📑 CPC-CG members Dr Valentina Di Iasio, Professor Corrado Giulietti and Professor Jackie Wahba OBE (#Economics at the University of #Southampton) discuss their analysis of #UnderstandingSociety data examining the uneven social consequences of #Brexit in the UK and how it affected the #mentalhealth of #ethnicminority #youth ⤵️

https://www.economicsobservatory.com/how-did-brexit-affect-the-mental-health-of-ethnic-minority-youth

#EUreferendum #europeanUnion #youngpeople #socialsciences #deprivation #demography

Swansea neighbourhood handed £20m boost as MP urges residents to shape decade of investment

The funding, confirmed today, will focus on the communities north of Swansea railway station — stretching through High Street, Brynmelyn, Waun Wen, North Hill and Hafod. The area, used daily by thousands travelling in and out of the city, has long been identified as one of Swansea’s most overlooked corridors.

MP: ‘This area is too often forgotten’

Torsten Bell, MP for Swansea West, welcomed the announcement and said the decade‑long investment must be shaped by the people who live there. He has launched a public survey asking residents to set the priorities for the scheme.

“Swansea is making real progress,” he said. “Our city centre is seeing landmarks renewed and new buildings open, from the Albert Hall to the new Y Storfa. And today’s confirmation of £20m investment in the neighbourhoods north of the train station will make sure an area, that thousands travel through every day but is too often forgotten, is part of this progress.”

He said the funding would “make a real difference” and urged residents to take part in the consultation.

What the money will target

The £20m comes from the Pride in Place programme — a £180m, 10‑year regeneration fund for communities across Wales. The scheme is designed to give local people a direct say in tackling issues that have blighted their neighbourhoods, from run‑down high streets to graffiti, vandalism and the loss of community facilities.

Alongside the main investment, Swansea will also receive a share of £34.5m in capital funding to improve public spaces across the city. That includes repairing broken bus shelters, reopening park toilets and upgrading other neglected infrastructure.

Residents asked to set priorities

The MP’s survey — available on his website — asks people to identify the problems they want fixed first. Early suggestions include improving lighting and safety on key walking routes, restoring community buildings, and tackling long‑standing fly‑tipping hotspots.

The funding will be rolled out over the next decade, with decisions expected to be made in phases.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

Llanelli handed £20m lifeline as decade‑long regeneration drive targets town’s most deprived communities
A major investment package aims to revive struggling neighbourhoods and restore key community assets.

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Opinion: Torsten Bell MP — how Swansea should spend its Pride in Place funding
The Swansea West MP sets out his priorities for how the city can make the most of the investment.

South West Wales to share in £214m Pride in Place investment for local projects
Communities across the region are set to benefit from a decade of targeted regeneration funding.

‘Transformational for our communities’: South West Wales MPs react to £214m Pride in Place funding
Local MPs welcome the investment and outline what it could mean for neighbourhoods across the region.

Llanelli handed £20m lifeline as decade‑long regeneration drive targets town’s most deprived communities

Tyisha, Glanymor and Llanelli town centre will share the cash over the next decade in what ministers say is a bid to “rebuild community pride” and help neighbourhoods that have been left behind.

The area — home to nearly 14,000 people — ranks among the 20% most deprived in Wales, with Tyisha 1 listed as the sixth most deprived neighbourhood in Wales for community safety. Deprivation is also high across income, employment, health and education.

‘People here have been ignored for too long’

Dame Nia Griffith, MP for Llanelli, said: “I am pleased to have been able to secure this additional £20m of long‑term investment for Llanelli which these communities can now use to address issues that they raise with me day‑in, day‑out.

“It will be for the people who live there to decide how this money will be spent, based on what they feel is most important — whether it be improving the places that their families live, work and grow up in, supporting better local facilities and community organisations, helping people access skills and training or making our streets safer, cleaner and more welcoming.”

She said residents had been “overlooked for far too long” and needed a fair deal that reflected their priorities, not someone else’s.

New Neighbourhood Board to take control

A new Neighbourhood Board will now be created to oversee the project. It will include Carmarthenshire Council representatives, Dame Nia Griffith, local residents, community leaders and businesses.

