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Co-op cash to help subway makeover ARTISTIC youngsters are regenerating Treforest thanks to funding from the Co-Operative Group. Glamorgan Blended Learning, which gives young people in South Wales the opportunity to use their academic knowledge to good use in their communities, has received a £500 grant to a create mural in St Dyfrigs pedestrian subway. Director Jonathan Bishop said: We aim to contribute to developing the community economically, socially and culturally. By involving young people, we give them the chance to consider what needs to change for the better in their own community and the chance to make these changes. This is an exciting project and will bring art into the public eye as well as brighten up a shabby subway. We would like to thank the Co-operative for its support. The donation has come from the Co-Operative Groups Community Fund, which allows members to donate all or part of their twice-yearly pay-outs to worthy causes. This fund offers £100,000 to charities and community groups in Wales each year, with grants ranging from £100 to £500, which are awarded by Co-operative members committees. Chairman of the Co-operatives South Wales
Area Committee Gareth Lewis said: The Community Fund can make a real and
lasting contribution to local communities and we are delighted to have made this
award to Glamorgan Blended Learning. Many community groups share our co-operative
values and could benefit from an award, and we would certainly welcome their applications.
AN APPEAL is being made for people to look after guide dog puppies during the first year of their life. The Guide Dog for the Blind Association is looking for volunteers in Pontypridd who are willing to care for the pups from the ages of six weeks to 12 to 14 months, before they are returned to the charity to begin specialist guide dog training. The volunteers role, which has been dubbed by the charity as a puppy walker, will involve teaching the puppy basic obedience and helping it get used to the home environment, all of which will prepare the puppy for its working life as a guide dog. Mel Wharmby, Guide Dogs puppy walking supervisor, explains: Were looking for enthusiastic and dedicated volunteers who can care for the pups full time because, at the end of the day, if we dont have puppy walkers we dont have guide dogs. Puppy walking is challenging and it is a real commitment to take a puppy into your home for a year but with the support of Guide Dogs staff, our volunteers find it extremely rewarding and worthwhile. To become a puppy walker, volunteers will need to have access to a car and will need to be able to take their puppy to many varied environments some of which will be busy and difficult. They are also required to be in a position where they are able to be home most of the day and must have a garden secured with a fence, so that the puppy is able to roam around safely. If you would like to request more information about volunteering for the charity as a puppy walker, call Guide Dogs on 0845 371 7771 or email volunteer@guidedogs.org.uk. You can also visit www.guidedogs.org.uk/puppywalking
YOUNG boxers at Gilfach Goch Amateur Boxing Club (ABC) had stars in their eyes during a charity concert that was put on to raise funds for their club. The event, which was arranged by staff at the local Co-op, raised £720 and thanks to an additional £400 that was provided by the Co-operative Groups Booster fund, the total came to £1,120. The show started with youngsters from Gilfach Goch ABC (Nathan Carey, Jack Parry, Sam Parry, and Drew Priday) singing a song they dedicated to former Welsh boxing coach Ken McCann, who was ill in hospital at the time. Mr McCann, who was the founder of Gilfach Goch ABC, died on June 14. Co-op duty manager Anne Smallman said: Sadly the day after the show Ken McCann past away but I know he would have been very proud to see what we had done for the club. The evening consisted of Co-op staff, which included Ann Smallman, Gillian James, Melanie Cook, Lisa Edwards, Angela Phillips, Carol Priddle, joining the young boxers to perform boxing-themed classics, such as the Rocky theme tune, the Going Gets Tough, The Final Countdown, The Worlds Greatest, and the theme song of Billy Elliot. Ken McCanns son, Justin McCann, who now runs Gilfach Goch ABC will use the money that was raised to buy new boxing equipment for the club.
Dummy run for training medics THIS aint no ordinary dummy it is Europes first human patient simulator and its helping to train Taff Ely medics. The University of Glamorgan is home to theiStan, which is helping trainee medical professionals gain as close to real-life experience of treating a patient as possible without working on the real thing. Based at the Faculty of Health, Sport and Science at the University, iStan is a revolutionary development. Designed from the inside out, iStan has a human-like skeletal structure that provides true-to-life articulated motion. Spine, neck, arms and hips all move with life-like accuracy. Modelled from a unique cast of a real person, the skin acts, looks and feels like real human skin. Students at Glamorgan will be the first in the UK to have access to this form of training, which will prepare them in a unique way for their careers in the medical profession. iStan is located in the Glamorgan Clinical Simulation Centre. In 2005 the centre became the first in Wales to acquire the highly-sophisticated Human Patient Simulator or HPS from US based Medical Education Technologies Inc (METI). The HPS is one of the worlds most advanced tools for teaching and hands on training for health professionals. The iStan is the latest version of this impressive technology. Professor Donna Mead, Dean of Faculty of Health, Sport and Science, said: iStan will be a key resource for our centre and will take simulation training for health professionals to a new and exciting level of realism.
YOUNGSTERS from Llantrisant Parish Church pulled out furniture and electrical goods when they got knee deep in muck during a clean-up of the River Ely. With the help of Llantrisant Community Council, members of Tonyrefail Environment Association, two local PCSOs, and Ben Williams of Keep Wales Tidy, a group of young people from the church filled 25 bags with rubbish from the river section at Ynysddu, Pontyclun. They also retrieved a number of large items from the river, such as two bicycles, two railway bogeys an artificial Christmas tree, a rotary washing line, old patio furniture, a lawn mower, a sink, and hosepipes. The river clean was part of a Church initiative called Hope 2008, which aims to get the church into the community and to demonstrate the Christian faith in action in villages, towns and cities throughout the UK and Ireland. Jacob Hodgers, of Dan Y Graig Heights, was one the youngsters who enjoyed cleaning up the river. The nine year-old Tonysguboriau Primary School pupil said: It was good because it was fun, you get to be with your friends and you get to do something for the community. It was funny because my feet felt squidgy and when we stopped for lunch, I emptied my wellies and they were filled to the brim! Vicki Blyth from Llantrisant Church commented: It was fantastic to serve the community by rolling our sleeves up and getting rather wet. Mags Griffiths from Llantrisant Community Council, added: It was lovely to see the young people so enthusiastic. On June 7 the young people were busy on their second project, which saw them painting the equipment at the childrens playground at Gwaun Ruperra, Llantrisant and giving the area a makeover. The youngest helpers were brothers Timothy and Michael Hodges, aged just six and five. The community activity was again supported by Llantrisant Community Council, as well as councillors Ceri Harris and Jonathon Gilmore, along and WPCSOs Jen Huish and Jitka Tomkova. Matt Evans, aged 18, who took part, said: It was a very enjoyable experience because I felt I could give something back to the community. Llantrisant Parish Church wishes to thank the local children who use the park and were inspired to help out when they saw what was going on. These included: Lee Marden, aged 9; Hugh Ritchens, aged 12; Ieuan Booth-Jones, aged 10; Andrew Jones, aged 12; James Bull, age 10; and Joseph Pearse, age 9. | ||||||
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