Community

Tesco launches Easter scheme to support families during school holidays

Published

2 months ago

March 26, 2026

Donation bags aim to ease pressure as foodbank demand remains high

WELSH families struggling to afford food during the school holidays are being offered extra support this Easter through a nationwide initiative launched by Tesco.

Customers visiting Tesco stores across Wales can buy pre-packed donation bags, priced between £2 and £5, to help families facing financial hardship during the Easter break. The scheme will run from Sunday (Mar 30) until April 12.

The bags contain essential long-life food items and will be distributed to charities including FareShare, The Felix Project and Trussell, helping provide vital supplies to those most in need.

Holiday periods can place added pressure on families who rely on free school meals during term time. Without that support, many parents struggle to ensure their children have access to regular, nutritious food.

Claire De Silva, Head of Communities at Tesco said: “Holiday periods can be really tough for families who miss out on free school meals, making it harder to ensure children get healthy food.

“These donation bags are a simple way for customers to make a real difference, helping provide vital support to families over the school holidays.”

Figures from Trussell show foodbank demand remains significantly higher than before the pandemic, with usage 45% above 2019 levels. In 2025 alone, the network distributed the equivalent of one food parcel every 12 seconds, with families accounting for nearly two-thirds of support.

FareShare and The Felix Project, which have recently merged to form the UK’s largest food redistribution charity, now support more than 8,000 community groups—83% of which work with families and children.

Tesco says it will continue its year-round efforts to tackle food poverty through schemes such as its Community Food Connection programme, which redistributes unsold food from stores, and its Fruit and Veg for Schools initiative, which supports healthier eating in schools with high levels of free school meals.

Matthew van Duyvenbode, Co-CEO at Trussell said: “No one should face hunger. These donations make a real difference, especially during the school holidays when families face increased costs.”

Charlotte Hill, CEO at FareShare & The Felix Project, added: “The school holidays can be especially difficult for parents already struggling. Initiatives like this help ensure more families can access the food they need.”

Tesco customers can also donate additional long-life items in store, including tinned meat and fish, pasta, rice, cereals, soups, and long-life milk.

Critics argue the scheme places the burden on customers at a time when supermarkets are reporting strong profits, while supporters say it provides vital, immediate help to struggling families.

Community

Sewage protest to be held at Broad Haven as campaigners demand action

Published

17 hours ago

May 14, 2026

Rieve Nesbitt-Marr

Paddle Out demonstration joins UK-wide call for tougher rules on pollution

PUBLIC protestors will gather at Broad Haven this weekend as part of a UK-wide campaign calling for urgent action to tackle sewage pollution in rivers and coastal waters.

The Paddle Out Protest, organised by Surfers Against Sewage, will take place at Broad Haven North Beach at 1:30pm on Saturday (May 16).

The event is one of more than 50 protests planned at beaches, rivers and lakes across the UK, as campaigners step up pressure on governments and water companies over sewage discharges, rising water bills, and what they describe as a lack of accountability in the industry.

Other demonstrations in Wales are expected at Caswell Bay, Swansea; Llyn Padarn, Llanberis; Coney Beach, Porthcawl; Whitmore Bay, Barry Island; and North Beach, Aberystwyth.

Surfers Against Sewage says new polling shows more than half of people in the UK are concerned they could become ill after swimming in rivers, lakes or the sea due to poor water quality.

Kate Bassett-Jones, Broad Haven protest lead, said: “Our local beach saw 116 sewage alerts in 2025 alone – that’s pollution warnings every three days.

“For a place renowned for its stunning coastline and thriving marine environment, this should not be happening.

“Local people should be able to enjoy the sea safely all year round, and visitors should not have to worry about getting sick when they come to Pembrokeshire.

“Communities are fed up with sewage pollution being treated as normal. Enough is enough.”

Surfers Against Sewage also claims Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water discharged sewage more than 100,000 times in 2025, for a total of more than 813,000 hours.

The charity is calling for legally binding targets to end untreated sewage discharges, stronger enforcement powers, improved funding for Natural Resources Wales, and year-round water quality testing.

Giles Bristow, chief executive of Surfers Against Sewage, described the situation in Wales as “catastrophically failing”.

He said: “We are paddling out across Wales to show the newly elected Welsh Government that we won’t back down until it takes the action needed to end the sewage crisis plaguing Wales’ wild waters.”

The protests come at the start of the bathing season and follow the announcement of a Clean Water Bill in the King’s Speech.

Community

Teifi river revival project secures £1.4m lottery funding

Published

2 days ago

May 13, 2026

Tom Sinclair

COMMUNITIES along the River Teifi are set to play a central role in a major new project aimed at improving the health of one of west Wales’ most important rivers.

The Teifi Fyw — Living Teifi: People and Nature Together project has been given the green light after securing more than £1.4m from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

The conservation project aims to respond to climate change, biodiversity loss and declining river health, while also recognising the Teifi’s deep cultural and historic importance to the communities which live and work along its catchment.

The first stage will be a two-year development phase, bringing together scientific evidence, local history, lived experience and creative work to help shape future restoration plans.

The project will be coordinated by Natural Resources Wales, working with the West Wales Rivers Trust, the Mining Remediation Authority, Strata Florida Trust, Mentera, Ceredigion County Council, UNESCO-MOST BRIDGES at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, and The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales.

It will also build on existing work carried out by the Teifi Nutrient Management Board and local stakeholder projects including Llais yr Afon and P.R.A.M.

Cllr Clive Davies welcomed the announcement, saying he looked forward to seeing the project outcomes realised.

The River Teifi is one of Wales’ best-known waterways, flowing through Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire before reaching the sea at Cardigan.

Project leaders say the aim is to ensure that restoration work is not only based on environmental evidence, but also reflects the values and priorities of the people who know the river best.

Community

Henry Tudor Centre designs to go on display in Pembroke

Published

2 days ago

May 13, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Public invited to help shape new heritage centre exhibition

MEMBERS of the public are being invited to view the emerging exhibition designs for the new Henry Tudor Centre in Pembroke.

The centre, due to open in spring 2027, will be based at South Quay and will tell the story of Henry Tudor, the son of Pembroke who went on to become Henry VII and founder of the Tudor dynasty.

The exhibition designs will be on display at Pembroke Town Hall from Friday, May 22, to Friday, May 29.

The Henry Tudor Trust, which will operate the new heritage centre, is asking residents and visitors to give their views on how Henry Tudor’s story should be told.

The designs have been developed by exhibition specialists Image Makers, with feedback forms available for members of the public to submit comments. These responses will help refine the exhibition as the project develops.

The new logo for the centre, created by Haverfordwest-based marketing company Media2Motion, will also be on display.

Work is currently underway to refurbish the Grade II-listed building at South Quay, which will house the new exhibition. The centre will also include a new public library, replacing the current library on The Commons, as well as a café.

The capital project is being funded by the Welsh Government, UK Government and Pembrokeshire County Council.

Additional support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund will fund a programme of events and activities at the new centre, alongside volunteering opportunities and educational resources for schools.

The exhibition plans can be viewed at Pembroke Town Hall from Monday to Thursday, 9:00am to 3:00pm, and Friday, 9:00am to 1:00pm. The town hall is closed on Saturdays and Sundays.