Business Leaders Return to Newport to See Progress on Tackling Inequality
Business in the Community (BITC) and senior business leaders have returned to Newport to see the progress of schemes designed to tackle food insecurity, unemployment and inequality.
The visit, part of BITC's flagship The King's Seeing is Believing programme, was led by Paul Lewis, Firmwide Managing Partner at Linklaters LLP and hosted by Professor Simon Gibson CBE, DL, CEO of Wesley Clover UK and Chair of the Newport Place programme.
Attended by senior representatives from a range of businesses including Linklaters LLP, Celtic Manor, Enterprise Holdings, Eversheds Sutherland, Gwent Police, KLA, Microsoft, Principality Building Society, The Crown Estate, Verizon Business Group and Wesley Clover UK, the visit gave business leaders an opportunity to see the challenges experienced by residents of Alway and Maindee and the work that is already being done on the ground to support their communities.
The visit comes as data shows that Maindee has one of the highest rates of deprivation in Wales, scoring 10/10 on the Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation. Across Wales, four in 10 households with children have been referred to a food bank.
During the day, business leaders visited: The Collection Point at Alway Community Centre: This was a direct outcome from BITC's 2023 Seeing is Believing visit to Newport. The Collection Point is a collaboration between BITC, The Celtic Collection, Gwent Association of Voluntary Organisations, Newport City Council and Alway Community Centre, distributing frozen meals, made fresh at the Celtic Manor Resort. The initiative has increased its distribution of 1,200 meals per month in 2024 to a projection of 30,000 meals in a year in 2025.
This was a direct outcome from BITC's 2023 Seeing is Believing visit to Newport. The Collection Point is a collaboration between BITC, The Celtic Collection, Gwent Association of Voluntary Organisations, Newport City Council and Alway Community Centre, distributing frozen meals, made fresh at the Celtic Manor Resort. The initiative has increased its distribution of 1,200 meals per month in 2024 to a projection of 30,000 meals in a year in 2025. Maindee Primary School: Four in 10 pupils at Maindee Primary School are eligible for free school meals and the school provides practical support to families, such as access to food and essential items, including frozen meals provided by the Collection Point at Alway Community Centre.
Four in 10 pupils at Maindee Primary School are eligible for free school meals and the school provides practical support to families, such as access to food and essential items, including frozen meals provided by the Collection Point at Alway Community Centre. Community Youth Project: Working closely with Maindee Primary School, Community Youth Project is a community centre supporting young people with access to a safe space, support and a place to grow, develop resilience and build strong bonds with their community.
BITC launched its Pride of Place programme in Newport in 2022, bringing together businesses to form the Newport Place Board.
BITC's work in Newport includes: Running of apprenticeship awareness sessions with Wales & West Utilities, introducing young people to vocational pathways.
Holding enterprise days, offering 120 students an immersive business experience, including product design and financial literacy.
Offering World of Work Weeks, in partnership with 11 employers, engaging 90 Year 5 and 6 pupils in real-world career experiences.
Providing energy-saving kits, including smart thermostats and LED bulbs to more than 600 families.
Hosting two Festive Extravaganza events, providing more than 150 children with gifts and meals.
Working with the Celtic Collection to provide WiFi to residents of temporary housing to support education and employment.
Paul Lewis, Firmwide Managing Partner at Linklaters LLP, said:
'Since the last Seeing is Believing visit I led in Newport in 2023, I've been blown away by the level of commitment we've seen from business leaders to address the challenges facing those living and working in Newport. Challenges which are leading to high levels of deprivation and inequality in the area. The positive impact we've seen shows just what can be achieved when businesses, community organisations and local councils work together to drive long-term change at pace and scale.
'It is a testament to the effectiveness of the King's Seeing is Believing programme, helping business leaders to see first-hand the barriers that communities face and the difference they can make. I hope this visit will do the same and help to benefit Newport for many years to come.'
