News
Nursing students’ high-tech help for hospital patients
PATIENTS at a west Wales hospital have been given a helping hand to stay in touch with loved ones by Swansea University nursing students.
The students were eager to help after hearing how difficult it was for patients to stay in touch with their families with the pandemic preventing hospital visits.
The group, all first-year adult nursing students, set about trying to raise £1,000 to buy additional iPads for the Sunderland Ward at South Pembrokeshire Hospital in Pembroke Dock.
But they ended up smashing their target and collected more than £2,400 by holding a raffle of items and services donated by local companies.
Shannon John, Ruth Morgan, Lisa Prest, Shanice Riley, Anna Griffiths and Aneesah Akbar, all come from Pembrokeshire, and study at Swansea University’s St David’s Park Campus.
The friends hatched the fundraising plan after Anna and Ruth spent time on placement at the community hospital.
Shannon said: “When they were there, they could see how difficult it was for patients to stay in touch with loved ones.
“The ward only had a couple of iPads which had to be shared among the patients.
“So, we decided to do something about it. We are a good team and worked so well together, setting this up. We ended up being able to stage online raffle with around 30 great prizes.”
Shannon said the total was also boosted with a £500 donation from Milford Haven Port Authority.
“We wanted to help because some patients hadn’t been able to contact their family since the pandemic started and we are just happy we could do something practical,” she added. “We are thrilled we had such a great response.”
Jayne Cutter, Head of Nursing at Swansea University, said she was hugely impressed by the group’s efforts: “Being in hospital is stressful at the best of times, but being in hospital during the Covid-19 pandemic is even more so. The support of families and friends can make a massive difference to patients’ well-being and visiting time is the highlight of their day.
“Restrictions on hospital visiting due to coronavirus have meant that many patients have missed that vital support. Not everyone has access to the technology to keep in touch remotely.
“The iPads have now been bought and are in use allowing patients to maintain vital contact with their loved ones. They have also planned further fundraising activities for the forthcoming year.
“A nursing degree is challenging and the pressures of attending placements during the pandemic are immense. The fact that they showed such compassion speaks volumes about the values they hold and I’m sure they are going to be an asset to the nursing profession.”
Community
New town map unveiled in Fishguard
A NEW town map has been installed in the heart of Fishguard to help residents and visitors discover more of what the area has to offer.
The map, created by Visit Fishguard & Goodwick’s in-house graphic designer, has been placed on the Abergwaun Hotel tunnel, near Offshore Surfwear’s new shop.
The group said it was “incredibly proud” of the finished result and thanked the building owner for allowing the map to be installed on the premises.
Visit Fishguard & Goodwick is now hoping to create a similar map for Goodwick and is asking for help from a centrally located building owner who may be willing to host it.
Anyone who can help, or knows of a suitable location, is being asked to get in touch with Visit Fishguard & Goodwick.
Community
Tenby Summer Spectacular cancelled amid council row over harbour access
Organisers say popular charity events cannot safely go ahead without clear powers to control crowds
TENBY ROUND TABLE has announced that this summer’s Tenby Summer Spectacular events have been cancelled until further notice amid a dispute with Pembrokeshire County Council over crowd control at the harbour.
The events, which were due to take place on Sunday, August 16 and Sunday, August 30, have been a major feature of Tenby’s summer calendar for decades, drawing large crowds to the harbour for entertainment, food, drink and fireworks.
In a statement, Tenby Round Table said the decision had been made “with enormous sadness” and claimed it had been forced on organisers because of unresolved issues over the safe management of pedestrian access.
The organisation said it needed the council’s Public Realm department to use statutory powers to temporarily restrict pedestrian access through the event area when capacity is reached.
Organisers said the matter had first been raised with the council in September 2025 and again formally in writing in May 2026.
They said volunteers had attended meetings, commissioned professional health and safety consultants and worked on Event Management Plans, but claimed the council had still not provided a clear answer.
Tenby Round Table said: “PCC’s Public Realm department has had nine months to answer one question on safe and controlled access to the harbour. It has not done so.”
The group also alleged that recent written responses from the council contained factual inaccuracies and misleading statements about the relevant legislation.
It added that the council’s legal advice was understood to be provisional and still under internal review.
The cancellation is currently described as provisional, with organisers giving the council a final deadline of June 25 to provide what they describe as a clear, accurate and legally grounded answer.
Tenby Round Table said that if this is provided, it will do everything possible to reinstate the events.
The group said the Summer Spectacular had raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for local charities, sports teams, community groups and worthy individuals since it began.
It said the cancellation would be a devastating blow to those who benefit from the funds raised.
The statement added that organisers are still working with Dyfed-Powys Police and other relevant authorities ahead of a council licensing committee meeting in July, which is expected to consider whether the event licence should be renewed, amended or withdrawn.
The Herald has asked Pembrokeshire County Council for comment.

Charity
Sea shanties and street food bring crowds to Cardigan RNLI festival
SUNSHINE, sea shanties and street food helped draw hundreds of visitors to Cardigan RNLI Lifeboat Station on Saturday (Jun 20).
The station’s Sea Shanty and Street Food Festival brought together families, supporters and visitors from across the region for a day of maritime music, food and community spirit.
Traditional sea shanty groups performed throughout the event, with songs echoing around the lifeboat station, while street food vendors served a range of refreshments.
The event also gave visitors the chance to learn more about the lifesaving work carried out by the RNLI and its volunteer crews.
Cardigan RNLI thanked the performers, food vendors, volunteers, sponsors and supporters who helped make the day a success.
Bruce Harris, Launch Authority and event organiser, said: “It was wonderful to see so many people come together to support the station, enjoy the entertainment, and celebrate our maritime heritage.
“The atmosphere throughout the day was fantastic, and we are incredibly grateful to everyone who attended, performed, volunteered, and contributed to such a memorable event.”
The RNLI is the charity that saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts.
The charity operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands.
Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved more than 146,700 lives.
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