Here is your Friday update, covering:
- Council agrees its vision for next three years
- The small things making a big difference for Cardiff's homeless
- Our City: Our Language - Capital's new one-stop-shop website for all things Welsh
- ‘Apple Tree Man' planted at heart of new Community Orchard site in Bute Park
Council agrees its vision for next three years
Cardiff Council has published its Corporate Plan, outlining the priorities and goals it has set itself for the next three years and beyond.
The document sets out how the Council will deliver its ‘Stronger, Fairer, Greener' vision for Cardiff, to improve the lives of all its residents through its broad programme of works.
It was discussed initially by the Council's Scrutiny committees, before being agreed by Cabinet. The plan will now go forward to the full Council meeting on Thursday, March 7, to be debated and voted on.
Council leader Cllr Huw Thomas welcomed the approval of the plan and said it was a vital part of the Council's commitment to deliver a ‘Stronger, Fairer, Greener' city for its residents. "We have made good progress since our re-election in 2022. Despite the cost-of-living crisis and the after-effects of the pandemic we believe Cardiff is well-placed to lead the recovery in Wales.
"There is much work to do, however, and these seven clear well-being objectives acknowledge the challenges facing the city but also demonstrate what we want to - and can - achieve."
The small things making a big difference for Cardiff's homeless
A cooker, a bike, a passport, and a new suit. Relatively small value items can make a big difference to the life of someone experiencing homelessness. This St David's Day sees the launch of the Small Things Make a Big DIFFerence campaign, with the opening of six new donation points across Cardiff city centre to help tackle homelessness in the Welsh capital.
The campaign is part of the relaunch of Give DIFFerently's partnership approach to tackling homelessness in Cardiff between FOR Cardiff and existing homeless charities and organisations.
First launched in 2018, Give DIFFerently has since raised over £12,000 and issued 32 grants to Cardiff based organisations and charities working with people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
Six new donation points across Cardiff city centre will allow people to use their smartphones to scan a QR code and make a quick and easy payment directly to the Give DIFFerently fund knowing that 100 per cent of their donation will go directly towards supporting people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
The Give DIFFerently fund is managed by Community Foundation Wales, an independent non-profit organisation who support grassroots community groups with funding to help create equality and opportunity in Welsh communities. Cardiff based charities and organisations can apply for grants of between £25 - £2,000 through Community Foundation Wales to purchase essential items and vocational training to support people in their journey away from homelessness.
Now for the first time Cardiff Council's Housing and Communities team can apply for funding through Give Differently, meaning that more people will benefit from the fund.
Our City: Our Language - Capital's new one-stop-shop website for all things Welsh
There's a new dragon in town this St David's Day, and her name is Tesni!
Tesni is the face of a brand new website launched today, on our patron saint's day to promote the Welsh language in the capital city.
Following a citywide competition for school pupils to give the dragon a name, won by Annabel from year one at Whitchurch Primary School, Tesni guides visitors to the new website Our City: Our Language.
The site provides a wealth of information on services, activities, events and opportunities to use Welsh in Cardiff for citizens of all ages and includes sections on early years provision, education, student life and more.
As well as English and Welsh, a welcome message to the site is also available in nine languages commonly used in Cardiff, to promote the language and Welsh language services and opportunities to all communities in the city.
‘Apple Tree Man' planted at heart of new Community Orchard site in Bute Park
Sixteen heritage fruit trees have been planted at a new Community Orchard site at Blackweir in Bute Park, including the ‘Apple Tree Man' which is the traditional name given to the oldest apple tree in an Orchard.
Bute Park's ‘Apple Tree Man' is a Gower apple tree with mistletoe, which was planted alongside four other heritage apple varieties, as Cardiff Council's ‘Coed Caerdydd' urban forest project hosted local residents at the new orchard site on Saturday (24 February).
A range of different pear trees, cherries, plums, greengages, and damsons were also planted. Beneath the trees, wildflowers will also be grown, creating a biodiverse, colourful and inviting space for visitors to the park to enjoy.
The idea for the orchard was developed by the community in 2021, as a positive response to serious vandalism that left many trees in the park damaged.