Family Fun Day at Pyle RFC
Pyle RFC Junior section will be holding a family fun day this Sunday 28th August at 11.00am – 4.00pm at Brynglas.
Featuring inflatables, music, craft stalls and more, entry is £1.00 and includes a free raffle ticket.
If there is heavy rain the fun will switch inside with a disco in the club’s big room instead.
School uniform and equipment support offered ahead of new term
Parents and carers are being reminded that help is available to buy school uniforms and other equipment for their children ahead of the new term.
The Welsh Government’s Pupil Development Access Grant has already seen more than £500,000 of financial support accessed by parents and carers of primary school children in Bridgend County Borough alone. Further significant support has also been claimed by parents and carers of secondary school children.
Funding is available to pupils who are eligible for free school meals and is on offer to all school year groups from Reception through to Year 11 and including pupils in special schools, special needs resource bases and pupil referral units.
The rate of grant for the 2022/23 school year will be £225 per learner, except for those pupils entering Year 7 who will be entitled to £300. This is an increase on the previous year.
The scheme for the 2022/23 academic year has now started and will end on 30 June 2023. Families are entitled to claim once per child, per school year.
The Pupil Development Access Grant provides financial assistance to families on low incomes for the purchase of:
- School uniform including coats and shoes.
- School sports kit including footwear.
- Uniform for enrichment activities, including but not limited to scouts, guides, cadets, martial arts, sports, performing arts or dance.
- Equipment (for example, school bags and stationery).
- Specialist equipment where new curriculum activities begin such as design and technology.
- Equipment for out-of-school hours trips such as outdoor learning (for example, waterproof clothing).
- IT equipment – laptops and tablets only. You will need to confirm that your child’s school cannot loan them a laptop/table for use at home.
The Council’s Cabinet Member for Education, Cllr Jon-Paul Blundell, said: “With families facing significant cost-of-living increases, we know that household budgets will be under increasing pressure, meaning many families will be worried about how they can afford the things their children need for school.
“We are pleased that the Welsh Government has increased the Pupil Development Access scheme for one year, which I am sure will benefit a number of families here in Bridgend County Borough.”
For more information and details about how to apply, please visit the Bridgend County Borough Council website.
Last chance to apply for £150 cost-of-living payment
Bridgend County Borough Council is urging the small of minority residents who have not yet applied for the £150 cost-of-living payment to do so before the payment deadline.
The council has recently issued reminder letters to all remaining eligible households who have yet to claim the one-off payment. Residents must make their application within 30 days of the date on their letter.
The easiest way to claim the payment is to visit the council website: www.bridgend.gov.uk and select the cost of living payment page from the homepage. It will take you to a short, online form which you can complete and submit within a matter of minutes.
To claim this payment, applicants will need to provide details of the bank account they want the funds paid into. The bank account will need to be in the same name as the council taxpayer. The letter will also include a unique access code and the applicant’s council tax account number which they will need to complete the online form.
Applicants who do not have online access can also visit their local library and use the facilities there to complete the claim process. However, they will need to take their letter with them to the library as the staff will require the relevant information if supporting people with their application.
Households are encouraged to follow the instructions on the letter carefully and apply as soon as possible as the unique access code provided in the letter will expire after 30 days of the date of the letter.
To date, 90 per cent of eligible households have received this financial support designed to help them cope with increases in living costs.
Payments can also be made into a building society account. To do this you will need to complete the online application form and send your role number to col@bridgend.gov.uk in an email marked ‘Urgent – building society account’.
Alternatively, if you have any queries regarding the process, please contact the council on the email address above or by ringing 01656 643643 – press option zero after selecting your language preference, then select option one to speak to an advisor.
The support forms part of a £152m Welsh Government initiative to help households recover from the Covid-19 pandemic and deal with the impact of increasing energy, fuel, and food bills.