FEATURES

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY 2021

Since 1911, March 8th has been celebrated as International Women’s Day and it highlights women’s achievements in science, culture, education and politics. It campaigns to improve the lives of women around the globe. Although progress has been made, the last year has also highlighted that women have been heavily impacted by the pandemic and that there is still so much to do. This year’s theme is: #ChooseToChallenge and Bridgend Labour Women got involved online, challenging gender bias and inequality. Together, we can create an inclusive world. Sarah Murphy our prospective candidate for the Senedd elections on May 6th has also reminded us that “here in Wales, more than £3.3 million has been committed this year to provide free period products to girls and women on low-incomes and to all learners in schools and FE colleges, with Bridgend College being one of the first. It’s a big step in the right direction, but we must strive for more and better, including closing the gender pay gap, ending violence against women, and ensuring women in business, are heard and represented.” To contact Bridgend Labour Women’s Forum please email: bridgend.labour.women@gmail.com.

Elaine Winstanley, Women’s Officer 07493 933690 Bridgend CLP Women’s Forum

PORTHCAWL FREEMASONS GIVE £2,380 TO LOCAL CHARITIES

Freemasons are well known for their charitable giving and the Venables Llewelyn Lodge in Porthcawl is no exception. Over the last year, during the COVID-19 pandemic, its members have given over £2,300 to several local charities to help them through the crisis. Although not able to meet in person because of the lockdown restrictions, the members of the Venables Llewelyn Lodge have been active with their fundraising, and have given donations of: £50 to the British Legion, £200 to Ty Hafan, £250 to The Sandville, £1,082 to the Porthcawl foodbank, £200 to Porthcawl Comprehensive’s technology staff who have been producing safety visors for front-line workers, and £600 to the Porthcawl Covid-19 Strategy Group for their work in supporting the vulnerable residents of Porthcawl and also helping in the refurbishment of computers to aid distance learning for school pupils. A spokesman for the Venables Llewelyn Lodge said: “We are proud to support these local organisations and salute the sterling work they are all doing. With Freemasonry being at the heart of our community we are particularly happy, especially at this difficult time, to be able to support the charities that operate in and for the community in Porthcawl.”

Phil Protheroe

PORTHCAWL SHOUT FORUM

They say lighting never strikes twice but for Porthcawl Shout Forum it has with the passing of two of its senior members, Brian Saunders and Clive Mort. Vice Chairman Brian had a big moral compass always generous and helpful to anyone needing assistance especially those who could not help themselves. He worked constantly against many unjust local plans spending years fighting DEFRA in London (and winning) to protect the Harbour Porpoises breeding grounds off Rest Bay. He was a dedicated supporter of the many Shout events highlighting the lack of Porthcawl facilities such as the John Street Spoof swimming gala, “Selling” the thousands of tons of harbour mud dumped on Salt Lake and paying BCBC to seed the Roundabouts with Poppies as a dedication to those who fell in war. It was indeed a privilege to know Brian who had painful ill health in his last years but was always positive and mindful of those worst off, he caught Covid while receiving treatment in the Princess of Wales hospital. Clive was Managing Director of Thomas Ward, ship breakers in Briton Ferry and a main Board Director in Sheffield. During his second career he helped many young people into employment as part of the Governments YTS (Youth Training Scheme) in Wales. He supported many Porthcawl organizations such as Trinity Church, Royal Porthcawl Golf Club, U3A and was not only a founder member of Porthcawl Shout but in 2003 helped set up County Shout in Bridgend as part of the Welsh Assembly Government £17.5 million program to encourage older people to have a voice. Clive worked hard to support Shouts many projects to improve Porthcawl including the Samtampa Disaster memorial and the long awaited Regeneration Plan. Brian and Clive, will be sorely missed by the town they loved so much.

Gary Victor Porthcawl Shout Forum

IT’S GOOD TO TALK!

