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.
There are
plenty of fun events and inspiration for days out in Monmouthshire this coming
half term, many of which are free.
Monmouthshire
County Council’s MonLife, which runs many of the county’s museums, attractions
and leisure centres is offering a chance to make Brilliant Banners and Super
Scrapbooks. Families can create their own family banner using printmaking
techniques or make a scrapbook to collect and preserve all favourite keepsakes
and memories. It’s messy fun for all the family so do take along an old shirt
or apron. There’s no need to book but children must be accompanied by an adult.
Suitable for children 4 years and above. The sessions run from 11am – 3pm on
the following days: Monday 30th May at Shire Hall, Monmouth; Tuesday
31st May at Abergavenny Museum; Wednesday 1st June at
Chepstow Drill Hall.
Monmouthshire
County Council’s new cabinet member for Inclusive and Active Communities, Cllr
Sara Burch said: “This is a truly historic half term holiday with its four-day
celebration of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. After the past two years of
extremely restricted social events due to the pandemic, Monmouthshire’s
communities will undoubtedly enjoy the opportunity to come together and
celebrate with friends, family and neighbours. I am pleased to also see so many
fantastic fun, free activities planned across our leisure centres, museums and
Community Hubs for this coming week.”
Monmouthshire’s
Community Hubs are hosting some special free activities as well. On Monday 30th
May, Chepstow Hub is asking children (4-8yrs) to help them celebrate the
occasion by decorating special jubilee bunting and join in a special story
time, from 2pm. The following day, on Tuesday 31st, also at 2pm, Chepstow Hub
is hosting a Baby Rhyme Time for babies. Caldicot Hub is also hosting Baby
Rhyme Time on Tuesday 31st May, between 10.30am-11am, followed from
3pm-4pm by a Decorate a Jubilee Bookmark and Royal Themed Story Time for ages
4-8 years.
At Usk Hub
there’s a free Story Time and Crown Craft session at 10.30am on 1st
June for children up to the age of 7 years. At Abergavenny’s Hub there will be
a free Jubilee Stories and Crafts day on 1st June, with children of
all ages welcome between 10.15am-10.45am and 2.15pm-2.45pm. Monmouth Hub is
also offering free fun, with a Baby Rhyme Time from 10.30am-10.50am on Monday
30th May, and a Queen’s Hat and Making A Crown session from 11am on
Wednesday 1st June for ages 4-7years. Gilwern Hub is also hosting a
free Drop-In Craft and Colouring opportunity on Tuesday 31st May and
Wednesday 1st June.
The
Monmouthshire Games returns for more action packed half-term fun from 30th
May – 1st June (8am-5pm; £21 per day) for children aged 5-11 years.
There are new activities to try each day, learn new skills and make new
friends. Call 01633 644800 or visit https://www.monlife.co.uk/monactive/childrens-activities/the-monmouthshire-games/ to book.
At Monmouth
Leisure Centre there’s a Queen’s Jubilee Afternoon Tea Party for children on 1st
June., from 4pm-6pm. There will be sandwiches, cake and fruit and celebrations
galore. To book a place phone 01633 644800 (£6 per child). Tintern’s Old
Station will also be open for visitors, as usual from 11am to 4pm daily.
For more
half-term inspiration take a look at the VisitMonmouthshire.com website which is packed with inspiring ideas
for days out across the county, many of them with a Royal theme, such as
Jubilee Party Racenight at Chepstow Racecourse on Saturday 4th June
(4pm-9pm), a special garden party at Raglan Castle (4th and 5th
June) and the Welsh Cider and Perry Festival is taking place at Caldicot Castle
between 2nd and 5th June.
All this, plus
countless community events will make this half term truly memorable. If you’re
planning a community street party to celebrate the jubilee, the message this
year is “ditch the disposables” and not buy single-use tableware. There’s are
environmentally friendly alternatives, such as encouraging visitors to each
bring their own plate and cup, or borrowing party sets from one of the Library
of Things (benthyg-cymru.org) or perhaps buy a pre-loved selection of china
tableware from one of the Reuse Shops. Based in Llanfoist and Five Lanes
recycling centres, the shops sell second-hand essentials at bargain prices and
the profits go to tree planting in the county. They’re open from 10am-3pm on
Tuesdays (Llanfoist) and Wednesdays (Five Lanes).
