Newport construction team receives charity wellbeing talk
The charity, which focuses on immediate intervention for those struggling with mental health issues, provided the team working on the Ringland Regeneration project with a session on improving mental health.
Charity founder Darren Thomas addressed 60 employees and contractors.
Mr Thomas said: "It was an honour to be invited to speak at the Ringland Regeneration project as part of Mental Health Awareness Week.
"The conversation around mental health is more important than ever, and Lovell's commitment to supporting their workforce and the wider community is genuinely commendable."
Gemma Clissett, regional partnerships director at Lovell, said: "At Lovell, we take positive mental health very seriously and are always finding ways to improve the support we offer.
"We care deeply about our employees and contractors, and hope they feel reassured knowing they can turn to our mental health first aiders, or any of the dedicated charities we work with, should they ever need to."
Lovell donated £200 to the charity as a thank you for the talk.
This brings the total of funds raised for Signposted Cymru to £4,715.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Daily Mail
Rugby legend Gareth Thomas says we're still 's***' at tackling homophobia and HIV stigma - revealing some of the hateful comments he still receives
Society is still in a 's*** place' when it comes to tackling homophobia and the stigma around HIV, Gareth Thomas has claimed. Speaking to Daily Mail podcast The Life of Bryony, Thomas, 51, said that despite recent progress, major challenges remain – and revealed some of the hateful comments he still receives. Thomas captained both Wales and the British and Irish Lions during his illustrious playing career, becoming the Welshman to be captained 100 times by his national team. In 2009, Thomas broke ground by becoming rugby union's first openly gay professional player. In 2019, Thomas announced that he was HIV positive with undetectable status, meaning he carries the virus but is not infectious. You can listen to this episode of The Life of Bryony by clicking the player below or here 'We've come a long way', Thomas told Mail columnist Bryony Gordon. 'But the reality is, we were in a really, really s*** place and now we're just in a really s*** place. 'For example, can anyone name five openly gay participants in male sport? I sure as hell can't, and I know my sport as well as anyone. 'Every time I go out on the field, I will be defined by my sexuality. I don't want it to be like that. I've got ability, I've got personality – people want to be defined by that.' Since going public about his diagnosis, Thomas has championed HIV awareness and acceptance. During the interview, Thomas referenced a statistic that an estimated 400,000 people will die over the next 20 years from misinformation and prejudice about the disease, rather than from the illness itself. Society is still in a 's*** place' when it comes to tackling homophobia and the stigma around HIV , Gareth Thomas has claimed Thomas captained both Wales and the British and Irish Lions during his illustrious playing career, becoming the Welshman to be captained 100 times by his national team Speaking to Daily Mail columnist bryony Gordon, Thomas, 51, said that despite recent progress, major challenges remain The former rugby player agreed with podcast host Bryony that much of this stigma stems from the 'terrifying' way HIV was portrayed in the 1980s. Thomas described how ignorance about the disease, infused with homophobia, has impacted his life. 'People can still be discriminatory, without actually making a homophobic or racist slur', he said. 'I've walked out of a bathroom before, when somebody was waiting outside. I've heard them then go over to the waiter and ask whether they can use another toilet, because they think I can transmit the disease like that. 'I have been with a group of friends, and I've picked up somebody's glass by mistake… you can see this uneasiness – they won't drink from that glass again. 'People will say to my partner Steve when I'm with him: 'God you're so brave, you're a star. You deserve a medal for marrying Gareth' – just because of my medical history. 'I have also been spat at in the street… there were two young lads who walked up to me the other day and called me an AIDS spreader.' Medical advancements over the last decade mean that most people who contract HIV will live long and full lives. Since going public about his diagnosis, Thomas has championed HIV awareness and acceptance Thomas described how ignorance about the disease, infused with homophobia, has impacted his life Gareth Thomas: 'Every time I go out on the field, I will be defined by my sexuality. I don't want it to be like that.' Listen here New treatments also mean transmission becomes incredibly unlikely for those on effective medication. The worst outcomes typically affect those diagnosed late, either through lack of knowledge about symptoms or fear of discrimination. The same prejudices that fuel HIV discrimination also drive homophobia in sport, where Thomas says little has changed since his playing days. He said: 'Nothing has changed from when I was a 16-year-old kid, sat in a changing room and being told if you can't run, you're a f*****. 'That's because nobody is being proactive… we have to be better. 'I remember when I was with the union after coming out, they called me and said – we'll make sure you're protected. 'My words to them were, there's nothing more you can do – but there was a load you could have done. 'Being proactive is creating an environment where somebody doesn't have to do something drastic, just to get a reaction.' To listen to Gareth's full interview, where he debates his playing career and tackling discrimination, search for The Life of Bryony now, wherever you get your podcasts.
