County leisure service launches youth work summer camp

As part of its summer programme, Denbighshire Youth Service will be delivering its first ever Youth Work Summer Camp.

Spread over three nights, young people from across the county will be able to access this free of charge, taking part in a variety of activities delivered by qualified youth work team and partner agencies.

* August 21 - One night for Junior members (School Yr 7 & 8)

August 22-24 - Two nights for Senior members (School Yr 9 and above)

Activities will include:  Outdoor cooking, sports, bush craft, orienteering, VR sessions, team building challenges, campfire music, wellbeing workshops, morning yoga, outdoor cinema

Places are limited and booking is essential – for more information and consent forms, email youth.service@denbighshire.gov.uk.

In addition to Summer Camp, the service has organized a series of ‘Pop Up’ Youth Clubs across the county for new and existing members aged 11-17. 

These events are all free to attend but booking is recommended as places are limited and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.

As well as taking part in the main ‘themed’ activity, young people can take advantage of all the other recourses and activities at each centre, and meet their local youth work team. 

Light refreshments will be available at each Pop Up free of charge. Young people are asked to make their own travel arrangements to and from each event.

Event:	Location:	Date:	Time:
Pop Up YC – Multi-Sports (Inclusive multi-sports day)	Llangollen Youth Centre	Tue 25th July 2023	4pm – 6pm
Pop Up YC –Urdd (Welsh language music workshop)	Ruthin Youth Centre	Wed 26th July 2023	4pm – 6pm
Pop Up YC – Digital (Videogame creation & VR sessions)	Denbigh HwbDinbych	Wed 2nd August 2023	4pm – 7pm
Pop Up YC – Bike Day (Bike maintenance& pump track )	Prestatyn Youth Centre	Wed 9th August 2023	2pm – 4pm
Pop Up YC –DofE Taster Session (Team building, navigation, tent challenge)	Rhyl Youth Centre	Thur 10th August 2023	10am -12pm
Pop Up YC – Animated Arts&Craft (Stop motion video making workshop)	Ruthin Youth Centre	Tue 15th August 2023	4pm – 6pm
Pop Up YC – Youth Wellbeing Day (Hosted by Denbighshire Youth Council)	Prestatyn Youth Centre	Thur 17th August 2023	12pm – 3pm
Pop Up YC –Urdd (Welsh language youth club & silent disco)	Rhyl Youth Centre	Wed 30th August 2023	4pm – 6pm

Places are limited and booking is essential – for more information and consent forms, email youth.service@denbighshire.gov.uk.

More care homes in North Wales will close, warns industry leader

 

* Care Forum Wales chief executive Mary Wimbury.

A "double whammy" of rock bottom fees and soaring costs will inevitably lead to more care home closures across North Wales, it’s been warned.

Care homes in the region are struggling with increases of up to 100 per cent for utilities and insurance, along with hikes of more than 20 per cent for things like food and incontinence products.

At the same time, the fees providers receive in North Wales can be up to £10,000 a year less per person than those given to their counterparts in South Wales for providing exactly the same level of care.

In recent months it’s been revealed that four care homes in North Wales - Trewythen Hall in Gresford, Bay Court in Kinmel Bay, Gwastad Hall in Cefn y Bedd and Morfa Newydd in Greenfield - have already had to shut with the loss of more than 160 beds, piling even more pressure on the beleaguered social care system and the NHS.

According to Care Forum Wales (CFW), the situation is one of grave concern, with many care homes teetering on the brink of financial ruin.

CFW Chief Executive Mary Wimbury said she expected the situation to get worse before it gets better.

She says local authority fees do not cover basic requirements or come close to meeting the actual costs of providing care.

There was also a widening North-South divide with the six North Wales authorities at the bottom of the fees table.

Ms Wimbury said: "People are struggling, they've been through a really difficult few years because of the pandemic and now on top of that, high inflation, staff wages increasing, cost of food, heating, insurance."

Helena Herklots, the Older Person’s Commissioner for Wales, is among those worried about the deepening crisis in the social care sector.

Speaking to the BBC, she said: “We are hearing about closures of care homes but also concerns about whether the care home their loved ones are in was going to close in the future.

"It's creating uncertainty and anxiety among older people, family and their friends and they're also dealing with the cost of living crisis." 

Among those on the front line is Ceri Roberts, a director of Cariad Care Homes in Gwynedd.

Cariad run two homes – Bodawen in Porthmadog and Plas Gwyn in Cricieth – where they employ 130 to look after 76 residents.

She said: “I’ve been managing care homes since 2005 and year on year, it gets tougher.  .

