Cardiff Rivers Group

cardiffdigs.co.uk supporter of I Will for Wales was out and about helping Cardiff Rivers Group litter pick an area just below Radyr. The group were in full sweat in the glorious Spring sunshine on Saturday as they undertook a back-breaking project to remove tons of waste from the river Taff.

KWT volunteers removing a motorbike from the Taff

The area below Radyr had never been tackled before due to the lack of vehicle access to remove collected waste, but this did not deter 28 volunteers who were joined by staff from Cardiff Council with their boat.

The group spent over 4 hours collecting and transporting over 2 tonnes of waste in 12 boat trips including bikes, tyres, traffic cones, 750cc motorbike, a wheelchair, large metal wheelie bin, 2 lifejackets and of course, about 10 trollies. Wader-wearing volunteers loaded up the boat and transported it across the river to be unloaded and Cardiff Council will dispose of all collected waste.

Wader-wearing volunteers load up boat and transport waste across the river

Group Secretary Dave King, said, “Today was a fabulous day and a fabulous turnout of volunteers. We’ve wanted to tackle this area for ages and I am delighted that we have finally managed to do it. This was made possible by the use of the Council’s boat for which we are very grateful”.

Group Member, Louise Tambini added, “I’m sure that volunteers had lots of other things they could have been doing on such a lovely day, but the fact that so many of them gave up their time to help today just shows their determination and dedication to clean up the rivers of Cardiff. I was so pleased to see that half the volunteers travelled to today’s event by bike or public transport which shows their commitment to the broader environment and climate change ”

KWT volunteers removing waste from the River Taff

Cardiff Rivers Group formed in 2009 as part of Keep Wales Tidy’s ‘Tidy Towns’ project, a partnership between Keep Wales Tidy and Welsh local authorities. Funded by the Welsh Assembly Government it supports the people of Wales to improve the quality of their local environment.

Cardiff Rivers Group are always looking for new volunteers, so if you would like to lend a hand, please contact Louise Tambini on 07824 504790 or email louise.tambini@keepwalestidy.org.

The next event will take place on Easter Saturday (23rd April) when they will be returning to Bute Park.

KWT volunteers removing waste from the River Taff

Going home for Easter?

The Student Police Initiative will be patrolling the streets of Cathays tomorrow night with Police officers sending out community messages and reiterating the importance of safety advice at this time of year. Please make them feel welcome if they come knocking on your door.

Volunteers from the Student Police Initiative

During the year the Student Police Initiative have been telling students and residents to Lock it. Hide it. Keep it. This becomes even more important towards the end of term when empty student property becomes a target for burglary.

The message from the Police is:

Take any valuables home with you

Ensure all doors and windows are locked when you leave

Clear gardens of items such as bricks/ladders that could be used to force entry

Ask your landlord/letting agent or trusted neighbour to keep an eye on your house during the holidays and ask them to push through any mail left hanging from letter boxes and bring in your bins

So the house appears occupied set up light timers to come on whilst you are away and close curtains in ground floor bedrooms

Remove obvious signs from windows that it’s a student house e.g. posters

Make sure the boiler comes on for a few hours each day to prevent pipes from freezing

When you return don’t leave packaging of expensive items on display or in bins as burglars know the packaging relates to items worth stealing

Go to http://www.immobilise.com/ a free property protection register for any electrical items, mobiles, bikes, laptops etc

http://www.cardiffdigs.co.uk/lockithideitkeepit.htm for more safety advice

Cardiff Students and cardiffdigs.co.uk represented in new museum

A new museum dedicated to the history of Cardiff has officially opened in the city; The Cardiff Story Museum shows how much the city has changed over the last 200 years. The Museum focuses on telling Cardiff’s history through the eyes of those who made it – its people.

cardiffdigs.co.uk was asked to contribute to this exhibition and highlight some of the positive influences of students on the city. You can explore a number of photos and quotes from the cities student liaison officer and cardiffdigs.co.uk on the digital screens related to the ‘Changing face of Cardiff’ section in the exhibition.

Students litter picking in the community

“As well as the financial benefits students bring to a community they volunteer hours of their time using a wealth of skills to help within the community. It’s my job to encourage good relations between new and existing residents, by educating students about social responsibilities and finding ways where we all can contribute to a cleaner, greener, safer, healthier and more optimistic city.”
Kieran McCann. Cardiff Council’s Student Liaison Officer.

The new Museum provides an introduction to the city for visitors and a community resource for residents. The Museum is open seven days a week on the site of the iconic Victorian Grade II* listed Old Library. Entry is free.

Museum Manager, Dr. Kathleen Howe, said: “It’s been a unique opportunity to start a city museum and collection from scratch – a mammoth but very enjoyable task! I know that The Cardiff Story team has found it a real privilege to work with the community groups, individuals and organisations across the city and county, to gather objects, information and stories that will represent Cardiff’s long history for generations to come.”



The Student Police Initiative reminding people to Lock it. Hide it. Keep it.