Sir, At our meeting on Monday, July 16, members of the Pembrokeshire Association for the Disabled regretfully took the decision to discontinue its activities. The lack of anyone willing or able to take on the role of secretary proved a major factor in reaching this decision. It is very sad that an organisation that had its beginnings over 30 years ago and has remained dedicated to helping disabled people should now have to come to an end. The Dyfed Association for the Disabled was set up in 1975 with committees in the three counties and was supported by grants from the local authorities. It was run by dedicated people - Dillwyn Miles was a founder, Cecil Noott, of Haverfordwest, was the first treasurer, Eddie Masterson was president and later became chairman. Other officers over the years were Miss Margaret Collins, of Tenby, Mrs. Zoe Morgan, of Haverfordwest, Roy Beaumont, of Fishguard, Bernard Coldicott and, of course, Mrs. Joan Pettit from Milford Haven, who has been involved with the association longer than any of us here. She has served on the committee for 20 years and has been our secretary for nine years. Things changed when Dyfed ceased to exist and with Dyfed went the Dyfed Association - but the Pembrokeshire Committee felt there was still work to be done and it has been in being as PADS since 1998. The death of Eddie Masterson in 2003 was a great blow and in the following year, with no funding and dwindling support, we pondered whether to continue. We had been at our strongest when representatives of very many of the charities concerned with disability in all its forms attended our meetings - sharing experience and expertise. We felt we were able to provide the personal touch, giving a sympathetic ear to those seeking help, and be more accessible than the larger salaried-staffed organisations. The decision at that time was that we still had a lot to offer to the disabled of the county and we would struggle on. Ever mindful of the hidden costs of disability, we continued to fight to ease the burden and many individual problems have been resolved through the intervention and support of PADS, who were also instrumental in securing the disabled concession on the Cleddau Bridge, the Key Scheme for disabled toilets in Pembrokeshire and disabled parking spaces outside Haverfordwest library, as well as highlighting the transport problems of patients attending hospitals outside the county and areas of need for disabled access. Now we have faced that decision once again and this time, realistically, we did not have a choice. The time had come for our long-serving secretary to retire. I am very much aware that, with so few members able to attend, the burden has fallen even more heavily on her. We come up with bright ideas and leave her to implement them and our search for someone prepared to take over as secretary has proved fruitless. We owe Joan a lot more than the expenses that, with grants no longer available to us, we have been unable to provide in recent years - her dedication has been phenomenal and we are very, very grateful.
Sybil Edwards, PADS chairman,
Portland House, Trefin.