We went out this morning with Bron Afon's neighbourhood caretaker team to deliver a new poster to help tackle abandoned trolleys. It has been a longstanding problem in Cwmbran - we're sadly renowned as one of the worst areas in the UK for it - and Northville is a particular hotspot. In one day alone 229 abandoned trolleys were counted around the estate.
Everyone knows why it happens: a high concentration of supermarkets in a small area, easy pedestrian access, and the low car ownership among residents. What is more difficult is coming up with a workable solution to the problem.
Trolleywise collection service work with a number of the stores, and have just signed a contract with Morrisons which will hopefully have a big impact over the coming weeks. The Bron Afon leaflet lists contact information for Cwmbran stores, or you can also use the Trolleywise app to report trolleys for Asda and Morrisons.
We had a pretty good response on the doorstep, and walking back we saw that a few people had already put the poster up in their windows. Fingers crossed it will have a positive impact!
I was up at Pontypool Museum this morning for the launch of the Pontypool Town Educational Digital Resource - otherwise known as the Townscape Heritage Initiative Educational Resource. That's a bit of a mouthful but, basically, it's a new online tool for schools, students, and anybody else interested in the history of Pontypool.
The base of activity is the website - www.pontypoolmuseum.org.uk/thi - which has a page for each module or topic. These include Pontypool Town Centre, Pontypool Park and The Hanbury Family, Pontypool and Japanware, Pontypool Market, Pontypool Townscape Heritage Initiative, and 21st Century Pontypool. Each module is supported with worksheets, downloadable resources, digital heritage trails (which have their own app), and online games. I particularly like the town jigsaw and the Georgian or Victorian? architecture games! :)
The other great feature is that alongside the teaching guides and suggested activities are a wealth of copyright free primary sources available to download, ranging from maps to historical photographs. Obviously these will support learning, but can also serve as the basis for arts and crafts projects both in and out of school.
Torfaen Family Information Service is something you might not have heard of before, but once you've checked them out you'll wish you had known about them sooner! They provide free and impartial information on childcare (providers, careers, and tax credits / vouchers), services and activities for children, young people and families (including parents-to-be) in Torfaen.
The website - www.torfaenfis.org.uk - is crammed with useful information about local childcare providers, explanations of the early years curriculum and its delivery, as well as things for kids to do in Torfaen from a listing of sports clubs to support groups for children with additional needs. If you have children it's well worth following FIS on social media as they post regular information on what's going on in the area - especially the free and the inclusive.
Probably the best thing about the FIS however is that they can tailor their information to your inquiry. If you send them an email at fis@torfaen.gov.uk they can send you an info pack back to you via email or post, or you can give them a ring on the freephone number 0800 0196 330 - the phones are staffed during office hours, and there is a 24 hour answer machine service.
Alternatively, you can speak to someone face to face at the Cwmbran Integrated Children's Centre, based on the Nant Celyn school site on Ton Road.
Since becoming Mayor I've been invited to all kinds of different events, but one of the more glam was definitely an open evening for Beauty at Furley's! (There was even a topless waiter who you can kind of see in shot there. Definitely a change of pace from the usual Mayoral engagement!)
Leanne Furley is a hair and make-up artist, beauty therapist and nail technician - she even managed to work my own nails into a condition that has had people complimenting them. I literally cannot remember the last time that happened. It was before Marianna came along, I know that much.
The open evening was to celebrate Leanne making Unique Boutique Salon her new operating base, offering everything from prom and bridal hair / make-up through to tanning treatments and acting as a rep for Timeless Truth face masks. Check out the full range:
A huge thank you to Leanne for inviting me - and raising some funds for my Mayoral charities with a raffle! It was super appreciated and I had a great time. I hope the business only continues to go from strength to strength. :)
The salon itself is also a recent venture, located on Llantarnam Industrial Estate in Cwmbran. The idea behind it is simple yet kind of genius - although they have some staff based full time in the salon, the space is available to be rented out by the hour to mobile hairdressers, beauticians and nail technicians. This might mean having a regular slot to see particular clients, or a more one-off arrangement enabling them to work with a larger number of people than they would otherwise be able to.
It's a gorgeous salon, and the location means there is plenty of parking and scope for early and late opening too. Read more about the details of how it works HERE, or find out more via Facebook and Twitter.
The Torfaen People's Panel is all about having your say on the issues which matter to you.
It's a consultative panel of people living in Torfaen and aims to give local people a chance to have their say about public services and life in the Borough. The idea is for it to be broadly typical of Torfaen's population in terms of gender, ethnicity and geography - so we need people of all ages from all across the borough to sign up if we want it to be truly representative!
Panel members will have the chance to take part in:
Surveys: members will be invited to respond to postal questionnaires, telephone or internet surveys.
Workshops: members will be invited to participate in community workshops.
Scrutiny: members will be able to examine local issues in detail by listening to information from public officers and then discussing their views in light of what they have heard in order to advise how local public/voluntary bodies should deliver their services.
Focus groups: smaller groups of members will be able to get together to explore a specific issue in depth.
As well as taking part in 'observational studies' or working with Public Service Officers on specific projects.
You can pick and choose what you want to take part in - over time there will be a range and choice of activities and topics to suit different members of the Panel. Your contribution will then help inform the decisions made by the council, the police, voluntary organisations and the local health sector.
If that was all a bit TL;DR, TCBC has even put together this nifty video to explain it better:
If you're interested in having your say and making a difference, you can register online or email getinvolved@torfaen.gov.uk for more information. If you would like a form to be posted to you, you can again email or ring 01495 766475.
One of the stranger things about being Mayor is that you spend a lot of time at church or, at least, at public services. I have sung more hymns in the last few weeks than I have since primary school, which was when I came to the conclusion I was an atheist. That wasn't the fault of the hymns though, in fact they were my favourite thing about living in what Rowan Williams calls 'post-Christian' Britain!
We're not a particularly religious nation, but Christianity is still a big part of civic life. And the singing of hymns is part and parcel of that - even when you've never heard of them before... Still, it's inspired me to think about the hymns I do know, mostly from my schooldays, and which of those I liked best. :)
I quickly realised that, when it comes to hymns, I am something of a Sydney Carter fangirl. Carter was a poet and songwriter who penned the soundtrack to my primary school assemblies. First up there's One More Step Along The World I Go, a lovely hymn about life as a journey - making it a favourite at end of year school concerts.
Next up is that perennial school favourite, When I Needed A Neighbour. Not only does this hymn have an important message about breaking down barriers, it also provides an excuse to sing the word 'naked'. What more could a bunch of easily amused eight-year-olds ask for?
The best Carter hymn is also his best known, the 1963 song Lord of the Dance. This was my absolute favourite as a kid, no doubt helped along by the contemporary popularity of Riverdance, and we're going to have it as one of the hymns at my own civic service this weekend. I really wanted to have a hymn all the kids would know - even Marianna. :)
Finally moving away from Carter, another school favourite was Laurie London's 1957 hit (it peaked at #12 on the UK charts) He's Got The Whole World In His Hands. It had actions and everything.
Another hymn I like which has done well in the charts - multiple times! - is Kumbaya which was first recorded in the 1920s.
