Community

Younger generations more ‘self concious’

Published

8 years ago

April 28, 2016

NEW RESEARCH conducted by Weight Watchers has revealed that modern Welsh women are considerably less confident than their mothers were at the same age.

As part of the survey, Weight Watchers questioned over 2,000 women across the UK and in Wales.

Weight Watchers state that today’s young Welsh women are ‘losing out in the self-confidence generation game’, as their survey results have exposed the fact that over two thirds of Welsh women aged between 18 and 30 do not currently consider themselves to be confident.

Whilst 62% of Welsh women, more than the national average of 58%, feel their body is the area they are least confident about, research also revealed that the older generations of women are twice as positive about themselves as the younger generation, with less than 7% of Welsh 18 to 30 year-olds feeling confident in their bodies at all.

Weight Watchers say that although young women today enjoy considerably more freedom and equality both in their careers and relationships than previous generations, they are more lacking in confidence and self-esteem compared to older women when they were the same age.

In a cross generational study conducted by Weight Watchers, it was revealed that the younger women asked had 50% less positive thoughts about themselves a day compared to their mothers’ generation, alongside a third more negative thoughts per day.

For Welsh women, there was a strong correlation between body confidence and the women’s overall happiness. 20% of women aged between 50 and 65 reported having body confidence in their thirties, with 74% of these women agreeing that they currently felt happy in themselves.

Sadly, less than 10% of today’s 30-year-olds felt that they were happy in their appearance, with only 66% feeling happy in themselves overall.

This evidence was further supported by the result that young women place more than four times more emphasis on physical improvement by working on their health and fitness (59%), but only 5% of these women answered that they were happy about their body.

Nearly half of the women surveyed stated that their body was the area of their life they currently felt most unhappy about.

Commenting on the findings of the Weight Watchers research, Dr Katy Tapper, Senior Lecturer in Psychology at City University London, said: “It is unsurprising that these findings indicate young women today are feeling far less confident in their bodies than the older generation did at the same age.

“The UK is seeing rising rates of obesity in young women which can contribute to decreased body confidence and lead to lower mood levels.”

However, it was reported that young women had higher degrees of confidence in their relationships and professional capabilities than their mother’s generation did at their age. 58% of the older women survey agreed that today’s young women are much more empowered than they were at the same age.

However, 55% of the older generation concurred that the pressure to look good is more prevalent today, which could potentially be a consequence of the rise of the selfie. They said that this is likely due to the perceived confidence that results from the current social media climate of confidence building through curated photographic representations of the self.

The older generations were more likely to be pleased with how they look in the mirror (38%), be proud of something they had accomplished during the day (21%) or walk down the street feeling good about themselves when they were the same age (75%).

Zoe Griffiths, Head of Public Health and Programme at Weight Watchers, remarked on the survey results, saying: “It is clear that women today are far harder on themselves in all aspects of life than their mothers’ generation was. From careers and relationships to the way they look, women today are pushing themselves to exceed in every way.

“This is a trend can have a huge impact on young women’s confidence which is why at Weight Watchers, we believe it is incredibly important for women to build a strong and positive relationship with body and mind.

“We want to empower women to focus on building greater self-belief to achieve positive change.”

This researched has been conducted by Weight Watchers as a part of #WomanKind, a nationwide campaign that explores why modern women are unkind to themselves and how they can counter this cultural habit, to make healthier choices by focusing on building greater selfbelief to build better relationships with themselves.

Community

First deadlines met following enforcement action at landfill site

Published

2 hours ago

April 26, 2024

Tom Sinclair

THE first set of deadlines for the completion of actions to tackle the ongoing odour issues at Withyhedge Landfill in Pembrokeshire have been met, one week on following the issuing of further enforcement action by Natural Resources Wales (NRW).

NRW issued site operator Resources Management UK Ltd (RML) with a further Regulation 36 Enforcement Notice on Thursday 18 April.

This outlined a series of actions to be completed by specified deadlines to address the ongoing odour and landfill gas emission issues at the site.

During the latest site inspection which took place yesterday (Thursday 25 April), NRW was able to confirm that three actions have been completed – two ahead of the imposed deadlines.

The operator has installed 24 pin wells, which have been driven into the waste in the lower section of the cell identified as causing the odour issues (Cell 8). These have also been connected to the landfill gas extraction system.

Capping material has been placed over the same area of the cell and welded to the basal liner to encapsulate gas in this area, allowing for extraction by the pin wells and four horizontal gas wells, which were previously installed.

While progress is being made, NRW officers detected strong landfill gas odours during an offsite assessment on Wednesday (24 April) in Poyston Cross and Crundale. Weather conditions this week appear to have led to a wider spread of landfill gas to surrounding areas, not solely linked to wind direction.

NRW odour assessments follow a set route around the landfill, with designated survey spots, identified to enable consistency of assessment and reporting. This is essential to ensure the regulatory and enforcement responses where there is offsite odour attributed to the landfill is robust.

