Latest news with #Cwmbran
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Founder of community fridge service recognised in King's Birthday Honours
The founder of a local food service has made the King's Birthday Honours list. Sabrina Cresswell aged 42 runs Tasty Not Wasty a 'community fridge' based in Cwmbran. The service provides free food and aims to fight hunger poverty and reduce waste. Sabrina has been running the service for three years and has now been awarded a British Empire Medal for services to the community. Sabrina Cresswell leader of Tasty Not Wasty (Image: Sabrina Cresswell) Speaking of this achievement she said: 'It's a great honour even just the nomination and when I got the call to say I'd been on the list it was a huge surprise.' Sabrina added: 'We collect food from supermarkets so that it doesn't go to waste our group is for anyone and everyone that wants to come. 'Some people come because they like the ethos, some people might come if they need a bit of extra food. There's a complete mixture of people.' Sabrina first took an interest in volunteering back in 2020 and was heavily influenced by the pandemic. Fruit at Tasty Not Wasty (Image: Sabrina Cresswell) She said: 'During Covid I was helping people by getting prescriptions and I was helping set up some of the food bank provisions. 'When we were donating it, I realised there was overwhelmingly need for it, and it was becoming a group. 'Our primary aim is to reduce food waste and helping people who need it.' Of course, none of this would be possible without some additional help. Fruit at Tasty Not Wasty (Image: Sabrina Cresswell) Sabrina also gave thanks to Tasty Not Wasty's volunteers. 'I wouldn't be anywhere without the volunteers they literally set it forward and have been an amazing support for the community we've got probably week to week 35 and extra's at Christmas.' Tasty Not Wasty is located in Llanyrafon Methodist Church and runs every Tuesday to Saturday 10am to11:30am. On average 40 to 50 people rely on the group every day.
BBC News
2 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Staffordshire honours VJ Day veterans at 80th anniversary event
Veterans who served in the Far East during World War Two are being invited as guests of honour to a service to mark the 80th anniversary of the allied victory Royal British Legion (RBL) is asking both veterans and their families to register for the event, at the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas, Staffordshire, on 15 Day (Victory in Japan) marks Japan's surrender to the Allies in 1945 following the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which effectively ended the service will pay tribute to all those who served in the region, including Burma Star recipients, British Indian Army veterans and former prisoners of war. It will also commemorate those who fought in pivotal battles, including Kohima and Imphal in India. Veteran Owen Filer, 105, who was serving in India on VJ Day in 1945, plans to travel to the event from his home in Cwmbran, Wales, and said it would be a "poignant day".He said: "This is a significant moment for my generation and for all those who served out there and back home before Japan surrendered."It will be an honour to be with the Royal British Legion and fellow veterans 80 years after the world went through so much, and to remember those who never made it back." The event comes weeks after the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe research suggests there are about 8,000 surviving World War Two veterans in England and Wales, based on census and ONS charity warned the number was likely to fall to below 300 over the next General Mark Atkinson described the 80th anniversary as "one of the last opportunities" for the nation to thank veterans for their service."We owe it to all those with a connection to VJ Day to pause and reflect on their contribution and legacy," he added.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Wales 'doing a lot of catch up' heading to Euro 2025
Dave Adams has been the FAW's technical director since 2019 [FAW] Technical director Dave Adams says the Football Association of Wales (FAW) are "doing a lot of catch up" in women's football as the Wales team prepare for Euro 2025. Manager Rhian Wilkinson will name her squad on Thursday for Wales' first appearance at a major finals in Switzerland this summer. Advertisement Speaking to the BBC documentary series Iconic: The Rise of the Women in Red, which tells the story of the Wales women's team, Adams admits it is only recently that the FAW has invested equally between the men's and women's teams. "It's very hard for me to comment on the history of it," said Adams, speaking before qualification was secured. "But all I can say I suppose, is it probably wasn't fair or respectful to those athletes at that time. "My view is, I've got a daughter myself so you'd hope that any opportunity that my son's afforded, my daughter is also afforded. Advertisement "I would endorse that as a parent." Prior to 1993 there was no official Wales women's team affiliated with the FAW. Their first qualifying match against Switzerland for Euro 1995 was played at Cwmbran Stadium and attracted a crowd of just 345. Iconic: The Rise of the