Community

Pembrokeshire’s only hospice closes after 18 years

Published

3 months ago

November 1, 2025

St Davids hospice shuts its doors amid financial crisis

PEMBROKESHIRE’S only hospice, Shalom House in St Davids, closed its doors on Friday (Oct 31) after almost two decades of providing end-of-life care for some of the county’s most vulnerable patients.

The hospice, which first welcomed patients in 2007, was founded following a decade of community fundraising and was based in a five-bedroom bungalow on Nun Street — a property gifted to the charity by the late romantic novelist Elizabeth de Guise.

Shalom House offered holistic and personalised support to people with life-limiting conditions including cancer, motor neurone disease, Parkinson’s and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

***Paul Davies MS at a visit to the centre last year (Pic: Supplied)***

Trustees confirm permanent closure

In a statement issued last month, the board of trustees confirmed that the hospice would close on October 31 due to “ongoing financial difficulties and a lack of sustainable funding.”

“It is with a very heavy heart that we announce the closure of Shalom House Hospice in St Davids, which has served the whole of Pembrokeshire for many years,” the board said. “Sadly, ongoing financial difficulties and a lack of sustainable funding mean we have no alternative but to close.”

The charity had faced financial pressures for several years, with local fundraising and limited government support proving insufficient to sustain services. Its two charity shops in St Davids and Fishguard also closed this week.

Part of a national funding crisis

The closure comes as the National Audit Office (NAO) reported that nearly two-thirds of independent hospices across the UK are now operating at a deficit. According to the report, hospice spending in 2023-24 exceeded income by £78 million, leading to cuts in staff, bed closures, and reduced services nationwide.

On average, only 29 per cent of hospice income comes from government sources, with the remainder dependent on donations, retail income, and community fundraising.

Founder and patron express sadness

Margaret Burnett MBE, who founded Shalom House, said she was deeply saddened by the closure.

“It’s the end of an era,” she said. “Elizabeth gave her house to the people of Pembrokeshire so they could experience what a hospice could be like in peaceful surroundings. She will be turning in her grave.”

Baroness Ilora Finlay, the hospice’s patron and a leading palliative care specialist, added that the loss of Shalom House was a serious blow for local people in need of compassionate end-of-life support.

“People in Pembrokeshire deserve excellent care at the most vulnerable times of their lives,” she said.

Future of surgery still unclear

Two rooms at Shalom House were converted last year to house a branch of St Davids Surgery. Hywel Dda University Health Board said it remains “in discussion” about the surgery’s future following the hospice’s closure.

Community

Campaign to ‘save’ River Cleddau hits over 2,200 signatures

Published

41 minutes ago

January 29, 2026

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

A PETITION call for a public commitment to save Pembrokeshire’s River Cleddau which has attracted more than 2,200 signatures, and is due to be heard by full council, ends in a few days.

The e-petition on Pembrokeshire County Council’s own website, started by James Harrison-Allen, says: “We call on Pembrokeshire County Council to create and enact a Clean Rivers Policy to restore the Cleddau to good health after decades of neglect and degradation.

“The Cleddau flows through the heart of Pembrokeshire, including our county town, and is the foundation for Pembrokeshire’s prosperity. The river is failing, and we need to act now to save it from irreversible decline.

“What’s the problem? The Cleddau rivers and estuary are the worst (and worsening) polluted SAC (Special Area of Conservation) designated rivers in Wales; worse even than the Wye and the Usk (NRW Water Assessment Report 2024), and considerably worse than the neighbouring Towy and Teifi.

“Damaging impacts on Pembrokeshire’s economy, public health and the natural environment. Ineffective regulation; monitoring, responding, policing, enforcement and prosecutions. What should PCC be doing to address this? Make a formal, public commitment to cleaning up the Cleddau. Make the health of the Cleddau central.”

Earlier this year, Henry Tufnell, MP for Mid and South Pembrokeshire, called for “urgent” action to tackle the poor state of the River Cleddau when he chaired a discussion bringing together key stakeholders, environmental experts, and community voices to address the issues surrounding water quality and pollution.

