World book night celebrated in Cardiff

Libraries across Cardiff will celebrate World Book Night on Monday April 23, with the event marked across the UK, Ireland, Germany and the USA

World Book Night is a celebration of reading and books, and sees thousands of people share books within their communities for people to benefit and enjoy. People from across the UK have registered to receive free books so they can distribute within their local community. The night is a great incentive to encourage library users new and old to go along to their local library and find out about the great services and events on offer.

Operational Manager of Cardiff Libraries, Elspeth Morris, said: “Reading a book can be a life-changing experience! World Book Night is a great opportunity to celebrate and share the benefits reading can bring to people who may not be avid readers. Libraries are fundamental to reading so naturally we want to see everybody reading, not just on World Book Night, but every night!”

Events taking place in Cardiff include -

Canton Library

Monday April 23 from 7pm - 10pm. Live music from local musicians, Philip Gross winner of Wales Book of the Year 2010 will read some of his latest work. Deborah Kay Davies winner of Wales Book of the Year 2009 will be reading from her work and there will also be poetry readings from Norman Schwenk. Get your free ticket now from Canton Library, Tel: 2022 9935, Email: cantonlibrary@cardiff.gov.uk

Fairwater Library

Monday April 23 ,meet local author Eileen Younghusband, Barbara Pontin and Annette Williams will be in the library are various times to read extracts from their work For more info, Tel: 2078 5583, Email: fairwaterlibrary@cardiff.gov.uk

Cardiff Central Library

Friday Apri 27th, World Book Night Quiz, teams of up to 5 people can battle it out to win the cash prize.
Starting at 7.30 the quiz is £1 per person and everyone who enters receives a free book! To register or for further information contact Grangetown Library, Tel: 2023 0526, Email: grangetownlibrary@cardiff.gov.uk


For more details on library events, visit www.cardiff.gov.uk/libraryevents Or you can Like Cardiff Libraries
on Facebook or Follow them on Twitter to receive the latest updates http://www.facebook.com/cardiff.central.library and http://www.twitter.com/cdflibraries

Free ticket to Varsity for a few hours of your time

On Wed 2nd May the annual Cardiff v Swansea University, Varsity sports day is taking place. The majority of games will be held in Pontcanna fields and Welsh Institute of Sport, before the flagship rugby match in the evening in the Millennium Stadium.

Keep Wales Tidy (http://www.keepwalestidy.org/) have been recruited to manage the site for litter; rather than pay an expensive private contractor, the University will make a donation to Keep Wales Tidy to support their amazing environmental work.

So, they need your help! We need to muster a team of volunteers to patrol the fields from 1 – 7pm

People who volunteer for a shift will be given a free ticket for the rugby match (price £10). There are 3 shifts: 1-3pm, 3-5pm and 5-7pm

So, if you would like to help please let Louise know the following info.

Name:
Preferred shift: 1-3pm; 3-5pm; 5-7pm
Contact phone number:
Contact e-mail:

If you have any questions, please just get in contact with Louise.

All equipment provided, no experience required.

louise.tambini@keepwalestidy.org

Tel: 02920 726976

Wales Coast Path Clean Up

In preparation for the opening of the Wales Coast Path on 5th May 2012, Keep Wales Tidy have organised a weekend-long event to clean as much of the path as possible of any unwanted litter and to showcase the fantastic Welsh coastline – and the search is on for willing volunteers to come and help.

The ‘Wales Coast Path Clean Up’ takes place on the weekend of 27 - 29 April 2012 and Keep Wales Tidy along with local community groups will be organising events along the whole length of the path. This is a great opportunity for the people of Wales and visitors alike to spend a couple of hours discovering the path and picking up unsightly litter at the same time.

If you would like to take part in an organised clean up or if you would like to arrange your own event on your favourite part of the coast path please visit the Keep Wales Tidy website http://www.keepwalestidy.org/ for more information or e-mail coastpathcleanup@keepwalestidy.org

More information on the Wales Coast Path can be found on the Countryside Council for Wales website http://www.ccw.gov.uk/

Unity News issue 8 now online

Issue 8 is now online at http://www.cardiffdigs.co.uk/unity.htm

UNITY news is your opportunity to find out about how the universities and student unions of Cardiff engage the community.

