Tag: llandaffnorth
We attended the Llandaff North general election hustings tonight. All the candidates except UKIP’s Gary Oldfield took part.
To read our Tweets from the debate, head over to Twitter.
We recorded the opening speeches for you to see the candidates’ pitches.
If you’d like to watch the whole thing, we streamed the debate using Periscope. It’s just over 90 minutes long.
Follow @mycardiffnorthWe’ve invited all the local election candidates to complete this questionnaire so you know more about the people asking for your vote on the 4th of May. We’re also compiling a list of their websites and social media accounts so you can follow them and get in touch if you have any questions.
Follow @mycardiffnorth
Name – Councillor Jonathan Bishop
Party – Independent
Ward – Llandaff North
Website – jonathanbishop.org.uk
Twitter – @votejonathan
Facebook – votejonathan
How can people get in touch with you? – Web and social media.
I am an information technology executive, researcher and writer. I founded the Centre for Research into Online Communities and E-Learning Systems in 2005, now part of the Crocels Community Media Group. My research and development work generally falls within human-computer interaction. I have over 75 publications in this area, including on Internet trolling, cyber-stalking, gamification, cyberlaw, multimedia forensics, Classroom 2.0 and Digital Teens. In addition to his BSc(Hons) in Multimedia Studies and various postgraduate degrees, including in law, economics and computing, I serve in local government as a councillor, and have been a school governor and contested numerous elections, including to the UK Parliament and Welsh Assembly. I am a fellow of BCS, CILIP, the InstAM, the RAI, the RSS and the RSA, senior member of IEEE and a member of the IMarEST with MarTech, the NUJ, CIOJ, CIPR. I have won prizes for my literary skills and been a finalist in national and local competitions for my environmental, community and equality work, which often form part of action research studies. In my spare time I enjoy listening to music, swimming and chess.
Air pollution, unemployment, crime and safety.
The Gabalfa Interchange. One can get almost anywhere from it!
I edited a book called Transforming Politics and Policy in the Digital Age. The problem is that there is too much focus on politics and not enough on policy. The BBC News Channel for instance focuses on nonsense like divisions in the Labour Party between those who support Jeremy Corbyn and those who do not. Everyone has an opinion on what should happen in their communities and the country, so from my point of view the role of a councillor should be to get the public’s message across to the powers that be and not getting the politician’s message across to the public.
Joint favourite are Top Gun and Days of Thunder.
Act in the interests of the people in the ward and no one else. When I’m elected to a council I represent my ward and am not afraid of making enemies to do the right thing for the people I speak on behalf of.
I will set up a 24-hour telephone receptionist service, a dedicated website, and email. I will also set up a telephone redirection number to make it easier to report problems to the council 24 hours per day.
Crime, education, the environment.
Improving air quality because it is creating a generation of people with respiratory problems.
Out of my council allowance I would provide a new apprenticeship each year for someone to help me with my work as a councillor, which would ideally be drawn from those who live in the ward. I would also spend a good proportion of my allowance on match-funding community projects.
We’ve invited all the local election candidates to complete this questionnaire so you know more about the people asking for your vote on the 4th of May. We’re also compiling a list of their websites and social media accounts so you can follow them and get in touch if you have any questions.
Follow @mycardiffnorth
Name – Dilwar Ali
Party – Labour
Ward – Llandaff North
Website – llandaffnorthlabour.org.uk
Twitter – @DilwarAliLAB
Facebook – llandaffnorthlab
How can people get in touch with you? – contact@llandaffnorthlabour.org.uk, Phone, Surgeries, Facebook & Twitter.
