Cartoon winners take a bow at St David's Hall

The very first fundraising event in aid of the Welsh Council on Alcohol and Other Drugs’ newest initiative was held at St David’s Hall, Cardiff on Sunday 25 October. All monies raised from the musical extravaganza staged by Cwmni Theatr Ieuenctid Maldwyn will go towards establishing The Living Room Cardiff, a free, bilingual day-care rehabilitation centre which aims to break the cycle of addiction. In time, the service will be extended to all major towns throughout Wales.

The evening also saw the Welsh Council on Alcohol and Other Drugs officially lauch its new website www.welshcouncil.org.uk and announce the winners of its nationwide cartoon competition.

Split into three age groups: under 11s, 11-18 and 18+, the competition invited children and young people to insert their own end-scenarios and comments into cartoons. From original ideas by young people from Gwaelod-y-Garth and Efail Isaf the cartoonist Cen Williams designed four separate cartoons, showing a number of blank ‘what happened next’ scenarios, involving the effects of excess alcohol and other drugs. The cartoons are available on the Council’s website at www.welshcouncil.org.uk/competition.html.

Showing strong, creative talent and imagination, the winners with their prizes were:

Emyr Morris-Jones, (18+) Tregarth, Bangor - 2 tickets to see Wales V Argentina rugby international
Erin Davies (11-18) Pen Y Maes, Flint - new bike
Llio (under 11) Chwilog, Pwllheli - Free entrance to Portmeirion for 2 adults and up to 3 children
Connor J Watkins (11-18) Swansea - weekend for 2 ar the Urdd Centre, Cardiff
Megan Louise Davies (11-18) Pontarddulais - 2 tickets to see the show ‘Never Forget’ at the Wales Millennium Centre
Carys Davies Jones (under 11) Whitchurch, Cardiff - new bike
Emyr Morris-Jones (18+) Tregarth, Bangor - 2 return flight tickets from North to South or from South to North Wales
Erith Davies (18+) Whitchurch, Cardiff - meal for 2 at the Welsh Assembly Building

Wynford Ellis Owen, chief executive of the Welsh Council on Alcohol and Other Drugs said, “My congratulations to all our cartoon competition winners. It was great to see so many entries and very heartening to read the positive and humorous quips. It is of course no joke to tackle the issues of Welsh youth addiction to alcohol and other drugs, but I am confident that by educating youngsters of the dangers of addiction, we can held them make the right choices in their lives.”



For further information please contact Rhodri Ellis Owen at Cambrensis Communications on 029 2025 7075 or rhodri@cambrensis.uk.com or go to www.welshcouncil.org.uk

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Cwmni Theatr Ieuenctid Maldwyn is a musical theatre group of some 350 young people based in mid Wales. They will perform a compilation of their most successful and popular shows over the last 25 years - a celebration of their musical and acting talent. As well as supporting The Living Room Cardiff initiative, the company are also performing in Llandudno to raise money for Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool.

*The Living Room Cardiff/Yr Ystafell Fyw Caerdydd, is based on the ‘Living Room’ concept operational at 8 - 10 The Glebe, Chills Way, Stevenage SG2 0DJ. A registered charity: No. 1080634, more information can be accessed at www.thelivingroom.me.uk.