The Wales Coastal Path is celebrating its tenth anniversary this week, with celebrations beginning with First Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford, meeting with local walkers, artists and pupils in Chepstow on Thursday 11th May.
With Chepstow being the official start (or finish) of the Coastal Path, Mark Drakeford met with local walkers and creatives in the town after being greeted by pupils of the Dell Primary school. The 870-mile (1,400 km) long-distance walking trail runs from the Welsh border near Chester to Chepstow, connecting historic coastal trails, such as Anglesey, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire.
Award winning broadcaster and National Poet of Wales, Ifor ap Glyn wrote a poem especially for the milestone, naming it ‘A Wales Coast Path Blessing’. The poem was presented by Ifor at Thursday’s event just after the First Minister unveiled a bespoke, handcrafted bench designed by Tony Bonnici from Newport Wrought Ironwork, which celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Coastal Path.
Ifor ap Glynreading his poem ‘A Wales Coast Path Blessing’ to pupils of The Dell Primary
Thursday’s event in Chepstow also showcased art installations from local artists Sheila Moya Harris and Toby Garratt, showcasing examples of seal sculptures, linking to the importance of the environment along Wales Coastal Path. The sculptures will be exhibited by the riverside in Chepstow as part of the Festival of Arts on July 16th, and then placed on a seal trail around the town’s landmarks for the rest of the year.
Local artists Sheila Moya Harris & Tony Garratt
Year 2 pupils from the Dell Primary School gave a delightful performance of Penblwydd Hapus/Happy Birthday to celebrate the 10-year milestone, accompanied with handmade cakes made from Chepstow School’s year 9 ‘Bake off’ winners.
The Wales Coast Path has made it easier than ever to explore Wales’ coastline. In Monmouthshire, you can enjoy the trail in short sections or walk the whole 14-mile (22km) length from Chepstow to Magor. Black Rock is a popular spot along the Coastal Path as it offers spectacular views of the Severn Bridge and the Prince of Wales Bridge, and a peaceful spot to enjoy picnics and bird watching.
Year 2 pupils from The Dell Primary celebrate the milestone
A year-long programme of events and activities celebrating the Wales Coast Path will take place throughout 2022, including walking festivals, virtual challenges and art installations. Since its opening in 2012, the Wales Coast Path has established itself as a beacon of our nation’s natural beauty. The path guides walkers along Wales’ picturesque coastline, weaving its way past a hundred beaches and 16 castles.
TonyBonnici presents his bespoke, handcrafted bench to the First Minister
First Minister Mark Drakeford, who spent time meeting all the people involved in the celebrations, said: “The coastal path is one of the crowning glories of Wales and one of the proudest achievements of devolution. I would like to thank all those involved in the management of the path. Particularly the staff and volunteers, who are out in all weathers, working hard to maintain the path to such high standards. If I had to choose my favourite stretch of the path, the portion between Pendine and Amroth would be a candidate: starting in my own home county of Carmarthenshire and ending in Pembrokeshire. It may not be the most well-known part of the path, but it offers huge variety: some challenging climbs, outstanding variety of flowers, secret coves and plenty of historical interest.”
Chepstow School’s ‘Bake off’ winners talk with the First Minister
The Welsh Government will build on the successes of the first ten years so that more people are able to enjoy the path, from more backgrounds, more easily, and with more benefits for local communities, businesses and the environment.
MonLife celebrates first birthday of Active 60 programme
This week marks the one-year anniversary of MonLife’s Active
60 programme, which is available for people aged 60 & over to become more
physically active through in-person or online classes: including yoga, Pilates,
tai-chi and gentle exercise.
Over the last year, MonLife’s Active 60 programme has proved
a great success, providing members with not only a fitness programme, but
positive mental wellbeing through connecting with others in the community.
Active 60 members will be able to link their physical activity to MonLife’s My
Wellness app via smart phones and watches creating a digital eco system
where activity can be monitored by attending sessions. The most active members
from each leisure centre will receive acknowledgement and fitness rewards from
MonLife.
