News
Rhod Gilbert’s HIMfertility campaign joins Fertility Network UK
Fertility Network UK, the nation’s leading patient-focused fertility charity, is proud to announce that Rhod Gilbert’s HIMfertility campaign will merge with the charity’s existing male fertility initiatives, including a male-only support group, to support more men in the UK.
“I started the HIMfertility campaign after my wife and I had issues trying to conceive,” explained Rhod Gilbert. “The experiences we had while exploring fertility issues showed me just how little support and understanding there is around male infertility. I want to encourage men to open up and talk about the issue and to get the right support.”
Although infertility affects around one in six couples in the UK, it is not common knowledge that an estimated 40-50% of these cases are caused by male factor fertility issues. In his recent BBC documentary Rhod Gilbert: Stand Up to Infertility, the comedian used his own experience of fertility problems to launch HIMfertility, a campaign designed to destigmatise and raise awareness of male infertility. Rhod’s documentary is available to watch on BBC iPlayer now.
Gwenda Burns, Chief Executive said: “We are delighted Rhod’s HIMfertility campaign is joining forces with our charity. The campaign and documentary have been very successful in raising awareness of male fertility issues and we want to continue to build on that momentum. What we need to see now is a greater focus on men: support for men experiencing fertility problems, as well as research into male fertility. This new opportunity is a big step in the right direction against making infertility – male or female – a taboo subject.”
Rhod Gilbert to join male-only support meeting
The comedian and face of HIMfertility will join the next online meeting of Fertility Network UK’s Male Support Group on Wednesday 17th February 2021. Currently, the group meet online each month to offer support to each other and to learn from guest speakers. Members of the group are currently fundraising to take on #BaseCampforFertility, an expedition to Everest Base Camp planned for March 2022.
Charity
NatWest Cymru encourages customers in Wales to spread Christmas cheer
NATWEST has introduced a new way for its customers to support Social Bite in the fight against homelessness this festive season.
Through its mobile app based MyRewards programme, customers can now easily donate their available Rewards (over £5) to buy someone experiencing homelessness a Christmas dinner with Social Bite. NatWest has also pledged to match all donations to any of its 16 MyRewards charities, including Social Bite, up to the value of £50 until 31st December, up to a total of £150,000.
The initiative comes as part of Social Bite’s ‘Festival of Kindness’ – an annual mission that aims to provide 300,000 meals, gifts, and essential items to people who are homeless and vulnerable this Christmas.
NatWest has previously worked with the Scottish charity to open a coffee outlet for colleagues and visitors in its Royal Bank HQ in the capital Edinburgh, as well as launching a public coffee shop at its site at 440 Strand, London.
Since the launch of Festival of Kindness in 2020, Social Bite has successfully distributed 1.1 million meals, gifts, and essentials to people who are homeless during the festive period.
Jessica Shipman, Chair, NatWest Cymru Regional Board, said: “Social Bite makes a positive difference to some of the most vulnerable people in our communities. The festive season often brings into focus the hardship so many face every day.
“We know that people want to help but don’t know how. We’re excited to support Social Bite’s inspiring ‘Festival of Kindness’ initiative, giving our customers a way to gift a homeless person a warm meal.
“We encourage everyone to join in and help make the festive season a little brighter for the most vulnerable in our society.”
Josh Littlejohn MBE, Founder of Social Bite, added: “Social Bite is proud to have had the support of NatWest for a number of years, and together, we’ve made great strides to help people break the cycle of homelessness.
“For many of us, Christmas is a period where we look forward to spending time with friends, family and loved ones. However, the reality is very different for people without a place to call home over the festive season. With homelessness rising across the UK, it’s more important than ever that we do what we can to help people affected by homelessness and food poverty.
“A big thank you to all the wonderful NatWest customers who chose to donate their rewards to Social Bite. Your contribution will make a real difference to someone in need, including a hot meal with all the trimmings in loving company on Christmas Day.”
To find out more about NatWest’s MyRewards and the other charities which are being supported, please visit: https://personal.secure1.natwest.com/app/MyRewards
Information on Social Bite’s Festival can be found: https://www.social-bite.co.uk/
Community
Emergency call outage affected Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire
RESIDENTS in parts of Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire faced difficulties contacting emergency services via the 999 landline number on Sunday (Dec 17) due to a temporary outage.
Dyfed-Powys Police issued alerts on social media, warning residents of potential issues when trying to dial 999 from landlines in affected areas. Locations impacted included Pembroke, Manorbier, Carew, and surrounding areas.
In a statement, police advised: “You may have faced problems calling 999 from a landline in the Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire area. Places likely to have been affected were Pembroke, Manorbier, Carew. Please try calling from a mobile phone as mobile networks may have been working normally. Normal service will be restored as soon as possible. Non-emergencies can be reported online. Please look out for further updates.”
Later in the day, an update confirmed that the 999 landline service had been restored in the Llangrannog and Llanteg areas.
The temporary disruption raised concerns about access to emergency services in rural areas, where mobile coverage can sometimes be unreliable.
Authorities urged residents to remain vigilant and use alternative communication methods in the event of future disruptions. Further updates are expected as investigations into the cause of the outage continue.
For non-emergency issues, residents can continue to report incidents via the Dyfed-Powys Police website or contact their local police station directly.
Community
Police and council in collaborative effort to tackle fly grazing
IT WAS confirmed this week Pembrokeshire County council is teaming up with Dyfed-Powys Police in a bid to tackle a growing problem of horses on public areas in the county.
The move comes after the County has witnessed a significant increase in incidents of horses being left on public land and highways – known as fly-grazing.
Over the Christmas period the agencies will work operationally in a collaborative effort to alleviate the issue.
This joint approach is in response to community concerns and part of a wider initiative that will enable partner agencies to effectively address with the issue.
Members of the public can report fly grazing concerns by contacting [email protected] or 01437 764551.
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