20 News THE INTRODUCTION of


smart meters for Welsh households has been backed by Assembly Members. The move, which has received


considerable support from Mid and West Wales AM Eluned Morgan, will look to utilise meters that enable residents to see exactly how much gas and electricity they have used (translated into pounds and pence) and in near real–time. It is argued that access to this


information will allow consumers to know exactly how much their next bill will be and furthermore enable them to make informed choices about their energy use. Eluned Morgan said: “Smart


meters will give us all much more control of what we spent on gas and electricity, and finally put an end to


Welcome home tea party: Ivy Wilson and ‘special bear’, with parents Natalie and Luke CHRISTMAS was saved for a


“She cuddles him to sleep every


distraught four-year-old when her beloved teddy bear was returned home after going missing during a stay at Bluestone National Park Resort in Pembrokeshire. . Ivy Wilson, from Bridgend, lost


‘special bear’ during a stay at the luxury Pembrokeshire resort last month, but after her mum, Natalie, contacted the resort and put a post on social media about the missing bear, Bluestone staff went out of their way to recover the soft toy and reunite him with Ivy in time for Christmas. Mum of two and Advertising


Account Director Natalie Wilson, 34, said: “Ivy has had ‘special bear’ since she was about seven months old and is so attached to him that she considers him to be the fifth member of our family. “She takes him everywhere with


her and he got a great tour of the resort while we were there. She even took him to meet Father Christmas at Kingdom of the Elves, as well as to the pantomime and Blue Lagoon.


night, so after the bear got left behind when we were packing up the car to head home she was distraught. She sobbed all the way home. It was heart-breaking to see as there was nothing I could do. “When I got home, I called


Bluestone straight away to see if the bear had been given into lost property but he was nowhere to be seen. However, the staff did say that they would keep an eye out for it and try their best to find it for us. “In desperation, I put a post on


Facebook, tagging Bluestone, in the hope that someone might help recover Ivy’s beloved teddy. With a devastated four-year-old at home, I wanted to do everything I could to find ‘special bear’ for her. “When I thought all hope was


lost, I received a message from a member of Bluestone’s security team at the resort to say that the bear had been found and given into lost property. I was so relieved and excited for Ivy. They posted the bear


THE HERALD FRIDAY JANUARY 6 2017


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Beloved lost bear finds way home Smart meters roll–out


estimated bills.” The AM continued: “I was


delighted to see first–hand how smart meters will benefit my constituents in Pembrokeshire. I encourage everyone to visit Smart Energy GB’s website or visit their local Post Office to pick up a leaflet to find out more about smart meters.”


According to Smart Energy


Outlook, nearly eight in ten people who already have smart meters would recommend them to others and a similar proportion is taking steps to reduce their energy use. By 2020 every home in Britain


will be offered a smart meter at no additional cost. To find out more, contact your energy supplier, pick up a leaflet from your local Post Office or visit www.smartenergygb.org/get- yours.


back to us free of charge. “I surprised Ivy with it when


I picked her up from school this week and she was so excited to see ‘special bear’ that she convinced me to throw a welcome home tea party for him. “Having ‘special bear’ home for


Christmas is literally the best present she could ask for and I’m so grateful to all the staff at Bluestone for going out of their way to help us find him.” Claire Lewis, Head of People


Services at Bluestone, said: “We pride ourselves on our friendly, dedicated and engaging team of staff at Bluestone. The Wilson family story is just one example of how our staff members take pride in their work and will always go above and beyond the call of duty to help our guests have a memorable experience of Bluestone. “We are so pleased to have


helped make Ivy’s Christmas even more special this year and we hope they have a wonderful festive season and a very happy new year.”


National Trust host recruitment day WOULD you like to


work for the National Trust in Pembrokeshire? The conservation charity is currently recruiting for seasonal catering, retail and visitor welcome roles for its special places across the county. Opportunities are available at


Colby Woodland Garden, Marloes, Martin’s Haven, Porth Clais, Stackpole, St David’s Visitor Centre and Shop and the Tudor Merchant’s House. For those interested in joining


the team, the Trust will be hosting a recruitment day this Saturday (Jan 7) at Stackpole Centre (SA71 5DQ) between 11am and 3pm. The free event is a great


opportunity for applicants to meet the Pembrokeshire team, have an informal chat about the jobs


available and find out more about working for the charity. No prior registration is


required, simply pop by on the day. Please note that paper applications won’t be accepted at the event - all candidates will need to apply online. All vacancies, role profiles and


application information can be viewed at nationaltrustjobs.org.uk by searching Pembrokeshire. The closing date for all roles is Sunday, January 15.


Almost half of us throw away unwanted presents ALMOST half the people in


Wales admit to throwing away or forgetting an unsuitable gift that could help vulnerable children and young people, according to a new survey by Barnardo’s. The poll reveals that 13% of the


people in Wales have confessed to binning gifts that aren’t their cup of tea, while 40% of those questioned put unsuitable presents in a cupboard and forgot about them. While one in 10 sold them online,


thankfully almost a third of people in Wales (31%) gave them to a charity shop, reveals the poll by the UK’s leading children’s charity. The online research conducted


by YouGov also found that for the second year running, the selfie stick is considered one of the least sought after Christmas presents by nearly half of us (43%), with musical socks proving equally unpopular. If you are trying to impress, it’s


also best to avoid bathroom scales (disliked by 38%), a set of saucepans (30%) or animal slippers (25%). Barnardo’s Cymru is appealing to people to donate unsuitable gifts to


its shops, as money raised from their sale will help transform the lives of the most vulnerable children, young people and families. Sarah Crawley, Director of


Barnardo’s Cymru, said: “We all receive the occasional present that may not be our cup of tea. Rather than throw them away, or stick them in a cupboard, you can support some of the UK’s disadvantaged children. Please take any unsuitable gifts to our stores and enjoy a warm feeling knowing your kind act is helping a child that needs your help.” As an extra bonus, people who


donate their unsuitable Christmas gifts to Barnardo’s Cymru will be rewarded with a £10 ‘Re-Gift’ voucher to spend in store and online at high street fashion retailer Evans. The research found that in-laws (


7%), mum (7%), siblings (6%) and dad (5%) were the worst at buying Christmas gifts. Barnardo’s has more than 720


retail stores in the UK which sell donated items including clothing, accessories, quality homeware, books CDs and DVDs.


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