Abergavenny’s winner, Alex, started coming to the gym as he
wanted to gain strength to push his wife’s wheelchair, finding that exercise
improved his general well-being too. Chepstow’s winner, Eve, has been
consistently attending swimming and fitness sessions, completing over 40
sessions since signing up. Gordon, Monmouth’s winner, said he is very appreciative and is making great
success with membership, donating MonLife’s t-shirts to a local group sending
items to Ukraine. Similarly, Caldicot winner, Lynne, was over the moon with her
prizes, and has found the team at Caldicot very supportive and helpful,
benefiting her health and wellbeing.
The programme offers a variety of different fitness classes
suitable for this age group to help encourage enjoyment through sport, as well
as being a social space as people can meet others and chat. MonLife will join with other Welsh leisure providers to deliver
its 60 Plus Fit4Life initiative, made possible thanks to funding from Sport
Wales.
With over 150 members, MonLife have exciting plans to
introduce new sessions for members which includes multi sports, dance, walking
sport, walking netball and table tennis. The Sport Development team are looking
for alternative exit routes for the programme into local community clubs, such
as walking hockey, bowls, touch rugby and park runs, generating a wider variety
of activity. This also give these members options to increase social outlets
and improve health and well-being.
The first 8 weeks of membership
is free for members, being funded by Sport, and £16.50 p/m afterwards.
For more information on how to
sign up, click this link: Active
60 – Monlife
Abergavenny Museum welcomes
exhibition of Monmouthshire born author Arthur Machen
Abergavenny
Museum is playing host to some impressive works by Welsh artists this year, all
inspired by Monmouthshire’s own Arthur Machen, best known for his influential supernatural, fantasy, and horror fiction.
This
exhibition features artworks by Jon Langford, Pete Williams and John Selway,
created to illustrate the writings of Arthur Machen (1863-1947). Machen
drew inspiration from his native Monmouthshire, its landscape, history and
Roman remains, as well as the strange and supernatural, the weird and the
wonderful. World famous horror author Stephen King describing Machen’s The Great God Pan (1890;
1894) as “Maybe the best [horror story] in the English language”.
The
exhibition showcases both original works, as well as print reproductions of
artwork commissioned to illustrate recent reprints of Arthur Machen stories by
the Newport based publishers The Three Impostors. This includes a new
edition of one of Machen’s early works ‘The Chronicle of Clemendy’, which has
just been launched as a series of stories set in medieval Monmouthshire,
complemented by artist Jon Langford’s illustrations. There are also first
editions of Machen’s works, manuscripts, letters and photographs.
Established
ten years ago, The Three Imposter’s aim is to produce high quality,
scholarly versions of interesting, rare and out-of-print books, along with
other related new writing. Their first project was the republication of Arthur
Machen’s three volumes of autobiography, continuing to reprint some of Machen’s
novels, series of short Machen related stories, and also new and original works
by Welsh authors.
The
exhibition is now open and will run at Abergavenny Museum until December 18th
2022. It is free admission and open daily from 11am – 4pm except Wednesdays.
Work starting on ‘green’ enhancement of Castle Street car park in Abergavenny
As
part of plans to improve ‘green infrastructure’
– the term used to describe the creation of a network of natural
and semi-natural features, green spaces, rivers and lakes that intersperse and
connect villages and towns – across the county,
Monmouthshire County Council has been working on plans to create green
corridors through Abergavenny. Work will commence early April on enhancements
at Castle Street car park,
which will see the planting of additional native trees and wildflower species.
The project is designed to support connectivity with other green spaces
in the town centre.
Works are
expected to take approximately one week to complete, dependent on site
conditions. Small sections of the car-park around the planting installation
will be temporarily closed off, but Castle Street car park will still remain
open for all users. Monmouthshire County Council apologises for any potential
inconvenience during the works, and it is hoped that everyone will enjoy the
completed planting when next using the car park.
