Milestone reached in Active Travel bridge for the Wye at Monmouth

Images: Artist’s impression of a possible design for the proposed Active Travel bridge across the Wye at Monmouth

Proposals for a new Active Travel crossing of the river Wye at Monmouth have taken a major step forward. The proposed design for a bridge for pedestrian and cyclists has now been submitted for planning. The project, which is supported by the Welsh Government’s Active Travel Fund, aims to create a new safe route linking Monmouth and Wyesham that avoids the vehicular traffic on the busy Wye Bridge. It is to be noted that the existing Wye Bridge pavement will remain if the new bridge is constructed.

‘Active Travel’ describes journeys with a purpose, such as to and from school or a place of work, undertaken by foot or by bicycle. The current Wye road bridge (A466) is not suitable for Active Travel purposes and a separate car-free crossing has been developed by Monmouthshire County Council in partnership with Welsh Government, Transport For Wales, Sustrans, WSP, Monmouth Town Council, Natural Resources Wales and Haberdashers Schools.

The plans can be viewed, and comments made, on the planning website at https://planningonline.monmouthshire.gov.uk/online-applications/ entering application reference DM/2022/01800. Public access computers are available at Monmouth library if required.

Cllr. Sara Burch, Monmouthshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Active Travel, said: “I’m delighted that we are moving towards making this project a reality. The new bridge will make a big difference to the people of Monmouth and Wyesham and visitors to our county. It will make it easier to walk or cycle to work in town and for children and young people to go to school. Completing this project is a priority as part of our Active Travel plans and I look forward to being able to update residents further in due course. So many people have said that they did not feel safe walking or cycling across the existing bridge that it’s right to make it a priority.”

Cllr. Catrin Maby, Cabinet Member for Climate Change and the Environment, added: “Supporting Active Travel is a vital part of our work to tackle the climate emergency. This new bridge will enable more people to leave the car at home and travel by foot or by bike away from traffic; making commuting easier, more enjoyable and more environmentally friendly.”

The bridge forms part of a comprehensive suite of Active Travel plans for the town, with improvements proposed linking Wyesham to the new bridge and from the new bridge to the Kingswood Gate development. Subject to securing planning permission and funding, Monmouthshire County Council expects to construct the bridge in 2024/5.

For more information about Active Travel in Monmouthshire visit www.monlife.co.uk/outdoor/active-travel.

Visitor to Caldicot leisure centre returns to thank those who helped save his life

A visitor to Caldicot leisure centre recently returned to thank the centre’s staff for their quick response when he suffered a potentially fatal medical emergency earlier in the year. Alan Owen of Carmarthen suffered a cardiac arrest while he was at a Walking Football Tournament at the leisure centre on Sunday 3^rd April 2022.

The immediate intervention of staff and players at the event is credited with saving his life. Alan was given CPR and a defibrillator was used prior to Alan being airlifted to Heath Hospital Cardiff, where he underwent surgery to have an ICD (implanted cardioverter defibrillator) and stents fitted.

During Alan’s return visit to Caldicot leisure centre last month, he met Kirsty Burnett, Briden Whitbread and Duty Officer Justin Aylett, to thank them for their life saving actions. All the leisure centre’s staff were delighted to see Alan looking so well.

Alan Owen with colleagues whose quick actions saved his safe in April 2022

All MonLife leisure centres across Monmouthshire have monthly training for all lifeguards on CPR and using the defibrillator machines to ensure they are prepared should a medical emergency occur

Cllr. Sara Burch, cabinet member with responsibility for Inclusive and Active Communities, said: “I am so proud of our colleagues at Caldicot leisure centre for their quick thinking intervention, without which the outcome could have been very different. It really does show the importance of having training in CPR and the use of defibrillators. I am very pleased to see Alan so well recovered and thank him for his kindness in coming back to visit Kirsty, Briden and Justin, and the rest of the team in Caldicot.”

