A youth-led project that began as a small discussion group for girls at Ysgol Greenhill has grown into an award-winning movement reaching across Pembrokeshire and beyond.

Supported by Pembrokeshire Youth Service and Senior Youth Worker Leah Walker, We Know Our Journey has spent the past four years empowering young people to become leaders, educators and advocates for positive change.

The countywide initiative now brings together girls and boys to promote healthy relationships, positive masculinity, mental health awareness, emotional wellbeing, and the prevention of violence against women and girls.

Young people involved in the project have led workshops, developed resources, raised more than £3,000 for local charities, represented Pembrokeshire at national and international events, and worked with a range of partners to create lasting change in their communities.

The project has also built strong working relationships with a number of organisations in Wales, including the Welsh Government’s Sound campaign.

Following a Taith exchange trip to New Zealand involving We Know Our Journey and Her Voice, a Vale of Glamorgan youth project, a new community interest company, Our Voice Our Journey, was created to continue and expand the work.

The group has also worked with the global movement She Is Not Your Rehab, which members hope to welcome back to Pembrokeshire this September.

Among its achievements, We Know Our Journey has helped develop a bilingual Sexual Harassment Toolkit with Her Voice for use across Wales, launched positive masculinity campaigns, and delivered emotional wellbeing projects that have reached schools and communities across the county.

The project’s work has been recognised with a Highly Commended Safer Wales Award and a Pembrokeshire Spotlight Award.

Earlier this year, Leah was invited to St James’s Palace for a special event celebrating local government workers and their work around violence against women and girls, domestic abuse and sexual violence.

Leah said: “What started as a small group of determined young people has become a powerful example of what can be achieved when young people are trusted to lead.

“As We Know Our Journey continues to grow, its mission remains clear: to educate, empower and inspire lasting change.

“I am incredibly proud of our young people and what they have achieved.”

A SCAFFOLDER has been banned from driving for 14 months after an off-duty police officer smelt cannabis coming from his Volkswagen Transporter as it travelled through Slebech.

The report was made to police at around 10.30am on February 15. When officers located the vehicle, they discovered it was being driven by 46-year-old Christopher Bennett.

Further blood tests showed Bennett had 16.8 mcg of Delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol in his system. The legal limit is 2.

This week Bennett, of Queensdown Gardens, Brislington, Bristol, pleaded guilty to drug-driving when he appeared before Haverfordwest magistrates. He was represented in court by Alaw Harries.

“The defendant is remorseful for his actions and recognises the seriousness of the offence,” Ms Harries told the Bench.

“He suffers significant pain following operations to his shoulders and has been prescribed codeine. But this causes drowsiness, so he began self-medicating using cannabis.

“On the day of the offence, he was in worse pain than usual, so he used cannabis earlier than he normally does.”

Ms Harries said the conviction would have serious financial consequences for Bennett, who works as a self-employed scaffolder.

“His driving licence is fundamental to his livelihood,” she said.

“The financial consequences are going to be significant to him, as well as to those who are dependent on him.”

Magistrates fined Bennett £600 and ordered him to pay a £240 surcharge and £85 costs.

He was disqualified from driving for 14 months.

Alison Walker had nearly five times the legal benzoylecgonine limit in her system

A PEMBROKESHIRE estate agent has been banned from the road after admitting driving through Milford Haven with nearly five times the legal limit of a cocaine metabolite in her system.

Alison Walker, 59, was arrested on February 2 after her white MG was involved in a two-car collision on Great North Road, Milford Haven.

“Fortunately there were no injuries, just damage to the vehicles,” Crown Prosecutor Sian Vaughan told Haverfordwest magistrates this week.

After providing a positive roadside drug swipe, Walker was arrested and asked to provide blood samples. These showed she had 240mcg of benzoylecgonine in her system. The legal limit is 50mcg.

Walker, of Woodland Crescent, Milford Haven, pleaded guilty to drug-driving and was represented in court by solicitor Tom Lloyd.

He told the bench that prior to the offence, Walker had been employed as an estate agent.

“She has a good relationship with her boss, and as soon as this conviction is dealt with and her sentence has been served, he will be happy for her to return to her employment,” he said.

After considering a comprehensive probation report, magistrates disqualified Walker from driving for 20 months.

She was fined £80 and ordered to pay a £114 court surcharge and £85 costs. Walker must also carry out a 12-month community order, during which she must complete 15 rehabilitation activity requirement days.