Planting will
include rowan and field maple trees in wooden planters, and native wildflower
turf on existing amenity grassland. Wildflowers such as autumn hawkbit, betony,
birdsfoot trefoil, bladder campion, cats ear, common knapweed, common sorrel,
common vetch, common toadflax, crested dogstail and sheep’s fescue
grasses, will grow in these wildflower areas. These additional native
wildflowers and trees will provide more food and habitats for birds and
insects, and benefit our pollinators such as bumblebees, honey bees and
butterflies, which are already supported by the Council’s pollinator friendly grassland
management.
The new trees
and wildflower meadows will also reduce carbon
emissions through the storage of carbon, and so help in addressing the issues
of climate change. The planting will also support ecosystem resilience,
improve water quality, and support general well-being in the town for both
residents and visitors.
Following
public consultation all respondents supported the aspiration to enhance green
corridors across Abergavenny. Ideas proposed have been incorporated where
feasible into the current proposals for Castle Street and will be taken on
board for future projects.
The MonLife Active 60 Programme was made possible with funding from Sport Wales. The programme seeks to encourage lifelong physical activity for people aged 60 plus by offering them support to become more physically active through in-person or online classes.
Members of the Active 60 programme have access to:
• Fitness Suites with a 1 to 1 tailored programme’s / programme reviews. • Designated Fitness Classes (Fit4Life, Stretch & Tone, Pilates, Yoga, Tai Chi, Fit4Life Dance, Fit4Life Multi Sports; Fit4Life Walking Netball; Aqua; Aqua Running; Les Mills Virtual BARRE, Les Mills Virtual Body Balance, Les Mills Virtual Sh’Bam) • Casual Swimming Sessions • Health Suite & Saunas (Except Monmouth).
Members are encouraged to link their physical activity to our My Wellness App via their smart phone’s or watches. This creates an online dashboard where activity can be monitored by attending gym/class, use of virtual class and outdoor activity such as sport, walking and cycling.
The MonLife Sport Development team also aims to connect members of the programme into local community clubs such as walking hockey; bowls; touch rugby and park run. By helping to create these pathways into the community it provides a wider variety of activities for members to participate in. this in turn helps members continue their health, wellbeing and enjoyment of physical activities as part of their everyday lifestyle.
The Active 60 Programme is also open to members that complete the National Exercise Referral Scheme (NERs) to help support them into lifelong physical activity and health.
Implementation:
Fitness Suites with a 1:1 Customer Journey with tailored programme’s / programme reviews.
Designated Fitness Classes (Fit4Life, Stretch & Tone, Pilates, Yoga, Tai Chi, Fit4Life Dance, Fit4Life Multi Sports; Fit4Life Walking Netball; Aqua; Aqua Running; Les Mills Virtual BARRE, Les Mills Virtual Body Balance, Les Mills Virtual Sh’Bam) Casual Swimming Sessions
Health Suite & Saunas (Except Monmouth).
We’re continually looking to improve the programme to encourage participation by introducing alternative activities like: Dance, Walking Netball and Multisport.
Results:
All members that join the Active 60 Programme will complete a fitness assessment on week 1 and week 8 . This is reported back to Sport Wales to highlight improvements to health and wellbeing for this age group.
Since the start of the programme in April 2021:
157 members have registered with us.
140 members have programmes on the MyWellness App.
83% have stayed for their first month of the programme.
“After the long layoff due to Long Covid it was good to get back to the gym not only for physical but also mental reasons. Being able to attend the gym is good for the head as it gives me a focus and something to look forward to. The attendance can still be interrupted by days where the energy levels are low, but the improvement is obvious to me, and the programme is now beginning to return to normal and adjustments have been made to keep the progress.”
If you’ve been looking for things to do during the upcoming Easter school holidays then look no further, MonLife has the answer – a whole programme of activities and events to keep even children of all ages (and their parents) entertained.
MonLife Learning has hatched some plans for free family fun between 11am and 3pm at Monmouth’s Shire Hall (Monday11th April), Chepstow Drill Hall (Thursday 21st April) and Abergavenny Museum (Friday 22nd April).
