See H's new scary side!

CHILDREN getting bored with the school holidays already? Looking for somewhere to take them during those all-too-frequent rainy days?
Then look no further than the Wales Millennium Centre and the last few weeks of its musical extravaganza Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, starring Aled Jones and Rhondda Cynon Taff-born Ian Watkins.
Having become a children's favourite in the chart-topping band Steps, H is now scaring the children as the evil Childcatcher in the stage version of one of the best-loved musical movies of all time.
From loveable former pop star to the show's baddie, we have followed Ian's transformation - step by step!
Every day he spends almost one hour in make-up, getting ready to play the part of a wicked elderly man employed to rid the fictional village, Vulgaria, of its youngsters.
And among those youngsters is Cynon Valley actor Iwan Davies, a member of the Aberdare-based Colstars, who is enjoying his big break on the WMC stage.
But Ian needs to be in his dressing rooming before any other cast members.
Throughout his 45-minute make-up process - filmed especially for our WalesOnline website - his make-up artist fits a flesh-coloured cap and brown comb-over wig to Ian's skull.
She also crafts a false nose and ears and applies layers of deep purple make-up around the star's eyes to create the illusion of dark circles.
"It is quite an extreme look - usually the 'baddie' stems from the inside or because of awful material you have to work with, but you do not have to do much with this," said Ian.
During the performance, which is almost three hours in total, Ian's make-up, which costs £150 per show, has to be touched up regularly to ensure his disguise is maintained throughout.
It is among the most dramatic transformations the 32-year-old actor has had to make - being more used to performing in chart-topping band Steps or in lead roles on stage in such productions as Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
Ian, who still lives in Rhondda Cynon Taff, is known to legions of his fans by his nickname H - short for Hyperactive - from his days with the band.
"I am more used to wearing a bit of blusher and having my hair done for these shows, but it is fun to play a role people would not normally associate with you," he said.
"It makes them sit up and take notice of what you do."
And what next for Ian after playing the Childcatcher?
He will then begin rehearsals for Frank Vickery's comedy Erogenous Zones - a play about the ups and downs of romantic relationships.
It is set to tour theatres across the South Wales Valleys later this year.
l Ian Watkins and Aled Jones star in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the Wales Millennium centre until August 30.
To book tickets call the Box Office on 08700 402 000 or visit www.wmc.org,uk


Fundraising exploits need a pretty penny

A GOLDEN mile of pennies could soon stretch from Aberdare town centre to Trecynon.
That is the aim of the Aberdare branch of Soroptimist International - which has this week launched its new fundraising campaign - with members already overwhelmed with support from the public.
The lady members estimate they will need to collect 85,000 pennies to cover the distance, which will raise a total of £850 towards their funds to help cure infectious disease in West Africa.
Voluntary work organiser Shirley Davies said: "We have started the collections for Lassa fever, a disease which affects West Africa, particularly Uganda.
"If people there were educated in hygiene practices, then many more lives would be saved, and that's what we aim to do."
Soroptimist International is a charity run by women of all ages, cultures and religions to work for better human rights for women across the world.
The Aberdare branch of the organisation launched its fundraising appeal outside the New Horizons mental health resource centre in Cardiff Street. The branch runs various fundraising events throughout the year, with the next planned event a cheese and wine day in November.


A community in good health

HEALTHY eating and living were on the agenda during a free event that highlighted what is on offer for the community.
More than 100 people sampled a range of activities at the Aman Centre in Godreaman as part of the National Adult Learners' Week celebrations.
The theme for the day was healthy living, and some 110 people attended to take advantage of the facilities, including the newly-opened Ace Cafe.
Guests made chicken and vegetable snack wraps, as well as fresh fruit kebabs and healthy snacks were on sale at the cafe throughout the day.
After stocking up on some healthy fuel, those who attended could then try their hand at a number of taster sessions - including sewing, silk painting, line dancing, tai chi, stained glass painting, stress management and drop-in sessions in the computer suite.
"It is important to remember the activities on offer that one day are just a taste of what can be experienced at the Aman Continuing Education Centre every day of the year," said council cabinet member Eudine Hanagan.
"The venue is a treasure in the heart of the community where people can go to learn, improve themselves and their families or just make new friends."
For further details on all the activities available at the Aman Centre, call 01685 870399.


