'The Volunteer Centre played a key role in Flintshire’s Covid 19 Response and Recovery'

MS for North Wales

As Chair of the Senedd’s Cross-Party Group on Disability during previous Senedd terms, I have been working with Disability Wales to re-establish the Group in the 6th Senedd and met with them online to discuss this and to put together a more formal timetable.

The purpose of the CPG is to address key pan-impairment disability equality issues including implementation of the Social Model of Disability and the right to Independent Living.

I was pleased to attend Flintshire Local Voluntary Council's (FLVC) 24th Annual General Meeting via Zoom. FLVC is the independent umbrella and support organisation for voluntary and community groups in Flintshire and despite the pandemic, has achieved a great deal in the past 12 months.

The Volunteer Centre played a key role in Flintshire’s Covid 19 Response and Recovery and the organisation enabled over 200 Volunteers to be deployed throughout Flintshire during the pandemic to support individuals, organisations and the community via distribution of PPE, Prescription/Food collection and delivery, non-clinical support for the Vaccine roll out to support GP surgeries and 1-2-1 befriending opportunities for vulnerable and isolated individuals.

It also supported 124 community and voluntary organisations to access in excess of £607,900.00 from a number of funding sources.

As Vice President of the commendable North Wales Disability Resource Centre, I attended its AGM via ‘Zoom’. Established over 30 years, the Disability Resource Centre is a registered charity which covers the whole of the North Wales area from its base at Glan Clwyd Hospital, ‘offering services and solutions to assist disabled people and their families and carers to achieve or maintain an optimal and safe independent lifestyle within their own homes and with their outdoor mobility’.

The charity welcome comments from disabled people and their carers about how they would like to see the Centre develop in a way that supports them.

As Chair of the Senedd Public Accounts & Public Administration Committee (PAPAC), I met the Committee’s Clerking Team online to discuss the Committee’s work during the Senedd’s Autumn Term and beyond. The Committee was established to consider any matter that relates to the economy, efficiency and effectiveness with which resources are employed in the discharge of public functions in Wales.

Having worked with them during previous Senedd terms, I was pleased to meet ABCUL Cymru online to discuss the credit union sector. 2.6% of the Welsh population use credit unions and have saved around £50 million between them and are currently borrowing about £25 million.

If you need my help, email Mark.Isherwood@senedd.wales or call 0300 200 7219.