A big thank you to Mrs Davies from Rhos-on-Sea for her amazing feedback about our Property Maintenance team and Tenant Liaison Officers. It’s wonderful to see the positive impact the team is having on Cartrefi Conwy tenants’ homes and lives on a daily basis, and to know that this high quality, professional service generates income that enables us to create employment and training opportunities for local people.

A huge well done to the team!

Congratulations to Creating Enterprise and Cartrefi Conwy’s Director of Partnerships – Social Value, Sharon Jones, who was inducted as an Honorary Fellow at this year’s Social Enterprise UK Awards. Well done Sharon for this amazing and well-deserved achievement.

A community hub has opened at a train station to help job seekers and tenants get on the right track.

Transport for Wales (TfW) and the Welsh Government are behind the pioneering scheme at Llandudno station, where a vacant room has been renovated for use by the local community.

The one-stop-shop is being managed by housing association Cartrefi Conwy and its not-for-profit subsidiary, Creating Enterprise, which is supported by more than £100,000 funding from the Welsh Government through Transport for Wales and Avanti West Coast.

They use it to run a job café and job search support, a Ready for Employment training programme, advice on work placements and volunteering, and skills building sessions.

It also hosts the Conwy Valley Community Rail Partnership, extending their reach to Anglesey and accessing more communities in Wales.

The new hub was officially opened by Lesley Griffiths, Welsh Government Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd.

Coincidentally, Ms Griffiths was also the guest of honour at the official launch of Creating Enterprise in 2016 when she was the Minister for Communities and Tackling Poverty.

The Minister said: “This innovative project at Llandudno station is part of our ambitious programme of work to improve our transport network in North Wales and is also a boost for the town centre.

“The aim is to bring back to life unused spaces at railway stations for the benefit of local people so they can continue to play an important role at the heart of the community. The station is right in the middle of Llandudno and this will also help with encouraging people to use our town centres”

The scheme was among the first of its kind in TfW’s Station Improvement Project and is also benefitting from Avanti West Coast’s Station Community Fund. TfW’s head of community rail, Hugh Evans, said: “The new community hub at Llandudno station is the forerunner of a raft of other initiatives which will make a real difference in the Welsh communities we serve.

“The initiative also promotes the important agenda enshrined in the Well-being of Future Generations (2015) Act and the railway is the perfect vehicle to support community projects like this.

“Another major benefit is that by working with organisations like Cartrefi Conwy and Creating Enterprise we are also making our stations safer and more welcoming places.”

Joanna Buckley, Community Manager at Avanti West Coast added: “We want to connect people and places to opportunity, and we hope that the new hub in Llandudno will make a real positive impact for all those who use it. The initiative is more relevant than ever, given the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic and how it is effecting communities and passengers along our route.”

Among the first people to benefit from the new community hub was Traci Demir.

As a single parent, Traci had been out of work for five years as a stay-at-home mother. Wanting to get back to work once her daughter started school, she approached Creating Enterprise for job search support and as a Cartrefi Conwy Tenant she was eligible for the Employment Academy.

Traci was successful in her interview and is now a Community Caretaker for Cartrefi Conwy, on a 12-month placement with full support from a mentor.

Sharon Jones, director of partnerships at Creating Enterprise, said: “We are grateful for the fantastic support we have had from Transport for Wales and the Welsh Government to establish the community hub which is accessible to all.

“The facilities we have here are helping us have a positive and transformative impact on the lives of the people for whom we provide support and guidance.

“Our mission as a social enterprise is to help people fulfil their potential so that they can progress and thrive.

“Hopefully, the community hub here in Llandudno can serve as the torchbearer for similar initiatives across Wales.”

Andrew Bowden, the chief executive of Cartrefi Conwy, added: “Our new business plan outlines our ambitions to collaborate and create new partnership opportunities that directly benefit the communities we serve and the creation of this new hub is a great example of how working together can make a real difference to people’s lives.

“We own and manage around 900 homes in Llandudno and this hub will provide an invaluable one-stop-shop for our tenants and the wider community.

“And that’s what Cartrefi Conwy and Creating Enterprise are all about – creating communities to be proud of.”

It was lovely to see the families involved in our Making Work: Work For All project making some very special memories during last week’s half-term break. As well as going along to a ‘Bug Bunting’ workshop hosted by the Royal Cambrian Academy where they produced some fantastic works of art which will be displayed around Abergele in honour of the forthcoming series of ‘I’m a Celebrity…‘, the families attended yoga sessions in Llandudno and Peulwys.

One of the highlights of the week was when Cartrefi Conwy tenants, Jay and Melissa, met in our Llandudno Community Hub to talk about the differences (and similarities!) in their experiences of growing up in Llandudno before Melissa helped Jay to capture her memories through the Digital Storytelling app, PowerDirector. It was truly fascinating and quite emotional to see them working together and using their individual strengths to create something really special.

Want to get involved? Give Kath a call on 01492 588 980 or send an email to employmentacademy@creatingenterprise.org.uk

Eligibility criteria:

• At least 1 person in your household is working & you have at least 1 child
• You live in Llandudno, Rhos-on-Sea, Mochdre or Old Colwyn
• You live in social housing or private rented accommodation

Jay & Melissa

Last month we were thrilled to share the news that Cartrefi Conwy had been revealed as the community sponsor of Rygbi Gogledd Cymru (RGC), a fact we celebrated with a hugely popular multi-sports session held in Rhos-on-Sea.

