MonLife Heritage Museums are proud to announce the launch of
a brand new collections website at www.monlifecollections.co.uk The new
website provides free access to search
hundreds of records, allowing users to read material and view images for items within
the collections from across Monmouthshire. The Museums team will continually be
adding more to the website, so we recommend that users keep coming back to see
what’s new.
Discover historical objects, works of art, photographs
and documents cared for by MonLife Heritage.
Search for special people, explore notable places,
travel through time and discover different themes.
Hundreds of Monmouthshire records are already on our
collections search.
Due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, MonLife Heritage have been researching new ways to diversify our offer – between January and March 2021, with thanks to a Welsh Government Local Government Cultural Recovery Fund grant, members of our team have been able to dedicate their role to the creation of the collections website. We have worked alongside Digital Heritage Consultants, Orangeleaf Systems Ltd to build our bespoke website.
Lydia Wooles, from the Museums online project team said “We really hit the ground running with the project, as a team we’ve learnt a lot in a short timescale. Records have been carefully selected to provide users with a flavour of the wide variety of artefacts and documents that we hold. It’s been such a rewarding experience working on this project.”
All of the records on the website relate to the story of
Monmouthshire and include the nationally significant Nelson collection. From
archaeological finds, extensive costume collections, to photographs and
postcards – there is something for everyone.
On Friday 17th January MonLife celebrated its official launch with a Multi Activity School Festival at Monmouth Leisure Centre.
The festival saw 85 children attend from Osbaston, Kymin View and Trellech Primary. The children had chance to take part in a number of sessions that included boccia, learning, football, team building plus much more. The sessions showcased the diversity of MonLife and the fantastic services that we have to offer.
The strategic focus of MonLife is on physical and mental health and wellbeing, providing opportunities in learning and experiencing, achieving a more physically active lifestyle for all. Health and wellbeing are embedded in every service area of MonLife and this means that we are ready to play a part and support schools in the launch of the new curriculum.
Richard John, Cabinet Member for Education and Leisure, said “I was delighted to attend the official launch of MonLife, which brings under one umbrella our leisure and community services for the first time.
Our MonLife services are really important for the mental and physical wellbeing of all local residents and that’s why we’re investing and upgrading facilities, including our leisure centres. We want to ensure that as many residents as possible can take part, evidenced by our insport Silver Award for improving access for disabled people.
This launch embodies our commitment to protect locally accessible services for residents, including helping people lead more active and independent lives through our array of diverse services and facilities.
The whole day was of celebration of our services and enhanced the vision to enrich people’s lives and create vibrant places. I hope as many residents as possible will take up the opportunity to experience our wonderful facilities and services and see for themselves how MonLife can impact on the mind, body and soul of our community.”
Monlife is celebrating being given a top award for helping people with disabilities accessing sport.
The service group managed by Monmouthshire County Council was awarded the insport Silver Standard at Full Council by Michelle Daltry Partnership Manager, Disability Sport Wales on Thursday 16th of January.
The insport Development programme aims to support and deliver inclusivity for disabled people through a toolkit developed by Disability Sport Wales, supporting the inclusive thinking, planning, development and delivery. This means that MonLife Active staff can deliver across the spectrum to disabled and non-disabled people at whatever level they wish to participate or compete.
By achieving this standard opportunities are widened, participation will increase, disabled people become more active and engaged and we have a nation who are hooked on sport for life. This will deliver a cultural change in attitude, approach and provision of physical activity and wider opportunities for disabled people.
Throughout the four standards; Ribbon, Bronze, Silver and Gold, each partner is supported by Disability Sport Wales to grow their expertise and understanding of disability sport. With the aim of Partners becoming progressively more independent and able to demonstrate improved delivery and support to disabled people.
Councillor Richard John, Cabinet Member for Education and Leisure said: “Achieving the Silver award demonstrates the commitment to inclusion from MonLife and Monmouthshire Council to increase sporting opportunities for disabled people and our ongoing commitment in playing a significant role in building sustainable and resilient communities, reducing inequalities and supporting vulnerable people. Cabinet fully supports the journey to the Gold Accreditation”.
