Llais y Dyffryn/ Voice of the Valley

Jul 31 2008 by Our Correspondent, Rhymney Valley Express

MORE than 100,000 people from across the county borough and beyond flooded into Caerphilly town centre over the weekend to enjoy this year's spectacular Big Cheese Festival.

The soaring temperature and brilliant sunshine helped attract record crowds and we are delighted with the ongoing success of this unique event.

I had the pleasure of attending the official opening ceremony on Friday night and was delighted to see more than 400 children with special needs enjoying free rides on the huge funfair thanks to the continuing generosity of Sayers Amusements Ltd and Lindsay Ford Solicitors.

I'd like to thank everyone involved in the organisation and management of the event, particularly the sponsors, and now look forward to the focus shifting to Blackwood next month when the Big Balloon comes to town on the bank holiday weekend. I hope to see you all there!

A very important initiative was launched in Newbridge Leisure Centre recently to encourage more people across the county borough to take small steps towards a healthier lifestyle.

‘Health Challenge Caerphilly County Borough’ is a new drive to promote important messages such as eating more fruit and vegetables, giving up smoking, avoiding accidents and being more active.

The county borough has high levels of health problems linked to poor lifestyle choices so it is vital that we all take action to protect ourselves and our children against the growing problem of obesity, heart problems and other health concerns. A few small steps can make a big difference so I would urge everyone to do their bit and enjoy a happier, healthier lifestyle.

Finally, I'm pleased to report on a number of recent developments aimed at reducing problems linked to crime and anti-social behaviour in our communities.

Earlier this month the council agreed to introduce more 'alcohol control zones' across the area to prevent nuisance drinking in public places; a special 'graffiti wall' was unveiled at Caerphilly Leisure cCentre to encourage young people to channel their energy through legitimate graffiti art and a series of special workshops are taking place with young offenders to highlight the dangers of setting grass fires.

These are just a few examples of the wide range of excellent schemes being undertaken by the Community Safety Partnership to make our communities safer and stronger.

Coun Lindsay Whittle

Leader of Caerphilly county borough council