There have been a number of posts on the Welsh blogosphere in the past few days noting the latest Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation Statistics; as Jac 'o the North notes there aren't that many surprises in the statistics – the poor areas of Wales are still poor, although as Plaid Wrecsam notes, not all is woe, some areas have improved.
The statistics will, undoubtedly, help politicians and others to see that something should be done and attempt to offer something as an answer to those problems; good luck to them – I hope that something works.
It is easy to split large towns and cities into areas of social deprivation on a ward to ward basis; Caia Park is a poor area of Wrecsam, St Mellon's Estate is a poor area of Cardiff / Newport, the West End is a poor part of Rhyl etc. Something must be done for them!
But what about the poor in my village - Llansanffraid Glan Conwy?
Both wards in my little village are doing all right; both are in the upper percentile of Welsh communities, as are most rural wards. But this hides the fact that wards divide the rich and the poor in cities and large towns, but leylandii hedges divide them in rural communities!
A side effect of the ward based needs analysis used by the Assembly Government is that the needs of locals in my ward and similar wards thorough Wales are ignored, because the needs of the native poor of working age are masked by the wealth of incoming retirees – which makes us a statistically rich community but means that locals haven't got a hope in hell of getting any support from the Assembly or any other Government Agency to create work or leisure or community spirit in our village.
So my village becomes a place in which many sleep but few live!
Something should be done about this too!
great approach to take for your council election leaflets next year!
ReplyDeleteBringing in wealthy people to make he stats look better is an old trick.
ReplyDeleteIn Cardiff, Butetown was once the poorest part of the city, so they transformed part of it into Cardiff Bay, complete with bars and offices (that employ very few local people, except as cleaners etc) and flats that locals can;t aafford to live in.
The result is that people who are by defenition better off moved on (or bought the flats as investments) and hey presto, without improving the lot of a single local resident the area has been transformed into a well off one.
The scary thing is that politicians still hold this up as a success story.
"A place in the country" - the (actually one of many) BBC property programs came today from Sir Gar, my home county. And once again, as a BBC England program, it di8d not mention, even in the introduction, that it is still a predominantly Welsh speaking county. It did not mention that Wales has a devolved Government, and so some of the laws and social provisions will be different, (I don't think - go to say, I didn't watch a lot of it because it was so londonopolitan and sickening.
ReplyDeleteI think it would be useful if the BBC had a policy of at least noting the linguistic and other characteristics of any place that any of their programs visited, don't you?
There is a community event being organised 14th October Church House Glan Conwy a chance for people to get together and have a good time while fundraising for the church. Lets hope we have a good turnout it would be nice to see different groups from the community get together and get to know each other. It doesn't matter what denomination you are if you live in Glan Conwy the church is at the heart of the village.
ReplyDeleteThanks annon - is this the 50's 60's night?
ReplyDeleteYes, hopefully we will get good support. £3 a ticket, bring your own drinks, usual raffles etc for those who want to buy, refreshments available for a small charge. DJ Ian Morris, MC James Berry, Fancy Dress optional. Has the makings of a good fun community night.
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