This issue includes information on Student Volunteering, Fairtrade, Environmental Champions and our latest Get It Out For Cardiff Partnership among others http://www.cardiffdigs.co.uk/getitout.htm

We have installed a shiny new reader which should make it easier to read; click over the issue to view in full screen and flick through the pages.

We have also launched a new enews subscription service so that you can keep updated on news, issues and campaigns. Sign up to receive enews on the link right off the homepage:

http://www.cardiffdigs.co.uk/

Also you can now follow us on twitter @cardiffdigs

Get It Out For Cardiff; YMCA first collection

On Friday the Get It Out For Cardiff YMCA team undertook their first collection. I am thrilled to say that they collected 53 bags of re-usable items from our banks so approximately a third of a ton has been donated and saved from landfill already.




From left to right Andrew Jenkins YMCA manager,
Kieran McCann Student Liaison Officer, Lucy Prisk Waste Management


The Get It Out For Cardiff team working on the re-use charity side of the campaign launched the new partnership with 14 re-use banks installed and trialled across key student locations. The YMCA have joined the scheme and re-use banks will collect clothing, textiles, small electrical items, books, CD’s DVD’s year round.

The banks are located around Cardiff University, Cardiff Students Union, Cardiff Metropolitan University, Liberty Living and Victoria Halls across Cardiff a pin point map of the locations can be found here other sites are being identified and installed as the scheme progresses.

This allows the scheme to become a year round campaign that targets other key move out dates as well as the end of term. The YMCA will use the materials and any proceeds from the collections to directly reinvest in projects and services for homeless people at the Cardiff YMCA Housing Association.

Each year at the end of term Green Zones are installed across halls of residences and unions to collect re-usable items for charity. Last year the scheme to collect re-usable items that previously would’ve been destined for landfill was a resounding success with over nine tonnes of items collected.

The end of term Green Zones will work in conjunction with the re-use banks and continue to collect food for FareShare and kitchen items that will be stored over the summer by Cardiff Self Storage and sold at the start of term with all proceeds going to charity.

Get It Out For Cardiff is a Keep Cardiff Tidy partnership. The re-use campaign is lead by the cities Student Liaison Officer, Kieran McCann and Lucy Prisk from waste management. Kieran said:

“We are always looking at inventive ways to increase the scope of re-use so I’m delighted the YMCA has come on board with the partnership. This allows us to develop the scheme year round, increase re-use, continue to divert items away from landfill and benefit charities and the local community. This really showcases ongoing partnership commitments to civic pride and dedications to recycling”

Andrew Jenkins, YMCA manager said: “We are thrilled to be involved and come on board with such an innovative scheme. With the funds from donations we will develop more training placements on the YMCA Volunteer Scheme and invest in projects and services for homeless people at the Cardiff YMCA Housing Association. Our sincere thanks to Kieran, Lucy and the team for pulling this together”

Campaign information including pin point google maps of the locations of the Green Zones and YMCA banks can be founds via the website:

http://www.cardiffdigs.co.uk/getitout.htm

Abandoned bicycles get a new lease of life

Cardiff Council, in partnership with Cycle Training Wales has launched a new initiative to clear up and recycle abandoned bikes left around the city centre. The joint scheme between the City Centre Management Team and Cardiff Cycle Workshop aims to increase access to cycling and reduce the number of bikes going onto the scrapheap by reconditioning them and reselling good quality bikes at affordable prices.

Unwanted and abandoned bikes are taken in by the Cardiff Cycle Workshop, a not for profit social enterprise, and are reconditioned and sold to the general public during monthly workshop sales. All the bikes undergo a thorough assessment before being serviced using both new and recycled components. Finally they are subjected to a pre-delivery inspection by a qualified mechanic before they are put on sale.

