VISITORS from Canada and Australia were among the large audience when Pembroke and District Male Voice Choir staged at St John’s Church, Tenby, on Tuesday June 25.

They were invited to add their voices to mark the 95^th birthday of the choir’s senior member, second tenor Frank Harries, who has been a chorister for 67 years.

Frank and colleagues were in excellent form, the varied and thoughtful programme chosen by Musical Director Juliet Rossiter being warmly applauded.

Soloists were singer/songwriter and first tenor Peter Halifax, on guitar, and flautist Alyson Griffiths, and Alyson joined MC Matthew John in a duet of well remembered wartime songs.

Matthew, renowned for his jokes, chose one about Scottish football, luckily without any of the audience confessing to be from ‘north of the border’!

Following the retirement of their accompanist the choir has been fortunate to call on the support of Peter Griffiths, already accompanist to a number of county musical groups, to stand in for this and further concerts. He was warmly thanked by choristers and audience.

The choir is keen to hear from pianists who would like to be a key part of this well regarded and successful music team. Further information available from the choir secretary on 07572 080401.

Choristers were especially pleased to welcome Caroline, wife of their first tenor colleague, the late David Asparassa.

Thanks from the church were extended by Liz Storey and church ladies later provided fine refreshments in the schoolroom. They were thanked by Choir Chairman Huw Morgan.

Next concert is on Sunday July 21 at Angle Church.

PAUL SARTORI Hospice at Home, a local charity, supporting end of life and palliative patients, their families and carers have recently been awarded a grant from Elise Pilkington Charitable Trust. The grant of £10,000 has been given to extend its previous support given to patients living at home with dementia in Pembrokeshire.

“This funding has come at a crucial time for us. We had funding for a few trails where we recognised a need for support. We know the difference this care makes to local families supporting a relative with dementia at home. It can be exhausting. Quite often they cannot leave their loved one unattended and they get very little time to themselves, which can have a great impact on the family carer. This project will increase the resilience of the family carer and support the patient in a familiar environment where they feel comfortable and secure,” said Laura Hugman, Clinical Team Manager at Paul Sartori Hospice at Home.

The award will fund up to 232 hours of hands-on home nursing care, allowing day and night-time respite for those families who are struggling. Families can access support during the day – so they can address their own care needs, attend appointments, catch up with friends, enjoy their hobbies or just rest. Families who need respite can also access support during the night. They will have peace of mind knowing that their loved one is looked after by Paul Sartori staff who are experienced and trained in many complex medical conditions.

“We were delighted to hear that the Elise Pilkington Charitable Trust have agreed to support this much-needed provision in Pembrokeshire,” said Judith Williams, Grant Development Officer at Paul Sartori Hospice at Home.

“The Elise Pilkington Trust were delighted to be able to support this important work at Paul Sartori in supporting end of life patients with advanced dementia. This fits very well with our aims of supporting projects dedicated to addressing the needs of older people with advanced dementia (and their carers) in domestic, community and formal care settings,” said Ruth Tarry, Chairman from the Elise Pilkington Charitable Trust.

This follows on from support provided by NFU Mutual’s Agency Giving Fund and the Hywel Dda University Health Board, where both trials proved invaluable for local families. Although Dementia was not recognised until recently as something you can die of. According to the Office for National Statistics, Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease was recorded as one of the leading causes of death in Wales in April 2023. The Paul Sartori Hospice at Home Clinical Staff Team are aware of the difference supporting those living with Dementia and the impact on families and will work with the Admiral and Marie Curie Dementia Nurses to enhance the support locally.

The Paul Sartori Team play an important part in supporting end of life patients and their families, which also enhances the provision of other local services. With the team’s flexible and rapid approach, they support the patient’s wish to be cared for in their own home. They offer a patient-centred approach to care – assessing patients, referring to other internal services, work closely with other healthcare providers and are available as advisors. They provide a wide range of other services, including home nursing care, 24-hour support, standby service, complementary therapy, bereavement and counselling support, physiotherapy, future care planning and training. These services enable people in the later stages of any life limiting illness to be cared for and to die at home with dignity, independence, pain free and surrounded by those they hold most dear if that is their wish. Further information on the charity and its services can be obtained by visiting their website www.paulsartori.org, or by phoning 01437 763223.

THE PORT OF MILFORD HAVEN and Blue Horizons Surf School are proud to announce a new partnership that enables more inclusive access to the Milford Haven Waterway. The monthly boat trips onboard a vessel that can facilitate safe embarkation for wheelchair users are enabling more people to safely enjoy the waterway and the associated wellbeing benefits that brings.

As custodians of the Milford Haven Waterway, the Port of Milford Haven actively promotes, encourages and enables sustainable recreational use of the Haven. There is increasing recognition of the importance of spending time in and around the water and nature, also known as ‘blue spaces’, and studies have proven it to have a positive impact on physical and mental wellbeing.

Blue Horizons Surf School is a Community Interest Company offering surf lessons, beach days and coastal exploration for children and adults in Pembrokeshire. This collaboration merges the dedication Blue Horizon has to inclusivity and the Port’s commitment to providing a safe and enjoyable waterway, as well as equality and diversity.

The Port of Milford Haven’s community outreach programme focuses on providing opportunities for young people, enjoyment of the waterway and promoting skills and jobs. The boat trips, which are on board a vessel provided by Dale Sailing in Neyland, will take small groups to explore the different areas of the Milford Haven Waterway. Each trip is adapted to the needs of those attending to ensure it’s a safe space to socialise and explore.

Oliver Bird from Blue Horizons Surf School, said “The inspiration for these boat trips in Pembrokeshire was born from listening to individuals and families with shared experiences in order to understand what was needed to make a boat trip truly accessible. The trips give everyone the opportunity to safely and comfortably experience the open seas, seeing a different aspect of our beautiful coastline and learning about our fascinating waterway. The feedback has shown it has positively impacted so many in varied ways; the calming effects of watching the water swirl by, the salt air helping bring a better night’s sleep, the support of a team onboard and the company of like-minded people allowing them the chance to relax and enjoy an adventurous activity together. Every trip has a unique story to tell and we feel very privileged to be a part of it.”

Supporting the trips, Coxswain at the Port of Milford Haven, Graham Howells added: “After a conversation with a friend whose son has cerebral palsy and autism, it became apparent that accessible adventure activities in Pembrokeshire were severely limited. Blue Horizons had been running accessible surfing sessions last summer, but their season had to come to a halt as the water temperature dropped in the autumn. The idea that we might be able to get people and their carers out on a warm dry boat was met with great enthusiasm by all partners concerned. It is my great pleasure to be involved on behalf of the Port of Milford Haven. We are extremely grateful for the Port’s financial support and to Dale Sailing for the use of an accessible boat. I hope this is just the beginning of an exciting opportunity to provide accessible activities and respite for service users, their families and carers.”

Communications and Marketing Director at the Port, Anna Malloy, commented “We’re really excited to be partnering with Blue Horizons. At the Port we’re committed to ensuring safe enjoyment of the Milford Haven Waterway for all, and who knows, maybe the experience of being out on the waters will inspire some of the passengers to consider a career in maritime. What a fantastic outcome that would be!”

For more information about the boat trips, contact Blue Horizons CIC Surf Club on Facebook.