I live in Llandaff North and was elected to Cardiff Council on 3rd May, 2012. I also served as Deputy Lord Mayor of Cardiff 2015/2016. As a Councillor this has given me a real insight into the wide range of needs within the community and I understand the value of engaging, listening and learning. I am an Associate Member of the Royal Society for Public Health, Member of Cardiff City Supporters Trust, Member of the Advisory Board, Uprising Cymru and involved with many organisations as well as fundraising for many charities. I am a founder of NAID (Nationwide Association for Integrated Development), a charity established in 2001, and serving Director of NAID. I have served last 5 years on Cardiff Council’s Economy and Culture Committee, Democratic Services Committee, Constitution Committee, South Wales Fire & Rescue Service and Cardiff Airport Consultative Committee. I am a governor at Gabalfa and Hawthorne Primary Schools. I have vigorously campaigned for reform of the law relating to dangerous dogs and animal welfare generally. Also a keen fan of both cricket and football.
Residents around the ward have different issues, as every street is different but we have heard more often is speeding, parking, potholes and improvements to Hailey Park, Bowling Green and Tennis Court.
Love Llandaff North because of the great community feeling and lovely to have Hailey Park & Taff Trail so close to me.
I have a real insight into the wide range of needs within the community and I understand the value of engaging, listening and learning.
Star Wars.
Schools: Education is a priority for Welsh Labour. We continue to invest in all our local schools, ensuring we provide the children and young people of Llandaff North with the best education and facilities.
Parks: Our local recreation facilities are a vital part of our community. Myself and Jennifer Burke-Davies promise to improve and maintain our parks to promote health, leisure & sports, and the environment.
Potholes: Will ensure all pavements and roads are resurfaced across Llandaff North. We support the Safer Roads and ’20 is Plenty’ campaigns to make our streets safe for everyone.
Street cleaning: With the support of Keep Wales Tidy and Cardiff Council, we will campaign to ensure our streets are free of litter and well-maintained.
Surgeries Advice: We will continue to hold regular advice surgeries around the ward and engage with residents on any issues that affect them. Our aim is to support you.
Quarterly newsletters which reaches every household, Llandaff North Labour Website, Facebook & Twitter and I am always available by phone, email or at surgeries.
My interests include better cycling and public transport, the regeneration of Llandaff North, Central Square and Cardiff Bay.
Whilst serving on Economy and Culture Scrutiny Committee, I have had a keen interest on trams for Cardiff.
I would like to thank residents of Llandaff North for the opportunity to represent the area since 2012 and whether you voted for us or not – I hope you’ll consider putting your faith in your local Llandaff North Labour Team, (myself and Jennifer Burke – Davies) to keep delivering our promises on Thursday May 4th!
We’ve invited all the local election candidates to complete this questionnaire so you know more about the people asking for your vote on the 4th of May. We’re also compiling a list of their websites and social media accounts so you can follow them and get in touch if you have any questions.
Follow @mycardiffnorth
Name – Matthew Dixon
Party – Liberal Democrats
Ward – Llandaff North
Website – cardiffld.org.uk/llandaff-north
Twitter –
Facebook – facebook.com/m.t.dixon
How can people get in touch with you? – Either by the Facebook address listed above, or by contacting our head office in the city centre at 38 The Parade.
I was born and brought up in England – first in Bournemouth and then in Northumberland. I moved to Cardiff for university and have stayed here ever since – which is longer than I care to mention! For the past couple of years, I’ve been living on the Gabalfa Estate, on the banks of the A48. In my day job at present, I handle complaints in the financial sector (something that might stand me in good stead when dealing with complaints from local residents!) Outside of work I’m an active Christian, and a licensed preacher. I guess that the sort of things I preach in church and the sort of values I feel I hold as a Liberal Democrat go hand in hand. My core political views are very simple – we should all be looking out for those less fortunate than ourselves. That places me firmly in two camps. First up, it means I’m politically left of centre – in favour of us all looking out for those less fortunate than ourselves here in the UK – particularly those reliant on the state for support. However it also means I’m a very passionate internationalist. Until we voted to leave the EU, I don’t think I realised how passionate an internationalist I was. We need to not just be looking out for the poor of our own country, and putting up barriers to stop help reaching those in need from abroad, but we need to be welcoming in those in need – particularly the refugees from the devastating wars going on in the world today. We can do so much more together than can by ourselves.
