IN a notable recognition of dedication to environmental conservation, Marie duQuesnay, a Pembrokeshire-based volunteer for the Garden Organic’s Heritage Seed Library, has been awarded the ‘Environment Champion Award’. This accolade was presented as part of the 12th Community Inspiration Awards 2024, celebrating her commitment to preserving rare vegetable seeds.

Marie, alongside fellow Seed Guardians Hilary Van Beek and Nadia Mazza, were celebrated within the community category, applauding their collective efforts in fostering biodiversity for future generations. This trio of gardeners has been instrumental in safeguarding the genetic diversity of plants through meticulous cultivation and conservation of heritage vegetable varieties.

The Heritage Seed Library, where Marie dedicates her efforts, is a crucial repository located at Ryton Gardens near Coventry. It houses nearly half of Garden Organic’s 800-strong National Collection of Heritage Vegetables. These plants are not merely preserved; they are actively cultivated by more than 200 volunteers like Marie, who nurture these plants on their own plots, ensuring their survival and continued proliferation.

The importance of such conservation has been underscored by a stark statistic from the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation, noting a 75 per cent reduction in crop diversity between 1900 and 2000. In a world facing the dual challenges of biodiversity loss and climate change, maintaining a diverse range of plant species is more critical than ever.

Catrina Fenton, the head of the Heritage Seed Library, emphasises the role of these volunteers: “Each heritage variety thriving under the care of a Seed Guardian expands our options for developing resilient plants. These dedicated volunteers produce approximately half of the seeds needed for our conservation efforts each year, thus ensuring the continued existence of these varieties.”

The Community Inspiration Awards, organised by The Community Foundation, aim to highlight outstanding contributions from individuals across public and voluntary sectors. These awards commend those whose endeavours not only make a significant impact in their communities but also inspire others to take action.

For those interested in supporting or joining the Heritage Seed Library, further information can be found at gardenorganic.org.uk/hsl. Here, potential volunteers can learn about the opportunities to become a Seed Guardian or a member of the library, playing a part in this vital work.

Hilary Van Beek, a software engineer by profession, tends to her allotment in Auchterarder, at the foot of the Highlands. Her garden is a vibrant mix of vegetables and flowers, representing a living history of diverse plant varieties. “There’s something magical about growing a variety that has been around for so long,” Hilary shares, highlighting the dwindling diversity in today’s agricultural offerings.

Marie duQuesnay has been a stalwart Seed Guardian for nine years, undeterred by the challenges of living on an exposed hill in Pembrokeshire. “It is so sad to see the intensification of farming narrowing the range of what’s grown,” she remarks, stressing the importance of preserving local seed varieties against modern agricultural practices and regulations.

Nadia Mazza, who resides in the Morecambe Bay area, has found success with her ‘stripey tiger beans’, which she grows for the library. These unique beans thrive in the UK’s northwest, illustrating the practical benefits of biodiversity. “If everyone grew the same vegetable varieties and they were attacked by pests or diseases, we would have serious problems,” Nadia explains, advocating for genetic variety in our gardens.

Together, these gardeners not only preserve the past but sow the seeds of a sustainable future, championing biodiversity one plot at a time.

MONDAY (Sept 30) marked a significant turning point for the British steel industry with the closure of the last operational blast furnace at Tata Steel’s Port Talbot facility. This concludes the era of traditional steelmaking in Wales and results in the loss of approximately 1,900 jobs at Port Talbot, with additional redundancies across other Tata Steel operations in the UK.

This move is part of a broader reconfiguration at Tata Steel that plans to replace traditional blast furnace operations with an electric arc furnace (EAF) by 2027, which will recycle scrap steel in a more environmentally sustainable manner. The final day of operations saw the cessation of Blast Furnace 4, a process accompanied by notable “whooshing” sounds and large steam plumes, as described by Dean Cartwright, the works manager for coke, sinter, and iron. Cartwright reassured residents that these were standard shutdown procedures and posed no cause for alarm.

Roy Rickhuss, General Secretary of Community Union, which represents many of the workers, articulated the profound impact of the closure: “Today marks an incredibly sad and poignant day for the British steel industry and for the communities in and around Port Talbot which are so intricately connected to blast furnace steelmaking. The end of Blast Furnace 4 is more than just a technological shift; it represents a deep cultural loss. However, this is not the end for Port Talbot. We are committed to fighting relentlessly for our steel industry and the vibrant community of workers in South Wales.”

Environmental reactions were mixed. Kathy Oakwood, chair of the local branch of Friends of the Earth in Neath Port Talbot, acknowledged the potential environmental benefits of shutting down the furnace, such as improved air quality. However, she criticized the approach as a missed opportunity for securing green jobs. “The political response has been lackluster in protecting jobs or fostering green alternatives locally. This transition touches on more than just environmental issues; it deeply affects people’s mental health and community standing,” Oakwood stated.