Has lockdown left you bored and lonely? How about lifting your spirits by volunteering? Befriending by phone helps you and the person you call, as a weekly chat can help you both reconnect with the world! Bridgend Association of Voluntary Organisations (BAVO) is looking for volunteers aged 18 plus to join their Covid-19 Telephone Befriending Service, which offers help and support to the most vulnerable members of our communities at this unsettling time, through conversations. By helping to reduce fears for those experiencing anxiety and uncertainty, BAVO’s telephone project offers a friendly voice at a moment of increased isolation and loneliness. Make a difference to someone’s day… an hour of your day goes a long way! For further details contact BAVO, T: 01656 810400 or email: bavo@bavo.org.uk

Jane Hall – BAVO

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PORTHCAWL VOLUNTEER COMMUNITY CLEAN UP

Whilst we have been unable to meet as a group our members have continued to clear our town of litter. We now have 535 members in our Facebook group and it’s great to see pictures of families getting involved. During lockdown we have cleared a lot of litter that has been in hedgerows so long the packaging was discontinued years ago! It’s disappointing to report that the better weather with people exercising resulted in 5 bags of litter being collected by our volunteers one Sunday in the area of Salt Lake car park . Once Covid guidelines allow, we intend to go back to meeting on a Sunday afternoon at 4pm on the Eastern Promenade. Please join our Facebook group ‘Porthcawl Volunteer Community Cleanup’ to stay up to date

Helen Lynn

PORTHCAWL INNER WHEEL

We all hope this finds you all in good health and better still good spirits. Spring is on its way and, hopefully we will have more news about coming out of Lock down and it can’t come fast enough, Many of our celebrations have either had to be cancelled, put on hold or carried out virtually. Our Church service has been cancelled and our 70th birthday party will take place when we are safe to meet outside for an afternoon tea/garden party. When we have had our second vaccinations we should be able to have a committee meeting , socially distanced of course to organise things. We hope everyone managed to see loved ones on Mother’s day, even if it was over Skype or Zoom. Take care everyone.

Liz Jones Club Sec

TOOLS FOR SELF RELIANCE Tools for Africa

We are raring to go, the workshop is ready, as soon as we deem it right to re-open. We have received quite a few tools during the last lock down. We are very grateful, but our shelves are full and we feel that we cannot receive any more tools or sewing machines at the moment. We are anticipating allocations for Ghana , and are grateful to Rodney Knight for a previously assembled auto kit and to Pam and Derek Murden who have been busy making up haberdashery kits. Carpentry kits are urgently required. So we welcome a few new volunteers to sharpen chisels and saws, put new handles into hammers and clean up rusty old tools. It will soon be ‘all hands on deck’. David Bevan has been busy making crates .We have managed to donate over £2000 to our projects during the last year in Malawi and Tanzania. Can we thank the community for their interest and continued support. A very big thank you to our team of willing volunteers. This modest work does really change lives. information about our work, visit the web site, tfsr.org

John Hanson, Group Coordinator Tel: 01656 786367

PORTHCAWL U3A

Things are starting to change slowly and at least some of us will this year be able to have Easter Egg hunts in our gardens. By the time you read this, you will I hope, have completed your Census 2021, because nobody wants to get fined a £1000! And all of us will have had our 1st injections, many will have had their 2nd but we must still be careful as we are allowed out and our shops open again because it will still be a long time before all are protected from Covid. That’s because there are a lot of people to be done younger than us! This means that we will continue to Zoom with those who like to Zoom. Our Conversations, Philosophy, Mindfulness, Keep Fit, Quiz and Book Groups are all meeting regularly and are to be congratulated as coping sometimes with systems that fluctuate with the weather is not always easy. We hope the summer will be kind to us allowing us to continue to improve our gardens along with our tans until we are allowed to meet in bigger groups inside as we used to. Stay safe. We will meet again!

Sally A Corbett Chair

THROUGH CHRISTIAN EYES

Do you need a fresh start? As the Covid19 regulations are slowly being rolled back, and we take further steps on the pathway to near normality, perhaps you feel ready to start life afresh. The message of the Christian faith is that we can have a fresh start, forgiveness for our failures and a new kind of life by following Jesus Christ. The first Easter, Jesus Christ died on the cross for us. On the Easter Sunday he rose again to prove that his sacrifice had been successful. The stone at the entrance to his tomb was rolled away, this was not to let Jesus out, but let humanity in! The Easter message ‘He is not here, He is risen!’ gives reason for faith, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ carries with it an offer of life abundant and eternal. The Apostle Paul sums it up in this way: ‘If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come’. If you need a fresh start why not look closer at Jesus? If you would like to know more about the Christian faith, please contact faith@gilgal.co.uk or visit us at www.gilgal.co.uk

REV. MARTIN GILLARD Gilgal Baptist Church, Porthcawl