Anna Brychan MS is Cabinet Minister for Education and the Welsh Language.

However, the scale of the challenge remains substantial. A single school programme cannot solve youth unemployment, poor mental health, transport barriers, poverty or the shortage of secure entry-level jobs. Those issues require sustained action from government, councils, colleges, employers and the voluntary sector.

There are also questions about how projects such as Tomorrow’s Changemakers can be scaled up without adding pressure to already stretched schools and teachers.

But supporters argue that the model offers something often missing from the national debate: a route from classroom learning into practical confidence, workplace awareness and civic purpose.

For west Wales, where young people often face limited transport, fewer local opportunities and pressure to leave their communities to build careers, that connection matters.

The Carmarthen hackathon will not by itself reverse the rise in young people falling out of education and work. But it offers a glimpse of a different approach, one where pupils are treated not as a problem to be solved, but as people with ideas, agency and a stake in Wales’s future.

PEOPLE across Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion are being encouraged to discover the wildlife on their doorstep as Wales Nature Week returns this July.

The annual celebration takes place from July 4 to 12, with more than 80 events across Wales, including a strong programme in Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion.

This year’s theme, In Your Neighbourhood, focuses on the wildlife, green spaces and everyday nature that can be found close to home, from beaches and wetlands to country parks, nature reserves, gardens and community spaces.

In West Wales, events include seashore activities on the Pembrokeshire coast, conservation work at Broad Haven, a guided walk at Teifi Marshes, a family nature day at Pembrey Country Park and the Ceredigion Nature Festival in Aberystwyth.

Natural Resources Wales said the week is designed to encourage people of all ages to get involved, spend time outdoors and take simple steps to help nature recover.

Prys Davies, Executive Director of Strategy, Policy and Evidence at Natural Resources Wales, said: “Wales Nature Week is a fantastic opportunity for people of all ages to get involved and make a difference for nature.

“We’re encouraging everyone to take a closer look at the nature on their doorstep, and to take simple, practical steps to help it thrive. Whether that’s creating space for wildlife at home, getting involved in local projects, or supporting conservation work, every action counts and adds up to real change.

“We’re facing a nature and climate emergency, and the need to act has never been clearer. Healthy ecosystems underpin our food, our health and our economy, and they need our support to thrive. Wales Nature Week is a chance for all of us to play our part.”

Local events include a Balsam Bash at Morfa Wetlands in Carmarthen on Friday, July 4, from 10:00am to 1:00pm. Volunteers will help tackle invasive Himalayan balsam and protect an important wetland habitat.

On Saturday, July 5, a guided walk at the former Pentremawr Colliery in Pontyberem will explore how nature has reclaimed the historic industrial site. The free event runs from 10:00am to 12:30pm.

Families in Pembrokeshire can take part in a Junior Seashore Safari on the Pembrokeshire Coast on Saturday, July 5, from 2:00pm to 4:00pm, with young explorers invited to discover the marine life living along the shoreline.

A Volunteer Conservation Day will also take place at Slash Pond Community Nature Reserve in Broad Haven on Sunday, July 6, from 10:30am. Volunteers will help with practical conservation tasks, including habitat management and boardwalk maintenance.

On Wednesday, July 9, the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales will lead a Wales Nature Week walk at Teifi Marshes Nature Reserve in Cilgerran from 1:30pm to 3:00pm. The walk will give visitors a chance to learn more about the reserve’s habitats, wildlife and future plans for the visitor centre.

One of the biggest local highlights will be Gone Wild at Pembrey Country Park on Saturday, July 11, from 11:00am to 4:00pm. The free family event, with parking charges applying, will include outdoor activities, nature challenges, scavenger hunts, den building and stalls from organisations working to protect wildlife in Carmarthenshire.

Ceredigion will also host one of the headline events, with Ceredigion Nature Festival taking place in Aberystwyth on Saturday, July 11, from 10:00am to 4:00pm. The free festival will bring together conservation groups, artists, researchers and community organisations to celebrate the county’s wildlife and landscapes.

The week ends locally with a Nature Bingo Walk with Sea Watch in New Quay, Ceredigion, on Sunday, July 12, from 11:00am to 1:00pm. Participants will explore the coast while spotting and identifying local wildlife.

Further West Wales events continue later in July, including a BioBlitz Festival at the National Botanic Garden of Wales in Llanarthne on July 18 and 19, where visitors will help record as many species as possible across the garden and Waun Las Nature Reserve.

Full event listings and booking details are available on the Wales Nature Week website.