Speaking at the Responsible Finance Conference 2017, I said that much will depend upon Credit Unions in Wales serving those who would otherwise be excluded from mainstream credit, and highlighted the community banking model developed in Wales by Responsible Finance - working with credit unions, where credit unions can’t, supporting people, businesses and social enterprises that cannot access finance from high street banks.
Speaking in the Short Debate on ‘Credit Unions - A Key Contribution to Tackling Financial Exclusion’, I noted that only approximately 2.5 per cent of people in Wales currently use Credit Unions, compared to 46 per cent in the United States, and stated that the Welsh Government should support Welsh Credit Unions in their aim of establishing a fully financially independent and sustainable sector by 2021.
Questioning the Health Secretary, I highlighted the lack of appropriate healthcare services in Wales for people with ‘ME’ and the high suicide rate amongst them.
I hosted and spoke at the launch of a new ‘Off-Gas Advice Pack’, launched by National Energy Action (NEA) Cymru, in partnership with Calor, focused on solutions for fuel poor households in rural Wales.
I also hosted and spoke at the ‘Engage to Change’ event. This project, led by Learning Disability Wales, aims to support 1,000 young people in Wales with autism and/or a learning difficulty to gain skills and find sustainable employment.
Raising World Autism Awareness Week in the Assembly Chamber, I called for poor understanding of autism among professionals to be improved and questioned whether targets in the Welsh Government’s Autism Delivery Plan 2016-20 have been completed.
I was also pleased to speak at Sunday's World Autism Day 'Cuppa n a Cake' event in Llanasa Village Hall.
Assembly engagements included RSPCA Cymru, celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Animal Welfare Act in Wales, and homelessness charity ‘The Wallich’, to discuss their Rough Sleepers Intervention Team in Wrexham. Their rough sleeper count found numbers increasing, with relationship breakdown the main cause.
It was a pleasure to officially open the ‘The Little Brown Dog’ foster-based animal rescue Charity Fundraiser at Penyffordd Institute.
Other North Wales engagements included the Consumer Council for Water Wales Meeting at Glyndwr University, which included a presentation by Severn Trent Water on their takeover of Dee Valley Water.
If you need my help, please email mark.isherwood@assembly.wales or ring 0300 200 7217.