Cancer Aid Merthyr offers a range of services for local residents who are affected by cancer. Please find below timetable of services.

All appointments are available between 10am – 4.30pm.
Monday – Counselling & Support Groups
Tuesday – Counselling & Complementary therapies
Wednesday – Complementary therapies
Thursday – Counselling & Acupuncture
Friday – Complementary therapies
For more information please call the centre on 01685 379633

Community Cooking - love food hate waste

Thanks to funding from the Merthyr Learning Festival and Niace Cymru. Trefechan Communities First were able to run a healthy cooking session with local residents. Residents learnt how to make healthy budget meals from leftovers, not only saving themselves money and time but also reducing the amount of food we throw away as waste.

We learnt how to make:
Healthy Chicken Curry (using left over chicken and vegetables)
Stuffed Mushrooms ( using leftover bread and vegetables)
Vegetable Bake (using leftover vegetables and eggs)
and a particularly tasty Banana and Carrot Cake (using leftover carrots and over ripe bananas)

Connect Merthyr also brought along their laptops so that we could look at the love food hate waste website which gives ideas for using up leftovers as well as advice on portion sizing and reducing food waste. The Love food hate waste website is http://www.lovefoodhatewaste.com/

If you are interesting in attending future events or training, please speak to Louise in the office.

RURAL ACTION MERTHYR WINTER WALK

The Rural Action Merthyr Team has arranged a Winter Walk which will take place on Sunday 29th January at 10am. The walk will start at Ffynnon Dwyn and they will walk along the Taff Trail visiting all the historic and natural features along the way.

Points of Interest:
Pontsarn Railway Platform
Pontsarn Viaduct
Taff Fechan Nature Reserve
St Johns Church
Cefn Viaduct
View of the Morlais Castle
Pont y Cafnau
Iron Works Blast Furnace
Joseph Parry’s Cottages
Glamorganshire Canal
Ynysfach Iron Works

The walk will finish at Merthyr Leisure Centre at around 12pm. If you would like to join them they will be leaving Ffynnon Dwyn at 10am. Please notify the Rural Action Merthyr Team of your attendance on 01685 725289 or ruralaction@merthyr.gov.uk.

(please note that this walk is not being run or organised by Communities First. All enquiries should be directed to the Rural Action Merthyr Team on the number above)

Job Club

Do you need help getting back into training or employment. We can help you with:
CV Writing, volunteering, work placement, benefit advice, back to work support, application forms, job searches, interview skills and training guidance.

Back to work support days every other Tuesday 10am to 2pm at Trefechan Community Centre - No Appointment needed
The dates of the next support days are
Tuesday 24th January 2012
Tuesday 7th February
Tuesday 21st february
Tuesday 6th March
Tuesday 20th March

For more information, please contact your local employment engagement officer Ian Murphy King for support now on 07740 899730 or email i.murphy-king@btcv.org.uk

Training

Communities First is looking to organise a range of training for the new year. If you are looking to try out something new or interested in a particular course or area of training, please call into the office and have a chat with Louise.

Job Vacancy with Wildlife Trust in Taf Fechan Nature Reserve

Wildlife Trust Officer – Merthyr Tydfil
A Wildlife Trust Officer (WTO) is required for Merthyr Tydfil to manage the Wildlife Trust’s Taf Fechan Local Nature Reserve (SSSI) and deliver community/landowner advice and conservation projects in the area.
The post holder is required to effectively communicate the Wildlife Trust’s aims and objectives to all people in the Merthyr Tydfil area through a variety of means including community events and guided walks. In addition you will develop partnerships to undertake important scientific research and surveys on the reserve.
You will need to have a good understanding of the Taf Fechan Nature Reserve and the general Merthyr Tydfil area as well as three years’ practical experience of wildlife conservation, monitoring and report writing.
The post is a three year post, full-time in years one and two, and part-time (three days a week) in year three, with the possibility of full-time if funding is found.
Working hours are 35 per week.
The salary is £17,500 pa pro rata.

For more information please visit http://www.welshwildlife.org/about-us/jobs/