THIS MONTH I have been pleased to attend a number of events across the Vale of Glamorgan that have highlighted the importance of community and our wonderful volunteers.

I was delighted to officially reopen Valeplus Café No 5 on High Street in Barry with members, staff and trustees all taking part and enjoying a delicious afternoon tea.

It was a wonderful afternoon and the staff, trustees, members and volunteers did a brilliant job in arranging everything. The café is a great boost for the High Street and I’m already looking forward to my next visit!

I was also pleased to meet Mark Brown and his team at Vale Community Fitness to hear more about their ‘No Borders to Fitness’ sessions for refugee and asylum seekers. It was great to be joined by the Mayor of Barry Town Council, Helen Payne, and Councillors Sandra Perkes and Naomi Marshallsea.

With Mark and Hilary Brown, friends and refugees attended a number of these sessions during refugee week – you can find out more about the sessions and the team at Vale Community Fitness via their Facebook page.

Across the Vale of Glamorgan, communities have been coming together for Great Get Togethers, in memory and celebration of former MP Jo Cox. During refugee week I was pleased to attend a More in Common Jo Cox memorial event in the Pierhead building with Laura Henderson from the Llantwit Major Chatty Cafe and Jack Sargeant MS for a Great Get Together.

We were joined by pupils from St Mary the Virgin Church in Wales school, who had written powerful poems about refugee week, highlighting the importance of being accepting and welcoming to those facing hardship into our communities.

It was wonderful to be able to join Tomos and Illford brewery and Butterfly Conservation for the launch of a new beer, HBF, launched as a partnership project to help protect and save our High Brown Fritillary butterflies – an endangered species whose last Welsh home is the Vale of Glamorgan.

Launched in Southerndown’s Three Golden Cups, with music and activities for children, the launch highlighted this great opportunity for a local business to show their support for an important environmental community project.