Community

Your coastline needs you!

Published

11 years ago

May 1, 2015

Tom Sinclair

Keep Wales Tidy: Will you take part?

KEEP WALES TIDY is urging people to get involved and volunteer their time during Clean Coast Week, supported by McDonald’s, during May 8-17 and help care for our award-winning Welsh coastline.

With a dedicated week of coastal action this May, Keep Wales Tidy is searching for volunteers across Wales, committing to work together to help get our beaches and coastline looking beautiful and ready for everyone to enjoy during the busy summer months.

The third annual Clean Coast Week, sponsored by McDonald’s Restaurants Ltd, coincides with Clean Europe Week which aims to reduce litter and promote responsible behaviour across Europe.

Keep Wales Tidy, one of Wales’ leading environment charities, along with McDonald’s restaurant staff, community groups, schools and businesses will take part in clean-up events across the country as part of the week of action this May.

The third annual Clean Coast Week 2015 follows the success of the previous two years. During which time over 225 registered events have taken place across the Welsh coast, with over 5,100 people getting involved in collecting more than 5,000 bags of rubbish.

Events have already been organised across the country to help give beaches a spring clean before the busy summer season, but Keep Wales Tidy needs more volunteers to sign up.

Howard Gray, Head of Sustainability at McDonald’s said: “McDonald’s is proud to have restaurants in communities across Wales and we are keen to do whatever we can to help remove litter from our local coastlines as part of this initiative. Our continued involvement with Clean Coast Week is a fantastic opportunity to encourage the local community to work together to restore some of Wales’ most picturesque locations for everyone to enjoy. Our restaurant teams throughout Wales will be volunteering as part of our commitment to keeping our local environment clean and litter-free. We would love to see as many people as possible joining in to make Clean Coast Week a huge success in 2015.”

Wales boasts some spectacular beaches, many having received the internationally recognised Blue Flag Award which is managed in Wales by Keep Wales Tidy.

Clean Coast Week 2015 is a great opportunity for everyone to get involved in appreciating and caring for our coast- from sprucing up coastal areas to removing litter left on our beaches.

Lesley Jones, Chief Executive for Keep Wales Tidy comments:“The coastline is very important for Wales as it allows us to showcase our beautiful country, boosting local economies and the tourism industry. It’s important that we get together to help care for our beaches and maintain the high standard of our coast. I hope that people from across Wales can spend a few hours at their nearest coastal area to ensure that locals and visitors can continue to enjoy the best that Wales has to offer.”

If you would like take part in one of the arranged clean up events or would like to organise your own event, visit www.keepwalestidy.org or e-mail [email protected] for more information.

Community

Duck race draws crowds to Cresswell Quay

Published

22 hours ago

June 4, 2026

Tom Sinclair

AN ANNUAL Rotary duck race and pig roast brought crowds to Cresswell Quay on Friday (May 29), with organisers hailing the evening a success.

The event, organised by Narberth and Whitland Rotary, saw yellow ducks released onto the water as spectators gathered along the quay to watch the race unfold.

Perfect conditions

ORGANISERS said the tide and weather “could not have been better” for the popular community event.

Families enjoyed a relaxed evening of entertainment, food and fundraising, with Bat-A-Rat proving popular with youngsters while adults enjoyed a pig roast, with pork provided by Tom at Andrew Rees Butchers.

Live music from Jack Castle added to the atmosphere as people gathered at the riverside venue.

***Rotary fun: Crowds gathered at Cresswell Quay for the annual Narberth and Whitland Rotary Duck Race and Pig Roast***

Thanks to supporters

JOHN Sleigh, of Narberth and Whitland Rotary, thanked everyone who attended and helped make the evening such a success.

He said: “What a fantastic evening. The tide and weather could not have been better for the annual Rotary Duck Race and Pig Roast at Cresswell Quay.

“We thank you all for being there and making the event such a success.”

Community

Crisis response dogs launched to support people through trauma and distress

Published

23 hours ago

June 4, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A NEW project using specially trained dogs to support people during moments of trauma, grief and crisis has been launched by Cariad Pet Therapy.

The volunteer-led Crisis Response Dogs project aims to provide comfort, emotional support and compassionate human contact to people experiencing distress, loss or heightened stress.

The dogs and their trained handlers will be able to support people in hospitals, schools, emergency response settings, wellbeing events, relief centres and community support environments.

Cariad Pet Therapy says the project is designed to offer a calm and non-judgmental presence at times when people may be struggling to cope.

Volunteers involved in the scheme have undertaken a bespoke training programme, including accredited Mental Health First Aid, Emotional First Aid, Trauma-Informed Practice, Safeguarding, Professional Boundaries, Dynamic Risk Assessment, Dog Welfare, Crisis Awareness, and training in psychological responses to trauma and distress.

The project is also working with emergency management and resilience partners, including the South Wales Local Resilience Forum, to support communities during emergencies, major incidents and recovery situations.

As part of its development, volunteers have attended specialist seminars on suicide prevention, the human-animal relationship, emergency planning and resilience.

Robert Thomas, Crisis Response Dogs lead for the project, said: “We have already witnessed the incredible impact these dogs can have on people facing difficult moments.

“Sometimes a calm presence, a conversation, or simply the comfort of a dog can make someone feel seen, supported, and less alone.”

The project has received funding from The National Lottery.

For more information about Crisis Response Dogs, or to request a deployment, contact Robert Thomas on 01437 609985 or visit www.crisisresponsedogs.co.uk.

Crisis response dogs: Cariad Pet Therapy has launched a new project to support people during trauma, grief and distress across Wales (Pics: Cariad Pet Therapy).

Community

Youth centre given colourful new look thanks to local firm

Published

2 days ago

June 3, 2026

Tom Sinclair

YOUNG people at a Haverfordwest youth centre have helped transform one of its rooms into a bright and welcoming space.

The Edge Youth Centre, Haverfordwest, has thanked W.B Griffiths & Son Ltd for supporting the painting and decorating project, which saw young people work alongside Chris, a painter and decorator from the company.

The project has given the room a colourful refresh, creating a cheerful space for young people using the centre.

Rabart Decorators Merchants, Pembroke Dock, also supported the work by supplying the colourful paints.

A spokesperson for The Edge Youth Centre said: “We’d like to extend a huge thank you to W.B Griffiths & Son Ltd for supporting us with the painting and decorating of one of the rooms at our Youth Centre.

“The young people were fortunate enough to work alongside Chris, a painter and decorator from W.B Griffiths & Son Ltd, to transform the room.

“Thanks to Chris and the young people’s hard work and enthusiasm, the space is now looking bright, welcoming, and cheerful.

“We’d also like to thank Rabart Decorators Merchants, Pembroke Dock, for generously supplying the colourful paints. Your support has helped create a vibrant room that young people can enjoy for years to come.”

The centre added: “Thank you both for your generosity and for helping us create such a positive space for our young people.”

Photo caption: Bright new look: Young people worked alongside W.B Griffiths & Son Ltd to refresh a room at The Edge Youth Centre, Haverfordwest.