A PEMBROKESHIRE pupil is celebrating after her design was chosen as the county’s new Active Travel logo.

Lillian Richards, a Year 6 pupil at Cleddau Reach Primary School, was named the overall winner of a Road Safety and Transport competition which invited pupils across Pembrokeshire to create a fresh logo for Active Travel.

Her design will now be used on Pembrokeshire County Council’s website and social media platforms.

Lillian’s entry was selected from a strong field of submissions, standing out for its bright, colourful style and for capturing a range of Active Travel options.

The winning design was later developed into a final logo by the council’s graphics team, with Tom Banner refining it into a professional format.

Lillian was presented with a certificate and prize at her school by Road Safety Officer Sally Jones.

Speaking after the presentation, Lillian said she was “extremely pleased” to have won and was impressed with how her design had been transformed.

Sally Jones praised Lillian and the wider field of entrants.

She said: “The standard of entries for this competition was incredible. We have some very talented pupils across Pembrokeshire.

“Lillian’s design was thoughtful, hit the brief and was eye-catching. She should be very proud of her work and we are excited to start using the logo moving forward.”

Caption:

Competition winner: Lillian Richards is pictured with council Road Safety Officer Sally Jones.

PEMBROKESHIRE councillors have backed the closure of a small rural school which has left campaigners “heartbroken” and “let down by those elected to represent them”.

At its March meeting, Pembrokeshire County Council members backed a recommendation that Director of Education be authorised to publish a Statutory Notice to discontinue Ysgol Clydau, Tegryn.

Councillors had previously heard here has been a significant decline in the school’s pupil population during the period 2015-2025, with no indication that this will be significantly reversed during the next five-six years.

The statutory notice followed a consultation on the proposals, and a hearing of a petition opposing the potential closure, which had generated 648 responses on the council’s own website, with impassioned pleas to keep the school open.

Ysgol Clydau has been described as “more than just a school; it’s a hub for community life, offering a safe and welcoming space for children, families and residents of all ages,” with those opposing closure warning: “Its closure will isolate our community, leading to a decline in population and a weakening of our social fabric.”

At a special extraordinary council meeting held on June 15, members of Pembrokeshire County Council were asked to consider a report on a summary of 126 objections received in respect of the proposal to discontinue Ysgol Clydau, which included an option to halt the closure.

However, it was recommended, in a report present by deputy leader Cllr Paul Miller, who now also has responsibility for education, for the discontinuation be proceeded with.

The decision for Ysgol Clydau followed an earlier agenda item where members backed a recommendation to discontinue Manorbier school in the south of the county.

At the meeting, local member Cllr Iwan Ward – who has championed the fight to keep Ysgol Clydau open – questioned the value of the consultation, saying it was “supposed to be an opportunity to listen and reflect on alternative viewpoints,” adding: “They deserve to know their voices matter.”

He said viable alternatives to closure had “not been fully explored,” adding: “This decision will have consequences that last longer than any council term; today we have an opportunity to send a message that rural communities matter, and that Welsh education matters, and that rural schools matter.”

Cllr Huw Murphy, whose ward is nearby said he would find it difficult to attend this year’s national Eisteddfod which is being held close to Tegryn, knowing a Welsh language school had been closed, before quoting the Manic Street Preachers rock band lyrics: “If you tolerate this then your children will be next.”

Cllr Miller stressed alternative Welsh language provision for the pupils, with the longest any pupil would have to travel was just over three miles.

Members voted by 32 votes to 21, with one abstention, to back the recommendation to discontinue Ysgol Clydau.

Speaking after the meeting, campaign group Save Ysgol Clydau – Cadw Clydau yn Gardarn said: “Many of us feel that those making this decision spoke about budgets, statistics and percentages, but failed to understand what Ysgol Clydau truly is.

“It is not simply a school. It is a community. It is the heart of a Welsh-speaking rural area. It is a place where children felt safe, supported, understood and valued. Today, that has been taken away.”

It added: “What happened today should concern every rural community in Wales. If it can happen here, it can happen elsewhere. This is bigger than Ysgol Clydau. It is about the future of rural schools, rural communities and the Welsh language.”

It ended by saying: “Today we are grieving. Today we are heartbroken. Today many people feel let down by those elected to represent them.

“But history will record that this community fought with dignity, passion and determination for its children. And we will continue to speak up for rural communities and rural schools, because what happened today should never become normal.”

TWO MORE rural schools in west Wales could close by the end of the year after Carmarthenshire County Council published statutory notices proposing the closure of Ysgol Meidrim and Ysgol y Fro.

The move follows growing concern over the future of small rural schools across the region, after The Herald reported yesterday on separate school closure proposals in Pembrokeshire.

Carmarthenshire County Council confirmed on Tuesday (Jun 16) that statutory notices had been issued under the School Standards and Organisation Act 2013.

Members of the public now have 28 days to object, with the deadline set for July 14, 2026.

Objections can be submitted through the council’s online surveys for Ysgol Meidrim and Ysgol y Fro, by emailing [email protected], or in writing to Owain Lloyd, Director of Education and Leisure, County Hall, Carmarthen, SA31 1JP.

Cabinet decision

The decision to issue the statutory notices was agreed by Carmarthenshire County Council’s Cabinet on Monday, June 1.

If the proposals are approved, both closures would take effect from December 31, 2026.

From January 1, 2027, pupils currently attending Ysgol Meidrim would be expected to attend either Ysgol Griffith Jones or Ysgol Hafodwenog, depending on parental preference and the council’s admissions arrangements.

The catchment area of Ysgol Gynradd Meidrim would also be re-designated and absorbed into the existing catchment areas of Ysgol Griffith Jones and Ysgol Bancyfelin.

Under the proposals for Ysgol y Fro, pupils would attend Ysgol y Dderwen from January 1, 2027, again subject to parental preference and admissions arrangements.

Its catchment area would be re-designated and included within the existing catchments of Llangunnor Primary School, Llanddarog VC Primary School, Ferryside VC Primary School, Gwynfryn Primary School, Ysgol Gymraeg Gwenllian, Ysgol Gynradd Mynyddygarreg and Ysgol y Castell.

Rural school concern

The council says both schools have been identified under viability criteria set out in its Modernising Education Programme, which was approved by Cabinet on November 18, 2024.

The publication of statutory notices marks a formal stage in the closure process and gives parents, residents, governors and other interested parties the opportunity to object before a final decision is made.

The proposals come amid wider concern about the future of small rural schools, with communities across west Wales warning that closures can have a lasting impact on village life, Welsh-language education, transport arrangements and young families.

The council has said objections received during the statutory notice period will be considered before any final decision is taken.