Alt.Cardiff Magazine: The Grassroots Issue

ISSUE ONE

JANUARY 2024

alt.cardiff How grassroots rugby is tackling head injury “The rest of your life is what matters”

ALSO FEATURING: CREATING A MICRO-PUB ARTES MUNDI BIN STRIKES

News

Interview

CREATING A MICRO-PUB: What could go wrong?

As it celebrates its 5th birthday, Cathays Beer House owner Martin Holmes discusses the quirky micro-pub and his journey creating it

ARTES MUNDI AT 20:

The UK’s largest contemporary arts prize returns to the capital for another year The Artes Mundi art exhibition, held every two years, returns to Cardiff and Wales for its 20th anniversary, with seven artists shortlisted for the £40,000 prize.

For the first time ever, five venues across Wales will collaborate simultaneously, each showcasing artists’ work.

The exhibition champions artists from diverse backgrounds with important stories to tell. Artes Mundi director Nigel Prince promised viewers “a stimulating and thoughtful series of presentations” on topics such as displacement, environmental change and conflict.

Artists were proposed via a world-wide nominator network and the final seven were selected by the AM10 jury. Shortlisted artist Carolina Caycedo said:

Artes Mundi is based in Cardiff, with each artist having at least one piece of work on display in the city.

“I like the fact … the presentations take place across Wales. The redistribution of funds and resources to smaller cultural institutions contributes to the diversification of the arts ecosystem, hopefully making it more inclusive.”

The event is taking place across Wales and aims to give people from across the country the chance to visit some of the art.

Is hospitality headed for a crisis?

The hospitality sector has been described as “pretty dire” by a local bar worker, while pub managers say they are constantly hiring staff.

Behind the cover of delicious food and drink, the hospitality sector is facing a crisis. Staff are complaining of poor working conditions, managers struggling to fill vacancies and pubs shutting at an alarming rate.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has estimated in the last six months, an average of 148 hospitality vacancies across the UK are being posted online every week, with only wholesale and retail showing more in the same period. This is up from the average figure of 136 in the six months between September 2022 and March 2023 – an increase of 8.8%.

A pub manager in Canton, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “We have a regular turnover of staff in the pub, most don’t stay longer than a few months”, adding that they’re interviewing “every couple of weeks”.

John Williams, a bar worker, said: “The industry is pretty dire to be honest”.

Williams worries that local pubs closing down meant that Cardiff was “losing its community spirit”. He said a lot of workers see hospitality as a short-term job that is easy to get into. He believed workers would stay if they were paid more, calling for a £15 p/h minimum wage and urged workers to join a union.

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It also provides much needed funding and awareness of smaller art galleries, at a time when the sector is facing many challenges.

Artes Mundi 10 runs until 25 February 2024.

M

artin Holmes, 55, fell into pub work by accident. After taking voluntary redundancy from boring admin jobs, he covered shifts in a pub his wife worked at. This led him to another pub in Cardiff where he met a co-worker who had his own brewery and wanted to sell beer.

They decided to branch out and create their own micro-pub.

They found a location, Crwys Road in Cathays, and were ready to sign contracts when Holmes’ business partner pulled out. Holmes, much to his wife’s frustration, decided to carry on.

“I’d always wanted to run a little bottle and can beer shop,” he said, “something a little bit quirky and unusual.” Holmes, who was 50 at the time, wrestled with the idea. He questioned whether to commit to this mammoth task by himself. “If I don’t do it now, I never will. What the hell!

What could go wrong?” he laughed.

Holmes overcame delays, exhaustion, and a stint in hospital and opened the Cathays Beer House in December 2018.

Emotional hardship

Bin strikes to continue

Originally from Essex, a relationship led Holmes to Cardiff in 2000. Sadly that ended but he decided to stay in Cardiff to be close to his son. “I’m more happy here” he reflected. If he hadn’t moved, the pub wouldn’t have happened and he’d still be in London.

A public meeting on 9 November, saw opinions and experiences shared by striking workers and residents about the ongoing impact of refuse piling up in the streets.

The pub is open six days a week, with Holmes running the pub entirely by himself. He reflected that these long hours can hurt his relationship, some days not seeing his wife until 11pm. This is counteracted by the large number of friends the couple have made through the pub.

Worker John Roberts said: “members are financially worse off compared to this time last year” and there have been huge changes to colleagues’ conditions.

Residents present were largely supportive of the strike, but there was unanimous frustration over the state of their streets.

A community feel

Strikes resumed on 28 December 2023 and will continue until 25 January 2024.

“If I don’t do it now, I never will” Holmes can certainly be described as alternative and the pub’s decorations mirror this. He prefers “a little bit quirky” and likes to be a “little bit of an outsider”. Although his ideal pub would be painted black, blasting rock music all day, Holmes wanted his pub to be attractive to as many people as possible, adding, “Anyone who’s an outsider or feels they’re a loner can come in here and be welcomed.”

Thinking of the future, Holmes has no desires to stop and would happily go on well into old age – something he’ll have to get past his wife, who would like him to stop in a few years. “We’ve got so many people that rely on us,” he said, “I’ll be letting people down if I do close now.”

The Cathays Beer House celebrated its fifth anniversary on 6 December 2023.

Holmes wanted to create somewhere “about community and about friends”, a place of familiar surroundings and people you know.