Michelle Daltry, Partnership Manager at Disability Sport Wales said “Disability Sport Wales wish to congratulate MonLife on their achievement of the insport silver standard. It is a real testament to the calibre of work they are currently doing and have committed to do in the future, and will ensure the ongoing development of inclusive sports to disabled communities in the Monmouthshire area. Congratulations to all involved.”
As MonLife continues on its insport Development journey receiving the Silver standard is a real testament to all staff involved. MonLife are committed that all service areas will illustrate the inclusive cultural change by going through the insport accreditation with core aims to include its partnership working with Education, Health and Social Services.
Following the meeting of Full Council
on Thursday 22nd July, Monmouthshire County Council has confirmed
that the proposed refurbishment of Abergavenny Leisure Centre has been
agreed. To enable residents to see the full development plans and find
out more, MonLife has today (Friday 23rd July) launched their new
microsite www.monlifeleisuredevelopment.co.uk.
Monmouthshire County Council’s
MonLife is committed to investing in projects which will benefit the health and
wellbeing of the county’s community. Its leisure centres provide a vital
hub to support physical and emotional wellbeing across all age demographics.
The proposed refurbishment of Abergavenny Leisure Centre
will create a wellness hub over the first floor of the building, to create
modern leisure facilities for the local community and helping to increase
participation in regular physical activity.
The proposed new facilities will include:
·
Extended Fitness Suite
·
Power Assisted Exercise Studio
·
Dedicated Spin Studio
·
New Fitness Changing Facilities
·
Ground Floor Coffee Vending Offer
Councillor Lisa Dymock, Monmouthshire County
Council’s cabinet member for Community Wellbeing and Social Justice,
said: “We are committed to investing in and
developing leisure facilities across our county to support the health and
wellbeing of our citizens. The continued investment in leisure facilities
will have a significant impact on wellbeing for not only now, but also for our
future generations. I would encourage local residents to have a look at the
plans and find out more about this exciting project.”
Make some magical memories this summer,’ that’s the message as MonLife, gets ready to welcome children and young people in Monmouthshire to its exciting wealth of activities and fun across the county. The Monmouthshire Games, indoor play centres, theatre events and many more activities have been organised with the intention of keeping children and young people active and entertained during the summer break.
The Summer of Fun kicks-off with ‘The Monmouthshire Games’ taking place between July 26th and August 27th, with action-packed days offering more than 30 different sporting activities that can be enjoyed by children and young people aged 5-11 years old at all four of the county’s leisure centres. The Monmouthshire Games provides a unique opportunity for both children and parents. Participants can meet new friends, develop new skills and confidence, whilst parents are content knowing that their child is safe, happy and having hours of sporting fun.
MonLife has organised free activities for the whole family to enjoy over August, including archery, a climbing wall, clay play, badge making, natural art collage and orienteering. Visit the MonLife Activities website to see what free activities are at your nearest local venue: Family Days – MonLife Holiday Activities. The dates and locations are:
10th August – Old Station Tintern 11:00 – 16:00
11th August – Shire Hall 11:00 – 16:00
17th August –Abergavenny Museum and Castle 11:00 – 16:00
18th August –Caldicot Castle 11:00 – 16:00
MonLife’s Youth Service will also be providing a ‘Summer of Fun’ with provision for 11 years plus and a range of activities and opportunities including Graffiti workshops, outdoor activities, Skate Jam plus much more.
Open-air theatre events at Abergavenny Castle grounds have also been scheduled this summer, with Horrible Histories: Gorgeous Georgians & Vile Victorians taking place live on stage on 28th July. There are plenty of other theatre events on at Abergavenny Castle throughout summer for all the family to enjoy, including The Great Gatsby (11th August), Pride & Prejudice (14th August) and David Walliams’ Mr Stink (22nd August).
