News

Social action more than ‘do-gooding’, says Bishop

Published

10 years ago

November 25, 2014

Tom Sinclair

Bishop of Swansea and Brecon, John
Davies

FROM helping asylum seekers to providing affordable homes – social action is about bringing profound change to people’s lives, not just a bit of do-gooding here and there. That was the message from the Bishop of Swansea and Brecon, John Davies, at a national conference this week. He added that caring for the welfare of others was a Gospel imperative and the Church had a legitimate right to speak up and challenge those in authority. Bishop John was speaking at the Pushing the Boundaries conference, a three-day event hosted by the Church in Wales in Cardiff, for social responsibility officers from Welsh and English dioceses.

He said, “Social action is not just about a little bit of do-gooding here and there, it’s about profoundly challenging aspects of the lives of so many people – asylum seeking, affordable housing, disability issues, isolation of rural communities, unemployment, poverty, benefit caps – the spectrum seems to get ever wider day by day. We are engaging with all sorts of groups, not because we want to intrude on other people’s territories, but because it is an imperative of the church to be engaged with such issues, with such people and in such places.”

He urged Christians not to be reticent or apologetic about engaging with public authorities and secular institutions in the pursuit of social justice. He said, “The problem with the relationship between the church and matters of social concern is that if the church doesn’t do anything it is accused of being too self absorbed, too preoccupied with its own internal wrangling and therefore irrelevant. If it does say something, it is told it doesn’t really know what it is talking about or has the expertise and ‘we’d prefer it if you went away and minded your own private business’.

Examples of how churches are involved in social action were given in a series of presentations at the conference. They included promoting the needs of disabled people, tackling problems faced by people in rural areas, converting church property into affordable housing and helping people seeking asylum. Revd Dr John Gillibrand, vicar of Llangeler, described his experience with his son, who has autism, and outlined his political activity to raise awareness of the needs of disabled people. He said, “There is no such thing as mission without justice.”

He added, “We’re about ministry of people with disabilities not to them. We are an inclusive church.” The Church’s Rural Life lead adviser, Revd Richard Kirlew, outlined issues facing people living in Wales’ vast rural areas, such as the breakdown of community, isolation, unemployment and poverty. He said “rural” meant a whole way of life, not just “little bits of town in the country”: “There is a huge decline in the sense of community in rural areas as local amenities close down one-by-one. Churches need to adapt to these changes taking place. We have chaplains at rural shows now and livestock markets, for example, and these are a good way of reaching out to people.”

Pushing the Boundaries conference, Oct 6-8, was organized by Revd Carol Wardman, the Bishops’ adviser for Church and Society. She says, “The church doesn’t just exist for its own sake, but to act as salt and light in the society in which we finds ourselves. So alongside the task of nurturing believers, you’ll find church involved with all sorts of social action – from supporting refugees and asylum-seekers, running food banks and community cafes, and hosting credit unions, to running wide-ranging projects supporting children and families, or engaging with the Welsh Assembly, UK Parliament and other decision-makers to help bring about a more just society – nationally and internationally.”

Business

Thousands of homes in rural Wales gain from faster 4G boost

Published

2 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Tom Sinclair

RURAL Wales is seeing a major upgrade in mobile connectivity, with faster 4G now live in several areas. Seven locations across North, South West, and West Wales are benefitting from new 4G mast upgrades funded by the UK Government’s Shared Rural Network (SRN), aimed at closing the digital gap between rural and urban areas.

The upgrades, which went live on Thursday (Nov 14), bring improved 4G coverage to communities including Bontddu, Llanelltyd, Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog, Penmaenpool, Tabor, Snowdonia National Park, and Bontgoch. Local businesses, emergency services, and residents are expected to benefit from faster internet access, which supports daily communication, business opportunities, and economic growth.

***There is a £170 million agreement with Openreach to provide gigabit-capable broadband to 70,000 remote Welsh properties***

Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said: “Fast, reliable connectivity is essential for modern life and should be available from Cardiff to the remotest parts of Wales. Today’s upgrades bring us closer to making this a reality.”

SUPPORTING DIGITAL INCLUSION

As part of the rollout, Peter Kyle and Telecoms Minister Sir Chris Bryant visited Ebbw Vale to discuss digital inclusion with charity and industry leaders. They met with representatives at BGfm, a digital inclusion hub in Blaenau Gwent, to learn about how connectivity impacts daily life in Welsh communities.

Telecoms Minister Bryant said: “We are working tirelessly to make sure rural communities aren’t left behind online.

“These upgrades mean businesses can now operate without connectivity limitations, 999 services are better equipped to respond, and residents and tourists can stay connected across the Welsh countryside.”

