January 2026 Newsletter

A belated Happy New Year! I hope 2026 has got off to a great start for you.

It’s been an incredibly busy start to the year, with exciting announcements on funding for our local communities, enhanced support to keep our streets safe, and major news for our local economy (all detailed below!).

I hope you enjoy reading this first newsletter of 2026, and as always if there is anything you would like to discuss, or anything I can help with, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Best wishes,

Henry

News for Pembrokeshire

Funding for our Communities

Pembrokeshire will receive £1.5 million in funding to be spent over two years, through the Pride in Place Impact Fund, thanks to the UK Labour Government.

This funding is all about regenerating our local areas, improving public spaces and the things that matter most to the community. We want to hear from you about your community’s priorities, to make sure this money is spent in the best possible way. I’ve been working with Pembrokeshire County Council, and we are incredibly grateful for all the fantastic submissions that we have received.

The Council have also confirmed that they shall only close the opportunity to submit ideas once all the funds are committed or on 31 December 2026, whichever comes first.

Big News for Floating Offshore Wind and Jobs in Pembrokeshire

This month, the Government announced offshore wind projects across the whole country – enough to secure electricity to power over 12 million homes, and crucially, to create thousands of jobs.

Most excitingly, Pembrokeshire has been selected as a site for floating offshore wind!

Our county has a proud industrial history, and it’s great to see this Labour Government backing our potential to be a world leader in the future energy mix.

Since being elected as your MP, I have been doing everything I can to secure this investment for Pembrokeshire, so I am absolutely delighted with this news. Developing floating offshore wind will create jobs for the future right here in the county and maintain our skills base.

I will continue to work hard to ensure the benefits of this investment are felt right across Pembrokeshire.

Government Funding for Local Sports Clubs

Pembrokeshire is full of brilliant grassroots sports clubs, that do so much for the mental and physical wellbeing of their communities. So, I am delighted that the Government has announced funding for two sports pitches in Pembrokeshire – Carew AFC and Hakin United FC. Each will receive nearly £20,000 of funding for pitch maintenance equipment, to ensure that the facilities can be upkept and enjoyed by the community.

There is also more support available for local sports clubs. The Welsh Labour Government provides support for sports clubs through Sport Wales, which has various funding streams. These include the BeActiveWales Fund, offering grants of up to £50,000 to sports clubs for equipment and coaching or training courses, and Energy Saving Grants of up to £25,000 for energy-saving improvements, so sports facilities can save on their energy bills.

If you run a local sports club, check out the Sports Wales website for more information on the support available Funding and Support | Sport Wales

Safer streets in Pembrokeshire

Our government are taking serious action to tackle shoplifting and crime on our highstreets. When I speak with shop owners across the county, they have all shared the terrible impact that shoplifting is having.

That is why I am so pleased to announce that we are removing the £200 cap that was brough in under austerity measures by the last government. That cap meant that anything stolen under the value of £200 wouldn’t be investigated or prosecuted.

Removing this cap gives small businesses the backing they deserve, ensuring that all shoplifting - regardless of the value - is treated as a crime, and investigated.

This builds on our commitment to put another 13,000 bobbies on the beat, to ensure that everyone can feels on the high street and in their communities.

Homes Fit for Heroes across our County

Service personnel in Pembrokeshire and across the country deserve to live in a safe and secure home.

So, I am delighted to share, that thanks to action taken by our Government, 100 military families in Pembrokeshire now have newly refurbished and modernised homes – delivered well ahead of schedule!

This is part of our Homes Fit for Heroes campaign, bringing 36,000 service family homes back into public ownership and upgrading thousands more, and shows this Government’s commitment to those who serve and their families.

Backing Family Farms

Just before Christmas, the government announced increases to the thresholds for Agricultural Property Relief (APR) and Business Property Relief (BPR) from £1 million to £2.5 million. This will allow couples to pass on up to £5 million of agricultural and business assets between them, on top of existing allowances such as the nil-rate band.

After a year of extensive engagement with Pembrokeshire’s farming community and with government on this issue, I am really pleased that the government has reconsidered the initial policy. I know what a positive difference this change will make to small family farms across the county. I will continue working closely with our farmers, making sure their voices are heard at the highest level and maintaining a constructive relationship between the agricultural sector and government.

It was great to discuss these changes, and other important issues in the agricultural sector, at Farmers Weekly Question Time. I look forward to continuing these conversations and championing the sector in every way I can.

In the Community

Supporting Families in Pembrokeshire

This month, I visited the Family Contact Centre in Neyland to meet the brilliant team there and two of their new support workers. The centre provides a safe and supportive environment for children and families involved in care proceedings, offering vital help during incredibly challenging times. The dedication of the staff there is second to none. They consistently go above and beyond to ensure families across our community receive the support they need and deserve. A huge thank you to everyone at the centre for the outstanding work they do.

Narberth’s Community Swimming Pool

It was great to meet the amazing team at Swim Narberth, who showed me round the fantastic facilities at Narberth Swimming Pool. The pool has been run by the charity since the community came together to save it in 2014, and it is inspiring to see how far it has come.