The ever-popular Monmouthshire Games (TMG) returns from Monday 11th – Thursday 14th April, and Wednesday 20th – Friday 22nd April. It’s a chance to learn new skills, build confidence, meet new people, and most importantly, have fun through sport. Each day promises to be action packed, and booking is essential as there are 50 spaces available per day. Children and young people between the ages of five and 11 will get the chance to experience, across the sessions, over 30 different sports. Sessions run from 8am to 5pm, and it costs £21 per day. Places can be booked via the MonLife website:
If you’re looking for something a little more adventurous then why not book one of MonLife Youth Service’s Adventure Taster Days. This series of outdoor adventure days will include – weather permitting – canoeing, caving, rock climbing and high ropes. The trips are open to young people in Years 7-10, so ages 11 to 15. Each trip has a set fee of £15, which covers the activity and transport, and will be led by professional outdoor education staff, accompanied by MonLife Youth Service Staff. Places are limited so booking is essential and the deadline is Friday 8th April, so you’ll need to be quick. Details of these sessions can be found on the MonLife website or by emailing youth@monmouthshire.gov.uk
The Cabin and Skate park in Abergavenny will run a free Skateboarding Workshop between noon and 2pm on Tuesday 12th April, when a professional skateboarder will help young people learn the basics of skateboarding. Monmouth’s Play Centre at the town’s leisure centre will also be open, offering three-storey action-packed fun. There’s even a special enclosed toddler area. Adults can relax with a cup of tea in the café, with free wi-fi access available. Don’t forget the swimming pools, gyms and classes are open throughout the holidays (excluding Friday 15th, Monday 18th and Tuesday 19th April).
Spring is officially here and Monmouthshire County
Council’s grounds team are about to start preparing the county’s open spaces
for the year ahead.
At the end of last year, the council’s team left some areas
for hibernation sites for insects, left seed heads for winter food, as well as
other wildlife-friendly considerations. Now, as we head towards summer, the
council will be following the selective mowing regime that was such a success
last year. This will start with a ‘first’ cut that will see most areas mown to
reset the grassland. After this, successive mowing will follow the Nature Isn’t
Neat principles to make space for wildlife and pollinator plants in open spaces
across Monmouthshire. This includes not mowing under trees (which will reduce
stress and disease), creating meadow spaces throughout our open spaces and road
verges. Some areas will be cut less frequently or on rotation, and some
areas will be left until late summer or early autumn to allow the grasses and
flowers to set seed.
A
spokesperson for Monmouthshire County Council said: “The feedback we received
about Nature Isn’t Neat showed overwhelming support of the approach and offered
some valuable insights on what was working well and where we can improve.
Taking account of this feedback, discussions with our operational crews and the
reduced impact of Covid on our ability to manage the work, residents will see
some changes to the mowing this year compared to the last two years and we will
continue to take feedback, and we will continue to make sure that play areas
and sports pitches are cut to the full extent.”
Nature
Isn’t Neat is an important part of the council’s response to the biodiversity
crisis and climate change. The management principles help pollinators and other
insects to thrive. This in turn supports other wildlife and improves long
term food security. The changes in management also increase the amount of
carbon drawn down into the soils and increases the ability of open spaces to
absorb water, reducing runoff, flooding and pollution and makes our environment
more resilient.
While most council owned green spaces will receive the
Nature Isn’t Neat approach, some areas are owned by housing associations and
not all of these have adopted the Nature Isn’t Neat approach, although they are
mown by the council under contract. It is hoped that more organisations will
get onboard with the selective mowing regime through the support of the
regional Nature isn’t Neat project, and help the county’s mission to improve
biodiversity and support wildlife.
If
you would like to get involved, a new Nature isn’t Neat survey will be launched
in May, Monmouthshire want to know what you think about its approach to ensure
the right balance is maintained between nature and recreation. For more
information visit: www.monmouthshire.gov.uk/nin/ and www.monlife.co.uk/outdoor/nature-isnt-neat/o.uk/outdoor/nature-isnt-neat/
or follow @MonmouthshireCC and @Natureisntneat on social media channels.
Register now to vote in May, TikTok star reminds Monmouthshire’s young people
Monmouthshire County Council’s MonLife Youth Service team
have been out in schools across Monmouthshire to promote the up-coming
elections. So far they’ve visited Caldicot and Abergavenny comprehensive
schools and plan to make their way to Monmouth and Chepstow before the Easter
holidays.