ADDRESSING CONNECTIVITY GAPS

An estimated 1.5 million homes across the UK remain without internet access, limiting people’s ability to access essential services such as banking and healthcare. In addition to the SRN upgrades, the Chancellor has allocated over £500 million in next year’s budget for digital infrastructure expansion, targeting these underserved areas.

Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens highlighted the importance of this investment, particularly for rural Wales, where fast, reliable internet can be transformative.

“Connectivity is critical for day-to-day life in rural areas – from supporting local businesses to ensuring emergency services are just a call away,” Stevens said.

The upgraded masts, previously limited to EE customers and emergency 999 calls, now serve a wider user base, bringing essential internet access to more people without requiring new infrastructure.

Ben Roome, CEO of Digital Mobile Spectrum Limited, said: “With the activation of five new SRN sites, Wales is seeing the tangible benefits of the Shared Rural Network, bringing crucial connectivity to rural communities.”

GOVERNMENT INVESTMENT IN REMOTE WALES

The improvements come alongside a £170 million agreement with Openreach to provide gigabit-capable broadband to 70,000 remote Welsh properties, helping future-proof digital access in even the most isolated locations.

The latest upgrades mark another step in the Government’s mission to improve mobile coverage and close the connectivity gap across Wales, creating opportunities and supporting economic growth across rural communities.

News

Milford Haven man admits to downloading indecent images of children

Published

3 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Tom Sinclair

A MILFORD HAVEN man has been sentenced after admitting to downloading over 1,000 indecent images and videos of children, including highly explicit content involving young children. Gareth MacDonald, now 23, appeared before Swansea Crown Court, where he pleaded guilty to possessing indecent images and videos across various devices.

The court heard that police visited MacDonald’s home, which was the scene of protests after his arrest, last year following intelligence suggesting that child abuse images had been accessed there.

***There were protests outside MacDonald’s house in September 2024 (Pic: Herald)***

Officers spoke with MacDonald’s mother at the door before entering to conduct a search.

During the operation, two mobile phones, a tablet, a laptop, and two hard drives were seized.

MacDonald initially spoke to one of the officers privately, admitting to downloading the images and saying, “It’s me.” Later, in formal interviews, he revealed that he had grown “bored with legal pornography” roughly a year earlier, knowing that what he was doing was illegal but continuing regardless.

Prosecutor Emily Bennett informed the court that MacDonald’s devices held 15 Category A images, the most severe classification, 26 Category B images, and 960 Category C images. Some content depicted children as young as nine, and the most serious material involved pre-teen children in distressing situations.

Bennett also noted that MacDonald had briefly joined an online group where members self-identified as paedophiles, although he left without sharing any material. Cleaning software was also found on his devices.

Defense counsel Dan Griffiths acknowledged that MacDonald’s actions had crossed the custodial threshold, but argued that there was “a realistic prospect of rehabilitation.” He highlighted MacDonald’s cooperation with police and his willingness to comply with rehabilitation programmes.

Judge Geraint Walters, presiding over the sentencing, addressed MacDonald, saying, “For some considerable time, you have accessed this kind of imagery, fully aware of the harm it represents.” He acknowledged that MacDonald largely isolated himself and stayed at home, factors he considered in the sentencing.

MacDonald was sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for two years, with a requirement to complete 20 rehabilitation activity days and participate in the Horizon programme. He was also ordered to register as a sex offender for 10 years and is subject to a sexual harm prevention order for the same duration.

News

Welsh teenager jailed for creating 3D-printed gun at home

Published

4 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Tom Sinclair

A TEENAGER who assembled parts for a viable semi-automatic firearm using a 3D printer has been sentenced to nearly five years in prison.

Owain Roberts, 19, purchased nuts, bolts, steel barrels, and metal rods online, constructing components of an FGC-9 gun with the aid of a 3D printer.

Detectives said that this case marks the first of its kind in Gwent, where Roberts admitted to manufacturing a firearm component. He appeared at Cardiff Crown Court on Thursday (Nov 14).

In April, firearms officers executed warrants at two Newport addresses connected to Roberts. Seized items included a 3D printer, two laptops, six plastic reels, and parts for an FGC-9 firearm.

PC Tom Meazey, from Gwent Police’s East Serious Organised Crime team, stated: “Illegally-held firearms can lead to tragic consequences and devastate innocent people’s lives. To own a firearm, including a printable one, is illegal in the UK without a valid firearms certificate. Roberts’s reckless actions in buying items capable of manufacturing a firearm placed people at direct risk.”

This rare and complex investigation involved support from the National Crime Agency (NCA).

Roberts received a prison sentence of four years and nine months.