Print it out and stick it on your fridge, or download the images to your phone and zoom in to find out what’s going on each day.

There are contact details for each venue and organisation mentioned at the bottom of the calendar – please contact them to find out more info.

Have a lovely summer!

Summer Activities Calendar 2025 (pdf) – from Mon 21st July to Sun 31st August.

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This year’s Volunteer Week celebration runs from Monday 2nd – Sunday 8th June.

Volunteers’ Week is an annual UK-wide campaign held from the first Monday in June to celebrate and recognise the contributions of volunteers.

Volunteers’ Week fosters connections between national organisations and grassroots groups, celebrating the spirit of volunteering that enriches communities each year.

We would like to express how thankful we are at ACE for all of the time and energy our volunteers have given to their community this year. From those who gave countless hours, to those who supported ACE events, through to those who simply make a cup of tea. Your time benefitted so many people and we are very grateful! 

During Volunteer Week ACE would like to show our gratitude to all of our wonderful ACE volunteers by highlighting some of the projects which are currently being delivered in Ely and Caerau.

Dusty Forge’s Tuesday’s Lunch Club
Based at the Dusty Forge, the Tuesday Lunch Club is a volunteer-led project, which is part of the ACE Good Food Hub. They use excess food to avoid waste and feed the community a free hot delicious meal. 

‘I feel enjoyment and a sense of being part of a team. I get more out of volunteering on this project than the people coming for the food.’ – ACE Tuesday Lunch Club Volunteer.

‘I like the community, the banter and the social aspects of volunteering on this project’ – ACE Tuesday Lunch Club Volunteer.

‘I have met lots of lovely people, I feel like I am giving back to the community and it makes me feel part of the community’ – ACE Tuesday Lunch Club Volunteer.

Sam Froud-Powell, Operational and Development Manager at ACE says ‘Volunteers provide an amazing warm welcome and healthy and nutritious food weekly, which brings the community together in a safe welcoming space. They are hard working, making sure people have good food, and creating wonderful healthy free meals with surplus food. It transforms our community centre into a vibrant meeting and eating spot.’

Diana Garden Project
The Diana Garden is a lovely green space in the middle of the residential area in Ely that was opened by Princess Diana 30 years ago. ACE are working on regenerating it and making it a space for community wellbeing, growing and learning.

‘Get’s me out of the house and use my noodle. I enjoy meeting new people, having new challenges and helping where I can’ – ACE Diana Gardener Volunteer

Steve Lyons, Diana Garden Development Worker says ‘It’s like you are in the middle of the country’s woodland, it’s not all about gardening. It’s amazing to see the local community families come and use the space, the children have ownership of the plants, they are excited to show their parents how their plants are growing.’

CAER Heritage Project
CAER now has a dedicated heritage community centre situated at the foot of an Iron Age hillfort in Caerau, Cardiff. Caerau is home to one of Wales’ oldest settlements, has millennia of expansive history and has an incredibly deep sense of community.

CAER aims to create a space where local heritage and local people come together. We work with other teams in ACE to address needs or interests but we also open up opportunities for community members to join in with academic/heritage activities such as excavations, conservation work and education outreach. 

‘I really enjoy coming here, the people are really nice to me, helps me get out of my own head and turn the negative into positive’ – CAER Heritage Volunteer. 

‘it’s like a second family here, we are all totally different but the same at the same time’  – CAER Heritage Volunteer 

‘I was never into history, but now look at me, I love volunteering on the excavation dig and then spending the time afterwards cleaning the finds to see what else we can uncover’ – CAER Heritage Volunteer. 

Lois Atkinson, CAER Centre Development Officer says‘Volunteers bring a diverse range of skills, such as: creativity; communication; teamwork; technical expertise, and that greatly enhance the effectiveness and reach of the project they support.’

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  Ely and Caerau Community Plan – Full Report

  Ely Caerau Community Plan Costings.pptx.pdf

A printed copy will be available at the Dusty Forge and at the Hub. Thank you so much to the hundreds of people who made this work possible, completing 40 actions between May 2023 and March 2024.