Alan Owen said: “Without the early intervention of the players and staff who performed CPR and administered three shocks via the on-site defibrillator, I would not be alive today. The training that the staff undertook and put into practice on that day contributed to saving my life.”

CPR training can make the difference between life and death, and anyone can learn. The British Heart Foundation’s website has a helpful introduction to the basics: www.bhf.org.uk/how-you-can-help/how-to-save-a-life

Gwent-wide projects come runner up at the Landscape Institute Awards

GGGP Team at the Awards on the 24th November 2022

The Gwent-wide Nature Isn’t Neat and Gwent Green Grid Partnership Team (GGGP) attended the Landscape Institute Awards 2022 on the 24^th November.

The team came runner up in both categories they were short listed amongst national and international submissions. Firstly, for the Excellence in Biodiversity Conservation and Enhancement professional category for their Nature Isn’t Neat project and secondly, for a Partnership & Collaboration award which recognises exceptional work in landscape as part of the Gwent Green Grid Partnership.

The Landscape Institute Awards is one of the biggest events in the industry, celebrating people, place and nature, and the many ways that landscape projects can connect them. It celebrates spaces that people can be truly proud of, with there being over 200 entries in total this year, including 53 from international entrants.

The Gwent Green Grid Partnership is a new ground-breaking regional collaboration that aims to improve and develop “Green Infrastructure”; a term used to describe the network of natural and semi-natural features and green spaces, rivers and lakes that intersperse and connect our villages, towns and cities as well as helping to support job opportunities within the area. Green Infrastructure has a crucial role to play in addressing nature, climate change, health and economic emergencies.

The Nature isn’t Neat project is establishing joined-up green space management to create wildflower-rich pollinator habitats across Gwent local authority areas – Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Monmouthshire, Newport, and Torfaen – as part of the Gwent Green Grid Partnership. Nature isn’t Neat aims to raise awareness about the importance of pollinators, the actions that we can all take to support them, and how these can have a positive impact on other important issues such as reducing the decline in wildlife and lessening the impacts of climate change.

Monmouthshire County Council Cabinet Member for Climate Change and the Environment, Cllr Catrin Maby said: “We are very excited that both the Gwent Green Grid Partnership and the Nature Isn’t Neat project have been shortlisted for the Landscape Institute Awards in London, getting the recognition they deserve on a national scale. Both of their approaches are crucial in protecting and enhancing our special landscapes, developing green infrastructure and helping address the decline in biodiversity and challenges of climate change. We are lucky to have such excellent professionals as well as such a stunning landscape to work with.”

These projects are supported by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development: Europe Investing in Rural Areas and is funded by the Welsh Government’s Enabling of Natural Resources and Well-being Grant.

If you would like to find out more about what these projects do, please follow these links:

Gwent Green Grid Partnership: Gwent Green Grid Partnership – Monlife

Nature Isn’t Neat: Nature Isn’t Neat – Monmouthshire

Community artwork in Abergavenny inspired by nature

The community artwork, with mosaic flowers, person, and insect, installed in Bailey Park, Abergavenny — The community artwork installed in Bailey Park, Abergavenny

New nature inspired artworks are appearing in green spaces across Gwent, encouraging more people to value the nature we can find in our communities.

The pieces have been developed as part of the Nature Isn’t Neat project, which aims to raise awareness of the decline in pollinators and encourage local action, including embedding a regional meadow management approach across the Gwent area.

Over the summer, communities have been busy designing and building mosaic artworks with artist Stephanie Roberts, that reflect the beauty of nature in their local green spaces.

The artworks are situated across Gwent, in Gilfach, Bargoed, Bryn Bach Park, Tredegar, Rogerstone Welfare Grounds, Rogerstone, Fairhill, Cwmbran.

Bailey Park, Abergavenny is home to the Monmouthshire sculpture, located near to the Rugby Club. The mosaic celebrates the humble daisy and its role for pollinators with an iridescent thick-legged flower beetle stealing the show.