Women in Red - hosted by Wales' record goal scorer Jess Fishlock - explores the team's journey from those early origins, playing in handed down kit under part-time coaches, to their qualification for Euro 2025 by beating Republic of Ireland in Dublin in a play-off final in December. Adams says the FAW are now committed to equality and investing in the women's game. Advertisement "We're moving in that direction," he added. "We've definitely got a lot more equality. We're doing a lot of catch up in this space and I think we didn't invest proportionally on both sides. "All I can say now is that we're doing that and we hope that we can make quick progress in this space. "And that's what we're trying to do really is to make sure we can consistently qualify for major tournaments." FAW chief executive Noel Mooney says getting more women and girls playing football is one of the governing body's main priorities. "If we provide a lot more opportunities to schools and to the younger age groups I think that number will just go up and up and up," he said. Advertisement "We treat the women's game like a start-up almost because it hadn't had the investment historically. Now we're investing in it very heavily." In 2021 the FAW launched its first ever women and girls football strategy, with the aim of doubling participation levels to 20,000 registered girls playing football. "I think we're one of the highest spending national associations as a percentage of our turnover," added Mooney. "It's changed, there's a paradigm shift from where it was when I started my career, maybe 20 years ago. "But what we need to do is keep supporting the grassroots game to grow as well. Advertisement "So it's making sure we've got all the things in place to make sure that this growth that we see doesn't plateau." Wales face the Netherlands in their first group game at Euro 2025 in Lucerne on 5 July before then playing France and England in Saint Gallen. Episode one of Iconic: The Rise of the Women in Red will be broadcast on BBC Radio Wales and BBC Sounds at 6.30pm on Monday, 16 June.
BBC News
5 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Wales 'doing a lot of catch up' heading to Euro 2025
Technical director Dave Adams says the Football Association of Wales (FAW) are "doing a lot of catch up" in women's football as the Wales team prepare for Euro Rhian Wilkinson will name her squad on Thursday for Wales' first appearance at a major finals in Switzerland this to the BBC documentary series Iconic: The Rise of the Women in Red, which tells the story of the Wales women's team, Adams admits it is only recently that the FAW has invested equally between the men's and women's teams."It's very hard for me to comment on the history of it," said Adams, speaking before qualification was secured."But all I can say I suppose, is it probably wasn't fair or respectful to those athletes at that time."My view is, I've got a daughter myself so you'd hope that any opportunity that my son's afforded, my daughter is also afforded."I would endorse that as a parent." Prior to 1993 there was no official Wales women's team affiliated with the first qualifying match against Switzerland for Euro 1995 was played at Cwmbran Stadium and attracted a crowd of just The Rise of the Women in Red - hosted by Wales' record goal scorer Jess Fishlock - explores the team's journey from those early origins, playing in handed down kit under part-time coaches, to their qualification for Euro 2025 by beating Republic of Ireland in Dublin in a play-off final in says the FAW are now committed to equality and investing in the women's game."We're moving in that direction," he added."We've definitely got a lot more equality. We're doing a lot of catch up in this space and I think we didn't invest proportionally on both sides."All I can say now is that we're doing that and we hope that we can make quick progress in this space."And that's what we're trying to do really is to make sure we can consistently qualify for major tournaments." FAW chief executive Noel Mooney says getting more women and girls playing football is one of the governing body's main priorities."If we provide a lot more opportunities to schools and to the younger age groups I think that number will just go up and up and up," he said."We treat the women's game like a start-up almost because it hadn't had the investment historically. Now we're investing in it very heavily."In 2021 the FAW launched its first ever women and girls football strategy, with the aim of doubling participation levels to 20,000 registered girls playing football."I think we're one of the highest spending national associations as a percentage of our turnover," added Mooney."It's changed, there's a paradigm shift from where it was when I started my career, maybe 20 years ago."But what we need to do is keep supporting the grassroots game to grow as well."So it's making sure we've got all the things in place to make sure that this growth that we see doesn't plateau."Wales face the Netherlands in their first group game at Euro 2025 in Lucerne on July 5 before then playing France and England in Saint one of Iconic: The Rise of the Women in Red will be broadcast on BBC Radio Wales and BBC Sounds at 6.30pm on Monday June 16.
