Category: News

Giving is good business for successful Anglesey husband and wife team

Lorraine Hopkins and Ken Grayson at Peninsula Home Improvement Centre in Gaerwen, Anglesey.

A successful husband and wife business couple from Anglesey have been honoured for their philanthropy.

Ken Grayson, the Managing Director of Gaerwen-based Peninsula Home Improvements and his wife, Lorraine, also a Director, believe in the value of sponsorship and supporting the arts and community-based activities as part of their business strategy.

As a result, they were highly commended at the awards ceremony organised by the Community Foundation in Wales (CFIW) at the Norwegian Church in Cardiff.

The aim of the Foundation, an independent charity, is to strengthen local communities by providing a permanent source of funding to grass roots projects.

The  recognition from the Foundation was the latest in a series of accolades for Peninsula, a family firm employing 22 people.

Their support for the arts has previously earned them praise from the Arts and Business Cymru organisation.

Recent examples of their generosity include sponsorship for talented young musicians via the William Mathias Centre, donating and installing new windows at the UK’s first Women’s Institute building in Llanfair PG and providing supporting various charity events.

The Foundation’s judges were particularly impressed with the way the couple had put corporate social responsibility at the heart of their business strategy.

A spokesperson for the Foundation said: “In today’s challenging economic market Ken and Lorraine have recognised how supporting communities can position the business ahead of its competitors and also be hugely rewarding for employees who get involved, as well as being immeasurably rewarding on a personal level.”

Lorraine explained: “Supporting local communities began with a small investment in a local chamber orchestra, Ensemble Cymru, which took classical music to retirement homes across the region.

“We built on the success of the project by supporting projects that harnessed the impact that the arts can have on changing peoples lives.

“Over the last 10 years Peninsula has either sponsored or donated to 11 arts based organisations, supporting community development like The Ucheldre Centre in Holyhead.

“As part of our strategy we have worked to widen access to disadvantaged groups, or invest in talent that is based in communities who would not otherwise be able to access specialist tuition through the Peninsula Scholarship programme with Canolfan Gerdd William Mathias.

“Another 14 partnerships with local organisations are ongoing, for example, the Hope House charity which Ken holds close to his heart.

“We have also been involved in the Eryri environmental education programme, recycling plastic door frames to build mini green houses, and we appeared on the BBC programme DIY SOS assisting a family facing the challenges of ill health to improve their home and living standards.

“Most recently Peninsula has helped fundraise for the new school for children with special needs Ysgol y Bont  in Llangefni.”

The couple are currently giving their time and advice to help organisations who stimulate and broker community investment, through workshops, and mentoring.

Ken added: “We are hoping that fellow business people in North Wales can see the value and reward in doing the same and realise that incorporating corporate social responsibility into your business model is a great idea on so many levels.

“We were naturally delighted that our work has been recognised by the Foundation and we hope it will inspire others to see the real value of philanthropy.”

Monday November 25th, 2013

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Wrexham Filipino care home staff raise cash for typhoon victims

Bodlondeb fund donation for the disaster in the Philippines after Typhoon Haiyan. Pictured (Front L/R) is Miseal Claveria, Tarcelita Bullecer and Arah Glaz with Manager anne Chapman.

Heartbroken Filipino staff at a care organisation have sprung into action to help people back home whose lives have been shattered by the devastating typhoon.

Wrexham-based Pendine Park, where they work, has already donated £1,000 to the Red Cross appeal, and is planning a host of fundraising events to aid the relief effort.

The house in which Senior Care Practitioner Tarcelita Bullecer grew up was razed by Typhoon Haiyan which tore through Tunga, in the province of Leyte, where she’s from.

Thankfully, her ageing parents Rufino, 85, and Tavcela, 86, are alive and well and staying with her sister, Teresita -  but hundreds of thousands of others aren’t so lucky.

The town of Tacloban has been hit particularly hard by the storm, and 600,000 people are struggling for basics like water, sanitation, food and medicine. The official death toll had reached 3,422.

Tarcelita, who works at Pendine Park’s  Bodlondeb care home,  said: “I’m always really anxious when I see the news on the television. My heart is always heavy. My mind is always thinking about it. I keep on worrying.

“My parents have lived in that house since I was small. I was seven years old when we got that house, and now it’s been destroyed.

“There are a lot of memories there because we grew up in that house. It’s where we would have all of our family get-togethers.”

