Dear local residents and community members,

We are aware that there have been concerns raised about the cranes as a result of the storm. Once we were aware of the weather forecast for the weekend we put a plan in place to ensure the site could cope with the expected bad weather and remain safe for all.

Our construction team has conducted a thorough check of the site today and we can assure you that everything is safe. The team will continue to monitor the site over the weekend.

We are also aware that there have been an intermittent alarm sounding on one of the cranes, which has just been turn off. This is as a direct result of the wind speed. We apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused you.

We thank you for your understanding and cooperation during this time.

We wanted to inform you that we will be carrying out tree removal works on Saturday 30th, starting around 8am. The works are expected to take a couple of hours to complete. The tree in question is located outside the site boundary and is a risk to public safety. The tree in question has been condemned as dead, dying and dangerous and does not fall under TPO status.

We will be marshalling the pedestrian area where the works will be carried out to ensure the utmost safety for any passers-by. The area will be sectioned off and the footpath will be temporarily narrowed. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your cooperation.

If you have any queries directly relating to the above notice, please contact hlewis@sacyr.com

Acorn, Sacyr and the Velindre NHS Trust were delighted to support Cllr Marc Palmer and Tomas Champ in ensuring the Christmas lights could shine bright in Whitchurch for another holiday season.

Tomas said 'On behalf of WCP, we would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and thank Acorn, Sacyr and Velindre for their continued support enabling our amazing community Christmas lights.'

Elena Castro, Construction Director building the new Velindre Cancer Centre said ‘We understand how important these lights are to bringing joy to the community during the dark winter months, and we are grateful to have been able to contribute to their continued presence this year. On behalf of the project team and our supply chain, we wish the local residents of Whitchurch a joyous holiday season filled with Christmas cheer!’.

Watch last month's construction progress!

We will be working extended hours on Thursday, November 29th to continue with work related to the concrete pouring to achieve the standards required. We expect to complete the concrete pour within working hours, although will require three power floaters on site working overnight up to 8:00am on Friday.

Please stay tuned for more information on upcoming concrete pouring. We appreciate your understanding and support during this time of critical foundations.

Thank you for your cooperation and patience as we strive to provide you with the best experience possible. We look forward to completing this project successfully and continuing to keep you informed throughout the process.

The team at Sacyr would like to express our gratitude to Breedon Group for hosting a productive morning session to discuss the HGV movements for the Concrete required to support the new Velindre Cancer Centre. The concrete will be coming from three local RMX plants based at Tongwynlais, Cardiff and Newport, with aggregate and cement supply coming from Taff's well quarry, Cardiff wharf, and Theale & Port Talbot. Special thanks to Cllr Marc Palmer for attending to learn more and support his constituents, as well as Cllr Mike Jones-Pritchard and Chair of Tongwynlais Community Council, and Nadine Dunseath as Clerk. It was an informative session and a great opportunity for community engagement.

New Velindre Cancer Centre - Summary Monitoring Report - October 2024

We would like to inform you that on November 22nd, there will be extended working hours from 6am to 9pm due to a large concrete pour taking place at the nVCC construction site. 

We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your patience and understanding during this time. Further updates regarding the upcoming large pours in 2025 will be provided in due course, if required. If you have any concerns or questions, please feel free to reach out to us.

Thank you for your cooperation.
 

We will be working extended hours on Friday, November 15th to continue with work related to the concrete pouring to achieve the standards required. We expect to complete the concrete pour within working hours, although will require three power floaters on site working overnight up to 8:00 am on Saturday.

Please stay tuned for more information on upcoming concrete pouring. We appreciate your understanding and support during this time of critical foundations.

Thank you for your cooperation and patience as we strive to provide you with the best experience possible. We look forward to completing this project successfully and continuing to keep you informed throughout the process.

Anna Davies, Sacyr UK Community Benefits Officer, and Sphere Solutions, recruitment partners on the new Velindre Cancer Centre, welcomed students from Idris Davies School in Tredegar, Blaenau Gwent, to Sphere Solutions headquarters in Morganstown, Cardiff, to deliver a GCSE construction session. 

In partnership with Careers Wales, Anna and the team from Sphere Solutions delivered a unit on Planning construction, which forms part of the student’s GCSE course.

By teaching the lessons practically, they brought it to life and taught the students how the build process works, from projects briefs, tolerances, calculation, materials and the job roles involved. 
The students then used their newly gained knowledge to measure an empty room at Sphere’s offices and design a construction classroom which will be called the Sacyr Solutions Hub, which will be operational next year. 

The children have been tasked with preparing their designs using CAD technology over the next few weeks, and then team members from Sacyr UK and Sphere Solutions will assess the designs to decide upon a winner. The successful design will then be brought to life and used to create the Skills Hub. The Hub will support the long term unemployed, those without any training or formal education as well as those who have recently been made redundant, gain new skills and become site ready to work on the new Velindre Cancer Centre project. 

Idris Davies School teacher, who is leading the construction curriculum, said: “Today was such a fantastic day because of your efforts. I am so grateful that you matched the visit to part of our curriculum, it was so worthwhile and the pupils are excited to get started on the work back at school”.

Sacyr UK would like to thank Jordan and Robyn from Sphere Solutions for their help in preparing and delivering the lesson, and we look forward to returning to Sphere Solutions to see the students’ hard work come to life.

