Stuart Ropke’s Annual Conference 2018 speech in full:
Over the next year we will be fundraising for Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital for Wales’ Tiny Lives Appeal.
If we’ve learned anything over the last few years, it’s that you cannot believe the polls. People change their minds in the ballot box and polling isn’t as accurate as we might like to believe. But last week’s polls ahead of the US midterms ended up being fairly accurate, allowing Democrats to breathe a sigh of relief and relax slightly, knowing that they have regained control of the House of Representatives and can make it harder for the President to pass legislation.
As part of its commitment to supporting people to reach their aspirations, Taff Housing core funds a careers programme called ‘Building Futures’. The programme offers access to quality volunteering placements, free accredited training, apprenticeships and partnerships with local schools, further education and higher education.
The detailed Welsh Government budget was released this week, and is likely to be the last Budget that Mark Drakeford will publish as Finance Secretary given the Welsh Labour leadership race is now well underway. The headlines were published a few weeks ago and there were several announcements in it that will impact on the Welsh Housing Sector. The big announcement that we saw in the draft budget was that funding for Supporting People and homelessness will be ring-fenced until the end of this Assembly term, following our Housing Matters Wales campaign with Cymorth Cymru. The long term certainty this announcement brings will ensure that many of the projects run by housing associations in Wales are able to continue to support thousands of people every year, from domestic abuse survivors to people with mental health issues.
Lucy Adams is CEO of Disruptive HR. Before establishing the company, she held a number of senior HR positions in a variety of sectors, most recently at the BBC. In November, Lucy will be speaking at our Annual Conference, with an aim to show new ways of leading through disruption, blending cutting edge ideas, practical tips and personal experiences.
It’s reported that more than 25% of older people in Wales feel lonely; we also know that men are more susceptible to feelings of loneliness. Hafan Cymru has taken steps to reduce loneliness and isolation felt by men by establishing the Men’s Sheds Cymru Project.
Last weekend saw Plaid Cymru have become the third party in the Assembly this year to return a new leader in Adam Price, the Assembly Member for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr. Adam Price beat previous leader Leanne Wood and Rhun ap Iorwerth to the post by taking 49.7% of first preference votes, which meant he didn’t quite reach the requisite 50% mark, leading to Leanne Wood being knocked out of the contest and her second preference votes being redistributed. Second preference votes gave Adam Price 618 more votes, meaning he beat Rhun ap Iorwerth by 3,481 votes to 1,961.
Jon Adams, Project Development Officer at Bronllys Wellbeing Park, will be joining us as a speaker at One Big Housing Conference, as part of a workshop on Rural Housing Cooperatives. He tells us what’s to come.
Dave Palmer, from the Wales Co-operative centre, will be speaking at our One Big Housing Conference. He tells us how Housing Associations and Local Authorities can work with the Wales Co-op Centre to access support.