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Cardiff Council Update: 4th August
Here is the latest update from Cardiff Council, covering: the first weekend of the new Castle Quarter Café; the latest on ‘Time for Real Change', the campaign aimed at building on the success in helping vulnerable people off the streets; annual canvass of eligible voters underway, with 14 to 16-year-olds able to register for the first time; and the Litter Champion hoping to change the litterbugs habits.
Successful launch of the Castle Quarter Café
Cardiff's exciting new dining out experience on Castle Street officially opened to the public on Friday and got off to a phenomenal start generating over £80,000 for the local economy.
After a successful first weekend, up to 30 businesses could be taking part in the Castle Quarter Café initiative with many lined up to sign up by the weekend, providing an even wider choice of eateries for visitors to enjoy.
The new dining experience allows restaurants and cafes in the city centre to trade in a 240-seater, outdoor, covered, eating area in front of one of Cardiff's most iconic landmarks - Cardiff Castle.
The new facilities have been put in place to allow businesses - which could struggle to operate profitably indoors because of the two metre distance regulations in Wales - to trade in a safe, socially-distanced outdoor setting.
Customers to the Castle Street Café use their smart phone to access an online platform by typing Cardiff-castle.yoello.com into their browsers or by scanning a QR code placed on their table. This allows them to order deliveries from a number of restaurants and cafes across the city. The customer pays through the secure payment platform and the food and drink is delivered to the table.
The new Caste Street facility has been warmly welcomed by businesses following the successful opening weekend.
Wok to Walk -‘It has been really good. We have received a constant stream of orders to go along our normal in-store trade. We are really happy with how it is all working.'
Dusty Knuckle- ‘We have been taken aback by how popular it has been and it is fantastic what Cardiff Council, FOR Cardiff and Yoello have set up to support businesses such as ours. We have had to dramatically increase our stock to cope with demand as trade has been fantastic.'
Nata & Co- ‘It receives a big thumbs up from us as we have been very busy.'
Marco Pierre White- ‘‘we have been really pleased with the demand from the wonderful people of Cardiff. It has been a fantastic way of supporting the business and we are delighted to be part of it.'
Sarah Merry, Deputy Leader of Cardiff Council said: "We are delighted with the start that the Castle Street café has had and we are really pleased that the hospitality sector has been able to take advantage of the Castle Street offer. Our intention was always to try and safeguard as many jobs as we can despite the pandemic and we want to thank the people of Cardiff who came out in their thousands to show their support.
"With warm weather forecasted for this weekend, we expect more people to come along and try it out. It's a fantastic way for people to support their favourite restaurants and cafes which otherwise might struggle to operate profitably because of the 2 metre social distancing rules. Our message to everyone is, please come in, sit down, enjoy your food in a fabulous setting, but please remember to socially distance from others and allow our staff on-site to assist."
Sina Yamani, CEO of Yoello said: "The Castle Quarter café opening was a huge success, with all tables occupied throughout the day and large queues of people waiting to get in. The weekend's total generated over £80,000 for the local economy, which is fantastic considering the majority of partners had to shut early due to running out of stock"
Adrian Field, Executive Director of FOR Cardiff said: "We have been in constant contact with all of our members throughout this trying period, and hospitality being one of the last sectors to reopen has had its challenges to face. We are delighted to work with Yoello and Cardiff Council to bring an alfresco dining option to our businesses. We believe that this is a great opportunity for so many businesses to create additional covers for so many businesses who don't have much space or resource to create their own digital solutions at this time.
"Hearing that so many of our members have already seen a positive difference to their bottom line is exactly why we wanted to bring this opportunity to them and we're delighted that after such a short amount of time it has already made a difference."
The Council has set out a few top tips for all those visiting the Castle Quarter Café:
Order everything at the beginning- As you have a two-hour timeslot, it's recommended that you order all food and drinks straightaway so you don't run out of time. If you would like to order alcohol, you will need to make a £10 minimum food order (‘Challenge 25' policy is in operation).
Make sure to check the wait times- The restaurants/cafés will have different wait times and some may have longer times than others - so if you are in a hurry try to choose one which can serve you in the time that suits you.
Order everything from the same place- Ordering meals from different menus can be great if your party has varied tastes, but if you order and pay separately, they will arrive at different times. So why not order from the same place, and pay in one transaction? That way you can all eat together.