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE The vet misdiagnosed my dog and made us spend £2,500 on pointless treatments before recommending he was put down - all he needed was rest
A woman has told how a vet misdiagnosed her pet dog and made her shell out £2,500 in treatments that had no effect before suggesting he was put down - when all he needed was rest and medication. Emma Edwards, 50, told MailOnline she faced 'utter contempt' when she tried to pursue a complaint against her vet practice after her beloved dog Coco was 'misdiagnosed' with pancreatitis - and almost put down. The small business owner from Cwmbran said she and her husband were left fearing Coco was dying and spent £2,500 on pancreatitis treatments before vets finally admitted they had got it wrong. She was then told Coco would need to be euthanised, or she would need to pay more than £6,000 for an operation to fix a back issue - before a specialist finally diagnosed the pooch with a slipped disc and prescribed cage rest. Coco's case was dealt with by at least ten different vet staff during the three-month ordeal, his notes show. One even wrote she 'definitely' believed the dog had a spinal issue rather than pancreatitis, but refused to do X-rays to confirm it. But when Mrs Edwards lodged a complaint, she says the practice fobbed her off with excuses that the practice was relying on locum vets at the time, and that a pancreatitis misdiagnosis was a common occurrence. The practice manager even sent the couple a medicinal paper outlining how the condition can often be confused with spinal issues, while refusing to repay any of the wasted £2,500. To add insult to injury, the practice - a WellPets branch in Cwmbran - even got Coco's gender wrong in their correspondence with his owners. Mrs Edwards, who has owned dogs for 20 years, first noticed something was wrong with Coco when he began shaking and would yelp if touched on his back, and also had a hard stomach. Taking him to the vets, she was told Coco could have a spinal or gastrointestinal issue. Despite her concern that Coco was displaying no clinical signs of pancreatitis, Mrs Edwards said the vet conducted a test for the condition without making any investigations into the possibility of a spinal issue. The test for pancreatitis in dogs is known to sometimes throw up false positives, which is what happened in Coco's case. He was given fluids and pain medication and, for a few days, appeared to be slightly better. But as the pain medication wore off, Mrs Edwards' dog stopped eating and it became increasingly clear he was in severe pain. The couple took Coco back to the vet to request a spinal x-ray - but the vet, who was new to the case, refused to give him one. She even wrote in Coco's notes that, if it wasn't for the blood test - which is believed to have been a false positive - she would 'definitely' diagnose a spinal issue, but that she didn't want to put him through 'unnecessary X-rays.' Then, disaster struck after he woke up one morning and was unable to walk or control his bladder. 'He deteriorated rapidly until he could barely stand,' Mrs Edwards told MailOnline. 'We rushed him to the vets as an emergency. 'It was only then staff admitted it was a spinal problem. We were told, to our faces, that we had to immediately decide whether to euthanise Coco or pay more than £6,000 for an MRI and surgery. 'He deteriorated so quickly we were in panic mode. We thought he was dying.' Fortunately, Mr and Mrs Edwards managed to work out a way to afford the surgery so didn't have Coco put to sleep. They were instead referred to a specialist clinic, owned by the same company as their vet's practice more than an hour away in Gloucester. Far from recommending euthanasia, the specialist 'instantly' told Mrs Edwards that Coco did not need surgery, and should recover fully with pain medication and plenty of crate rest. The total vet bill for the specialist came to £3,300, around half of what the couple had been quoted for the operation. Six weeks later, Mrs Edwards said Coco, who was diagnosed with IVDD, a degenerative disc disease, had 'fully recovered'. He will continue to have occasional flare-ups of the issue, which will be treated with rest and pain relief. 'He's happy and healthy, we just have to monitor him,' Mrs Edwards told MailOnline. 