Category: Kids

Celebration of Wenvoe Scouting

 

Celebration of Wenvoe Scouting and Review of Last 12 Months
7pm Tuesday 1st April Wenvoe Community Centre

g https://www.scouts.org.uk/ or email me for a chat.

Waiting list contact

1stwenvoe.join@penarthanddistrict.org.uk

 

Community members, scout parents, family and carers are invited to join us in the Hall to learn more about the fun that our young people enjoy during meetings and activities. We have had a thriving group thanks to the adult volunteers, who support the group.

We do however need more volunteers both to work with the young people and to act as Trustees to support the group, overseeing the group’s governance and finance. Trustee meetings are once per term and last about 2 hours plus an AGM. Meetings last about 2 hours and are held in the evenings. Working with the youngsters is fun and is very rewarding. There is easy on-line training. Leaders training is mainly on-line and forms part of recognised Youth Training. Sadly due to increased other commitments our current Cub Leaders have to stand down and we will have to suspend Cubs after Easter until we have re-placements. Would you be prepared to try and help? Come and meet us and find out. More information on the website https://www.scouts.org.uk/ or contact me for a chat.

Barry Scout Fete Saturday 5 July. Save the date for this exciting event. We run a popular Smash the China Stall. If you have any crockery you wish to dispose of please let me know.

 

Jane Fenton-May

Chair 1st Wenvoe Scouts jfm@fenton-may.org

 

Many Thanks To All From Playgroup

WENVOE PLAYGROUP NEWS AND EVENTS

Registered Charity, right in the heart of the Village.

www.wenvoeplaygroup.co.uk

Firstly, we would like to thank some of our local businesses, and fundraisers for supporting our Christmas fundraising events. They are;-

The Wenvoe Arms – Sunday lunch for two.

Springfield stores – Chocolates,

Bluebird Care Culverhouse cross – A Hamper of Christmas prosecco & treats.

Tesco Culverhouse cross – Selection box for each child.

The Tuckers – A lovely Christmas throw & more

It is good to know that local businesses & charity fundraisers support their local charity, so thank you all.

We would like to thank S.R. Davis Ltd – Poultry Wholesaler in Barry for their donation of 2 turkey breasts and Weddel Swift Distribution Ltd. for meat donations.

We would also like to express our thanks to the Ivy Cardiff, who donated a three-course meal with wine voucher and Pasture Restaurant Cardiff, who donated a fifty-pound food voucher. These raffle prizes were sourced for us through J.T. Morgan Butchers Cardiff, who purchase from the wholesalers and supply the two restaurants. Many thanks to all from Playgroup.

Latest news

Moving forward from January 2025, Playgroup will be enrolling children from the age of 2 years. We will be working through our waiting lists, to fill our few remaining places to the end of summer term 2025. Should you be thinking of joining the Playgroup, then please do email us a.s.a.p. We have waiting lists up to January 2026. Even if your circumstances change nearer the time you wish to start, it is worth adding your child’s name to the waiting list, especially for September 2025.

We have just received news, that we have been successful in a grant application, made to the Vale of Glamorgan Early years. Monies have been made available to upgrade and refresh part of the ladies’ toilets at the Village Hall. We have also been successful in obtaining monies to update the garden area and furniture within the playroom.

We have received over £30,000 in the past three years to support Playgroup operation. In-turn, the improvements made, also support all who hire and use the Village Hall. We are extremely grateful to the Early Years Childcare Grant panel for supporting us, to ensure we meet the needs of the children. These grants will allow us to operate successfully from the Village Hall, by achieving the National Minimum Standards set by Welsh Government, Care Inspectorate Wales.

I understand that we are one of the very few Playgroups remaining in the Vale, surviving these challenging times, so thanks to everyone, who continues to support the group.

For further information, please visit our website www.wenvoeplaygroup.co.uk where you will find more about us. Please view our Statement of Purpose, Admissions policy, and Operational plan, along with many more policies and procedures.

