MIKE HEDGES AM CHAIR’S LAUCH OF REPORT CELEBRATING THE WORK OF THE BRILLIANT CLUB IN INCREASING THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS FROM UNDER REPRESENTED BACKGOROUNDS THAT PROGRESS TO HIGHLY SELECTIVE UNIVERCITIES

MIKE HEDGES AM CHAIR’S LAUCH OF REPORT CELEBRATING THE WORK OF THE BRILLIANT CLUB IN INCREASING THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS FROM UNDER REPRESENTED BACKGOROUNDS THAT PROGRESS TO HIGHLY SELECTIVE UNIVERCITIES

Speaking after the launch of the report. Swansea East AM Mike Hedges said…. ‘ I am excited by the work highlighted in this report; it is important that children from all backgrounds are inspired to attend the top universities.  During the meeting we heard of a girl from Swansea who wanted to be a vet’s nurse, yet her GCSE grades suggested that she could go to University to study to become a Vet. She had never thought about going to University until she came into contact with the scholars program and yet through their support she is now at the end of her first year at one of the top University, studying to become a vet.

This is but one example of many young people from across Wales who have benefited from The Brilliant Club and its programs. I was delighted to chair the launch of their report on their work in Wales. I would urge all schools to get involved in their programs. I wish them well in their future work in Wales’

About The Brilliant Club

The Brilliant Club exists to increase the number of students from underrepresented backgrounds that progress to highly-selective universities. We do this by mobilising the PhD community to share its expertise with state schools.In pursuit of this mission, The Brilliant Club delivers two programmes:

The Scholars Programme recruits, trains and places doctoral and postdoctoral researchers in schools to deliver programmes of university-style tutorials, which are supplemented by two university trips.

Researchers in Schools recruits PhD graduates, places them as trainee teachers in schools and supports them to develop as excellent teachers and research leaders committed to closing the gap in attainment and university access.

Find out more about our work on our website at www.thebrilliantclub.org.

The Brilliant club has worked with 840 children across wales in Key Stage 4 and 5 to open up the possibilities

Mike Hedges AM Welsh Government more than doubling funding for youth work

Mike Hedges AM Welsh Government more than doubling funding for youth work

Speaking after the announcement, Swansea East AM, Mike Hedges said..  ‘We all remember the days when most communities had their local youth club; sadly, many of these have closed over the years, a lot as a result of the Westminster Government Austerity policies. I am therefore delighted that the Welsh Assembly Government is investing in Youth Services. Youth services provide a vital resource for young people, providing information and support across a variety of issues. I am sure many young people in Wales and in my constituency will benefit from this extra investment. I look forward to visiting youth services in my constituency and seeing this money at work.’

Youth Work Week in Wales is an annual event to recognise the importance of youth work in helping young people play an active role in their communities and support them with their personal, social and educational development.

But the Welsh Government’s commitment to youth work and youth services goes beyond one week of celebrations with funding more than doubling to over £10 million this year.

This goes towards helping to ensure young people can access these vital services at any time, no matter where they live, and includes £2.5m to support young people’s mental health and wellbeing, and a further £3.7 million to help prevent youth homelessness.

Education Minister, Kirsty Williams, will be joining youth work organisations in the Senedd tomorrow for a Youth Work Week showcase event celebrating the impact youth work has across Wales and to publish the new Youth Work Strategy.

The strategy, founded on young people’s voices and developed in collaboration with key partners within the voluntary sector, statutory services, Education Training Standards, Education Workforce Council, and Estyn, sets out a vision for the future of youth work in Wales with 5 key aims ensuring that:

• Young people are thriving
• Youth work is accessible and inclusive
• Voluntary and paid youth professional youth work staff are supported throughout their careers to improve their practice
• Youth work is valued and understood
• We have a sustainable model for youth work delivery in Wales.

There’ll be a number of other events taking place across Wales to mark Youth Work Week – contact your local authority or local youth work organisation for more information.

