Community

Closure of popular Pembroke Dock community hub confirmed

Published

3 months ago

September 10, 2024

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

PEMBROKE Dock’s Anchorage day centre is to close in less than two months, following a decision by senior councillors today, September 9.

The county council is currently changing care provision for older adults and those with learning disabilities, and fears have been raised recently that Pembroke Dock’s Anchorage day care centre is to close.

A series of engagement events have taken place at The Anchorage recently, outlining the reasons and the options in continued service, part of which is much-needed building maintenence costs at the centre, set against a background of increasingly tight budgets, councillors have heard.

The Anchorage Day Care Centre in Pembroke Dock has been a “safe and happy place” for adults with learning difficulties and additional needs for decades.

In more recent years it has expanded to support elderly dementia sufferers.

At the July meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council, members received a petition calling for the council to keep the centre open, with an impassioned plea by Peter Welsh for the centre to remain open, saying of the service users: “They are a family, a happy group of individuals that enjoy being together in safety at their home, the Anchorage.

“They are effectively voiceless, we will be their voice.

“It’s an injustice; inexcusable targeting of the vulnerable. Please don’t use these vulnerable individuals as pawns for a money-saving gain.

“We may lose this battle today, but I hope not; they need your support. Just imagine if it was your son or daughter or grandchild being put through this uncertainty that is affecting their lives; you would feel the same sense of anger as us.”

Despite a plea by local councillors Tony Wilcox and Brian Hall to give the centre a breathing space ahead of a potential move to an as-yet-unbuilt facility in Pembroke, the matter was brought to the September meeting of the council’s Cabinet.

In a report presented at the September 9 Cabinet meeting by Cllr Tessa Hodgson, Cabinet Member for Social Care and Safeguarding, it was recommended members “close the Anchorage Day Centre with effect from November 1, 2024,” along with, as part of wider changes in the service, establishing social enterprise models in the Crymych’s Bro Preseli and Narberth’s Lee Davies Centre with effect from April 1, 2025.

The recommendation, one of three presented to Cabinet, said it “will provide a longer time period to establish social enterprise models in two of the three centres, ensuring time for scrutiny from members and further engagement from families and users in the final model,” adding: “The model will further strengthen the links between PCC and the third Sector.

“The Anchorage Day Centre would be closed in [two of the three options], but the timescales set out would provide a transition to a new service before the winter and ensure that service users would not need unplanned placement if the building does require emergency closure.

“Service users at the Anchorage have all received support from senior social workers to review alternative placements and all have chosen options should the decision be made to close the Anchorage. Several additional options to retain services within the Pembroke Dock area have been included mitigating journey time to Haverfordwest.

“Meadow Park [in Haverfordwest] has capacity to support all of the current service users from the Anchorage and has the capacity and skill set to provide a single point of excellence. South Wales Advocacy will be approached once a decision has been made to support service users.

“Whilst Option 2 would not secure all of the budget savings required of adult services in 2024/25 it will ensure full recovery next year and reduce the need to enact any further budget savings which would require loss of staff and additional redundancy costs.”

Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services Cllr Rhys Sinnett said: “It’s a sensitive issue and one that really – if I was a parent, I would want to protect my young person or adult as much as possible – I guess part of all that is about the peer group or the friendship group that they have; wherever possible we must seek to offer something that preserves that as much as possible and is as close to wherever they live as possible.”

Council leader Cllr Jon Harvey stressed the need to keep the “cohort of Anchorage users together,” later quoting the reasoning behind the choice of options, as outlined in the report to members.

Speaking after the meeting, Cllr Hodgson said: “In Pembrokeshire, we want older people and people with disabilities to have a range of meaningful things to do, in their local communities that provides purpose, connection and where appropriate, progression.

“We have at every step tried to balance the needs of the service users and their families with the requirement for change and we will continue to support all service users as we go through this process.

“We have worked hard to identify alternative and suitable provision for all service users and put the direct bus in place from the Anchorage to Meadow Park after listening to feedback.

“I wish to emphasise that no service users will be left without provision following the decision here today and we will continue to work closely with everyone to ensure a positive outcome for all day opportunities users.”

Community

Tractor run lights up Pembrokeshire and raises funds for charity

Published

1 day ago

December 21, 2024

Tom Sinclair

THE PEMBROKESHIRE ILLUMINATED TRACTOR RUN took place today (Dec 21), raising funds for two vital charities: the Catrin Vaughan Foundation and Wales Air Ambulance.

Starting at Clarbeston Road AFC at 6:00pm, the brightly lit convoy of nearly 200 tractors made its way through Withybush Hospital and Haverfordwest High Street before finishing at the Pembrokeshire County Showground.

