Llanidloes shopkeeper celebrates VE Day with special picnic
Trudy Davies, owner of Woosnam and Davies News, organised the event with the help of her £5,000 prize from National Lottery operator, Allwyn's, Local Retail Champions awards.
The picnic, held on May 5 at the Millennium Community Garden, was co-organised with Joy Smout of the Royal British Legion.
It welcomed members of the Royal British Legion Women's Section, veterans, and the Llanidloes community, and featured bunting, music, and decorations.
Ms Davies also commissioned VE Day 80th Anniversary pin brooches using the Allwyn prize money, which are being sold to raise money for local veterans and Royal British Legion Industries' Tommy's Club.
Even before the VE Day activities, Ms Davies had been busy putting her prize money to good use for the local community by funding a new wooden friendship bench in the town.
Situated between her shop and the Crown and Anchor pub, the bench is intended to bring people from the area together and commemorate the legacy of former publican Ruby Holmes.
Ms Davies said: "I have been the secretary of the community garden for 26 years now and it's lovely that it's being used for such a great event in the town.
"The prize money from Allwyn has been such a big help in putting on this event for the community and making our VE Day 80th Anniversary celebrations extra special, as they should be.
"We're supporting great causes along the way and there's been a wonderful atmosphere in our small town because of it."
Ms Davies was one of 16 regional winners in Allwyn's 2024 Local Retail Champions awards, which recognised National Lottery retailers who go above and beyond for their communities.
Woosnam and Davies News was nominated by its customers for a range of community-focused initiatives, including collecting unwanted items for donation to charities, organising a group of 30 people from the area to knit blankets and hats for the homeless and newborn babies, and supporting producers from the area by selling honey and eggs in the shop.
Allwyn's director of commercial partnerships and retail sales, Alison Acquaye-Acford, said: "We're delighted to see that Trudy is continuing her excellent work in the community by spending her Local Retail Champions prize money on community initiatives.
"We know she really prioritises her community and this is clear to see from all her work.
"And not only does she support her community in her own generous and kind-hearted ways, but simply by selling National Lottery tickets, she's helping to raise around £30 million every week for Good Causes which goes to projects in Trudy's community and communities across the UK."
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Daily Mirror
7 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Wetherspoons boss takes on pub giant after being sacked
Peter Castagna-Davies had worked at JD Wetherspoon for 22 years but was unfairly dismissed from his role after authorisation a 50% discount on food for a kitchen worker A former JD Wetherspoon pub manager who was sacked for allowing a colleague a 50% food discount has won an employment tribunal, with a judge ruling he was unfairly dismissed. Peter Castagna-Davies had worked at the company for 22 years and had been shift leader at the Pontlottyn pub in Abertillery, Wales when he was sacked for allegedly breaching company policy. The pub boss gave kitchen worker Noah Gardiner the half-price discount as he put the items - two portions of halloumi fries, two portions of chicken breast bites, and two cans of Monster energy drink – through the till. With the company "cracking down" on discounts offered to staff at the time, an internal investigation found he had breached policy by allowing Mr Gardiner to buy "excessive products" at the 50% rate and to take the food home, reports Walesonline. The Cardiff employment tribunal heard that just minutes before Mr Castagna-Davies authorised the order on January 31 last year, Mr Gardiner had used a different manager's till key to process another free meal for himself – chicken breast bites and a can of Monster Punch. Wetherspoon's disciplinary chairman Chris Jenkins decided to fire Mr Castagna-Davies, telling him: "Shortly before you processed Noah's 50% on-shift discount he had processed through the till his own staff feeding meal, some two hours after his break when he had consumed it, which you had no knowledge of him doing so or even going on his break. "I find this both worrying and surprising that, as the duty manager with so few staff to manage on the shift in question, you had no knowledge or control over what was going on." At the time the chain had internally circulated rules stating only one item from