Cleddau Community Awards nominees celebrated with special river trip
Nominees for the Cleddau Community Awards were celebrated with a special boat trip along the Cleddau on Monday 21 September. The trip brought together more than 70 people, recognised for their efforts to connect local communities with the waterway, protect its wildlife and celebrate its history.
The boat, operated by Dale Sailing, set off from Neyland and travelled downriver to look at the historic buildings, tugs and Ferry terminal in Pembroke Dock, then headed upriver towards Llangwm, where attendees enjoyed the tranquil upper reaches of the Cleddau, spotting heron and wading birds feeding along the edges of the estuary before returning to Milford Haven.
The event gave nominees from across the Cleddau catchment the opportunity to meet others whose volunteering and community work supports the river, its wildlife and its heritage. A wide range of local organisations dedicated to caring for the estuary and improving access to the water were represented, alongside many individual volunteers.
Sue Burton, from the Welsh Partnership of Marine Protected Areas who supported the trip through funding from the Nature Networks Fund delivered by the Heritage Fund on behalf of the Welsh Government, said:
“It was a wonderful opportunity to bring together people recognised through the Cleddau Community Awards, giving them the chance to share ideas and experiences and meet others working with similar aims.
“The estuary runs through the heart of so many of our communities, so a boat trip felt like a particularly fitting way to celebrate the people who give their time to care for this waterway and the communities who live alongside it.”
Pip Downs, who organised the awards said:
“After much consideration, we decided it was impossible to choose a single winner from so many. It is clear to us that an individual who regularly collects rubbish from the foreshore is every bit as worthy of recognition as a large organisation working to achieve change at government level. We are all contributing in our own ways towards the same goal and this trip was a celebration of everyone who has worked so hard for this important cause.
“We hope the awards will encourage more people to get involved and feel part of the effort to protect this very special estuary. There can be so much negativity in the news, but the trip was a reminder of just how many people are quietly working hard to make things better. Everyone brings their own skills and interests and the joy that can come from this work, even in the face of the challenges involved, was clear to see today.
“We are extremely grateful to The Heritage Fund for making the trip possible and to Dale Sailing for providing such an enjoyable evening on the water and the celebration drinks afterwards.”
The boat trip formed part of the wider work of the Cleddau Community Awards, which recognise and celebrate the individuals and organisations helping to connect communities to the waterway and safeguard the Cleddau, its wildlife and cultural heritage for future generations.