Community

Urdd celebrates centenary of Welsh Women’s Peace Petition to America

Published

11 months ago

February 19, 2024

THIS WEEK (Feb 19), Wales’ largest youth organisation, Urdd Gobaith Cymru has announced that this year’s Peace and Goodwill Message will celebrate the centenary of Welsh women’s remarkable Peace Petition, and continue the call for peace a hundred years later.

Exactly 100 years ago today, on 19 February 1924, an oak chest containing a petition signed by 390,296 Welsh women was presented to the women of America at the Biltmore Hotel, New York by a peace delegation from Wales.

The petition was a campaign for co-operation and world peace and has inspired the Urdd to encourage a group of young women to come together to help write this year’s Peace and Goodwill Message, which will be shared with the world in May.

The Creative Director of this year’s Message is poet and singer Casi Wyn. Casi will write the words following workshops with young female ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) students from Cardiff and Vale College along with some of the Urdd’s staff, apprentices, and volunteers.

Siân Lewis, Chief Executive of the Urdd, said: “The Urdd is keen to pay tribute to the generation of Welsh women who arranged a truly remarkable Wales-wide, door-to-door campaign in their effort for peace and equality. Unfortunately, the reality is that a century later, we’re still asking for peace.”

Mererid Hopwood, on behalf of the ‘Hawlio Heddwch’ (transl. Pursuit of Peace) Committee added: “The original peace petition was an act of hope, one that had a firm view of the future, and one that acknowledged opportunity and responsibility to create a world without war. Academi Heddwch Cymru and its ‘Hawlio Heddwch’ project, which celebrates the centenary of the Appeal and its extraordinary petition, is therefore particularly pleased to see that the 1923-24 Petition has inspired Urdd members in 2024 and motivated them to consider its message and accept its challenge.”

Casi Wyn added: “It was a pleasure to accept the Urdd’s invitation to direct this year’s Peace and Goodwill Message. Being able to bridge the historic petition written back in 1924 with the vision of today’s Welsh women during a series of workshops was inspiring. In due course Efa Blosse Mason, my artistic partner for years, will be bringing the words to life in her own unique way.”

The Urdd will publish the words of this year’s Peace and Goodwill Message on International Women’s Day (8 March), before releasing the Message in short film form on Friday, 17 May.

The Urdd’s Peace and Goodwill Message is unique to Wales. For over a century every May the young people of Wales have thrown a spotlight on themes that are important to them whilst sharing a message of peace to the world. Last year’s anti-racism Peace Message was seen in 50 countries, shared in over 50 languages, and supported by celebrities and hundreds of schools across Wales and beyond.

Since last year the oak chest and the 1924 Welsh Women’s Peace Petition are back in Wales and reside at the National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth where specialist staff have been involved in the conservation and digitisation of seven miles’ worth of Petition content to enable public access.

Community

Landfill odour sparks calls for inquiry and legal action

Published

18 hours ago

January 23, 2025

Tom Sinclair

RESIDENTS near Withyhedge landfill in Haverfordwest are demanding a public inquiry and considering legal action after foul odours returned just weeks after the site reopened on 6 January.

The landfill, closed last May to address odour issues, was declared fit to reopen by operator RML, which claimed its improvements would protect nearby communities. However, Colin Barnett, of campaign group Stop the Stink, said: “People in Crundale, Haverfordwest, and Spittal are being subjected to horrendous smells again.”

Describing the site as a “stink bomb on steroids,” Barnett supported Conservative MS Paul Davies’ calls for a public inquiry. “We’ve been flanneled by NRW, public health, and Pembrokeshire council. It’s disgraceful,” he said, adding that delays in resolving the issue had left litigation as the only option.

RML, part of Dauson Environmental Group, is owned by businessman David Neal, who has previous convictions for environmental crimes in 2013 and 2017. Last year, another of Neal’s companies pleaded guilty to environmental offences.

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) reported receiving 34 complaints since 6 January, with a rise in recent days coinciding with the end of a slurry-spreading ban. However, NRW stated no odours attributable to the landfill were detected and plans to inspect the site with Pembrokeshire council on 29 January.

First Minister Eluned Morgan said: “I’ll keep a very close eye on this, and if concerns persist, we’ll discuss further steps with NRW.”

RML and the Welsh Government declined to comment.

Community

Public transport users urged to ‘check before travelling’ due to storm

Published

19 hours ago

January 23, 2025

Tom Sinclair

TRANSPORT FOR WALES and Network Rail are urging all customers to check before they travel on Friday morning and into the weekend with weather warnings in place across the country.