the food menu and one soft drink were available for free to employees on a shift. Extra items could be purchased with a discount of 50%, while food being taken home would get a discount of 20%. Wetherspoon's witnesses said during the tribunal that there had been "a crackdown on the 50% discount because staff had been caught taking food home to feed their whole family". They claimed the business had suffered "significant" costs, which led it to adopt a "corporate zero-tolerance attitude towards abuse of the staff discount". The transaction approved by Mr Castagna-Davies was flagged by Wetherspoon's IntelliQ system, which is used to flag potential staff fraud. Pontlottyn manager Sarah Newton had told the shift leader "mistakes happen" but that he should be careful because the company "really were cracking down on it". Mr Castagna-Davies responded that he was disappointed in himself for the mistake. An investigating manager, Keri Blanchard, interviewed Mr Gardiner, who said he had cooked the food himself. Asked if he had eaten his initial free meal on-site, he replied: "I should've yeah, I don't take food home any more.' He then admitted he had taken home the items put through by Castagna-Davies. When he was interviewed about the incident, Castagna-Davies admitted he may have mistakenly "pressed the wrong button" in applying a discount of 50% rather than 20%. He denied being aware Mr Gardiner planned to take the food home. Mr Jenkins dismissed the shift leader without notice despite his clean disciplinary record over 22 years. He cited Wetherspoon had been "vigorous" in communicating its zero-tolerance approach. Mr Castagna-Davies argued via four witnesses that Mr Gardiner "had ordered the food in a deceptive way". But Wetherspoon area manager Dannie Stephens upheld the dismissal, telling him he had "failed to lead, manage and organise your shift sufficiently to prevent the breach". At the tribunal Judge Rachel Harfield concluded it was not reasonable for Ms Stephens to conclude this was a case of "gross incompetence or gross negligence, as opposed to being simple negligence that falls within the misconduct category of the respondent's policy". The judge added: "There is no evidence that Dannie Stephens gave any thought to that at all. She seems simply to have operated on the basis that the claimant should have managed the shift better, that if he had done so the breach would not have happened, therefore the claimant should be held responsible for the breach, and it was possible under the policy to dismiss for a single act. "There was no weighing of the actual seriousness of the claimant's actions in their actual context. Dannie Stephens seemed to have viewed the claimant as diligent in other areas. It was one incident on one shift that he could have managed better. He was an employee with long service and a clear disciplinary record. The decision to uphold the dismissal at appeal stage was not within the reasonable range. In my judgement that rendered the whole dismissal unfair." A payout is yet to be decided. Judge Harfield encouraged the parties to attempt a settlement before a remedy hearing takes place.
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Daily Mirror
Wetherspoon manager sacked after giving discount on pub's halloumi fries
Wetherspoons manager Peter Castagna-Davies was fired from the Pontlottyn pub in Abertillery, South Wales, after he put the items through the till for kitchen worker Noah Gardiner A former JD Wetherspoon pub manager has triumphed in an employment tribunal after being sacked for giving a colleague a 50 per cent food discount. Peter Castagna-Davies was shown the door from his shift leader role at the Pontlottyn pub in Abertillery, Wales, despite having a spotless record for more than 22 years. Mr Castagna-Davies had rung up two portions of halloumi fries, two servings of chicken breast bites, and two cans of Monster energy drink for kitchen worker Noah Gardiner, applying the half-price discount for staff on shift. An internal probe concluded that he had violated policy by letting Mr Gardiner purchase "excessive products" at the 50 per cent rate and take the food home. The Cardiff employment tribunal was told that Mr Castagna-Davies was unaware that just two minutes before he approved the items, Mr Gardiner had used a different manager's till key to get another free meal for himself – chicken breast bites and a can of Monster Punch. Wetherspoon's disciplinary chairman Chris Jenkins decided to sack Mr Castagna-Davies, telling him: "Shortly before you processed Noah's 50 per cent on-shift discount he had processed through the till his own staff feeding meal, some two hours after his break when he had consumed