County honoured for its work with the homeless

The Minister for Housing and Local Government has announced the first scheme in Wales to be awarded Housing First Wales Accreditation for its work on homelessness.

Conwy and Denbighshire Housing First received the accreditation from the Minister during a web event hosted by Cymorth Cymru. 

The Housing First project works across two counties, Conwy County and Denbighshire County Council, which operate in partnership to deliver the right support to people who need it, wherever they happen to be.

The internationally acclaimed Housing First model, praised for its effectiveness, has become a focus of Welsh Government homelessness policy over the past few years, with ‘trailblazer’ funding leading to the establishment of several Housing First schemes across Wales.

Housing First is a recovery-oriented approach that moves people experiencing homelessness into independent, permanent housing as quickly as possible – rather than waiting for them to be ‘housing ready’. Choice and control, as well as strengths based, multi-agency support is key.

Aimed at people who have been sleeping rough with complex or co-occurring mental health and substance misuse issues, international evidence suggests that 80% of people maintain their tenancies.

Central to the success of the model is maintaining fidelity to the Housing First principles, which have been developed internationally and adapted specifically for the Welsh context.

As a result, Cymorth Cymru, which runs the Housing First Network in Wales, has developed the UK’s first accreditation process. Funded by the Welsh Government, this consists of a robust, in-depth process, including a thorough review of the scheme’s policies and interviews with staff, Housing First tenants and other stakeholders. The findings are considered by a panel of independent experts who decide whether to award the accreditation.

Julie James MS, Minister for Housing and Local Government, said: "The coronavirus has reminded us all of the fundamental importance of good-quality affordable housing, a safe and secure home. Housing First is an effective way to support individuals with the most complex needs into long term, sustainable housing.

"I congratulate Conwy and Denbighshire Housing First, who have worked tremendously hard to develop and deliver a Housing First project that adheres to every key principle. My thanks also go to the Network and Cymorth for developing an accreditation mechanism. It will be an invaluable tool to help maintain standards and fidelity to the Housing First model during this uncertain period.”

Katie Dalton, Director of Cymorth Cymru said: "Housing First is critical to our ambitions to end homelessness in Wales and we have been heartened to see the development of several schemes across Wales. International evidence illustrates the effectiveness of this model, but we know that its success is dependent on adherence to the principles. 

"We’re really proud to have developed this accreditation process with partners in the Housing First Wales Network and delighted to announce that the Conwy and Denbighshire Housing First scheme is the first to receive it. We look forward to supporting more organisations through the accreditation this year.”

Cllr Bobby Feeley, Denbighshire County Council’s lead member for Well-being and Independence, said: “I’d like to congratulate the team for all their hard work in being recognised with Housing First Welsh Government accreditation.

“Housing First houses people experiencing homelessness with high needs in their own, settled homes as quickly as possible and provides the support they need, at their own pace, for as long as they need it, to sustain their tenancy.

“Providing additional support to those residents who are experiencing long-term homelessness is making a real difference in our communities.”

Social care leader welcomes indoor care home visits return

* Mary Wimbury, chief executive of Care Forum Wales. 

A social care leader has given a “cautious” welcome to news that indoor care home visits are being allowed again in Llangollen from August 29.

But Mary Wimbury, chief executive of Care Forum Wales which represents nearly 500 providers, stressed the need for the visits to be properly “risk assessed” so that they are done safely in a way that did not place residents, families or staff at risk.

Back in March Care Forum Wales urged care homes to lock down – well ahead of the Welsh Government advice to do so.

At the same time they launched a campaign to “Shield Social Care and Save Lives”, calling for sufficient supplies of PPE, a comprehensive testing regime an financial support to help the sector survive the economic storms caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

In announcing the decision to allow indoor care home visits again across Wales, First Minister Mark Drakeford said there would be “strict” rules for the visits which would be set out in guidance and that the public shouldn’t  move away from the cautious approach taken so far.

Ms Wimbury said: “Care Forum Wales was ahead of the curve back in March when we called for care homes to be locked down so we could shield social care and save lives which in the event proved to be a wise decision.