The new community artworks celebrate the relationship between wildflowers, pollinators and people of Gwent. The artworks will be the focal point of a celebration in the spring, looking forward to an exciting season of nature ahead.

Cabinet Member for Climate Change and the Environment, Cllr Catrin Maby said: “The new artworks celebrate the Nature Isn’t Neat approach and the positive effect it can have had on wildlife and pollinators across Gwent. Selective mowing allows grasses and wildflowers to thrive for longer is supporting pollinators and a diverse range of wildlife generally.”

Cllr. Sara Burch, Cabinet Member for Inclusive and Active Communities, said: “It’s fantastic to see this community project taking pride of place in Bailey Park. It was heart-warming to see how many local people went along to the workshops to work on this artwork in the summer. It’s not only a great testament to Nature Isn’t Neat, but also to the community spirit in Abergavenny.”

This community art project is supported by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development: Europe Investing in Rural Areas and is funded by the Welsh Government’s Enabling of Natural Resources and Well-being Grant.

Looking for a truly historic half-term? Welsh Museums Festival has it covered

Dragon lore, Pirate Codes, Time Travel and Treasures, and Crafts are on offer as museums across Wales are busy brewing a potent potion of inspiration for a bumper historic half term, as the Welsh Museums Festival ensures plenty of activity to delight locals and visitors of all ages. And with the cost of living soaring, this year’s festival will have more FREE festival activities than ever before.

Speaking about the festival, Deputy Minister for Arts and Sport, Dawn Bowden said: “Wales’ excellent museums support our sense of nationhood and wellbeing. They are also key to our tourism economy. At a time when families and individuals across the UK are struggling with increased living costs, we feel passionate that Wales’s story and our treasures remain accessible to all. Welsh Government is therefore proud to support Welsh Museums Festival to offer a packed fortnight of events for all ages, welcoming visitors and supporting our communities, with an engaging array of events and activities in museums across Wales. And importantly, enabling more of these events than ever before, to be offered free of charge.”

Welsh Museums Festival is made possible by funding from Welsh Government. It is an annual event presented by the Federation of Museums and Art Galleries of Wales, which is the advocacy body for museums and galleries and those working in this sector within Wales. It currently represents over 100 unique Accredited Welsh museums, from small independents to national museums. Together, these invaluable collections tell the story of Wales, and are a treasured resource for learning, exploration and knowledge about our local and national identity, and how we have lived here in Wales since the dawn of time.

Launching the programme for this year’s Festival, Nêst Thomas, President of the Federation of Museums and Art Galleries of Wales said: “I’m grateful to our fantastic museums for taking up the gauntlet of participating in a longer festival this year, so that we can support local tourism economies and our communities to have a historic half term. It feels particularly important at this time of increased financial hardship, to do as much as we can to support our visitors’ wellbeing, and so we’re delighted that more Festival activities than ever will be free of charge. Come along to discover our treasures, to enjoy historic hullabaloo, to solve riddles, to learn, to make and craft, to discover a wealth of stories, to time travel and enjoy.”

In Monmouthshire, MonLife Heritage is offering a number of free activities in partnership with the festival.

A key theme of this year’s festival is ‘treasure’. Festival events will explore treasures held in museum collections and asking questions such as ‘what do you treasure?’ and ‘why?’. To that end, the festival will be engaging visiting teenagers in a Photography Competition which encourages them to creatively explore some of their ideas about treasure, while children will enjoy hunting for Black Bart’s treasure chest by solving a series of riddles and cracking a secret code.

Oh, and did we mention dragons? Look out because ‘Here Be Dragons’! A clutch of baby dragons has hatched and run a mock in a number of our museums and sharp, young eyes are needed to help track them down. All through Welsh Museums Festival, afflicted museums will be engaging visitors help round them up and return them to the wild so that they can grow big and mighty like the dragon on the Welsh flag.