May 2024 Update

The ACE Community Engagement team has been working together with community members, public services, charities and local groups over the last ten months to develop a community plan for Ely and Caerau. Now we are pleased to share it with everybody and start putting it into action!

The summary version and full versions of the plan containing 40 actions are available to download here:

  Summary Community Plan for Ely and Caerau (531KB)

  Full Community Plan for Ely and Caerau (3.1MB)

Please join us at Ely and Caerau Hub on Cowbridge Road on Wednesday 15th May 2024, between 10am and 1pm to celebrate our community plan, ask questions and share some cake!

The plan was agreed by the Community Steering Group, representing residents, schools, churches, community groups, charities, South Wales Police and Cardiff Youth Service. They said:

“At every step, this community plan has been co-created with residents of all ages, people who work here, public services and Cardiff Council. Many of the actions are for the council or public services (including local schools and the police) to undertake; some are for local groups and charities to lead on. All of them respond to the needs and ideas shared by the community. Together we have produced a plan that we believe can make a significant positive difference.”

What did community members say?

People across Ely and Caerau told us about the community’s strengths. Lots of people mentioned community spirit, volunteering, green spaces and activities.
“Good community spirit… people always come together when they need to… you see people looking out for each other.”

“There are lots of positive influences within Ely, this is a close-knit community, full of nice and kind people. We need to focus on strengths of the local people and invest in them.”

“Lots of people volunteer locally, all the sports coaches, the food pantries…”

“So many things to do in this community.”

“I love how close we are to nature here.”

An older resident who had recently moved to Ely said:

“It’s brilliant here, I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. Within months we had people telling us about local things, asking if we needed a hand, a lift, picking up shopping.”

When we asked ‘what do we need?’ and ‘what needs to change?’ lots of people talked about community safety, support and safe spaces for young people, help with the cost of living, employment and training, and mental health support.
“Some places don’t feel safe to walk, anti-social behaviour is a real issue.”

“Drug dealing on our streets and not enough police on the beat.”

“More events and activities for young people, older people and to bring everyone together.”

“Young people need local role models and safe spaces to go.”

“More support for people struggling with the cost of living.”

“Make it easier for people to find out what’s going on, and how to get help if they need it.”

We gathered almost 4,000 comments across 47 engagements. We grouped the key issues that people raised into 6 broad themes. In spring 2024, we brought together 96 residents and 52 public and third sector partners in 7 community workshops to dig deeper into the issues and together we set about designing positive, tangible actions to make a difference across each of the 6 themes. Those 40 actions make up the Ely and Caerau Community Plan.

Investing in our community
In 2023, a community grants scheme, funded by Welsh Government and administered by Cardiff Council, distributed £100,000 of funding for activities for children and young people in Ely and Caerau. Many of those activities were delivered by small local groups. Welsh Government, Cardiff Council and the South Wales Police and Crime Commissioner together funded ACE’s Community Engagement team to support the community to develop the action plan. The 40 actions detailed in the plan will see around £2m of grant funding secured from different sources, including Welsh Government, the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund, and Cardiff Council, invested in the area across the next year.

 

 

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Half term is next week and there’s a lot going on in Ely and Caerau for children and young people! 

From seed planting and painting for all ages at CAER Heritage Centre on Monday, to Sports and Skills for 11-16 year olds at Cardiff West High on Friday, there’s something for everyone.

On Tuesday there’s a big Healthy Lifestyle Event for all the family at Western Leisure Centre, 10am til 2pm. There are activities for all ages, a raffle, and a chance to chat with experts about staying healthy. You can even check your blood pressure, cholesterol and access services.

Open play sessions are running Monday – Thursday in a different local venue each day. 

Premier League Kicks football sessions on Monday and Wednesday afternoons, and activities at Ely and Caerau Hub every day. There’s a crash course in swimming at Western Leisure for just £1.75 a lesson and a week long gymnastics camp on Argyle Way. Finally, supporting young people’s wellbeing is the Lighter, Brighter Minds group at the Hub on Wednesday evening. See the table below for full details (turn your phone sideways and zoom in). 

Have a happy half term!