“As the situation has improved, many care homes have facilitated socially distanced visits in outside areas to reunite residents and their families and there have been some deeply touching moments across Wales.

“However, we recognise that meeting outside is not always practical, particularly when the weather is not good.

“Enabling indoor visits can be important for the mental health and well-being of residents and their loved ones but it vitally important this is done safely.

“We cautiously welcome this opportunity to provide additional support to care home residents through risk-assessed indoor visits by professionals, family and friends. “We are pleased we are being consulted by the Welsh Government on the guidance around when such visits might be permissible and appropriate.”

In his announcement Prof Drakeford added: "While coronavirus remains effectively suppressed in Wales and cases continue to fall, the situation in the rest of the UK and further afield is still problematic.

"We cannot think that we are immune from everything elsewhere. So while things remain benign in Wales, I want us to go on being careful, being cautious, doing things one step at a time, so that we can try and sustain our positive position for as long as we can.”

Charlie set to lose his long locks in aid of a good cause

* Charlie holds up his two-year-old ponytail.

* Before he started growing his hair.

* Ready for the big haircut on Saturday. 

A Llangollen boy who has spent the past two years without having a single haircut will finally be sitting in the barber’s chair on Saturday.

And he is hoping to raise funds for the Little Princess Trust Charity through his shorn locks.

Nine-year-old Ysgol Bryn Collen pupil Charlie Jones has been growing his hair since he saw a documentary on TV about children living with cancer back in September 2018. 

Many of the children in the programme had lost their hair due to the effects of their treatment and after discussing this further with his mum Charlie decided to do something to help.

“I saw the children on the telly and some of them were sad because they were bald. Mum told me that this was a side-effect of the treatment they were having and it just made me feel really sorry for them," said Charlie.

So he took to the internet to learn more about how cancer treatment can cause hair loss and discovered the Little Princess Trust, a charity that manufactures and supplies custom-made wigs for children who have lost their hair through cancer treatment and other causes. 

Their wigs are made from real hair donations that are sent in from people wanting to help.
Charlie’s mum Vicky said that as soon as Charlie learned of the Little Princess Trust he immediately knew that he wanted to donate to them and help children like those he’d seen on TV.

Vicky said: “He was so insistent that he wanted to grow his hair – initially for one year - that there was no stopping him.

"I think it’s really nice that he wanted to help other children in this way and although he may have looked a little scruffy at times all of his family and friends have been right behind him.

“He got to one year without a haircut and decided he wanted to go for another year so he could give more hair in one go and now two years on I think he’s actually looking forward to having it cut at last.”

Charlie has been busy gaining sponsors for his hair-growing challenge and a Just Giving page has been set up to enable further donations to be made as he bids to not only donate his hair, but also to raise funds for the charity.

He will finally have his hair cut publicly in the centre of Llangollen at 2pm on Saturday close to the cenotaph where there will be collections for those who wish to make a donation on the day.

* Charlie’s Just Giving page can be found at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/charlie-hair-grow

Council’s new website trialled ahead of launch

* The new-look website which the county council is trialling.

Denbighshire County Council is trialling out a new website – and wants to hear the public’s views.

The site has been completely redesigned to meet the requirements of the Equalities Act, which expects all public sector organisations to have accessible websites by September 2020.  

Making a website accessible means that it can be used by people with impaired vision, motor difficulties, learning disabilities, deafness or impaired hearing.

The test version of the website has a very different look and feel from the existing website.  It has a clear and simple design; it should be easier to read in terms of font, colours and contrast and the language should be easy to understand.  It has also been designed so that it can be used on as many digital devices as possible.

Councillor Richard Mainon, Cabinet Lead Member for Corporate Services and Strategic Direction, said: “Our website is one of the key platforms for the council to provide advice and information to the public and is available twenty four hours a day, 365 days a year. 

“The council is focusing on providing more services online and allowing customers to access a wide range of information about council services, as well as registering requests, making payments and getting involved in consultations.  

