LAST week, Barry priest Father Ben Andrews, highlighted the plight of the ‘hidden hungry’ by conducting an experiment to see if he could live off a food bank food parcel for three days.

As the Barry and District reported recently, more than10,000 people have been fed by the Vale of Glamorgan Foodbank in three years.

The head of Oxfam Cymru, Julian Rosser has previously said, ‘changes to the benefits system are the most common reason for people using food banks..cuts to social safety nets have gone too far, leading to destitution, hardship and hunger on a large scale.”

I would like to thank Father Ben Andrews for raising awareness around the worrying rise in foodbank useage.

And if anybody would like more information about the Vale Foodbank, this can be found at http://vale.foodbank.org.uk/ or by calling, 07879 562077 or visiting the Vale Foodbank at Coastlands Family Church, Tennyson Road, Barry.

In order to help long-term unemployed and economically inactive people into work, I launched last week, as Finance Minister, a new £16 million EU Backed fund. ‘Active Inclusion’ will help improve the employment prospects of people who are long-term unemployed, as well as people facing barriers to employment through disabilities, low skills, or substance misuse problems.

More than 2,000 six-month work placements will be created to support their transition into sustainable employment.

By 2018, ‘Active Inclusion’ will lead to more tha 4,000 new work-based qualifications and help over 3,500 people into work and others into further education and training.

Finally, this weekend, I will be taking part in the 2015 Valeways Walking Festival.

Valeways is a unique voluntary organisation which promotes, maintains and protects the beautiful Vale countryside.

The Valeways Walking Festival runs from Thursday, May 21 - Sunday, May 24, 2015 and offers walks for everyone-from families to keen hikers looking for a challenge. All walks are free and I am looking forward to completing the ‘Celtic Crosses and Coast’ walk which starts in Llantwit Major.

If you would like more information about the Valeways Walking Festival visit: http://www.valeways.org.uk/

Valeways has linked up with the Vale of Glamorgan Music Festival this year so that some of their walks take in concert venues around the Vale.

The Music Festival runs from 12-23 May, 2015 and more information can be found at http://valeofglamorganfestival.org.uk/home/