A group of young carers from Swansea and Neath Port Talbot area are looking forward to an extra special post-Christmas date with their Ospreys rugby icons, thanks to the Region's main sponsors RWE npower renewables (RWE NRL).
Young carers supported by Crossroads Care Swansea Neath Port Talbot (SNPT) will enjoy a special VIP day out at Liberty Stadium tonight, watching the RaboDirect PRO12 clash with Zebre.
RWE NRL’s onshore development team, based at Baglan, Port Talbot, was the first business to be recognised earlier this year as a ‘trusted business friend’by the young carers charity Crossroads Care, and since then has been looking for ways to work with Ospreys to help the young people take a well deserved break.
An RWE NRL spokesman said: “At Christmas time, these young carers do a most challenging and incredible job –and at a time when they’re really meant to be the ones in the spotlight!
“We met with Crossroads Care some time ago and were so very impressed with the hard work they and their members do day in and day out, that we felt we wanted to do more to help. It seems one of their biggest challengesis finding funding to take groups of young carers out for a bit of rest and relaxation. Through our partnership with Ospreys and with the help of the Region, we hope we’ve been able to get around that for them to some extent, and can hopefully offer a day that will give them something extra to remember for Christmas –something that’s just for them.”
Andrew Hore, Ospreys Chief Operations Officer, said:
"We are delighted to welcome Crossroads Care Swansea Neath Port Talbot to the game as our very special guests on Friday night in conjunction with RWE npower renewables.
"These young carers do an incredible amount of hard work and it's important that their efforts are rewarded properly. Our partnership with RWE npower renewables is focused on our two businesses making a real difference in the local community, and visits like this certainly help us to achieve that. We hope all our guests have a great time at the Liberty Stadium supporting their region."
Lynda Clark, Chief Executive Officer, Crossroads Care SNPT, explained:
"School holidays are meant to be a time for enjoying a break from routine and with the generosity if RWE npower renewables and the Ospreys, our young carers will certainly make the most of this excellent opportunity.
"Crossroads Care Swansea Neath Port Talbot (SNPT) provides quality services for Carers and those they care for. If you’d like to know more, please have a look at our website, email us or give us a call.”
In May 2012, RWE NRL donated £1800 to enable 20 young carers from the Crossroads Care SNPT Young Carers Project to enjoy visits to local attractions and the cinema. The money also helped a group of 40 young carers visit Cardiff-based science discovery centre Techniquest during the school holidays - a destination chosen by the group.
The support of Crossroads Care reinforces the changing nature of RWE npower renewables’long running sponsorship of the Region, recently confirmed for a ninth season in a row. Through both the sponsorship, and funding arrangements from its operating and developing portfolio of wind farms in South Wales, such as Mynydd y Gwair, Brechfa Forest East and West, and Taff Ely, RWE NRL hopes to be able to offer even more, significant and targeted support to communities. It has changed the focus of its sponsorship to enable more of its investment to be spent on community development programmes, including partnering the Ospreys Education Programme, which was launched by Welsh Government education minister Leighton Andrews AM.