Mother-of-one Tarcelita added: “My nephew called me to let me know that everyone was alright. I have one sister and one brother back there. They are all in the one house of my sister.

“I am very thankful that everybody was able to survive because a house can be rebuilt.”

Care practitioner Arah Glaz, 26, from the island of Mindanao, has also been deeply affected by the plight of her countrymen and women.

She said: “I was watching videos of it online I just started to cry. It just burst out because I can feel their pain.

“I thought I’m just watching the news and feeling sorry for them and not doing anything. So I thought to myself that I need to do something.

”My homeland is in absolute bedlam. It’s devastated and tormented.

“The community at Pendine Park has sprung into action as has the community back home. As soon as everyone was aware we had a meeting to plan what we’re going to do.

“I know my family is safe so I feel lucky.”

Pendine Park proprietor Mario Kreft MBE is keen to help.

He said: “We want to support in any way that we can. So we’re doing what we can do provide support in what are very difficult circumstances.”

It was a sentiment echoed by Bodlondeb Manager Ann Chapman added: “These are our friends and colleagues and we see the hurt.

“A lot of the time they can’t even contact relatives because the phone lines are down. Our hearts absolutely go out all them all.

Senior nurse Miseal Claveria, 41, hails from the city of Manila which was safely out of the way of the destructive typhoon. But the house of his sister-in-law, Ginging, from Concepcion, Iloilo, has been destroyed as has her livelihood farming fish.

Father-of-four Miseal said: “I actually had to turn the telly off after watching a few clips because I just couldn’t bear to watch it anymore.

“I didn’t watch it until two days after it happened.

“It’s so devastating to see those in the pictures. I watched watch what’s happening on the internet as well as a live news feed.

“My partner has family back home. Two of her sister’s houses have just gone down to the ground.

“They’re contacting by text messages, and when they have internet access we actually have a chance to have a chat with them through the social networks.

“In the Philippines we have very close family ties. Even our neighbours we would call them family. Everyone is coming together to help.

“We’re going to have some fundraising here as well. It makes a big difference because people need those bare essentials.  It will take years to recover.

“In the Philippines I would say we’re quite strong. We have a strong personality regarding calamities, because we’ve been there before so I hope will with get up and fight to start a new living.

“I really wanted to thank everyone who has helped from the bottom of my heart.”

Monday November 25th, 2013

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£250k drive launched to improve visitor experience in North Wales

food North Wales Forum at Bodnant Welsh Food. Pictured is Dewi Davies, TPNW

A new drive has been launched to turn North Wales into a holiday hotspot.

Tourism Partnership North Wales are investing £250,000 in a bid to boost the region’s £2 billion visitor economy that employs around 40,000 in North Wales.

Tourism Partnership, the body responsible for the strategic development of the region’s visitor economy, are working with the six local authorities in North Wales to create an “Excellent Visitor Experience”.

According to Dewi Davies, the Regional Strategy Director, the key to the success of the strategy was setting up a network of Destination Management Partnerships representing the public and private sectors in each of the counties.

As well as smartening the region’s towns and villages, the campaign will include marketing, research, developing social media, learning journeys and profile-raising PR.

The idea is that visitors will want to return again and again – and tell their friends and families to come here too.

A recent survey by the Travelodge hotel chain showed that 65 per cent of Brits are now taking so-called staycation holidays closer to home.

With 25 of the UK population within a two-hour drive of North Wales, Tourism Partnership believes the region is well-placed to take advantage of the trend.

Mr Davies said: “The most important aspect of what we are doing is to improve the visitor experience so we are spending £250,000 each year with our partners in the six Destination Management Partnerships across North Wales, from Anglesey to Gwynedd to Conwy to Denbighshire to Flintshire to Wrexham.

“We know how important that experience is, it’s what people take home with them and it’s what they tell to their friends and families as how good a time they’ve had.

“Our aim to attract new and returning customers who spend money and create jobs across the whole of the region, in our coastal communities where most of the accommodation and also in the rural communities where they have their great outdoor experiences, whether it’s walking or climbing or some of the exotic products that we have in the adventure sector.

It was a sentiment echoed by Andrew Forfar, the organisation’s Partnership Development Manager.

He said: “The idea of destination management is central to our plans, whether that’s identifying important projects in terms of infrastructure work in improving the signage or the lay bys or the maintenance and repair of the public environment.

“You never have a second chance to make a first impression so it’s vital to have a clean, attractive environment.

