Here is your latest update, covering:

• Sky partners with Cardiff Council's Youth Services to open first Sky Up Digital Hub in Wales
• Unprecedented challenges lead to city's housing emergency
• Council plans new Centre to promote independent living

Sky partners with Cardiff Council's Youth Services to open first Sky Up Digital Hub in Wales

In partnership with Cardiff Council's Youth Services, Sky has opened its first digital Hub for Wales, at Eastmoors Youth Centre in Splott. The Hub provides access to 27 new digital devices, free Sky WiFi connection and regular digital skills workshops, run by volunteers.

• The new Digital Hub at Eastmoors Youth Centre will provide young people with access to a free Sky WiFi connection and a range of new technology devices including Sky Glass TV, tablets, laptops and more.

• Volunteers from Cardiff Council's Youth Services and Sky will run regular digital upskilling programmes.

• Sky's Digital Hubs roll-out sees up to £100,000 invested in each location, as part of its £10m Sky Up fund to tackle digital exclusion.

The project includes the refurbishment of Eastmoors Youth Centre community space where up to 150 young people attend sessions and courses every week. Splott has been ranked the 12thmost deprived area in Wales with 42% of children and young people living in poverty.

The official opening saw a ribbon-cutting ceremony with Cllr Peter Bradbury, Cardiff Council's Cabinet Member for Tackling Poverty and Supporting Young People and Midfielder for Cardiff City Football Club and Captain of the Wales national team, Aaron Ramsey who delivered a keynote speech on the importance of providing spaces like The Hub to help communities develop the skills they need to take new opportunities.

During the official opening guests were given the opportunity to explore Esports Gaming, music, coding/programming, digital creation, VR and AR sport experiences.

Cardiff Council's Cabinet Member for Tackling Poverty and Supporting Young People, Cllr Peter Bradbury said: "Cardiff is committed to tackling digital inequality, alleviating barriers to education and future prospects that may be associated with being digitally excluded. During the pandemic lockdowns, more than 30,000 devices were provided to schools so that children and young people could continue learning whilst schools were closed, one of many initiatives supporting Cardiff's recent recognition as the UK's first UNICEF Child Friendly City.

"The new digital hub is a fine example of partnership working and will provide young people from Eastmoors Youth Centre, with a great new space and a range of opportunities including free-to-use technology and connectivity. As well as addressing affordability, the exciting programme of digital sessions will help to develop skills and confidence for the future."

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Unprecedented challenges lead to city's housing emergency

Cardiff is facing an emergency housing situation, with exceptional pressures and unabating demand for homelessness services.

Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities, Cllr Lynda Thorne, told a recent meeting of Full Council that the city was experiencing an ‘incredibly challenging' time, but the Welsh capital was not alone with other major cities like Glasgow and Edinburgh also declaring a housing emergency.

"Cardiff is at the eye of the storm of this issue in Wales," Cllr Thorne said. "It's the most challenging time for housing in decades.

"We're doing everything in our power to find a solution and a range of actions are being proposed to relieve these pressures."

Due to a shortage of affordable housing and home ownership being out of reach for many people, unprecedented numbers of families and individuals are experiencing homelessness in the city and require help from the Council.

The Council has already taken steps to increase the availability and quality of temporary accommodation in the city in recent years, so there are now around 1,700 temporary accommodation units for families, individuals and young people.  Two additional family homeless centres have been opened this year alone.

Despite this good supply of temporary accommodation, provision is full and emerging pressures are expected to place even more strain on services in the coming weeks and months.

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Council plans new Centre to promote independent living

Cardiff Council in partnership with the Vale of Glamorgan Council and the Cardiff and Vale University Health Board (UHB), is proposing to build a new £14.5m Independent Living Wellbeing Centre to help more people to be cared for in their own homes and ease the pressure on hospitals and care facilities.

A new report, to be discussed by Cardiff Council's Cabinet on Thursday (Dec 14), outlines the need to support independent living, as set out in the Council's Ageing Well Strategy. Included in this support are plans to build a new centre in Grangetown featuring:

• A warehouse for equipment needed to enable people to live in their own homes after receiving care;
• A Wellbeing Hub offering services including therapy, classes and community facilities; and
• A new ‘smart house' demonstration centre showcasing aids, adaptations and solutions for independent living.

The partnership project would provide much needed equipment and reablement support across the region, facilitating early discharge from hospital and reducing the need for care services.

A new facility would centralise deliveries and bring the cleaning and recycling aspect of the work in-house, while at the same time providing much needed jobs for people with additional needs and/or a learning disability.

Councillor Norma Mackie, the Council's Cabinet Member for Social Services (Adults), said the new centre, if approved, would be a huge boost for health services in Cardiff and the Vale. "We all know that there is a projected rise in the number of older people and those living with life-limiting illnesses and dementia," she said.

"At the moment, the services to care for these people and enable them to live independently at home have outgrown their current facilities and we need a new centre that's accessible for residents of Cardiff and the Vale.

"The proposed site at the Gasworks development in Grangetown would fulfil all our requirements with a state-of-the-art facility providing everything the service needs in one location."

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