Community

Butcher is cut above rest

Published

11 years ago

May 28, 2015

Tom Sinclair

Winner: Ken davies Butchers: Crymych

A CRYMYCH butcher will aim to be a cut above the competition in the Welsh heat of a national skills testing event.
21-year-old Dafydd Jenkins, who works for Ken Davies Butchers in Crymych, will be showing off his skills at the Wales-wide heat of the Butchery Workskills National Competition in Llandiloes on Sunday (May 17). Five other butchers from across the country will be competing against him for a place in the final, which is to be held at Birmingham’s NEC in November.
The Herald spoke to Dafydd, who started out working for Ken Davies five years ago as an apprentice, about the competition: “I’ts a preliminary heat, we’ve got to bone a half-side of beef and do some barbecue in this round,” he told us. When asked if he fancied his chances, he was confident. “I should manage,” he said.
Ken Davies said that it was something Dafydd had wanted to do. “It’s nice to see youngsters wanting to get involved in these things, I wish him all the best and hope he does well,” he said.
The competition is being organized by Welshpool-based training provider Cambrian Training Company on behalf of WorldSkills UK. The company says they are ‘delighted’ with the number and quality of entries from butchers across Wales, England and Northern Ireland.
Three regional heats have been organised, starting with the Wales heat at Randall Parker Foods, Dolwen, Llanidloes on Sunday, May 17. The Northern Ireland heat will be held at Southern Regional College, Newry on June 18 and the England heat at Leeds City College on July 9.
The heats are being sponsored by The National Federation of Meat and Food Traders, Institute of Meat, PBEX and Randall Parker Foods.
The six top scoring butchers from the combined three heats will qualify for the final to be held at The Skills Show, to be held at the NEC Birmingham from November 19 – 21.The Skills Show is the nation’s largest skills and careers event and helps to shape the future of the next generation.
WorldSkills UK National Skills Competitions are designed to enhance apprenticeship and training programmes and improve and drive skills in the industry. Butchery is one of more than 60 skills to feature in this year’s competitions.
The line-up for the Wales heat is: Tomi Jones, 24, of Jones Brothers, Wrexham, Daniel John Allen-Raftery, 31, of Randall Parker, Llanidloes, Matthew Edwards, 23, of Vaughan’s Family Butchers, Penyffordd, Peter Rushforth, 19, of Swans Farm Shop, Mold, Dafydd Jenkings, 21, of Ken Davies Butchers, Crymych and Clinton Roberts, 58, of Ponty Butchers, Pontardawe.
It promises to be a closely contested heat as Rushforth is defending champion of the Welsh Young Butcher Competition, a title that both Jones and Edwards have won in the past. Last year, Edwards represented Great Britain in a European butchery competition and Rushforth will follow in his footsteps later this year.
Having taken butchery apprentices to demonstrate their skills at the Skills Show every year since 2011, Cambrian Training Company was keen to add the vocation to the skills competition to raise the profile of skilful butchers across the UK.
“We are delighted that so many talented butchers from across the United Kingdom have entered this new competition, which will showcase the wealth of butchery skills that we possess on these islands,” said Chris Jones, Cambrian Training Company’s head of curriculum for food manufacture. It’s a major step forward for butchery to be represented as a skill at WorldSkills UK, as we believe the craft needs to be benchmarked and promoted. Its inclusion for the first time is a great tool to further raise the industry’s standards and profile.”

Community

Barcud Housing Assistant will walk over hot coals to raise funds for Charity

Published

1 day ago

May 29, 2026

Tom Sinclair

BARCUD Housing Assistant, Amanda Evans, is a brave ‘sole’ as she has agreed to do a Firewalk to help raise funds for Wales Air Ambulance. The charity, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary, relies entirely on public donations to keep both the rapid response vehicles and helicopters running.

The firewalk is a sponsored walk with a difference! It might be the shortest and hottest walk, but it takes strength of mind to complete the challenge of walking five metres, barefoot, over hot coals which reach temperatures of up to 800°C!

Amanda has never done a Firewalk before but last year she changed her mindset and since then the word ‘no’ hasn’t been in her vocabulary. She said, “Doing a Firewalk sounds awesome. I decided it would be a giggle to sign up on behalf of Barcud to raise funds for Wales Air Ambulance. Why not? It would be great to have a crowd at the Firewalk in Aberaeron to show support and cheer me on.”

Day to day Amanda works at Barcud’s office in Glyn Padarn, Aberystwyth. She works as part of a team with housing officers to provide support for tenants.

Barcud is based in mid and west Wales with a 300 strong workforce and 4,500 tenants. This is the group’s first year of fundraising for a specific charity and at the annual colleague conference last winter the majority were in favour of supporting a charity, that, like Barcud, helped and supported those living rurally.

Gail Windley, Wales Air Ambulance’s Events and Partnership Fundraiser said, “We’re delighted to be launching our firewalks this year on our special 25th anniversary year. Fundraisers will take on the ultimate challenge of walking over hot coals to helps save lives across Wales. This is a wonderful challenge aimed at all physical abilities and one that needs some courage.

