Here's the latest Argus column by Newport East AM John Griffiths:

THIS weekend sees one of my favourite events of the year taking place in Newport, Maindee Festival.

It is an annual highlight for our city and community engagement is at its heart with local schools and organisations working together to design and create costumes for the main parade.

Maindee itself is a culturally rich and diverse area and this is celebrated in bringing the whole community together. It is an opportunity for us all to embrace unity in our communities.

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We need to bring together people of different ethnic backgrounds in encouraging social cohesion in Newport - as achieved so successfully in the wonderful festival and parade.

This year's theme is Making Maindee, encouraging people to be making and doing, as well as enjoying main stage acts. There will also be circus skills, singing and drumming workshops to take part in so there really is something for all the family to enjoy.

To find out more about this year’s festival, please visit

maindee.org/festival

- It was great to be joined by some of my fellow elected representatives from across Gwent at the Riverfront Park Run this month.

Fellow Labour MPs, councillors, health professionals, patients and VIPs (Very Important Parkrunners who have improved their health through running) joined the run to learn more about encouraging GP surgeries to become ‘parkrun practices’.

The event was a great chance to spread the word about the benefits and the concept of ‘social prescribing’, where health professionals refer patients to support in the community.

I take part in the park run most weekends and it’s a great way to start the weekend, whatever your ability.

It is encouraging to see the number of people taking part increase greatly as well as an ever-growing core group of volunteers. I hope many more people across the city and beyond take part and the enjoy the benefits.

There are two park runs at 9am every Saturday morning in Newport, Tredegar House as well as the Riverfront with a junior park run at Tredegar House at 10am on Sundays.

To find out more, please visit

parkrun.org.uk

. Thank you as always to the hard working volunteers who make park runs possible.

- I am pleased to have set up a cycling lobbying group, CyclingNewport.

The second meeting will take place this Saturday, July 6.

Our last meeting was well attended and useful discussions took place with participants from a variety of different cycling groups and organisations.

Our second meeting will discuss how we can all work collaboratively to encourage cycling and provide better routes- ideally segregated from road traffic wherever possible using the available Welsh Government funding for Active Travel.

The meeting will take place at 9.30am in Hortons Coffee House, Millennium Walk, Newport.

For more information please email me at john.griffiths@assembly.wales