MIKE HEDGES AM ASKS MINISTER WHAT WELSH GOVERNMENT IS DOING TO IMPROVE ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN HOUSING

MIKE HEDGES AM ASKS MINISTER WHAT WELSH GOVERNMENT IS DOING TO IMPROVE ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN HOUSING

                                  

Speaking after Questions to Housing Minister, Julie James, Swansea East AM Mike Hedges AM said…. ‘I have many people in my constituency living in very poor housing conditions and energy efficiency is one area where a lot of work still needs to be done. Many of the properties in my constituency are old terrace type properties which have not had energy efficiency work done on them. I was interested to know what the Welsh government is doing to do to encourage landlords to improve the energy efficiency of their properties and improve the lives of tenants. I am pleased that the Welsh Government is going to take action but I would urge that these measures are implemented through a tight time frame so as to improve the lives of my constituents as quickly as possible.’

Mike Hedges AM - We have too many poor-quality houses in Wales, many with very poor energy efficiency, meaning those who are poorest end up either cold or paying more for heating their homes than you and I do. What is the Welsh Government doing to improve energy efficiency, especially in the private rented sector and the very low-cost part of the private rented sector?88

Julie James AM 14:22:32

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So, at the moment, we've concentrated on the Welsh housing quality standard for publicly provided housing. Mike Hedges knows very well that the Welsh housing quality standard asks social landlords to get to a standard assessment procedure rating of 65 or higher, or an energy performance certificate D rating equivalent. About 97 per cent of our stock so far is up at that standard and we've got a small amount more to do before we meet the entire Welsh housing quality standard. What we've been trying to do in the private rented sector is change the relationship between landlords and tenants and ensure that tenants have a better deal all round in terms of the way that properties are let, the sorts of property that are available and the regulation through Rent Smart Wales. We haven't at this point in time got any particular energy efficiency indications there, but as I just said in answer to Helen Mary Jones, we are expecting the decarbonisation working group report imminently, and they were asked to look across the piece in Wales, and I am expecting a set of recommendations around what we should do across every tenure in Wales to improve energy efficiency and indeed insulation and standards to go with it.

Mike Hedges AM Welcomes decision to extend the NHS Wales Bursary Scheme.

Mike Hedges AM Welcomes decision to extend the NHS Wales Bursary Scheme.

A local Assembly Member Mike Hedges AM has welcomed the Welsh Labour Government’s announcement that the NHS Wales scheme will remain in place. 

The decision will help individuals electing to study an eligible healthcare-related programme in Wales commencing in the academic year 2020/2021.

While the bursary – for eligible student nurses, midwives and allied health professionals – was withdrawn by the Tories in England in 2017, the full package will continue to be available in Wales for those who commit to working in Wales for up to two years after qualifying.

This announcement provides certainty about bursary arrangements until 2021 to both students and providers to enable them to plan for their future.

Mike Hedges AM said: “This decision is about investing in the future of the Welsh NHS.  I welcome the Welsh Labour Government’s commitment to training the next generation of Nurses and midwives. 

“The difference between Labour in Wales and the Tories in England couldn’t be clearer, in Wales we value our healthcare workforce and are committed to supporting them through their studies.””

End

“Learning really does have the power to change people’s lives” Mike Hedges AM

“Learning really does have the power to change people’s lives” Mike Hedges AM

A local Assembly Member is encouraging residents to find out the benefits of adult learning.  The Assembly Members is backing the Annual Adult Learning Week campaign.

Adult Learners’ Week (17-23 June) is an annual campaign coordinated by the Learning and Work Institute in partnership with Welsh Government.  Each year over 10,000 adults in Wales participating in Adult Learners’ Week activities.

The campaign raises awareness of the value of adult learning, celebrates the achievements of learners and providers, and inspires more people to discover how learning can positively change their lives.

The Welsh Labour Government are committed to exploring how it can deliver a new Welsh right to Lifelong Learning.

