Winner of 'Outstanding Contribution to New Media' at the Rhondda Cynon Taf Youth Engagement Awards 2019.
News presenter at GTFM radio station, Pontypridd.
Brad has interviewed:
- First Minister, Mark Drakeford MS
- Health Minister, Vaughan Gething MS
- Cynon Valley MS, Vikki Howells
- Leader of Rhondda Cynon Taf Council, Cllr Andrew Morgan
- RCT Council Cabinet Member for Heritage, Leisure & Environment, Cllr Ann Crimmings
- Author, Maria Grace
- Author, Communicator of Science & Local Tutor, Mark Brake
- ITV Wales News presenter, Andrea Byrne
Brad has been featured several times on WalesOnline and has been a guest on BBC Radio Wales, more recently joining presenter Wynne Evans on his show, talking all things Cynon Valley.
Cynon Valley MP Beth Winter visited ACT Training’s new facilities in Aberdare’s Canon Street yesterday.
ACT says Ms Winter took a tour of the accessible centre, spent time with both staff and learners, and heard how all learners are offered a pathway to employment or further study.
Beth Winter MP at the ACT Training Centre
Beth Winter MP said: “It was lovely to spend some time in the brilliant new ACT training centre in Aberdare.
“It’s vital we have a variety of opportunities and skills pathways for young people in our communities and I came away feeling inspired by the passion of staff and the enthusiasm of learners.”
ACT was previously located in Victoria Square but they say the new Canon Street centre offers a bigger space for learners, in a more prominent location, with the capacity for up to 100 learners. In Aberdare, ACT offers support and training opportunities to 16–18-year-olds looking to join the world of work. Learners can complete a traineeship in hairdressing, childcare, business services and more. They are also given advice and guidance on writing CVs, interview techniques and other tips to land their dream job.
Supporters of the Save the Children’s Aberdare branch are preparing to brave the world’s fastest seated zip line to help raise money.
Zip World Tower
The challenge will take place at Zip World Tower at the former Tower Colliery site on Saturday 25th September with a group of 25 supporters from across South Wales. They’ll join the Aberdare adrenaline-seekers in their fundraising efforts for the charity.
The Aberdare branch is one of the oldest in the UK, established in 1954.
Longstanding volunteer, Mrs Shirley Fleming has been helping the branch for over sixty years, is a former Chair and received the Princess Royal Award for her work. She is still an active member and having celebrated her 86th birthday, she is now preparing to reach new hights in her efforts to raise money for a cause that is so close to her heart.
“This is one of the craziest things I’ve ever done if I’m honest and I’m a bit nervous about it. Flying 1.5km over the old colliery at a speed of over 70mph whilst taking in the views of the Rhigos mountains was not something I expected to be doing in my late eighties!
“I’m so saddened by what is happening in the world with so many children affected by conflict in places such as Afghanistan and Syria; we see how hunger and climate change is impacting children in some of the poorest countries and it’s hard to believe that today, here in the south Wales valleys there are parents still struggling to feed and provide for their children.”
Save the Children exists in more than 100 countries including the UK, ensuring children are safe, healthy and are able to learn.
Religious Studies teacher David Church won the ‘Pupils’ Award for Best Teacher Award’ on Sunday evening following the virtual ceremony.
Over the last twenty-three years, Mr. Church has taught thousands of children and engaged pupils and staff in highly successful charity projects, most recently in partnership with twenty-one local charities, national charities and international charity projects, raising over £32,000 and enabling five pupils to win international scholarships to India, worth £17,500.
Mr David Church – Picture Credit: Brad Williams
Pauline Jarman, Chair of Governors at the school told CVN,
“I have known Dave Church since the first day he came to teach at MACS some 23 years ago. His caring attitude is reflected not only in his style of teaching but his encouragement to pupils to think of others less fortunate by fund raising for worthy causes, whilst, at the same time, pupils learn and gain a better understanding of the causes and effects of social deprivation. But he promotes positivity, despite the challenges. Children have won scholarships with Dave’s help, which enabled them to help build a school in Rajasthan in India.
