Here's your Friday update, covering: Giant mural of Betty Campbell MBE officially unveiled; traffic and travel advice for Beyoncé at Principality Stadium on May 17th; and return to pre-Covid levels of volunteering in Cardiff's Parks a ‘big help'
Giant mural of Betty Campbell MBE officially unveiled
A giant mural of Wales's first black headteacher has been officially unveiled today, Tuesday May 9.
The ten-metre tall painting stands proudly on the front of the Mount Stuart Primary School where Mrs Campbell held the role of headteacher from 1965 until 1999 and put the teaching of black history and culture on the school's curriculum.
The striking artwork was sponsored by Cardiff University and celebrates the contributions made by Mrs Campbell to education in Wales and the wider world, as she pioneered multi-cultural education and diversity and helped found Black History Month.
The project developed after children at the school learned about Mrs Campbell's legacy and wanted something at the school site to remember her. With support from the Governing Body and funding from Cardiff University, artist Bradley Rmer who painted the iconic ‘My City, My Shirt' was commissioned to paint the mural.
The official unveiling welcomed members of Mrs Campbell's family, pupils and staff at the school, school governors and representatives from Cardiff University. They were joined by Cardiff Council Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Education, Employment and Skills, Cllr Sarah Merry and Cabinet Member for Tackling Poverty, Equality and Public Health, Cllr Julie Sangani.
Helen Borley, Headteacher at Mount Stuart Primary School said: "The mural of a smiling Mrs Campbell looks over the playground, watching the children of Butetown at play. I'd like to think Mrs Campbell would approve of that. It's a daily reminder to us all of her legacy of hard work and determination to do the very best for this community. "
Cardiff University Pro Vice-Chancellor, Professor Urfan Khaliq said: "Betty Campbell campaigned for social justice in her community and is an inspiration to us all. Her vision and passion for inclusivity and learning is timeless, universal and speaks to the power of education to transform lives. This mural, which has been created in the school where she worked so tirelessly, is an important reminder of her many great achievements - which are relevant to everyone - as well as her close bond and commitment to the people of Butetown."
Cabinet Member for Education, Employment and Skills, Cllr Sarah Merry said: "Betty Campbell is an iconic figure who's approach to education and diversity has had an outstanding impact on the people of Butetown, Cardiff and beyond.
"I know that many children from the school helped in the design process for the Betty Campbell statue in Cardiff's Central Square and now they have they own reminder of Betty, taking pride of place at the school. This wonderful painting is a reminder to the whole community of the local heritage and the significant part Betty played in it."
Cardiff Council's Cabinet Member for Tackling Poverty, Equality and Public Health, Cllr Julie Sangani, said: "Last October during Black History Month, I was delighted to be a guest speaker at the very first Annual Betty Campbell Monument Lecture, a new addition to the Black History Month celebrations in Cardiff.
"Passionate about her community, Mrs Campbell wanted to celebrate inclusion and create a more equal society, making sure that children could see people who looked and sounded like her, occupying positions of prominence and influence across the city.
"Together, we want to ensure that every single child growing up in our city, whatever their background, is given the opportunity, support and guidance to achieve their dreams and help shape the future of Cardiff."
Traffic and travel advice for Beyoncé at Principality Stadium on May 17th
Beyoncé will be performing at Cardiff's Principality Stadium on May 17th, as part of the Renaissance World Tour.
To ensure that people can get into and out of the stadium safely, there will be a full city centre road closure from 4pm until midnight on May 17th.
The M4 motorway and surrounding Trunk Road Network is expected to be very busy for this event - please plan ahead - and avoid the congestion in Cardiff by using the Park & Ride facility at Leckwith Stadium of the Park & Walk facility at County Hall, in Cardiff Bay. For up to date traffic information on the motorway and trunk roads go to the Traffic Wales website, or @TrafficWalesS on Twitter and Facebook.
To avoid disappointment, those attending the concert are strongly advised to plan their journey in advance and get into Cardiff and the stadium early. The gates at Principality Stadium open to the public at 5pm. Please pay attention to the prohibited items listed at principalitystadium.wales, in particular the bag policy (no large bags permitted) before travelling into the city.
Return to pre-Covid levels of volunteering in Cardiff's Parks a ‘big help'
People across the UK are being asked to join ‘The Big Help Out' this week to mark His Majesty The King's Coronation, but in Cardiff's parks volunteers have been a ‘big help' all year - with the number of hours they spend working in the city's green spaces returning to pre-Covid levels for the first time.
Grangemoor Park, a former landfill site in Grangetown offering panoramic views of the city, is one of many parks to have benefitted from the hard work of volunteers recently. Jon Wallis, a regular conservation volunteer with Cardiff Council was one of five volunteers working alongside council staff to manage the habitat.
"Today we're taking down fencing that was put in to protect saplings," Jon explained during a short break, "the saplings have all grown so the fencing isn't needed anymore, the posts start to fall down after a while, and it looks a bit unsightly so we're taking that out. But we also coppice willow, resurface paths, whatever needs doing, and it helps the Rangers achieve more than they otherwise could.
"I enjoy it a lot, I would, and did during Covid, feel quite lost without it. You see the results of what you do, immediately you take the fence out and it looks more natural, or you plant something and you see it come up next year."
"For me it's the sense of doing something positive, however small for the environment, St David, the patron saint said ‘do ye the small the things' and if enough people do them they add up. We can't all save the world on our own, but we can do a little bit towards it."
Figures for 2022/23 show that volunteers carried out 19,385 hours of volunteering in the capital's green spaces - that's 274 hours more than were volunteered during 2019/20, prior to the pandemic.
According to Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure and Parks, Cllr Jennifer Burke, the commitment of the city's parks volunteers hasn't gone unnoticed.
"Having our volunteers back is fantastic news for Cardiff's parks and green spaces," Cllr Burke, said. "Whether it's working in the greenhouses at Bute Park, helping out with tree planting, getting stuck into habitat management and conservation work, or devoting their time to one of the many Friends Groups across the city, every volunteering hour really counts, and helps our own hardworking teams achieve far more than they could alone.
"With recent reports that levels of volunteering are declining across the UK, it's credit to our local community here in Cardiff that even before ‘The Big Help Out' residents were bucking the trend and lending a vital hand. Our green spaces really missed all their hard work and enthusiasm during the pandemic, so it's great to have them back."
Find out how you can get involved with volunteering in Cardiff's parks here.