Tony Verderame for Police Commissioner South Wales

Tony presenting a cheque to Lyn Jones MBE. The money raised was to go to towards a new scanning machine at the Children's University Hospital of Wales

Tony presenting a certificate to the Honourable Lord Mayor of Cardiff, Councillor Professor Delme Bowen at the Mansion Hosue.

The Lord Mayor was presented with a certificate to mark his contribution to the work of the Penylan and Cardiff Community Concern Group which promotes community safety for the older people as well as increasing awareness of older persons not become victim of doorstep crime in Cardiff.The group works closely with a number of local partners including South Wales Police, the fire Service and Cardiff Council.

Mr Verderame met the Lord Mayor of Cardiff Councillor Delme Bowen,at the Mansion House where the presented him with the certificate. He said “We are very grateful to the Lord Mayor for his commitment to the safety of older people in Cardiff and believe that his contribution to this valuable work deserved recognition and I am very happy to mark this contribution. On behalf of the group I would also like to wish the Lord Mayor a happy and healthy retirement.”

The Lord Mayor said :”It has been a privilege to work with the Penylan and Cardiff Concern Group .They are a fantastic community organisation and the work they do with older people is to be commended .I am very honoured to have received this certificate from them.”

"I am standing as an independent to become the first South Wales Police Commissioner in November 2012.

With your support, I hope to become your champion for community justice across the whole of South Wales. I have no political agenda or party machinery behind me only a deep personal conviction that the Police Commissioner should be completely independent and free from all forms of political bias."

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Tony is a retired businessman and a proud father and grandfather who has lived in the city of Cardiff for over 40 years. He first worked as an electronics and mechanical engineer, creating successful businesses before venturing into the hotel trade to run a three star hotel in the city.

He has also worked for FIAT and Alfa Romeo organisations, as well as the Ministry of Transport and possesses a wealth of business knowledge to support his election campaign.

Tony is currently Chair the Cardiff Older Persons Forum and is also Chair of the South Wales Forum chair network. As such, he highlighted the need for a Doorstep Crime Prevention Project. This came into being after an elderly lady suffered sickening injuries during a doorstep attack from which she later died.

Tony said "this could have been anybody's wife, mother or grandmother. I was so disgusted and outraged that I began working closely with the police and initiated the Verderame Foundation dedicated to preventing crimes against the elderly and vulnerable. "

This has now grown and developed to become the Penylan & Cardiff Community Concern Group. As a result of his tireless work for the elderly and vulnerable in Cardiff, Tony received Her Majesty Queen’s Award in 2006 and holds several other recognition awards from the police.

He added: "I have worked together with the police over many years and at every level, and one of my proudest achievements was in helping to transform a notorious ‘no go’ area in Penylan into one of the most prestigious sport areas in the city which is now used and enjoyed on a daily basis by members of the public with confidence and in safety.

Tea with the honourable Lord Mayor, Coucillor Brian Griffths, and the Lady Mayoress at the Mansion House

Tony organised the event to give the blind people of Cardiff the opportunity to meet the Lord Mayor and discover a little bit about the magnificent Mansion House he and his wife were residing in.