The annual event has become a highlight of the festive calendar, drawing large crowds to witness the spectacle of tractors adorned with colourful lights and decorations.

Funds raised from the event will support the Catrin Vaughan Foundation, which provides crucial assistance to families facing hardship, and the Wales Air Ambulance, delivering life-saving emergency medical care across the region.

Organisers praised the dedication of local farmers and volunteers, whose commitment ensures the event’s continued success year after year.

(Image: Nia Marshall/Facebook)

Community

Festive celebrations at St Davids Cathedral this weekend

Published

2 days ago

December 21, 2024

Tom Sinclair

ST DAVIDS Cathedral is set to host two special events on Sunday (Dec 22), offering a blend of joyful participation and traditional carol singing to mark the Christmas season.

In the morning, families are invited to the Scratch Nativity at 11:00am. Attendees are encouraged to come dressed as wise men, angels, sheep, or shepherds and take part in an unrehearsed retelling of the Christmas story. Canon Leigh described the event as: “Complete, wonderful chaos for an hour… but with some poignant, thought-provoking moments to centre ourselves on the real meaning of Christmas.”

Later in the evening, the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols by Candlelight will take place at 7:00pm, featuring the Cathedral Choir. The event, steeped in tradition, will see the cathedral bathed in candlelight as carols and scripture readings fill the historic space.

Doors will open at 5:45pm for those seeking unreserved seating, and a large turnout is expected for this beloved Christmas celebration.

Community

Restoration of a pond hopes to support biodiversity in Pembrokeshire

Published

2 days ago

December 20, 2024

Tom Sinclair

AN OLD millpond at the heart of the Wallis and Ambleston community, and a site of Special Scientific Interest, has now been improved to benefit water quality and increase biodiversity in an area of South Wales, thanks to funding from Nestlé Waters UK.

Wallis Pond was created in 1836 as part of the tributary of the Wester Cleddau River to supply water to a local mill. Back in 1978, it was restored and later re-opened by HRH King Charles III, the then Prince of Wales.

Over the years, the pond had become completely silted up, restricting the waters passage and the pond’s ability to retain water, resulting in a reduced diversity of habitat in and around the millpond.

Pembrokeshire County Council, Heavyside Landscapes and Nestlé Waters UK have come together to restore the millpond with regulatory guidance from Natural Resources Wales and support from the Ambleston Community Council.

The project saw the pond re-dug and de-silted, and the old sluice gate replaced to re-establish the millpond. With the pond now able to hold more water, it is hoped to help build resilience to the increased frequency and intensity of storm events, alleviating the risk of flooding in the local area.

Retention of flows in the pond for a longer time should help reduce silt build-up and prevent nutrients such as phosphates and nitrates from travelling downstream in the Cleddau catchment, helping to protect water quality, improve aquatic habitats, and encourage eels, otters, damselflies, and other wildlife species.

Restoration of Wallis Pond is one of the projects that Nestlé Waters is working on as part of its efforts to help regenerate local water cycles and create a positive water impact everywhere the company operates.

Matthew Faulkner, Factory Manager at the Nestlé Waters site in Princes Gate, said: “We are proud to be a part of the Wallis Pond restoration work, aimed at delivering long-lasting benefits in Pembrokeshire, where we bottle at source Princes Gate and Nestlé Pure Life waters. This beautiful landscape is not only our home, but also home to some incredible flora and fauna which are vital for keeping the area rich and thriving in biodiversity.

“We’re working hard to protect this land and the water beneath our feet. Water is a shared resource and a shared responsibility, and caring for it takes the whole community. That’s why we’re grateful to be working with partners on this project that will hopefully have a positive impact on the local ecosystem and community.”

Cllr Rhys Sinnett, Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services at the Pembrokeshire County Council, said: “We welcome this funding to enhance the biodiversity in Wallis Pond which can be enjoyed by the residents of Ambleston, the wider communities in Pembrokeshire and the visitors to our fantastic county.

“This is an excellent example of partnership working that has significant benefits for the environment and the wellbeing of generations to come.”

Eirian Forrest, Clerk at the Ambleston Community Council, said: “We are grateful to Nestlé Waters UK for the funding and wish to thank everyone who has been involved in this project, especially the Pembrokeshire County Council team, for pushing the project forwards.

“The Community Council are delighted that the work has finally been done and look forward to the positive impact it will have on biodiversity. We have already received many positive comments from members of the community. The improved pond encourages locals to take a walk around the area, as well as sit down to watch and enjoy the wildlife.”