A new vehicle which aims to improve the visitor experience and make life easier for volunteers is now operating on Skomer Island, thanks to a funding boost from the Port of Milford Haven.

The Friends of Skokholm and Skomer recently applied to the Port’s Community Fund for help to purchase a truck to replace their old tractor. Over the past few weeks it has proved invaluable for carrying visitors’ baggage from the quay to the farm accommodation, as well as transporting building materials around the island. It has also been essential for launching and retrieving the island boat which is used for crucial conservation work.

John Walmsley from the organisation has welcomed the funding. “Having raised two thirds of the required sum, our fundraising had slowed down so we were unable to make an offer for the vehicle we had identified. The Port’s offer to fund the balance was an enormous help and meant that we could complete the purchase, prepare the dumper for Skomer and transport it to the island. It is now safely established there and in daily use” he commented.

Stakeholder Engagement and Communications Manager Anna Malloy, said “The volunteers do a fantastic job of maintaining the island and it’s great to see that their new truck is making such a big difference to the day to day running of this spectacular and very important habitat.”

Community groups and charities in Pembrokeshire can apply to the Port’s Community Fund online at www.mhpa.co.uk/community-fund

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Photo caption: Kailea Turner, Stakeholder Engagement Officer at the Port, with members of the Friends of Skokholm and Skomer and their new truck

Notes to Editors

Port of Milford Haven

The Port of Milford Haven is the UK’s top energy port and Wales’ busiest port handling around 20% of Britain’s seaborne trade in oil and gas. It is widely recognised in the industry as the energy capital of the UK.

The Port, along with the cluster of energy-related businesses along the Waterway, is a key driver of economic activity in Pembrokeshire, attracting inward investment and supporting over 4,000 jobs.

The Port of Milford Haven also owns and operates Pembroke Port and Milford Dock. Activities such as cargo handling, ferry operations, fish landing and cruise calls as well as a first class marina are spread across these two sites.

One of the most prominent on the West Coast, the Port is in the heart of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, the only Coastal National Park in Great Britain. It is marked as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and has many areas designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

The Port of Milford Haven is a trust port – an independent, commercially run organisation that has statutory responsibilities governed by its Acts, to maintain and improve navigation and the provision of Port and Harbour services and facilities. Additionally, the Port provides significant financial and in-kind support to a wide variety of local causes. All profits are retained within the business to fund these objectives.

For further information, visit www.mhpa.co.uk or contact:
Anna Malloy
Port of Milford Haven
01646 696100
anna.malloy@mhpa.co.uk