So, why am I standing in this election? Well first and foremost, I believe that everyone should have the right to vote for the Liberal Democrats, and send a strong message to Theresa May, Jeremy Corbyn and others that a large number of us are not in favour of this very isolationist Brexit that is being pursued without any regard for the large number of people who voted against it. Secondly, I believe that Cardiff deserves better from its council. I’ve been ashamed to see articles in the local press time and time again about infighting in the group who are supposed to be running our council. I’ve been ashamed to see the state of our streets, and serious litter problems. I feel that things need fixing, and I believe the Liberal Democrats are the ones that can do that.
One issue would have to be litter – both in terms of needing more street sweeping, and problems with fly tipping. Closure of the vital resource of the Wedal Road tip would only exacerbate the issue. I was disheartened when someone on the doorstep said he had had enough of politics because of a litter problem that had not been dealt with. There’s various transport issues as well. I’ve heard complaints about busses getting cancelled, and there’s been positive support for a Gabalfa and Mynachdy Station that would greatly benefit the east side of the ward. Also, there’s a rat-run that needs dealing with alongside the slip road to Gabalfa roundabout. There’s potholes that need dealing with as well, generally the roads need tidying up.
I’d have to say Cardiff Bay. I don’t go there nearly often enough, but when I do it always feels like I’m on holiday. It’s an example of what Cardiff can be like where effort is put in and somewhere we should all be proud of as a city.
First and foremost – education in schools about politics. A friend of mine used to work in the prison, and spoke of the courses they ran explaining how changes can be made through political means – why are our children not taught that in schools? Secondly, allow 16 and 17 year olds the right to vote. They’re easily old enough, and being put off at that point might turn some of them off for good. Finally, amend the voting system. Our Assembly system is decent, but our Westminster system is hopelessly broken. Much as I hate their policies, I still feel in all fairness, UKIP should have about 80 MPs based on how many people voted for them, and not the 1 they got at the time. Too many people think either “What’s the point in voting?” or “If I vote for the party I want to, it will be wasted.” Neither is good.
Good one! I’m not going to go all highbrow and insightful, but I’ll go for either Dogma, American Pie or one of the Mr Bean films!
We need to tackle the litter problems across Cardiff. Getting more street sweepers out – particularly after bins have been collected – will be a priority of myself and my fellow Liberal Democrats. I will continue to fight against the closure of the Wedal Road tip, and I am in favour of scrapping the charges for bulky waste collection – to deal with the fly tipping problems. I will listen to the various issues that have already come my way since I announced my candidacy for this ward, and work with my Liberal Democrat colleagues in the council to put policies in place that will improve the lives of all across the ward. I will also continue to press for the new Gabalfa and Mynachdy station to ensure better public transport links can benefit the whole of the Llandaff North ward.
I will hold regular surgery sessions in The Hub to meet with residents in the ward. I will set up relevant online presence – e-mail, website and Facebook. As we have in other parts of the city, I will produce regular Focus leaflets to keep the people of Llandaff North informed of what myself and the wider Liberal Democrat team are doing.
It is an absolute scandal that in a first world country like Wales, in our own capital city, there are large numbers of people who are left living on the streets. This is a scandal we should not accept, and I would really like to get involved in doing whatever can be done to help these people back into the world of housing.
In short – Cardiff needs a change of government. We need to have a party leading the council that doesn’t find itself time and time again in the local news because there’s a leadership challenge, or fighting between councillors, or an endless stream of defections and by elections. Plaid Cymru and the Conservatives will never have the numbers to replace Labour as the largest party on the council, but there is a genuine chance that the Liberal Democrats can do just that.
Non submitted (Editor)
We’ve invited all the local election candidates to complete this questionnaire so you know more about the people asking for your vote on the 4th of May. We’re also compiling a list of their websites and social media accounts so you can follow them and get in touch if you have any questions.
