News

Skomer Island visitors should be ‘mindful’ to prevent harm to puffins

Published

6 years ago

July 31, 2018

VISITORS to Skomer Island should take extra precautions to avoid stepping on puffin nests, The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales have said.

Some of the damage is done to burrows and nests when visitors leave the footpaths to try and take the ‘perfect’ picture of the birds.

Rebecca Vincent from The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales said: “The majority of people are really mindful, but we do have problems, particularly if visitors stray off the paths because they can collapse burrows, potentially killing any puffins that might be inside.

“We also get a huge number of photographers and film crews on the island who may pitch up in one spot for the entire day and think that puffins are posing for them, when in reality they’re actually blocking off the entrance to their burrow, maybe even stopping them feeding their chicks.”

Every year, tens of thousands of puffins nest on the island. The birds are in a decline across Europe, however on Skomer Island the population quadrupled in the last three decades.

Skomer Island’s Visitor Officer, Sarah Parmor, added: “A lot of the island can look like it’s just vegetation and greenery, but underneath almost all of that there are actually nests, with birds still inside them.

“It can be very easy to entirely unintentionally kill or injure one of the birds if you step off the paths around the island, even for a moment.”

Community

Pembrokeshire trains set for major timetable changes

Published

13 mins ago

November 26, 2024

Tom Sinclair

RAIL passengers in Pembrokeshire are being urged to plan ahead as the ‘most significant mainline timetable change in a generation’ is set to take effect in December. The changes promise increased services, better train spacing, and improved connectivity for the county’s rail users.

The new timetable, which comes into force on Sunday, December 15, will see adjustments across south Wales, made possible by the introduction of the state-of-the-art Class 197 train fleet. Transport for Wales (TfW) says these changes will result in additional services, later departures from Cardiff Central and Swansea, and more consistent scheduling with trains leaving at the same time past each hour.

Pembrokeshire passengers will see several significant improvements:

Milford Haven: Two extra services will run from the station.
Fishguard Harbour: The timetable will eliminate a six-hour midday gap, with more evenly spaced services to and from the station.

TfW’s journey planner indicates new service times:

Outbound from Fishguard: A new service at 4:04pm will bridge the current gap between 12:53pm and 7:32pm.
Inbound to Fishguard: A train arriving at 3:24pm will now fill the gap between 12:22pm and 6:57pm.
Milford Haven: An additional three trains will run to Carmarthen after December 15.

Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales, Ken Skates, highlighted the impact of the changes:
“This is a major change which will make a real difference to customers, who will benefit from a more consistent service. This has been made possible by our £800m investment in new trains, and it’s great to see the results coming through across Wales.”

Colin Lea, TfW’s Planning and Performance Director, emphasized the scale of the changes:
“This is the most significant timetable change in a generation for mainline services. We’ve been working towards this timetable for four years, and the consistency it will deliver will be a massive improvement for many customers.”

TfW also revealed plans for further improvements over the next 18 months, including updates to the North Wales Coast and Cambrian lines, with newer trains and expanded capacity.

Passengers are advised to check the updated timetable in advance. For details on how your journey will be affected, visit TfW’s journey planner at tfw.wales/plan-a-journey.

The Herald understands that these changes are designed to make rail travel more convenient and accessible for all users.

Charity

Classic car events raise £2,335 for local hospice at home charity

Published

8 hours ago

November 26, 2024

Tom Sinclair

SINCE 2007, Pembroke resident Mal Powell has been bringing together classic car enthusiasts through annual events aimed at celebrating automotive history and supporting local charities. From May to August each year, Mal organises one to two classic car meets per month across various local venues, allowing car lovers to showcase their prized vehicles. The season culminates each September with a Classic Car Run from the Plough Inn, Sageston.

Each event welcomes donations from participants, with proceeds supporting local charities. Over the years, these gatherings have benefited organizations like the RNLI, Wales Air Ambulance, and Macmillan For the last eleven years, Mal has chosen to direct the funds raised to the Paul Sartori Foundation, a Hospice at Home charity that offers essential hospice-at-home services to those in Pembrokeshire living with life-limiting illnesses. Over the years, these gatherings have benefited organizations like the RNLI, Wales Air Ambulance, and Macmillan. For the last eleven years, Mal has chosen to direct the funds raised to the Paul Sartori Foundation, a Hospice at Home charity that offers essential hospice-at-home services to those in Pembrokeshire living with life-limiting illnesses.

Together with a small team of dedicated friends, Mal’s incredible efforts have raised around £100,000 for various charities, helping them to continue their vital work.

This year, Mal presented a donation of £2,335 to Sandra Dade, Charity Manager at Paul Sartori, along with volunteers Val Harrold and Mair Evans, and Trustee Phil Thompson. Reflecting on his motivation, Mal shared, “I love organising these events for such a good cause. While the classic vehicle events depend on the weather, we’ve only had to cancel one event over the years. The Paul Sartori Foundation is a wonderful charity that provides outstanding support to our community, and I believe it deserves 100% support.”

Pat Coombs, Clinical Coordinator for the Paul Sartori Foundation, expressed deep appreciation for the contributions, saying, “Without the fantastic funds raised by Mal Powell and his friends who support these events, Paul Sartori would face a significant shortfall in reaching its fundraising targets; currently, our vital hospice at home services cost around £3,000 per day. We give our thanks to Mal and the classic car community for their continued and invaluable support.”

The Paul Sartori Hospice at Home offers comprehensive services to individuals in the later stages of a life-limiting illness, including home nursing care, equipment loans, complementary therapy, bereavement and counselling support, and future care planning services. These critical services empower people in their final stages to remain at home with dignity, independence, and comfort, surrounded by loved ones, should they wish. Available 24/7 and free of charge, the services are made possible through the generosity of people like Mal, the classic car groups, and the Pembrokeshire community.

Health

MP launches survey to tackle GP access issues

Published

9 hours ago

November 26, 2024

Tom Sinclair

MID AND SOUTH PEMBROKESHIRE MP Henry Tufnell has launched a survey to address growing concerns about access to healthcare and GP services in the county.

The survey aims to gather feedback from residents, which will be presented to the Health Board in the new year.

Mr Tufnell told The Herald: “I urge constituents to complete my survey and share their experiences with healthcare and GP access. I have been meeting with local GP practices and Health Board executives to discuss the challenges facing our community.

“Each response will be taken forward to the Health Board. My aim is to ensure patients’ concerns are heard, leading to better services for everyone. Pembrokeshire deserves and needs improved healthcare outcomes.”