Motor magic in the valley

MORE than 1,200 visitors flocked to see an exhibition of dozens of classic cars.
There were more than 60 classic cars at the Vintage Transport Festival, held at the Rhondda Heritage Park, along with various kinds of traction engines, vintage buses, model railway layouts and American kit cars, some dating back as far as the 1920s.
Many Cynon Valley motor enthusiasts enjoyed the day, which included exhibitions and adventure play areas for children along with discounted underground tours.
Nicola Newhams, marketing officer for Rhondda Heritage Park said: "We had received a fantastic response and were fully booked for the whole weekend.
"We had more people coming in this year than we had last year.
"The weather was great as well so everyone just came out and enjoyed themselves thoroughly."


Servicing the countryside

PEOPLE under community service orders will spend time cleaning up forestry land and creating fire-breaks as part of a new drive towards ‘Restorative Justice.’

This scheme forms part of Operation Pitman III, launched by South Wales Police and community safety partners to tackle grass fires, scrambler bike nuisance and countryside crime this summer.

Last year Rhondda Cynon Taff had the highest number of deliberately started fires in Wales, causing thousands of pounds worth of damage to property and the environment.

“This is a new element to our long-term partnership approach to reducing the risk of fires and criminal damage,” said Sergeant Richard Gardiner, head of Operation Pitman.

“By using people on community service to clear up problem areas they are less easily targeted by fire setters and arsonists and the devastating effects these fires have on the countryside and its wildlife can be reduced,” he said.

“ We also reduce the risk to people’s lives and property and the thousands of pounds spent on tackling these blazes. ”

The scheme forms part of the new drive towards restorative justice.

Operation Pitman will see dozens of uniformed and plain clothes officers and staff from other agencies - some with off-road vehicles, mountain bikes and some mounted officers - take to anti-social behaviour and biking hotspots in the hillsides and forestry around Cynon Valley and Merthyr Tydfil in the next few weeks.

They will tackle issues such as off-road bikes, abandoned vehicles, criminal damage to property, fly-tipping and arson that destroy the peace and natural environment of these areas.



Dummy run for training medics

THIS ain’t no ordinary dummy – it is Europe’s first human patient simulator and it’s helping to train Taff Ely medics.

The University of Glamorgan is home to the‘iStan’, which is helping trainee medical professionals gain as close to real-life experience of treating a patient as possible without working on the real thing.

Based at the Faculty of Health, Sport and Science at the University, iStan is a revolutionary development.

Designed from the inside out, iStan has a human-like skeletal structure that provides true-to-life articulated motion. Spine, neck, arms and hips all move with life-like accuracy.

Modelled from a unique cast of a real person, the skin acts, looks and feels like real human skin.

Students at Glamorgan will be the first in the UK to have access to this form of training, which will prepare them in a unique way for their careers in the medical profession.

iStan is located in the Glamorgan Clinical Simulation Centre.

In 2005 the centre became the first in Wales to acquire the highly-sophisticated Human Patient Simulator or HPS from US based Medical Education Technologies Inc (METI).

The HPS is one of the world’s most advanced tools for teaching and hands on training for health professionals. The iStan is the latest version of this impressive technology.

Professor Donna Mead, Dean of Faculty of Health, Sport and Science, said: “iStan will be a key resource for our centre and will take simulation training for health professionals to a new and exciting level of realism.”



Project generates £4.5m for the benefit of elderly in area

MAXIMISING the disposable income of older people has been listed as one of the priorities for Rhondda Cynon Taf council.

Council leader Russell Roberts said this can be the key to unlocking a range of options and opportunities for people to enjoy a better quality of life.

He added that the council’s strategy for older people outlines these aims.

Coun Roberts said: “In 2004 an older persons’ welfare rights project was established which offers a free Welfare Benefit advisory service to anyone in Rhondda Cynon Taff over the age of 50.

“Since its start this project has generated £4.5m of additional income to older people in the borough.

