Listed here are the latest press releases issued by the S4C Press Department:
February 06, 2006
Almost seven thousand primary school age children in one of the poorest areas of Tanzania, Africa, are enjoying a nutritious and filling lunch every weekday thanks to S4C's 2005 Asia/Africa Appeal, which has raised £70,000.
89 tonnes of maize, 26.5 tonnes of beans and 3,312 litres of oil have been distributed to 14 schools in the Shinyanga region of Tanzania, as well as agricultural tools, seeds and training to enable schools to produce their own food supplies.
School attendance is up 98% as a result of the feeding project, co-ordinated by Oxfam Cymru for S4C, and by reducing hunger, students are concentrating more in lessons, especially in the afternoons.
Catherine Hester, Head of Oxfam Cymru says, "With the support of S4C's 2005 Asia/Africa Appeal this project has had a significant, wide-ranging impact in both reducing hunger and absenteeism and in engaging with the wider community and government to help schools improve their food security."
Fifteen-year old orphan Milembe Nicolaus, a pupil at Bugimagu primary school, lives with her grandmother. She says, "I couldn't believe it when I heard we'd be having lunch at school. My grandmother and I usually eat only one meal in the evening. On very rare occasions do I have breakfast."
"I had little concentration in classes because of hunger and found it difficult to help at home with domestic chores. Now with the school feeding, I go home strong and help out without any problem. I have also improved classroom performance, moving from 16th position to 6th position in a class of 67 pupils."
Money raised by S4C has also supported an Oxfam-led project to install water meters in urban Shinyanga. An increase in the number of metered customers has achieved more economic use of water, less water losses, fairer charging and increased water pressure, which means more water reaching more customers.
TSUNAMI RELIEF CYMRU S4C has also donated money from its appeal to a pioneering art therapy project in Sri Lanka. The three-year project is aimed at helping communities come to terms with the devastating tsunami disaster of 2004.
February 02, 2006
Cult new drama Caerdydd is the latest addition to S4C's growing range of broadband services at www.s4c.co.uk/caerdydd
The talked-about drama is to be streamed on broadband, joining magazine programme Wedi 7 and cookery show Dudley.
Episodes of the series - which follows the lives of a group of friends living and working in the capital - will be uploaded, complete with English subtitles, onto broadband each Saturday, following the initial TV broadcasts.
The new development joins S4C's other interactive services which include podcasting and video streaming of Welsh music on mobile phones at www.bandit247.com and a comprehensive interactive service for Welsh learners, www.learnons4c.co.uk
Caerdydd is made for S4C by Fiction Factory, a subsidiary of Tinopolis, and stars Ryland Teifi, Alys Thomas, Lee Haven-Jones, Siwan Morris and Rhian Green. The drama is broadcast on Wednesday and Friday evenings on S4C.
Caerdydd will be broadcast with on-screen English subtitles on Friday, 3 February at 10.15pm on S4C.
February 02, 2006
Hit Welsh language drama Con Passionate (Apollo) has been nominated for a top award at the 2006 Celtic TV and Film Festival, held this year in Falmouth.
The series, which stars Shân Cothi and which returns to the small screen in April, is one of a total of seven nominations received by S4C.
Drama documentary Gêm y Ganrif (Green Bay), which recreates the legendary Wales v New Zealand match of 1905 when Wales controversially beat the All Blacks, has been nominated for an award in the Sport Profile category. Arts documentary Duw A Wyr (Cwmni Da), about singer Lleuwen Steffan's new jazz interpretations of Revivalist hymns, has also been shortlisted.
Short film Bwyta Geiriau (Dafydd Palfrey) and animation Dave (Griffilms) have been shortlisted, while an edition of award-winning current affairs series Y Byd Ar Bedwar (ITV Wales), has also been nominated for an award.
S4C's comprehensive new website for Welsh learners www.learnons4c.co.uk (Acen) has been nominated for an award in the New Media category. The new interactive service, launched in October 2005, offers content and resources for learners at five different levels.
Iona Jones, S4C's Chief Executive, says, "The calibre of programmes and services shortlisted for awards in this prestigious festival, which attracts entries from across the UK and Ireland, reflects S4C's level of ambition for its programme service, and I warmly congratulate all those involved."
For further information please contact Hannah Thomas, S4C Press Office on 029 20741451