The panel event, organised by local river action group The Cleddau Project, covered topics including pollution sources, enforcement failures, and potential solutions to improve the river’s health.

The e-petition runs up to February 1, and had attracted 2,207 signatures by January 27.

If a petition gets 500 signatures, the creator will have an opportunity to debate it at a future full council meeting.

Community

Tenby sailing club works approved by national park

Published

10 hours ago

January 28, 2026

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

PLANS for works at Tenby’s historic sailing club building, part of the ‘iconic view’ of the town’s harbour have been given the go-ahead by the national park.

In an application to Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, Tenby Sailing Club, through agent David J P Morgan RIBA Architect sought permission for the two openings in second floor gable wall along with two new windows at Tenby Sailing Club, Penniless Cove Hill, along with a related listed building consent.

The application was supported by Tenby Town Council and Tenby Civic Society, the latter saying it will “add value to the use of the building and maintain the character and value of the listed building and the conservation area”.

Supporting documents for the application said: “The proposal is to form two new openings in the stonework and install two windows. These will replicate the existing windows at first floor level below. The openings will have red brick head as on existing original openings on the building. The proposal will have very little adverse impact on the listed building.”

They added: “The proposed new windows will improve observation of the harbour and bay from the second-floor level. This is where yacht racing is monitored and observed by officials and safety personnel.”

An officer report, recommending approval said: “The sailing club was built as a warehouse c. 1825, abutting the C17 sluice. Originally wine stores, it was later used by the local fishermen for stores and is now the home to Tenby Sailing Club, established in 1936. The rubble-built building is of three storeys and four bays, the glazing all later C20 with a slated roof and a modernised interior. There is a large steel stair to north (seaward) elevation.”

It added: “The building forms part of a group picturesquely clustered around the sluice, in turn forming part of the iconic view of Tenby Harbour. The proposal is to insert two windows at second floor level to the north (seaward) elevation, flanking the existing door,” adding: “The area retains its mercantile character not just in appearance, but also through its character due to ongoing use as fishing boat stores and winter moorings.

“The sailing club has occupied the building for many years and remains very active. The proposal is intended to improve the amenity of the building to provide better viewing at elevation and seeks to copy the detail and proportions of the windows at first floor stage.”

The application, and the related listed building consent, was conditionally approved by park planners.

Community

Pembrokeshire students speak at national Holocaust Memorial Day event

Published

15 hours ago

January 28, 2026

Tom Sinclair

TWO Haverfordwest High School pupils addressed senior political and religious figures and a Holocaust survivor at Wales’ main commemoration in Cardiff

Holocaust Memorial Day was marked in Cardiff this week with a powerful contribution from two Pembrokeshire students, who were invited to speak at Wales’ national commemoration event.

Awel Jones and Olivia Beal, both Year 13 pupils at Haverfordwest High School, attended the ceremony at the Temple of Peace on Monday (Jan 27) in their roles as ambassadors for the Holocaust Educational Trust.

The pair were asked to deliver speeches reflecting on their work with the Trust and their involvement in the “Lessons from Auschwitz” project, which educates young people about the Holocaust and the dangers of prejudice, discrimination and hatred.

They spoke in front of a distinguished audience that included the First Minister for Wales, Eluned Morgan, the Archbishop of Wales, senior civic leaders and Holocaust survivor Peter Lantos.

The national event formed part of Holocaust Memorial Day 2026, which was held under the theme “bridging generations”, highlighting the responsibility of younger generations to carry forward the lessons of the past as the number of living survivors declines.

Awel Jones and Olivia Beal were the only young Holocaust Educational Trust ambassadors representing Wales at the national ceremony, a distinction described as a significant honour for both the students and Pembrokeshire.

A parent said the occasion was “profoundly emotive and important”, adding that being invited to speak at such a high-profile event was an accolade for the students and a reflection of the strength of Holocaust education work taking place locally.

Holocaust Memorial Day is observed annually on January 27, marking the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1945.