Twyncarmel News February 2014

You said...we listenedYou asked what activities are going on in the Fact Shop, so here they are:

Weekly activities in The Fact ShopMornings Afternoons Evenings

Monday 9 - 11am Get Computing classes

11am - 12noon Free help with finances

For 12 weeks starting 13th January, 12.30 - 2.30pm Legs, Bums and Tums class

5 - 7.30pm Youth Club, aimed at those aged 8+

Tuesday 9.-11amChatterbox Group, aimed at parents with toddlers aged 1 - 3 years

Wednesday

Thursday 2-4pm50+ Social Group for afternoon tea and chat4 - 4.45pm Councillor surgery 2nd Thursday every month

4-5.30pm Healthy Cooking classes5.30 - 8.30pm Youth Club aimed at those aged 11+

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

Litter pick and tidy upFollowing 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

We all struggle fi nancially from ti me to ti me, 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 essenti als which can help you get through that diffi cult patch.

If you would like to receive a hamper or have any questi ons please contact Sharon Jones on 07826526511. Informati on about Jesus Cares: It started in 2009 as a result of community organisati ons contacti ng 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 practi cal help that Jesus Cares can provide to families and individuals within our communiti es, as many organisati ons don’t have money within their budgets to purchase food and other essenti al provisions for people who are struggling. Jesus Cares has rapidly grown since it’s incepti on and they now give in excess of 1,200 hampers per month.

Calling keen gardenersInterested in setti ng up aTwyncarmel Pott ers 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 Chaplinon 0800 052 2526 or07929 201429, fi ll in the comments box atthe end of thisnewslett er or emailalison.chaplin@wwha.co.uk and we’ll arrangea meeti ng. Even if you’re only interested in learning more aboutgardening/sharing yourknowledge, we want tohear from you.

Food Hampers

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 applicati ons on their behalf” writes Sharon Jones, Tenancy Support Offi cer. “This is a project which can provide qualifying families with young children with essenti al household items.”

If you think you may qualify please contact me on 07826 526511 from Monday to Wednesday and I will complete the applicati on on your behalf.

Qualifying Conditi onsIn 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 benefi ts in order to make an applicati on:• 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)

Essenti al Household Items

Support can be provided in the form of:

• Educati onal 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

Twyncarmel Newslett er | February 2014

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‘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 ForumIn 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.”

Twyncarmel Newsletter | February 2014

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Discreti onary Housing PaymentsResidents who are in receipt of Housing Benefi t - and appear to Merthyr Tydfi l County Borough Council to need further fi nancial assistance to meet housing costs - can apply for a Discreti onary Housing Payment.

Discreti onary Housing Payments can cover shortf alls in rent, reducti ons in Housing benefi t due to under occupati on, non-dependent deducti ons, rent deposits, rent in advance, removal costs and even rent arrears.

The award is usually for a fi xed period, but can be indefi nitely dependent upon circumstances.

The Council receives a sum of money annually to spend on discreti onary housing payments. At this moment in ti me Merthyr Council sti ll has a sum of money remaining that needs to be spent before the 31st of March 2014.

If you would like to make an applicati on for a Discreti onary Housing Payment please contact Merthyr Council Housing Benefi t Secti on for a claim form or contact Sharon Jones, Tenancy Support Offi cer, on 07826 526511 who will provide you with a claim form and help you with its completi on.

We hope you have found this newslett er useful!

If there is anything in parti cular you’d like us to look at in the next editi on please let us know!

Contact Alison Chaplin, Community DevelopmentProject Offi cer 07929 201429alison.chaplin@wwha.co.uk

Follow us on Twitt er @wwha

Check out our website:www.wwha.co.uk

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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.

Tell us your views

Thanks for your comments.

Twyncarmel Newslett er | February 2014

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