Follow @mycardiffnorth
Name – Gill Griffin
Party – Plaid Cymru
Ward – Llandaff North
Website –
Twitter – @plaidystumtaf
Facebook – Llandaff North Voice
How can people get in touch with you? – Llaisystumtaf@gmail.com
I am a Welsh speaker and have lived in Ystum Taf for 32 years. I was born in Pembrokeshire and left school at 18 to train as a nurse in Cardiff. I have also lived in Caerffili, Birmingham and Splott, as well as 8 months as a volunteer on a kibbutz in Israel. I have two children who both live in Cardiff. I was an active member of Plaid Cymru when I lived in Caeffili; I also became very involved in the anti nuclear movement. I abhor nuclear weapons and am opposed to nuclear power. Apart from work I spend time on my allotment which is a community in itself. My other important interest is singing in Côr y Gleision / Cardiff Blues Choir and follow Cardiff Blues Rugby team, as well as Wales of course! I love travelling and reading; there are still many places on my bucket list to see – finances allowing!
The build up of rubbish along out streets , and the potholes in our streets and lanes . The neglected bowling green and tennis courts in Hailey Park. Over development in terms of housing estates which has a negative impact on transport, traffic, GP services and schools.
Llandaff North and the canal, followed by the Castle Grounds, accessed via the cycle path, because of the people and the beauty of the environment. Another favourite place is the Sherman Theatre which puts on so many great plays and shows.
People need to feel it is worthwhile contacting their Councillor to highlight issues . This means prompt response to questions and prompt action as soon as is possible. False promises will not give people faith in the political system. Young people’s views on local as well as national issues could be sought via youth clubs, schools and social media. Involvement with residents associations, holding hustings, surgeries are also important.
The Sting.
Endeavour to effect the 7 pledges in Plaid Cymru’s Manifesto. Locally this will include upgrading the Tennis Courts in Hailey Park, widening the cycle path to accommodate cyclists, individual and family walkers. Road Sweepers and more bins to keep our streets clean. Improving the reliability of the bus service through Llandaff North. Promote the uptake of allotment rentals. Promote the inclusion of young people in community issues.
By holding regular surgeries. Maintaining the Llandaff North Voice newsletters and inviting people to contact me with any concerns. Make phone numbers and emails available to residents at the library/the Hub, GP surgeries and local shops.
The misguided development of our green field sites. Zero hour contracts which keep people struggling to survive, and the unfair bedroom tax . Companies that make decisions to increase rents on outlets, close local pubs and music venues with no consideration of the effects on Cardiff families, communities and on employment.
Promote Welsh language education according to demand. Promote dyslexia friendly schools to ensure dyslexic children are not disadvantaged. End the development of our green field sites. Encourage provision of solar panels on all new builds. Campaign for free parking at UHW for staff and visitors.
Let us all work for an improved Cardiff that is worthy of becoming a Capital of Culture. Diolch yn fawr.
We’ve invited all the local election candidates to complete this questionnaire so you know more about the people asking for your vote on the 4th of May. We’re also compiling a list of their websites and social media accounts so you can follow them and get in touch if you have any questions.
Follow @mycardiffnorth
Name – Jennifer Burke Davies
Party – Labour
Ward – Llandaff North
Website – llandaffnorthlabour.org.uk
Twitter – @jenb_davies
Facebook – llandaffnorthlab
How can people get in touch with you? – contact@llandaffnorthlabour.org.uk or Facebook
I moved to Cardiff 7 years ago, when I was working for Remploy. I met my husband, Ceri, not long after and we settled in Llandaff North, where my husband is from & went to school. My career has been spent in Welfare to Work, working across various contracts in West Yorkshire & Wales that have sought to assist people with complex barriers such as long term unemployment, disability, debt, learning difficulties or health conditions to return to sustainable work. Within this remit, I have worked directly on Department of a Work & Pensions contracts such as Pathways, Workstep & Flexible New Deal in addition to devolved contracts such as Jobs Growth Wales, Traineeships & Apprenticeships through the South East Wales valleys. This experience has been absolutely invaluable in enabling me to build relationships with individuals and I feel would directly benefit my ability to carry out casework on behalf of constituents in the Ward. In my spare time, Ceri & I enjoy walking our Miniature Schnauzer, Pretzel, through Hailey Park, I’m currently trying to learn Welsh, albeit slowly! And I’ve always particularly enjoyed photography although Ceri is much better it than I am!