With Storm Eowyn set to hit Wales and winds reaching 90mph on Friday morning, customers should expect disruptions and are strongly urged to check before they travel.

There will be alterations to rail services, replacement road transport on certain routes and blanket speed restrictions at some locations, meaning journeys could take longer than usual.

Stand by buses are being planned at key locations around the network in preparation for travel disruption.

Across Wales and the Borders, Network Rail have positioned response teams to address any storm related problems to keep disruption to a minimum.

TfW Operations Director Sarah Higgins said: “It’s so important for our customers to plan ahead when looking to travel this Friday.

“While we’ve made a number of changes to our services based on detailed forecasts, storms can still be unpredictable.

“We’ve seen the impact storms can have, with damage to trains and infrastructure sometimes taking weeks or months to repair, so our cross-industry approach will hopefully limit that and keep our colleagues and customers safe. We apologise to customers for any disruption to their journeys as a result.”

Network Rail Wales & Borders Operations Director Rachel Heath added: “Our priority is always keeping safe everyone who travels and works on the railway.

“Unfortunately, there will be some delays and cancellations on Friday, as trains will not run on some lines and there will speed restrictions on other parts of the route.

“We are working closely with our train operator colleagues to ensure we can safely reopen affected lines as quickly as possible and urge passengers to check before they travel.”

Rail service changes:

No services to run on the Conwy Valley Line all day, with replacement road transport in place.
No services to run on the Heart of Wales line all day, with replacement road transport in place.
Speed restrictions at various locations around the network, meaning some journeys will take longer than usual. These include:

  50mph speed restrictions imposed from 0200 to 1500 Friday on the North Wales Coast – Bodorgan to Llandudno Junction.
  50mph restrictions from 0200 to 1200 between Carmarthen to Kidwelly.
  50mph restrictions from 0200 to 1200 between Neath and Swansea.
  50mph restrictions from 0100 – 0800 between Newport and Llanwern.

Customers who have connecting tickets for the following operators who have suspended services due to the adverse weather conditions, we’ll honour tickets dated 24 January on either Thursday 23 January or up to and including Tuesday 28 January.

       London Northeastern Railway
       LUMO
       TransPennine Express
       Northern
       Grand Central
       Avanti

Community

Mid and West Wales Fire Service launches recruitment drive

Published

20 hours ago

January 23, 2025

Tom Sinclair

THE MID AND WEST WALES FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICE has announced it is halfway through its recruitment window for Wholetime Firefighters. The service is actively seeking individuals from diverse backgrounds to join their ranks and contribute to the safety and well-being of communities across Mid and West Wales.

Chief Fire Officer Roger Thomas KFSM emphasised the evolving nature of the firefighter’s role, stating, “The role of a Wholetime Firefighter goes far beyond tackling fires, road traffic collisions and water rescues. Modern-day firefighters play a crucial part in educating the public and working to prevent risks to life and the environment.”

The MAWWFRS is keen to attract applicants with a wide range of skills and experiences, recognising the diverse challenges faced by today’s fire service. “We encourage people from a variety of backgrounds to apply, emphasising the diverse skill set needed for this challenging yet rewarding career,” added Thomas.

This recruitment initiative is seen as a vital step in ensuring the service has the necessary personnel to respond effectively to emergencies and maintain safety standards across the region. The MAWWFRS covers a vast area, encompassing nearly two-thirds of Wales, making it the third largest Fire and Rescue Service in the United Kingdom.

Prospective candidates are encouraged to visit the MAWWFRS website for detailed information on fitness requirements, the application process, and how to apply. The online registration window closes at 12pm on Monday, 27th January 2025.

As the service continues its mission to create safer communities, this recruitment drive offers an opportunity for individuals to become part of a team that makes a real difference in people’s lives.

Citations:
[1] http://eastwoodacademy.co.uk/docs/How%20to%20write%20a%20newspaper%20article.pdf
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid_and_West_Wales_Fire_and_Rescue_Service
[3] https://midwestwalesfire.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s5689/HR%20People%20and%20Well-Being%20Update%20Report.pdf
[4] https://nickdale.me/2023/05/31/how-to-write-a-newspaper-article/
[5] https://www.gov.wales/find-your-local-fire-and-rescue-service
[6] https://www.mawwfire.gov.uk/eng/join-us/current-vacancies/
[7] https://www.superprof.co.uk/resources/questions/english/broadsheet-articles.html
[8] https://www.mawwfire.gov.uk
[9] https://www.mawwfire.gov.uk/eng/join-us/
[10] https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/body/mid_and_west_wales_fire_and_rescue_service