The First Minister Mark Drakeford, who also represents Cardiff West in the Senedd, joined a festive themed wellbeing event hosted by social housing and support provider, Taff Housing at its Canton headquarters.
The visit offered the First Minister the chance to learn more about how the people living in his constituency are coping with some of the financial stresses caused by the cost-of-living crisis, especially during the festive season. He also helped to distribute raffle prizes, serve the festive dinner for tenants, pull a few crackers, and even joined in with some of the carols sung by a choir.
The First Minister was also joined by Conservative MS Cllr Joel James, who shares a key interest in campaigning for people and communities.
The First Minister said: “It was fantastic to meet everyone today at Taff Housing’s Winter Wellbeing Club. It was great to see the community gathered together to celebrate the festive season and all the work that Taff Housing does to support its tenants. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and I wish everyone a Happy Christmas.”
Taff Housing, which owns and manages over 1,500 homes across Cardiff, founded their Winter Wellbeing Club last year in October, where the workshops run from October to February every year. The fortnightly events, provide tenants with much more than a warm space and a hot lunch; they give tenants the chance to connect with their community, seek advice and guidance for free in an informal, welcoming environment.
The club features a diverse range of workshops provided by experts from several organisations, delivering guidance on vital topics such as budgeting, accessing food banks, handling debt and health and wellbeing.
Clare Dickinson, Community Inclusion Manager at Taff Housing said: “The Winter Wellbeing Club was formed from the need for tenants to have the access to a warm, friendly space where they can socialise, communicate their concerns with like-minded people. It helps people recognize that they’re not the only ones facing problems like debt, budgeting, stress, and anxiety. They can also access same day support such as emergency food and fuel vouchers, if required.”