The government Eat Out to Help Out schemeis only applicable where food and drink is sold for immediate consumption on a premises. As Castle Quarter Cafe is regarded as a takeaway service unfortunately the scheme does not apply, even if the merchant that you order from is a participant in their own premises.
Do you have any questions? The team on site will be happy to help, or head to the FAQs section at:
www.visitcardiff.com/castle-quarter-cafe
It's Time for Real Change
We need your help to ensure that vulnerable people are not drawn back to a life on the street, following the success we had in supporting people into accommodation during lockdown.
If you are worried about someone, send for help. Text realchange and details of their location to 80800.
Support real change by not giving your spare change.
Read more here:
Annual Canvass 2020 - Don't lose your voice
The annual canvass of eligible voters in the city is now underway, with 14 to 16-year-olds able to register to vote for the first time.
The law has changed in Wales so 16 and 17-year-olds will be able to vote in next year's Senedd elections in May. Qualifying foreign citizens living in Cardiff will also be able to take part, by registering to vote.
Residents across the city, including these newly enfranchised groups of voters, are being encouraged not to lose their voice ondecisions that affect them by making sure their electoral registration details are up to date.
The summer canvass takes place every year and ensures that Cardiff's electoral register is kept up to date, identifying any residents who are not registered so that they can be encouraged to do so.
Residents will be contacted in a number of ways, including by post, phone or email to check the information held about their household remains accurate and any changes that are needed can be made. Residents are asked to get in touch with the Council's Electoral Services team as soon as possible if any changes are needed.
Fourteen to 16-year-olds in Wales and qualifying foreign citizens can now register to take part in the 2021 Senedd elections. The Police and Crime Commissioner election is also scheduled to take place in May and while the new franchise does not extend to this election, all other eligible residents are encouraged to register to be able to vote.
Read more here:
https://www.cardiffnewsroom.co.uk/releases/c25/24456.html
Litter Champion hopes her actions will change litterbugs habits
When the UK went into lockdown in March and we were spending more time in our gardens or out on daily walks, many of us discovered a newfound appreciation of the outdoors.
Charlotte - who moved from the Rhondda to Llanedeyrn with her husband earlier this year - was so inspired by her local environment that she decided to help make it a better place.
Here, in her own words, she tells us her Love Where You Live volunteering story:
"As Covid-19 hit us all and with the world on pause and work furloughed, I had time to reflect and appreciate the outdoors.
Sitting in the garden and going for local walks whilst listening to the birds twittering encouraged me to better myself a little more.
My mother-in-law told me about the Pentwyn & Llanedeyrn litter pickers group so I decided to look into it. I signed up that day and the next day I had litter picking equipment dropped off at my door.
If I'm honest, going out the first time was a little daunting to begin with as I worried about unkind comments. However, I found it a very peaceful task and to my surprise, I have been stopped a few times by the locals, ranging from children to elderly, to thank me and get to know the story of why I am doing this.
My reason? I can only hope that when people have a visual that someone has to pick up that mess, maybe they will think and take the few extra steps to the many surrounding bins to get rid of their rubbish.
After filling a bag with litter it makes me feel proud and accomplished. It's easy to walk past and think, that's not mine, why should I pick that up? But if it was something in your home you probably would do it anyway... I think it's time that people realise that the Earth is your home, your house is your shelter!
Through litter picking, I have noticed the parks and green areas looking more inviting, but unfortunately, I have noticed that there are common hot spots that need to be tackled daily.
I have felt more accomplished and purposeful whilst on furlough since litter picking, it encourages you to get out of the house and gives structure to your day and I can definitely take what I've learnt into my current job role when I return to work as a pre-school childcare practitioner."
Charlotte urges anyone who would like to get involved in litter picking to go for it.
She continues, "If you have been thinking about it and have the time... try it, you may like it and to get involved with like-minded people, you may even make more friends along the way."
Thank you to Charlotte and all our Litter Champions who continue to help Keep Cardiff Tidy!
If you're feeling inspired by Charlotte's story and would like to get involved, further guidance on socially distanced litter picking can be found on the Keep Cardiff Tidy website:
Please report litter via our website:
Or join thousands of residents and visitors who have downloaded the Cardiff Gov App for a smarter way to connect with council services and report littering here:
https://www.cardiff.gov.uk/ENG/resident/cardiff-gov-app/Pages/default.aspx
