Glamorgan Public Affairs Network Newsletter 17, Summer 2015

Glamorgan Public Affairs Network Newsletter 17, Summer 2015

Welcome to the 17th Network Newsletter. As the Public Affairs contact we ask that you read the newsletter and share items of interest with the members of your WI.

**IMPORTANT INFORMATION**

These occasional Network Newsletters include information selected from NFWI News (published on the MOODLE 10 times a year) and from the NFWI Wales Public Affairs Bulletins. There is usually far too much information for us to include and it is sometimes out of date by the time Network News is put together.

At our last committee meeting we agreed that it would be more sense to send you these Public Affairs extracts by e-mail as they reach us, and we already have more than sixty contact e-mails. We will start this in late September so the following action will be needed by you now:

• If you are happy to receive national campaigns information and we already have your e-mail address, you need do nothing
• If you would like to have the information and you currently receive our newsletter by post, we will contact you to ask for an e-mail address. We are hoping that someone will be willing to act as a ‘post-box’ for your WI.
• If you do not want to receive regular updates please let us know.

We will continue to send out occasional Glamorgan updates through our Network Newsletters.

Contact

Or phone Penny on 029.2083 0517

Community Energy Fortnight 2015: 5 – 20 Sept.

/ The Community Energy Coalition in partnership with Co-operative Energy has organised a range of activities to explore and celebrate how communities across the UK are generating, owning and saving energy.

Find out more about the Fortnight here

Having already checked the site, the only event in Glamorgan is a free conference hosted by Community Energy Wales in Cardiff entitled

Community Energy in Wales – The Way forward.

Tuesday, 15 September, 2015 -18:00to20:00

Location:Conference Room 24 Ty Hywel, Cardiff which is part of the Assembly building.

Topics include:

• Why Community Energy?
• How can communities deliver?
• What is needed to prepare the ground?
• A vision for the future?

They invite you to attend to listen to a range of speakers who are directly involved in Community Energy and to follow up these presentations with conversations focused on how we can significantly grow Community Energy in Wales. There will be plenty of opportunity for questions, networking and further discussion. There are limited spaces so to reserve a space contactLiz Barnett on 07984.581871 or

NATIONAL CAMPAIGNS:

Campaign to improve the promotion and labelling of Welsh meat products – a reminder:

NFWI-Wales is calling on WI members to use their consumer power to support the Welsh food industry by taking action to improve the promotion and labelling of Welsh red meat products. The decline in the red meat industry over recent years is a concern to both farmers and consumers who rely on the availability of high quality Welsh produce. In retail outlets Welsh meat should be prominently displayed and clearly labelled to support consumers in purchasing Welsh products. In eating establishments more should be done to source locally and brand it as such on menus.

Detailed actions for members have been given on the front page of the July / Sept Glamorgan News

TIME TO TALK about Organ Donation – support with speakers. 90% of people on the total organ waiting list are waiting for a kidney – that’s about 6000 people. Kidney Research UK would like to hear from any WI groups who would consider having a dialysis patient, transplant recipient or kidney donor come and speak to them about their experiences and their work. For further information phone 0845 070 7601 or visit or e-mail

Stand with fearless women to end violence

One in three women will experience some form of violence in their lifetime. This year the UN will agree a global target to take action to end all forms of violence against women and girls. ActionAid is calling for the UK government to champion the new target on violence against women and girls, with strong leadership from the UK, the participation of women’s organisations, and proper funding.

ActionAid is inviting WI members to sign the petition to Prime Minister David Cameron calling on him to stand with women to secure a target to end VAWG. The petition will be handed to the PM before the UN General Assembly in mid-September. Sign it online here or for more information and materials, please contact

Not in my Name campaign

/ NFWI-Wales is encouraging federations and WIs to get involved for the fourth year in recruiting male ambassadors from their communities to speak out against violence against women during the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence (25 November – 10 December).

The aim of the campaign is to engage men in pledging their support to never commit, condone or remain silent about violence against women. By getting more men involved, we hope to help create a culture change where violence against women is not tolerated.

A briefing paper including ideas for action, as well as other material including a PowerPoint presentation, poster and an information flyer for groups recruited are available to download from the NFWI website at

‘Support for High Streets’ Campaign

/ For the second year, the Welsh Government will be running its ‘Support for High Streets’ campaign during 19 – 26 September

to celebrate the valuable contribution our busy high streets make to the Welsh economy, as well as the vital role they play in community life

The campaign is encouraging people across Wales to get involved in supporting their local shops and businesses and also includes a ‘high street award’, seeking out the people who are making a real difference to our local town centres.

For further information about the campaign, including a number of resources, please visit

Action for members:-

Follow @highstreetwales on Twitter.

‘Like’ the Facebook page

Get in touch with local businesses on your high street and identify opportunities to do some joint activities in September to promote your local high street or town centre.

Let the NFWI-Wales Office know of any recent activities that your WI has been involved in to support high streets and town centres so that we can promote your activities on the WI website. E-mail:

Osteoporosis screening

The Older People’s Commissioner in Wales is interested in gathering information about the experiences of people who have suffered from osteoporosis. Osteoporosis affects one in two women and one in five men over the age of 50. At present, health boards screen women at 50 who are deemed to be at risk, such as those who have broken a bone, had cancer treatment, have been on steroids and so forth. Current advice given by the UK National Screening Committee is that screening at 50 is not cost-effective with the next review planned for 2016/17.

People who have suffered from osteoporosis and their families are encouraged to write to the Older People’s Commissioner for Wales to share their experiences, both positive and negative. Please write to Older People’s Commissioner for Wales, Cambrian Buildings, Mount Stuart Square, Cardiff CF10 5FL.

RECENT EVENTS IN GLAMORGAN

Reports and pictures from these exciting events can be seen on the GFWI website

TECHNOLOGY & HEALTH:

This event was a practical session designed to help members use internet health sites, accessing them from phones, tablets or laptops. /
/ VISIT TO
HARWELL SCIENCE & INNOVATION CAMPUS.

This was an unprecedented opportunity to access all areas and learn about the UK’s involvement in space explorations, exciting experiments with powerful X-rays and neutrons, supercomputing and much more at Britain’s largest science research centre.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:

Chair: Glenys Care, Whitchurch WI

Vice-Chair: Trish Browning, Cimla WI

Secretary: Penny Fiddes, Aber Valley WI

Becki Sieniawski, Glam Girls WI; Joan Bartle, Creigiau WI; Julia Havard, Cimla WI; Sylvia Cole, Pontyclun WI; Assoc. Member: Becki Bawler, Birchgrove Cardiff WI