Alt.Cardiff Magazine: The Failing System Issue

alt.cardiff

December 2021 Issue 1

If it’s offbeat and in Cardiff, then it’s in here

The Cracks Within

Life on a failing universal credit system

News

Welsh Youth Climate Ambassadors with future generations commissioner, Sophie Howe, and Rivelino Verá Gabriel, chief of the Mbya Guarani at Cop26.

Credit: Huw James

Welsh Government to Change Goods Policy Climate change charity Size of Wales successfully campaigns for a change in government procurement policy in an effort to end deforestation

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Inside NQ64: Games range from classic consoles such as Mario Kart to retro arcade games like Time Crisis and Point Blank

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Cover Credit: House - Emma Blackmore Sky - UnSplash

ize of Wales charity will now support the Welsh Government in changing their procurement policy to eliminate overseas deforestation, following successful campaigning at Cop26.

The Cardiff-based climate change charity will work with the government to ensure policy that involves obtaining the country’s goods and services through suppliers and distributors does not cause deforestation abroad.

A new report by WWF reveals an area equivalent to 40% of the size of Wales (823,000 hectares) was required to grow Welsh imports such as palm, beef, soy, timber and cocoa between 2011 and 2018.

Communications and marketing manager for Size of Wales, Jamie Green, argued there is no path for the pledged 1.5C limit to global temperature increases without first dealing with the deforestation crisis.

“We’ve already lost 20% of the Amazon, and if we lose 5% more, then the Amazon won’t be able to sustain itself properly,” he said. He added, “We want to work alongside the Welsh

Government now to make sure the change happens by offering support, advice and analysis and anything else we can do to make it happen.”

During Wales Climate Week, 22-26 November 2021, the charity promoted the voices of Welsh Youth Climate Ambassadors, and indigenous voices from the frontline of deforestation, in an effort to aid research for the new procurement policy.

With a £7 billion procurement budget, it will take some time to look through all of the country’s procurement practices and supply choices. On a national level, this includes investigating the goods schools buy, and implementing labels in supermarkets so consumers are more aware, Jamie, 32, explained.

“We want to work with all parties now to make sure we can take on this historic bit of work and make it a reality,” he said.

In addition, the charity will soon publish a toolkit for private sector organisations to help monitor supply chains to eliminate forest footprint.

Bitesize Goodness

A plant-based café in Cathays is offering a pay-as-you-can scheme and community fridge to offset rising food poverty.

Wild Thing aims to make healthy food more accessible.

Sitting in the courtyard shared

by Cathays Community Centre and the café, the fridge is resupplied daily by volunteers.

Owner of Wild Thing, Lauren Saunders, said,“Over winter there is always a greater demand for services like the community fridge.”

It’s hard to determine how many people use the fridge, but it can be assumed that factors like rising fuel prices and reduction in universal credit can contribute to food insecurity, the 29-year-old said.

Game n!

Arcade bar NQ64 is revitalising retro gaming culture in its new premises on St. Mary Street, following its launch on 4 November 2021.

The neon-sprayed bar is offering an alternative night out filled with classic consoles and game-themed cocktails.

NQ64’s marketing manager, Ellie Quigley, 36, said, “A retro arcade is tantalising to those who remember it well, those who were born at its peak, and those who only have their parents’ memories to go on.”

Interview

Laying Down Roots From graduate to entrepreneur: how Aoife Doherty used the turbulent job market in 2020 as a springboard to launch her dream sustainable stationery business

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oife Doherty is glowing under the bright lights of her new sustainable stationery shop, Floris. At 22 years old, she’s established her new business in Cardiff’s largest shopping centre, St David’s.

Sustainability is at its core.

“It’s crazy!” she laughs, wearing a silver silk face mask with her hair slicked back into a neat low bun.

Having graduated from the University of Reading in the middle of the pandemic, Aoife used the turbulent job market in 2020 as a springboard to launch her dream career.

She handed in her graphic design dissertation and started looking for jobs.“I just couldn’t find anything,”she says.“It was such an awkward time and if anything, businesses were getting rid of staff, no one was looking for more.”

Aoife, who is from Rhiwbina, set up her website in August last year selling sustainable stationery. “At the start, I think big-dream-me thought orders would flood in and I’ll sell out, but it obviously doesn’t work like that. I quickly learnt that it’s hard to convince people who don’t know you, that you have a good product, and this is what they should buy.”

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Once I get a thought in my head, that’s the path I’ll follow

Turning a new page Her business idea had been simmering since her second year of university when she sent her family Christmas cards with the logo of Floris — a variation of the word flora, to ground the business in nature. The ‘o’ in the lettering is a perfect circle representing the whole product life cycle, from creation to product, and finally, disposal.

“I think my family thought it would be a fun little project at first,” she smiles reminiscing, “but in my head I had these huge ideas and I was like ‘Yes, I’m going to do this’ – once I get a thought in my head, that’s the path I’ll follow.”

(Top): From cards to ‘growing my small business’ notebooks, Floris’ products are all sustainable.

(Centre): Aoife Doherty in her first store located in St David’s, which has been open since 23 October, 2021

The entrepreneur decided to set up a market stall at the Indie Superstore market and fell in love with chatting to customers.

Her biggest obstacle was the unpredictable nature of the pandemic and people’s spending habits. The evening before Aoife’s last market prior to Christmas, lockdown in Wales was announced from 6am the next day.

