Wales’ biggest national park to give staff St David’s Day off
Wales’ biggest national park has decided to give their staff St David’s Day off.
Snowdonia National Park’s decision follows that of Gwynedd Council to allow their staff to take the day of Wales’ patron saint off in less than two weeks’ time.
Wyn Ellis Jones, the Snowdonia National Park Authority chairman, said: “As March is a quieter time than usual for the Authority with commercial centres closed or running on reduced hours and staff, we anticipate that the cost will be very minimal, if any to the authority.
“The staff received the extra day of holiday last year as a reward for their hard work over the pandemic and we feel that the same should happen again this year.”
The National Park employs around 140 staff in total. They do not involve people involved in frontline mountain rescue.
In December, the UK Government rejected calls for a St David’s Day Bank Holiday – claiming too many people commute across the Welsh and English border to make it feasible.
In a letter Paul Scully MP, the Minister for Small Business, poured cold water on any additional Bank Holiday for Wales.
Writing in response to the Gwynedd council’s request, Mr Scully noted: “While we appreciate that the people of Wales want to celebrate their patron saint, more people work across the English/Welsh border than across the English/Scottish border.
“This closer degree of integration could cause greater business disruption. If we had separate bank holidays in England and Wales, the impact on both employees and businesses is difficult to predict.”
The Welsh Government said that they had asked “time after time” for the power to denote 1 March a bank holiday.
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I wonder if the Church in Wales has any plans for the 1st of March, this is a chance to harness this fervour for our patron saint…
Pilgrimages are becoming more popular and there are many beautiful early Churches to visit, the Friends of Friendless Churches would be glad of any support, I’m sure…
We could try shutting the pubs and betting shops for the day!
Friends of Friendless Churches cares for 29 churches around Wales. The former Rector of Beaumaris, Rev. Neil Fairlamb, has also produced a very useful and comprehensive gazetteer of Welsh churches helped by the Church Building Society, Wales and the Incorporated Church Building Society 1818 – 1982. Copies of this are available free to download or in hard copy from [email protected]. A small donation to FFC is appreciated, but not obligatory…
it always amazes me that National Park wardens seem to disappear at weekends just when there will be increased numbers of visitors coming into the parks. The way NP’s are run needs to be completely overhauled, but that’s a different story.
On the mark mate 👌
These bodies are NOT national
and certainly NOT parks
Welsh politicians seem not to know what their own ‘constitution” actually says. Perhaps they spend too much time about getting Indy by banning fizzy drinks. The existing Senedd cannot declare ‘Bank Holidays”. Fine. Just declare a National Holiday. The Senedd can’t declare Indy either. But the people can