'It's crazy to think that if it wasn't for money he would be dead. 'All he needed from the start was a bottle of anti-inflammatories and cage rest and we paid £6000 on something we needed to spend £30 on.' Video footage shared with MailOnline shows how Coco's ability to walk declined over several weeks in February last year, before he appeared fully recovered by the end of March after six weeks of rest. After Coco's ordeal was over, Mr and Mrs Edwards launched a complaint against their vet over - amongst other issues - the misdiagnosis, wrong treatment and advice they received to consider putting Coco down. 'The practice manager told me that they were relying on locum vets at the time,' Mrs Edwards said. 'Coco saw so many different vets, there were no consistent notes, his medical record was a complete mess. 'The manager even still tried to claim that Coco had pancreatitis even after the diagnosis. We had been with this vet practice for 20 years. It was like she didn't care.' In an apparent attempt to defend the vet's initial diagnosis, the manager even sent Mrs Edwards a medical paper detailing the difficulties of differentiating pancreatitis from spinal issues - but the dog owner believes this only proves the vets should have done more tests in the first place. They told her: 'The vets involved used a rational approach to Coco's case at the time, offered other diagnostic modalities as well as seeking a second opinion when response was limited and referral when Coco deteriorated. 'The vets treating Coco at the time did not have the benefit of hindsight and I am sure they felt they were providing appropriate care given the clinical picture in the moment.' To add insult to injury, the practice - a WellPets branch in Cwmbran (pictured) - even got Coco's gender wrong in their correspondence with his owners Her complaint was then handed to the Veterinary Defence Society, or VDS, which insures vets from negligence claims and investigates complaints on behalf of their clients - the vets themselves. The VDS has faced criticism over how vets are left to investigate other vets' actions, as part of an organisation specifically designed to protect them and defend their reputations. The VDS told Mrs Edwards that there was no case to answer. The family has never received any compensation for the £2,500 of wasted money on pancreatitis treatment. It comes after campaigners warned the veterinary complaints system leaves pet owners feeling dismissed, with consumer body Which? warning urgent reform is needed. The VDS lists its goals online, and says: 'We defend reputations against claims and offer compensation when appropriate. We protect you against claims of veterinary negligence, with human injury cover included. 'We provide legal representation at criminal and disciplinary hearings.' In response, Mrs Edwards has set up a petition calling for reform to the vet complaints system. A spokesperson for WellPet Vets told MailOnline: 'Our sincere sympathies remain with Coco's family and appreciate the worry of nursing a much-loved pet through a period of ill health. We recognise how upsetting this experience has been but are glad to hear Coco has recovered well. 'While we cannot comment on individual cases due to our duty of client confidentiality, we can confirm that our client care team has been in ongoing contact with Coco's family in an effort to address their concerns. We are sorry to hear that they feel their complaint remains unresolved. 'The most important thing to us is the welfare of the pets under our care. Our dedicated team at Wellpet Vets aims to provide a professional and compassionate service at all times, and we believe we have done in this case. 'We take any suggestion of substandard delivery of care to animals or their owners extremely seriously. All incidents are investigated thoroughly and any appropriate action necessary is taken. 'We should also clarify that our practice carries professional indemnity insurance provided by the Veterinary Defence Society (VDS) and when we receive a claim from a client seeking financial compensation, we are obliged under the terms of our policy to refer unresolved complaints to the VDS. 'We strongly encourage all pet owners to raise concerns with us directly, so we can continue to review and respond to them appropriately and fairly and allow the due resolution process to take place.'
