Family Fund Business Services, the trading subsidiary of the charity Family Fund has been chosen to deliver BBC Children in Need’s Emergency Essentials programme to support children and young people across the UK with grants worth over £3 million to meet their most basic needs. BBC Children in Need’s Emergency Essentials Programme supports families living with severe financial, health and social difficulties, and provides items that meet children’s most basic needs such as a bed to sleep in, a cooker…

Hundreds of people turned out to take part in the NHS at 70 bed push and 5k and 10k run at Cardiff Bay recently.   With blue skies overhead and a sea of smiling faces, 16 teams took on the bed push sprint at Cardiff Bay Barrage, with wonderfully decorated beds and team spirit a plenty.  Almost 300 people took part in the 5k and 10k run around the Bay in the glorious sunshine.   Bed push racers and runners…

Challenge yourself to help Wildlife Trust eradicate balsam!   The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales have been tackling Himalayan Balsam Impatiens glandulifera, a non-native invasive species. Introduced to Kew gardens London in 1839 as an exotic flower, balsam was then spread as a colourful garden species particularly for wet areas. It is also known as Indian balsam, Policeman’s Helmet, Bobby Tops, Nuns, Gnome’s Hatstand, Kiss-me-on-the-mountain and Jumping Jack.   Although an annual, this pretty yet ecologically damaging flower…

Whether a stroke survivor is new to golf or has stopped playing because of the disabilities stroke can cause, a new scheme is about to be launched across Wales offering the chance to get putting.   The 12 New to Golf sessions will tee-off at the Vale Resort, in the Vale of Glamorgan on 6 July. Further sessions will take place at Bryn Meadows in Caerphilly from 17 July and the Pyle and Kenfig Golf Course, Porthcawl, from 8 August….

Research which has enabled children and young people to speak out about gender and sexual violence, helping to transform relationships and sexuality education in Wales, has attained a prestigious national award.   Professor Emma Renold’s pioneering participatory research with children and young people has won her £10,000 for Outstanding Impact in Society in the 2018 Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Celebrating Impact Prize.   Professor Renold’s research has sparked youth activism on sexual injustice and violence, contributed to new…

ODEON uncovers and rewards the nation’s unspoken heroes, following its nationwide Calling All Heroes search Sasha Robbins from Pontypridd has been named South Wales’ local hero for her contribution to the local community ODEON launched the search to coincide with its epic Calling All Heroes season of superhero blockbusters – from Solo: A Star Wars Story to the upcoming Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom   ODEON – Europe’s largest cinema group – has been calling all heroes nationwide in a search…

James Power, a Level 3 apprentice at ABP South Wales, has been named a mechanical engineering ‘Star of the Future’ by the Construction Plant-hire Association (CPA). ‘Stars of the Future’ is a national award hosted by the CPA where the best plant maintenance apprentices from around the UK are recognised for their achievements throughout their apprenticeships. Over the past four years of his apprenticeship with ABP South Wales, James has split his time between the ports of Cardiff and Barry,…

Olivia Trevelyan-Richards from Cyncoed, Cardiff was accepted for professional dance training at one of Europe’s premier schools for professional dance training and education, Central School of Ballet (Central) in London, last autumn and will shortly complete her first year there.   Olivia, aged 17, has been dancing since she was six years old.  Selected from over 400 applicants, Olivia was one of only 36 pupils to secure a place on this three year degree course, a BA (Hons) in Professional Dance and…

Samaritans have launched new opening hours for their Welsh Language Line today, as they increase the level of support available to Welsh speakers.  The Samaritans Welsh Language support line had previously been open 28 hours a week but has now been increased to 49 hours.   Samaritans have also announced their new Welsh Language correspondence service today, in which anyone who needs emotional support in Welsh can send a Freepost letter. Writing a letter can be a more personal, thought-provoking…

 “There were moments when fear consumed me and my instinct to live was frantic and desperate. There were also moments of total peace knowing I’d been lucky enough to travel, to really live, and to run all over the world.” These are the words of Ellie Lacey: a transplant survivor with a passion for running and a passion for life. Ellie’s story is truly inspirational and she continues to inspire others with her latest challenge. In her new role as…