News
‘Wales should be proud of housing refugees’
WALES is a country of migrants and should be proud of its record in welcoming refugees, the Archbishop says in a St Davids’ Day address.
Dr Barry Morgan praises Welsh local authorities for housing refugees in the current crisis, despite facing budget cutbacks, and for recognising our common humanity.
The Archbishop is speaking at the Lord Mayor’s National Civic St Davids Day service at St John the Baptist Church, Cardiff city centre, attended by council leaders from across Wales. The service starts at 10.45am.
He said, “Local authorities in Wales and elsewhere are facing tremendous cutbacks but what you ought to be proud of is, that many of you have decided that in spite of all your problems you have set aside some housing for refugees and their children. You have done so because you realise that we belong to one common humanity. It would have been all too easy to say that you had so many problems of your own to deal with that you could not cope with any demands from the outside.
“By so doing, knowingly or not, you have recognised that all of us are migrants of one kind or another – even we Celts the original inhabitants of this island came from Northern Europe. Not one of us is ethnically monochrome. We are all basically migrants and this Country has a proud record of absorbing people from every nation upon earth and offering help to those fleeing from persecution of any kind. We are all beneficiaries of the generosity of others in this Country for many of our ancestors were in desperate need of shelter, safety or simply wanting a better life. You have not forgotten that in offering hospitality and refuge to those fleeing persecution. Wales on its own cannot solve the refugee crisis but you have tried to do something.”
Doing something to help, however small, was important, says the Archbishop, quoting St David, the patron saint of Wales, who said: “Do the little things you have heard from me and I have shown you.”
That appeal to do the “little things” applied to Welsh voters too, says the Archbishop and he urges everyone to cast their vote in the May elections for the National Assembly.
He said, “There will be many who won’t vote because they feel their one vote won’t make a difference. Yet the right of all of us to vote has been hard won and it enables us to have a say in how our society is organised. Each vote counts and we have a responsibility to each other to cast ours.”
Dr Morgan also acknowledges the desire of councillors to hold onto their Christian heritage, despite recent debates about saying prayers before council meetings.
He said, “You have come today to St John’s, the chairs and mayors of practically every local authority in Wales, just as your predecessors came to offer worship to the God St David worshipped in the 6th Century. Nor is this a mere one off attendance, because every mayor in Wales has a chaplain and every local authority holds at least one civic service in a church or chapel every year.
The fact that you have come this morning means that you are asking for God’s grace to enable you to fulfil the tasks ahead of you. Christians believe that human beings cannot do things in their own strength. We need God’s help and grace to build a better society.”
Local Government
Consultation over electoral changes to eight Pembrokeshire community councils
Residents are being asked for their views on proposed changes affecting councillor numbers and electoral arrangements in communities across the county
PEMBROKESHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL is inviting residents, organisations and other interested parties to have their say on proposed changes to the electoral arrangements of eight community councils across the county.
The consultation follows recommendations published by the Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru in January 2025 as part of a wider review of Pembrokeshire’s community boundaries and local electoral arrangements.
The Commission’s review considered whether the county’s existing communities and community wards continued to provide effective and convenient local government.
It examined issues including community boundaries, the number of councillors serving each area, the distribution of councillors between community wards and whether existing arrangements continued to reflect local populations and community identities.
While a number of the Commission’s recommendations involved changes to community boundaries, it also proposed alterations to the electoral arrangements of some community councils where no boundary changes were recommended.
Those particular proposals could not be introduced through the original community review process and must now be considered separately by Pembrokeshire County Council.
The latest consultation concerns the following communities:
- Lamphey
- Llanrhian
- Martletwy
- Nolton and Roch
- Pencaer
- St Dogmaels
- Stackpole and Castlemartin
- Wolfscastle
The proposals could affect matters such as the number of councillors elected to individual community councils and how council seats are distributed between community wards.
Community and town councils form the most local tier of elected government. They represent the interests of their communities and may be responsible for services and facilities including public spaces, community buildings, play areas, noticeboards and local events.
The County Council said it was seeking views from residents and organisations with connections to the communities affected to ensure that local perspectives were considered before any decisions were made.
The consultation will open on Tuesday, July 28, and close on Friday, September 11, 2026.
Full details of the proposed changes and supporting documents will be available through Pembrokeshire County Council’s Have Your Say consultation portal.
Residents will be able to review the proposals affecting their community and submit comments online.
Paper copies of the consultation documents can also be requested by contacting the Council’s Customer Contact Centre on 01437 764551 or emailing [email protected].
Anyone with questions about the proposals or the review process is encouraged to contact the Council’s electoral services team.
Community
Narberth Eisteddfod fundraisers celebrate reaching £8,000 target
Community support and a £2,000 contribution from Narberth Town Council help committee achieve its fundraising goal
Narberth Eisteddfod Fundraising Committee is celebrating after successfully reaching its £8,000 fundraising target.
The milestone follows a busy programme of events organised by the committee, each of which received strong support from residents, businesses and community groups across the Narberth area.

Committee chair Glinys Meredydd thanked everyone who had helped make the campaign a success.
She said: “I would like to thank all members of the Narberth Eisteddfod team for their hard work and commitment.
“They organised some fantastic events, which were extremely well supported by the local community.
“I would also like to thank Narberth Town Council, which donated £2,000 on behalf of the people of Narberth.”

The committee will hold one final fundraising event with a last sale of its locally produced and hand-printed Eisteddfod Garreg Las 2026 T-shirts.
Members of the public are invited to visit the committee at Narberth Carnival Field on Saturday, July 25, where they will have a final opportunity to buy or win one of the T-shirts and join the celebrations ahead of the Eisteddfod’s return to Pembrokeshire.
The committee has thanked everyone who attended an event, made a donation, volunteered their time, purchased a T-shirt or helped promote the campaign.
Reaching the £8,000 target has been described as a powerful example of what can be achieved when the Narberth community comes together in support of Welsh language and culture.

Crime
Man, 37, found dead following major police response in Pembroke Dock
Death not being treated as suspicious as police make statutory referral to IOPC following active investigation
A 37-YEAR-OLD man has been found dead at Warrior Way in Pembroke Dock.
Dyfed-Powys Police said officers attended the area at around 7pm on Sunday, July 19, after concerns were raised for the welfare of an individual.
There was a significant police presence in the area, with several units positioned at the scene on Sunday and further police activity continuing into Monday.
The scale of the response prompted speculation among members of the public about the nature of the incident.
Police have now confirmed that the man was found deceased and that his death is not being treated as suspicious.
His next of kin have been informed.
HM Coroner has been advised, and officers will continue to assist with the coroner’s investigation.
The matter has also been referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct because the man had been involved in an active police investigation.
Dyfed-Powys Police said the referral was made in line with the IOPC’s statutory referral criteria.
Such referrals are required in certain circumstances and do not, in themselves, indicate that police officers or staff are suspected of wrongdoing.
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