This week's letters which have been sent to the Beacon editor for print.

Is it any wonder we feel let down and betrayed

You can tell local elections are in sight by the number of Tory councillor faces in the Chronicle and Beacon these days.

Anyone other than a Tory councillor is labelled by David Davies as a Labour activist.

Which may be considered to be a little complacent.

Maybe many middle ground voters have had enough.

In last weeks column, Mr Fox criticises the ‘so called co-operation deal between Labour and Plaid’ in another cynical attempt to discredit anything that provides support and services for the less advantaged - but come on - free school meals for all children in Wales?

What’s not to like?

That’s help for all of the young families across Monmouthshire surely and (I quote) ‘misleading the electorate.’... ‘and planning to unite’....Mr Fox - I’m sorry I didn’t have time to check all the statistics but can you enlighten the electorate as to how many times you, whilst a Tory councillor did a deal with the Lib Dems?

Is this not a betrayal?

Hypocrisy is unattractive Mr Fox. And talking about betrayals (your words again) how well known is it that Richard Johns and Penny Jones, whilst at a ceremony supporting Monmouthshire Children in Care, voted against a motion in a full council meeting to to help financially support those same Monmouthshire Care Leavers. I believe they weren’t even at the debate to hear the arguments but still voted against this support whilst paying lip service to them (young children in care) directly to their faces.

I’m looking forward to Councillors Johns and Jones’ explanation of this whilst I check the legal issues involved.

Shocking, shocking, shocking and we have every right to feel betrayed.

Sue RileyAddress supplied

Big Give Christmas Challenge

The Bees for Development Big Give Christmas Challenge 2021 is here.

They aim to raise £110,000 this week - to enable families in Ethiopia to thrive. From midday today, every £1 donated to the target will have a matching £1 added to the total. If you give £10, the charity will receive £20; if you give £100 your donation is worth £200! To reach their target, they need to encourage many people to contribute to this important cause. They are raising funds for the work in Ethiopia, where Covid and civil unrest add to the many challenges people are facing right now. This fundraising campaign will support beekeepers in remote parts of the country to build resilient livelihoods, naturally able to withstand the turmoil that is building by the day.

Chance to help seriously ill children in hospital

As 2021 draws to a close, we look forward to a long-awaited festive break with loved ones.

However, our thoughts must turn to the many seriously ill children who will be spending Christmas in hospital.

Being in hospital is difficult enough for any of us, but for children, being in hospital at Christmas, a time that should be happy, full of excitement and spent with family, can be heart-breaking.

Restrictions are still firmly in place in hospitals, meaning children are only able to have one parent with them at a time, and are separated from their brothers and sisters. It can be a very lonely time.

However, there is a way to help. Having access to toys and fun things to do in hospital can help a child cope with the anxiety of separation and treatment, reduce the long-term emotional damage of serious illness, and bring joy back into their lives, and that’s exactly what children’s charity Starlight does.

However, our research shows that more than half of all UK hospitals are without the budget or resources they need to make play happen for children in their care.

Toys that Starlight provides can make all the difference.

They can often go from being scared of tests and procedures, to looking forward to hospital appointments so that they can play with the toys and the wonderful NHS play specialists. The transformation we see can be incredible.

But sadly, this is only happening in some hospitals, when it should be happening in all.

This Christmas, we are urging your readers to support the charity’s Time to Play Christmas campaign, so that we can raise vital funds to ensure that all seriously ill children have the sense of escape, distraction, and joy of play in hospital, at the time they need it most.

Starlight is committed to providing essential toys, games and books to an additional 300 hospitals that don’t currently have play resources and are most urgently in need of our support, but we can only do that with your help.

Please visit www.starlight.org.uk/timetoplay to help us bring back joy into the lives of seriously ill children this Christmas.

Whatever you are able to give will be so appreciated.

Thank you

Cathy GilmanCEO, Starlight