Latest News

It's the National Lottery's 18th birthday

The National Lottery has changed lives, and through the Big Lottery Fund (BIG) it has funded projects that make a real difference to Welsh communities most in need.

   
The Big Lottery Fund has funded something for everyone - awarding well over £600 million to 22,000 projects in Wales:

   
Older people – a lottery investment of £20 million is helping to improve the quality of life for older people by providing access to befriending or advocacy services.

Young people – over £12 million will be used to support disabled young people and young parents.

Mental health – over £15 million has been awarded in the last five years to help mental health causes across Wales.

Employment – £14 million from the Big Lottery Fund and the Welsh European Funding Office has helped hundreds of people back into work including carers and care leavers.

Community – nearly £40 million has been injected into the heart of communities by breathing new life into over 900 community centres in Wales.

Welsh language – some £4 million has been awarded to actively promote the use of Welsh language in communities.

   
In these past few years of economic uncertainty, National Lottery funding has helped address some of the disadvantage as well as bringing people together to make their areas better places to live.

The National Lottery has also created jobs, as well as training and volunteering opportunities. It has provided the financial boost for communities and young people to work together.

You can find out more about the changes to our grant programmes, new funding opportunities and about the Big Lottery Fund’s commitment to support Welsh communities most in need at  www.biglotteryfund.org.uk

Launch of a domestic abuse e-learning module

Domestic Abuse has a devastating effect on victims, including children living in the households where abuse is taking place. Although widespread, domestic abuse is frequently under reported and many victims suffer in silence. A lack of awareness of the signs of domestic abuse and trigger points can mean that the opportunity to assist victims is missed.

Cardiff Council has worked with partner agencies Cardiff’s Domestic & Sexual Violence and Abuse Co-ordinator and Learning Industries (a specialist online training developer) to produce a range of online e-learning modules relating to domestic abuse.

Community Safety funding has enabled the development of a FREE e-learning Domestic Abuse Awareness module suitable for use by voluntary and community organisations in Cardiff.

The module aims to raise awareness amongst staff of domestic abuse, including how to identify the signs of abuse, giving them the confidence to assist clients appropriately.

To find out more

If you would like further information or would like to register to receive this free resource for your staff, please contact Nicola Jones, Cardiff Domestic & Sexual Violence and Abuse Co-ordinator by emailing This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

FreshTies offers training courses that develop the skills of individuals and organisations

FreshTies is a non-profit rights organisation that provides training workshops. These are delivered by an experienced, expert team whose aim is to improve peoples lives.

Training workshops aim to empower people by making knowledge, solutions and skills available
to them, allowing people to effectively deal with situations in their lives. Training courses can be
for individuals and organisations.

   
Courses include:

Communication and Presentation Skills
● Increasing confidence
● Knowing and understanding rights
● Helping minority groups gain the skills needed to speak up for their rights

   
Advocacy Rights
● How to speak on behalf of someone else
● Combating natural bodily reactions (including nerves and fear)
● Understanding client expectations

   
Dispute Resolution (in the workplace)
● Negotiation
● Mediation
● Conciliation

   
Employability Skills
● Using life experiences and hobbies to demonstrate skills
● Networking - use of LinkedIn and tips for attending networking meetings
● Interview techniques - preparation and presentation skills

   
Social Media
● How to set up social media sites (Twitter accounts, Facebook pages, LinkedIn profiles)
● How to write effective content
● Managing social media posts (using Hootsuite)

   
Website Development (WordPress)
● How to upload and update content
● How to publish posts
● Use of search engine optimisation

   
Blog Writing
● How to write effective content
● How to engage the right audience
● Use of search engine optimisation

  
Contact FreshTies on (029) 2115 8474 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for more information.

Changes to how referrals need to be made for Cardiff Children’s Services

There have recently been some changes to how referrals need to be made for Cardiff Children’s Services.

New enquiries/referrals to Children's Services must go through Children's Access Point on (029) 2053 6490. All calls to this number will be picked up by a social worker.

The number for the Intake and Assessment Team remains the same - (029) 2053 6400 - however, this will be only for cases that are already open to I & A and have an allocated social worker.