Artist Nathan Wyburn has teamed up with charity Save the Children to promote its flagship fundraiser Christmas Jumper Day by creating a portrait of Welsh-born and Hollywood actor Luke Evans out of Christmas jumpers and decorations. Christmas Jumper Day is back for the sixth year running on Friday 15th December and is expecting over 5 million people across the UK to take part to help raise money for vulnerable children around the world.  Taking part is simple by signing up at christmasjumperday.org, sticking on a…

Relate Cymru’s Christmas tension triggers (and how to avoid them)   Relate Cymru is anticipating a peak in calls in the New Year after relationship tensions come to a head over the Christmas holidays.  In January 2017, the charity experienced a 24% peak in calls* and a 47% increase in visits to the national website (relate.org.uk)**, a popular source of self-help and information for relationships. This rise in people getting in touch is a pattern they see each year but…

Younger Onset Dementia Service wins HSJ Award The Cardiff and Vale University Health Board Younger Onset Dementia Service has won the Innovation in Mental Health award at the Health Service Journal Awards. The team beat competition from nine other shortlisted entrants in the category and is the only Welsh winner in the 2017 awards. The Younger Onset Dementia Service is a specialist and dedicated service for people, their carers and families who receive a diagnosis of dementia under the age…

Farms and SMEs “losing out” as over half of Welsh councils’ cash for goods leaves Wales More than half of all cash spent by Welsh local authorities on goods and services in 2015/16 went to firms outside Wales, according to new data obtained by Welsh Conservatives. Paul Davies AM, Welsh Conservative Shadow Secretary for Rural Affairs, said that farms and small businesses across Wales were “losing out” because Welsh Government had failed to reform public sector procurement. His comments coincide…

Youth Advisory Panel launches new challenge fund The Spirit of 2012 Youth Advisory Panel (YAP) today launches a new Challenge Fund, calling for applications from organisations working to tackle mental health issues among young people in north-east England and Wales. Every other year, the YAP are given responsibility for allocating money through their Challenge Fund to projects they feel will empower young people. They manage the entire process – from setting out the initial application criteria to making the final…

Unwrap Italy this Christmas  It’s time to get merry as Carluccio’s launch its festive menus alongside a unique ‘Pick and Collect’ shopping service. Purchase beautifully packaged gifts, stocking-fillers and all those entertaining essentials away from the madding crowds, over a glass of chilled Prosecco. Eat! Available from 14th November, Carluccio’s Christmas menu is packed full of delicious seasonal Italian dishes using impeccably sourced Italian ingredients. Highlights include Plin in Brodo, a traditional dish from Piemonte of pinched pasta stuffed with beef and pork in chicken…

Cardiff mum inspires new children’s picture book which helps to normalise same-sex parenting A Cardiff mum-of-two has been the inspiration behind a new children’s picture book which helps to normalise same-sex partnerships for children. Emma Lane, mum to eight-year-old Lily and three-year-old Jac, was so concerned about the lack of children’s books which featured same-sex parents that she called upon close friend and author Phil Burrows to address the issue. Although a Sci-Fi writer Wrexham-based author Mr Burrows took up…

New roller skating course comes to Cardiff For those thinking about trying something new to burn off the Christmas calories, a new roller skating course is coming to Cardiff.  The Tiger Bay Brawlers, Cardiff’s roller derby team, are launching a new course to teach skaters to be eight-wheel whizzes this January.  The structured course will teach all the basics of roller skating including how to fall safely, different stops and even how to skate backwards.  Skaters can complete the eight-week…

Leading Welsh Charity marks 10-year anniversary with re-dedication of Gift of Life Stone to remember all who have donated organs to save lives following a 20% increase in individuals waiting for an organ donation in the past year in Wales Moving tributes made by rarely heard voices of donor families, appealing to others make their choices on organ donation heard Kidney Wales marked the ten-year anniversary of the Gift of Life Stone, the first in the UK, with a re-dedication…

Slippers for Christmas can help prevent falls  A Christmas campaign to raise awareness of falls prevention in the elderly is being launched at Cardiff and Vale University Health Board. The Slippers for Christmas campaign, now in its second year, encourages people to purchase suitable slippers for elderly relatives, friends or neighbours at Christmas as the best gift you can give a loved one this Christmas is good health and independence. Every month the Emergency Unit at University Hospital of Wales…