Twyncarmel News
February 2014
You said...we listened
You asked what activities are going on in the Fact Shop, so here they are:
Weekly activities in The Fact Shop
Monday
Mornings
Afternoons
9 - 11am Get Computing classes
For 12 weeks starting 13th 5 - 7.30pm Youth Club, January, 12.30 - 2.30pm Legs, aimed at those aged 8+ Bums and Tums class
11am - 12noon Free help with finances Tuesday
Evenings
9.-11am Chatterbox Group, aimed at parents with toddlers aged 1 - 3 years
Wednesday Thursday
2-4pm 50+ Social Group for afternoon tea and chat 4 - 4.45pm Councillor surgery 2nd Thursday every month
Want to gain a new qualification
and help young people?
Symed Ymlaen/Moving Forward Project is looking for people who are interested in acting as a mentor to young people in the Merthyr Tydfil area. The role involves offering support, general advice and guidance as a community volunteer. You will receive training to Agored (NOCN) Level 2 in Mentoring and Core Skills, as well as supervision and support from SOVA staff with regular meetings (every 4 - 6 weeks once trained) to discuss progress. Want to know more? Check our the website: www.symfwales.org.uk or email symf@sova.org.uk
4-5.30pm Healthy Cooking classes 5.30 - 8.30pm Youth Club aimed at those aged 11+
Litter pick
and tidy up Following the success of our litter picks in October and February, we will be doing it again:
Over Easter 2014
Watch out for details nearer the time
Twyncarmel Newsletter | February 2014
Food
Calling keen gardeners
Interested in setting up a Twyncarmel Potters Club? A number of you said you would like to get involved in community gardening and allotments. We will work with you to get a keen group together, provide equipment, plants and some land to help kick-start the project. We didn’t have responses from everyone so now is your chance to let us know if you want to get involved. Contact Alison Chaplin on 0800 052 2526 or 07929 201429, fill in the comments box at the end of this newsletter or email alison.chaplin@wwha. co.uk and we’ll arrange a meeting. Even if you’re only interested in learning more about gardening/sharing your knowledge, we want to hear from you.
Hampers We all struggle financially from time to time, whether it be because of that unexpected bill, illness or a drop in hours at work which, is why we are working with the Kings Church in Newport. They have been supplying us with small food hampers once a month since September. Each hamper contains a limited amount of cupboard essentials which can help you get through that difficult patch. If you would like to receive a hamper or have any questions please contact Sharon Jones on 07826526511. Information about Jesus Cares: It started in 2009 as a result of community organisations contacting the Kings Church, Newport, to ask for food for families they were working with, who had no money to feed their children. There is a real need for practical help that Jesus Cares can provide to families and individuals within our communities, as many organisations don’t have money within their budgets to purchase food and other essential provisions for people who are struggling. Jesus Cares has rapidly grown since it’s inception and they now give in excess of 1,200 hampers per month.
Eat, Sleep, Learn, Play! “I have recently contacted a number of residents about the Save The Children crisis grant scheme ‘Eat, Sleep, Learn, Play!’ and made many successful applications on their behalf” writes Sharon Jones, Tenancy Support Officer. “This is a project which can provide qualifying families with young children with essential household items.”
Qualifying Conditions In order to qualify there needs to be a child younger than 36 months in the household or the resident or partner must be more than 28 weeks pregnant. Residents also need to be in receipt of one of the following benefits in order to make an application: • Income Support (income based) • Jobseekers Allowance (income based) • Employment Support Allowance (income based) • Child Tax Credit (based on income less than £16,190) • Working Tax Credit (where a disability or severe disability element is included in the award)
Essential Household Items Support can be provided in the form of: • Educational books and toys for the children • Cookers, fridges and fridge freezers • Washing machines • Pushchairs and highchairs • Dining tables and chairs • Children’s cots, cot-beds and bunk beds • Kitchen vouchers
If you think you may qualify please contact me on 07826 526511 from Monday to Wednesday and I will complete the application on your behalf. Page 2| www.wwha.co.uk | 0800 052 2526 | Twitter: @wwha
Twyncarmel Newsletter | February 2014
‘Add to your life’ Add to your life is a free NHS online health and wellbeing service to help people over 50 in Wales to: • Live longer • Feel better • Stay healthy and active. It will support you to discover more about your health, learn simple steps to stay healthy and find out about services to help you make positive changes. Every Thursday between 2 - 4pm, we will be available in The Fact Shop to help you complete your health check. Free refreshments will also be provided. For more information contact Rhonda at Mid Clusters Communities First on 01685 383929.
Merthyr Tydfil Youth Forum In January Merthyr Tydfil Youth Forum met in the Council Chamber in the Civic Centre to discuss the Council’s 12 cost saving proposals which are set out for consultation. Their questions were searching and showed a deep understanding of the issues facing many people in the County Borough today. Amongst other things they questioned:
•
How many volunteers would be needed if Age Cymru takes over the Healthy Ageing project from the Council and what systems would be in place to safeguard the programme if they didn’t get the numbers needed?
• What appeals procedures would be in place for older people who currently receive Meals on Wheels, if it is decided they are no longer eligible under the new criteria being adopted? • Where will the central youth provision centres be when outreach centres are closed and will transport be provided, as so many buses stop in the early evening? • Why isn’t it being generally advertised that public toilets will still be available in St Tydfil’s shopping centre and The Red House/Old Town Hall building after the other public toilets close? • Why the proposals in the consultation document seem to target those not able to properly defend themselves - the old, the disabled and the young? What other service provision had been looked at? “The next time anyone says anything disparaging about the youth of Merthyr Tydfil, I will be suggesting they sit in the back of the Council Chamber when the Youth Forum is holding its meeting” writes Alison Chaplin, Community Development Project Officer with WWH. “If the youngsters who sit on the Youth Forum are indicative of the majority of young people in Merthyr Tydfil, our future will be in safe hands.”
Page 3| www.wwha.co.uk | 0800 052 2526 | Twitter: @wwha
Twyncarmel Newsletter | February 2014
Discretionary Housing Payments Residents who are in receipt of Housing Benefit - and appear to Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council to need further financial assistance to meet housing costs - can apply for a Discretionary Housing Payment. Discretionary Housing Payments can cover shortfalls in rent, reductions in Housing benefit due to under occupation, non-dependent deductions, rent deposits, rent in advance, removal costs and even rent arrears. The award is usually for a fixed period, but can be indefinitely dependent upon circumstances. The Council receives a sum of money annually to spend on discretionary housing payments. At this moment in time Merthyr Council still has a sum of money remaining that needs to be spent before the 31st of March 2014. If you would like to make an application for a Discretionary Housing Payment please contact Merthyr Council Housing Benefit Section for a claim form or contact Sharon Jones, Tenancy Support Officer, on 07826 526511 who will provide you with a claim form and help you with its completion.
Tell us your views We hope you have found this newsletter useful! If there is anything in particular you’d like us to look at in the next edition please let us know!
Please use this space to give us your comments - you can then drop them off at The Fact Shop - or email your comments to alison.chaplin@wwha.co.uk. And don’t forget - if you want us to feed back to you directly you will need to enter your name and contact details.
Contact Alison Chaplin, Community Development Project Officer 07929 201429 alison.chaplin@wwha.co.uk Follow us on Twitter @wwha Check out our website: www.wwha.co.uk Prosimy skontaktować się z nami, jeśli chce Pan(i) uzyskać ten biuletyn w języku polskim. Se desejar aceder a esta newsletter em português, contacte-nos.
Page 4| www.wwha.co.uk | 0800 052 2526 | Twitter: @wwha
Thanks for your comments.