Online Discord friends meet in real life! 

Members of the Cardiff Youth Service Discord steering group recently met in person for the first time! The group have been meeting on the Discord social media application online over the past few months, where they have been building an online space for young people across the city. They have chatted daily about their lives and really got to know each other all on Discord! Cardiff Youth Service took a group of seven members of the Discord gang on a bowling activity which was thoroughly enjoyed by all. The young people started the evening in the arcades where they tried their hand at air hockey, showed off their skills on Crossy Road and won lots of arcade tickets! Then they headed to the alley for two hotly contested games of bowling - less said about the youth workers’ bowling skills the better! The (by now very hungry!) group finished up the night with some delicious burgers, fries and milkshakes. Everyone then said their goodbyes…until they see each other at the escape room trip that they’re already planning or of course on Discord! 

One of the young people who attended the trip said, “I really enjoyed the bowling experience, and it’s nice to make some new friends too!” 

Another young person from the group said, “I really enjoyed the activity - the atmosphere was friendly” 

The evening really showed how people can build friendships online that are just as strong in person! Discord is a unique social media app, where people can talk, play games, watch things together and lots more. It is used by millions of people across the globe and Cardiff Youth Service are getting involved! Excitingly and as mentioned, Cardiff Youth Service with the help of this group, are in the process of creating their own Discord server - this will offer a space for young people across Cardiff to interact in lots of difference ways with youth workers and other like-minded young people. The group have been meeting on Discord since last year and have been deciding together what the CYS Discord server will offer young people across the city when it it goes public in the next few months! The CYS Discord server will serve as a free, online community for young people, offering lots of different activities and resources. Look out for the launch of the server and get in touch with Cardiff Youth Service if you’re interested in joining!

(From a young person’s perspective)

1.

1. Buy a reusable coffee cup. 

If you work Monday-Friday with no holidays, and on the way to work every day you get a Starbucks, you will be using 231 coffee cups a year. That’s approximately 2 bath tubs full of a mix of plastic and cardboard which takes years to biodegrade. So on your next trip to Starbucks or costa, buy a reusable cup for £4-£6 and save 25p every time you purchase a drink.

2. Walk more. 

As a young person, it is unrealistic to expect everyone to buy a bike and ride it everywhere because bikes can be costly and sometimes just extra work (bikes breaking, having to lock up bikes, having to travel on roads etc.), but it is not unrealistic to ask you to walk a little bit more. Maybe try walking to school instead of taking the bus, or putting your coat on when it rains instead of driving a car. Walking is free and has lots of health benefits, while driving pollutes the air and only benefits you by getting you places quicker.

3, Shop consciously. 

Online you could buy a shirt for £3, it sounds like a fair deal but that shirt was made in a very environmentally harmful way and will probably brake after a month of two, leading you to throw it in the bin… or you could buy a shirt for £30 that is good quality and will last you a year or two. This will lead you to use clothes for a longer amount of time therefor throw less clothes out, wasting less.

4. Shop ‘second hand’. 

Previously, you had to go to a charity shop to buy second hand clothing (which is still a much better option than buying brand new because you are saving clothes that would otherwise be wasted for a cheaper price and the money you pay goes to charity) but now you can go on apps like EBay, or vinted to buy second hand things for good prices and they get delivered straight to your door. Alternatively, you can also sell things online or donate things to charity shops, you then are not throwing perfectly good clothes away just because they don’t fit anymore, or it you changed your styles. Then somebody else can buy it and use it and then sell it on, creating an environmentally friendly cycle of reducing, reusing, and recycling.

5. Don’t use unnecessary appliances. 

This one is simple. If you’re a little bit cold, put a jumper on instead of turning on your central heating. If you’re having a shower, time yourself so you don’t use so much water, or have a bath instead which surprisingly uses far less water than a 10 minute shower. Turn the TV off when you leave the room. Turn lights off when you’re not in the room. Don’t leave things plugged in when you’re not using them.

6.Buy a reusable water bottle. 

Most schools in Wales sell non-reusable plastic water bottles for 85p, whereas local supermarkets sell reusable plastic water bottles for £2. If you buy a water bottle everyday that’s approximately just over £4 a week, where as a reusable water bottle lasts for months and you don’t have to pay to use it.

7.Reduce your plastic consumption. 

This is quite a simple change. Instead of buying a plastic honey bottle, buy a glass jar and then you could reuse the jar for other things. Instead of buying shampoo bottles every month or two you could buy a shampoo bar which has no plastic wrapping and it lasts up to 6 months. Even the smallest things like buying a bamboo toothbrush instead of a plastic one will gradually make a great difference!

8. Use local recourses. 

For example, a city could either have a million houses with printers in them, printing things every day, or encourage people to use the printers at local libraries. This would help to reduce the use of paper and ink.

9. Reduce your fuel use. 

If you put £50 worth or fuel into your car you are more likely to take unnecessary journeys and use the whole £50. If you only purchased £20 worth of fuel, you are more likely to be more cautious and aware of you fuel consumption.

10. Talk about it! 

Making other people aware of ways that they can make small changes that won’t be an inconvenience is so important! SPREAD THE WORD.

Witten by Young Creator Ffion

The world is getting warmer and this is having catastrophic affects. Sea levels are rising, biodiversity is decreasing and people are dying. But why? Everything we do has an effect on the world, from driving to school to buying new clothes.

However there are people in power who have a greater responsibility to reduce climate change. Recently there has been a meeting in Glasgow called COP 26. This was a conference that brought together world leaders to address and arrive at targets to reduce carbon dioxide emissions for their country (also known as their carbon footprint).

Our carbon footprint is a measure of how much carbon dioxide is released in the atmosphere as a result of our decisions.

So what are some things we can do to reduce it?

Shop second hand and be mindful where you are buying from. If you check where your clothes are from most of them will say ‘made in China’ and if not they probably won’t say Britain anyway. When we buy clothes they have to be transported from a different county to ours which affects our carbon footprint. To combat this try and shop second hand. There are loads of charity shops dotted around Cardiff that offer really good quality items. Apps such as Depop or Vinted are becoming popular and encourage buying second hand. If you want to buy new, try and buy from a company based in Britain to reduce the distance it has to travel.

• Eat less meat. Having one meat free day a week or even a month will make a difference. At the moment a lot of deforestation is a result of making more space available for farms. Cutting down trees releases carbon dioxide it absorbed back into the environment. This destroys ‘carbon sinks’.
• Use less single use plastic. Get refillable bottles and reusable straws. Rather than relying on Tesco meal deals, try and cook a meal. Bring a carrier bag from home rather buying a plastic one from the supermarket. These small decisions can have a big consequence on the world by improving marine life as well as human health.
• Learn about the problem (like you are doing now).

Written by Young Creator Hana

 

Climate change is ruining lives

 

Lives of humans and animals are presious 

 

It makes me feel painfully powerless

 

Most people are unaware of the peril

 

Animals are defenseless and suffering

 

The world is dying as fast as a cheetah

 

Endangered

 

Cycle and recycle, they say

 

How much of a difference will that make

 

All these businesses are selfish are not to blame

 

No more fonests when the scorching flames are near

 

Gone is the once peaceful world

 

Earth is still here, lets keep it that way!

Written by Young creator Seren, Graphic by Ed Young Creator