A popular Cycle Jumble planned by the National Cycle Museum, Llandrindod Wells on Saturday, September 19 has now been postponed until 2021 due to the COVID-19 virus.
A new date is to be arranged for the event, which was due to have taken place at Llandrindod Wells County Primary School, Cefnllys Lane.
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Ten new members have joined an independent organisation that represents more than 600 tourism and hospitality businesses across Mid Wales during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.
MWT Cymru, which has member businesses across Powys, Ceredigion and the Meirionnydd region of Gwynedd, has been busy supporting members throughout the lockdown. In addition to keeping businesses informed and helping them to access financial support, MWT Cymru has been working closely with Visit Wales, Mid Wales Regional Tourism Forum, Wales Tourism Alliance and local authorities to ensure that tourism remains high on the political agenda. The 10 new members are Cambrian Coast Caravan Park, Ynyslas, Borth; Dolau Afon Holidays, Llanafan, Aberystwyth; The Original Shandals Company, Machynlleth; Poppies Guest House, Newtown; Open Newtown; Trenewydd Farm Holiday Cottages, Moylegrove, Cardigan; Coedmor Self-catering Holiday Cottages, Caerdeon, Barmouth, Dyffryn Café and Restaurant, Foel, Erwbarfe Farm Caravan Park, Devil’s Bridge, Aberystwyth and Earthbound Organics, Dolau, Llandrindod Wells. “We are delighted to have been able to increase our membership at such a challenging time for all tourism and hospitality businesses,” said MWT Cymru’s chief executive Val Hawkins. “It’s very encouraging that these businesses have approached us wishing to become members. “We shall continue doing our utmost to represent and support all our members as we all find ways of operating safely and successfully in the coming weeks and months as Mid Wales bounces back from the pandemic. “Collaboration is going to be more important than ever to help the tourism sector bounce back from the severe impact of the pandemic on businesses and communities across Mid Wales. “The tourism sector employs 23,000 people in Mid Wales and generates more than £1 billion annually to the local economy. Tourism is vital, now more than ever.” As the Welsh Government continues to lift travel restrictions in Wales, pub beer gardens, restaurants and cafes with outdoor seating, self-contained accommodation and caravan holiday parks will be allowed to reopen from July 11, if cases of coronavirus continue to fall. This follows the easement of restrictions on July 6, allowing journeys to outdoor tourist attractions and destinations. MWT has been supporting members throughout this crisis to help keep businesses informed and access financial support, working closely with Visit Wales, Mid Wales Regional Tourism Forum, Wales Tourism Alliance and local authorities. “Collaboration is going to be more important than ever to help the tourism sector bounce back from the severe impact of the pandemic on businesses and communities across Mid Wales,” said Mrs Hawkins. “We have undertaken specific research to understand how visitors, as well as local communities, feel about reopening and we are using these insights to develop our recovery programme.” “The tourism sector employs 23,000 people in Mid Wales and generates over £1 billion annually to the local economy. Tourism is vital, now more than ever. We need people in Wales and beyond to choose Mid Wales as a destination. “However, there is a delicate balance that needs to be struck in reopening. Safety is at the forefront of everybody’s minds, and all our member businesses are committed to creating a safe experience – both for visitors and our local communities.” MWT is encouraging all businesses in Mid Wales to sign up for Visit Britain’s new industry standard mark, ‘We're Good To Go’. “We’re Good To Go is the official UK mark to signal that a tourism and hospitality business has worked hard to follow Government and industry COVID-19 guidelines and has a process in place to maintain cleanliness and aid social distancing,” said Mrs Hawkins. “When you see the ‘Good To Go’ accreditation logo on our Visit Mid Wales website, you can be confident that these businesses are operating in line with Welsh Government and Public Health Wales guidelines. “When visitors return, we also urge them to play their part to help keep our communities safe by practicing safe behaviours like social distancing, regular hand washing and wearing masks when in public spaces (e.g. shops, public transport). “Visitors can help Mid Wales families and communities by shopping locally and visiting our local attractions. Every pound invested in our communities will help us recover from this pandemic.” She added: “We must remember that even now, whilst lockdown is easing, coronavirus has not gone away. We need to adapt and recover, and this will be the collective responsibility of everyone. We hope that our visitors will support us and help Mid Wales to recover from this crisis.” She