Now we are keen to spread the word that Cartrefi Conwy have tickets for RGC’s home games available to their tenants free of charge. To be entered into a draw to receive tickets, please give us a call on 01492 588 980, send an email to employmentacademy@creatingenterprise.org.uk or contact us via Facebook.

We are absolutely thrilled to share that Cartrefi Conwy have been revealed as the new community sponsor of Rygbi Gogledd Cymru (RGC). To celebrate this exciting news, we have planned a fun family event in Rhos-on-Sea with a multi-sports session delivered by MW Sports, plenty of pizza and a chance to meet some of RGC’s top players. The event is open to all tenants and local people with no booking necessary.

In addition, Cartrefi Conwy tenants who attend will be entered into a draw to win free tickets to an RGC home game.

Congratulations to our Community Rail Officer, Karen, and the team at Conwy Valley & North West Wales Coast Community Rail Partnership on being shortlisted for the Best Community Engagement Project at the upcoming Community Rail Awards.

Find out more about the awards here.

Find out more about the ‘Walking For Wellbeing’ project which was supported by colleagues from Cartrefi Conwy’s Community Involvement team here.

We are absolutely thrilled to have been named as finalists in both the ‘Social Enterprise of the Year’ and ‘Social Enterprise Team of the Year’ categories of the Social Business Wales Awards. Read more about the awards below:

“The 2021 Awards will be a moment to celebrate the incredible contributions made by social businesses in Wales, recognising those organisations which have pivoted, grown and thrived in these most challenging conditions.” Derek Walker, CEO, Wales Co-operative Centre

The social businesses competing for the top honours at this year’s Social Business Wales Awards have been announced.

Running since 2010, the Awards are a high-profile celebration of the Welsh social enterprise movement and demonstrate the strength of social business activity across the length and breadth of Wales. Entrants come from a range of industries, but all demonstrate a dynamic, entrepreneurial, and ambitious attitude that is helping the social business sector to grow despite the pandemic.

This year there are two headline categories – Wales Social Enterprise of the Year, which looks for excellent vision and strategic direction as well as a clearly evidenced social, environmental and community impact, and Wales One to Watch, which looks for new and innovative social enterprises trading under two years with an impressive initial impact and strong vision for the future. Social businesses also had the opportunity to enter the following categories: Tech for Good; Community Impact; and Social Enterprise Team of the Year.

The Social Business Wales Awards are being held virtually for the first time on Tuesday 5^th October. The Awards are part of the Social Business Wales project which is funded by Welsh Government and the European Regional Development Fund. The principal sponsor for this year’s Awards is Cowshed Communication, with additional sponsorship provided by Legal & General, Acuity Law, Perago and Triodos Bank.

Derek Walker, Chief Executive of the Wales Co-operative Centre and delivery lead for the Social Business Wales project, said:

“Trading conditions have been significantly disrupted for a lot of businesses over the last 18 months, so for this year’s Awards we are looking to celebrate the resilience and the entrepreneurial spirit of the social business sector. 

“The 2021 Awards will also be a moment to celebrate the incredible contributions made by social businesses in Wales, recognising those organisations which have pivoted, grown and thrived in these most challenging conditions. 

“We wish all the businesses shortlisted the best of luck at the Awards. We hope that, whatever the outcome, their success will inspire a generation of future social entrepreneurs.” 

Vicki Spencer Francis, Managing Director of Cowshed Communication, Principal Sponsor of this year’s Social Business Wales Awards, said:

“Cowshed’s commitment is to deliver exceptional campaigns for clients we love and causes we believe in. And as part of this commitment we have sponsored the awards for the past three years. This year we wanted to go a step further to show our support to social enterprises by becoming that principal sponsor.

“Even though 2020 will be remembered as the year of Covid-19, we will never forget the moments of kindness that made it a year of solidarity, community spirit and co-operation. Social enterprises came into their own, using their unique knowledge of local communities to support those who needed extra help and to supply vital resources and raise money for our NHS. These are the type of achievements we look forward to hearing about and celebrating at the Awards in October.” 

Full list of categories and shortlisted finalists for the Social Business Wales Awards 2021 can be found below: 

1. Social Enterprise of the Year (sponsored by Cowshed PR): open to social enterprises which have been trading for more than 2 years, in any business sector.

• Creating Enterprise
• The Community Impact Initiative
• Therapeutic Activities Group CIC 

2. One to Watch (sponsored by Legal & General): open to social enterprises which have been trading for less than 2 years, in any business sector.

• Amathanon CIC (Carmarthen Food)
• Drosi Bikes
• Prom Ally 

3. Tech for Good: Technology Social Enterprise (sponsored by Perago): open to social enterprises that have been operating for more 2 years and use technology to achieve social impact.

• Cardiff Cleaning Services (APP UK)
• Empower – Be the Change
• Denbighshire Music Co-operative 

4. Community Impact (sponsored by Triodos Bank): open to social enterprises that have been operating for more than 2 years and trading for the benefit of the local community. 

• PTAWA Enterprises Ltd
• Green Willow Funerals Ltd
• Iorwerth Arms
• Glyn Wylfa 

5. Social Enterprise Team of the Year (sponsored by Acuity Law): This category acknowledges those teams which, over the course of an extremely challenging year, have demonstrated the strength, passion and resilience which is so characteristic of the social enterprise sector. 

• Creating Enterprise
• Empower Be The Change
• Llangefni Town Football Club

NB: As well as running in Wales, the Awards also run in parallel in other UK nations. Scotland, Northern Ireland and England partners use the same categories, time scales, application forms and criteria. Winners from each nation are announced in early autumn and go through to compete in a UK final which is held in December.