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Cardiff Council Update: 07 November 2023
Here is our latest update, covering:
- Remembrance Sunday - details of the National Service of Remembrance for Wales taking place in Cathays Park
- New menu for Primary Schools - celebrating National School Meals Week with something new
- Living Wage Week - Cardiff now has over 210 Living Wage employers, employing more than 76,000
The National Service of Remembrance for Wales
Wales' national observance of Remembrance Sunday, which is jointly hosted by Cardiff Council, the Welsh Government and in partnership with The Royal British Legion, will take place in Cardiff on Sunday, 12th November 2023.
Detachments from the Royal Navy, the Army, the Royal Air Force, Merchant Navy, Cadet Forces will march past City Hall and along King Edward VII Avenue to the Welsh National War Memorial in Alexandra Gardens, Cathays Park, Cardiff where they will arrive by 10:40am and form up around the memorial.
Those detachments will be joined by columns of ex-Servicemen and women, organised by the Royal British Legion and columns of civilians representing organisations connected with current and past conflicts.
A selection of music will be played by the Canton Salvation Army Band from 10:30am until shortly before 11am, when the service will begin with bidding and words of scripture given by Cardiff Council Honorary Chaplain, Reverend Canon Stewart Lisk. The Cardiff Military Wives Choir and the Cardiff Arms Park Male Voice Choir will lead the singing during the service.
At 10:59am a bugler from The Royal Welsh Regimental Band and Corps of Drums of The Royal Welsh will sound the ‘Last Post' followed at 11am by a gun of the 104 Regiment Royal Artillery, Newport who will be firing to mark the start of the two minutes' silence which will be observed. Its conclusion will again be marked by the firing of the gun and the playing of ‘Reveille' by the Bugler.
The Leader of Cardiff Council, Cllr Huw Thomas, and The First Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford MS, will join other participants in laying wreaths at the Welsh National War Memorial.
"In coming together as a capital city and as a nation for our annual service of remembrance, we honour the memories of those who gave their lives in service to their country and to stand in solidarity with all those affected by the relentless realities of war and conflict to this day. The ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East are powerful and tragic reminders of the human cost of war. May our gathering in remembrance serve as a solemn reminder of that enduring cost of conflict and mark the unyielding search for peace for all," Cllr Huw Thomas said.
Try something new! Cardiff launches new primary school meal menu during National School Meals Week: 6th - 10th November 2023
Cardiff celebrates National School Meals Week 2023 with the launch of a new primary school meal menu for the start of the new half term.
National School Meals Week is a nationwide campaign from LACA - The School Food People, which aims to shine a light on the benefits that quality school meals have on the health and wellbeing of children and young people. The campaign also highlights the value of school meals, particularly for families who may be experiencing challenges caused by the cost-of-living crisis and rising food costs. You can read more here:
National School Meals Week - National School Meals Week (lacansmw.co.uk)
This year, the week-long campaign aims to encourage children who haven't tried meals in a while to give them a go, or for existing customers to sample new dishes.
Cardiff's new primary school meal menu has been developed to offer ten new dishes alongside pupil's favourites. A range of improvements have been made to the new menu, including using a number of Welsh products such as bread, sausages and yoghurts, helping to support the Welsh economy and promoting sustainability.
Two portions of vegetables will continue to be offered with each meal as part of Cardiff Council's continuing commitment to the Peas Please veg pledge, which is above the minimum standard from Healthy Eating in Schools (Nutritional Standards and Requirements Wales 2013), all fish products are certified sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and the number of plant-based options across main courses and desserts have been expanded.
The menu is fully compliant with Healthy Eating in Schools and has received the certificate of compliance from the Welsh Local Government Association, who are responsible for monitoring compliance in Wales.
Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Education, Cllr Sarah Merry, said: "We know that providing healthy and nutritious school meals has a positive impact on learners and National School Meals week helps to highlight this. Our school catering teams work hard to develop a varied and inclusive menu for children to enjoy, meeting the requirements set by Welsh Government. In addition, with the use of Welsh, British and certified products, families can be reassured that opting for school meals provides a range of positive benefits."
Living Wage Week: More Important Than Ever
"The right thing to do", "a positive impact on staff", "it's important that people who work hard are paid accordingly".
This Living Wage Week (November 6 - 12), these are just some of the thoughts of one Cardiff employer that recently joined more than 200 other organisations in the city by becoming a Living Wage employer.
Cardiff Council supported the Norwegian Church Arts Centre in Cardiff Bay to gain Living Wage employer accreditation and pay their staff the real Living Wage earlier this year.
The centre's general manager, Gareth Roberts, explains why: "We decided that it felt like the right thing to do. We're a small team here and although there was a financial impact for us as a business, that impact really paled into insignificance compared to the positive impact that it would have for our minimum wage staff.
"Hospitality can be quite a demanding industry to work in and they work hard. It just felt appropriate to pay them accordingly. It's made the staff happier."
Ren Tryner who works at the Norwegian Church Art Centre, said: "Working for a Living Wage employer is pretty great in my opinion. Obviously, it means more money and every little helps in this sort of climate."
Organisations like the Norwegian Church Arts Centre have helped Cardiff, a Living Wage City, achieve ambitious targets. There are now more than 210 accredited Living Wage employers in the city, employing in excess of 76,000 workers of whom over 13,000 have had an uplift to the real Living Wage.
The current real Living Wage rate for Wales was recently announced as £12 per hour - an independently-set rate calculated according to the basic cost of living in the UK. The rate aims to ensure that no-one should have to work for less than they can live on.
This Living Wage Week, Cardiff's Living Wage City Partnership has set a new target for 300 accredited Living Wage employers in Cardiff, employing 95,000 staff of whom 13,900 will see their pay uplifted to the real Living Wage by November 2025.