said she had been heartened to see excellent examples of positive collaboration between businesses and communities during the lockdown and is confident this will continue. “Businesses have been sharing ideas, creating opportunities to work together and supporting each other,” she added. “Our MWT Cymru Members Facebook Group is very active. “Other businesses have used the lockdown to improve and change their accommodation ready to welcome back visitors.” Mrs Hawkins quoted the awarding winning Fforest Fields caravan, camping and glamping site at Hundred House, near Llandrindod Wells as an excellent example of a member working with 13 other local businesses to respect their local community. In a joint message to the community of the Edw Valley and surrounding area, the businesses said: "We are proud to call Radnorshire our home. Although each of our tourism businesses is different, we are united in safeguarding our local community as we look to re-open our businesses after lockdown. “Before we are able to reopen, we want to reassure our friends and neighbours that we are treading cautiously and are focused on your safety. We are following guidelines and advice from policymakers, the Government, our governing bodies and business networks. “We will do everything needed with due care and diligence. All our decisions will be weighted by our respect for our community and an understanding of the limits of our local health service. “Tourism is an important sector for the local economy. Our guests come here because they love the rural beauty of Mid Wales and want to escape their day to day lives. They are respectful and supportive. We want to work to ensure there is harmony between those living and working here and those visiting when the time is right. “We openly ask anyone who lives and works within the community of the Edw Valley and surrounding area to get in touch if they have any concerns or questions. We thank you for the support shown by so many of you during this difficult time for our businesses, families and teams." Picture caption: Val Hawkins MWT Cymru’s chief executive.
“We are relieved that at least some of our member businesses are going to be able to reopen from July 6, but it’s just the first step on a very long journey to the new normal for our sector,” said Val Hawkins, from MWT Cymru. “Today’s announcement is down to the hard work that the Wales Tourism Alliance, of which MWT Cymru is a member and others have been doing behind the scenes with Visit Wales throughout the pandemic lockdown.” MWT Cymru, which has member businesses of all sizes across Powys, Ceredigion and South Gwynedd, says Mid Wales is going to need a robust tourism sector as the region bounces back from the pandemic. Mrs Hawkins stressed that a huge combined effort by the Welsh Government, local authorities, communities, businesses and everybody involved in the tourism sector will be needed to ensure that Mid Wales is ready to welcome back visitors from July 6. “Our members take public security and safety seriously and will take all the necessary measures to keep our businesses, employees, visitors and communities safe,” she added. “It’s vital that everybody continues to follow the public health advice and guidance from the Welsh Government to stop the spread of Covid-19. “The pandemic is having a huge impact on the tourism industry due to the loss of income and continued restrictions imposed on many businesses. We must now all focus on our marketing to ensure that people are aware that Mid Wales is reopening to visitors from July 6. “Undoubtedly, there will be confusion about what can and cannot reopen. We are here to help to advise our members and provide practical support remotely, wherever possible, as we have done throughout this crisis.”
“I believe we can run our businesses safely by putting in place measures to stop the spread of the virus and we look forward to welcoming our customers and friends back in July.”
Mr Drakeford said; “The visitor economy in Wales should use the next three weeks to prepare to re-open self-contained accommodation in Wales during the month of July. "If you have a static caravan that has its own kitchen or bathroom, if you're renting a cottage or going to a hotel that has turned itself into self-contained accommodation, there is a clear signal from me today that you should use the next three weeks to get everything you need in place, and you will be able to start taking bookings for after July 13.” The tourism sector is worth £864.5 million a year to the Powys economy, supporting 11,662 jobs and attracting around 4.69 million visitors. In Ceredigion, tourism contributes around £331 million annually to the economy, supporting 5,400 jobs and attracting more than 2.73 million visitors. Picture caption: Val Hawkins MWT Cymru’s chief executive. MWT Cymru’s chairman Rowland Rees-Evans. While many businesses are closed during the Coronavirus pandemic, apprentices across Wales are forging ahead with their qualifications with online support from their learning provider.
