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TENS of thousands of visitors will descend on Cardiff on Saturday for the deciding match in this year’s Six Nations decider between Wales and England.

TODAY marks the 25th anniversary of Red Nose Day, a campaign which has raised more than £600m to help alleviate poverty in the UK and Africa.

The idea behind Comic Relief and Red Nose Day is simply to make the public laugh while they raise money to help people in desperate need.

WE SEE dragons a lot in Cardiff. The beast proudly flown on the Welsh flag is a reminder of the country’s national pride and heritage. But another symbol, less easily spotted on St Mary Street, also means a lot to the city.

This weekend will be the exception: you can expect to see shamrocks everywhere when the city is wreathed in green for St Patrick’s Day on Sunday. But we haven’t just adopted the day as an excuse for a booze-up. Wales has historic links with Ireland, and its capital was built by Irish hands.

RED Nose Day, the biennial fundraising event organised by Comic Relief, has been supporting charities and organisations in Cardiff for 25 years.

Featured here are some of the numerous groups in Cardiff which have received financial assistance and encouragement from the prominent British charity.

Cardiff Foodbank

Cardiff Foodbank has been selected as the Welsh charity of choice by Comic Relief and Netmums to receive funding of up to £80,000 on Red Nose Day.

International Women’s Day marks the celebration of women all over the world and their independent but despite the massive developments which have taken place to make what was a man’s world equally a women’s, there is still one prevalent issue which undermines all the good work which has been done.
Sexism is something which is not seen as a problem to many but a comment dismissed as a joke or banter can seriously affect the image and respect directed towards women and sets a tone and a precedent of how women can be treated by men.

WITH sweeping changes coming into force on April 1 in the benefits system, one important change seems to have been overlooked.

The allotment is the usual haunt of the green-fingered gardener, but two Cardiff-based community groups are about to change all that.

Farm Cardiff and Orchard Cardiff are leading the drive to get gardening-mad Cardiffians growing their own fruit and vegetables by mapping every potential area where food could, and does, grow. Their aim is to make Cardiff a more sustainable city by getting more food grown locally by communities.   

THESE days we are all aware of the health benefits of quitting smoking – so why do people still hold on to the habit?

Almost every excuse offered by die-hard smokers has been tackled in some way by the NHS. The well-worn reasons given at every opportunity, such as 'it helps with my stress' or 'I don't have time to go to the doctors', have all been countered with new and innovative nicotine replacement products and advice kits.

In these days of growing secularisation, Christmas, Easter, and other Christian traditions are becoming more of a non-religious affair. You certainly don't have to be religious to participate in Lent.

For those of us who have already failed to maintain our new year resolutions, slipped back into old habits or given up at giving up, Lent offers a chance to make a positive difference in your life for a much shorter period of time.

With spring will soon upon us, many are looking for a lifestyle overhaul. 

Aside from gym membership deals and generic celebrity fitness DVDs, sales of another handy health tool are also on the increase – herbal supplements.

Echinacea, St Johns Wort, Vitamin C, D and E – the list of supplements that can be taken to treat a combination of ailments is endless. Promising to boost immune systems, cure or prevent colds and flu, and promote general wellbeing, herbal supplements are popular and are taken by a large amount of people every day.

The initial idea of hosting a formal dinner party for 12 friends seemed harmless enough at first.

Fortunately the night progressed fairly smoothly with no catastrophic blunders. This was probably because I envisaged every possible disastrous eventuality in a set of anxious nightmares leading up to the big night.

BEAT Cymru is encouraging people in Cardiff to wear silly socks to help raise funds as part of Eating Disorders Awareness Week.

The national campaign is taking place this week to improve the understanding of serious mental illnesses and challenge the damaging stereotypes associated with anorexia and bulimia.