The remaining Regulation 36 Notice actions will require significant effort by RML to ensure they are completed on time and NRW continues to closely monitor progress.

Clare Pillman, Chief Executive of NRW, met with representatives from NRW’s South West Industry Regulation Team and Pembrokeshire County Council during a visit to Pembrokeshire on Thursday 25 April.

Clare Pillman, Chief Executive, Natural Resources Wales, said: “While visiting the area surrounding Withyhedge Landfill with our regulatory team and partners from Pembrokeshire County Council this week, I was able to see and hear for myself just what people living and working in these communities have had to endure as a result of the odour issues from the site.

“What they have been experiencing is unacceptable and our officers have been working tirelessly alongside colleagues at Pembrokeshire County Council to ensure the operator gets this under control as quickly as possible. While it was clear that a lot of work has been done on site, there is still more to do to ensure they address all the actions set out in the enforcement notice.

“We want to make sure that happens, and are exploring every option together with Pembrokeshire County Council to ensure the operator works quickly to resolve the issues which are clearly affecting the quality of life of people in these communities.”

Huwel Manley, Head of South West Operations, said: “While we are reassured that action is being carried out by the operators at Withyhedge Landfill with a sense of urgency, we are continuing our regulatory presence on site to ensure the operator’s focus remains on tackling the issues that will address the continuing odour issues being experienced by surrounding communities.

“We will be closely monitoring progress over the coming days and weeks to ensure the operator complies with all the actions set out in Notice by 14 May. If they are not met, we will pursue additional enforcement action where appropriate.”

NRW requests that instances of odour from the landfill continue to be reported via this dedicated form: https://bit.ly/reportasmellwithyhedge or by calling 0300 065 3000.

Please report odours at the time of them being experienced, rather than historically. Reporting odours in a timely manner will help guide the work of partners more effectively, particularly in the further development of air quality monitoring.

These photos taken on 16 April and 25 April show the progress of capping works on cell 8. Pin wells are visible in both images. These have been connected to the landfill gas extraction system and are extracting gas from the waste mass.

Community

Milford Haven’s war memorial is 100 years old today

Published

2 hours ago

April 26, 2024

Tom Sinclair

THE Milford Haven War Memorial, a significant landmark commemorating the fallen heroes of World Wars and subsequent conflicts, marks its 100th anniversary today.

The memorial, which was inaugurated on April 26, 1924 by the Venerable the Archdeacon of St Davids, remains a poignant symbol of sacrifice and hope for peace.

Constructed from 1923 to 1924, the memorial consists of a striking assembly of pink granite and white marble statues that were sculpted in Italy.

Representing the Army, Navy, and Air Force, these life-size statues stand on an unpolished three-step plinth below a main pedestal. A soldier faces west and a sailor east, with an airman atop the central column, surveying the skies.

The names and inscriptions of the fallen are carved into the polished granite shaft, meticulously supervised by surveyor J.P. Morgan with contractor E. Jones of Llanybydder.

Located on Hamolton Terrace with views over the Milford Haven waterway, the memorial is a freestanding structure in an external, roadside setting. It features a serviceman/woman sculpture in marble and Portland stone, set on a concrete base surrounded by railings. Inscribed plaques honour those who served in the First and Second World Wars, the Korean War, and the conflict in Iraq from 2003 to 2009.

The memorial lists the names of 239 men who perished in the First World War on its polished grey granite faces. The Second World War claimed 157 lives from this community, whose names are recorded on bronze plaques around the base. Notably, the memorial also honours one serviceman who fell during the Korean War and another who was killed in Iraq in 2007.

The Milford Haven War Memorial stands not only as a historical monument but also as an enduring reminder of the costs of war and the community’s ongoing commitment to peace.

As the town reflects on a century of remembrance, the hope remains that future generations will continue to cherish and learn from the lessons of the past.

Community

Suspected explosive device found on west Wales beach

Published

3 hours ago

April 26, 2024

Luke Sinclair

NEW QUAY Coastguard Rescue Team were tasked at 03:50 this morning following a report of suspected washed up Ordnance on Llanrhystud beach. Following an assessment by the Army Bomb Disposal Team it was discovered the item was not Ordnance. It was reported with good intent and thankfully there was no risk to the public.

Reporting of ordnance – Always be mindful of objects you may discover on our beaches.

Our shores are filled with history, but remnants from the past can still sometimes wash up on our shores today.

If you find something on the beach that’s an unusual size or shape, especially if it’s rusty, it could be an unexploded ordnance.

What should I do if I find something that looks unusual on the beach?

While it is very rare to find unexploded ordnance on a visit to the beach, bad weather and high tides can expose these objects. It’s important to be cautious, as ordnance comes in all shapes and sizes.

If you do come across something on the beach that you’re unsure of or suspect could be unexploded ordnance, please don’t touch it or move it. Call 999 and ask for the Coastguard – we will take immediate steps with the relevant partner authorities to keep people safe and ensure the item in question is disposed of correctly.