Acorn, the developer working on the new Velindre Cancer Centre (nVCC), and the Velindre University NHS Trust have come together to launch a community benefits scheme called Thrive Communities. 

Thrive Communities will be available to all voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations operating across South East Wales and will offer either voluntary hours, grants or resources to successful applicants. 

As part of its commitment to add social value to the new Velindre Cancer Centre build, the Thrive Communities initiative will be available throughout the life cycle of the project, and therefore ends in early 2027.

The Board will meet on a quarterly basis and will consider everything from small grant applications to community volunteering schemes.

One hundred hours of volunteer days will be available from Acorn staff, sub contractors and its supply chain to successful applicants, as well as small grants of up to £1000, with 20 being awarded over the next two years. 

Thrive Communities Resource Bank will also be available to charitable organisations, with unused or excess materials from the construction phase of the project donated free to voluntary organisations.

Katie Hathaway, stakeholder and engagement manager at Sacyr UK, the contractor building the nVCC on behalf of Acorn, said of the scheme: “Social value and giving back to our local communities is a key target for us during the build of the new Velindre Cancer Centre, and Thrive Communities further extends the reach and positive impact we can have on local voluntary and charitable groups. 

“Applications are open to all voluntary, charitable and social enterprise organisations who could do with our help. From simple manpower to make a project happen, to a small financial boost to get a scheme over the line, or simply some extra building materials to finish off a project, drop in an application form, chat to us about it and we will do our very best to help.”

To apply for the Thrive Communities initiative, please click here

We would like to inform you that on Friday, November 8th, we will be working extended hours from 6:30am until 9pm due to major works on the new Velindre Cancer Centre Project. This work will involve a concrete pour and is crucial to the progress of the project.
 
We may also be working extended hours for a further day next week to complete these major works. To keep updated on the date, please refer to our project website on Wednesday 13th where this information will be uploaded: newvelindre.info
 
We appreciate your cooperation during this time and want to assure you that we envisage minimal impact due to the nature of the works. We are taking all necessary precautions to minimise any disruption to the surrounding area.
 
Thank you for your understanding and support as we work towards the completion of this important project.  If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Watch last month's construction progress!

New Velindre Cancer Centre - Monitoring Report 1

New Velindre Cancer Centre - Summary Monitoring Report - September 2024

Sacyr UK has partnered with Whitchurch and Llandaff Living Magazine to help promote its ongoing work on the new Velindre Cancer Centre (nVCC).

The main contractor who is currently overseeing the new Velindre Cancer Centre build, has teamed up with the award-winning community magazine to engage with local people and get project updates through the letterboxes of those living nearby.

Co-editor of Living Magazines Patric Morgan said: “We are delighted to have Sacyr UK’s news included within our pages. nVCC project has been such a big talking point over the years, so we are happy to provide our readers with the latest news on the build. The impact that the construction has had on the community has been a big one, but we know that the impact that the centre will have on cancer patients will be even more profound”.

Katie Hathaway, Stakeholder Engagement and Community Benefits Manager for Sacyr said: “Living Magazines Cardiff is the only true local publication delivering to the North Cardiff area so for us, it was a no-brainer to work together. We are pleased to be working with a much-loved publication to deliver our project news the local community effectively”.

Six thousand copies of Whitchurch and Llandaff Living are distributed across Whitchurch, Llandaff, and Llandaff North, four times a year. Readers can pick up their free magazines from the custom-made stands in Tesco Express (Whitchurch), Co-op (Whitchurch), and all other shops and public places. 

Please be advised that Sacyr will be working additional hours on the following dates due to the assembling of the tower cranes as we build the new Velindre Cancer Centre. 

• October 12-13
• October 26-27
• November 2-3

During these dates, our team will be working from 1- 6pm on Saturdays and from 9am - 6pm on Sundays. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding as we work to ensure the safety and efficiency of our project.

If you have any questions, please contact khathaway@sacyr.com who will always be happy to help.

Thank you for your continued support.

New Velindre Cancer Centre - Newsletter 2

Nearly 50 stakeholders involved in the development of the new Velindre Cancer Centre (nVCC) held a workshop to come up with ideas for community initiatives that will come out of the project. 

People who are either involved in the build from the Acorn Consortium, Sacyr UK, a partner from an organisation connected with the new facility, or local community leaders, gathered at Cardiff and Vale College in August to explore ideas on how the new cancer centre could benefit the local community. 

The stakeholders were split into groups and tasked with coming up with ideas on issues such as mental health, digital inclusion, economic stability, health and wellbeing, food sustainability, and community engagement. 

nVCC project director David Powell explained that the workshop, facilitated by Cwmpas, was designed to bring people together to examine the resources available to solve the challenge of engaging the local community in the project. 

“It was such a constructive day, where likeminded people came together to offer different perspectives on community engagement, what the local community needs, what can be achieved and who it will benefit. 

Ongoing discussions with the wider community are continually taking place and will continue to happen over the next three years of the project. 

David Powell added: “The new Velindre Cancer Centre will be a vital and invaluable facility for Wales that will provide world-class cancer care for generations to come, and we also want any community benefit initiatives that come out of it to also be vital and important to the centre’s neighbours and friends. We want the centre to integrate properly within its community and offer benefits to those who live nearby. 

If you’d like to attend the next workshop at 10am on October 30th, book your place

For more information, please click here to read the public report.