We are also running specific events. Whilst the leaves are turning and our wonderful wildlife is getting ready for the colder days ahead, drop in and join us for free half term fun with our autumn animal clay play days from 11am-3pm on the following dates:

Monday 31^st October at Shire Hall Museum, Monmouth

Tuesday 1^st November at Abergavenny Museum and Castle.

Thursday 3^rd November at Chepstow Drill Hall.

Children must be accompanied by an adult. No booking required.

Cllr. Sara Burch of Monmouthshire County Council said: “There are plenty of playful family activities at Abergavenny and Chepstow Museums this week. There are opportunities for children to dress up in costumes, play a game of ‘throw the fish in the basket’, chalk the longest line you can, or grab a ‘horse’ and canter down the corridor. From mud kitchens and chalkboards to dressing up and toys and games, there is something to make a visit full of fun.”

The time travel ends on 6th November full programme details will be available on https://www.monlife.co.uk/autumn-animal-clay-play-plus-much-more/ on the festival’s website www.museums.wales

Community Nature Spaces Coming to Chepstow

Chepstow will soon be the latest town in Monmouthshire to benefit from the Community Nature Spaces Project, which aims to improve our green spaces for nature and help support opportunities for health and wellbeing. This can be done in a variety of ways, such as by planting trees, adding raised beds for community food growing and increasing wildflower planting for pollinators.

The project will be supported by Welsh Government’s Local Places for Nature funding, and will create places that will bring communities together. They’ll also be places to get up close to nature and get active.

Illustration showing a hedge and the way it supports wildlife

Cllr. Catrin Maby, Cabinet Member for Climate Change & the Environment said: “Creating spaces that support nature within our towns is good for people and for nature. It helps to protect and support biodiversity, but it also gives us green and beautiful spaces to enjoy and relax in.”

Cllr. Sara Burch, Cabinet Member for Active & Inclusive Communities said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to provide a network for wildlife and people in the very heart of our towns and engage with nature, which is good for everyone’s health and wellbeing. We’d love as many people as possible in and around Chepstow to have their say about their Community Nature Spaces, to make sure it offers the very best for the town and its people.”

Illustration showing food growing techniques for vegetables in beds

In order to get a full understanding of what the Chepstow community wants, Council Officers are working with the elected Town and County Councillors as well as local interest groups. Please visit https://www.monlife.co.uk/community-nature-spaces/ where you will find a link to a questionnaire about green spaces in Chepstow, how you use them and how you would like to see them used in the future. There will also be paper copies of the questionnaire available at Chepstow Hub. The first stage of the consultation will close on the 11^th November but residents and stakeholders are welcome to get in touch about the project at any time.

And they’re off! Monmouthshire’s children run for fun

More than a thousand Monmouthshire children donned their trainers and sports gear last month to take part in a week of sporting fun. The Cross Country 2022 sporting event brought together 27 local primary schools from across the county. Children showed the grown-ups how it’s done with fantastic sportsmanship, encouragement and teamwork throughout each event.

The Cross Country 2022 programme, organised by MonLife, was especially for primary school children between the ages of seven and 10. The chance to take part in a range of sports, races and runs, was an opportunity too good to miss. So much so, that 90% of all primary schools in Monmouthshire took part. When it comes to fitness and well-being, Monmouthshire’s children are certainly leading the way.

Cllr. Sara Burch, Cabinet Member for Inclusive and Active Communities said: “I am so impressed at the support given by teachers, pupils and families to the recent Cross Country programme of events. It’s fantastic that 27 primary schools in the county got involved. Hopefully these youngsters have now got a taste for sport and for running. Who knows, maybe some of them will be professional athletics stars of the future. In becoming more active, they’re already on the right track.”