it, which you had no knowledge of him doing so or even going on his break," reports Wales Online. "I find this both worrying and surprising that, as the duty manager with so few staff to manage on the shift in question, you had no knowledge or control over what was going on." Two months prior to the unfortunate discount incident – which occurred at 8.04pm on 31 January 2024 – the pub chain had internally circulated rules stating that only one item from the food menu and one soft drink were available for free to employees during their shift. Staff wishing to add extra items could purchase them at half price, and if they wanted to take food home, the discount would be limited to 20 per cent. Sarah Newton, the manager of Pontlottyn, had messaged the pub's employee group chat saying the company was "cracking down" because staff at other pubs had been taking multiple 50 per cent orders home. She cautioned that there had been instances where misuse of the discount had led to disciplinary investigations. During the tribunal, Wetherspoon's witnesses stated there had been "a crackdown on the 50 per cent discount because staff had been caught taking food home to feed their whole family". They alleged that the business had incurred "significant" costs, which prompted it to adopt a "corporate zero-tolerance attitude towards abuse of the staff discount". Wetherspoon utilises a system called IntelliQ to flag potential staff fraud. A week after the discount was approved by Mr Castagna-Davies, the system raised an alarm over the transaction. Ms Newton told him "mistakes happen" but warned him to be careful as the company was "really cracking down on it". Mr Castagna-Davies expressed disappointment in himself for the error. Keri Blanchard, an investigating manager, interviewed Mr Gardiner who claimed he had prepared the food himself. When asked if he had consumed his initial free meal on-site, he responded: "I should've yeah, I don't take food home any more." However, he then confessed that he had taken home the items processed by Mr Castagna-Davies. When questioned if he had requested a 50 per cent discount, Mr Gardiner stated: "I just asked for someone to put it through." During his interview, Mr Castagna-Davies claimed he couldn't recall the transaction but suggested he might have accidentally "pressed the wrong button", applying a 50 per cent discount instead of the usual 20 per cent. He denied knowing that Mr Gardiner intended to take the food home. Mr Jenkins dismissed him without notice. Despite acknowledging Mr Castagna-Davies' unblemished disciplinary record over 22 years, he highlighted Wetherspoon's "vigorous" enforcement of its zero-tolerance policy. He also suspected that Mr Castagna-Davies knew the food would be taken home, stating it wasn't "normal for staff at the pub to eat that much food during their breaks". During an appeal, Mr Castagna-Davies presented evidence from four witnesses to contend that Mr Gardiner "had ordered the food in a deceptive way". However, Wetherspoon area manager Dannie Stephens maintained the dismissal, informing him he had "failed to lead, manage and organise your shift sufficiently to prevent the breach". At the tribunal, Judge Rachel Harfield observed "the staff discount system is one built on trust" and that repeated abuse would prove expensive to Wetherspoon. Yet she determined it was not reasonable for Ms Stephens to conclude this constituted a case of "gross incompetence or gross negligence, as opposed to being simple negligence that falls within the misconduct category of the respondent's policy". The judge further stated: "There is no evidence that Dannie Stephens gave any thought to that at all. She seems simply to have operated on the basis that the claimant should have managed the shift better, that if he had done so the breach would not have happened, therefore the claimant should be held responsible for the breach, and it was possible under the policy to dismiss for a single act. "There was no weighing of the actual seriousness of the claimant's actions in their actual context. Dannie Stephens seemed to have viewed the claimant as diligent in other areas. It was one incident on one shift that he could have managed better. He was an employee with long service and a clear disciplinary record. The decision to uphold the dismissal at appeal stage was not within the reasonable range. In my judgement that rendered the whole dismissal unfair." A compensation amount has yet to be determined. Judge Harfield urged both parties to seek an agreement before a remedy hearing occurs. The Mirror has contacted Wetherspoon to ask whether it will be reassessing its disciplinary procedures following the judge's conclusions.
