Ageing well walk and homes built by apprentices up for awards

Swansea Council has been shortlisted in the Best Health and Wellbeing Initiative and Best Service Team: Housing, Construction and Building Service at this year’s Apse (Association for Public Service Excellence) awards.

Last year the council’s community engagement team launched a weekly Ageing Well walk that now regularly attracts close to 100 participants at Swansea Marina every Thursday.

It is one of dozens of free and subsidised events organised for older people in the city to help combat loneliness and isolation. The council is building new energy efficient homes for the first time in a generation using its in-house building services team to deliver the projects.

Swansea has a proud track record of developing apprentices with more than 270 learning their trades over the last 20 years.

One pair of bungalows recently completed in West Cross was built entirely by apprentices where practically possible, giving them invaluable experience as well as a huge sense of achievement.

The team also suggested recycling excavated stone and this was then used to create a retaining wall rather than being sent to landfill. 

Swansea Council leader Rob Stewart said: “The teams behind both these initiatives deserve huge congratulations and I’m continuously proud of the improvements and innovations staff across the council develop to serve the residents of Swansea.

“I wish both teams the very best for the final of the Apse Awards.”

The winners will be announced at the APSE Annual Charity Awards Dinner, in aid of Parkinson’s UK, on Thursday 14 September.

(Lead image: Swansea Council)