"We are always looking at ways of improving our online services and this latest change in law has given us a great opportunity to revamp our website, making sure it fully complies with accessibility guidelines.

“Our main focus has been on making the information as easy as possible and for people to navigate our website. We believe we have come up with a fresh look and feel to the website and we sincerely hope that visitors to our website give it the thumbs up. It has been tested internally and by the Disability Accessibility Centre.

“Feedback is really important and we would encourage people to get in touch via the feedback option and share their views.”

The new-look test website is available by visiting: www.denbighshire.gov.uk

This is a test website, therefore some areas of the new site are still being completed.  Please check back to our main website for information and services. 

Subject to feedback and any necessary amendments, the new-look website will go live in September. Further information will be issued nearer the time.

2021 panto becomes coronavirus casualty

Organisers of Llangollen Pantomime have confirmed that the 2121 production, like so many other local events, has fallen victim to the coronavirus pandemic.

On their Facebook page yesterday they posted: "Good morning all, I hope this post finds everyone well in these strange times.

"This is a brief update following a committee meeting held earlier this week, where the inevitable decision has been taken to postpone the 2021 pantomime.

"This is obviously very disappointing and we have tried to wait as long as possible to see if there was any chance we could do something, but in these uncertain times that isn't going to be possible.

"We are looking to see if we could perhaps do some other type of event in the new year and we'll provide more details on that in the next month or so.

"Here's to Cinderella in January 2022 and looking forward to seeing everyone soon. Take care all."

Meanwhile, the Llangollen Group of Anglican Churches is planning a special project to record the various ways the pandemic has affected Llangollen.

Also taking to its Facebook page yesterday it said: "An invitation to share your lockdown stories.

"The past few months have brought about mixed feelings: of grief and loss; thanksgiving for the courage and generosity of so many; the resurgence of neighbourliness which has transformed communities.

"From next week, there will be a book in St Collen’s Church for you to record and share your own experience of lockdown.

"Church open: Tuesday-Saturday from 10am."

Llan to share in £500,000 lottery windfall

* Celebrating are, front, Eleri Jones, left, of Citizens Advice Denbighshire, and Sally Lloyd Davies, of SDCP, with, from left, Ticky Lowe, Leah Edwards, Denbighshire Councillor Melvyn Mile, Barry Pinel, Clwyd South AM Ken Skates, Welsh Government Economy Minister, Denbighshire Councillor Graham Timms, Maggie Smith, Roger Cragg, Michael McNamara, Margaret Sutherland and Heulwen Wright

Llangollen is to share in a £500,000 lottery bonanza won by a community charity to fight rural poverty in Denbighshire’s Dee Valley.

The money from the Big Lottery Fund will help extend the reach of Corwen-based South Denbighshire Community Partnership to local organisations in Llangollen and its surrounding area and will be spread over four years to autumn 2024.

It will be administered by SDCP through their Your Place Or Ours project and is their second major lottery grant, following the award of £350,000 30 months ago to work with older and vulnerable people in the Edeyrnion area around Corwen.

A launch at Pentredwr Community Centre was attended by Clwyd South AM Ken Skates, the Welsh Government Economy Minister, who said: “This is a wonderful boost for the Llangollen area which has its share of rural poverty and the issues of isolation, particularly among the elderly and vulnerable.

“It is also good to see that South Denbighshire Community Partnership which has been doing a fantastic job in the Edeyrnion area around Corwen will now be able to extend their services to this end of the Dee Valley.”

In the last three years SDCP have built up a wide portfolio of services including meals-on-wheels, a lunch club, community transport, green energy generation, grocery and prescription delivery – even the delivery vehicles is electric.

They have also worked closely with Citizens Advice Denbighshire to help local people claim almost half a million pounds in benefits in the last six months, £347,000 since lockdown started in March.

SDCP Community Engagement Officer Sally Lloyd Davies said: “We are working with and co-ordinating existing groups and organisations in the Llangollen area which have a similar agenda to ours.

“It means they can make use of the expertise we have gained in recent years in improving the lives of the vulnerable, the isolated and those in poverty.