“Walkers don’t need any previous experience to take part in the firewalk, as all the training will be provided on the day. We want to reiterate that this is not an activity to be tried at home and should only be done during a professionally organised event.

“The Charity relies on donations to continue to keep our helicopters in the air and our rapid response vehicles on the road. Fundraising events, like the firewalks, will help to continue this lifesaving service for the people of Wales. It will be an unforgettable day for the participants and their supporters.”

Amanda will be doing her Firewalk at Moody Meadows in Aberaeron from 6pm on Friday, 10th July 2026. Any donations to support Amanda, and Barcud reach its fundraising target of £5,000 would be very gratefully received. Click here to support Amanda online: https://firewalks.walesairambulance.com/amanda-evans

Community

Tesco expands free fruit and veg scheme to more Welsh schools

Published

2 days ago

May 28, 2026

Tom Sinclair

New research suggests most children in Wales are still falling short of five-a-day

TESCO is expanding its Free Fruit & Veg for Schools programme across Wales after new research found that most children are not eating their recommended five portions a day.

The supermarket said only four out of 37 children in Wales, around 10.8%, eat their recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables on a typical school day.

The research also found that almost a third of Welsh parents said their child refuses fruit and vegetables altogether.

Tesco said it will double the number of schools supported by the programme from September, with an ambition to double it again the following year.

The scheme currently provides funding to more than 500 schools across the UK with higher-than-average free school meal eligibility, allowing them to provide pupils with fruit and vegetables during the school day.

Since launching in 2024, the programme has already reached more than 188,000 children across the UK, with pupils consuming more than 15 million portions of fruit and vegetables in its first year.

This year’s expansion is expected to support more than 388,000 children across the UK.

Tesco said the programme is designed to help children try a wider range of fruit and vegetables, build confidence with healthy food, and encourage better eating habits.

The company said pupils taking part have already sampled more than 100 different varieties of fruit and vegetables.

The research also suggested that choice and presentation can make a difference. More than three quarters of Welsh parents said their child is more likely to eat fruit and vegetables when they can choose them themselves, while many said making food fun or visually creative encouraged children to try more.

Ken Murphy, Tesco Group CEO, said: “We’ve set out an ambition to help one million children get free fruit and veg through our school and community programmes, supporting the development of healthy habits.

“Schools have told us what a positive impact the Tesco Free Fruit & Veg for Schools programme has already made, so we’re delighted to be able to double the number of schools receiving support from September.”

Elaine Hindal, Chief Executive of the British Nutrition Foundation, said: “A significant number of children in the UK are growing up with diets that don’t support their health.

“Early food experiences matter, as they can help to shape children’s confidence, habits and long-term health outcomes.

“By helping children enjoy and regularly eat fruit and vegetables from a young age, programmes like Tesco Free Fruit & Veg for Schools can help to make a lasting difference to diet and health now and in the future.”

Tesco is also inviting children to create fruit and vegetable-packed recipes as part of its Giant Fruit and Veg Challenge, with the winning dish to be served in more than 1,500 schools.

The supermarket has set a target of helping one million school children across the UK access free fruit and vegetables through its school and community programmes by July 2029.

Community

Banking hub to open in Pembroke Dock library within days

Published

2 days ago

May 28, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Temporary facility set to offer face-to-face banking support as permanent home is sought

A NEW temporary banking hub is expected to open in Pembroke Dock within the next week, offering residents and businesses access to everyday banking services following the closure of traditional high street branches.

The facility, which is being established inside Pembroke Dock Library, was visited this week by county councillor Jonathan Grimes and Preseli Pembrokeshire MS Paul Davies, who received an update on progress from Debbie of Cash Access UK.

According to Cllr Grimes, the temporary hub is now nearing completion and will provide a valuable service to the local community, particularly for residents who still rely on face-to-face banking and cash services.

At present, it is understood that NatWest, Lloyds and Barclays will each have a dedicated day at the hub during the working week, with staff available to offer advice, support and assistance with account-related queries. Other banks are expected to be confirmed in due course.

Importantly, customers will not be restricted to using services only from their own bank. The hub will allow people from any banking provider to carry out routine transactions such as cash withdrawals, deposits and other day-to-day banking needs.

The temporary facility will operate Monday to Friday from 9:00am to 5:00pm and will be based inside the library while plans continue for a permanent banking hub in the town.

Jonathan Grimes, county councillor for Pembroke St Mary South and Monkton, said he was pleased with the progress being made.

He said the temporary hub “already looks fantastic” and would be a “really valuable addition for the community.”

The long-term location for the permanent Pembroke Dock Banking Hub is still being finalised by Cash Access UK, with the permanent site expected to open within the next 12 months.

The move comes amid growing concern over the loss of high street bank branches across Pembrokeshire and the impact this has had on elderly residents, cash-reliant businesses and people without easy access to online banking.

Banking hubs have been rolled out across the UK to plug the gap left by branch closures, offering shared facilities where customers from different banks can access essential services under one roof.

Photo caption: New banking hub: Jonathan Grimes and Paul Davies receive an update on the temporary Pembroke Dock Banking Hub at Pembroke Dock Library (Pic: Supplied).