“I was practically brought up on the water, messing about,” says Chris Powles as he walks towards Milford Beach, gripping his kayak. “Life was about being on the coast, campfires on the beach, fishing… mostly messing about! It was a great place to grow up.”
It’s February, the thermometer barely above freezing, but a wetsuited Chris isn’t bothered. He’s very much at home.
Summer or winter, a life growing up outdoors in a pre-digital Pembrokeshire (that every parent bores their children about) gave much of the inspiration for business partners Chris and Sam Lingwood (both ex Forces) and Mike Naylor (industry radiographer), to set up their business, The Milford Beach Activity Centre, in the heart of their hometown, Milford Haven.
“The Activity Centre opens up access to the Waterway, offering kayaking and paddleboarding, which is great for tourism but also great for today’s kids to get the opportunities we had growing up… but in a safe environment!”.
Off the record, he explains how much of what he and his mates got up to as kids was less than sensible (“I’m full of metal from misadventure,” he laughs).
But an outdoor upbringing, and the impact it had on him, is also what drives him and his business partners to open up the sea to young people.
“It was the sheer joy of it, the smell of it and the thrills that got us on the water. That experience gave us an incredible start and we want others to have that chance, but properly equipped and learning some great skills along the way.”
Chris’s business partner, Sam Lingwood also applied his Pembrokeshire upbringing to a career in the Forces.
“I grew up on the Mount Estate in a single parent household,” explains Sam. “I joined the Army at the age of 16. I think being comfortable with the sea and elements as a child set me up for the arduous training I completed in the Army.”
With a career that took in the Parachute Regiment before he was selected to train the best of the best at the Royal Army Physical Training Corp, it’s not hard to see how growing up with the coast as a playground helped unlock enormous potential in Sam. He believes the business can help do the same for others today.
“I think coming from a less privileged background has made me more determined for that not to be a barrier in my life. I have succeeded at being a high-ranking soldier, with a degree to my name, a husband, father and now business owner. Not bad for someone who left school without any GCSEs” he adds.
The Activity Centre is based in a beachside space above the Hot Water Slip. The docks shelter the beach from prevailing weather, making it an ideal bay for accompanying inexperienced kayakers and paddleboarders. Milford Beach is both a hidden gem for visiting tourists drawn to Milford Waterfront, and a central access to the same sea that brought the surrounding community its original purpose. The beach, once very much part of a working dock, now sits on a busy public footpath and cycling route close to cafés, shops and restaurants.
The elevator pitch, then, is that the Activity Centre provides a great day out for tourists drawn to the area, but also safely reconnects thousands of locals with the Waterway of their heritage, this time for pleasure rather than work.
“When I returned to Pembrokeshire, I started to work for the Council’s youth service, helping provide young people with access to outdoor opportunities and activities,” explains Chris. “My daily walk with the dogs would take me past the beach. One day the idea hit me – why not combine tourism and youth activity in one?”
Former army colleague Sam Lingwood returned from a career away to see Milford Haven transforming itself as a visitor destination. He feels positive about his hometown’s prospects. So much so, he’s also bought a pub on the Waterfront, the Nos Da Bar.
“There has been significant investment by the Port of Milford Haven and I know there is more in the pipeline. Housing is selling fast in the area, schools are improving – all signs that things are on the up, that people want to live and spend their money in Milford Haven.”
The company has ambitions to expand its offering, with inflatable slides and jumps and even a climbing wall. Making Milford Beach a marine leisure centre is a transformation that might baffle the founders of this town. But it proves that, for locals, the river is not just a way to make a living, but an important way of life.
Blue Space Thinking
It’s a good time to be in the business of getting people on the water.
We’ve long known access to green spaces is important for our wellbeing. It was for that very reason our national parks were created following the traumatic years of World War II. Now we know that the same is true for blue spaces. Researchers at the University of Glasgow gathered evidence from studies across the world and found ample proof that water features can be valuable public health assets.
In a BBC interview¹, co-author of the study, Niamh Smith, said that the team found an impact on both mental and general health from spending time in blue spaces. The research also linked time spent in blue space to a reduction in body mass index (BMI) and a lower risk of mortality.
Chris is very aware of the positive power of the sea. He left the army and returned to start his own family in his coastal hometown, hopeful that the next generation would connect with the water, as he once had.
“I honestly didn't realise the benefits of growing up by the coast until I left Pembrokeshire and saw what the rest of the UK had to offer,” he explains. “While I was posted in Berkshire, I realised how living away from the sea meant that I missed out on things I took for granted and almost felt sorry for those who didn't have those same opportunities!”
For the team at the Port of Milford Haven, the approach from the business trio looking for a home for their Activity Centre could not come at a better time. “Milford Waterfront is a very special place by the water,” says Lucy Wonnacott, marketing manager at the Port.”
“But it’s important to make sure anyone can get enjoyment from being on the water too, no matter what their background is. Boating is expensive and unmanaged access can be dangerous. For someone to come along and offer safe, educational and fun ways to get out on the water is great for people in Milford Haven and for the visitors who are so important to the local economy.”
“We welcome businesses like this,” continues Lucy. “They really open up a river that’s so important for connecting people to nature and their own heritage. I hope having better access can inspire everyone, locals and visitors, to appreciate the natural wonders and rich history of the Waterway… it’s a wonderful asset for peoples’ health and wellbeing.”
[1] https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20221108-the-doctors-prescribing-blue-therapy