Community

Grand piano donated to Wales Air Ambulance raises £500

Published

4 years ago

October 1, 2021

A GRAND PIANO that was manufactured over a hundred years ago and was donated to the Wales Air Ambulance raised £500 for the lifesaving charity.

At the beginning of the year the charity, which has 12 charity shops was kindly gifted the Bluthner grand piano from Mrs Gwen Gibby from Pembrokeshire.

The piano, which was manufactured in approximately 1910 and was encased in a rosewood cabinet had been well looked after and was in excellent condition for its age.

Since it was the first time that an instrument of this kind had been donated to the charity, The charity contacted Coach House Pianos to seek advice regarding its value and whether or not the company would be prepared to assist in a sale on behalf of the Wales air Ambulance.

Coach House Pianos were happy to assist and then became involved in the transportation and storage of the piano until a purchaser was found.

Rhys Richards, joint head of retail at the Wales Air Ambulance, said: “We were delighted to hear that the charity was gifted the Bluthner grand piano from Mrs Gibby. The beautiful piano was in excellent condition and we were so happy that Coach House Pianos came on board with their expertise to help us with the valuation, as well as transporting the piano and selling it on behalf of the charity.”

Wales Air Ambulance has four aircraft based across Wales, in Dafen, Caernarfon, Welshpool and Cardiff.

Now operational 24/7, the Charity needs to raise £8 million every year to keep the helicopters flying.

A spokesperson for Coach House Pianos, said: “We were more than happy to assist the Wales Air Ambulance when Rhys first reached out to us. They do an excellent job and as a small gesture of thanks, we arranged for our professional transport team to collect the piano and bring it to our Swansea showroom until we found a purchaser. After a couple of months in the showroom, the piano sold and £500 was raised for the Wales Air Ambulance. Thanks to the Wales Air Ambulance for all they do from the Coach House Pianos team.”

Wales Air Ambulance offers advanced critical care and is often described as a ‘Flying ED’.

The on-board consultants and critical care practitioners are highly skilled and carry some of the most pioneering medical equipment in the world. They can deliver blood transfusions, administer anaesthesia and undertake emergency operations at the scene of the incident, before flying the patient directly to specialist care.

There are several ways that the public can continue to support the Wales Air Ambulance.

These include online donations, signing up to the Charity’s Lifesaving Lottery or by coming up with their own innovative ways to fundraise at home. Further information can be found via www.walesairambulance.com.

Alternatively, a £5 text-message donation can be made by texting the word HELI to 70711.

Community

Milford Haven salon named national awards finalist

Published

1 hour ago

March 22, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A local beauty therapist earns recognition in prestigious UK competition

A MILFORD HAVEN beauty therapist has been shortlisted for a major national award celebrating excellence in the hair and beauty industry.

Charlotte Mitchell-Johns, of The Attic Hair & Beauty, has been named a finalist in the Hair Extensions Specialist category at the UK Hair and Beauty Awards 2026.

Ms Mitchell-Johns, who is a Level four beauty therapist, also works as a hair extensions specialist and beauty educator with HB Training.

Speaking about the recognition, she said she was “truly honoured” to be named among the finalists.

She added that she believes the industry thrives on collaboration rather than competition, and that supporting others is key to long-term success.

Ms Mitchell-Johns has been recognised for her technical skill, commitment to clients, and efforts to maintain high standards within the beauty sector.

The UK Hair and Beauty Awards highlight leading professionals from across the country, celebrating talent, creativity and dedication within the industry.

Community

Pembrokeshire foster carers could get council tax exemption

Published

8 hours ago

March 22, 2026

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

THE FINAL sign-off for a pilot scheme for foster carers in Pembrokeshire to be exempt from council tax payments, has been backed by senior councillors.

Last July, Pembrokeshire County Council Cabinet members backed a pilot scheme, giving 100 per cent exemptions for those meeting the criteria, running from April 1 of this year, up to March 31, 2029.

In a report presented by Cabinet Member for Young Persons, Community, Well-being and Future Generations Cllr Marc Tierney, members heard the average yearly cost of a young person being supported by an in-house foster carer per year is £22,770, while the cost for those in in residential care per year is £409,812, a variance of £387,042 per year.

“It is evident that if we can support more people to foster through a council tax discretionary discount scheme, this will benefit the Local Authority by reducing reliance on far more expensive residential care placements, or independent fostering agency arrangements, whilst enabling children to remain in their own communities,” the report said.

It added: “Based on the 25/26 Council Tax (Band D) equivalent rate of £2,059.82 per annum, the cost of implementing a 100 per cent discount per year for current mainstream foster carers would be £133,888.30. It is noted that there may be some households within this cohort who are already receiving some sort of discount, however £133,888.30 should be the maximum impact.”

Offset against that, current costs for Independent Fostering Agencies placements are some £1,956,500; the spend for the same number of children placed with in-house foster carers based on average placement costs would £796,920 per annum, an annual variance of £1,159,580 less per year compared to IFA placement costs.

“Introducing this discount on a pilot basis would be with a view to identifying if additional costs incurred by implementing this scheme would be offset by reducing the number of children and young people placed with Independent Fostering Agencies and increasing the number of children being cared for via in-house foster carers,” the report said.

It added: “This proposal will also have the added benefit of creating capacity for more young people looked after to remain close to their families, their homes, their schools, and communities thus retaining crucial local links and support networks.”

At the March meeting of Cabinet, members were asked to again back the scheme, with minor amendments to eligibility, which was supported by Cabinet.

Community

Loose horse sparks police response in Pembroke

Published

14 hours ago

March 21, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Animal seen galloping through residential streets and towards main road

POLICE are reportedly tracking a loose horse which strayed into a residential area of Pembroke.

The animal was first spotted in Gatehouse View before making its way onto a nearby main road.

A post on the Pembroke and Pembroke Dock Citizens’ Forum said the horse had left Gatehouse View and was seen heading towards the road by Pembroke Leisure Centre.

The resident wrote: “Anyone recognise it? Police following it.”

The horse was later reported to be galloping down Buttermilk Lane in the direction of Martha’s.

Stray horses are not uncommon in the area. In January, several animals were reported loose around Pembroke and along the A477, particularly near Buttermilk Close and the Cleddau Bridge.

Those incidents created a hazard for motorists, prompting Pembrokeshire County Council to step in and return the animals. Drivers were advised to take extra care and avoid startling them.