“He also provides the opportunity for two sixth formers annually to visit Poland as the school’s Ambassadors to Auschwitz.
“I supported Dave’s nomination and spoke to the judges when they visited the school some months ago, as did other colleague Governors. We had every expectation that Dave would be the worthy winner of the award for his record would be hard to match, let alone beat. Well done Mr. Church.”
In June, year 11 pupil Alysa Neads received a global Diana Award for her social action work undertaken in Penrhiwceiber. This was thanks to her work undertaking the First Give programme, and Mr Church’s nomination of her. The Diana Award is ‘The most prestigious accolade that a young person aged 9 – 25 can receive for their social action or humanitarian work.’ Alysa was one of just one-hundred and eighty four global winners, one of eight Welsh winners and the youngest winner in Wales! Mr. Church ensured that her win was highly memorable, by secretly arranging a wonderful message of congratulations from none other than TV’s ‘Pride of Britain’ host and BBC Radio Wales broadcaster, Carol Vorderman.
Alysa had led a team of her peers, awarding £3,058 to the Lee Gardens Pool in Penrhiwceiber through the First Give programme, which encourages young people to tackle social issues in their communities, during curriculum time.
In summer term 2019, through their Religious Studies lessons with Mr. Church, Alysa Neads, Madison Cornish, Carys Simpson and Teigan Maund decided upon the Lee Gardens Pool as their chosen charity. They undertook ninety-seven hours of social action, raising the profile of the charity in the local and wider community. The pupils organised twelve charitable events in the local community, which raised a phenomenal £2,058 in just eight weeks! They also went on to win the school First Give final, gaining a further £1,000 for the Lee Gardens Pool through a First Give grant. In total, the pupils awarded an incredible £3,058 to the Lee Gardens Pool, which has made a huge difference to the charity, working tirelessly in a socio-economically deprived area.
Photograph (L-R): Mr. Church, Mr. Mead (Deputy Headteacher), Madison Cornish, Carys Simpson, Alysa Neads, Mrs. Mackie (former Assistant Headteacher) and Mr. Badma
The charity work that Mr. Church has undertaken with his pupils was even commended in person by royalty in March, 2018.
At the personal request of the Duke of Sussex, Kensington Palace extended an invite to Mr. Church to choose three pupils to meet Prince Harry & Meghan backstage, for a private five-minute conversation at WE Day UK, held at Wembley Arena, London.
Photograph: Mr. Church, MACS pupils Lowri Morgan, Nicole Walker, Conor Acteson, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Nicola Brentnall, CEO The Queen’s Commonwealth Trust Credit: The Royal Photographer, Kensington Palace.
WE Day is a celebration of twelve thousand young people and their teachers from across the UK and their incredible efforts of social action. Tickets cannot be purchased for this event and pupils ‘earn’ their place at WE Day, by way of charitable invitation. It features a star-studded line-up of royalty, world leaders, motivational speakers and A-list celebrities. The event in 2018 included Julia Gillard (Former Prime Minister of Australia), Liam Payne (pop star), Nicole Scherzinger (pop star), Tom Walker (pop star) and Naomi Campbell (supermodel) amongst many others. The 2019 event included Lewis Hamilton (seven time formula one world champion), Leona Lewis (pop star), Jamie Oliver (chef and TV presenter) and Idris Elba (actor) amongst many others.
The WE movement work in partnership with First Give to give ticket allocation to schools deserving of tickets to the unique event. It is a private event and no tickets can be purchased to attend. Pupils ‘earn’ their ticket to WE Day, by undertaking social action in their local communities. Added to this, Mr Church, is the WE School Co-ordinator for MACS, and he worked tirelessly to secure extra tickets, to reward every single finalist of the MACS First Give competition and the school Senedd members.
