Spotlight: Supporting Cardiff's students

Thank you Guardian Cardiff for posting our guest post on their site. You can read the article here and below

Last year's poster is now being updated

Last year we created the free poster 'You're in. Now what?' (download here) to support students in the private rented sector.

It provides advice and assistance on the four main issues that concern students: Neighbour relations including noise and parking, waste and recycling responsibilities, security advice and health and safety.

We distributed this poster as far and as wide as possible. As you can appreciate, this had positive repercussions benefiting not only the students but also the wider community, landlords and agents. This facilitated an easier, safer, greener transition for students into the private rented sector and into the community with heightened awareness of social responsibilities.

I am currently updating this poster and intend a larger print run which would enable me to again offer free copies of the poster. I will be presenting the poster for distribution around student police and communities together (PACT) meetings and other community channels.

We are working to empower the community so I am able to offer the poster out to members of the community to display and distribute to your new student neighbours to help them during this often difficult and contentious time.

I have also been writing to my contacts through letting agents and landlords and am pleased to say that all letting agents who are an accredited ALMA agent have taken up this opportunity along with many others.

If there are any letting agents or landlords who haven't been contacted please get in touch if you are interested in receiving this information which may assist your company, clients and tenants. I will distribute to you to allow you to distribute and display throughout your properties, send them out during your property inspections, for distribution at key exchange and to send onto landlords. Please contact me with the number of copies that you require and a delivery address.

Come September, the start of term is often the first time many move out of halls or home and take on such a wide range of responsibilities – it can be very daunting.

Everyone can help with this transition and get the message of community out to those who need help and education. We encourage students to introduce themselves to their neighbours, and to respect the fact that not everyone works to a student calendar. I would appeal to the community that the warmer the welcome, the greater the ownership and respect we will secure from the newcomers. So if you can offer this information poster to your new neighbours, introduce yourself and make them feel a welcome part of the community we can hopefully contribute to a more sustainable community with heightened social awareness.

'You're in. Now what?' is produced and supported in association with http://www.cardiffdigs.co.uk/ a one stop website for student housing and living needs containing useful information and practical tips about living and studying in Cardiff.

If you would like to receive copies of the poster in preparation for September then please get in contact.

Kieran McCann is Cardiff council's student liaison officer and works in partnership with Cardiff, UWIC and Glamorgan universities. Email him here.

Lord Mayor raises £64K for LATCH

The Lord Mayor of Cardiff has concluded his year by presenting his nominated charity, LATCH Welsh Children’s Cancer Charity with a cheque for £64,000.

The presentation took place at LATCH’s Sky Ward in the Children’s Hospital for Wales in Cardiff with Judge Phillip Price, Chairman of LATCH, receiving the cheque.

Choosing LATCH as his nominated charity for the year was a relatively easy choice for the Lord Mayor, “I chose LATCH this year because when my granddaughter Poppy was 19 months old she was diagnosed with liver cancer and given only a 40% chance of survival. Having seen what LATCH do for the parents and the children here at the Children’s Hospital It was quite clear in my own mind that I should support them. So when I became Lord Mayor it was the ideal opportunity to give them something back.” he said.

Executive Chairman of LATCH, Judge Philip Price said, “We’re enormously grateful to The Lord Mayor and The Lady Mayoress, first of all for choosing LATCH as his charity and for the money that’s been raised through them. They’ve been indefatigable in attending occasions and events, in taking new initiatives and in raising the profile of LATCH. Quite apart from the financial benefit to the children and the families, we’ve been hugely heartened by their personal involvement. They know what it’s like to have a child who is desperately ill and their concern and warmth has been a huge help to the children and the families on the ward.”

Since the presentation, further monies have been received as a result of the Lord Mayor’s activities and the total has exceeded £65,000. People can donate directly to LATCH on their website at www.latchwales.org

cardiffdigs is proud to have been able to support the fund raising efforts of the Lord Mayor through its kitchen re-sale events, presenting the Lord Mayor with cheques for LATCH read about the campaign here
and the second cheque presentation here

One Wales: One Planet Wales Sustainability Week

Here at cardiffdigs we are gathering information and comments back from our Student Community Action Plan event; Sustainability and the Environment ready to set out some priorities and the action plan agenda for the coming year (read about it here) so it is very timely that Monday kicks off the beginning of One Wales: One Planet Wales Sustainability Week. We will be in attendance and hope to see some of you there.

Monday 16th May 9.45 – 1pm. Chapter Arts Centre, Canton. The event is free just contact slart@cardiff.gov.uk to book your place. The day will include a Keynote speech by Juliet Michaelson, New Economics Foundation on Promoting well-being in cities

The event will be opened by John Harrison, Environment Agency Wales and Councillor Rodney Berman, Leader of Cardiff Council. The full agenda can be downloaded from the Sustainable Living in Cardiff blog here 

Please try to arrive on foot, bike or public transport as parking is limited.

The calendar of events for the week can be found here