Projects

Programme Focus Objectives 

1                     Eliminate poverty and gender discrimination through ensuring women’s full social and economic rights

 2                     End human trafficking and all forms of violence against women and girls

 3                     Ensure access to health care for women and girls

4                     Support programmes and policies that eliminate HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis and other major diseases

 5                     Improve access to clean water, sanitation and essential food resources

6                     Mitigate the effects of climate change and integrate sustainability into personal choices and government policies and programme

 7                     Meet the needs of women and girls during and after armed conflict and disasters

 8                     Promote peaceful conflict resolution, inter-cultural and inter-racial tolerance and condemn genocide and terrorism

9                Ensure equal access to education and training for women and girls throughout their lifespan.

 10             Assure women’s advancement in management, politics and decision-making

Report on Evening Meeting on Alcohol abuse in Women & Young girls.

Some members from the Newport, Abergavenny Clubs joined with the Cwmbran Club for an information giving evening on Young women and alcohol..  Regional President Carys Brown was in attendance. The panel consisted of:

Andrew Meaney – Senior Trading Standards Officer Torfaen, Daryl Dewar – Crime Reduction disorder  Police Officer, Jackie Williams – Senior Health Promotion Specialist Health Authority, Caroline Jones – club member &Senior Counsellor Youth  Sexual Health Service

The meeting was opened by Carys who explained the project was adopted by the South Wales Region in conjunction with “Platform 51”  (formerly the YWCA) following concerns expressed on the extent of alcohol abuse in young women & adolescent girls.  Clubs are now on a fact finding mission and a summary of the findings will be given at the December Regional meeting.

 Marian gave an overview:

·         Is there a problem?  Yes!  It is difficult to quantify.

·         Contributing factors:  Cheap drink – especially a drink known as “white cider”, easy availability especially when proxy purchasers are used.

·         All schools have a strategy.  This is variable and taps a variety of sources.

·         Impact on the NHS and Society.

·         It is a complex problem with girls aiming to get drunk and binge drinking.

Andrew Meaney:  Alcohol is an age restricted product.  The minimum age to purchase alcohol is 18. Trading Standards are now allowed to send  (with parental consent) underage young people to buy alcohol  in shops and pubs.. they have enforcement techniques which involve education of retail outlets, premises visits, proxy sales, poster distribution. 

Jackie Williams:  Alcohol misuse is an issue in the young because it has implications socially, medically & educationally.  Use of alcohol makes the users more open to drug abuse and early death. There are guidelines for children, young people and pregnant women.  However the biggest increase in alcoholism is in the middle aged and elderly, with particular implications to the NHS.  Drinking is probably down in 16 – 24 year olds, but those who are drinking are drinking more.  There is an increase in alcohol usage in adolescents.  More girls than boys are being admitted to hospital with alcohol overdoses.  Caring communities have fewer problems.  School based education is not that effective. 

The good news is:

·         That more people drink alcohol more safely

·         There are some health benefits in very moderate indulgence

·         Economic benefits to the Exchequer.  The alcohol industry generates 1 million jobs and generates 5% of GDP.

The bad news is: 

There is a Gwent wide Substance Misuse Area Planning Board, Public Health framework and a range of local partnerships and groups.

Daryl Drew:  Alcohol and alcohol abuse are down in the streets ? drinking more at home.  Alcohol is confiscated if drunk on the streets.. Alcohol related anti-social behaviour is down in Cwmbran.  More parental responsibility is needed.

Most effective measures:

The Way Forward: 

A lot of information and thought provision was given in a very short space of time.  As a Region we shall have to see what we can do constructively  to help with the problems.

Report of Meeting on Off-roaders

A meeting was held at Pontypool Active Living Centre between Ms.Lynne Neagle A.M, Gwent Police, representatives of Torfaen C.B.C, Penyrheol Commoners and S.I. Cwmbran on Saturday 1.10.11.  This was to update what was happening with the “Off-roaders”.

 Ms Neagle summarised what had happened up to the previous meeting.

Sgt. Rob (Maclean) gave a very detailed update..  The number of calls to police have fallen (although there was an increase in reporting during the fine spell), but the number of incidents has increased. There are fewer 4x4s reported, but an increase in bikes & quad bikes.  There are changes in the profile of locations – urban areas such as the park or Trevethin, also there are now more incidents in the week and fewer at weekends.  The demography of the offenders is also changing.  There are now more from Newport, Bristol and Monmouth.  Some of these are also involved in criminal activities.

The “Forgotten Landscapes” project has its own designated p.c..  He is a landscapes community officer responsible for wildlife, litter and other infringements of the countryside.  He covers the Blaenau Gwent area, Monmouth & N. Torfaen.  Here there has been a youth educational input.  They are taught about motorbikes, respect for the countryside and people.  There has been a marked reduction in these areas.

For Torfaen as a whole,

Results of police activity:

The Penyrheol Commoners said that the bikers were still congregating and causing problems.  One of the farmers, when she remonstrated with some of the bikers threatened to shoot the eyes of her sheep.  The police said that they would deal with this as a matter of urgency, since they were recognised.

It is still diificult to identify the bikers since many have no number plates.  When it was asked if the Assembly could be asked to use its new legislative powers to make it compulsory to register all motorised vehicles, Ms Neagle said that she did not know if this would be a National Government or Assembly Government responsibility.  She would look into it.