Powys County Times
02-08-2025
- Powys County Times
Powys health chiefs to keep eye on West Wales NHS shake-up
Powys health chiefs are keeping a close eye on the results of a consultation being held on the future of NHS services in West Wales. At a meeting of Powys Teaching Health Board (PTHB) on Wednesday, July 30, members asked when would the outcome of Hywel Dda University Health Board's consultation be made public. The consultation on its Clinical Services Plan runs until the end of August. Independent member and Powys County Councillor Chris Walsh (Labour) asked if the potential changes proposed by Hywel Dda would 'influence any scenarios' that PTHB is considering in its own 'Better Together' transformation programme. PTHB chief executive Hayley Thomas said: 'There will be a process that Hywel Dda need to undertake to take on board all of the insight they have gained through the engagement and consultation processes that they have had. This would be brought to the PTHB board for consideration. Ms Thomas said: 'That will probably take them a couple of months to do after the closure of the consultation. 'Currently the time scale for reporting on the plan that Hywel Dda have set, is its November board (meeting) that will be subject to the volume and scale of responses that they need to analyse. 'Understanding the changes to neighbouring health board plans and what does that mean in terms of pathways of care for our population in Powys is something we have to manage.' She told members that regular 'strategic change report' will be brought in front of the board's planning committee to evaluate all of the proposed changes to health services around the county's borders. Ms Thomas said: 'These are options at the moment. We are not able to build a preferred option into our thinking and how we would need to adapt our service model in Powys.' Hywel Dda is consulting on proposed changes across nine service areas which are: critical care, dermatology, emergency general surgery, endoscopy, ophthalmology, elective orthopaedics, radiology, stroke, and urology. The issue has already been discussed by Powys County Council. At a meeting in March, councillors voted to support a motion to protect health services at the only district general hospital serving Mid Wales. Councillors fear that Hywel Dda will downgrade the stroke unit at Bronglais hospital in Aberystwyth to a 'treat and transfer' unit. This would mean that some patient rehabilitation for residents in the west of Powys could take place at other hospitals, potentially hours away in Llanelli or Haverfordwest.
Business News Wales
01-08-2025
- Business News Wales
Digital Health Visitor Tool Rolled Out At Health Board
The University of South Wales (USW) is celebrating a major milestone in health innovation as eFRAIT, the electronic version of the Family Resilience Assessment Instrument and Tool (FRAIT), is rolled out at Powys Teaching Health Board (PTHB), the first in Wales to adopt the digital platform in practice. Developed by USW researchers, FRAIT is a robust, evidence-based tool that helps health visitors assess and support family resilience, a crucial factor in child health and development. It facilitates conversations around resilience and its protective factors. FRAIT has been incorporated into the 'Welsh Government's Healthy Child Wales Programme' since 2016 and was made mandatory in 2017. Today, it is used by over 1,000 health visitors across Wales, reaching more than 1.8 million family contacts to date. 'In the UK, health visitors are nurses or midwives that undertake an additional year of training. They work with families on disease and illness prevention and health promotion, Dr Michelle Thomas, Senior Lecturer in Adult Nursing and Health Visiting, explained. 'They meet with families at mandatory points in time, from birth to school age, which are linked to children's key development stages. 'FRAIT offers them standardised and practical method for identifying families that may benefit from early intervention. Its creation addressed a major gap in evidence-based health visitor assessments.' eFRAIT streamlines the assessment process, embedding it within digital systems. Previously, assessments were completed on paper, then scanned and uploaded into electronic systems, a disjointed and time-consuming process. 'Health visitors are really looking forward to using eFRAIT,' said Dr Thomas. 'It creates a seamless digital record and enhances how we track and respond to family needs.' The platform has been developed by Dr Mabrouka Abuhmida, Senior Lecturer in Computing and Mathematical Sciences, who worked closely with USW's FRAIT team to ensure the digital version replicates the original paper tool while meeting NHS standards for compatibility and data governance. 'This has been a fantastic example of cross-disciplinary and cross-sector collaboration,' said Dr Thomas. 'It's not always easy to bridge the gap between university research and NHS systems, but our colleagues at USW and PTHB have been incredible partners.' Health Visiting Team Leader at PTHB, Rebecca Rees said: 'When USW approached us to pilot eFRAIT, we saw it as an exciting opportunity to be part of this innovative journey and become the first Health Board in Wales to trial it. 'eFRAIT reduces paperwork by automatically calculating scores and uploading directly to the child's health record. This not only saves time but also cuts down on printing and confidential waste disposal.' Meanwhile, a self-assessment version of FRAIT is also in pilot phase. Designed for parents to complete themselves, it helps them to reflect on their strengths and needs and can guide health visitors to offer tailored support or signpost to relevant services. Ultimately, the team envisions FRAIT as a global model, adaptable across continents, but rooted in the realities of local culture and care. 'FRAIT is about much more than forms and data,' said Dr Thomas. 'It's about strengthening families, supporting practitioners, and improving the health and wellbeing of children from the very start. Going digital is just the next step in making that vision more accessible and effective.'
