News
Park Authority Committee tours successful carbon reduction projects
MEMBERS of Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority’s Sustainable Development Fund (SDF) Committee made a tour of local projects recently that have benefitted from SDF funding.
Since 2000, over 200 projects have been supported by the Fund. Over the past year, the Fund has changed its focus to support community-led projects that mitigate the climate emergency by contributing to a reduction in carbon.
Coppicewood College, which promotes and supports sustainable woodland management, was one of the successful applicants visited by Committee Members. After entering into talks with the West and South Wales Wildlife Trust and securing a new home in Pengelli Forest on a 25-year lease, an application was made for SDF funding to build a workshop using sustainable building methods. Both the College and the Wildlife Trust will benefit from this new partnership, as the College now has a brand new home in a prestigious SSSI woodland and the Trust will be able to have a programme of woodland management tailored to the needs of local wildlife.
SDF Committee Members also paid a visit to Clynfyw Care Farm, where funding has been used to pay for equipment, set-up costs and training in a new vermicomposting (worm composting) project. This creates a sustainable and high quality compost, which can be used to improve soil conditions organically for local vegetable produce growers, while sequestering carbon during the process.
Bwlch-y-groes village hall also formed part of the itinerary for Members, who were shown where the SDF-funded photovoltaic panels and electric vehicle charging point, which are set to complement the new building, will be positioned.
The tour came to an end with a talk from the Cwm Arian Renewable Energy Project, which has received an SDF cash injection to help with the Pembrokeshire Energy Efficiency Programme (PEEP) – a project that aims to engage with communities across North Pembrokeshire in order to understand behaviours in energy reduction.
Jessica Morgan, Funding and Grants Officer for the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Trust, said: “It’s been hugely rewarding to see so many innovative climate solutions coming to fruition as a result of SDF grants.
“We are now inviting applications for the next round of funding. If you are part of a community-led group or organisation based in or around the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park and have a project that would help reduce carbon and/or respond to climate change, please consider applying.”
Projects can include:
· Installing renewable energy generation facilities, such as solar panels, to a community building
· Transport initiatives that promote reduced carbon emissions
· The installation of community facilities that minimise waste, such as water fountains
· Any other community-based carbon reduction initiatives.
The deadline for applications is 12 noon on Friday 10 September.
Further information on how to apply and an application form can be found at www.pembrokeshirecoast.wales/sustainable-development-fund/.
Crime
Police appeal for information after several tractors stolen
POLICE officers in Pembrokeshire investigating a theft from several tractors, which happened overnight between April 17-18, 2024.
The tractors had been in a field near to Loch Turfin, Haverfordwest.
Included in the stolen items were vehicle keys, tools and waterproof clothing.
A spokesperson said “Police are now appealing for anyone with information that could help them with their investigation to contact PC 772 Boyt either through a direct message on social media, online at: https://bit.ly/DPPContactOnline, by emailing [email protected] or by calling 101.
“Quote reference: 24*355571”
Community
Pembrokeshire firefighters help deliver fire engines to Ukraine
FIRE services from across the United Kingdom have rallied together to donate vital firefighting equipment to Ukraine, amidst ongoing conflicts that have seen local fire stations and firefighters come under direct attack.
The Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service (MAWWFRS) was at the forefront of this international goodwill effort, donating three fire appliances and dispatching nine of their personnel to ensure safe delivery.
The initiative, coordinated by Fire Aid UK, involved a total of 11 UK fire services. Over a grueling 5.5-day journey that spanned several countries—starting from Kent Fire and Rescue Service and moving through France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, and into Poland—33 fire appliances were transported to a location just 20 miles from the Ukraine border. They left Kent on April 23.
This convoy, laden with not just fire engines but also 3000 items of critical firefighting gear including cutting equipment, fire hoses, first aid kits, and generators, was a sight of resilience and humanitarian commitment. Watch Manager Rob MakePeace, a Business Fire Safety Officer, and Watch Manager Keith Jenkins, who is retired but still oversees part-time personnel at Haverfordwest, played pivotal roles in the operation from Pembrokeshire.
Speaking on the experience, Keith Jenkins expressed the profound impact of the mission, “It was a fantastic experience to be involved in. The convoy itself was an amazing sight, but the people we met, places we stayed and the reason we were delivering the appliances was something we will remember for a long time.”
The donation comes at a critical time for Ukraine, where daily attacks have not only jeopardized the lives of local firefighters but have also devastated much of the essential infrastructure needed to fight fires effectively. The additional appliances and equipment from the UK are expected to significantly bolster the capabilities of the Ukrainian fire departments, providing them with the necessary tools to save lives and protect property under dire circumstances.
This act of generosity and the strenuous efforts by the UK firefighters underscore a deep commitment to aiding those in peril, transcending borders and showcasing the best of international cooperation and humanitarian assistance.
News
Protest outside Stephen Crabb’s office over Rwanda deportations
SUPPORTERS of West Wales Stand Up to Racism group will attend a protest outside the office of Stephen Crabb MP in Market Street at 6pm on Tuesday evening (May 7).
The protest is to highlight the inhumane scheme to send refugees to Rwanda.
Since the Rwanda Bill was finally passed last week, refugees have already been identified, detained and are being prepared to be flown to Rwanda to have their asylum claims processed there.
Rushi Sunak has said “To detain people while we prepare to remove them, we’ve increased detention spaces to 2,200.
“To quickly process claims, we’ve got 200 trained, dedicated caseworkers ready and waiting. To deal with any legal cases quickly and decisively, the judiciary has made available 25 courtrooms and identified 150 judges who could provide over 5,000 sitting days.”
The protestors are asking: why is all this money being spent when these vulnerable people could have their asylum claims dealt with in the UK?
If the Prime Minister hoped his Rwanda plan would help get more votes for the Conservative Party in the recent elections, it would appear he was mistaken.
A new report from the Refugee Council warns that the UK Government’s flagship Illegal Migration Act and Rwanda Plan will lead to another catastrophic “system meltdown”, trapping over 100,000 people in permanent limbo while costing taxpayers billions.
West Wales Stand Up to Racism has campaigned against the Government’s plan to send refugees to Rwanda from the time this scheme was first suggested.
Supporters have previously met with Simon Hart MP and attempted to deliver a giant postcard to his office.
The group has taken part in the online Hands in Protest project organised by Artisan Avenue, Tenby which allowed everyone to express on line how they felt about Rwanda by submitting drawings of their own hands. The collective Hands In Protest gives a powerful message that the Rwanda plan should be stopped.
The organisers said: “Supporters will be once more taking the giant postcard on Tuesday, to protest about the Rwanda scheme. We will have small post cards for supporters to write messages to Stephen Crabb, telling him how strongly we feel about this.
“All over the UK, anti-racists are picketing Home Office buildings to show their opposition to the Rwanda scheme and are trying to prevent arrests and giving support to the refugees being arrested and detained.
“West Wales Stand Up to Racism supporters want to make their voices heard too.”
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