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Cardiff Council Update: 21 November 2023
Here is your latest update, covering:
- Period Dignity programme expanded - further rollout of the provision for school children and young people launched in 2019
- Annual library service assessment - new national report finds that Cardiff libraries are performing strongly
- Zero carbon road renewal - Pengam Road resurfaced using new zero carbon techniques
- World Children's Day - Cardiff reflects on becoming the UK's first ever UNICEF Child Friendly City and what it means for you
Period Dignity programme expanded
Cardiff Council's programme to promote period dignity has been further expanded.
From the start of the new term, reusable period pants have become available for learners in primary schools, free of charge.
As well as being an excellent eco-friendly option, period pants are proving to be popular with young people due to their ease of use, as well as to prepare them for their first period.
Period pants are already available in Cardiff secondary schools, along with a wider range of eco-friendly and reusable options.
Since 2019, Cardiff's period dignity initiative has seen an investment of almost £1.5million, providing those who need them with access to free period products. The aim of the initiative is to help tackle stigma and address period poverty in communities, whilst improving school facilities to ensure dignity for learners.
Cardiff Council Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Education, Cllr Sarah Merry said: "Cardiff's period dignity programme has gone from strength to strength and over the last five years, hundreds of thousands of period products have been delivered to schools, helping to alleviate barriers to education and address matters of affordability.
Funded by Welsh Government, the programme has contributed to Cardiff's recognition of becoming a UNICEF Child Friendly City, where the views and priorities of children are at the heart of decision making.
Strong Cardiff performance in annual library service assessment
Cardiff Libraries Service is performing strongly in meeting the needs of its customers with a clear commitment to health and wellbeing, according to a new national report.
Every year, libraries services across Wales are assessed against the Welsh Public Library Standards and once again, Cardiff's provision has been commended for the top quality services provided to residents around the city.
The standards framework comprises of core entitlements, quality indicators with targets, quality indicators with benchmarks and impact measures. Cardiff has met all 12 core entitlements of the standards in full and of the 10 quality indicators which have targets, is achieving nine in full and one in part.
The annual assessment reported that Cardiff provided a wide range of activities and services to support the city's diverse communities, and in particular, there is a strong commitment to health and wellbeing with the city, ranking in the top quartile of library authorities for adults who feel the library makes a difference in terms of skills development, and health and wellbeing.
The city is in the top quartile of library services for number of visits and virtual visits per capita and while the number of physical visits to the city's libraries has not returned to pre-pandemic levels, virtual visits have increased markedly, with demand for digital reading materials continuing to rise rapidly.
Children's resources are a recognised as a priority for the service, which offers a comprehensive children's events programme with activities across the age range.
The newly-refurbished Rhiwbina Hub, which opened earlier this year, is highlighted as an exemplar of a vibrant, community space while the service's programme of events and activities for adults at community hubs is helping to tackle social isolation and loneliness.
Cardiff libraries and hubs have more PCs per capita than the Welsh average and recent introductions to facilities include WiFi printing and a signing video app which allows deaf customers to communicate directly with interpreters.
Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities, Cllr Lynda Thorne, said: "We are thrilled with our performance against the Welsh Public Library Standards and so pleased that our strong emphasis on delivering a service that seeks to boost people's health and wellbeing is so well-recognised in the report."
New way to resurface roads with zero carbon impact and no carbon offset trialled in Cardiff
Pengam Road in Splott, Cardiff, has been resurfaced using a new pioneering technique to ensure that the materials used have a negative carbon impact.
An 877m² section of Pengam Road has been resurfaced using a surface course mix containing slag steel aggregate and Biochar, incorporating and imbedding the equivalent weight of naturalized carbon into the surfacing, with a saving of over of 4.5 tonnes of emitted carbon.
The key ingredient to this is Biochar, which is a by-product of waste treatment technology, Pyrolysis. All organic material (wood, food, compost, sewage) degrades naturally, eventually releasing all of its carbon into the atmosphere. Pyrolysis uses heat treatment at 500 and 600 Degrees Celsius without oxygen which captures the Biogas, Syngas and Biochar of organic matter. The resulting Biochar has a high stable carbon element, which in turn is incorporated into the new surfacing material to give the negative carbon impact.
Working closely with our contractor Miles Macadam, the council is trialling this unique material and variations of design, as the more biochar that is added to the mix, the lower the carbon impact of the materials that are used. If enough Biochar is added to the product, the impact of other items involved in the process, such as transporting the materials, could also become carbon neutral by default. Again, if this system is used in all road resurfacing works, it would result in significant carbon savings across the city and nationally.
Cllr Dan De'Ath, Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning and Transport said: "The council is continuing our journey to reduce the carbon impact of council services, and this is an excellent example of how we can reduce the carbon impact of resurfacing our roads. Climate change is the biggest threat facing our planet and steps must be taken to reduce the amount of carbon produced in our everyday lives. The reduction of carbon in the petrochemical industry, which includes road resurfacing, is quite an achievement and we are now looking on how to reduce the carbon impact further, so we can resurface roads with zero carbon impact and without a need for carbon offsetting."
On World Children's Day Cardiff reflects on becoming the UK's first ever UNICEF Child Friendly City and what it means for you
To coincide with World Children's Day, a UNICEF Child Friendly City flag will be flown from a bastion at Cardiff Castle, as the Welsh Capital reflects on last month's proud announcement that the city has been officially declared a UNICEF Child Friendly City - the first of its kind in the UK.
The prestigious globally recognised status has been awarded in recognition of the steps the council and its partners have taken over the past five years to advance the human rights of children and young people across the city.
What does UNICEF Child Friendly City recognition mean for children, young people and their families living in Cardiff?
For children, being in a Child Friendly Cardiff means the city is set up to make your life better and more fun. From being able to safely play outside, to schools that teach you about the things that matter to you, Cardiff is always working to make sure you can be happy, learn lots, and feel safe. We want you to know about the rights that you have, feel listened to and be able to take part in making decisions about things that matter to you.
To find out what opportunities are available to have your say on the issues that are important to you, please visit childfriendlycardiff@cardiff.gov.uk
For young people, being a Child Friendly Cardiff means your city listens to you, values your opinions, and works to make your life better. From schools that teach you about your rights, to youth boards that supports you to have a say in health policies, Cardiff is committed to making sure you and your friends have the opportunities and support you need to thrive. We want you to have a say in how Cardiff looks and feels for young people living here.
If you are 11 years and older and are interested in joining Cardiff's Youth Council, please email cardiffyouthcouncil@cardiff.gov.uk. You can also visit childfriendlycardiff@cardiff.gov.uk to find out what opportunities are available to have your say on the issues that are important to you
For parents / guardians, it means that the city is not just built for adults, but designed with the rights, needs, and aspirations of your children at its heart. From education and health to civic participation and safety, Cardiff is committed to creating an environment where all children can flourish, making it a place where you can confidently raise your family.
