Love Parks week – 23-31 July 2011

Posted by Now Cardiff on Jul 19, 2011

Butterfly strolls, blooming meadows, tree trails, and bat detecting are all on the bill this summer as part of Love Parks Week 2011.

Love Parks Week is a national campaign which supports and celebrates parks and green spaces and aims to encourage people to use their local parks and discover what they have on offer.

In support of the national campaign, Cardiff Council is running a fun and exciting programme of events to appeal to all the family, taking place at a number of the city’s parks.

Many of the events are free and include wildlife trails, art activities and games for children, a bat discovery walk and a heritage walk to learn about the history of one of the largest Victorian cemeteries in Britain.

Executive Member for Sport, Leisure and Culture, Cllr Nigel Howells said: “We are extremely fortunate that Cardiff boasts more than 56 formal parks and gardens across the city, seven of which are proud winners of the prestigious Green Flag Award.

“They are free resources that are vital in promoting healthy, active and happy communities.

“Our green spaces are beautiful and I encourage people to support Love Parks Week and learn what your local park has to offer.”

Love Parks Week is organised by parks charity GreenSpace. Founded in 2006, the campaign has grown steadily and is now established as a major event that is celebrated in parks across the country. Each year hundreds of events take place enabling thousands of people to get out and enjoy their parks and help put forward the case for reinvestment.

For more information about Love Parks Week please visit www.loveparksweek.org.uk and to learn more about events in Cardiff parks please visit www.cardiff.gov.uk/parks

StreetGames deliver outdoor sports sessions for kids

Posted by Now Cardiff on Jul 15, 2011

Cardiff Council’s Leisure Services has once again teamed up with the national StreetGames project to deliver outdoor sports sessions for kids during the summer holidays.

Following its success last year the Active StreetGames team will be providing a five week programme of summer camps in parks across the city.

The initiative provides a range of supervised activities for children aged seven to 11 at just £2 per child for each session.

StreetGames is a national youth charity which aims to introduce doorstep sport to communities across the city.

Doorstep sport aspires to tailoring sports sessions to suit the specific demands of young people and the community in which they are run.

The sessions are supported by members of the Co-operative StreetGames Young Volunteers Programme, a scheme that helps 16-25 year olds from the local area gain sports qualifications and community leadership skills whilst volunteering at the project.

Activities on offer include dodge ball, tag games, mini athletics, Ultimate Frisbee, cricket, basketball to name a few.

The programme aims to encourage young people to get active by trying new activities and having fun playing sport and games with their friends. Activities are normally chosen by the children, with consideration to age, ability and location.

In previous years the programme has been extremely popular, on average attracting between 30 and 50 children per session.

Executive Member for Sport, Leisure and Culture, Cllr Nigel Howells said: “This initiative is in its fifth year and provides a fantastic outdoor sports provision for children throughout the city.

“It also brings the fantastic activities provided by our leisure centres to the wider community, and encourages young people to visit these facilities and take up sport and leisure on a permanent basis.”

5X60 Sport initiative takes off in Victoria Park

Posted by Now Cardiff on Jul 12, 2011

Victoria Park is set to be transformed into an exciting hub for sports this Saturday (July 16) between 12 and 4pm as Sport.Cardiff deliver a free community event.

Sport in the Park aims to promote a series of sport and leisure opportunities whist signposting adults and children to clubs and groups where they can take up sport and activities in their local community.

There will be a huge choice of traditional and non-traditional sports for people to have a go at, including cricket, basketball, freestyle football, BMX and street-dance.

The action packed day will also showcase local sports clubs and leisure providers, making local people aware of the facilities and sports opportunities that they have access to in their local community.

The event has been organised by the Sport.Cardiff 5X60 sports development team.

The 5X60 initiative aims to make young people in Cardiff more active by taking part in 60 minutes of exercise five times a week.

It comprises a variety of different activities from which the children choose what they want to participate in. Activities include competitive, team and individual sports as well recreational activities such as climbing, dance and swimming.

Executive Member for Sport, Leisure and Culture, Cllr Nigel Howells said: “This unique event is set to inspire people of all ages to embrace sport and leisure activities whilst strengthening and supporting local clubs.
“Sport and leisure are essential in maintaining healthy and active lifestyles and what better place to discover what Cardiff has to offer than in the outdoor setting of one of the city’s most beautiful and popular parks.”

An Irishman, an Englishman and a Welshman walked into a library…

Posted by Now Cardiff on Jul 12, 2011

This summer Cardiff Central Library will host comedy workshops to tickle the fancy of wannabe comedians aged between 15 and 19.

Laughing Matters comedy workshops will be held at the library from Monday, July 18 until Thursday 21.

The workshops are free and will run from 11am until 5pm.

During the workshops young people will learn essential stand up comedy skills, confidence boosting techniques and comedy writing skills.

The workshops have been organized by Cardiff Libraries in partnership with Cardiff Comedy Festival, which takes place in the city from July 13 -to 30 of July.

Those taking part in the workshops will also have the opportunity to compete for the chance to perform to a live audience at a unique comedy show taking place in the library on Saturday, 22th July 22 at 7pm.

Executive Member for Sport, Culture and Leisure, Cllr Nigel Howells, said: “Following on from the success of last year’s Laughing Matters, I am delighted that Central Library has once again teamed up with the Comedy Festival to run this workshop for young adults.

“It can be difficult to find things to do over the school holiday and this is the perfect way for teenagers to either learn a new skill or develop a keen hobby that they already may have.”

Olympic hopeful joined by Pudsey

Posted by Now Cardiff on Jul 1, 2011

 

 

Olympic archery contender, Amy Oliver was joined by BBC Children In Need star Pudsey Bear on a special visit to St Teilo’s High School last week.

The event saw Amy, Pudsey and the school’s 5×60 archery team photographed for an official 2012 BBC Children in Need charity calendar.

Amy has been keen to show the beneficial effects that the Sport.Cardiff 5×60 programme has had on schools in Cardiff enabling young people to take up sports such as archery.

The initiative encourages young people in Cardiff to be more active by taking part in 60 minutes of exercise five times a week.

It comprises a variety of different activities from which the children choose what they want to participate in. Activities include competitive, team and individual sports as well recreational activities such as climbing, dance and swimming.

The charity calendar is a fundraising project established by Hybu Pobl Ifanc, a young group of volunteers aged 16 to 20 years who dedicate their time to raising money for BBC Children In Need.

Each month features Pudsey taking part in a different sport such as snowboarding at the Manchester snow dome , racing a horse at Ffos Las, playing a game of golf and rafting racing .

Executive Member for Sport, Leisure and Culture, Cllr Nigel Howells said: “I am thrilled that Sport.Cardiff is involved in this project, helping to raise money for BBC Children in Need.

“We are committed to providing a diverse sports provision across the city and the 5X60 programme has given opportunity for young people to become more active and healthy through sport.

“BBC Children in Need is a fantastic charity and Hybu Pobl Ifanc should be praised for their work in raising vital funds for the cause.”

Marc Phillips, Head of BBC Children in Need in Wales, said: “The idea of this calendar has been initiated by young people in Cardiff and is a testimony to their considerable maturity, generosity and professionalism.

“BBC Children in Need is very grateful to them, Sport.Cardiff and to Amy Oliver. The ultimate beneficiaries will be children and young people in Wales who need our help to overcome disadvantage in their lives.”

Hybu Pobl Ifanc consists of a team of over 100 volunteers are based in Cardiff, Newport and Bleanau Gwent and meet up every week throughout the year to organise and take part in various fundraising exercises.