“The service operates home visits to ensure equal access for people who are housebound and has also been targeted at people such as blue badge holders, community first groups, and those known to community care and carers.

“In addition to this project the community care division of the council funds an age concern scheme that operates a similar welfare benefit advice scheme for people over the age of 60 and this scheme has also been successful in generating significant additional income for older people.”



True cost of crime is added up

TAXPAYERS in the South Wales Valleys fork out more than £250 each a year covering the cost of crime, new figures reveal.

A single incident of violence against a person - which includes crimes like murder and serious assault - costs the public £166 per person.

The alarming new statistics have been produced by The Taxpayers Alliance, an organisation that campaigns for lower taxes.

It calculated the cost by dividing South Wales Police’s total expenditure on crime with the number of people living in the force’s area.

Total cost per person per year for people living in the South Wales Police force area in 2007 was £267.

This breaks down as: violence against a person £166, common assault £4.12, sexual offences £27.69, robbery and mugging £4.84, burglary from a home £5.24, theft £15.23, criminal damage £21.59, burglary not from a home £20.98, theft from a shop 72p and till snatches 60p.

Average cost per person per year throughout England, Wales and Northern Ireland was £275, totalling more than £15bn.

The cost of crime for the neighbouring Gwent constabulary was even higher at £329.63 for 2007, with each violence against the person costing £210.44.

Matthew Sinclair, policy analyst at the TaxPayers Alliance, said: “Every one of us pays a steep price for high crime rates – particularly those living in urban areas.

“Whether we have been victims of crime, are afraid to go out at night or are just paying ever more to protect and insure ourselves and our property, crime has significant economic, emotional and social costs for us all,” he said.

Jon Trew, national officer for Victim Support Wales, said: “While these statistics make for interesting reading, it is very difficult to put the cost of crime down into figures. The physical and emotional damage is not the sort of thing you can work out.”




Mountain Ash community health plan

PLANS for a new hospital in Mountain Ash have been approved as the Welsh Assembly Government said it will foot the £66m bill.

Welsh health minister Edwina Hart said building work on the site can finally go ahead.

The plans for the new hospital will include a £10m 16-chair dental unit, which will provide NHS dentistry for around 10,000 people in the area.

The new Cynon Valley hospital will be built with single en-suite patient rooms.

It is understood that half of the 128 beds will be in single rooms, with the remainder in single-sex wards.

The hospital will also include a new midwife-led birth centre and a nurse-practitioner-led minor injuries unit, which will be located next to the GPs’ out-of-hours service.

There will also be access to mental health and palliative care services and to X-ray and ultrasound to help speed up diagnosis for patients, as well as keeping healthcare as local as possible.

“The new Mountain Ash hospital will improve access to healthcare services locally for patients,” said Mrs Hart.

“It will have access to diagnostic tests, maternity services and minor injuries unit, reducing the need for people to travel for treatment.”

The money for the new hospital, announced on the 60th anniversary of the NHS, is part of a £100m-plus investment in new equipment and buildings in North and South Wales.


Youngsters need foster support

IF YOU can help inspire wayward young people at a vulnerable time, the foster services would like to hear from you.

An urgent appeal is being made for carers to provide safe short-term placements for 10- to 17-year-olds who have committed an offence and are waiting to be dealt with by the courts.

It sounds daunting, but the role of Remand Foster Caring comes with full training and support, and gives you the chance to transform a young life.

Youth Offending Service chief Andrew Gwynn said: “The offer of a bed to a young person who is in trouble and, for a variety of reasons, cannot return to their own home, can be a turning point in a young person’s life.

“Being a remand foster carer is a way of making a real difference, providing a safe, positive family environment - often for the first time in a young person’s life.”

Councillor Annette Davies said: “Often, these young people have never known the foundation of family life that many of us take for granted, and find themselves at a crisis point when they commit and offence.

“It is at that point the foster carers can step in and change their future course.”

Remand Foster Care placements are short-term, and volunteers are paid a fortnightly allowance. To find out more about remand fostering and other specialist care schemes, call 01443 827300.