North Wales Live
a day ago
- North Wales Live
Wetherspoon manager sacked for allowing discount for staff member at Welsh pub
A former JD Wetherspoon pub manager has won an employment tribunal after the chain sacked him for allowing a colleague a 50% food discount. Peter Castagna-Davies - who had 22 years of unblemished service at the chain - was dismissed from his role as a shift leader at the Pontlottyn pub in Abertillery. Mr Castagna-Davies had put the items – two portions of halloumi fries, two portions of chicken breast bites, and two cans of Monster energy drink – through the till for kitchen worker Noah Gardiner and applied a half-off discount for shift staff. An internal investigation found he had breached policy by allowing Mr Gardiner to buy "excessive products" at the 50% rate and to take the food home, reports Walesonline. The Cardiff employment tribunal heard Mr Castagna-Davies had not been aware that two minutes before he approved the items, Mr Gardiner had used a different manager's till key to process another free meal for himself – chicken breast bites and a can of Monster Punch. Wetherspoon's disciplinary chairman Chris Jenkins decided to fire Mr Castagna-Davies, telling him: "Shortly before you processed Noah's 50% on-shift discount he had processed through the till his own staff feeding meal, some two hours after his break when he had consumed it, which you had no knowledge of him doing so or even going on his break. "I find this both worrying and surprising that, as the duty manager with so few staff to manage on the shift in question, you had no knowledge or control over what was going on." Two months before the ill-fated discount – which happened at 8.04pm on January 31, 2024 – the chain had internally circulated rules stating only one item from the food menu and one soft drink were available for free to employees on a shift. Employees wishing to add extra items could purchase them at half price and if they wanted to take food home the discount would only be 20%. Pontlottyn manager Sarah Newton had messaged the pub's employee group chat saying the company was "cracking down" because staff at other pubs had taken multiple 50% orders home. She warned there had been cases when use of the discount had led to disciplinary investigations. In the tribunal, Wetherspoon's witnesses said there had been "a crackdown on the 50% discount because staff had been caught taking food home to feed their whole family". They claimed the business had suffered "significant" costs, which led it to adopt a "corporate zero-tolerance attitude towards abuse of the staff discount". Wetherspoon uses a system called IntelliQ to flag potential staff fraud. A week after the discount was approved by Mr Castagna-Davies, the system flagged concern over the transaction. Ms Newton told him "mistakes happen" but that he should be careful because the company "really were cracking down on it". Mr Castagna-Davies responded that he was disappointed in himself for the mistake. An investigating manager, Keri Blanchard, interviewed Mr Gardiner, who said he had cooked the food himself. Asked if he had eaten his initial free meal on-site, he replied: "I should've yeah, I don't take food home any more." But he then admitted he had taken home the items put through by Mr Castagna-Davies. Asked if he had requested a 50% discount, Mr Gardiner said: "I just asked for someone to put it through." When Mr Castagna-Davies was interviewed he said he could not remember the transaction but that he may have mistakenly "pressed the wrong button" in applying a discount of 50% rather than 20%. He denied being aware Mr Gardiner planned to take the food home. Mr Jenkins dismissed him without notice. Although he acknowledged Mr Castagna-Davies' clean disciplinary record over 22 years, he pointed out Wetherspoon had been "vigorous" in communicating its zero-tolerance approach. He also believed Mr Castagna-Davies had known the food would be taken home as it was not "normal for staff at the pub to eat that much food during their breaks". In an appeal, Mr Castagna-Davies drew on evidence from four witnesses to argue Mr Gardiner "had ordered the food in a deceptive way". But Wetherspoon area manager Dannie Stephens upheld the dismissal, telling him he had "failed to lead, manage and organise your shift sufficiently to prevent the breach". At the tribunal, Judge Rachel Harfield noted "the staff discount system is one built on trust" and that regular abuse would be costly to Wetherspoon. But she concluded it was not reasonable for Ms Stephens to conclude this was a case of "gross incompetence or gross negligence, as opposed to being simple negligence that falls within the misconduct category of the respondent's policy". The judge added: "There is no evidence that Dannie Stephens gave any thought to that at all. She seems simply to have operated on the basis that the claimant should have managed the shift better, that if he had done so the breach would not have happened, therefore the claimant should be held responsible for the breach, and it was possible under the policy to dismiss for a single act. "There was no weighing of the actual seriousness of the claimant's actions in their actual context. Dannie Stephens seemed to have viewed the claimant as diligent in other areas. It was one incident on one shift that he could have managed better. He was an employee with long service and a clear disciplinary record. The decision to uphold the dismissal at appeal stage was not within the reasonable range. In my judgement that rendered the whole dismissal unfair." A payout is yet to be decided. Judge Harfield encouraged the parties to attempt a settlement before a remedy hearing takes place. WalesOnline has asked Wetherspoon if it will be reviewing its approach to disciplinary matters in light of the judge's findings.
