BROAD HAVEN Beach will be one of over 30 locations across the UK hosting protesters today, as thousands take to coasts and rivers to demand an end to sewage pollution. The nationwide protests are organised by Surfers Against Sewage (SAS), who are calling for immediate action to stop the sewage discharges that are contaminating the UK’s waterways and harming both ecological and human health.

From Cornwall to Edinburgh, local beaches and rivers will see demonstrations, with flagship protests at West Pier in Brighton and Gyllyngvase Beach in Falmouth. Notably, double Olympic gold medallist Dame Kelly Holmes will join protesters on the south coast, highlighting the widespread support for the cause.

Giles Bristow, CEO of Surfers Against Sewage, commented: “Once again, the public face a grim choice this summer – risk swallowing sewage or forgo a dip in the water. This year offers an opportunity to turn our collective anger into action and end the sewage scandal. Politicians must now listen, with a general election imminent and public sentiment clear. All parties need to show genuine and quantifiable commitments to eliminate sewage pollution, or they will face the consequences.”

The issue of water quality is expected to be a significant factor influencing voters in the next general election, which must occur before January 2025. In June, regulator Ofwat will deliver recommendations on water companies’ investment plans for the next five years. Water companies have proposed £11 billion in investment to reduce sewage discharges, with corresponding increases in customer bills, a move that has sparked public outrage, especially considering the profits paid out to water company executives and shareholders.

According to the Financial Times, water companies in England and Wales paid out £2.5 billion in dividends over the past two financial years, and over £78 billion since privatisation 33 years ago.

Bristow added: “Thousands are protesting this weekend to demand clean seas and rivers. We need ambitious plans to end sewage pollution in high-priority nature sites and the waters we swim, surf, and paddle in by 2030. The public will not tolerate this broken system any longer.”

Dame Kelly Holmes, set to paddle out with protesters in Brighton, emphasised the importance of clean waterways: “I love nothing more than getting out into the open water on my paddle-board – it does wonders for my mental health, and there’s a strong sense of community among those who use our wild waterways. But this special pastime is tainted by the persistent risk of pollution. It’s shocking and infuriating that whole generations are deprived of safely enjoying our blue spaces. Our waterways are crucial for our health and wellbeing, and it’s scandalous how they are treated.”

In 2023, there were 584,001 recorded sewage discharges across England, Scotland, and Wales—a 51% increase from the previous year—totaling 12,966,322 hours of sewage released into waterways. United Utilities was the worst offender, with 97,537 discharges, followed by Yorkshire Water and Severn Trent Water. Welsh Water reported 108,860 discharges, although these figures are not directly comparable due to different reporting methods.

This weekend, paddle-outs will occur in most water company catchments, including Scottish Water, which recorded 15,289 spills last year, and Northern Ireland Water, which lacks discharge data due to insufficient monitoring.

The Environment Agency claims that 100% of storm overflows in England are now fitted with monitoring devices. However, SAS analysis reveals that monitors at 1,930 storm overflows, representing 13.3% of the total, are operating below 90% capacity, suggesting that the reported figures for England in 2023 are underestimated.

Local protest organiser and SAS supporter Sally McGee highlighted the impact on Tynemouth’s beaches: “Every surfer across the UK knows the risk of getting sick if they surf. Many beaches around Tynemouth are subjected to raw sewage discharge during storms. It’s upsetting and feels like we are going backwards in time. We demand an end to sewage discharges in our bathing waters by 2030.”

Surfers Against Sewage is calling for the end of sewage discharges into all bathing waters and high-priority nature sites by 2030, urging water companies, regulators, and politicians to prioritise people and nature over profit.

The prevalence of vision problems is growing in the United Kingdom, putting the elderly in a more vulnerable position. According to a report by the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), over two million people are living with sight loss in the UK. Of that number, nearly 80% are from the older population aged 65 and above. The RNIB also predicts that the number of people experiencing sight loss will double and reach 4 million by 2050, making access to eye care all the more crucial.

Ocular problems like cataracts, macular degeneration, and glaucoma are all age-related. Thus, people experiencing vision issues may be at risk of going blind as they grow older, especially with challenges in accessing eye health care services. But what is being done to mitigate these risks? Below, we take a look at the state of elderly eye care in the UK and what’s being done to bridge the gaps.