From campaigning in the last 6 months & meeting residents around the Ward, every street is different but what we hear more often is speeding, car parking, pot holes and improvements to Hailey Park.
Llandaff North! There’s a great community feel here thanks to the residents who live & work here, it’s wonderful to have Hailey Park & the Taff Trail on our doorstep. There’s a great convenience to living here with transport into town being regular but with the benefit of not feeling like you’re living in a city. There are good schools and overall it’s a safe, quiet and welcoming place to live. I love that I know a lot of my neighbours too.
I think it’s a two way street for residents and local politicians to come to the table together. Councillors should be visible & approachable, I think this is achieved with regular surgeries and being open to contact from constituents but residents have to be able to know where they can find you & when which is why I think it’s really helpful Councillor Dilwar Ali has taken up surgeries at the new Hyb. Residents should be listened to through consultation, ultimately action taken in a ward affects them and, where possible, the consultation process should be as accessible as possible to inform the decision making process. I think the internet/twitter is a great tool but shouldn’t replace what can be achieved through face to face communication and open dialogue.
You’ve Got Mail or The Departed!
Speaking to residents throughout the Ward has informed our manifesto, we have committed to improving the Schools in our local community and this begins with an £8million investment into Gabalfa Primary/Ysgol Glan Ceubal. We’re committed to improving our parks and work has already started on clearing the Bowling Green in Hailey Park making way for the second phase. We’re committed to ensuring all pavements and roads are resurfaced across Llandaff North, we support the Safer Roads and “20 is plenty” campaigns, which will help improve traffic around the schools in the ward. We are committed to working with Keep sealed Tidy & Cardiff Council to ensure our streets are free of litter and well maintained. Dilwar & I are committed to continuing to hold regular Advice Surgeries in the Ward where residents can speak to us about their concerns and we can deal, effectively, with casework. The Cardiff Labour Manifesto is also available online: https://www.dropbox.com/s/qvdaduurm7huh3f/Cardiff%20Manifesto%20Amendment%20Digital.pdf?dl=0
I would seek to improve our visibility to constituents, we have quarterly newsletters that reach every household in the ward but Facebook & Twitter is more immediate and also gives residents a means to contact us directly. Additionally, I’d be available by phone, email or face to face at surgeries – similarly, I’d never discourage someone from saying hello if they saw me in one of the shops or the rugby club!
I’d like to be involved with housing & education, infrastructure – there’s so much! One thing affects the other really – for instance housing is a big issue nationally, not just within Cardiff, the Cardiff Labour Group has committed to building 1000 new council houses which is fantastic but we desperately need the South Wales Metro in place to support the growth of our city. I’d like to see improved bus & rail services taking pressure off our roads, an improved cycle network. Ideally, I’d like to get stuck into a bit of everything!
The weather. Less rainy days! But practically, no city is perfect – I grew up in London & spent a number of years in Leeds before moving to Cardiff and I’ve never been happier anywhere as I am here. Yes the roads can be congested & the rail services require drastic improvement but in the time I’ve lived in this city, I’ve witnessed Cardiff come on in leaps and bounds. I feel incredibly lucky to live here and have the best of all worlds: city, countryside, mountains and sea all within a short distance. There isn’t anything I’d drastically change that isn’t already happening – I feel, soon, we’ll be in a position to compete/work with Bristol, Bath and other cities in the U.K. – I really think we’re heading in the right direction.
Non submitted (Editor)
We’ve invited all the local election candidates to complete this questionnaire so you know more about the people asking for your vote on the 4th of May. We’re also compiling a list of their websites and social media accounts so you can follow them and get in touch if you have any questions.
