Community groups join weekly drop-in as councillors donate food and live music set to return next Friday

VC GALLERY’S Friday breakfast club in High Street, Haverfordwest, drew a strong mix of ages this week as local support organisations joined residents for a shared meal and a catch-up in the charity’s community space.

The VC Gallery said the session “went down a real treat”, with “super cool vibes” and people coming together to enjoy the welcoming environment.

Breakfast was kindly donated by Haverfordwest Town Council, with volunteers and staff helping to set up and run the morning.

Guests included representatives from Citizens Advice Pembrokeshire, Pembrokeshire Advocacy Service and homelessness charity The Wallich, as the groups connected with residents and shared information about the help available locally.

VC Gallery said it was “great to be working towards a common goal for our community” and thanked those involved for their support.

Next week’s breakfast club will feature new guests, with live music also set to return as Goose is expected back to play during the session.

The VC Gallery is based in Haverfordwest and runs a range of projects aimed at supporting veterans and the wider community.

A PEMBROKESHIRE respite provision centre supporting children and young people with disability needs has been rated ‘excellent’ in all areas by Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW).

Following a recent inspection Holly House, in Haverfordwest, has met excellent standards in well-being, care and support, environment and leadership and management.

This follows substantial and sustained improvement thanks to the team at Holly House, having previously been considered a service of concern.

CIW inspectors said the move to an excellent rating is a direct result of highly effective leadership and management, which consistently places children’s safety and wellbeing at the heart of every decision.

The inspection report adds: “The Responsible Individual (RI) provides excellent strategic direction and demonstrates a clear commitment to continuous improvement, while the manager is skilled and proactive in maintaining high standards. Oversight of the service is robust and has driven significant improvements, resulting in positive outcomes for children’s wellbeing.”

The report highlights the choice, independence, and opportunities the visiting children experience, enhancing their happiness and quality of life, adding they are supported to feel safe, valued and involved in decisions about their care.

There are strong relationships with families, with further plans to strengthen those along with a continued increase in a wide range of activities and community trips.

Feedback from families is highly positive. All families who completed surveys rated care and support as excellent.

Head of Children’s Services Chris Frey-Davies said: “The Council is delighted to hear the outcome of the recent CIW inspection of Holly House. Achieving excellent ratings across all four themes is an incredible accomplishment and a true testament to the dedication and leadership within Holly House.

“As highlighted by CIW inspectors, to move from a position of significant concern to sustained excellence speaks volumes about the commitment to children’s safety and wellbeing at every level.”

Cabinet Member for Young People, Communities and the Well-being and Future Generations, Cllr Marc Tierney, echoed the positive CIW comments and congratulated the team at Holly House for their fantastic work: “It is clear to see that the young people who attend Holly House really do benefit from the quality of care provided by our hardworking, dedicated team.

“I want to thank them for their role in supporting our young people which also provides essential respite for local families from their caring responsibilities. This external report puts on record the high quality of this provision and underlines that our young people are at the heart of this vital service.”

PEMBROKESHIRE could soon see life-size artwork reproductions of many National Gallery masterpieces, including works by Turner, Constable and Cezanne at locations throughout the county, in a scheme submitted to the national park.

In a Pembrokeshire Coast National Park application to the park’s own planners, permission is sought for the installation of 12 life-size National Gallery artwork prints on various locations in the national park, between June and November of this year.

Of the 12 locations for the ‘Art on your doorstep’ project, 11 will be on existing structures, the last on a self-standing structure at Oriel y Parc, St Davids.

Carew will see four artworks: Constable’s The Hay Wain, at the tidal Mill Bridge; Koninck’s ‘An extensive landscape by a road, with a river,’ in the car park opposite Carew River which overlooks the castle; Hans Holbein the Younger’s ‘The Ambassadors,’ in the national park workshop; and Turner’s The Fighting Temaraire, by the village’s war memorial.

Castell Henllys will feature two works: Cezanne’s Bathers, and Titian’s Baccus and Ariadne.

St Davids’ Oriel y Parc will feature Van Gogh’s Wheatfield of Cypresses, and Canaletto’s The Stonemason’s Yard.

Porthclais will host Van Gogh’s Sunflowers, with Claude-Joseph Vernet’s A shipwreck in Stormy seas at Strumble Head.

Rosebush’s Tafarn Sinc will display Turner’s Rain, Steam, Speed, and a site at the skate park overlooking Tenby’s South Beach will host Monet’s Bathers at La Grenoville.

The application will be considered by the national park planning committee.