Hindrance to elderly eye care

Backlogs in the National Health Service (NHS) waiting list continue to be a primary barrier to the ageing population’s access to eye care. Data published by NHS England shows that there were over 7 million people on waiting lists last December 2022; of that number, around 630,000 were waiting for an appointment with an ophthalmologist. Due to the capacity challenges faced by the NHS, an estimated 22 people end up with severe or permanent sight loss every month, as reported by the Association of Optometrists (AOP). The AOP also says eye problems are more common in elderly patients, making the older population more at risk for blindness. But what alternatives are being implemented to prevent this?

Bridging the gap

Accessing eye care services can be difficult for elderly people with mobility issues and other health concerns that may hamper their ability to communicate their eye care needs. This is especially true for people living in care homes who cannot go outside. As a response, Specsavers offers home visits to provide eye care services to residents who cannot leave their nursing homes. In 2022, the group of mobile opticians provided more than a quarter of a million glasses to care home residents and referred more than 2,500 people in Wales for eyesight treatment. This helps bring ocular health care closer to older people who have no means to visit an eye doctor.

The increasing popularity of e-commerce has also made eye care services more accessible. These online retail stores help minimise the need for older people to travel to brick-and-mortar stores. Glasses Direct is an online eyewear retailer that offers a diverse range of glasses frames that seniors can wear, such as the Elaine and Grayson. Through its Home Trial feature, older adults can also try up to four frames, which will be delivered directly to their homes so they can wear and select the best possible option before going back to the site and ordering their preferred frames. That way, travel time is reduced, and elderly people with mobility issues can still access eyewear options from the comfort of their homes. 

Researchers in the UK have also developed an artificial intelligence (AI) program that is capable of detecting and treating eye disorders through retinal images. RETFound is an AI model that uses millions of eye scans from the NHS to pick up early signs of blindness. This can provide a huge boost in the accurate diagnosis of ocular problems that can threaten the eyesight of older adults, including glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and other diseases that the human eye can overlook. RETFound can also reduce the workload of eye doctors in analysing retinal images, thus potentially making waiting times in hospitals or even in the NHS much faster. 
Access to eye care remains a problem that threatens the eyesight of the elderly in the UK. Luckily, initiatives are in place to bridge this gap and reduce the likelihood of age-related vision loss across the country. For more articles like this, visit The Pembrokeshire Herald website.

THE PEMBROKESHIRE LIBRARY SERVICE is a well-used and much loved service, which is available to everyone. However, we need to make changes to this service to reduce its cost as part of wider measures to reduce costs across all of Pembrokeshire County Council’s services.

Public Library Services across the UK are having to make difficult budget decisions, and we are no exception.

New Council Leader Cllr Jon Harvey said: “Like every department in the Council, we have to reduce our costs. It is imperative that we do so with a full understanding of what people need from our Library Services so that we can focus the resources that we have on those in most need.

“As such, we are launching an extensive Library Needs Assessment exercise, which will include public meetings, focus groups, one-to-one discussions with key stakeholders and a survey. This is an opportunity for local people to help us to shape the future of libraries in the county.”

Cllr Harvey added: “Nine years ago, the Library Service faced similar budget challenges and undertook a similar Needs Assessment. That work led to the creation of a number of important partnerships with local communities and Town and Community Councils, which helped to protect libraries from closure.

“I am confident that by working together again, and getting an up-to-date understanding of people’s needs, we can find a way through this new challenge which will allow us to continue to provide services for all our population while in particular, protecting the most vulnerable.”

An extensive programme of engagement with residents, community groups and stakeholders will start from Wednesday, 15th May and will run through until 6th August.

This consists of:

• A questionnaire survey available online and in paper copy (from libraries and other front facing PCC service points such as leisure centres and the archives)
• Six public meetings across the county during June – dates and venues information is below
• A range of focus groups and one to one conversations with key stakeholders

All feedback received will be properly considered, and the findings will be used to help us to develop options, which we will formally consult on later in the year.

Public meetings are planned for:

Monday 10^th June, Fishguard Town Hall, 6.30-8.30pm

Wednesday 12^th June, County Hall, Haverfordwest, 6.30-8.30pm

Monday 17^th June, Pembroke Town Hall, Main Street, 6.30-8.30pm

Wednesday 19^th June, Pater Hall, Pembroke Dock, 6.30-8.30pm

Tuesday 25^th June, Greenhill Centre, Tenby, 6.30-8.30pm

Thursday 27^th June, Milford Haven Library, Cedar Court, 6.30-8.30pm

These meetings are open to anyone who wishes to attend.

Booking is not essential, but it would help us greatly if we have a rough estimate of expected numbers, so if possible, please could you register your interest in advance online, anytime after 20th May. Thank you.