Remembrance Service and Parade

 

1st WENVOE SCOUTS

Remembrance Service and Parade

I was so proud of our young people and leaders, who turned out to the Remembrance Service and Parade. They did our village proud.

The Governance of the group is seriously in danger and we urgently need support from adults in the village to ensure that the Group continues to thrive. The Trustee Board needs a new Chair and Treasurer by our AGM in March. The work is not difficult and the meetings (about 2 hours) are limited to one per term plus the AGM

The Chair is responsible for the Group and ensuring that the meetings are in order and keep to the point. The Treasurer looks after the finances and ensures the subscriptions are paid and pays the bills, plus organising the accounts and budgets. Neither job is arduous and the current incumbents are prepared to help. There is easy training and more information on the website https://www.scouts.org.uk

In July, despite the stormy weather the Group had a great time at the Barry Scout Show in Romilly Park. The popular Smash the China Stall was a great success, so if you have any crockery you wish to dispose of please let me know.

Finally, Christmas is a time for giving. Sadly the Cardiff and Vale Scout Post is not happening again and if you would like to donate to Wenvoe Scouts you can do this via https://www.scouts.org.uk

Have a Happy Christmas and a wonderful 2025.

Jane Fenton-May

Chair 1st Wenvoe Scouts jfm@fenton-may.org

More information about Scouting and volunteering https://www.scouts.org.uk/ or email me for a chat.

Waiting list contact

1stwenvoe.join@penarthanddistrict.org.uk

Jane Fenton-May   Group President jfm@fentonmay. org

 

A Very Busy, Fast, Autumn Term.

WENVOE PLAYGROUP NEWS AND EVENTS

Registered Charity, right in the heart of the Village.

www.wenvoeplaygroup.co.uk

It has been some time since we have written via the What’s On, due to a very busy, fast, Autumn Term.

There are many people in the community who support the Playgroup behind the scenes, to ensure it operates smoothly. We would like to thank you all for the support you have shown this past year.

In the Summer months, residents kindly donated their left over fence panels and wooden posts, to allow Dave Pritchard to erect a new fence in the children’s garden. The fence was a health and safety risk, so we would like to thank everyone who supported us in our time of need and thank Dave for giving up his time.

We would like to thank our good friend Mike Tucker, who has helped us, by removing waste from the rear of the Playgroup and on occasions, taken in parcels for us!

Time is one of the most important gifts you can give to anyone, so thank you all so much.

All that remains for us at this time, is to wish everyone a Very Merry Christmas and we hope that you have a restful, peaceful break.

With much appreciation from everyone at Playgroup.

Sandra Morgan

About the Playgroup

WENVOE PLAYGROUP NEWS AND EVENTS

Registered Charity, right in the heart of the Village.

www.wenvoeplaygroup.co.uk

The Playgroup operates from the Village Hall and has been operating for over 50 Years. We are registered with Care Inspectorate Wales to care for 30 children at any one-time from the age of 2 years 4 months. We open 9:00am until 1:00pm Monday to Friday and on Wednesday and Thursday we offer care until 3:15pm.

Wrap around care: We collect children daily at 11:20am from Gwenfo Nursery and on into lunch club until 1:00pm and on Wednesday and Thursday until 3:15pm. We also support children across from our morning sessions to afternoon Nursery at 1:00pm daily.

30 Hour Funded Childcare Offer: Children from Cardiff and the Vale are benefitting from this offer. 12.5 hours are used for LEA Nursery and 17.5 hours per week can be allocated to time with us here at Playgroup. This offer is for children the term after their 3rd Birthday. To find out more, please visit our website www.wenvoeplaygroup.co.uk

Tax Free Childcare: We accept payment via the Governments Tax Free Childcare. Many parents at this time use this method to pay fees for all ages or use alongside the 30 Hour Funded Childcare to top up their extra hours/transition fees. Families set up a Tax-Free Childcare account and for example, for every £8 the family pay in, Welsh Government pay in £2. For further information go to www.gov.uk/tax-free-childcare

Our Statement of purpose and Admissions Policy & Procedure can be found in ‘DOCUMENTS’ on our website, which may be useful for times and prices. However, if you want to know more, please email or phone. All contacts are on our website.

