FURTHER delays to the introduction of new farming subsidies in Wales have met with a cautious welcome.

Following widespread protests from farmers, Welsh Labour Rural Affairs Secretary, Huw Irranca-Davies, has announced the Sustainable Farming Scheme will now be put on hold until 2026.

The decision has been welcomed by former Secretary of State for Wales Simon Hart MP. The candidate for Caerfyrddin says the Welsh government must now work closely with farmers – and not against them.

He said: “We are told this decision shows the Plaid Cymru / Welsh Labour Cooperation administration is listening to farmers concerns. In my opinion, they should have been listening to them from the get-go and these proposals should never have been included by Plaid Cymru as part of their co-operation agreement.

“Whilst I appreciate this pause gives the Welsh government more time to get this vital scheme right, it also prolongs uncertainty in an industry that is at the very heart of our economy.

“We now need to see real progress, with the Plaid Cymru / Welsh Labour cooperators working at pace, alongside people who know the industry, to deliver a scheme that brings real benefits to our farmers.”

After a series of delays, the Sustainable Farming System was meant to come into operation in April 2025.

Rules that meant 10% of land needed to be covered by woodland and 10% earmarked for wildlife habitat caused widespread protests and led to claims that 5,000 jobs could be lost from the industry.

A QUADRIPLEGIC adventurer received a warm Pembrokeshire welcome this weekend after stopping off in the county as part of a record-breaking first-of-its-kind challenge.

Geoff Holt MBE DL set sail from St Katherine’s Dock, London on 13 May, circumnavigating the UK coastline in a specially adapted Wetwheels boat in just over a month. Yesterday, Geoff and his team stopped off at Milford Haven, one of 17 accessible ports to be visited during the challenge.

This marks the first time a Wetwheels boat has ever been to Wales. The aim of Geoff’s “Finishing The Dream” challenge is to raise enough funds to house a permanent Wetwheels boat in Wales.

Geoff was paralysed in a swimming accident in 1984 and has spent 40 years in a wheelchair, facing and overcoming often unimaginable challenges. His adventurous spirit and determination have seen him achieve feats most people would consider impossible. In 2007, he became the first severely disabled person to sail single-handed around Great Britain. In 2009, he was the first quadriplegic to sail across the Atlantic Ocean unassisted.

He was awarded an MBE for Services to Sailing in 2010 and named ‘Yachtsman of the Year’ shortly after. In 2011, Geoff set up his own charity, The Wetwheels Foundation, to enable disabled people to access the sea barrier-free in purpose-built, state-of-the-art motor boats.

This is Geoff’s final adventure in his quest to raise £1.2 million for the Wetwheels Foundation to purchase four new specially adapted Wetwheels boats. These boats would offer life-changing experiences to over 5,000 of the most profoundly disabled people each year.

In Milford Haven, his team paired up with South Pembrokeshire’s Blue Horizons, an adaptive surf school that also runs accessible boat trips for people with additional needs.

Some of the CIC’s projects have included rehabilitation surf therapy for patients recovering from brain injuries in conjunction with Hywel Dda health board, taking a 96-year-old with dementia from a local nursing home out to sea, and offering surfing experiences for all through its community projects for people with disabilities.

“Last year we were fortunate enough to win the Inclusive Tourism Award at the Croeso Awards,” said Blue Horizons’ Ollie Bird. “We also made contact with a fantastic charity called The Wetwheels Foundation and Geoff Holt MBE, its founder.”

That contact resulted in a day of collaboration as Wetwheels and Blue Horizons ran boat trips out of the marina together, showing and inspiring the community with what can be possible.

“Our layover day at Milford Haven was filled with so much fun and laughter with the guys from Blue Horizons CIC Surf Club and Port of Milford Haven,” said Geoff and his team. “We ran two boat trips, full of memories that will last a lifetime,” added the Blue Horizons team.