Families can also book a visit to MonLife’s indoor play centre at Monmouth Leisure Centre this summer, which features an exciting three storey, action-packed climbing maze and a unique ‘beat the clock timing’ system. All of Monmouthshire’s leisure centre swimming pools are open for the summer holidays, including family bubble sessions, junior swim lessons and aqua classes. Local swimming timetables can be found here: Swimming – MonLife Holiday Activities
Lisa Dymock, Cabinet Member for Community Wellbeing and Social Justice said: “MonLife has done an excellent job ensuring the children of Monmouthshire have a fantastic summer with all they have planned. There were less opportunities for children to enjoy a variety of experiences in 2020, this summer promises to be different with many new memory-making opportunities being held again. There is something for every child in Monmouthshire to enjoy this summer – sporty, creative, arts loving, or fans of the great outdoors – this summer will be lots of fun in the gorgeous, Monmouthshire, great outdoors.”
Summer of Fun is a Welsh Government initiative and runs from 1 July until 30 September. It provides a range of free leisure, recreational, sporting and cultural activities for children and young people aged 0-25 to help support their social, emotional, physical and mental wellbeing.
For more information on the events and activities in Monmouthshire this summer, visit: https://www.monlife.co.uk/monactive/childrens-activities/
Monmouthshire residents
are being asked to lend their views to the final phase of a consultation, which
looks to improve the ways people in Monmouthshire get around in the future. The
final phase of the Active Travel consultation will help in determining
priorities for investment in the physical infrastructure of roads and paths
suitable for cycling and walking as well as associated facilities. The Active Travel consultation is a
requirement by Welsh Government under the Active Travel (Wales) Act
2013.
The first phase of the
consultation, which launched in 2020, undertook substantial engagement with the
community to identify routes and facilities to encourage greater levels of
Active Travel in everyday lives. Now concluded, the consultation has
successfully captured the responses of 2700 people and 370 routes have been
identified for consideration. Over 500 comments on the strategic focus of
Active Travel in Monmouthshire were also received. All suggestions have now
been independently assessed to produce a revised final Active Travel Network
Maps.
Residents can now view
and give feedback on the final maps, which are hosted on the Welsh Government
sponsored website Common Place: https://mccactivetravelconsultation.commonplace.is/.
Due to the level of detail on the maps provided it is
suggested accessing the site via a laptop, desktop or tablet for greater levels
of interaction. This website is also the main website for engagement for those
individuals aged 12 years and over with specific sessions taking place for
primary aged pupils.
To ensure good coverage
of all groups in the community those that do not have access to a computer,
alternative engagement methods of gathering responses are available, and can be
viewed on https://www.monmouthshire.gov.uk/active-travel-consultation/
The Council has been working hard over the last 12 months to increase
the focus on Active Travel. The aim is to encourage those who can, to leave
their cars at home when travelling to work, shops, schools, a place of leisure
or to get to a train / bus station. Active Travel is not about walking and
cycling for leisure but it could also significantly enhance leisure activities
by helping link up existing path and road networks, and is an important
contributor in addressing the current climate emergency – helping to reduce
vehicle emissions. It also has the benefit of improving physical and mental
wellbeing.
Cabinet Member for
Community Wellbeing and Social Development, Councillor Lisa Dymock said: “As we
look to accelerate decarbonisation and focus on improving our natural
environment, we must concentrate of finding more green and efficient ways to
get around. We have learned a lot from the pandemic and previous lockdowns
about how a reduction in the pollution caused by vehicles and other forms of
transport really has a positive impact on our climate. The future of how we
work and live also means we have more opportunities to make the most of active
travel whether that be using our cars less or cycling places. We are working
hard to ensure we have the infrastructure and policies to support these aims
and we need the people of Monmouthshire to help us shape these very important
decisions. Please take the time to have a look at the suggested routes and lend
your views to the consultation.”
Residents
with any queries are asked to contact either Sue Hughes, Active Travel Officer
or Paul Sullivan Youth, Sport and Active Travel Manager ActiveTravel@monmouthshire.gov.uk
The consultation period ends 31st August 2021.
This May Half
Term we have a fun filled week of activities planned for children of all ages
at our MonLife venues.
Nerys the Dragon and Ostin the Dormouse
Why not visit Caldicot Castle and Country Park and Old Station Tintern where you can say hello to our delightful new
additions to the MonLife family; Ostin the Dormouse and Nerys the Dragon.
