A CHARITY established in memory of 11-year-old Zac Thompson is helping almost 2,000 Pembrokeshire schoolchildren learn potentially life-saving skills in and around the water.

Forever 11 was founded following Zac’s death in 2022, when he was swept into the sea.

The charity began delivering water safety programmes in 2023, initially working with one school. It now supports pupils at 13 primary schools across Pembrokeshire, with around 2,000 children expected to take part in its sessions this year.

Forever 11 chair Carli Newell said the charity believes water safety should be treated as an essential life skill for children growing up in a coastal county.

She said: “Every child in Pembrokeshire deserves the right to have water safety sessions.

“Especially where we live, it should be as important as being able to read.”

Working alongside organisations including PaddleWest, Activity Pembrokeshire and Windswept Wales, the charity provides practical kayaking, paddleboarding and sea kayaking sessions.

Pupils are also taught important safety advice, including the RNLI’s Float to Live guidance, while some children have the opportunity to gain nationally recognised Paddle Safe and Swim Safe qualifications.

The programme was originally aimed at pupils in Years 5 and 6, but it has since been extended to children in Years 3 and 4.

The charity hopes that introducing younger pupils to the water will help them build confidence and develop essential skills before reaching the age group most at risk of accidental drowning.

Forever 11 trustee Lucy Garett said national drowning figures are reviewed each year to help shape the programme.

She said: “The trends are all the same every year.

“It’s mostly children aged between 10 and 19 who are at risk of accidental drowning.

“We want children to have at least one or two sessions in the water before they reach that higher risk group.”

The sessions are offered to schools free of charge, with the costs covered through fundraising and public donations.

This means children can participate regardless of their family’s financial circumstances.

Forever 11 estimates that it has delivered more than 10,000 hours of water safety education since its work began.

Ms Garett said the response from schools, parents and pupils had been extremely positive.

She added: “Some parents have told us their child had been completely scared of going in the water, but afterwards they said it was one of the best days they’d ever had at school.”

The charity now hopes to work with more watersports providers, allowing the scheme to reach additional schools throughout Pembrokeshire.

Its long-term ambition is for every primary school pupil in the county to finish school with the knowledge and confidence needed to stay safe around the water.

The charity said: “We want every primary-aged child to know what to do to keep themselves and others safe in and around the water.”

Forever 11 will continue raising awareness and funds at Pembroke Regatta on Saturday, July 25, followed by its annual Forever 11 Fun Day on Sunday, July 26.

ANIMAL welfare campaigners have welcomed a UK Government consultation on tighter controls over the use of loud fireworks outside organised displays.

The RSPCA described the announcement as a “major step forward” and urged pet owners and animal lovers across England and Wales to take part in the consultation.

David Bowles OBE, the charity’s head of public affairs, said fireworks could cause severe distress and lasting harm to pets, horses, livestock and wildlife.

He said: “For too long, pets, horses, wildlife and farmed animals have been deeply affected by fireworks and the lack of regulation, including DIY and impromptu displays.

“Animals such as dogs and horses can suffer from tinnitus, hearing loss and long-term hearing damage, while all animals can experience stress and fear, which has in some instances led to injury and even death.

“Livestock and other animals living outdoors often try to escape the bangs out of fear, sometimes injuring themselves in the process, and the consequences can be devastating.”

An RSPCA survey carried out in 2024 found that 66 per cent of pet owners considered backyard firework displays to be a major concern.

The charity has long campaigned for tighter restrictions and more responsible use of fireworks. Its work has included an annual calming programme with Classic FM on Bonfire Night and its Kind Sparks campaign, which encourages communities to consider the impact of fireworks on animals and vulnerable people.

The RSPCA is also a member of the Fireworks Impact Coalition, a group of 19 organisations representing people and animals adversely affected by fireworks.

Mr Bowles added: “This campaign has never been about spoiling people’s fun, but about protecting animals.

“This consultation has the potential to be a game changer. We now have an opportunity to give animals a voice by encouraging everyone who cares about them to respond and support these long-awaited restrictions.”

RSPB CYMRU has purchased a 96-hectare upland site in Carmarthenshire, describing it as a vital step towards reconnecting one of Wales’ most important wildlife landscapes.

The newly acquired area, known as Gallt-y-bere, lies alongside the River Tywi and sits between two previously separated sections of the charity’s Gwenffrwd-Dinas nature reserve in the Elenydd uplands.

Conservationists say the purchase will reconnect fragmented habitats for the first time in around 60 years, creating a continuous landscape that will allow wildlife to move more freely and strengthen biodiversity across the reserve.

The site contains a rich mix of internationally important habitats, including rare Atlantic oak woodland – often referred to as Celtic rainforest – as well as ancient woodland, peat bogs and ffridd, the transitional habitat found between lowland farmland and open upland areas.

RSPB Cymru believes linking these habitats together will benefit a wide range of species, including pied flycatchers, hen harriers, cuckoos, wood warblers, pine martens and whinchats.

The purchase was made possible through a philanthropic loan and support from thousands of donors who contributed to the charity’s fundraising appeal.

Jonathan Cryer, site manager at RSPB Gwenffrwd-Dinas, described Gallt-y-bere as a “truly magical place”.

He said: “I’m thrilled that we’re in a position to expand and improve its rare habitats and wildlife.

“Securing this site is a brilliant opportunity for us to strengthen ancient woodland, restore upland habitats and create the conditions needed for rare wildlife to flourish in the future.”

RSPB Cymru says the enlarged reserve is now big enough to support breeding hen harriers. Although the red-listed birds are occasionally seen in the area, they have not attempted to breed there in recent years.

The organisation has been involved in conservation work at Gwenffrwd-Dinas for more than a century, initially supporting efforts to protect red kites before acquiring land to safeguard vulnerable habitats and species.

Surveys funded by Natural Resources Wales will be carried out over the summer to identify the full range of habitats and wildlife present on the newly protected land. The findings will help shape future conservation work.

Plans include expanding and enhancing wildlife-rich grasslands that support rare plants such as whorled caraway and wood bitter-vetch, while also working with local farming tenants to demonstrate how nature recovery and sustainable agriculture can coexist.

RSPB Cymru said the acquisition marks another important step towards building a more resilient future for wildlife in Wales, with long-term plans to work alongside local communities and partners to restore and protect the newly connected landscape for generations to come.