The far-reaching Cross Country event – the first since the pandemic – gave a fantastic opportunity to meet new people and most importantly have fun. One parent who attended said: “I just wanted to say that the Cross Country event this morning was brilliant and my daughter really enjoyed it. She wants to sign us up for the junior park run now!”

If you missed the week of fun, it’s not too late to get involved. Junior Parkruns are held in Dixton (Monmouth), Bailey Park (Abergavenny) and in Rogiet, so get those trainers on and head along. For more information regarding primary school festivals or details of your local parkrun please email sport@monmouthshire.gov.uk

‘Food and Fun’ programme provides children with healthy meals during summer holidays

The school holidays can put all kinds of pressure on families. To help out with mealtimes, the Welsh Government’s Food and Fun Enrichment programme provided healthy meals and activities during the summer break across five host schools that met the criteria.

Food and Fun is a school-based education programme that provides food and nutrition education, physical activity, enrichment sessions and healthy meals to children from disadvantages areas during the school summer holidays. Access for the scheme is co-ordinated on a referral basis with education from the host schools.

Starting as a pilot run by Cardiff Council in 2015, Food and Fun has developed into a national, fully funded Welsh Government programme administered by the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA). In 2021, 137 schools in Wales delivered the programme and provided over 7500 places for children each day that it ran and is taking place in several Monmouthshire primary schools this summer. This summer has seen a total of 2005 attendances recorded in the Food and Fun provision, with 4010 breakfast and lunches provided. Dewstow, Kymin View, Overmonnow, Deri View and Thornwell primary schools are all welcoming the Food and Fun programme, providing pupils with the opportunity of staying active over the summer whilst receiving nutritious meals.

Councillor Sara Burch, Cabinet Member for Inclusive and Active Communities, attended the Food and Fun sessions at Deri View Primary school on Thursday 4^th August. Cllr. Burch said “It was great to see what the MonLife team are doing for children over the summer holidays across the county. These Food and Fun sessions are a great way for children to keep active, have fun and stay in contact with their friends whilst enjoying delicious, nutritious food. I want to say a big thank you to everyone who is working hard to make sure these important sessions run, and most importantly, making sure these children have a great summer holidays.”

There’s still time to take part in the Nature Isn’t Neat survey

Since its launch, this summer’s Nature isn’t Neat online Survey has received more than 1,000 responses from across Monmouthshire and the wider Gwent area.

The survey, which closes on Friday 30^th September, has been designed to capture residents’ thoughts on the Nature Isn’t Neat approach, which promotes letting grassland in parks and along verges grow in the spring and summer to create meadow areas and space for nature. The feedback received will help inform future management of green spaces.

Nature isn’t Neat’s ethos is that grassland in Gwent’s green spaces should be allowed to grow and flourish with wildflowers, providing food and habitat for our pollinators. It’s also about finding a balance between nature and recreation throughout the year. Monmouthshire County Council is continually assessing how well they’re managing green spaces for nature and for residents. The survey will continue into the autumn so there is plenty of opportunity to provide feedback by completing the survey at www.monlife.co.uk/outdoor/nature-isnt-neat/complete-our-survey/

As late summer approaches, many plants have finished flowering and are beginning to set seed, leaving meadow areas looking grassier. Whilst they may not be as colourful, they are still full of grasshoppers, moths and butterflies which are living and feeding in the grass. It’s vital that wildflowers and meadow grasses can produce and disperse seed before being cut, so we get more flowers next year. At the end of the season, the council’s grounds teams will be starting their grass cutting regimes across sites, by cutting and collecting the arisings like a traditional meadow they are removing nutrients and reducing the dominance of grass next year and encouraging more biodiverse habitats.

The project is supported by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development: Europe Investing in Rural Areas and is funded by the Welsh Government’s Enabling of Natural Resources and Well-being Grant.

