Neath Guardian Column - 19 June 2008

Last week, it was announced that the number of people in employment in Wales is at record levels, stands at 1,360,000, up 20,000 over the previous year. This means that 72.5 per cent of the working age population of Wales is in work. The unemployment rate in Wales now stands at 5.3%, with the inactivity rate also falling dramatically over the last twelve months. Who could have thought, even fifteen years ago, that Wales, in 2008, would be on the brink of full employment?

Also last week, the Labour-led Assembly Government was able to announce that Wales is well on the way to becoming the world’s first Fair Trade Nation. The announcement follows a two-year campaign to increase the availability of Fair Trade products across Wales, and encouraging schools, businesses and other organisations to switch to Fair Trade.

When I started my column in the Guardian last year, I promised to use it to promote local charities and other voluntary groups and organisations in my constituency. This month, I want to mention the work of the Soroptimist International movement in Neath.

Soroptimist International is a worldwide organisation for women in management and professions, working through service projects to advance human rights and the status of women. I was delighted to have been asked to attend and speak at the Diamond Jubilee Banquet of the Soroptimist’s in Neath at the Glyn Clydach Hotel a few weeks ago, and was delighted to be able to welcome guests from Soroptimist International branches in Yorkshire, France and Romania to Neath and to Wales.

The president of the Soroptimist’s in Neath is Christene Thomas, and as part of her work, she has chosen a number of charities she will support during the next twelve months. She is supporting Cerebra, which provides Services to Brain Injured Children and Young People. One in forty children suffers a disability as a result of brain injury. On Monday evening 23 June, Christene has arranged for Cerebra, which is based in Carmarthen, to give the Soroptimist’s in Neath a presentation on the work they do. She is also supporting Barnados Cymru, and The Smile Train, which is dedicated to helping children in the world who suffer from cleft lip palate by empowering and training doctors to allow them to perform the operations and research to find a cure.

If you wish to contact me for any help and assistance that you feel I can provide you as your local Assembly Member, you can contact my office on 01792 869993 or e-mail blocked::mailto:gwenda.thomas@wales.gov.uk. You can also keep up-to-date with my activities as your AM by logging on to http://www.gwendathomas.com/