Secretary of State for Wales, Jo Stevens, responded to the closure with a message of support and resilience: “This is undoubtedly a challenging period for the workers, their families, and the entire community affected by Tata’s decision. My office moved swiftly to secure a more favorable deal that not only preserves the future of steelmaking in Port Talbot but also lays the groundwork for further investment and enhanced worker protections. We have already released millions in funding from the Transition Board to support affected businesses and workers, with more assistance on the way.”

Meanwhile, the Welsh Conservative leader, Andrew RT Davies, reflected on the broader implications for Welsh heritage and economy: “The closure of the last blast furnace is not just a loss for the community but a stark indicator that our industrial strategies may no longer be serving our communities effectively. We must reconsider our approaches and ensure equitable opportunities for our industrial bases.”

Unite’s general secretary, Sharon Graham, offered a stern critique of the transition management: “The job losses announced today are nothing short of industrial vandalism. These transitions, happening too late and with too scant funding, leave workers bearing the brunt of poor planning and previous government neglect. However, with Labour’s recent commitment to a £2.5 billion investment in the UK steel industry, including a significant upgrade at Port Talbot, there is a pathway to a sustainable future for steel here.”

In response, Unite has engaged in ongoing discussions with Tata Steel regarding future investments, aimed at establishing new processing lines and securing job creation over the next year.

Tata said that as the traditional blast furnaces cool for the last time, the focus now shifts toward

THE new Older People’s Commissioner for Wales, Rhian Bowen-Davies, has set out her vision for a Wales that leads the way in empowering older people, tackling inequality and enabling everyone to live and age well.

Taking up post today (30 September), the new Commissioner has said she is looking forward to travelling across Wales to hear directly from older people about their experiences of growing older and how the issues affecting their lives can be tackled to deliver change and improvements.

Publishing a statement on her website, new Older People’s Commissioner for Wales, Rhian Bowen-Davies, said:

“It is an honour and a privilege to serve as the Older People’s Commissioner for Wales. This independent role is unique in its purpose to promote and champion the rights of older people and as Commissioner I will listen to what’s important and ensure their voices and experiences are integral to bringing about positive change.

“The quality of our lives as we grow older is influenced by a range of factors such as our health, housing and income, as well as where we live and the types of support, services and community networks accessible to us. 

“So I’m keen to meet and hear from older people in all parts of Wales to understand the range of challenges they face in their day to day lives and to hear how they feel things could be done differently to enable and support them to live and age well.”

The Commissioner will begin this work by visiting communities across Gwynedd and Powys during her first week in post to speak with older people about the things that make a positive difference to their lives, as well as their concerns, which will support her as she develops her work programme. She is also developing plans for a large scale consultation with older people, inviting them to share their views and ideas about the key areas of work she should prioritise.

In her statement, the Commissioner also said she recognises the significant challenges facing older people in Wales as she takes up post, particularly in light of the Government’s decision to cut winter fuel payments, the rising energy cap and the potential implications of the upcoming autumn budget.

Highlighting the impact of these issues, the Commissioner said: “These issues, combined with pressures on public services and wider issues such as digital exclusion, loneliness and social isolation are resulting in multiple disadvantages for older people making it increasingly difficult to access the vital services and support they need.

“I do not underestimate the gravity of these issues, and from the outset, I will be the strong voice of older people, ensuring that their experiences and concerns are brought directly to decision and policymakers.

“I’m ambitious to establish common agendas, share learning, promote good practice and to support change that will make a difference to the lives of older people both now and in the future.

“But my team and I will also scrutinise a wide range of policy and practice that impacts upon older people’s quality of life, and I will not hesitate to hold organisations and individuals to account where this will deliver the best outcomes for older people.”

The new Commissioner will draw on a wide range of knowledge and experience within her role, having begun her career as a police officer, before taking on senior leadership roles in the third sector, including Chief Executive of Calan DVS, and being appointed Wales’ first National Adviser for tackling Violence against Women, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence in 2015.

Most recently, she has been recognised as an expert Chair of Domestic Homicide Reviews involving older people, in addition to undertaking a wide range of research and projects on behalf of key organisations and public bodies.

The Commissioner added: “Working with and on behalf of older people I look forward to making a positive contribution; safeguarding rights, challenging discrimination and tackling inequality.

“Together we will ensure that older people’s voices are heard at a local and national level, which will be crucial to create a Wales that leads the way in empowering older people, tackling inequality and enabling everyone to live and age well.”