We have many children staying for the morning session 9:00am until 1:00pm in September 2024 and a waiting list for January 2025. Should you wish to be added to our list for 2024 or 2025 please email wenvoeplaygroup@btinternet.com.

We Have Had A Very Busy Year

WENVOE PLAYGROUP NEWS AND EVENTS

Registered Charity, right in the heart of the Village.

www.wenvoeplaygroup.co.uk

 

As you are reading this, we are probably very busy planning our end of term events and getting ready for our end of term party.

We have had a very busy year with 44 children on our books. I can’t believe how quickly time is passing by. It only feels like yesterday we were singing our Christmas and Easter concerts!

We were lucky enough to obtain a large grant to extend our garden in the Spring term. This was given by the Early Years Grants panel at the Vale of Glamorgan. We now have a large safe space in which to plan and play, which also benefits the Village Hall.

We have been planting our outside space planters in the garden and the planters at the front of the Village Hall, to make the front a little attractive as you approach the front doors. However, we would now like to incorporate more fun play in the garden to enhance this. If there is anyone out there who can supply some spare guttering, to make water play walls, using wooden pallets already donated, then please let us know by emailing us and we will collect.

The group closes on Friday 19th July at 1pm for the Summer holidays and will re-open on Tuesday 3rd September for a stay and play from 9:15am until 11:45am. We will also be taking contracts for those who wish to join us up until April 2025.

Our children will return on Wednesday 4th September from 9am, when we will operate mornings only for the remainder of the week.

Our full services resume with the afternoon and all day care from Monday 9th September at 9am.

If you would be interested in our wrap around care to Gwenfo Nursery in September, then please email your interest. Although closed through the holidays, I will be popping in and out of email to check on messages.

Please view our website, www.wenvoeplaygroup. co.uk where you will find useful information and our photo gallery of the children at play over the past year. You will also find links to the 30 Hour Childcare Offer and Tax Free Child Care Offer on our site.

Many children (the term after their 3rd Birthday) are attending 17.5 hours a week funded by; The Childcare offer for Wales at the Playgroup. For further information contact the Childcare offer for Wales helpline to get up to 30 Hours funded childcare Tel: 03000 628628

Many families are setting up Tax Free Child Care accounts to pay their fees. This is where you can set up an account and pay money in and the Government will contribute. For example; for every £8 you put in, the Government will pay in £2. Many children under 3 are paying for their fees this way and many families who take up the Childcare offer for 30 hours

of funded care, may pay any extra fees such as transition or top up fees outside of the funded hours.

The Vale of Glamorgan Family Information Service is most helpful with information on the above;. Call: 01446704704 or email fis@valeofglamorgan.gov.uk for further information.

Many thanks to our Committee for their support over the past year and to the staff who make the Playgroup the safe, welcoming place it is.

Thanks to all those who have supported the Playgroup by attending the events and donating your valuable time from the community. Your support is very much appreciated

Barry Scout Fete

 

1st WENVOE SCOUTS

Barry Scout Fete 

 

Barry Scout Fete will be held in the Barry Fete in Romilly Park on Sat 6 July 12-5. This is a grand event with Arena Acts and Competitions both by the young people involved in Scouts and Guides locally, but also professional groups stalls selling food and fun activities. We are still looking for old plates for Wenvoe Scouts Smash a Plate Stall. Programmes will soon be on sale and include a lucky number, which will be drawn on the day. If you would like programmes let me know and remember if you cannot attend then you can let me have the lucky numbers and I will include them in the draw. Funds raised will come to Wenvoe Scouts to enhance our activities and equipment for children locally involved in Beavers, Cubs and Scouts. Last year the Scouts and Guides made a huge human fleur-de-lis and broke the world record with more than 445 people.