At King Henry School VIII in Abergavenny the team were
joined by Welsh TikTok Star Lewis Leigh. @Lewisleighh’s TikToks with his nan
currently have 1.6million followers – to create some short clips to encourage
young people to register to vote.
The Youth Services sessions have shown that Monmouthshire’s
young people are keen to get involved and are interested in knowing more about
the basics of the elections and the process. The Youth Services team are planning
an online session on Wednesday 13th April for young people 14-25 who
are interested in finding out more. They team will be joined by the Youth
Council to discuss topics including ‘what is a local election’, ‘how can I take
part’ and ‘where can I get information on my ward area and what members will be
standing in my area’. If you are under 18 and would like to be involved in the
discussion apply via this link https://forms.office.com/r/d7Rm49SBQ9
In this year’s elections, on 5th May, 16 and 17 year-olds will be able to take part but it’s essential that they register to vote before 14th April 2022. From the age of 14 young people can register to vote here:
Case Study: Green Infrastructure through Section 106
Objective:
Develop and / or improve community facilities and various open spaces in Monmouthshire via Section 106 funding.
Implementation:
Funding known as Section 106 (S106) can be used to develop and / or improve community facilities and various open spaces. This funding has been secured through a planning obligation request which is a deed or agreement attached to the land that is the subject of a planning permission. Contributions secured through planning obligations are used to mitigate or compensate for the negative impacts of a development. As a result, MonLife’s GI team carried out the following projects:
The Caldicot Corridor Improvements project – Aimed to create enhancements along Woodstock way and Newport road in Caldicot.
Caldicot GI enhancement project – Green Infrastructure (GI) improvements in the eastern part of Caldicot town as part of the Council’s Green Connections project, made along a selection of green route ways and in parks and amenity spaces in Caldicot which form important Active Travel routes through the town.
Caldicot Castle Country Park Pollinators project – Aimed to deliver a grassland enhancement and tree planting scheme. The project delivered a grass cutting plan to maximise wildflower meadows at the site and included ‘over-seeding’ of some areas with native wildflower seed.
The Monmouth Community Nature Spaces project – Complimented the WG Local Places for Nature funding to deliver a total of 11 significantly enhanced greenspaces. The scheme will also result in a reduction in the use of pesticides across the area. Local interest groups have been involved in the site development and are keen to undertake tree and food growing once the sites are complete.
Link Road Corridors Enhancement project (Monmouth) – Fully funded S106 project delivering species and habitat management and enhancement to compensate for loss of habitat to facilitate development nearby.
Results
The Caldicot Corridor Improvements project:
– 31 trees, 40 fruit trees, 100 bee friendly shrubs, 4 climbing plants, 1685 indigenous hedgerow plants, 8 sacks of daffodils, 20 trays of pollinator friendly bedding plants.
– 100 volunteer hours ( Keep Caldicot Tidy, Caldicot in Bloom, Keep Wales Tidy, Caldicot Castle Community Garden, Local Sustrans rangers, Caldicot Comprehensive School)
Caldicot GI enhancement project:
Caldicot Castle Country Park Pollinators project:
Caldicot Country Park Grassland Management
Caldicot Country Park tree planting
Nature flourishing in the region
Natural Fungi growing in the region
The Monmouth Community Nature Spaces project :
Figure 1: Significant tree planting has taken place across the area including at the Hendre Close open space where a tree nursery will also be located
Figure 2: Tree shrub and hedge planting has been complemented by pollinator plants and wildflower seed to deliver a more diverse space including wild play
11 sites improved for pollinators
9 sites with improved mowing practices
11 areas of pollinator planting
11 tree planting sites
9 areas of community orchard planting
3 community food growing beds
1 tree nursery
11 Improved seating areas
Link Road Corridors Enhancement project (Monmouth)
– 0.4ha grassland /scrub to maintain and enhance grassland species; supporting habitats for slow worm & dormice.
– 1.3ha woodland management supporting a variety of species of breeding birds
– Installation and monitoring of 44 dormice boxes and 2 reptile refugia.
– The scheme involved the Building Bridges group (young people with additional needs) to make dormouse boxes and undertake nut searches in the woodland.