For more information visit: https://www.monlife.co.uk/outdoor/nature-isnt-neat/

Leisure Management System Update & FAQ’s

Important Notice: Leisure Management System Update and FAQ’s

Communication – 13th September 2022

Important Notice: Link to NEW Leisure Management System – Live Wed 14^th Sept

Over the last few week’s we have been working on implementing the NEW Leisure Management System at our MonLife Active Leisure Centres.

We are pleased to say that the link will be available for you to explore on Wednesday 14^th September 2022 by clicking on the link below
https://monlife.legendonlineservices.co.uk/enterprise/account/login

Within this link you will be able to re-register your account if you have been a pay as you go or previous member up until the 1^st of September 2022.

Once registration is complete you will be able to login to your online account to manage bookings and your membership profile or even set up a new MonLife Active membership.

Additionally, if you are a new to MonLife you can “Sign Up” as a free casual member, or purchase a new membership.

We have put together the following Online Guide to help you run through the process but if you have any issues please contact the relevant Leisure Centre. https://www.monlife.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Guidlines-for-NEW-Online-Booking-System.pdf

As with all new systems we hope that everything run smoothly but please bear with us if we experience any technical issues.

I would also like to remind you that the Leisure Centres will be closed on Monday 19^th September for the state funeral of Her Majesty The Queen.

Over the last few weeks as you are aware, we have been working on implementing the NEW Leisure Management System at our MonLife Active Leisure Centres.

This system will enhance your user experience and make managing your membership and bookings with us even easier. Please see below a list of Frequently Asked Questions that we will be updating as the project develops:

FAQ’s: Last updated 6th September 2022

How will the changes affect me from Tuesday 6^th September?

From Tuesday 6^th September this is the last day until the NEW system launches on the 14^th September that you can book 7 days in advance.

This is also the day that the NEW Home Portal for Learn to Swim Customers was launched which you can access with your existing username and password by clicking on the link below https://monlifeswim.courseprogress.co.uk/

How will I be able to access the new system?

From the 14^th September when you log into the NEW online portal that we will share you will see that it has a new appearance. You will then Register to gain access to the new system using your email address that we have for you currently. If you need to clarify or change your email address, then please contact the relevant Leisure Centre. The link to the new system will be added here and shared with you via email and social media platforms closer to the date. We will also be adding a guide shortly for you to follow.

How will this NEW system change the way I book Activities?

From the 14^th September any bookings made will need to be paid for at the time of booking.
Also, all customers, even if you have booked and paid for your activity online will need to register with your MonLife Card at reception before attending. If you no longer have your card, then please visit reception where we can issue you with a new one.

Will there be any changes to class bookings?

We are implementing a class waiting list where if a class is full you can add yourself onto this list online and an automated email will be sent if a space becomes available.

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CUSTOMER COMMUNICATIONS – 1st August 2022

Dear Customer,

On behalf of everyone at MonLife I hope that you are healthy and safe at this time.

I wanted to let you know of a few exciting changes that you may see over the coming weeks while we install the NEW Leisure Management System at our MonLife Active Centres.

Over the last few weeks, we have been working in the background on implementing this new system that will enhance your experience and make managing your membership with us even easier. The new changes are as follows:

Faster sign up process if you want to join as a member
Effective communication platform through email, push notifications and SMS
View, join and pay for any of our Active Membership options via the App and online
Easier to view, book and pay for classes or activities whenever it suits you and on any device.
View manage and update your personal details.
Login using email and password instead of your membership number
Integrated social sharing options allowing you to share details of your bookings with friends and family.

We would like to reassure you that during the migration from our old Leisure Management System to our new one we are fully GDPR compliant and all of your data will continue to be safe and secure.

As with all new systems we hope this migration runs smoothly but please bear with us if we experience any technical issues.

Our priority as always is to ensure that this will not impact on your experience. Our team will be regularly updating our website and social media channels with up to date information.

Please be assured the MonLife team are working tirelessly to get this new system in place and we hope you enjoy the new and improved customer interface.

If you have any questions please email monmemberships@monmouthshire.gov.uk

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