Ostin and Nerys feature between the pages of
our new Explore and Create family activity packs that are available at both
sites. These fun-filled resources will enable you and your family to
explore two of our fabulous attractions through a range of playful and creative
activities and discover more about the nature and history of the sites.
The packs also include great ideas for continuing the fun at home.
You can collect Ostin and Nerys stamps and stickers for completed activities and even ‘transform’ you and your family into one of these cute characters using our Dormouse and Dragon photo cut-out boards. Remember to tag us into your photos on social media.
Abergavenny Museum
Why not take a step back in time and visit one or our MonLife museums which are open throughout half term, enjoy the wonder of the history of Monmouthshire and open up this whole new world for your children. Entry is FREE for all visitor s and your children can also take away quizzes and activity sheets to keep them entertained at home. For opening times please visit https://www.monlife.co.uk/heritage/
Our popular The Monmouthshire Games will be returning at all four of our Leisure Centres during half term week with a fun filled programme of activities. You will need to book early to avoid disappointment as places are very limited. Register your interest by clicking here and a member of the team will be in touch https://buff.ly/3y8jB6r For further information on The Monmouthshire Games please click here https://buff.ly/2ROnahB
If you are looking for some indoor fun then why not book onto one of our swimming sessions taking place at all four Leisure Centres by clicking on the following link and going through to the Leisure Centre of your choice https://www.monlife.co.uk/monactive/.
Monmouth Indoor Play Centre
Also don’t forget that our Indoor Play Centre at Monmouth Leisure Centre is now open, your place will need to be booked in advance so call the centre on 01600 775135.
MonLife also
deliver Youth Work in the community through a range of activities and
opportunities for young people aged 11 plus. During the May half term The
Attik (Monmouth) will be open Wednesday and Thursday 10am – 6pm, the Zone
(Caldicot) Tuesday and Thursday 12pm – 8pm, the Cabin (Abergavenny) Tuesday and
Wednesday 12pm – 6pm and Thornwell Wednesday and Friday 3pm – 8pm.
Positive Futures will be running on the Friday in all areas 6pm – 8pm. Each
area will also carry out a litter pick on one day for each area for Keep Wales
Tidy – Spring Clean Cymru.
The MonLife Active 60 plus has been a great success with 85
participants engaged in the programme. This is a positive indication that people
in Monmouthshire aged 60 plus want to improve their physical and mental
well-being.
The members of this programme have their progress recorded
through the means of digital reviews with fitness professionals and their activity
recorded through the My Wellness App. The My Wellness app records outdoor
activity like walking, cycling running and Live and On Demand classes. This a
great way to record the progress of each active member and has given them great
encouragement.
The Active 60 plus
programme has provided a physical activity and social outlet for many of our
members during these difficult times.
Here is how the
programme has helped one of our MonLife customers
“I have taken part in quite a few of your virtual classes
and thoroughly enjoyed them all; Stretch and Tone, Gentle Exercise, Tai Chi.
The classes are excellent and I’m amazed how well you can guide and monitor our
individual progress throughout the sessions. They are all very well-planned,
timed and focused on a particular aspect of our developing fitness with a clear
explanation of how these exercises will benefit us. They have definitely made a
difference to my health; I feel stronger and fitter, my flexibility is much
improved and my back is less painful. I feel supported, encouraged and have a sense
of achievement. I feel proud when I tell
my grown up children, who live so far away, that I have engaged in a session
and I know that they are delighted.
Apart from a fairly regular walk, I was taking no other
exercise. Going forward, it will be difficult for me to find an opportunity to
leave my husband who has dementia and attend a Centre. As it is, my husband
sits in the room, happy to see me and hear it all going on in the background.
It certainly helps me to feel less isolated.
I have recommended 60 plus to others and will continue to do
so. In truth, it has been a godsend and I congratulate and thank everyone
who has put the scheme together”.
The Active 60 plus programme allows participants to take part in their own time, at home and also has encouraged those to get active without the worry of attending a group. They experience social interaction on the live sessions, which is beneficial for members to feel good and motivated.
This digital platform has removed barriers to exercise for
those that could not attend the gym due to commitments, time and resources.