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https://www.savethechildren.org.uk/blogs/2024/ehangu-working-together-to-make-a-difference

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We will continue to run Crisis Hour service on the same days (Mondays and Fridays, between 10am and 11am).

For those who need money advice, there is the Money Advice Line 02920 871071 that can offer advice and support over the phone.

Also, Citizens Advice are based in Cardiff Central Library, on Monday to Thursday, 9:00am-5:00pm, as well as being at the Ely Hub every other Wednesday, 10:00am-3:00pm.

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There’s a lot going on across Ely and Caerau this summer for children and young people and adults too! 

 

With help from Cardiff Council, we’ve put together a calendar of activities. This is as accurate as we can make it but please be sure to double-check the details with the activity provider ahead of time. 

 

Please check back throughout the summer as new activities and events may be added – this is a work in progress.

 

Click on the events in the calendar to find out details. Click on Agenda for a list version.

 

 

Contact information

If you are running a free or low cost activity for children and young people over the summer holidays and want to add details to this page, please email communityplan@aceplace.org. 

 

Weekly activities for families with children under 5 will continue to take place across 3 green spaces: Diana Gardens, Ysgol Gymraeg Nant Caerau Community Garden and Ely and Caerau Childrens Centre garden on Wednesdays and Thursdays, at 10-11.30am. Please contact ACE at 02920003132 to check details and book a place.

As well as the activities and events in the google calendar, you can find details of all Cardiff Youth Services events across the city (including Ely and Caerau) here: www.cardiffyouthservices.wales/index.php/en/events 

 

Activities at the CAER Heritage and Learning Centre on Church Road run throughout the summer, details of the first week are below:

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Our approach is a commitment to co-production and asset-based community development. We work with local people to help design and deliver services and activities. Local people are active throughout the organisation, as participants, volunteers, beneficiaries, staff and trustees.

Our core activities continue to be:

• Community Support – crisis support, financial capability and practical support
• Community Learning – personal development and employability / in-work progression
• Health and Wellbeing – social prescribing and community health development
• Work with Children, Young People and Families
• Community-led approaches – including participation, community voice and ownership
• Heritage, Arts and Culture projects
• Social enterprise and local economic development

We want to inform and engage community members. We value your active participation in initiatives and projects. As stakeholders, you contribute to the long-term success of the local community.

If you would like to get involved, or partner on projects, or help develop ideas for our communities, please contact us.

Read our plan  – ACE Strategic Plan 2024-27

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You are warmly invited to our garden to celebrate the reveal of the new Grow Well garden at ACE – Action in Caerau and Ely. Ribbon cutting, garden tours and cake included!

Let us know you want to come! – please register:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/grow-well-garden-open-day-re-design-launch-tickets-912026394497

The Dusty Forge Garden which has been redesigned over the Spring – this is a perfect opportunity to look around, chat to volunteers, and meet other local community members.

What’s new in the garden?
Aided by Grow Well community garden group participants, staff, and other partners, the garden has evolved, with improved accessibility, updated planting choices, food growing areas and increased habitat for nature. Want to know more? Come and speak to Grow Well staff – they’d love to chat with you about it on the day!

Who are Grow Cardiff
Set up by local people for local people in 2015, Grow Well aims to transform lives through community gardening using supported social prescribing to therapeutic community gardens for health and well-being, developing Edible Playgrounds & programmes for nurseries, primary & secondary schools, mentor and support community gardens, and providing training, workshops and consultancy.

Thanks to

• Cardiff Third Sector Council (C3SC) and packages of support from Keep Wales Tidy who funded the renovations to improve accessibility.

• Moruzzi Landscapes who realised our concept design and brought everything to life.

• Bute Park Nursery and Cardiff Local Nature Partnership for ongoing support in improving our wellbeing gardens for people and pollinators.

• Cardiff Probation Community Payback Team for their ongoing support throughout the project with key milestones/bespoke projects.

Shoutouts to ACE – Action in Caerau and Ely for their ongoing support, Greener Communities Team: Hubbub, Starbucks and NHS Charities Together, who fund and support our weekly H&WB sessions in our SW Cluster Gardens. Plus, continued support from the Cardiff SW Primary Care Cluster and Cardiff & Vale Health Charity.

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