We are also still looking for members of the Wenvoe Community to be Trustees for our Board. The Board is a team of volunteers, who work together, as charity trustees, to make sure Scouts is run safely and legally. At the heart of their role is a focus on strategy, performance and assurance

Effective Trustee Board governance helps our volunteer leaders deliver fantastic programmes that give young people skills for life. Training is available on-line and the Board meets one evening per term plus an AGM per year. In particular we need a Treasurer to keep our accounts, a Secretary to keep the minutes and a Chair to oversee the Trustee Board.

More information about Scouting and volunteering https://www.scouts.org.uk/ or email me for a chat.

Waiting list contact

1stwenvoe.join@penarthanddistrict.org.uk

Jane Fenton-May   Group President jfm@fentonmay. org

 

Any Old Plates You Can Donate

 

1st WENVOE SCOUTS

 

Have you got any old plates you can donate to the Scouts for the Smash a Plate Stall at the Barry Fete in Romilly Park on Sat 6th July? So let us know and we can collect them and save the date so you can come and enjoy the fun. The Barry Scout and Guide Fete started 100 years ago and combines arena events put on by members of the local Scout and Guide groups and professional entertainers with stalls and rides. We will be selling programmes nearer the date, which include a lucky prize draw number.

At our AGM in April, the young people told us about the things they do in meetings, which they enjoy. These included wall climbing, camping, cooking, crafts, swimming galas, team games, mosque and RNLI visit and visits to the coast guard helicopters including a trial in the rescue hoist. They also visit Cardiff food bank and are now making regular collections particularly of soap, shampoo and biscuits, which the Bank often have limited supplies. It is amazing the range of activities they do and our thanks go to the leaders for organising the young people to have so much fun, while learning new activities. The section Beavers (6-8), Cubs (8-10½) and Scouts (10½-14) are all full currently but we do have a waiting list. Explorers are for 14-18 years in Penarth. We cannot open a starter Squirrel Drey (4-6), until we have confidence that we have secured on going Beaver leadership. We have got two new volunteers to take over in the summer.

We were sad to say goodbye to Ian Moody, our President, who restarted the village Scouts 48 years ago and ran the Scout group for nearly 4 decades. Scouting has changed in that time, including adjustments to the age groups and spreading up and down. Regulations and training is more controlled. Programming and badge schemes more sophisticated and uniforms more comfortable- all in response to feed back from young people. I started Beavers (6-8) soon after Scouting extended the age range 34 years ago. At that time Scouting was only for boys and there was nothing for the younger boys in the village and lots of choices for girls including an active Guide Group; regretfully the different sections of the Guides gradually closed. Fortunately the Scout Movement started admitting girls just in time for my daughter to join Beavers and move up through Cubs (8-10 ½) and Scouts. At one time she was the only girl. Now the genders are about equal.

The leaders are all volunteers and we have had many excellent Leaders and Assistants and have training, mostly on line, which is accredited Youth Training. We always need additional help either on a regular or ad hoc basis to ensure that we can hold meetings regularly. Sue O’Neil was working alternate weeks as a Assistant Cub Leader and she has now sadly left. The Cubs gave her a tribute and she will be missed.

The Scout Group is a charity and as a result the Wenvoe Group Scout Council at the AGM adopted a new constitution, which aligns more to the Charity Commission’s requirements. We now need a Board of Trustees, who oversee the finances and the governance of the Wenvoe Scouts. Unfortunately no one volunteered to be on the Board or to take up the posts of Chair, Treasurer or Secretary. In order to ensure the Group continues to be compliant we do need people to step forward to take up these positions; parents, members of the local community, relatives, people with experience of such work. Working with young people can be extremely rewarding and you experience their joy and excitement. If you or anyone you know feels they might be able to help let me know. The Board meetings are termly.

Running the Group is costly – rent, equipment, insurance, central costs linked to training and programme development. We used to get extra funds through the Cardiff Area Scout Post. Following Covid restrictions caused cancellations and this will not be revived. We are looking for ways and people to help us raise money. This means that we can broaden the experience and spread the costs.

More information about Scouting and volunteering https://www.scouts.org.uk/ or email me for a chat.