Today, it is thriving, welcoming over 1,000 swimmers every week. That success is a true testament to the dedication and hard work of the volunteers who keep the doors open, ensuring local people of all ages and abilities can enjoy the many health and wellbeing benefits of swimming.

If you haven’t been yet, I highly recommend booking a session and supporting this brilliant local charity. Swim Narberth CIO | Narberth Swimming Pool | Pembrokeshire - Wales

Strengthening Rural Pembrokeshire

I was lucky enough to spend an afternoon with the team at PLANED. PLANED is an innovative social enterprise, run by and for our rural communities in Pembrokeshire. Through a range of locally tailored initiatives, they work with communities to deliver sustainable projects that support community wellbeing, culture, and rural development.

It was really exciting to hear about all the projects they will be running this year, tackling a range of local issues from the cost-of-living to environmental degradation. Thank you to the team there for everything they do. If you want to hear more about what they do, you can visit their website here: PLANED | Home

A Visit to St Davids Deli & Wine

St David’s Deli & Wine is one of our brilliant local businesses here in Pembrokeshire, and I was delighted to visit them this month. They offer an excellent range of Welsh and locally sourced products. They do brilliant work supporting our farmers, producers, and small businesses.

After a very busy Christmas period, the team are taking a well‑deserved break and will reopen on 2nd February. If you’re in the area and fancy a locally sourced treat, I’d highly recommend stopping by.

Town & Community Councils

A huge thank you to Tenby Town Council and Solva Community Council for hosting me this month. Our local councils work tirelessly for the communities they represent, and I am very grateful for all that they do.

I also joined the lovely team at Tenby Town Council for their Friday Lunch and Wellbeing Club this month. It was great to hear about all the other brilliant, regular community events and activities they have planned for this year in Tenby. These are a lovely way to meet new people in your community and learn a new skill.

Here is a taste of what’s on offer:

Films4Tenby, twice a month, Tuesdays at 7pm - De Valence

Repair Cafe, second Saturday of the month, 2–4pm - Augustus Place Hall

Tenby Arts Club, Fridays at 7pm (October to March) - St John’s Church Hall (Arts in the broad sense, not a painting group)

Tenby Art Group, Thursday mornings, 10:30–12:30 - Augustus Place Hall

Tenby Over 50s Friendship Club, Wednesdays during term time, 2–3:30pm - Augustus Place Hall

Please share with anyone you know who might like to get involved in a friendly local group!

School Visits

I always enjoy visiting our brilliant schools in Pembrokeshire, and hearing from pupils about what matters to them. This month, I had the pleasure of speaking with Year 9s at Greenhill School. They were full of thoughtful questions, and we had a wide-ranging discussion covering everything from the economy and the environment, to fox hunting and healthcare.

I also heard about the exciting work happening across the school, including lessons in renewable energy technologies for Year 12 engineering pupils, preparing them for future jobs in this growing industry. Ensuring that our young people have access to good employment and training opportunities when they leave school remains one of my key priorities.

I was also lucky enough to meet a wonderful group of year 5’s at Saundersfoot CP School this month. They were full of great questions and ideas, and definitely have bright futures ahead of them! Thank you to the wonderful staff who always go above and beyond for their pupils.

Sunny Hill Farm

Farmers are at the heart of our communities here in Pembrokeshire, and they go above and beyond all year round to protect our food security and care for our countryside. It was great to visit Sunny Hill Farm with the NFU this month. I was lucky enough to try their delicious organic chocolate milkshake, sourced from their very happy herd of cows. If you aren’t already one of their loyal customers, I would highly recommend a visit to their vending machine to pick up some fresh produce. Sunny Hill Farm Dairy | Haverfordwest | Facebook

Out and about in Narberth

Thank you so much to everyone who took the time to chat with us on the doorstep in Narberth!

A special shout out also to the Narberth Play Park Committee, for a really interesting meeting discussing the Pride in Place Impact Fund and how we can improve our play areas.

In Parliament

British Award for Folly Farm

I had the immense privilege and pride of collecting a Great British Wildlife Restoration Award in Parliament on behalf of Pembrokeshire’s very own Folly Farm.

They came second out of hundreds of entrants from across the UK – a recognition of their outstanding conservation work, particularly the Hafod yr Adar project which provides a safe haven for red-listed migratory birds traveling thousands of miles to reach Pembrokeshire.

A huge congratulations to the entire Folly Farm team. This award is so well-deserved for all the incredible work they do. I would highly recommend a visit to this wonderful local treasure, particularly to see the adorable baby rhino Rhodri!

Banning Social Media for Under 16s

Many of you have contacted me with your concerns about the impact that social media and screen time is having on our children and young people. I share these concerns – the impact of addictive social media platforms on children’s mental health, wellbeing and ability to learn is becoming increasingly clear to parents, carers, and teachers.

That is why I have been working with colleagues in Parliament and have written to the Prime Minister to call for under 16s social media restrictions, similar to the model recently introduced in Australia. I am pleased that the government is now looking into this.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my January newsletter! I look forward to catching up next month.

Best wishes,

Henry