Moving forward the Active 60 plus programme has extended its
offer to access the MonLife classes on site as well as attending virtual
classes. This is creating a wider community for the Active 60 plus in MonLife.
This membership offer is 1 month free and £16.00 thereafter
and for the first 120 people that sign up to this programme they will be given
equipment packs which include dumbbells, resistant bands and an exercise mat. To sign up to the programme please click on
the following link 60+ Health & Well-being Programme (office.com). A MonLife qualified fitness professional will
then contact you to ensure that the scheme is appropriate.
The Community Nature Spaces project is working to bring together communities and revitalise un-used or unloved playgrounds and make them accessible play areas that embrace nature.
Residents and stakeholders were invited to take part in a public consultation in February and by the end of March, Monmouthshire County Council and the consultants Pegasus had received in excess of 130 responses. Now, the council is asking residents of Monmouth’s Rockfield Estate to share their thoughts once again, in order to finalise plans for nine sites across the community.
The recent lockdowns have reinforced the importance of having a variety of good quality outdoor spaces that are easily accessible by everyone, so that they can spend time safely outdoors experiencing what nature has to offer in local neighbourhoods.
Ideas that fall within the Community Nature Spaces scope include community food growing, fruit trees and mini-orchards, re-wilding areas and the creating of mini-meadows on mounds and slopes for wild play and to encourage pollinators, and local provenance tree nurseries and planting for pollinators.
A spokesperson for Monmouthshire County Council said: “We’d sincerely like to thank everyone who has got involved and contributed so far – the detailed designs shaped by this consultation are now available on the Community Nature Spaces website (monnaturespaces.co.uk). We would now like to hear from local residents and groups that would be interested in becoming more involved in the project as it moves forward, or in specific aspects of the project, such as community food growing. The emphasis on community is key to this project coming to successful fruition.”
The detailed plans show the council’s current aspirations for the sites, subject to the further public consultation. Monmouthshire County Council have secured funding to deliver the Community Nature Spaces project during the 2021/22 financial year. In addition, separate consultations will be undertaken regarding the play areas at Hendre Close, Goldwire Lane and King’s Fee in Monmouth, which will all be improved for both play, enjoyment and wildlife.
Monmouthshire County Council has been working in partnership with Monmouth Town Council, Transition Monmouth, ACE (Action on Climate Emergency), Gwent Wildlife Trust, Rockfield Community Centre, the local schools and NRW (Natural Resources Wales) consultants Pegasus Group, and residents to develop Community Nature Spaces that benefit local communities at various locations, initially in Monmouth.
The Local Places for Nature funding is administered by the Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA) on behalf of Welsh Government.
Monmouthshire County Council will be undertaking a series of
landscape enhancement works at Clydach Ironworks on Monday 10 May 2021.
The works will continue until the end of July 2021.
A footpath closure will be in place until the end of July
when the works will be completed, however we will work with the contractor to
open up sections as soon as possible.
This programme of work is crucial in helping us to improve this historically important site and allow it to become an important gateway for visitors and local residents to access the eastern end of Clydach Gorge.
The works will:
landscape
the former industrial features of the Cemex site and reprofile the area in
front of the existing ironworks so as to provide a continuous and improved
landscape setting for the ironworks
Last month saw
the introduction of new Open Access Play Opportunities for children between the
ages of 5-11 across the county. Organised by MonLife, part of
Monmouthshire County Council, it brought together teams from sports
development, leisure and outdoor adventure to plan a programme with a variety
of activities, each risk assessed and following government guidelines in order
to keep the children and staff safe. The Open Access Play Opportunity
was offered for seven days throughout the Easter holidays, between
10am-11.55am, and was accessible for children from across Monmouthshire.
Across the four
MonLife leisure sites in Monmouthshire, children were able to attend and
participate in a range of fun activities all delivered by trained staff. These
activities included bottle rockets, daily mile, nature scavenger hunts and
dance activities. The atmosphere on each site was filled with fun, with children
enjoying themselves. The events held had a positive impact on parents, children
and staff as this was the first chance to feel some sort of normality.