After attending WE Day in 2017, the school were invited to apply for the ‘Virgin Atlantic – Be the Change’ scholarship programme. This is a chance for young people to win a once in a lifetime trip worth £3,500 to spend two and a half weeks in Rajasthan, India to help build a school for young children. Only thirty pupils from across the UK are selected every year.
In Easter 2018, three MACS pupils won a place on the scholarship programme, thanks to Mr. Church’s work with them. The first winner was Nicole Walker (who had previously won £1,000 for Women’s Aid Rhondda Cynon Taf, in the 2017 First Give programme). The second winner was Lowri Morgan who assists in running the Cynon Valley Pals, a charity for disabled children and their families. The third winner was Conor Acteson.
Photograph (L-R): Mr. Church, Craig Kielburger (Founder of WE Movement), Nicole Walker, Conor Acteson and Lowri Morgan at WE Day UK, 2018
In September 2018, the annual UK First Give Awards were held and hosted by Cynon Valley Senedd Member, Vikki Howells at the Senedd, in Cardiff Bay.
Cynon Valley Member of Senedd, Vikki Howells
MACS was nominated in the ‘School of the Year’ category and Nicole Walker, won the ‘Alumni of the Year’ award! Just prior to the awards, Mrs. Mackie (former Assistant Headteacher) applied successfully for a grant of £1,800 from the Queens Commonwealth Trust, in partnership with the WE Movement and Mr. Church, for a project in the school related to enhancing the teaching and learning experiences for pupils.
Mountain Ash Comprehensive School were invited to meet the royals for a number of reasons:
1. Sector-leading and award-winning pupil engagement with local charities through the First Give programme.
2. Being the first school ever in the UK to have three children (in the same year) to win the prestigious ‘Virgin Atlantic – Be the Change’ scholarship programme to India. The following year, Mr. Church enabled a further two pupils, Kia Kinsey and Charlotte Napier to also win these scholarships.
Photograph: Kia Kinsey and Charlotte Napier
3. For recently winning the £1,800 grant from the Queens Commonwealth Trust, to improve Teaching and Learning experiences for MACS pupils.
4. For being one of the most engaged schools in the UK WE Movement.
5. At personal request of the Duke of Sussex and Kensington Palace.
Just four schools from across the UK were invited to meet with royalty in this private meeting, backstage at Wembley Arena, London. MACS was the only Welsh school to receive this invitation. Unexpectedly, Mountain Ash Comprehensive was also featured in Hello Magazine on the 18th March 2018, covering the WE Day event.
Rhondda Cynon Taf Council has confirmed it will extend current free parking arrangements in Aberdare and Pontypridd Town Centres until the end of August 2020.
Credit: Google Maps
In response to the Coronavirus national health emergency, the local authority says no parking charges have been applied at Council-owned car parks in the two towns since the lockdown period began in mid-March 2020.
A spokesman for Rhondda Cynon Taf Council said,
“This free parking provision is aimed at supporting the local economy by increasing trade for local businesses, and therefore increasing employment within the towns. The Council also recognises there are currently a limited number of seats on public transport due to social distancing.
“The Council is encouraging residents across the County Borough to Shop Local and support those businesses that are able to be open at this time – and asking visitors to follow the markers/signage within retail areas that are promoting social distancing at all times.
“Having previously announced the free parking arrangements would last until the end of July at least, today’s announcement by the Council has confirmed it will be extended by a further month – covering the whole of August 2020.”
Transport for Wales will begin railway line transformational works on 3 August 2020
It’s hoped the South Wales Metro will make it easier, quicker and more convenient for people to travel in South Wales.
The rail operator says the project will also open up a range of job, business, education and other opportunities for the people and businesses of South Wales.
As part of its three-quarters-of-a-billion-pound investment in Metro, which includes £164 million of European Regional Development Funding through the Welsh Government, TfW will begin transformational works on railway lines throughout South Wales, starting on 3 August 2020.