 

Waiting list contact:-

1stwenvoe.join@ penarthanddistrict.org.uk

Jane Fenton-May Group President

 

jfm@fenton-may.org

 

 

News – May 2024

WENVOE PLAYGROUP NEWS AND EVENTS

Registered Charity, right in the heart of the Village.

www.wenvoeplaygroup.co.uk

The Playgroup operates from the Village Hall and has been operating for over 50 Years. We are registered with Care Inspectorate Wales to care for 30 Children at any one time from the age of 2 Years 4 months. We open 9am until 1pm Monday to Friday and on Wednesday and Thursday we offer care until 3:15pm.

Wrap around care: We collect children daily at 11:20am from Gwenfo Nursery and on into lunch club until 1pm and on Wednesday and Thursday until 3:15pm. We also support children across from our morning sessions to afternoon Nursery for 1pm daily.

30 Hour Funded Childcare Offer Children from Cardiff and The Vale are benefitting from this offer. 12.5 hours are used for LEA Nursery and 17.5 hours per week can be allocated to time with us here at Playgroup. This offer is for children the term after their 3rd Birthday. To find out more, please visit our website

Tax Free Childcare: We accept payment via the Governments Tax Free Childcare. Many parents at this time use this method to pay fees for all ages, or use alongside the 30 Hour Funded Childcare to top up their extra hours/transition fees. Families set up a Tax-Free Childcare account and for example; for every £8 the family pay in; Welsh Government pay in £2. For further information go to www.gov.uk/tax -free-childcare. Further information can be found on our website 

Our Statement of purpose and Admissions Policy & Procedure can be found in ‘DOCUMENTS’ on our website, which may be useful for times and prices. However; if you want to know more, please email or phone. All contacts are on our website.

We have many children staying with us in September 2024 and a high waiting list. Should you wish to be added to our list for 2024 or 2025 please email wenvoeplaygroup@btinternet.com.

We are holding an open afternoon on Tuesday 14th May from 2pm until 3:30pm. Please come along and see what we can offer or view our group. We look forward to meeting you.

 

District Master Chef Night

 

WENVOE SCOUTS

 

As I write, our Scouts are preparing for a District Master Chef night. Last year they won the District Scout cooking competition. Not a mean feat on camping stoves! In the summer they will take part in the All-Wales Camp. The Beavers and Cubs are looking forward to the Area Swimming Competition, having successfully won trophies in the last few years.

Wenvoe is a very vibrant community with lots of clubs and activities but there are not many things for our young people. The Scout Programme aims to help them to learn new skills including outdoor activities and crafts while working in teams, and experience leadership while having fun. Along the way, they earn badges, which cover a wide range of topics. In order to deliver the programme safely, we need adult volunteers to work as leaders and helpers and ad hoc coaches with the sections – Beavers (6-8), Cubs (8-10½) and Scouts (10½-14). We also need Trustees to work behind the scenes to ensure it all runs smoothly and to provide Governance. There is training for leaders. Much of this can be done online and through support from District and Area Scouting. Being involved, is extremely rewarding as you watch the children develop their potential.

We always need new helpers but again we are appealing specifically for people to take on the Beaver group as our current group of leaders are leaving in July. Without leaders we will have to suspend meetings. Ideally it would be good to have people starting to get involved over the summer term. We also need a new Treasurer, Secretary and Chair to lead the Trustees’ team. If you are interested, please contact me to find out more, ideally before our AGM on 16th April, where you could come and meet the team.

At present all our Sections are full but let me know if you have anyone who wants to join, and they will be added to the waiting list: jfm@fenton-may.org

On 6th July in Romilly Park, we will be taking part in the Barry Scout Fete running stalls and in the Arena. We will hold a smash the crockery event and so we would like you to let us have those unwanted plates, so that we can raise money whilst people are having fun. Even if you do not have anything, save the date, and come to the event. It has been organised since 1933 and is a fun day out with something for all the family. If you cannot come you can still support us by giving us a donation https://www.justgiving.com/firstwenvoescouts

On behalf of all the Wenvoe Scout Group, have a wonderful Easter and enjoy the coming of spring.

Jane Fenton-May, Group Chair

 

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