Kieran Harding, Acting CEO at Business in the Community, said:
'Today's visit shed a light on the inequalities facing those who live and work in Newport and the incredible work being done on the ground to reduce these inequalities and support those who are living in areas with high levels of deprivation. The visit was engaging and inspiring and I am sure it will lead to much impactful change in Newport in the short- and long-term.'
More Stories from Business in the Community:
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
21 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Fact Check: Debunking alleged photo of Trump on Epstein's jet with underage girls
Claim: A photo shared online authentically depicts U.S. President Donald Trump on an airplane with underage girls. Rating: An image purporting to be an authentic photo of U.S. President Donald Trump aboard an airplane accompanied by five young women circulated online extensively in June 2025. The alleged photograph was shared widely across social media platforms like Threads (archived), Facebook (archived) and BlueSky (archived), but was particularly widespread on X (archived, archived, archived). Some users sharing the photo pondered if the airplane featured in the image belonged to accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, who is now deceased. Many others spreading the photo online alleged the young women present were underage. (Facebook user Danilo Padilla Ramirez) The image shared online purporting to show Donald Trump alongside underage girls, allegedly on Epstein's private jet, is fake. While there are authentic images of Trump alongside Epstein, plenty of false images have spread widely on the internet, including other fake photos of Trump with underage girls. The specific image in question has been shared online since at least 2023. It appeared in posts on meme websites Imgur and 9GAG in April 2023 before spreading to social media. In January 2024, Hollywood actor Mark Ruffalo even apologized for sharing fake images of Trump with underage girls, including the one in question. The actor wrote, "Sorry Folks. Apparently these images are AI fakes. The fact Trump was on Epstein's plane and what Epstein was up to is not." Indeed, the photograph was generated with artificial intelligence (AI). The AI-detection tool Hive Moderation reported a 99.8% chance the image was made using AI and was thoroughly debunked when it originally circulated. While the image was debunked during its original circulation, Trump's public feud with Elon Musk, who posted on social media that Trump appeared in Epstein's files in June 2025, brought the image back to prominence and is likely to blame for the proliferation of new claims. Snopes previously debunked fake images of Trump and Epstein with a minor as well as Trump and Epstein together on a private jet, though there have been authentic images of the pair together. Dapcevich, Madison. "Photos of Trump Alongside Diddy, Epstein Are Real." Snopes, 6 Dec. 2024, Esposito, Joey. "Musk Accused Trump of Being in Epstein's Files. Here Are 19 Rumors We've Looked into about the Disgraced Financier." Snopes, 5 June 2025, Fact Check: Trump, Epstein Photos With "Underage" Women NOT Authentic -- They're AI Generated | Lead Stories. 9 May 2023, Liles, Jordan. "Yes, Musk Alleged Trump Appears in the Epstein Files." Snopes, 5 June 2025, "Mark Ruffalo Apologizes after Reposting False Images of Trump on Epstein's Plane." NBC News, Accessed 12 June 2025. Wrona, Aleksandra. "Pic Supposedly Showing Trump, Epstein and a Minor Girl Is Fake." Snopes, 24 Aug. 2024,
NBC Sports
22 minutes ago
- NBC Sports
Travelers Championship 2025: Final-round tee times, pairings Sunday at TPC River Highlands