The Welsh Government’s reforms to student finance has seen The OU reporting an increase in applications of almost 50% and an increase of more than a third in the number of part-time undergraduates receiving student support.

About half of the part-time students The Welsh Government are supporting this year will receive the maximum level of the maintenance grant and this makes all the difference for students with financial commitments.  Wales is the only country in Europe to deliver equivalent maintenance support in loans and grants across modes and levels of study.

Mike Hedges AM said:

“Learning really does have the power to change people’s lives”

“Adult Learners Week is an opportunity to find out about the learning opportunities available. If you are looking to brush up on skills, gain confidence or get a degree there is an adult leaning opportunity for you”

Find out more about Adult Learners Week Here https://adultlearnersweek.wales/en/

MIKE HEDGES AM CALLS ON WELSH GOVERNMENT TO BAN NEW INCINERATORS FOR NON MEDICAL WASTE

MIKE HEDGES AM CALLS ON WELSH GOVERNMENT TO BAN NEW INCINERATORS FOR NON MEDICAL WASTE

Speaking after the Plenary session at the Assembly, Swansea East AM, Mike Hedges said… ‘I live in an area with high asthma rates and high rates of other respiratory diseases. Some of the schools in my constituency have the highest incidents of childhood asthma in Swansea and the figures are rising all of the time. Improving air quality ought to be a no brainer; one way to do this would be to ban any development of new incinerator facilities, especially ones which burn plastic, building waste and unpleasant products. Science changes, and  if we discover in future years that PM2.5s and PM10s cause more damage than we now realise, it will be too late for the health of people with respiratory diseases, better to stop the development of incinerators now.’

16:40

Mike Hedges AM 16:40:19

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I welcome the statement. One of the problems we have is that PM2.5s and PM10s cannot be seen, but they do damage to lungs by irritating and corroding the alveolar wall and, consequently, impair lung function. We need clean air. Will the Minister, in conjunction with ministerial colleagues, consider the following: banning new incinerators except for medical incinerators to deal with pathogens; produce plans to reduce air pollution in areas such as Hafod and Fabian Way in Swansea, where it is not the speed limit but the slow-moving and stationary vehicles that are causing the problem; and, finally, banning the burning of waste by individuals in their gardens, which often includes plastics and other items that do serious damage to the air? 295

Lesley Griffiths AM 16:41:04

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I'm certainly very happy to have those discussions with a range of ministerial colleagues. Clearly, air quality is a matter across Government, and it's certainly discussed in Cabinet. But I will look at all those issues and write to you further

Mike Hedges AM welcomes new legislation introduced to provide further quality in Welsh health and social care

 Mike Hedges AM welcomes new legislation introduced to provide further quality in Welsh health and social care

A new Bill which aims to improve quality and public engagement in health and social care will officially be introduced to the National Assembly for Wales by Health and Social Services Minister Vaughan Gething today.

Speaking after the introduction of the Bill, Swansea East AM, Mike Hedges said… ‘I welcome this new bill; it is important that we have openness and transparency in the operation of the Health Service. This Bill puts this on a firm legislative footing which can only be a good thing. I also support the closer integration of Health and Social Care which this bill brings a step closer. There is much to be commended in this bill, and I will look forward to supporting it as it progresses through the Senedd.’

The Health and Social Care (Quality and Engagement) (Wales) Bill will embed a system-wide approach to quality in health for future generations. This will be achieved by reframing and broadening the existing duty of quality on NHS bodies, and placing an overarching duty on the Welsh Ministers in relation to their health service functions. This will ensure that when they make a decision they actively consider if it secures improvement in quality and outcomes.

Through the establishment of an organisational duty of candour, the Bill will support a culture of openness, transparency and candour that is widely associated with good quality care and further ensure NHS organisations are open and honest with patients and service users when things go wrong. 

Its introduction builds on the work that has already been undertaken for transparency amongst NHS bodies in Wales, and supports an environment that is consistently learning and improving, whilst maintaining the trust and confidence of patients and service users.