“There are some fantastic local groups across the Llangollen area and they’re doing great work and this grant boost will enable us to work together in the future.”

Ticky Lowe, Pentredwr Community Association Events and Funding Officer, said: “Being part of the SDCP project will bring huge benefits for our rural community - giving us much needed access to transport, the meals on wheels service and also offering advice to our residents on benefits and grants which they could be entitled to via links with Citizens Advice Denbighshire.

“The SDCP approach is to work with the community to identify our particular needs and offer help accordingly and I think this approach will be welcomed.”

Heulwen Wright, Chair of the Friends of Pengwern Community Centre, has also welcomed the cash injection and the expertise SDCP bring and she said: “It’s really fortunate and exciting that SDCP are rolling out these services in Llangollen. It’s nothing but a positive for the town, the community and individual groups.

“SDCP’s support will also help our team at Pengwern deliver our services and projects more easily and assist the different local community groups to work together to bring benefits across the area.”

Denbighshire County Councillor for Llangollen Graham Timms said: “This grant funding will bring huge benefits to the many organisations that already exist in the Llangollen area.

“They have been offering help to our residents for many years but the extra expertise and experience of SDCP will be invaluable in supporting their work and this is a fantastic opportunity to expand the support offered to our communities.

“There are particular problems in an area that is largely rural, which leads to isolation for many, and in this current crisis it is clear that many more people locally will be in need of help and the demand for support will be much greater from all ages, many of whom have not needed help before.

“It's my wish that this new opportunity will help us all to rise to the challenge ahead and enable our communities to be much stronger together.”

His fellow Denbighshire Councillor, Melvyn Mile, added: “I’m delighted that SDCP have had this funding to extend their operations into Llangollen, Llantysilio and Pentredwr because there are many groups here who will benefit from their experience.

“That includes the Cittaslow Committee of Llangollen Town Council who are in contact with many local groups who would benefit from the kind of support SDCP have provided in Edeyrnion.”

SDCP Project Manager Margaret Sutherland said: “We will be in Llangollen two days a week working with local organisations, many previously unfunded, who have been doing amazing work with volunteers and we will share our expertise, knowledge and skills to help these groups become more resilient and sustainable for the longer term.

“We know Llangollen has similar needs to Edeyrnion in terms of meals on wheels, services for the vulnerable and community transport and one of the first steps will be to assist Citizens Advice Denbighshire to extend its service in Llangollen from half a day to two days.”

Llangollen will also soon have additional community transport based in the town complementing the existing services as well as a lunch club and new social groups and SDCP plan to build partnerships with existing groups in and around the town.

* For the latest information on SDCP go to https://www.facebook.com/sdcpartnership and for those in need of support contact SDCP on 01490 266004.

Llangollen Railway seeks person to chair its board

Llangollen Railway is looking for a person to become chair of its board.

According to an advert for the unpaid position on the Third Sector Jobs website, the person appointed will hold the board and management team to account for the railway’s mission and vision, providing “inclusive leadership to the board of trustees”.

They will also ensure that each trustee fulfils their duties and responsibilities for the effective governance of the railway, which is a registered charity.

The advert goes on to say that the search for a chair to “spearhead and exciting period of change and restructure, full of possibilities” follows an extensive governance review and the subsequent drafting of a five-year strategic plan.

The new chair will also be expected to act as an ambassador and the public face of the charity alongside the general manager Liz McGuinness, whilst ensuring the board operates well as a team and works closely with the entire management team to achieve agreed objectives.

The person appointed, says the advert, should be “engaged with, excited by and have a demonstrable record of experience of organisational management and governance and inevitably share an enthusiasm for heritage railways, their vision, mission and values.”

They must also be able to “communicate a compelling sense of purpose to others is essential as is experience and understanding of corporate governance issues.”

The person selected will serve a maximum term of three years, before being eligible for re-appointment for a further two terms of three years each.

Expressions of interest in the position have to be forwarded to the general manager by September 21 with interviews taking place the week commencing September 28.

* The advert can be found at: https://jobs.thirdsector.co.uk/job/455548/chairperson/