Follow @mycardiffnorth
Name – Steffan Webb
Party – Plaid Cymru
Ward – Llandaff North
Website –
Twitter – @plaidystumtaf
Facebook – Llandaff North Voice
How can people get in touch with you? – Llaisystumtaf@gmail.com
Cardiff born and bred, father and grandfather with 4 children/step children and 2.5 grandchildren. Sblot, Trowbridge, St Mellons estates before 30 years in Cardiff North. Lived in Llandaff North for 8 years. I run on some Saturday mornings, watch CCFC on Saturday afternoons and always mean to go to the gym. I read a lot. Worked on Community Development and as a Welsh Language activist having developed the Menter Iaith brand. Hoping to put those skills to work for all in Llandaff North. Learnt Welsh as an adult, taught Welsh to adults, currently finishing course on translation but hoping to be a full time councillor. Keen to attract more projects and investment to the area. Community action can lead to many improvments. Gave up supporting Labour some two years ago when they voted for austerity and seemed to forget what they are supposed to be doing.
We need to get the basics right. Rubbish and dog mess is a big issue, maintenance of streets and pavements and park facilities. 20 is plenty on our crowded roads and our petition is well supported and has made many aware of the issue. Health, fitness, sport and provsion for young people is key. Inappropriate speculative housing developments will lead to more transport problems so we need to improve train / metro transport and encourage bikes and walking. Local business opportunities need to be supported as well as dealing with social isolation and care needs. Religious groups can and do help with this. Education provides a way forward for all and literacy can open many doors and provide many benefits. Community groups and local businesses can all help with this.
I love all of Cardiff and couldn’t possibly choose between the river, the parks, town and the bay. The football / rugby / Tafwyl / pubs and restaurants. OK my own house with good food and good company or a good book. Come to that most coffee shops and pubs with the same company or book.
We need to talk as in listen and answer e-mails and respond to the concerns of all people. Politicians need to be available. We need to be honest. We need to link policy answers to real problems. Social media will help with this but traditional meetings, hustings and papers are needed as well. Our local PACT could work better if the community want it. Young people should get to vote earlier and learn how politics works. All people need to be inspired to take an interest and to vote. Brexit and the SNP show that people can get inspired when the issues appeal to them.
Pieces of April but not too often. Sorry!
We have an extensive Cardiff Plaid maniffesto with 7 pledges and there are details below. Specific ward improvments include, investment in the area, support youth development projects, support for improvements at Hailey Park, 20 is plenty on the roads, more bins and cleaner streets, changes to try to improve parking and traffic problems and campaign for extra rail / metro stop at Gabalfa.
Our Llandaff North Voice newsletters are being read and our Facebook page is a lively forum for debate. I believe that people want to know whats going on and want to have a say in a direct informal way. I have provided public feedback on the PACT and community clean up efforts. I would continue to do that as well as regular surgeries to meet residents with my e mail and phone number being available for all. I also use my twitter account to encourage and support all local schools, churches, scouts, parks, community groups and businesses.
Cardiff Plaid have an extensive maniffesto with 7 key pledges whuch are all relevant . Management restructure with reasonable wages for all staff. Defend greenfield sites from inappropriate Local Development Plan. Improve transport and sustainable transport. Local housing for local needs. Street cleaners. Investigate questionable financial dealings. Get best Brexit outcome. Bid for status as Capital of Culture. Details available through Llandaff North Voice Facebook or Cardiff Plaid on line.
Our main problem at the moment is the destruction of the greenbelt because of the inappropriate Local Development Plan. This allows speculative housing development on a scale that our roads and transport and hospitals cannot cope with. The loss of our perfectly situated bus station, which may or may not be replaced by a much smaller service, is a disaster and the financial risks involved immense. The closure of our local recycling facilities is another disaster. We need to deal with our homeless problem because its a matter of life or death. We need to restore our image as a cosmopolitan welcoming Capital City of Wales. We need to ensure Welsh medium education is available for all but not forget provison in English medium schools. We need to improve education because that’s our future.We need good people to stand up for Cardiff. We need real champions for Cardiff not just football champions.
Ymddiheuriadau i siaradwyr Cymraeg- apologies to Welsh speakers – I’m more than happy to discuss this in Welsh. I am delighted to see ten candidates providing a real choice in our ward and look forward to reading their answers to these questions. None of us have all the answers and the next councillors should take the best ideas from all sides. Thank you for providing such an excellent forum for information. Apologies for any spelling mistakes. Diolch yn fawr iawn.
