Politics

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UEFA Women’s Champions League Final set to inspire women & girls

Holders Lyon will face Paris Saint-Germain in Cardiff City Stadium at 19:45. The event is taking place in the same city as the men’s final, making Cardiff the hub of a real celebration of sport. First Minister, Carwyn Jones, and Public Health Minister, Rebecca Evans, will join the huge numbers of fans expected to attend the match.

First Minister, Carwyn Jones, said: 

“Cardiff and the whole of Wales is brimming with excitement as the UEFA Champions League festivities get underway. Fans from across the globe can already be seen throughout the city, with Spanish, Italian and French to be heard spoken in the streets.

“Today’s UEFA Women’s Champions League Final will put women’s football in the global spotlight. This wonderful event has the power to inspire women and girls in Wales and across the world to take up sport, especially football.”

Public Health Minister, Rebecca Evans, who has responsibility for grassroots sport, said: 

“There are around 40,000 women and girls playing football regularly across Wales. Increasing the number of women and girls taking part in sport remains one of our key priorities, and the FAW Trust’s aim is to increase the numbers playing football to 100,000 by 2024. The UEFA Women’s Champions League Final is a fantastic showcase for women’s football which will help us achieve this ambition.” 

Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Sport Vaughan Gething will also cheer on the 1,500 women and girls from across Wales taking part in today’s FAW Women’s and Girls’ National Football Festival at Cardiff University Sports
Fields Llanrumney, which forms part of the FAW’s UEFA Champions League Community Engagement Programme.

This annual event will see teams from across Wales participate at under 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 and senior age groups. All participants will be provided with a pair of free tickets to watch the UEFA Women’s Champions League Final.

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Welsh Government •

Press release: New charity investigation: All Nations Community Centre

The Charity Commission, the independent regulator of charities in England and Wales, has opened a statutory inquiry into All Nations Community Centre, registered charity number 1111832. The inquiry was opened on 21 March 2017.

The charity has objects to provide community activities, including educational and social support, in the Gloucestershire area.

In September 2016 the charity was included in the Commission’s class inquiry into charities that are in default for submitting their statutory accounts and returns for 2 or more financial years. The Commission requested the charity submit its accounting information for the 5 financial years ending 30 September 2011 through to 2015. The trustees failed to comply with the order.

The inquiry will look at:

  • whether All Nations Community Centre is established as a charity and is operating for the public benefit
  • the general administration, governance and management of the charity by the trustees with specific regard to the charity’s property
  • whether or not the trustees have complied with and fulfilled their duties and responsibilities as trustees under charity law

The Commission stresses that opening an inquiry is not in itself a finding of wrongdoing. The purpose of an inquiry is to examine issues in detail and investigate and establish the facts so that the regulator can ascertain whether there has been misconduct and/or mismanagement; establish the extent of the risk to the charity’s property, beneficiaries or work; decide what action needs to be taken to resolve the serious concerns, if necessary using its investigative, protective and remedial powers to do so.

It is the Commission’s policy, after it has concluded an inquiry, to publish a report detailing what issues the inquiry looked at, what actions were undertaken as part of the inquiry and what the outcomes were. Reports of previous inquiries by the Commission are available on GOV.UK.

The charity’s details can be viewed on the Commission’s online charity search tool.

Ends

PR 44/17

Notes to editors

  1. The Charity Commission is the independent regulator of charities in England and Wales. To find out more about our work, see our annual report.

  2. Search for charities on our online register.

  3. Section 46 of the Charities Act 2011 gives the Commission the power to institute inquiries. The opening of an inquiry gives the Commission access to a range of investigative, protective and remedial legal powers.

  4. The Commission’s decision to announce the opening of a statutory inquiry is based on whether it is in the public interest to do so and with consideration of our objective to increase public trust and confidence in charities.

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HM Government

Rail passengers £1,000 better off under Labour

The next Labour Government will put rail passengers first by putting the brakes on rapidly increasing rail fares and saving commuters £1,014 on their season tickets

Under a Labour Government, passengers will on average save £1,014 on their rail season tickets over the next parliament, compared to the potential cost under a Tory Government.

Since 2010, regulated rail fares have risen by 27.1 per cent, increasing the average cost of a season ticket by £594.

