Groups benefit from grant scheme

Posted by Now Cardiff on Oct 4, 2012

Community buildings across the city are to benefit from grants awarded by Cardiff Council.

Voluntary groups were invited to apply for a grant, under the Council’s Community Building Grants Programme.

A total of 15 grants were awarded under this year’s programme and will help local groups across the city to improve community buildings and provide better facilities.

Around £50,000 will go towards paying for a wide range of improvements including toilet refurbishments, window replacement, new heating systems, health and safety improvements and access improvements for disabled users.

One of the groups to benefit is St Fagans Village Hall, which received a grant for a new disabled toilet. Frances Lewis of the Village Hall said: “We are very pleased with the Community Building Grant, which will help us to further enhance our building and offer services to an ever wider number of people in the local community.”

Cardiff Council’s Community Building Grants Programme has been running for over ten years for the purpose of supporting local voluntary groups in providing and improving community buildings.

Councillor Lynda Thorne, Cabinet Member for Communities, Housing and Social Justice, said: “The Council recognises the important role that voluntary sector organisations play in running community buildings across the city. We are delighted to be able to help so many groups carry out improvements for the benefit of the people and communities that use them.”

Retail sales figures back up shopworkers’ experience of Olympic Sunday trading suspension

Posted by Now Cardiff on Sep 21, 2012

Figures released today by the Office for National Statistics, which show retail sales in August fell by 0.2%, back up the experience of shopworkers who say most of their stores were either quiet or empty during extended Olympic Sunday trading hours.

Earlier this week, the shopworkers’ union Usdaw revealed that 65% of over 700 reps surveyed said their stores were either quiet or empty during extra Sunday trading hours. Just 5% said they were busier than on a normal Sunday.

The survey also revealed that retailers struggled to find volunteers to cover the extra hours needed, with 56% of reps saying staff were put under pressure to work extra hours.

The experience of shopworkers has also been backed up by retailers such as Lakeland, who just yesterday slammed longer Sunday opening hours for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, saying they only “increased costs for no benefit”.

Typical comments from Usdaw reps on how busy their stores were included:

• “Waste of time being open extra hours as very quiet (almost empty) before 9.30am and after 2.30pm.”
• “The store was virtually empty. Customer service, clothing and electrical, pharmacy, opticians and direct desk were all closed. The move was a total failure.”
• “The additional hours of 4.00 to 8.00pm in our store were quiet most of the time, bordering on empty on occasions. “
• “Workplace was quiet after 4.00pm. Paid more on lighting and staff than went through till.”
• “Took same amount as usual – no extra benefit to takings at all – took normal amount just over longer period.”
• “I know personally we took no extra income from opening extra hours and people were forced to change their usual work patterns to accommodate.”

John Hannett, Usdaw General Secretary said:

“Our survey, together with today’s ONS figures and those from retailers such as Lakeland, show that the government’s decision to suspend Sunday trading laws for the Olympic and Paralympic Games was a mistake – both socially and economically.

“As we warned at the time, opening stores for longer doesn’t increase consumer spending but it does increase retailers’ costs, putting even further pressure on margins at precisely the wrong time.

“Meanwhile, stores were kept open by thousands of shopworkers who would have much preferred to have spent their valuable Sundays with family and friends and, like the rest of the country, cheering on their Olympic and Paralympic heroes.”

Thousands of council staff to benefit as Labour announces “living wage”

Posted by Now Cardiff on Sep 17, 2012

Cardiff Council is set to pay its employees the Living Wage, after making the historic announcement in July that it was to be the first Council in Wales to commit to do so.

Cardiff Council’s Cabinet has made it a key priority to bring salaries into line by introducing a Living Wage so that all employees earn a minimum of £7.20 per hour. This is £1.12p an hour more than the National Minimum Wage.

A report making this recommendation will go before the Cabinet on Thursday (September, 20) and if approved will mean a salary increase for more than 2,000 of Cardiff Council’s lowest paid staff.

Those benefiting from the Living Wage will be entitled to the pay increase backdated from September 1, 2012.

The move has been welcomed by unions as a progressive step which will help many council workers during the current difficult economic climate.

Cardiff Council Leader, Cllr Heather Joyce said the move would help give more money to Council staff who are tasked with delivering public services to high standards.

She said: “I made it very clear when I became Leader of the Council that this was a key priority of the new administration and I am delighted that this report is now set to go before the Cabinet next week.

“The 2,000 staff who will benefit from these proposals are doing some of the most important and challenging jobs in the Council, and we believe that they should be paid  a decent salary for their work.

“This will also provide a boost to the local economy as people will have a little more in their pocket which will help stimulate businesses across our city.”

Cabinet member for Finance, Business and the Local Economy, Cllr Russell Goodway, added: “This administration is making a big statement showing our commitment to social justice. At a time when proposed Welfare Reforms introduced by Central Government will potentially see 20 per cent of the people receiving benefits in Cardiff suffering a significant cut next April, this is a very important step forward.”

Cardiff angling club offers free fishing trip

Posted by Now Cardiff on Jul 15, 2011

A Cardiff fishing club has cast out a line to the local community by providing a free organised fishing trip.

Fairwater and Pentrebane Community Angling Club has been working in partnership with Cardiff Council’s Leisure Services, Ely Garden Villagers and drug and alcohol charity Kaleidoscope.

The club was established two years ago by Gary Smith, an employee of Fairwater Leisure Centre. Since then, organisers plan several fishing trips throughout the year to Sevenoaks Fishery, Pontyclun.

During the trips people are taught how to catch fish such as carp and bream as well as learning the skills to look after the fish properly and put them back into the water safely.

The initiative aims to bring communities together whilst providing recovering addicts with support and imaginative opportunities so they may build self-confidence.

The 60 member strong club was established two years ago and also attracts families and young people from the local areas.

The initiative is funded by Communities First and through sponsorship and fundraising. Executive Member for Communities, Housing and Social Justice, Cllr Judith Woodman said: “The community angling club offers invaluable opportunities to learn the skills needed to enjoy this wonderful outdoor activity.

“The partnership between the club, Ely Garden Villagers, Communities First and Kaleidoscope has meant that this hobby can be made more accessible to individuals who will benefit from it as well as engaging other members of the community.”

Kaleidoscope aims to provide life enhancing services to people on the margins of society. They provide support to people with drug and alcohol problems, enabling them to make positive changes in their lives.

Communities First is the Welsh Assembly Government’s flagship programme to improve the living conditions and prospects for people in the most disadvantaged communities across Wales.

Welsh low-pay workers cheated by employers

Posted by Now Cardiff on Jun 27, 2011

Despite nearly three and half thousand poorly paid workers in Wales getting less than the minimum wage since 2002, not one single prosecution has resulted, says Leanne Wood South Wales Central AM.

The scandal involves more than a thousand employers who have made underpayments of nearly one and half million pounds and it seems Cardiff employers are the worst offenders, with Swansea and Llandudno following close behind. The worst industry for underpaying employers is the hospitality sector.

Ms Wood said: “Low paid workers must be protected, but the law must be brought down as hard on employers as it is with benefit fraud. Why are prosecutions not brought against employers? Why are benefit claimants and rogue employers not treated the same?”

The Plaid Cymru Assembly Member went on to say she had approached the government and had received assurances that Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs would press for prosecution where there is clear evidence that an employer has committed an offence. Despite these assurances, nothing to date has happened.