Griffith urged people to get involved. “I can’t stress enough how important it will be for everyone living and working in these areas — as well as the wider Llanelli community who want to help revive our town centre — to make their voices heard over the next few months,” she said.

“I will be insisting residents are involved in the decision‑making process throughout so that it properly reflects their needs and delivers the improvements and the fair deal they rightfully deserve.”

Crime, deprivation and a town centre in decline

The targeted area includes Tyisha, the core of Glanymor and Llanelli town centre — a stretch long associated with anti‑social behaviour, empty units and stalled regeneration schemes.

Officials say the town centre remains the “functional economic area” for the wider community, linking key regeneration sites including the route to Pentre Awel via Llanelli railway station.

The funding is expected to focus on community safety, cleaner streets, better facilities, skills and training, and support for local organisations — but the final priorities will be set by residents.

Part of a wider regional funding battle

The £20m for Llanelli comes from the UK Government’s Pride in Place scheme — a nationwide programme aimed at reviving struggling neighbourhoods and restoring pride in local communities. But across South West Wales, the rollout has already sparked fierce debate over how the money should be carved up and who gets to decide where it goes.

In Neath Port Talbot, councillors have backed a decade‑long regeneration plan for the Upper Afan Valley, while Carmarthenshire’s allocation has triggered political clashes over transparency and control. Swansea MPs have also warned that Pride in Place funding must be shaped by residents, not handed down from above, with calls for open decision‑making and clear priorities.

Against that backdrop, Llanelli’s £20m package becomes the latest test of whether the decade‑long programme can deliver real change — and whether local people will genuinely be put in charge.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

Upper Afan Valley lined up for £20m boost
Neath Port Talbot backs a decade-long regeneration plan under Pride in Place.

How Swansea should spend its Pride in Place funding
Swansea West MP Torsten Bell sets out his priorities for the city’s allocation.

South West Wales to share in £214m Pride in Place investment
Communities across the region set for major long-term funding.

‘Transformational for our communities’ say MPs
Regional MPs welcome the scale of the Pride in Place programme.

Clash over £20m Carmarthenshire Pride in Place funding
Political tensions rise over how the county’s allocation will be used.

‘Constitutional outrage’ as Senedd members revolt
MSs challenge the UK Government’s approach to distributing regeneration funds.

A quotation from Christopher Marlowe

Christopher "Kit" Marlowe (1564-1593) English dramatist and poet
The Tragicall History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus, Act 1, sc. 3 (sc. 3), l. 317ff (1594; 1604 “A” text)

More about this quote: wist.info/marlowe-christopher/…

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #christophermarlowe #kitmarlowe #faustus #mephistopheles #torment #divinepunishment #damnation #deprivation #heaven #hell #separation

COVID-19: the individual factor having the largest negative impact on life expectancy for females and males in Scotland.

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://theorkneynews.scot/2026/01/20/covid-19-the-individual-factor-having-the-largest-negative-impact-on-life-expectancy-for-females-and-males-in-scotland/

Upper Afan Valley lined up for £20m boost as council backs decade-long regeneration bid

Neath Port Talbot Council’s Cabinet has backed the Upper Afan Valley as the single community to put forward for the UK Government’s Pride in Place Programme — a decade‑long investment scheme targeting the UK’s most disadvantaged neighbourhoods.

The decision follows months of analysis comparing deprivation, crime, health, education and access to services across the county. Officers say the Upper Afan Valley stood out as the area facing the deepest and most persistent deprivation, with one local zone ranked among the 15 most deprived in Wales.

A valley hit by long-term decline

The Upper Afan Valley area put forward by the council covers Cymer, Croeserw and Gwynfi, along with the smaller communities that make up the wider valley. Together they form a single, connected neighbourhood identified as having the highest concentration of deprivation anywhere in Neath Port Talbot.

The council report paints a bleak picture. Parts of the valley have been classed as suffering “deep‑rooted deprivation” for almost two decades, appearing in the 50 most deprived communities in Wales in every official index since 2005. Jobs are scarce, health outcomes are poor and access to services is limited. Officers say the area has also missed out on other major regeneration schemes, leaving it with fewer chances to attract investment than other parts of the county.

