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SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity has put out an urgent call for volunteers in Cardiff and Glamorgan to help support the local Armed Forces community. SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity supported over 85,000 individuals last year thanks to their network of more than 5,000 volunteers across the UK. Both the Cardiff & Vale of Glamorgan and the Mid-Glamorgan Branch are looking for more volunteer caseworkers to provide practical and emotional support for serving personnel, veterans and military families across the…

Protecting Your Body and Mind Throughout Isolation By Adapting A Blue Zone Lifestyle Blue zoning is a practice inspired by regions in the world with the highest life expectancies, who are healthy in mind and body. The concept of ‘blue zoning’ is all about helping you realise your potential and bettering your health, without making drastic changes to your life. During lockdown it can be difficult to feel healthy in our bodies and minds which is where adapting a blue…

As the Coronavirus lockdown continues, local charity, Age Connects Cardiff and the Vale, has teamed up with Bro Radio to raise awareness that sadly isolation can already be the norm for some older people.   The radio station has launched the “We’ll Meet Again” campaign for listeners to get in touch and share a message for an older person in their lives that they are currently unable to be with due to the virus restrictions. These touching messages will be…

Hay Festival Digital earned more than 210,000 event streams in its opening weekend as book lovers from more than 63 countries tuned in to hear from writers and performers in intimate events beamed from living rooms, kitchen tables, studies, and sheds. Highlights from the opening, available to view on Hay Player:  hayfestival.org/hayplayer Key-note lectures from novelist Elif Shafak, Welsh poet Mererid Hopwood, journalist Afua Hirsch, and former CMO Sally Davies; An exclusive preview of Stephen Fry’s upcoming Troy, an exclusive film…

Theatr Iolo are launching a playwriting competition for children and young people across Wales. The Cardiff based theatre company are looking for aspiring young writers between the ages of 7 and 16 to write an original ten-minute play.  They are keen to hear from children and young people throughout Wales and are asking for submissions to be original, imaginative and anything they want to write about. The winners will see their play performed by professional actors in a public sharing…

Create your own outdoor oasis and enjoy staying home this summer Britain is a nation that loves the outdoors, whatever the weather. This year we’re staying at home more than ever, but we can still enjoy fresh air and wildlife in our own gardens and outdoor spaces. As lovers of the open air and experts in helping to create beautiful outdoor spaces, Hayter, makers of the finest British mowers, has shared some top tips on how to create a garden…

Two sisters who both face the daily challenges of autism have overcome lockdown boredom by creating hundreds of activity packs to keep children in their neighbourhood occupied.   Hannah and Emma Stacey of Nantyffyllon, Maesteg, are compiling packs of brain games, colouring exercises and instructions for making everything from edible play dough to toilet roll monsters, then delivering them to nearby homes.   It began as a way of Emma, 23, keeping her sister from getting too bored. Hannah, 13,…

A mild winter and weeks of continuous sunshine have resulted in a good year for apple blossom, according to the National Trust. Temperatures of up to 24 degrees centigrade, little rain and a record amount of sunshine in April  have helped the development of a heavy bloom, boosting the possibility of a fruitful harvest this autumn. The warm conditions have led to bees being more active while the lack of high winds has allowed the blossom to open for longer,…

Having postponed their 2020 summer series due to the current pandemic, Let’s Rock have confirmed the rescheduled dates for summer 2021. The line-ups remain the same, with headliners including Adam Ant, OMD, Wet Wet Wet, and UB40, and other performers including Tony Hadley, The Boomtown Rats, Kim Wilde, Marc Almond, Sister Sledge, The Undertones, Midge Ure’s Electronica, Toyah, T’Pau, Go West, Nik Kershaw, Chesney Hawkes, Betty Boo, and Heaven 17. Last Saturday’s LockdownFest, organised by Let’s Rock in aid of…

Families looking for fun, free and creative boredom busters during isolation – be inspired and learn to paint with Cardiff-based artist Rosie Moriarty Simmonds, a member of the Mouth and Foot Painting Artists – artists who paint only with their mouth and feet due to physical disability. Get hands-on (or feet-on!) with her cute and colourful ‘Rainbow Hedgehog’ design – sure to banish any ‘prickly’ family feuds with artistic fun. Ideal for little ones, Rosie has created a handy design outline…