Aoife was forced to close her stall after spending a whole weekend preparing her Christmas stock. She jumped in her car instead and delivered her online orders all around Cardiff, while obeying Covid-19 guidelines and restrictions.

Eco-friendly life cycle Uniquely designed by Aoife, Floris stationery is printed on recycled paper using renewable vegetable oil-based inks instead of petroleum-based.

She found her gap in the market when she couldn’t find affordable and aesthetic stationery that was sustainable.

“If I wanted eco-friendly stationery it was always brown paper,” she says, “and I always wanted the nice pink one!”

Her passion for sustainability was kick-started by a school project and her graphic design teacher. Now, she aims to teach others about sustainability.

In the future, Aoife is eager to design other products, including water bottles, and eventually open another store, but she’s taking one step at a time: “I don’t want to miss out on what I’ve already built!”

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Living on the edge From no heating to relying on food banks: the impact of losing £20 a week in universal credit on the residents of South Wales

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ay Harris is sitting in her home in Bettws, near Bridgend. It’s six degrees outside, but Kay hasn’t turned her heating on all winter, it’s a luxury she can’t afford.

She joins almost 200,000 people on universal credit in South Wales who have been impacted by the UK Government’s decision to remove the £20 a week uplift on 6 October 2021.

In April 2020, claimants received an extra £20 a week to help with the economic uncertainty created by the pandemic. The boost was introduced to assist people who were put on furlough or had lost their jobs.

The number of households on universal credit in Cardiff increased by over 1,000 between December 2020 and January 2021, the same time the second national lockdown was imposed.

The month prior, the number had started to decrease by 300.

An anti-poverty group, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, has claimed that an average of 21.5% of working-age families (with or without children) in South Wales will experience a £1,040 a year cut to their universal credit.

The impact on residents Big Issue seller Lee Mcadorey, 48, lives in vulnerable housing and has been on universal credit since before the pandemic

Previously a full time carer to her mother and husband, Kay Harris,55, from Bettws has claimed universal credit since her husband died in July 2020.

Her application took seven weeks, two weeks longer than normal.

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Feature

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I’m struggling terribly. I’ve never been like this before

Families in receipt of Universal Credit in South Wales

Source: Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

Credit: Emma Blackmore

Kay suffers from asthma, arthritis and COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, an illness that affects the lungs and makes it difficult to breathe.

Despite this, she’d love to go back to work.

“I can’t see people wanting to employ a 55-year-old with ill health. It’s a risk,” she says.

“They’re punishing people who are vulnerable.”

“I don’t think the Welsh Government are doing enough, but they have their hands tied,” she adds. As a member of Unite the Union Community, Kay protested about the removal of the uplift in September 2021, outside the Senedd.

Kay Harris feels the universal credit cut has been a punishment to the vulnerable. Credit: Kay Harris

Since the removal of the uplift Kay’s monthly income has decreased from £628 to £541.

“I’m afraid to put my heating on,” she says. “I know I can’t afford to pay the bill at the end of month. Not on the money I’m getting anyway.

“1,044 a year is a lot to be without when you rely on that money to live on. Especially when I have to pay £68 a month for the bedroom tax. By the time I’ve paid my electricity, my gas, my TV licence, my phone bill, it doesn’t leave a lot for food.”

Kay, who has two grown-up sons, had to rely on food banks last month and now with the rise of food and fuel prices, her expenditure has increased.

“I didn’t have an option,” she says.“I’m struggling terribly.

I’ve never been like this before.”

In October Rishi Sunak, Chancellor of the Exchequer, reduced the taper rate from 63% to 55%. This means that claimants who earned over the work allowance would receive more universal credit.

It is part of the UK Government’s Plan for Jobs initiative to get people back into work. Kay, whose ill health prevents her from working, believes it’s a punishment.

Welsh Government response

21.5% of working age families in South Wales will experience a £1,040 a year cut in universal credit, according to anti-poverty group, Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

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The Welsh Government strongly condemned the UK Government’s plan to cut the uplift and said it would likely lead to a breakdown for families already struggling.

Jane Hutt, Minister for Social Justice, said, “The ending of the £20 per week means households across Wales are heading towards a financial cliff edge.”

The big issue across Cardiff It’s always a slow sales day when it’s drizzling, but Big Issue seller Lee Mcadorey is singing triumphantly in St. Mary Street.

“Buy an issue, fa la la la la. ‘Tis the season to be jolly la la la,” he sings, “Big Issue – you can even pay by card!”

The 48-year-old, originally from Blaenavon, lives with his ten-year-old daughter in vulnerable housing and has been on universal credit since before the pandemic. He’s been a Big Issue seller for a few years now.

Wearing a Santa and reindeer costume, Lee says the uplift should have remained because we are still in a pandemic.

“I became reliant on it and now that it’s been taken away, it was a bit of a shock,” he says, especially with the rise in the cost of electricity and food which the £20 a week went towards.

He says the Welsh Government aren’t doing enough to help the homeless, notably when there are big events held in Cardiff.

“Just like the sweepers cleaning the streets, they sweep the homeless off the streets.”

Lee is also worried that the government will force people to be vaccinated in order to continue receiving universal credit. He would prefer to wait until there is more research available about the vaccine.

“If that happened, I wouldn’t be able to live. I wouldn’t be able to afford to live,” he stresses, “I would be homeless again.”

What is certain for Kay and Lee is a tough new year ahead, with plenty of thick layers.