“By working together we’re aiming for speedy planning decisions, clear highways, good signage, litter free areas and in the case of Conwy investing in seagull proof bins.

“If we get each county doing this we’re going a long way to providing a much better destination for North Wales and moving up that league table, in terms of places people talk about as being a great place to visit.

“The bottom line being is that tourism is a vital component of the economy in each of the six counties so it is vital that everybody works collaboratively and sings from the same hymn sheet.

“We are seeing some very exciting investments taking place across North Wales and we have a fantastic selection of events that visitors can enjoy.

“All of these help raise the profile of North Wales and catch the eye of potential visitors.

“When people come here we’ve got to make sure that they get what it says on the tin and that they do have a brilliant experience.”

Friday November 22nd, 2013

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Wales Care Award for pioneering Glyndŵr University professor

Professor Karen Graham with her Care Forum Award with Professor Mike Scott and Mario Kreft at Glyndwr University.

A woman who has spent 30 years helping children and young people get the best start in life has been honoured by Wales’ most prestigious care awards.

Professor Karen Graham played a key role is helping set up the ground-breaking childhood and family studies centre at Glyndŵr University in Wrexham.

At a glittering black tie presentation night at Cardiff City Hall for the 11th Wales Care Awards, run in conjunction with Care Forum Wales, Professor Graham, of Rossett, received the Peter Clarke Award for Pioneering Excellence in Services for Children and Young People.

The mother of two who was brought up on the Wirral, said: “I was hugely surprised, I had no idea I was going to receive the award.

“I work in the health and social care field and am constantly promoting anyone involved in care and support of people and I know the commitment this takes.

“Attending a presentation night like this you have the time to see and hear about the brilliant work of these people and you cannot help but be touched, so to be part of that was really something.”

Karen was appointed visiting professor to Glyndwr University in 2006 and worked with the university to develop the Centre for the Child, Family and Society from its foundation to the work it is involved in today. The £2m Centre was opened by Huw Lewis the current education Minister in 2010.

“Work at the Centre is focused on supporting developments in policy and practice related to the needs of the child, family and society,” said Karen.

“Through our work as a community of researchers, academics and practitioners our aim is to continually support local, national and international efforts to improve the wellbeing of children and families.”

“We work with numerous external partners on a range of diverse projects. A recent project involved the North East Wales Carers Information Service and the Prince’s Trust. Together we responded to the needs of carers in employment by writing and rolling out a Carer Friendly Employer Recognition Award launched last year by the Health Minister for Wales.

“This award encourages employers to take small steps that make a positive difference to carers in the workplace, often helping carers to remain employed and preventing them from sliding into poverty.

“For some organisations this support can be as simple as providing a telephone contact point in workplaces that do not ordinarily allow mobile phone use or allowing carers to set up support groups in their own lunchtime. We have been pleased to receive positive feedback about this award and about how it has helped some carers remain in employment.

“We have also contributed to the work of local health professionals to launch the Academy of Care Practitioners at the Senedd, a professional body providing advice, guidance and training and development opportunities for those in health care professions.”

Karen and Dr Debbie Roberts, Reader in Health at Glyndŵr University, are working on a project replicating a study by Harvard Medical School in America, examining the exposure of young children to technology.

They will interview professionals working with children and 50 parents of very young children in North Wales to talk about their use of technology.

Karen said: “we will explore the child’s exposure to technology and the impact exposure to and use of technology has on other activities a child may be involved in. For some children exposure to screen time and technology can negatively impact on their development. For example, constant background noise can interfere with development of speech.

“We intend to write a report to the Welsh Government in relation to the outcomes of the report and will carry out a comparative study to see how things differ between the USA and UK.

“We enjoy the opportunity to work with a broad community of professionals and academics working with children and families and have welcomed numerous international visitors to the Centre. We have been pleased to work collaboratively with international partners, for example, co-presenting on children’s rights at the Education Diplomacy conference with colleagues from Washington and Chicago.

“More widely, we have represented Wales at the World Forum Foundation, worked on the global World Forum Children’s Rights Committee, contributed to the work of partners in India on programmes in education and worked with international partners to promote: parenting initiatives, children’s rights, alleviating poverty, understanding of play and, with Dr Susan Linn of Harvard as a visiting professor at Glyndwr University, the use of IT.”

Karen is currently chairing a Review of Childcare and Early Education Registration, Regulation and Inspection for the Welsh Assembly Government.

Thursday November 21st, 2013

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