Although the population falls slightly below the UK Government’s preferred size for the programme, the council argues the level of need is so severe that the Upper Afan Valley remains the strongest and most justified choice.

Three contenders — but only one could win

Under the rules, Neath Port Talbot can nominate only one neighbourhood for the £20 million fund. Officers examined the Upper Afan Valley alongside Sandfields and Aberavon, and Briton Ferry West and Neath East. Both of the urban areas have larger populations and stronger links to Welsh Government’s Transforming Towns programme, giving them more immediate opportunities to draw in other funding.

But the council’s independent review found that the Upper Afan Valley’s deprivation was more severe, more entrenched and more concentrated than anywhere else in the county. It also noted that, because the valley’s population is smaller, the investment per head would be far higher — giving residents a better chance of seeing visible, long‑lasting change.

“An optimistic sign of investment”

Cllr Jeremy Hurley, Cabinet Member for Economic Growth, said:

“If approved by UK Government, this money for the Upper Afan Valley is an optimistic sign of investment in what is – on average – the most deprived area in Neath Port Talbot.

“I hope the UK Government approves our recommendation so that the community can benefit.”

What the £20 million could deliver

If the bid is approved, the Upper Afan Valley would receive one of the largest single‑neighbourhood regeneration packages ever directed at a community in Neath Port Talbot. The funding would be spread over ten years and could support improvements to public spaces, upgrades to community facilities, investment in local assets and projects tackling health, employment and education inequalities.

A new Neighbourhood Board, led by an independent chair, would be created to oversee the plan and ensure residents shape the priorities.

A tight deadline — and a big decision ahead

The council must now secure letters of endorsement from local MPs and MSs before submitting its formal proposal to UK Government ministers. The deadline is 9 January 2026, with decisions expected later in the year.

If approved, the Upper Afan Valley would become the focus of a decade‑long regeneration effort aimed at reversing decades of decline and giving one of Wales’s most disadvantaged communities a long‑awaited boost.

More Pride in Place news

‘Transformational for our communities’: MPs react to £214m funding
South West Wales MPs welcome the UK Government’s new investment package.

South West Wales to share in £214m Pride in Place investment
Councils across the region set to benefit from long‑term regeneration funding.

Clash over £20m Carmarthenshire Pride in Place funding
Political tensions rise as Carmarthenshire’s preferred neighbourhood sparks debate.

‘Constitutional outrage’: Senedd Labour revolt over funding bypass
Senior MSs criticise the UK Government’s approach to distributing regeneration money.

Jahrzehntelange Isolationshaft in Deutschland - gibts das?

Vor kurzem legte Hauke Kröger an der Internationalen Hochschule seine Bachelorarbeit genau zu diesem Thema vor. Dabei untersuchte er, ausgehend von sozialarbeiterischen Standards, die deutsche Strafvollzugspraxis und stieß auf eine dunkle Gefängniswelt, in der in Deutschland, teils über Jahrzehnte, Gefangene in strenger Isolation gehalten werden.

Innerhalb der Linken hatte das Thema früher eine große Relevanz, denn regelmäßig saßen Gefangene bewaffneter Gruppen in Isolationshaft, aber das Instrument trifft auch "soziale Gefangene". Dem ging Kröger in seiner verdienstvollen Bachelorarbeit nach.

Hier geht es zur Rezension der Arbeit, und dort ist die Arbeit auch als PDF abrufbar.

https://de.indymedia.org/node/559471

#einzelhaft #isolation #raf #haft #gefängnis #strafvollzug #jurabubble #knast #isolationsfolter #bachelor #bachelorarbeit #hochschule #abschlussarbeit #uni #deutschland #mittwoch #justiz #ungerecht #deprivation #unrecht #bogner #sozialeArbeit #rechtsstaat #Samt_versus_seide
@aksfreiburg
@Orkan_der_rechtspflege

Statistics on deprivation in England for 2025, including the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD), highlight the unmet needs of individuals and lack of access to opportunities #deprivation

https://deprivation.communities.gov.uk/