Kirsty visits Barnardo's project in Neath (Kirsty Williams AM )

Cymraeg
English

Kirsty Williams AM <info@kirstywilliams.org.uk>

Kirsty visits Barnardo's project in Neath

August 18, 2009 5:00 PM

Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Kirsty Williams will be visiting the Barnardo's Neath Port Talbot partnership this week (Wednesday, August 19).

The Brecon and Radnor AM expressed an interest in learning more about Barnardo's work with families and young people after meeting a group of parents from the service at the Welsh Assembly.

The Partnership includes a Parenting Matters service which offers one to one support for parents in their own home, as well as parenting classes. It works with mums and dads coping with behavioural problems in children or teenagers teaching them new parenting skills which can help them transform homelife from a battleground into a calmer and more constructive environment for children.

Alongside the parenting work, the service runs the CHiP (children inclusion project) and a mentoring service for young people, which aims to support young people at an early stage and prevent them from getting into trouble.

The Family Group Conferencing scheme helps families to resolve family issues - for example a young person who is truanting from school - by coming up with their own plan of action which is overseen by professionals.

The Parent Network which runs alongside Barnardo's gives parents the opportunity to organise and co-ordinate parents views to feed into consultations and influence decision makers. Additionally Barnardo's has a thriving volunteer group who help out across all the service.

Kirsty Williams said: "I am really looking forward to visiting Barnardo's Neath Port Talbot Partnership and seeing first hand the great work they are doing. The partnership is undertaking some very interesting projects aimed at helping both parents, children and the wider community, which seek holistic methods to address issues such as behavioural problems from an early stage before they spiral into becoming more serious. The old adage prevention is better than cure is an important one and I am delighted to be able to visit a project which is certainly working to this principle."

Barnardo's manager Rhian Evans says: "We are delighted that Kirsty Williams is visiting the project and we hope she will be able to meet with some parents and young people who use our service, as well as some of our many volunteers.

"Barnardo's has worked in Neath for 9 years and our work here has grown and developed. Last year we helped over 300 children, young people and families and this year that number will grow. The support we offer can make a real difference to families and to the lives of young people.

"Barnardo's really believes in children - no matter who they are, what they do or what they have been through. Our aim is to stick with them and to bring out the best in each and every one."

Notes

For further information or to arrange interviews, please contact Barnardo's Cymru Media Office on 029 2049 3387 or 07931 384946.

Barnardo's Cymru believes in the potential of every child and young person, no matter who they are, what they have done or what they have been through. We will support them, stand up for them and bring out the best in each and every child.

We work with nearly 8,000 young people and their families in 43 specialised projects in local communities across Wales. This includes work with children affected by today's most urgent issues: poverty, homelessness, disability, bereavement and abuse.

For more information about Barnardo's visit our website at www.barnardos.org.uk