Nov
17
More thanks to Brendan Coles, who a year ago gave us what became our main desktop PC – http://www.catch-online.org.uk/iona-computers-give-catch-pc/
He’s now given us further help with updates and security.
Brendan is your local man to call for computer set-ups and maintenance – ionacomputers@gmail.com, or 01639 841111.
Thank you very much, Brendan!
Oct
24
CATCH now offers the use of a PC as an dedicated online portal. The PC is in the Vestry of Gurnos Chapel, from which CATCH operates. The PC holds no confidential files, and anyone in the community is welcome to come in and use it for the purposes shown. You don’t need to be claiming a food pack in order to do so !
Oct
24
The Dove Workshop, Banwen, recently had a sponsored walk. Our picture shows Mark Hepburn presenting the cheque to CATCH volunteer Lesley Williams, as walkers Jan and Julie look on.
DOVE and the associated Communities First office at Roman Road hold a drop-in collection basket for CATCH, and also act as prescribers for CATCH, referring people in need of our support to us.
Oct
21
We are very grateful for the support of all the various business and organisations who support CATCH by accepting donations in kind on our behalf.
You can take your donations to any of the following places for us to pick up and distribute:
Gurnos Chapel, Ystalyfera (opposite Mariano’s) Wednesday and Friday 11 – 2
St Davids Church Hall Tuesday 9.30-11am
Ystalyfera Development Trust
Communities First Office, Penybryn, Ystradgynlais
Dove Workshops – Banwen
Y Siswrn Aur / Lynne’s hairdressers – Ystalyfera
Godrer’Graig School
Coelbren Welfare Hall
The Welfare Hall.Ystradgynlais (including evenings)
The Woodstore (Old Remploy) Glanrhyd
Tonna Resources Centre
Ystradowen Community Hall
Ystradgynlais Post Office
CK’s Superstore, Cwmllynfell
Home Bargains, Gurnos Road SA9
Oct
21
It’s that time of year again – autumn is definitely upon us, and some days, it feels as if winter might not be far behind.
CATCH held an appeal day at Wind Road Tesco on October 4th. The response of the local shoppers was very generous – so generous, in fact, that, what with the donations coming in from Harvest Festivals, we still haven’t finishing booking in all the Tesco donations. We will publish a count when we have completed it.
But just as welcome was the warmth of the response we received from most people – it did make us feel that we have the support of most of the Cwmtawe community in what we are trying to do.
We have received Harvest donations from many quarters : Godrer’Graig School, Bro Tawe School, Ysgol Gyfun Ystalyfera, Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Cwmllynfell, Ysgol Y Wern; The Temple of Light, St David’s Church Ystalyfera, St Margaret’s, Cwmllynfell; and a generous donation from Jiscourt’s Neath office, which may not have been conceived as a Harvest gift, but came in at the right time ! And similarly from St David’s, Banwen. All of which means that we go into the colder months well-stocked to support all those who come to us for help.
Thank you, a big ‘thank you’, to everyone who has contributed, either directly to Gurnos Chapel, or through our various drop-off points.
Oct
21
CATCH issued 25 food packs in September, to
these totals being made up of
Taking into account repeat support given to some ‘clients’ during the month,
in September CATCH gave out food aid for
amounting in all to a total of 209.5 PFDs* given during the month,
equivalent to
* PFD = person-fed-day
CATCH aims to provide some breakfast, a main meal and a snack meal for each day, for each person supported. So eg a pack for one person for five days = 5 PFDs. Or a 5-day pack for a couple and two children under 12 is rated as 15 PFDs.
Oct
21
CATCH is currently in its 17th month as an active food aid charity.
We have been doing some analysis of exactly what we have done, and whom we have helped,
and these are some of the details:
Between 4th June 2103 and 13th October 2014, CATCH has supported 190 claimants or claimant households.
In that period, in all, CATCH gave out a total of 420 food packs, amounting in all to 3207 PFDs *.
94 males have been the recorded claimant
98 females have been the recorded claimant
There are 3 instances where the record does not make the gender clear
In all, 49 couples have been supported
There have been 4 couples, where each member has been the claimant on separate occasions
The total of individual adults supported, claimants, partners and other dependents, was 241 .
81 individual children under 12 have been supported, of which 9 were infants or toddlers
49 individual children over 12 have been supported.
102 claimants have had just one pack
29 claimants have had 2
18 claimants have had 3
11 claimants have had 4
19 claimants have been supported on 5 occasions or more.
* PFD = person-fed-day
CATCH aims to provide some breakfast, a main meal and a snack meal, for each day, for each person supported.
So eg a pack for one person for five days, feeding one person for five days is rated as 5 PFDs.
Or a 5-day pack for a couple and two children under 12 is rated as 15 PFDs.
Jun
20
Having moved over the road into the Gurnos Chapel premises, CATCH is in the process of setting up a new ‘packing’ station – a storage compartment for every type of food item we regularly use in making up the food packs, in proximity to a long surface on which the packs can be put together and bagged up.
To achieve this, we are scrounging and begging utility chipboard furniture of all kinds, but especially kitchen units.
If you are replacing a kitchen (or indeed, bedroom storage) we can probably use what you are taking out. Please contact us if you can offer us anything.
We have also been visiting kitchen showrooms, builders’ merchants, and DIY stores, and have been very helpfully and generously received.
So, a big public thank you to LBS in Neath for donating a kitchen carcase and promising a plinth to link up all our units.
Also to Neath B & Q for donating lots of useful items like runs of timber & packs of shelving, and some units.
Jewson in Swansea have given us no less than 3 kitchen carcases.
It’s a great start !.
Jun
17
In May 2014, CATCH gave out 26 packs, in support of 32 adults*, 14 children under twelve* and 3 children over twelve*. This totalled to 210 PFDs, an average of 6.77 PFDs per calendar day for the month. [* as usual, these are cumulative figures, not the numbers of actual individuals.]
Stock in hand at the start of May was 4747 items; 1770 new items were taken in, and 1157 items were given out, leaving a balance at month-end of 5360 items.
Jun
17
In April 2014, CATCH issued 30 food packs, in support of 34 adults*, 15 children under 12*, and 7 children over 12*, making a total issue amounting to 239 Person Fed Days (PFDs). That means during April CATCH fed 7 people each day, every day. [* as usual, these are cumulative figures, not the numbers of actual individuals.]
Stock in hand at the start of April was 4361 items; 1225 new items were taken in, and 839 items were given out, leaving a balance at month-end of 4747 items.
