Community
Have your say to help shape positive change for older people
OLDER people across Wales are being encouraged to make their voices heard through a new consultation launched by the Older People’s Commissioner for Wales. The initiative, titled ‘Have Your Say’, aims to gather insights from older individuals and organisations to inform the Commissioner’s strategy and work plan for delivering meaningful change.
Speaking about the consultation, Commissioner Rhian Bowen-Davies said:
“I want Wales to lead the way in empowering older people, tackling inequality, and enabling everyone to live and age well. As Commissioner, it’s crucial that my work is guided by the voices and experiences of older people.”
The consultation invites older people from diverse backgrounds and communities to share their concerns, challenges, and ideas. It also welcomes positive examples of initiatives that are working well and could be replicated across Wales to improve the lives of older people.
Focus on key issues
The consultation focuses on four key areas critical to quality of life:
- Access to services and support
- Feeling safe
- Fair treatment
- Voice, choice, and control
Older people, their families, and organisations supporting them can share their views by completing a short questionnaire. The survey is available both online at www.olderpeople.wales/haveyoursay and in paper format, distributed through organisations across Wales. Paper copies can be returned via freepost.
For those preferring a personal touch, the Commissioner’s team is available to discuss experiences by phone at 03442 640 670.
A call for collaboration
The Commissioner is also reaching out to groups and organisations working with older people to identify pressing issues and priorities.
“Any information shared will be invaluable as I develop my strategy and work plan,” Bowen-Davies added. “It will help my team take action to transform policy and practice, delivering positive change in key areas that matter most to older people.”
The consultation is open until 28 February 2025, giving participants ample time to contribute.
By participating in the ‘Have Your Say’ consultation, older people and those supporting them have a unique opportunity to influence the future and ensure Wales becomes a leader in creating an inclusive, age-friendly society.
Community
Hospital staff to climb Pen y Fan for Ward 4 fundraiser
STAFF from Ward 4 at Withybush Hospital are preparing to climb Pen y Fan to raise money for their surgical ward.
The team will take on the challenge on Saturday, September 5, 2026, climbing the highest peak in South Wales in Bannau Brycheiniog.
The fundraiser aims to raise £500, with money going directly towards improving the ward environment for patients.
Staff said: “We have organised this event to raise funds that will go directly towards enhancing the ward environment for patients, including purchasing items such as TVs to improve comfort and wellbeing during their stay.
“We’re hoping to raise £500.”
Katie Hancock, Fundraising Officer, said: “A huge thank you to the team on Ward 4 for embracing the challenge and choosing to raise funds for their ward. We hope you have a fantastic day and truly enjoy the experience.
“The generous charitable donations we receive do not replace NHS funding. Instead, they support additional items and activities outside core NHS expenditure. These small extras make a big difference, and we are so grateful for every donation we receive.”
Donations can be made to the Ward 4 Pen y Fan fundraiser at: https://hyweldda.enthuse.com/cf/ward-4-staff-at-withybush-hospital-s-pen-y-fan-cha
For more information about Hywel Dda Health Charities and how to support local NHS patients and staff, visit: hywelddahealthcharities.nhs.wales
Pictured:
Staff from Ward 4
Community
Charles Street to come alive for Milford Haven Founders Day
CHARLES STREET will once again be transformed into a bustling pedestrian zone as Milford Haven celebrates its annual Founders Day on Saturday (June 6).
Milford Haven Business Circle, in collaboration with Milford Haven Town Council, is bringing the much-loved community event back to the town centre to celebrate the town’s heritage, history and community spirit.
The event will run from 11:00am until 4:00pm, with a programme of free family entertainment including bouncy castles, face painting, local stalls, community groups, activities for all ages and live entertainment organised by the Boulevard Theatre.
The day’s celebrations will also be professionally photographed by Captured Soul Photography.
Founders Day gives residents and visitors the chance to come together to celebrate Milford Haven’s past while supporting the businesses, organisations and community groups that continue to make the town a vibrant place today.
To allow the event to take place safely, a road closure will be in force from the junction of Francis Street to Dartmouth Street between 10:00am and 5:00pm. Once the closure is in place, Charles Street will become a pedestrian-only zone.
Medical and event safety cover throughout the day will be provided by Pegasus Ambulance Service.
Milford Haven Business Circle has thanked Milford Haven Town Council, Taste of Haven, PATCH, Tesco Milford Haven, Ambulance Friends, The Ascona Group and Green Light Traffic Management for their support in helping make this year’s event possible.
Business Circle members supporting the event include Cast N Craft Fishing for Health, Pegasus Ambulance Service, Elizabeth Christie Bridal Wear, Taste of Haven, Phoenix Yarns, Phoenix Bowl, Alf Seren Collectables, Granby’s, Captured Soul Photography, Moon Goddess Emporium and Milford Haven Town Council.
Everyone is welcome to attend and entry is free.

Community
Explore Pembrokeshire after hours with lighthouse tours and bat walks
A SERIES of special evening events will offer visitors a different way to experience the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park this summer.
The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority is running exclusive after-hours events at Strumble Head Lighthouse and in St Davids, giving people the chance to explore the area’s heritage and wildlife as dusk falls.
Explore the Lighthouse tours will provide rare access to one of the coast’s best-known landmarks at Strumble Head. Led by National Park Authority staff, the small-group tours will begin with a first-hand account of lighthouse life from the current keeper.
A Ranger-led session will then look at the station’s maritime heritage, including the history of nearby shipwrecks, before exploring the lighthouse’s links with the Coast Path, surrounding farmland and the native wildlife that becomes active after dark.
The tours will take place on four Friday evenings this summer: June 19, July 3, July 17 and August 7. Two timed slots will be available each evening, from 5:00pm to 6:30pm and 7:00pm to 8:30pm.

In St Davids, Brilliant Bats will give visitors the chance to discover more about the wildlife that emerges from the nooks and crannies around the city’s iconic cathedral after dark.
Bat detectors will be provided, with guidance from a Park Authority Ranger on how to use them, as well as information about the elusive nocturnal creatures.
The bat walks will take place on Friday, August 14, from 8:15pm to 10:15pm, and Thursday, August 27, from 7:45pm to 9:45pm.
Rachel Perkins, Manager of Oriel y Parc, National Park Discovery Centre in St Davids, said: “These events offer a chance to experience familiar places in a completely different way.
“From stepping inside Strumble Lighthouse and hearing stories from the current keeper, to listening for bats around St Davids Cathedral after dark, each event brings people closer to the landscape, heritage and wildlife of the National Park.”
Booking is essential. Tickets for both Explore the Lighthouse and Brilliant Bats cost £10 per person and can be reserved at www.pembrokeshirecoast.wales/events.
Caption: Enjoy a different way of experiencing the Park this summer with special evening events run by the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority.
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