A rogue bunker shot sent Scottie Scheffler's first hole on Saturday at the Travelers Championship spiraling -- and himself down the leaderboard at TPC River Highlands. The PGA Tour's signature event schedule reaches a conclusion with the Travelers Championship finale on Sunday at TPC River Highlands. The final twosome of Tommy Fleetwood (16 under) and Russell Henley (13 under) will go out at 1:50 p.m. EDT. Here are all the final-round tee times and pairings: Golf Channel Staff, Thomas Detry Matti Schmid Davis Riley Nick Dunlap Christiaan Bezuidenhout Tony Finau Tom Hoge Min Woo Lee Sam Stevens Mackenzie Hughes Cam Davis Jhonattan Vegas Joe Highsmith Sepp Straka Sungjae Im Hideki Matsuyama Jacob Bridgeman J.T. Poston Rickie Fowler Shane Lowry Ryan Gerard Max Homa Matthieu Pavon Andrew Novak Cameron Young J.J. Spaun Xander Schauffele Ludvig Åberg Adam Hadwin Gary Woodland Akshay Bhatia Robert MacIntyre Ryan Fox Bud Cauley Luke Clanton Collin Morikawa Daniel Berger Tom Kim Harry Hall Byeong Hun An Stephan Jaeger Ben Griffin Maverick McNealy Michael Kim Adam Scott Matt Fitzpatrick Sam Burns Davis Thompson Justin Thomas Kevin Yu Eric Cole Austin Eckroat Max Greyserman Alex Noren Viktor Hovland Aaron Rai Scottie Scheffler Taylor Pendrith Nick Taylor Denny McCarthy Rory McIlroy Patrick Cantlay Harris English Lucas Glover Brian Harman Wyndham Clark Keegan Bradley Jason Day Tommy Fleetwood Russell Henley
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Grandfather's simple changes reversed pre-diabetes diagnosis that left him 'petrified'
A 66-year-old grandfather who exercised daily was stunned to learn he was pre-diabetic — and he says making one small change to his eating habits helped reverse it. Dance teacher Will McKechnie, from Lytham St Annes, Lancashire, told SWNS he had always considered himself healthy. At 5 feet 10 inches tall and 167 pounds, he wore a medium-sized shirt, danced seven times a week, and didn't think twice about his daily snacks: a chocolate bar and a bag of chips. Experts Reveal Hidden Ways Sugar Accelerates Aging Beyond Just Weight Gain "I honestly thought I was really fit and healthy," McKechnie said. But after undergoing a free screening for people over 60 in May 2023, a routine blood test showed that his average blood sugar level was 6.2% — an indicator of pre-diabetes, according to SWNS. Read On The Fox News App McKechnie didn't find out until a year later, during an unrelated appointment, when his doctor reviewed the results. "I was so shocked and worried to hear I was pre-diabetic," he said. 'I'm A Neurologist — Here's Why Dementia Is Rising And How To Reduce Your Risk' McKechnie continued, "When he said it wouldn't be reversible over 48, I was terrified. I was petrified at the idea that I might be starting to have poor health." Determined to turn things around, McKechnie made some major changes — not only in what he ate, but how. He cut out the nightly chocolate and chips, started eating whole, nutritious foods, and began chewing his food much more slowly. Now, his lunch — a wholemeal chicken sandwich — takes him 40 minutes to eat. "I just have a very occasional treat now, and much smaller," McKechnie told SWNS. Golfer Phil Mickelson's Strict Weight Loss Diet: Doctor Shares What To Know His breakfast now consists of fruit, and a typical dinner includes boiled eggs, roasted peanuts, celery, cherry tomatoes, carrots and cucumber. By focusing on slower eating and more mindful food choices, McKechnie shed nearly 27 pounds, bringing him down to 142 pounds and a size small shirt. He also lost two inches off his waist — and, more importantly, his blood sugar dropped to 5.9% within nine months, SWNS reported. "I'm very determined," McKechnie said. He added, "If I set my mind to doing something, I'll do it, and I'm going to get my blood sugar even lower." The grandfather of four said he no longer battles sugar cravings and doesn't feel the urge to rush into stores for a chocolate fix. He also stays busy caring for his 18-month-old grandson and teaching two dance classes a week. McKechnie, who quit smoking in 1986 and stopped drinking in 2012, believes everyone should be proactive about checking their health — even if they look healthy on the outside. Click Here To Sign Up For Our Health Newsletter "Even if you have to pay for it, it's worth getting your blood sugar checked routinely," he told SWNS, adding, "It's much, much better to find out." For more Health articles, visit According to SWNS, McKechnie now says he feels stronger than ever and has "enormous amounts of energy." "I'm so relieved I had that test. It has changed my life and made me so much fitter."Original article source: Grandfather's simple changes reversed pre-diabetes diagnosis that left him 'petrified'
