Allotments.
The community allotment runs to promote healthy eating and living and therefore wellbeing. The Duffryn Landladies, as they are known, meet each Thursday at Forest Children's Centre at 9.30am. We now have a local man Mr David Howell lookings after the allotment for us. We hope to develop the allotment further, possibly for use by a Dad's group. We now hope to use some organically grown produce at Cafe Coed.
The Landladies also 'work' a small piece of land in the grounds of Forest Children's Centre. Don't be put off by the name; men are welcome also! A cup of tea and a chat afterwards is compulsory!
Bob would like to say a Big "Thank You" to the volunteers who have supported this project so consistently. If you would like to have a chat about joining the group please give us a call on 01633 816916, they are a great bunch and you will be made welcome. Think about giving us a call.
Bike Club.
The Bike Club continues to run and is particularly mindful of the health benefits of cycling, in addition to today's environmental issues. Various activities are run including bike trips throughout the local area.
The club has evolved and moved slightly away from a repair facility and now offers regular ride-outs in the grounds of Tredegar House. Thanks are due to International Rectifier and Newport Local Health Board for their support of this facility.
We now have three volunteers, men from the Duffryn Estate, who are helping to deliver this project consistently. They are Dafydd McCarthy and Terry Williams and Nathan Bennett. Big thanks to Karen McCarthy for filling in wherever she's able. The volunteers are now qualified to British Cycling Association Silver and Silver Plus Standard and are currently looking to deliver cycle maintenance training in local schools. If you can spare just a couple of hours once a week and would like to be involved and undertake some training please contact Bob Barry or Chris Porter on 01633 816916. The Club meets on Thursdays 4-6pm and meets at Duffryn Community Link Office.
July 2007 saw Lucy Powell, Chris Porter and Bob Barry being trained to deliver cycling proficiency training. The training took place at Duffryn Junior School where six pupils were put through their paces. Many thanks to Mr John Jackson for the instruction and to Headmaster Mr Kelland for supporting this initiative. A very special mention to 3Ms for donating 100 Hi-visibility vests which will be given to the children on completion of training. It's really good to see 'giants' such as 3Ms supporting local efforts to keep our children safe.
Cafe Coed.
The cafe is located at Forest Children's Centre in the grounds of Duffryn Infant and Junior Schools at Partridge Way. The Cafe is run by one paid worker and further staffed by community volunteers. The aim of the Cafe is to educate and inform, while providing healthy eating options.
The cafe also provides buffets to meet in-house requirements. Prices are very reasonable, I suspect that we are the cheapest in Newport! Once again, this project is supported by International Rectifier, Forest Children's Centre and Newport Local Health Board.
A 'Baby Cafe' is held there once a week on a Thursday and is provides an opportunity to engage with other community members, make new friends and 'have a cuppa and a slice of healthy cake' for just one pound!
Each Wednesday our older residents, can enjoy a healthy cooked lunch just £1.50. Ideally we would like to open this up to all of our older residents, but space and time prevents this. We have piloted this scheme at Nightingale Court, as generally speaking the residents are more independent than those at Aneurin Bevan Court. Unfortunately, we are unable to provide transport and this can limit uptake from people with mobility problems, however the scheme is open to all, and if you would like to know more please give us a call.
I'd like to say a big thank you to our lady volunteers who provide this service, It can be very hard work, in difficult working conditions; their contribution is enormous and, as with all our volunteers, they are valued greatly.
The original concept of Cafe Coed was that it would become a social enterprise possibly towards the end of 2007 or early 2008. If you require further information please call 01633 816916.
LATE NEWS!! We are now able to offer Healthy Lunch Boxes at very reasonable prices. This is offered through local lady Tammy Sheehan; if you would like to know more call us on 01633 816916 or contact Forest Children's Centre on 01633 816774 for more details.
Help the Aged.
In 2007 we able to secure small funding opportunities for Duffryn Community Church, Duffryn Tea Dancers, for a Summer Picnic which took place on August 23rd at Nightingale Court. Thanks to our fantastic volunteers Margaret Jones and Elsie Foley a delightful buffet was enjoyed by 50 people, entertainment was provided by vocalist Jake King and a smashing afternoon was enjoyed by all who attended. Thanks also to Betty, who cooked and donated two delicious 'Sweets' which were eaten with relish. Help the Aged? I think as Development Officer, I need their help more than they need mine!
Thanks also to the staff at Nightingale Court, who always make a great effort to accommodate such events and very special thanks to HELP THE AGED for funding this event. December 2007 also saw us secure financial support from HELP THE AGED for the residents at Anuerin Bevan Court. HELP THE AGED were also asking for older people who may be alone at Christmas to think about inviting a neighbour or friend along, as so many older people can feel very alone at that time of year. It's a brilliant idea, and one that should not just be saved for Christmas! Think about someone that you know who may be alone, get together and extend it throughout the year. Remember a stranger is just a friend that you haven't yet met!
Food Co-op.
Duffryn Food Co-op has run for just over three years now, it runs from The Den, 7, Sandpiper Way every Wednesday between 9am-12noon. We offer seasonal produce and bags of vegetables, fruit or salad can be had for £2.00 per bag. Orders are placed and paid for a week in advance. This again, is run by volunteers at no cost to the community. The whole amount is spent on produce. Diet is so important to enjoying good health and this gives an opportunity to be part of something which is an aid to good health.
A group of young people that come together to discuss issues of the estate. They recently produced a film called 'Branded' which was premiered at The Riverfront in October 2007. This film examined the stereotyping of young people in the area. The group are currently working on a show for Christmas. We are always looking for new members, so if you are interested, we'd love to hear from you. Call Chris Porter on 01633 816916
The Youth Forum at Work