Earlier this year TfW completed the transfer of rail assets, known locally as the Core Valleys Lines, from Network Rail into its ownership.
The works include the electrification of over 170 km of track mostly with overhead lines, station and signalling upgrades and the construction of at least five new stations.
An artist’s impression of the Class 398 tram-trains which will be used on the Aberdare Line.
James Price, Transport for Wales’ CEO said:
“Transport for Wales is absolutely committed to delivering the South Wales Metro and we’ve now moved forward with further transformational works.
“At the start of the year, we opened our Metro Infrastructure Hub at Treforest, as well as starting construction work on our Metro Control Centre at Taff’s Well. We’ve been undertaking surveying and design work across the valley railway lines and are now progressing onto the next phase and transforming the railway lines, starting on 3 August 2020.
“We understand the impact of Covid-19 but will be following all relevant safety advice from the Welsh Government as we push forward with our investment programme.”
Cynon Valley Member of Senedd, Vikki Howells.
Vikki Howells MS has told Cynon Valley News,
“The announcement that works will commence on August 3rd to transform railway lines throughout South Wales, including Core Valleys Lines like Aberdare to Cardiff, is very welcome news indeed.
“The planned works, centring on the electrification of over 170 km of track, are transformational in their ambition and will lead to commuters seeing a real change to passenger rail services.
“These will be faster, greener, more reliable and more frequent, with four trains an hour between Aberdare and Cardiff by 2023 for example. Capacity will be increased and different forms of transport will be better integrated under the Metro model.
“Delivering these improvements may lead to some disruption in the short-term, but we must not lose sight of the long-term vision of a public transport system fit for purpose and offering enhanced opportunities to local people.
“The start of these works takes us a step closer to this destination.”
The social enterprise was set up in 2018 to create and manage a community garden in Abercynon.
With a small team of 6 volunteers, they cleared a five-acre site and created a beautiful space for local people to connect with nature.
Despite a difficult start to the year with their site being devastated by the floods caused by Storm Dennis, Cynon Valley Organic Adventures have managed to thrive, setting up a food bank creating a community garden café with a tepee for the children, and they are just about to begin delivering wellbeing & employability programmes to local children referred through Careers Wales.
A spokesperson said,
“This has all been made possible through the support of local funders and organisations such as Awards for All, The Heritage Fund, Unltd, Interlink Coalfields Regeneration and The National Association of Farms and Gardens who have all supported us in many ways. We would also like to thank the Welsh Government who have confirmed that they will be giving us a grant to buy the land.
“This has been a dream of ours from day one and will enable us to sustain the services that we deliver to the community.
“The pandemic has really united the Cynon Valley with MS Vikki Howells and local councillor Elaine George volunteering for us twice a week and Rhondda Cynon Taf Council joining forces with us to ensure we all get food to those most in need.
“Despite the difficulties we have faced this year the support we have received has really enabled us to support others and it has been a humbling experience.”
People in Cwm Taf Morgannwg are now able to order sexual health testing kits online and carry out the tests in the privacy of their own home.
The health board’s sexual health team has joined forces with Frisky Wales, a service run by Public Health Wales, to ensure people can get tested for sexually transmitted infections including chlamydia, gonorrhoea and hepatitis if they feel they are at risk.
The service was trialled across Wales before the coronavirus pandemic and has been seen as an invaluable tool during lockdown, with usual walk-in clinics closed. Two types of test are available – one for chlamydia and gonorrhoea and another for HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B and C – to anyone who would like a ‘peace of mind’ test. People showing symptoms should still ring the sexual health clinic’s triage line.
Cwm Taf Morgannwg UHB Clinical Nurse Specialist Louise Quealey said:
“The scheme was piloted pre-Covid. We were always due to come on board and Covid has given it a nudge forward. The website asks a number of questions and has safeguarding measures in place to make sure the right people can access the service. We also give out free condoms.