The 2015 Conservative manifesto included a commitment to keeping rail fares frozen in real terms. However, regulated fares were capped at the Retail Price Index (RPI), which consistently over-estimates inflation, rather than the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

Labour will cap regulated fair rises at the Consumer Price Index (CPI), using the money saved through bringing rail franchises back into public ownership. As more services come into public ownership, greater amounts of savings become available, and Labour will aim to introduce further fare caps or reductions.

Jeremy Corbyn, Leader of the Labour Party, said:

“Under the Conservatives, rail fares have sky-rocketed and tickets are some of the most expensive in Europe.

“Labour will take Britain’s railways back into public control and put more money into people’s pockets by capping fares. This will save commuters £1,014 on their rail season tickets over the next Parliament, as part of our plan to promote services for the many, not the few.”

Andy McDonald MP, Labour’s Shadow Transport Secretary, said:

“Theresa May’s failure to commit to freezing rail fares shows just how out of touch they are.

“Under the Conservatives, fares have risen three times faster than wages, passenger satisfaction is plummeting, punctuality has fallen to a 10 year low and promised upgrades have either been delayed by years or scrapped altogether.

“Privatised rail has failed and it will take more than tinkering around the edges to deliver much needed improvements for passengers. Labour will take the railways back into public ownership and put passengers first by capping fares.”

The 2017 Tory manifesto has failed to make any commitment to keeping rail fares frozen in real terms, meaning rail fares are likely to rise above inflation (RPI) if the Conservatives win the General Election.

Between 2011 – 2013 the Tories allowed fares to rise by RPI plus 1 per cent. If fares continue to increase by the same rate, the average cost of a season ticket will rise by an extra £160 by the end of the next parliament, compared to being frozen at RPI.

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Labour •

Welsh teams to compete in Homeless World Cup, thanks to Welsh Government funding

The funding will enable social inclusion charity Street Football Wales (SFW) to send a Welsh women’s team and men’s team to the event in Oslo this summer

The announcement comes as SFW takes part today in a demonstration match on a floating pitch on Roald Dahl Plass to mark the Champions League Final in Cardiff.  

The Homeless World Cup is an annual football tournament organised by the Homeless World Cup organisation which advocates the end of homelessness through football. 

The 2017 tournament, which will mark the 15th edition of the HWC, will be held in Oslo, Norway from August 29 until September 5, 2017. About 70 countries and over 750 players are expected to take part. 

Street Football Wales, which is hosted by Pobl Group, operate a football league for men and women across Wales and representatives from the league make up the teams who compete for Wales in the HWC.

Michael Sheen OBE, patron of Street Football Wales said: 

“It is fantastic that Welsh Government have joined the team at Street Football Wales and along with other partners are backing them to go all the way at the Homeless World Cup in Oslo! The team works incredibly hard to raise the funds to enter the tournament each year and this grant will make a huge difference.  I’ll be there to cheer them on and I hope this is the beginning of everyone in Wales getting behind their national teams for the Homeless World Cup!”

The Minister for Social Services and Public Health, Rebecca Evans, said:

“I met Street Football Wales recently and saw the difference their projects can make to people’s lives, not only in regards to health and wellbeing, but also in terms of self-confidence and personal development.

“I made a commitment to do all we can to support SFW to send a team to the Homeless World Cup, which is why I am delighted to announce this funding today. I am sure the teams will do a fantastic job of representing Wales on the world stage and I wish them all the very best of luck!” 

Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children, Carl Sargeant, said: 

“I’m delighted that thanks to Welsh Government funding we are able to send a team to the Homeless World Cup. Street Football Wales are doing a great job in improving the lives of people who face social exclusion through homelessness. Having a home gives people a sense of belonging and emotional wellbeing. This is why providing people with a safe, warm and secure home remains a key priority for me. I wish the teams well in their forthcoming games.”

Keri Harris, Project Leader for Street Football Wales said:

“Street Football Wales makes a life changing difference to hundreds of vulnerable people across Wales. Representing Wales at the Homeless World Cup is one of the many ambitions our players share. This grant makes taking a Welsh male and female team to Oslo an exciting reality that will inspire people across Wales.”

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Welsh Government •