The flu virus is already circulating and has led to people being hospitalised according to Swansea Bay University Health Board’s Director of Public Health, Dr Keith Reid.

Dr Reid said the cases, although small in number, should be a timely reminder that everyone eligible for a free flu vaccination should take up the offer.

“Flu was non-existent in autumn and winter 2020 as lockdowns, mask wearing and increased hand hygiene stopped it and other winter bugs from spreading from person to person,” he said.

“But we have been expecting to see flu come back this year and potentially at levels up to twice as high as a normal flu season.

“People were simply not exposed to flu and other seasonal viruses last year, so the level of immunity in the community is likely to have dropped and people will be susceptible.

“Plus we are all mixing far more now and, with the bad weather coming, we are all going to be heading indoors which will give flu and other bugs the ideal opportunity to spread.”

Flu can be fatal and research has shown that those infected with both flu and Covid are more than twice as likely to die as someone with Covid alone.

Dr Reid said: “This will be the first winter when we will have significant levels of flu and Covid circulating at the same time, so I must urge everyone, if they are eligible for a free flu vaccination, to take up the offer as soon as possible.

“While no vaccine can offer 100% protection, the flu vaccine remains our best defence against this nasty virus.

“And remember, if you haven’t yet had your first Covid vaccination you can still do so.”

(Lead image: Andrea Piacquadio / Pexels.com)

A project run by Neath Port Talbot Council’s Youth Service has supported more than 300 young people to help get access to either employment, full-time education or training.

The project, known as Cam Nesa, worked specifically with young people between the ages of 16 and 24 who were disengaged from the job market and were not in employment, education or training (NEET). 

Youth Workers employed by the project provided tailored support for the young people such as helping them with job searching, CV writing, interview techniques and completing job applications. Plus, they would provide advice and guidance when needed, including signposting them to specialist support services.

Since the project was launched in 2018, it supported 243 young people into employment and 58 into education or training.

One young person from Neath Port Talbot who received support through the project said: “I’m really grateful for the support and help that the Cam Nesa team gave me. They improved my CV, provided me with training and helped me with interview skills, all of which helped me to get the job.”

Whilst the Cam Nesa project has now come to an end, the Council’s Youth Service will continue to provide support for 16 to 18 years old who are NEET through their KIT (Keeping in Touch) Team. The team also provides employability support to 18 to 25 year olds in partnership with Jobcentre Plus at their centres in Neath and Port Talbot.

Councillor Peter Rees, Neath Port Talbot Council’s Cabinet Member for Education, Skills and Culture said: “As a council we are committed to giving every young person the best start in life so they can be the best they can be.”

“By providing additional support to those who are not actively looking for work or training opportunities, we can help to give them the confidence, guidance and employability skills they need to pursue a career of their choice. 

“I am delighted that we will be continuing to provide this much needed support through our KIT Team.”

Cam Nesa was a European Social Fund project that run between 2018 and 2021. It was led by Pembrokeshire County Council and delivered in partnership with Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire, Swansea and Neath Port Talbot local authorities. 

(Lead image: Andrea Piacquadio / Pexels.com)

A Neath woman and her three sons were each sentenced to two years imprisonment, suspended for 12 months after pleading guilty to fifteen counts including Conspiracy to Commit Fraud, Obtaining Money by Deception and Fraud, following an investigation by the South Wales Police Economic Crime Unit.

Audrey Osborne, 65, and her sons Gary Moore, 43, Clayton Moore, 46 and Ian Moore, 44 all from Neath, ran a mortgage brokerage business; Credence Finance Limited which they used to submit falsely declared income on mortgage applications then set up a property development company; Dreamscape Homes Ltd. This was used to deceive victims into investing money.

Shareholders of Dreamscape Homes Ltd were persuaded to invest under the premise that the company was building five, five-bedroom executive houses. These investors were later told that due to planning delays, the project had changed to a 21-property development. Victims invested a total of £307,975 into this, the majority of which was transferred into Audrey and her sons accounts as if it were their own.

Investors included a retired teacher who put in a portion of his retirement lump sum, another teacher who invested funds obtained because of a critical illness, and a couple looking to invest to help secure financial security for their children.

Another victim was convinced to take out a mortgage in their own name, for one of the plots owned by Dreamscape Homes Ltd. The victim was assured by Osborne and her sons that Dreamscape would cover the monthly repayments, but these quickly stopped.

Financial Investigator, Craig Brown said: “The sheer amount of financial frauds that this family conducted against a large number of victims, and over the course of five years have made this investigation complex.

“The victims of these crimes were people with the best intentions, trying to make life better for themselves and their families, and Osborne and the Moore’s took advantage of this for their own financial gain.

“The Economic Crime Unit and I work very hard to unravel often very complex financial crimes, and I hope that our investigation shows that this kind of criminality will not go unnoticed.”