“This is a good service that our team has been very keen to see arrive. I think Public Health Wales has done a fabulous thing, as routine tests were high in demand before Covid. By reducing this demand, we can allow more time to focus on patients with more complex sexual health needs”.
Before Covid, up to 25 to 35 people per session were accessing the walk-in sexual health clinics at Dewi Sant Hospital, Pontypirdd and their community outreach clinics – with Dewi Sant Hospital providing up to three sessions per day. Since the pandemic, staff have been available over the phone for people who need contraception and there’s also a triage number for members of the public with concerns.
“If someone is anxious, we refer them for a test,” said Louise. “They get a text if the result is negative and, if it’s positive, we ring the person and arrange for them to come in. Initially, for the first two weeks of lockdown, people were panicky about not being able to access the service, but they understood and there was a lull. Now it’s starting to pick up again as people are meeting up.
To request a test or get advice on infections, contraception or unplanned pregnancy, visit friskywales.org.
There’s been no new deaths reported from Coronavirus in Wales today.
Public Health Wales has confirmed eight new cases have been reported across the country with one new confirmed case in the Rhondda Cynon Taf local authority area.
Mountain Ash Comprehensive School year 10 pupil Alysa Neads has recieved a Diana Award for her social action work undertaken in Penrhiwceiber.
Pictured: Alysa at a local supermarket raising money for Lee Gardens Pool, last year.
The Diana Award is the most prestigious accolade a young person aged 9-25 can receive for their social action or humanitarian work.
15-year-old Alysa is among 8 winners in Wales and 184 internationally. She’s also this year’s youngest winner here in Wales.
The pupil raised over £3,000 for Lee Gardens Pool in Penrhiwceiber through the First Give programme, which encourages young people to tackle social issues in their communities, during curriculum time.
The school’s work in partnership with First Give has also seen pupils win awards on a Welsh and UK wide level.
Last summer, in their Religious Studies lessons, Alysa, Madison Cornish, Carys Simpson and Teigan Maund decided upon the Lee Gardens Pool as their chosen charity. They undertook ninety-seven hours of social action, raising the profile of the charity. The pupils organised twelve events in the local community, which raised £2,058. They also went on to win the school First Give final, gaining a further £1,000 for the Lee Gardens Pool through a First Give grant. In total, the pupils awarded £3,058 to the Lee Gardens Pool.
On Twitter, Mr David Church, Religious Studies teacher at Mountain Ash Comprehensive said it gave him “great pride” to announce Alyssa had won the Diana Award.
From today, schools in Rhondda Cynon Taf & Wales will be accessible for all children of statutory school age to have time with their teachers before the summer break – after they closed for mainstream education during March due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
Rhondda Cynon Taf Council says ‘important work’ has been ongoing across schools, to ensure pupils and staff can return while adhering to social distancing as far as possible.
As a result, school life will be a little different from today – with pupils taught in smaller groups and up to a third of pupils attending school at any one time. Buildings will have signs and markings to ensure compliance with social distancing measures, such as one-way systems in corridors and waiting points outside classrooms and toilets. Classrooms will have fewer seats and desks to create greater scope for social distancing, and transparent screens will be provided for one-to-one tuition.
Strict hygiene measures and rigorous cleaning routines will be adhered to and dedicated pedal bins provided to safely dispose of waste. Opportunities for social interaction will be minimised and learners will be kept in small discrete groups where possible. Schools will have safe processes and procedures for morning and afternoon ‘drop-off’ and ‘pick-up’ times to ensure there are no large gatherings outside schools.
All pupils must take in a packed lunch and should also have a re-fillable water bottle. Pupils who are eligible for ‘Free School Meals’ will be provided with a packed lunch.
The Education Directorate has also confirmed emergency childcare arrangements for this period, with provision available across all school settings to successful applicants. Further details are available at www.rctcbc.gov.uk/publichealthrct.
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