Aberavon Beach has been named as one of country’s best beaches by environmental charity Keep Wales Tidy which has awarded it the prestigious Seaside Award for 2022.

The annual Seaside Awards play a vital role in protecting our precious marine environment and are recognised around the world as a symbol of quality and good beach management.

From popular resorts to hidden gems, all award-winning beaches must meet and maintain the highest environmental and safety standards and achieve tough international bathing water quality targets.

Announcing the awards, Keep Wales Tidy’s Chief Executive Lesley Jones said: “We are lucky to have some of the world’s best beaches and marinas on our doorstep. The success is a testament to everyone who has worked so hard to protect and improve our beaches and keep our coast clean and safe.

“We hope that everyone visiting our stunning coastline will enjoy and cherish our beaches responsibly. Please make sure you make memories, not mess and take your litter home with you.”

A Neath Port Talbot Council spokesperson said: “We can once again proudly fly the Seaside Award flag which assures good standards of water quality, safety and cleanliness for visitors to Aberavon Beach.

“The popularity of Aberavon Beach and its promenade as a place to visit by both local people and visitors continues to grow year on year.”

(Lead image: NPT Council)

Swansea Council’s new look cabinet has been announced, which sees a number of new faces after the recent council elections.

Council Leader Rob Stewart announced the new line-up at a meeting of Council on May 24, including five new unpaid Cabinet Assistant posts to support Cabinet Members in their wide-ranging roles.

Under the new arrangements Cllr David Hopkins and Cllr Andrea Lewis will be joint deputy Leaders with Cllr Lewis looking after the service transformation portfolio and Cllr Hopkins in charge of Corporate Services and Performance.

The Community Cabinet post will be a job share between newly-elected councillor Hayley Gwilliam, who will look after community support, and Cllr Cyril Anderson who will look after community services.

Cllr Stewart said the new team was created to drive forward the council’s agenda over the coming months and years.

He said: “Swansea Council has been transformed over the last few years, creating a new approach that has supported our communities through the toughest of times during the pandemic and in its immediate aftermath.

“The council has delivered Swansea Arena and is continuing its regeneration of the city centre in the years ahead. It has supported residents through initiatives ranging from direct financial grants to the creation of Local Area Co-ordinators.

“Working with our communities, the council aims to seize the opportunities and face the challenges of the future together.

“But there is a huge amount of work to do to deliver on the council’s ambitions for our city and ensure we support our communities to thrive on their potential.”

Under the new Cabinet arrangements, Cllr Robert Smith remains in his role as Cabinet Member for Education and Learning and Cllr Robert Francis-Davies stays as Cabinet Member for Investment, Regeneration and Tourism.

Cllr Andrew Stevens takes over the Environment and Infrastructure portfolio. There are four newly-created portfolios.

Cllr Louise Gibbard will look after Care Services, including social services, adult social care and child and family services.

Cllr Alyson Pugh will be Cabinet Member for Wellbeing with responsibility for poverty reduction, financial inclusion, welfare rights and community cohesion.

Cllr Elliott King has the new portfolio of Equalities and Culture, including responsibility for libraries, archives, cultural services, diversity, community centres and armed forces veterans.

The Community portfolio will be overseen by Cllr Cyril Anderson and Cllr Hayley Gwilliam in a job share. Cllr Anderson’s responsibilities will include waste management, streetscene improvements, public toilets and litter and community cleansing.

Cllr Gwilliam’s responsibilities for Community support include Local Area Co-ordination, mental health awareness, youth services, community safety and neighbourhood working.

The five new Cabinet Assistants are:

Education and Skills – Cllr Mike Durke

Safeguarding people – Cllr Ceri Evans

Economy and Infrastructure – Cllr Phil Downing

Climate Change – Cllr Kelly Roberts

Organisational Transformation – Cllr Mandy Evans.

Cllr Stewart said: “I’d like to welcome all the Cabinet Members and Cabinet Assistants to their new roles. These are challenging and exciting times and it’s our ambition to work with the people of Swansea to continue to deliver on the priorities they have set for us.”

(Lead image: Swansea Council)

Students and staff at University of Wales Trinity St David (UWTSD)’s Swansea College of Art are amongst 300 participants connected to 21 groups around the world who have contributed to a new global art project.

‘Without Borders’ has sought to remove barriers, create alliances, and connect with neighbours and aims to bring creative people together, to collaborate in an international touring exhibition of works on paper – a collection of artists pages.

Without Borders has been curated by Jonathan Powell, Elysium gallery Director and Heather Parnell, artist, and co-editor of 1SSUE. The exhibition of artist works has now made its way from Kyoto to Nagoya in Japan on the next leg of its world tour.

At the end of this exhibition, these pages will be gathered together and forwarded to another venue to be dismantled and displayed, and then reassembled before moving again to the next location. The exhibition will travel the globe and at the end of the tour, the book will be placed in a special collection’s library.

UWTSD Cert HE Art and Design Foundation Programme Director Katherine Clewett said: “I am delighted to see that the exhibition has now entered its next phase. ‘Without Boarders’ Includes work by staff and students from Swansea College of Art in collaboration with Elysium Art Gallery

“It is an evolving digital project and physical exhibition, aimed at bringing together communities and artists from around the world.

“The exhibition title upholds ideas and perspectives concerning current socio-political boundaries. This project was an opportunity for students and staff to reflect on constricted connections, and to seek collective responses.

“Swansea College of Art contributors comprises students and staff from Foundation, Degree and MA courses, exhibiting in a variety of mediums including drawing, painting, photography, and stitch.

“We are again thankful to Jonathan at Elysium Art Gallery for inviting us to contribute to this timely exhibition and working with us as we follow it around the world.”

Jonathan Powell said: “A big thank you to Izuru Mizutani – Director of the Art and Mind Center in Nagoya for hosting this ambitious exhibition. Also, a big thank you to Masahiro Kawanaka & Art Spot Korin in Kyoto for hosting us previously.”

Artist and project organiser Heather Parnell said: “This exhibition and what it stands for has become more significant than ever. Freedom to connect and share with our neighbours, without restrictions and in peace, is fundamental to human flourishing.”

In response to the crisis unfolding in Ukraine, a special ‘Prayer for peace‘ corner will be in place at the Elysium gallery. It is a place where artists express their intentions to pray for the safety of the Ukrainian people.

(Lead image: UWTSD)