The Bill will also see the creation of a new independent citizen voice body, which will replace the current Community Health Councils. This single body will represent the voice of the public and provide complaints advice and assistance for individuals in relation to their health and social care experience. 

This reflects the aims of the Welsh Governments plan ‘A Healthier Wales’ by supporting the drive towards closer integration of health and social care and putting people’s voices at the heart of the design, delivery and improvement of services.  

The Bill will also give Ministers the opportunity to appoint a Vice Chair on NHS Trust boards if they consider it appropriate to ensure consistency across Local Health Boards and Trusts, and strengthen leadership and governance arrangements.

Protect over 75s free TV licence” says Mike Hedges AM

“Protect over 75s free TV licence” says Mike Hedges AM

Swansea East local Assembly Member Mike Hedges AM is backing a UK wide campaign to protect free TV licenses for over 75s. 

Mike Hedges AM is extremely “angry” that the Tory Government has broken its promise to older people, having promised in 2017 to keep the TV licence free for everyone over 75. 

159,280 households in Wales will be hit by the changes including 3120 households in Swansea East.  

Mike Hedges AM said

“I am really angry with the Tories about this, older people from Swansea East have already been in touch, worried about the impact on their finances.”

“These residents are on fixed incomes and will be hit hard by these cuts.”

“I urge everyone to support the campaign to stop this Tory cut”

Support the campaign here https://action.labour.org.uk/page/s/tv-licence

Speaking during First Ministers questions about TV licence cuts, Welsh Labour Leader and First Minister Mark Drakeford said:

“A pretty dark day for those families, where in future many of them will get no help at all.”

End

MIKE HEDGES AM SPEAKS AT THE ASSEMBLY TO HIGHLIGHT WORK OF CALON LAN SOCIETY IN SWANSEA

MIKE HEDGES AM SPEAKS AT THE ASSEMBLY TO HIGHLIGHT WORK OF CALON LAN SOCIETY IN SWANSEA

Speaking at the Assembly during the period set aside for members to speak for 90 seconds on a topic of their choice, Swansea East AM Mike Hedges spoke about the work of the Calon Lan society in Swansea.

Speaking after the event, Mike Hedges AM said…. ‘Calon Lan is one of the great symbolic Welsh Hymns, known around the world; few people know much about Daniel James the writer, and the fact that the Hymn was written in Swansea. I therefore thought it appropriate to pay tribute to the band of volunteers who have come together to form a society in the memory of Daniel James and to organise and promote a series of events to commemorate his death in March 2020. I wish to pay tribute this group of local people for the time and effort they are putting into organising these festivities. I look forward to attending these events in the coming year.’

90 Second Statement 12 June 2019

Mike Hedges AM - I want to highlight the work of the Calon Lân Society in Swansea. The sixteenth of March 2020 is the hundredth anniversary of Daniel James, who was was better known as Gwyrosydd, the writer of one of, if not the favourite Welsh hymn, 'Calon Lân'. Daniel James came from Treboeth in Swansea. His father died when he was young. He became a puddler at Morriston ironworks, and then worked at Landore tinplate works.224

The recently formed Calon Lân Society are intending to hold a number of events and projects culminating in the publication of the complete poetical works of Daniel James and their translations into English. Also, on the centenary of his death on 16 March, it is intended to have a mass singing of 'Calon Lân' in iconic locations in Wales and worldwide, hopefully including the Senedd.225

Other projects include a memorial stone in the grounds of the King's Head public house where he wrote a number of hymns and poems, commemorative stained glass windows in the six local schools to Treboeth, poems and pints, which I'm sure best exemplifies him, and concerts to be held at Ysgol Gyfun Bryntawe and at capel Caersalem. 226

I thank the Calon Lân Society for what they are doing to commemorate the life of a working-class Welsh poet and hymnwriter from Treboeth in Swansea.