Charity

Welsh Water launches its latest £100,000 Community Fund

Published

12 months ago

May 1, 2023

WELSH WATER has launched its new Community Fund to support local groups looking to enhance their communities. This forms part of the £100,000 initiative to support community initiatives throughout Wales and Herefordshire

The Fund, which is available to not-for-profit groups, will be open three times a year, and give organisations the opportunity to apply for funding up to £5,000.

Applicants for the community fund grants will need to demonstrate how their projects benefit their community and how it aligns with Welsh Waters values. The fund will give groups the chance to enhance the area they live in, to improve the environment or to support education.

Welsh Water has already made a significant impact through its Community Fund which launched in 2017. In 2022 alone, over 252 charities and organisations from all around Wales and Herefordshire have secured funding from the not-for-profit company’s Community Fund.

Lower Treginnis – Farms for City Children in Haverfordwest were successful in getting £500 through the community fund who said: “With thanks to Welsh Waters support, and other donations, we have replaced our chicken housing which was destroyed during Storm Eunice in February 2022”.

This wonderful group work to ensure that children who visit have the very best opportunity to enhance their wellbeing, mental health, and confidence during their stay and to ensure children head home with greater self-esteem and the tools to cope with the difficulties they face.

This new fund is part of a wider £100,000 social purpose initiative that Welsh Water are continuing to implement throughout 2023. This includes matching colleagues fundraising efforts, working closely with larger chosen charities such as WaterAId, and supporting the communities most effected by their investment work.

Claire Roberts, Head of Community Engagement said: “We launched our community fund in 2017 and to date have donated hundreds of thousands of pounds to local projects. We are pleased to continue supporting our customers and communities by helping the groups who work tirelessly to improve their communities.

The heart of our mission is a commitment to support the communities we serve, by funding projects that are doing important work, to make a real difference in their local area”.

To find out more, visit www.dwrcymru.com/communityfund

Charity

Hub Cymru Africa announces Sub-Sahara Advisory Panel as its new host

Published

2 weeks ago

April 4, 2024

Tom Sinclair

TEN years after the founding of Hub Cymru Africa partnership, the Sub-Sahara Advisory Panel will take over as the new host-partner, replacing the Welsh Centre for International Affairs.

Following 10 years as hosts of the Hub Cymru Africa Partnership, the Welsh Centre for International Affairs (WCIA) will be replaced as host partners by the Sub-Sahara Advisory Panel (SSAP). WCIA will continue to remain a member of the partnership.

The Hub Cymru Africa Partnership does important work in supporting the global solidarity sector, and the Wales and Africa Community. We will continue to do this.

SSAP has brought invaluable expertise to the Hub Cymru Africa partnership from inclusion, diversity and our ongoing Reframing the Narrative project. This next phase of the Partnership will build on this work into the future, with an African diaspora-led organisation at the helm.

Announcing the move, Head of Hub Cymru Africa, Claire O’Shea said: “We’re grateful for the leadership and role that WCIA has given to the partnership and the global solidarity sector over the last ten years.”

“As we continue our work to better represent and serve our partners here in Wales and in Africa, and implement our values of justice and anti-racism, it is right that SSAP steps in as the new host of Hub Cymru Africa.”

Fadhili Maghiya, CEO of SSAP said: “The Wales and Africa Programme has grown from strength to strength over the years. Built on mutuality, lifelong connections and learning from each other, the programme has grown into a vibrant sector working in global solidarity. Through the inclusion agenda and important projects such as the Race Equality Action Plan, the sector is always pushing boundaries and involving communities across Wales.

“I’m looking forward to continuing this work and building on our successes as the new hosts of the Hub Cymru Africa Partnership.”

Dr Gill Richardson, Co-Chair of WCIA said: “I’d like to thank the amazing Hub Cymru Africa team for all they’ve done over the past 10 years that WCIA has had the privilege to host. We celebrate all that has been achieved in supporting the Wales and Africa community, led by its head, Claire O’Shea.

“This new phase of Hub Cymru Africa will see our close partner, SSAP, host the partnership. This is an important evolution in Hub Cymru Africa’s story. We are still supporting the Partnership, but now is the right time to hand on the baton of leadership. We look forward to supporting Hub Cymru Africa going from strength to strength in the future.”

Charity

Bags of Books returns to Milford Haven and surrounding areas this Easter

Published

4 weeks ago

March 24, 2024

Richard Lewis

THE INFAMOUS Bags of Books is set to return to Milford Haven and surrounding areas over the Easter holidays.

Milford Haven School who launched the project with Milford Youth Matters over 3 years ago are continuing in their bid to improve literacy skills and encourage a love of reading for pleasure by giving away over 700 books.

Thanks to funding from the South Hook LNG Community grant they have purchased books for young people of all ages and reading abilities and will be hanging them on the fences of the schools in their catchment area.

The community are invited to come and choose a book from the following locations over the Easter holidays:

Neyland Community Primary School – Monday 25th March
Johnston Community Primary School – Tuesday 26th March
Coastlands Primary School – Wednesday 27th March
Gelliswick Primary School – Tuesday 2nd April
Milford Haven Community Primary – Wednesday 3rd April
St Francis Community Primary – Wednesday 3rd April

Milford Haven Secondary School will also hang over 150 books on their fence after the Easter Holidays on Wednesday 10th April for those in our community who cannot attend the other locations.

Charity

St Davids RNLI tasked to assist yacht with gearbox issues

Published

4 weeks ago

March 22, 2024

Tom Sinclair

ST DAVID’S RNLI were requested to assess a 41 foot yacht with gearbox issues by HM Coastguard at 5:53pm on Thursday (Mar 21).

All-weather lifeboat Norah Wortley launched and headed in lumpy seas three nautical miles north of St Davids head where the yacht with two people on board was drifting.

Upon assessment, deputy Coxswain Mike Phillips made the decision that undertaking a tow was necessary and the safest way to assist the casualties.

The towed vessel was returned to the nearest safe and suitable port at Fishguard harbour where RNLI Fishguard Lifeboat provided St Davids volunteers with a welcome coffee break.