Cardiff has a problem with deserted bikes left around the city centre. If a bike has been abandoned notices will be placed on them giving the owners seven days to remove the bike under section 148 and 149 Highways Act 1980. If they are not removed by the owners during the seven day period they will be removed and kept for 30 days at the Cycle Wales compound. After the 30 days they will undergo the recycling process.

Sales of the bikes are held at the workshop on the first Saturday of the month or people can visit the workshop during opening hours. The team also hold sales at schools and community organisations.

Rob Corp, Operational Manager for City Centre and Events said: “This is an excellent initiative which tackles the issue of people leaving un-wanted bikes around the city centre, whilst also giving something back to the community. By recycling them, more people have access to good quality, value for money bikes and can enjoy cycling as a hobby or regular method of transport.”

Jon Howes, Workshop Coordinator for Cardiff Cycle Workshop said: “We are delighted to enter into a partnership with Cardiff Council once again. We always need bikes to refurbish and we can help keep the city centre tidy at the same time.

or more information about the scheme please visit www.cycletrainingwales.org.uk/cardiffcycleworkshop or call Cycle Training Wales on 029 2039 7283.

Get It Out For Cardiff charity re-use scheme goes from strength to strength

The Get It Out For Cardiff team working on the re-use charity side of the campaign are launching a new partnership. 14 re-use banks are being installed and trialled across key student locations. The YMCA have joined the scheme and re-use banks will collect clothing, textiles, small electrical items, books, CD’s DVD’s year round.


From left to right Andrew Jenkins YMCA manager,
Kieran McCann Student Liaison Officer, Lucy Prisk Waste Management

 The banks are located around Cardiff University, Cardiff Students Union, Cardiff Metropolitan University, Liberty Living and Victoria Halls across Cardiff (Map of locataions here) with other sites being identified and installed as the scheme progresses. This allows the scheme to become a year round campaign that targets other key move out dates as well as the end of term. The YMCA will use the materials and any proceeds from the collections to directly reinvest in projects and services for homeless people at the Cardiff YMCA Housing Association.

Each year at the end of term Green Zones are installed across halls of residences and unions to collect re-usable items for charity. Last year the scheme to collect re-usable items that previously would’ve been destined for landfill was a resounding success with over nine tonnes of items collected.

The end of term Green Zones will work in conjunction with the re-use banks and continue to collect food for FareShare and kitchen items that will be stored over the summer by Cardiff Self Storage and sold at the start of term with all proceeds going to charity.
Get It Out For Cardiff is a Keep Cardiff Tidy partnership. The re-use campaign is lead by the cities Student Liaison Officer, Kieran McCann and Lucy Prisk from waste management. Kieran said:

“We are always looking at inventive ways to increase the scope of re-use so I’m delighted the YMCA has come on board with the partnership. This allows us to develop the scheme year round, increase re-use, continue to divert items away from landfill and benefit charities and the local community. This really showcases ongoing partnership commitments to civic pride and dedications to recycling”

Andrew Jenkins, YMCA manager said: “We are thrilled to be involved and come on board with such an innovative scheme. With the funds from donations we will develop more training placements on the YMCA Volunteer Scheme and invest in projects and services for homeless people at the Cardiff YMCA Housing Association. Our sincere thanks to Kieran, Lucy and the team for pulling this together”

Campaign information including pin point google maps of the locations of the Green Zones and YMCA banks can be founds via the website: http://www.cardiffdigs.co.uk/getitout.htm

Space Invaders invade union

A retro games console invaded Cardiff Students Union on Friday. The coffee table sized machine created a stir of excitement at the union during the end of term event. At a £1 a go players got the opportunity to re-live the thrill of old school retro games such as Pac man, Donkey Kong, Space Invaders and Galactica.

Each player and person who entered by donating a pound has been put into a prize draw for the chance to win the machine.

£90.23 was raised on Friday with all proceeds being donated to the Lord Mayor’s chosen charity Cancer Research Wales http://crw.org.uk/

Many thanks to Raise And Give, Student Volunteering Cardiff and cardiffdigs, for providing some great volunteers for the event