The lifting of COVID-19 restrictions in 2020/21 was a challenge, with Holmes and his wife Diane suffering abuse over enforcing rules they had no say in. Diane was assaulted, which Holmes said really upset and depressed her, and she no longer helps out behind the bar as a result. Holmes was shocked at people’s attitudes, he was only trying to provide a service to people – being open was harder than the actual lockdowns which he described as wonderful.

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“BE DILLIGENT WITH YOURSELF, TEAMMATES AND OPPONENTS”

A view from the field Chris Case, 37, is an amateur rugby player from Cardiff, who plays for Rhiwbina RFC and the Headway Select XV charity side. Case has been playing rugby since he was young and now captains the Rhiwbina Second XI. He is aware of the new guidance, saying how the diligence of referees and sideline protocols has gone up. Case said there is a “hard line to tow” with players taking to the pitch knowing the risks. He stressed the important thing is how people act when serious injury does happen and being as diligent as possible. In past decades he said there was a “get up and keep going” attitude but this has changed nowadays.

Exploring how grassroots rugby is tackling the threat of head injuries and concussion

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“We welcome the publishing of this guidance. Ensuring the safety of those participating in sport at any level, should be at the forefront of what we do. We encourage anyone who is organising or participating in sport at a grassroots level to familiarise themselves with the guidance.”

The guidance states that players must be assessed after a knock to the head and if they display one or more symptoms of concussion then they must be removed from play or training.

Assessment by a healthcare professional should take place within 24 hours of injury, even if symptoms are resolved. Players should not return to sport until a minimum 21 days have passed, with the individual following the ‘graduated return to activity and sport’programme stipulated in the guidance.

Close to home Case has seen first-hand the impact of brain injury, as his wife survived a brain haemorrhage in 2017.

Five years ago he created the Headway Select XV to thank and recognise the vital work of Headway Cardiff & South-East Wales. Initially a one-off charity match, the team now plays multiple games a year, raising thousands for Headway.

“Rugby and organisations like Headway go hand in hand, going forward players need these facilities if the worst happens” he said.

Case is also an U9s coach and reinforced how important it is to teach the next generation proper tackle procedure and technique, to avoid the risk of concussion. He hopes rugby evolves but maintains its soul, with people becoming more aware of the impacts of head injury.

Head injuries can be devastating and have a huge impact on people’s lives. CEO of brain injury charity Headway Cardiff & South-East Wales, Rebecca Pearce, said: “People’s lives change in an instant, it affects all aspects of them.” She added that charities like Headway try to help people adapt and come to terms with their new self, giving people hope and a “new meaning in life.”

“If you don’t deal with knocks appropriately, there’ll be consequences”

Page Image. Headway Cardiff & South East Wales

The issues surrounding head injury are not limited to elite rugby. For the first time ever, UK-wide guidance has been issued on concussion in grassroots sport, dubbed ‘If in doubt, sit them out!’. Its publishing means all grassroots sports across Wales and the UK will adhere to the same protocols, ensuring consistency and safety for players, coaches, parents and more.

In a statement, Sport Wales CEO, Brian Davies said:

Despite the risk of injury, Case believes greater protection is not the answer. “The game will change fundamentally if you dilute it (with more protection),” he said. In his opinion more protection will have a negative impact as it “lures people” into hitting harder.

Background Image. Unsplash

Coombs recently announced on social media he had been diagnosed with dementia and probable chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) after suffering symptoms for four years.

Page Image. Headway Cardiff & South East Wales

lmost 300 former rugby players are currently pursuing legal action against England and Wales rugby union’s governing bodies. They are accusing them of negligence and failing to protect players from long term head injuries. Gavin Henson, Andrew Coombs and former captain Colin Charvis are three of the 34 Welsh internationals involved in the case.

Case explained how preventing head injuries is everyone’s responsibility, and there is concern and respect between opponents and teammates to look out for each other. If someone is on the floor, you stop the game and check they’re ok, he said. He added: “If you don’t deal with knocks appropriately, there’ll be consequences, the rest of your life is what matters. Be diligent with yourself, teammates and opponents.”

A new type of gumshield has been produced which detects the amount of force a player has been hit with, which Case sees as a better alternative.

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Page Image. Headway Cardiff & South East Wales

Is smart technology the answer?

World Rugby announced in October 2023 that smart mouthguard technology will now be used in all elite games. The mouthguard measures the g-force of every head impact in real time. If the force is above the accepted limit then doctors are notified via an app and the player is removed immediately for checks. Even if they are cleared to play, checks will also take place after the game as well as two days later.

Grassroots players don’t have the money or profile to enter into lengthy court cases with governing bodies over head injuries. The implementation of the new guidance and changing attitudes hopes to protect players of grassroots sport and ensure long term head injuries become a thing of the past. Players can play the game they love without concern for their long-term health.

World Rugby Chief Medical Office Dr Eanna Falvey said in a statement: “The advances in smart mouthguard technology mean elite players will be better cared for than ever before.”

THE STAGES OF CONCUSSION RECOVERY Stage One – Relative Rest for 24-48 hours Stage Two – Gradually introduce daily activities (Week One) Stage Three – Increase tolerance for mental and exercise activities (Week One & Two) Stage Four – Return to study/work and sport training (Week Two) Stage Five – Return to normal work/education and full training (Week Three) Stage Six – Return to sports competition (NOT before day 21) as long as symptoms free at rest for 14 days and during the pre-competition training of stage five (Week Three+) Source: UK Concussion Guidelines for Non-Elite (Grassroots) Sport

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