With an eye on next year’s local council elections, we’ve had our ear to the ground to find out who the candidates will be.
Jen Davies and Dilwar Ali are the Labour candidates in Llandaff North and they’ve already been knocking doors this weekend!
Over in Whitchurch and Tongwynlais, Maegan Davies-John and Hannah Buckingham are two of the four Labour candidates. Hannah and Maegan have also been out canvassing today. We’re waiting for official confirmation for the other two candidates so stay tuned.
Follow us on Twitter for news as it happens.
This evening saw four constituency candidates face the public in Llandaff North. The Llandaff North Residents Association organised the hustings, which was open to the public.
Jayne Cowan couldn’t make it and was, controversially, replaced with regional candidate Richard John. Chris von Ruhland sent his apologies after suffering a migraine attack and John Dixon sent his apologies too.
We recorded the first hour on Periscope before, unfortunately, it crashed on us.
Daran Hill, political consultant at Positif, expertly chaired the hustings. We live Tweeted throughout the evening, you can read them all on Twitter.
Thanks to the Llandaff North Residents Association for accommodating us and organising such a vital event.
We asked readers from Cardiff North for their views about where they live. This week, Simon Braybrook tells us about living in Llandaff North.
I’ve lived in Cardiff North since getting married 11 years ago. I got engaged at Castell Coch, Tongwynlais, rented in Whitchurch, then bought a house in Gabalfa before moving to Llandaff North two years ago. I love Llandaff North because of the beautiful Hailey Park and access to the Taff Trail. I work as a GP in Butetown and commute by bike every day (or, if the weather is truly abysmal, via the highly convenient train service). However, what I love most of all about Llandaff North is the sense of community.
There aren’t many suburbs that are small enough to feel like a village but Llandaff North does exactly that. We have three great pubs, one of the best coffee shops in Cardiff (owned by Lew who has single-handedly done a great deal for the sense of community through the Llandaff North Festival) and some really active community groups. One group I am especially fond of is 2nd Llandaff Scouts.
The Scout group has been in Llandaff North for over 100 years, on the site of Christchurch United Reformed Church. I accidentally became a volunteer when my son joined Beaver Scouts (which runs from age 6-8) three years ago. They needed extra help and my son was nervous about going along. Now I lead one of the two cub packs (ages 9-11). The Scout group is thriving now, having about 130 kids from Llandaff North and the Gabalfa estate. There are boys and girls in every group; Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, and Explorers. Several leaders grew up in the group: Abbie, our Scout leader, was the first girl in Wales to join Scouts. I love how Scouting helps young people develop personal skills, a sense of adventure, an opportunity to serve others in the community and, especially, get outdoors and active in all weathers. We use the hall pretty much every day of the week, regularly use Hailey Park and the woods at forest farm for wood craft and adventure, as well as going further afield on trips and camps.
This year the group faces particular challenges as the church us now up for sale and the land our Scout hut is on is being sold with it. That’s the downside of living in Llandaff North: its desirability as a place to live means land is at a premium and we have to pull together to ensure that community groups don’t get pushed out. But we are hopeful that the community will pull together to help save our Scout group by either raising the money to buy the land or find another home in the heart of our community. As this website is all about our local representatives, it’s important to say that Julie Morgan AM, Councillor Sue White and Councillor Dilwar Ali have met with us and offered their help by accommodating us in a proposed new Council Hub near Llandaff North library. We’re grateful for their help, but this would be our second choice to safeguard a Scout hut of our own at the heart of Llandaff North.
We have exciting fundraising plans. We are asking businesses to support out “Big Bob A Job” by having our group do jobs for them in return for a donation. You can find out more about our group at 2ndllandaffscouts.com and donate at givey.com/saveourscoutgroup.
By Simon Braybrook
If you’d like to tell us about where you live, please get in touch.
Image credit – Stuart Herbert
My Cardiff North 