Geoff said that for the past 40 years, the sea had been his salvation. “The freedom and independence I get when I am afloat, I can forget about my disability. I have devoted most of my life to promoting the opportunities and benefits sailing offers disabled people and now this is my opportunity to spread that message throughout the United Kingdom.”

“My biggest hope is we can inspire more disabled people to join us for an experience on Wetwheels. Hopefully, this will also inspire people to raise money to achieve my dream of acquiring another four Wetwheels boats, making a total of 12 around the UK.”

To find out more about Geoff’s Finishing the Dream mission, the Wetwheels charity, and to make a donation, visit finishingthedream.co.uk.

IN JANUARY, Cruising Free, a team of rowers from Neyland Rowing Club, Pembrokeshire, will begin their 3200-mile unsupported row across the Atlantic. Part of the Atlantic Dash 2025, one of the toughest endurance events in the world, the team’s challenge will set off from Lanzarote in the Canary Islands and end in Antigua in the Caribbean.

The team will be attempting to break two world records and raise money for both Cystic Fibrosis Trust and Paul Sartori, Hospice at Home.

Sophie, 31, is the youngest member of the team and is living with cystic fibrosis (CF). She hopes to become the first person with the condition to row the Atlantic, and any ocean. Janine, 69, will be 70 when she undertakes the challenge and hopes to become the oldest woman to row the Atlantic, and any ocean.

Cystic fibrosis is an inherited disease caused by a faulty gene. This gene controls the movement of salt and water in and out of your cells, so the lungs and digestive system become clogged with mucus, making it hard to breathe and digest food. There are over 11,000 people with CF living in the UK. Of those who died from cystic fibrosis in 2022, the median age of death was just 33 years of age.

Sophie said: “Three years ago I was incredibly lucky to gain access to a drug trial for a modulator drug, and to put it simply, it has changed my life. With a new level of health that I never ever thought I’d have, it was time to think about new possibilities, which led me to think about rowing across the Atlantic Ocean. Living with cystic fibrosis has given me times when I’ve not been well enough to live the life I’ve wanted to, and so I absolutely want to make the most of my newfound health. For me, this row isn’t just a crazy personal adventure, it’s also a chance to reimagine the future of cystic fibrosis and bring hope that one day, everyone with CF will be able to cruise free through life.”

Sophie grew up believing her life expectancy would be no longer than 30 years, however, with new medication her life has been revolutionised. Though these medications have helped improve the lives of many, they do not work for everyone, and they are not a cure. Team Cruising Free are raising money for Cystic Fibrosis Trust, who through research and support, are working towards a future where everyone with CF can lead a long and full life.

Polly, 49, will be 50 when she rows the Atlantic. She said her life completely changed as a result of the pandemic, working as a nurse in the NHS. She describes the challenge as a bit of a midlife crisis, and with two teenage boys and a husband waiting at home, she said “when we are mid-Atlantic, I am looking forward to not having to wash muddy rugby kit or do the school-run for 6 weeks!”

Janine, 69 has been sea rowing for over 30 years; the nearest that she has come to ocean rowing is the rowing race across the Irish Sea. She has four children and six grandchildren and is retired from the NHS. She said: “Until recently I have always rejected the idea of rowing the Atlantic – it sounds really uncomfortable and difficult! But this time I realised that if I don’t do it now, then I may never do it. I am so lucky to have such an amazing team to complete this challenge with, and who will be there to help me gain the World Record for the oldest woman to have rowed an ocean.”

Paul Sartori Hospice at Home is a registered charity offering free, specialised supportive care and advice for those in the later stages of any life-limiting illness. During the end-of-life period of both her mother and father, Janine and her family benefited from the invaluable services provided by Paul Sartori Hospice at Home. The support that the family received enabled her parents to be with their loved ones at home in familiar surroundings. As a nurse, Polly has witnessed first-hand the complexities of the provision of end-of-life care and knows the importance of Paul Sartori’s supportive care and advice to those living in Pembrokeshire.

To find out more, and support Cruising Free, go to linktr.ee/cruisingfree