Directors and staff at award winning, pan-Wales learning provider Cambrian Training are all working remotely from home during the pandemic but are staying connected to their learners via the City & Guilds’ Learning Assistant e-portfolio system. Training officers use the Google Hangouts communications software to speak face to face with learners even though they are often hundreds of miles apart. This enables them to provide support and review evidence for learners’ apprenticeship portfolios. Arwyn Watkins, OBE, Cambrian Training’s managing director, believes the pandemic has the potential to be transformational for the business, which has offices in Welshpool, Llanelli, Builth Wells, Holyhead and Colwyn Bay. “The pandemic is making the company re-evaluate the way we do business, engage with learners and colleagues and how we utilise our IT resources to reduce our environmental impact,” he said. “Going forward, there is no point in asking people to travel from all over Wales to every team meeting when it can be held remotely. We are going to learn a lot from the Coronavirus crisis about ourselves and the hidden talents we have within the business.” With many apprentices across Wales also having to stay at home during the pandemic, they are using the time to press ahead with their apprenticeship portfolio. Higher apprentice Steffan Walker, 26, is assistant manager at the Harbourmaster Hotel, Aberaeron, which was named Small Employer of the Year at the Apprenticeship Awards Cymru last year. He has almost completed a Higher Apprenticeship (Level 4) in Hospitality, having progressed from an Apprenticeship and a Level 2 Wines and Spirits qualification. “I am taking this time when the hotel is closed to complete my Higher Apprenticeship and am now on my last assignment,” he said. “Being able to complete my e-portfolio and to see and talk to my training officer, Hazel Thomas, online is great “I have been able to show her evidence and other pieces of work I had done for assignments. It’s a great learning tool and, hopefully, it is helping other apprentices as well. “I want to keep on improving myself and the business because both benefit from apprenticeships. They have definitely helped me in my role, especially learning about different management styles and employment law.” Steffan has worked at the hotel for 11 years, climbing through the ranks from pot washer to his current position. The hotel supported him while he competed for Great Britain in canoe slalom competitions around the world. He became number one in Wales and won a silver medal at the 2014 World Junior and U23 Canoe Slalom Championships in Australia. Now his focus is on his career in the hospitality industry. “It was a bit of an identity change when I finished the sport,” he said. “I set myself high standards as a canoeist and I have taken them into my work.” Hazel, who has 44 learners working towards a range of hospitality and professional cookery apprenticeships, said: “When the pandemic ends, I think we are going to be re-evaluating the importance of IT skills for communicating with learners and keeping in touch as a team. “In the hospitality sector, the written element of the work is always the last thing to be completed by learners. This crisis has provided them with an opportunity to get on with this work and get it signed off by us. The learners absolutely love remote learning.” Cambrian Training’s staff have further developed the e-portfolio system by creating videos to show apprentices how to use it and embedding a list of questions that they must answer. “What we have developed by using our IT skills in the last two weeks has been phenomenal,” added Hazel. “I can’t tell you how much we have grown as a team.” Apprenticeships in Wales are funded by the Welsh Government with support from the European Social Fund. Picture caption: Steffan Walker with Dai Morgan, general manager of the Harbourmaster Hotel, Chris Bason, Cambrian Training’s head of hospitality and Hazel Thomas, hospitality training officer. The RSPB yesterday (Tuesday) began a daily Breakfast Birdwatch, which takes place between 8-9am on weekdays.
Before the Coronavirus crisis, this is the time when many people would have been commuting to work, doing the school run, or otherwise unable to enjoy the splendour of nature, from the safety of their homes. We are living in unprecedented times. With restrictions on how much time we are all able to spend outdoors and with RSPB nature reserves closed until further notice, it is vital that nature can still be enjoyed by as many people as possible, whether keen birders, parents, children, those self-isolating or anyone else able to join in. Using #BreakfastBirdwatch and #BrecwastGwylioAdar on social media, the RSPB hopes to create a friendly, supportive and engaged community who can share what they see in their gardens, on their balconies, rooftops and spaces from their own homes, all the while keeping within Government guidelines in relation to Covid-19. With the arrival of spring, there is so much incredible nature returning, blooming, growing and thriving outside. While we are in the midst of an unparalleled crisis, we must not forget the power of nature, including how watching nature, can be so positive for our mental health and wellbeing. Throughout the coming weeks, Breakfast Birdwatch will focus on different themes and different species, helping to identify what supporters have seen and heard, and answering questions along the way.
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