“‘I get excited every morning to come to the open access play, to see my
friends and to play sport” and “Open Access Play has allowed me to meet new
people and make new friends whilst playing sport,” we just a couple of the
positive comments from the children taking part. The week’s activities were, in
some instances, the first opportunity that children had to re-engage with
others in a safe environment since Christmas.
The Open Access Play Opportunities sessions provided the parents and carers in the community with a scheme that they could trust and they can resume some normality of work life. In addition it provided staff with the opportunity to return to the workplace and re-engage with staff. ‘’The Open Access Play is a great provision to offer a morning of sports, different activities in which children can participate in with their friends, all whilst having fun,” said one of the leisure team.
Monmouthshire County Council is urging people to lock up
their lawnmowers for ‘No Mow May’. No Mow May was created by Plantlife as a way
to encourage more people to allow spring flowers to bloom and provide food for
bees, butterflies, moths and other pollinators.
Spring is the time of year that many wildflowers blossom and
this first flush of nectar and pollen is essential for the survival of many
insects, and the other birds and animals that feed on them. The No Mow
May campaign has engaged many organisations and individuals including the
National Trust, businesses, and celebrity gardeners such as Monty Don
championing the cause.
Monmouthshire County Council will be taking part in No Mow
May again this year, mowing areas only where there is a need, for example for
safety at road junctions, to maintain pathways or to enable sports to be
played. Citizen scientists who have taken part in Plantlife’s Every Flower
Counts survey of household lawns have shown that reduced mowing can provide
enough nectar for 10 times more pollinating insects. Researchers found
200 different plant species on lawns, some of them rarities such as eyebright
and knotted clover. The most common flowers are daisies, white clover and
selfheal, and over half a million individual flowers were counted during the
surveys. More flowers are found on lawns that are cut every four weeks, because
short stemmed flowers such as daisies, selfheal and dandelions have a chance to
bloom. A greater variety of flowers, but not necessarily larger numbers, are found
on lawns that are left to grow even longer.
Plantlife’s research shows the huge benefits to pollinators
of mowing less frequently. They recommend that some areas are cut monthly to
allow short stemmed flowers to bloom, and to leave other areas to grow long
which encourages a wider range of plants to flower, and these will attract
different pollinators such as hoverflies and a greater variety of bumblebees.
Monmouthshire’s Nature Isn’t Neat programme of reduced
mowing fits with Plantlife’s findings, as many more green spaces will be mown
less frequently across the County in an effort to support the nation’s
struggling pollinators and insects. There are other important benefits to
reduced mowing, for example, longer grass has a better root system, which opens
up the soil and makes it more absorbent and better able to deal with the kind
of heavy rainfall that a changing climate is bringing. Longer grass can
also absorb more CO2, so can act as a carbon sink.
There is still time for local residents to take part in a survey to find out what local people think about mowing green spaces less often, and the impacts of this on wildlife and on people too.
The Nature Isn’t Neat programme has been funded by Welsh
Government and National Heritage Lottery Fund and has enabled Monmouthshire
County Council to purchase specialist machinery suitable for cutting and collecting
longer grass, and provide information to local residents about the importance
of these changes for supporting biodiversity.
The Covid pandemic has hit the outdoor industry hard but we have been lucky to have the support of MonLife, Monmouthshire County Council and Welsh Government.
Since the beginning of the year we have been a re-engagement program working with targeted Monmouthshire pupils.
The Duke of Edinburgh award scheme has been running throughout the pandemic with online meetings and now staff are happy to be back in schools working face to face. The weather may not be ready for us but the expeditions season has started and it will be a very busy summer.
As things start to reopen we look at the changes that have taken place over the last 15 months. MonLife are also looking at investment into the Gilwern Outdoor Adventure Centre – some really exciting times ahead.
As we await the next review from the Department for Education on when residential trips can recommence we have in the meantime been working with local schools delivering activities on the school sites. This is part of a wider program we are developing as adventurous outdoor activities are now part of the new national curriculum.
The increasing levels of outdoor learning in schools as a result of the pandemic is a positive which we all need to engage with, embrace and enjoy whatever the weather.