“Our food costs have gone up by 22 per cent in the last 12 months and there’s been a 21 per cent increase in the price of incontinence products. At the same time, utilities have gone up 100 per cent. Those three items are the bulk of our costs other than payroll.

“We have been paying our staff the Real Living Wage for almost two years and we did that voluntarily. We just felt that the work the staff do is exceptional. It’s a tough job. It’s physically and emotionally a very difficult job. We’re very grateful for the team that we have and they deserve to be rewarded for the work that they do.

“On top of that, we recently introduced a loyalty bonus so the staff, providing they work their contracted hours as per their contract, they can then get an additional hourly rate on top of their salary just to give them that little bit extra and over the year, which would give them £480 per annum, regardless of their position.

“So, it’s important that the fees we receive are a fair fee for the care that is provided. But they’re not.

“Year on year, it’s a battle. Every year, we receive a letter from both health board and the local authority saying ‘this is what we’re going to be paying you this year’.

“I don’t know of any other industry that would put up with that. I can’t go to Tesco and buy my weekly shop and then tell them how much I’m prepared to pay them for what I’ve bought. It’s crazy.

“All we’re asking for is a fair and reasonable fee for the service we provide, a fee the covers the actual cost of providing care to ensure the service is sustainable and will be there for future generations.

“Welsh Government have a document called Let’s Agree to Agree which says that commissioners need to consult with providers with regard to fees but there’s never any consultation.

“We are now in consultation with the local authority because we will not be viable with the fees they are willing to pay

“The Real Living Wage has gone up by just over 10 per cent and the increase from the local authority is only 3.5 per cent, so how do you make things balance?

“If my care homes were in parts of South Wales, I would be paid up more than £7,000 more  for every local authority funded resident more per annum so that would that would potentially equate to around £500.000.

“The extra money would enable us to have additional staff and we could invest more money in the homes. It could be put to good use instead of the constant struggle to make ends meet.

“Clearly, vulnerable people in South Wales are valued more than people in Gwynedd. Food costs the same in South Wales as it does here. It’s very unjust.

“I would anticipate that more care homes will close if things don’t change. It’s inevitable.”

Town Council's community support package unveiled

 

COMMUNITY SUPPORT GRANTS 2023.24 

APPLICATION FORM.

 

APPLICANTS CONTACT INFORMATION.

 

PROJECT NAME:
CONTACT NAME:
SIGNATURE:
ADDRESS:
TEL NO.    LANDLINE:
MOBILE:
EMAIL:

 

WHAT THEME OR THEMES DOES YOUR PROJECT SUPPORT? (please tick )

¨      PROMOTING BIODIVERSITY.

¨   FOOD GROWING, PLANTING AND PROMOTION.

¨      REDUCING, REUSING, AND RECYCLING

¨      SUPPORTING CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE.

 

WHAT IS THE LIKELY COST OF YOUR PROJECT?  £_________

 

DESCRIPTION OF WHAT THE PROJECT INVOLVES:

WHO WILL BENEFIT?

 

HOW DOES YOUR PROJECT CONTRIBUTE TO THE THEME OR THEMES?

WILL YOUR PROJECT HAVE ANY ON-GOING RUNNING COSTS?(please tick ) 

¨  YES                         ¨  NO                         ¨  POSSIBLY 

 

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION 5.00 pm ON FRIDAY 15 SEPTEMBER 2024,

 

PLEASE RETURN TO: THE TOWN CLERK,

TOWN HALL, PARADE STREET,

LLANGOLLEN, LL20 8PW

 

or email a copy to towwnclerk@llangollentowncouncil.gov.uk

Pentredwr wins funding for new community project

* People gather for the celebration at Pentredwr.

* An alternative use for wool by Sian Hughes.

* Harpist Tom Parry entertains.

Pentredwr and District Community Association has celebrated the completion of its National Lottery-funded project Hwb Pentredŵr which has been running for just over two years.

The funding of this project is nearly at an end but the National lottery Community Fund has seen the good work that has happened over the duration of the project and granted fresh funding for a new project, Calon Pentredŵr.  

A spokesperson for the association said: "We are absolutely thrilled with this news as the current project has been gaining momentum. 

"Our thanks go to the Lottery for the grant and to everyone who buys Lottery tickets as we would not have been able to provide the services we do without it. Look out for more information soon.

"The celebration event was extremely well attended by residents, friends of Pentredŵr, workshop providers, Eirian Pierce Jones from the National Lottery Community Fund, South Denbighshire Community Partnership Representative Jen from Hwb Pengwern, Citizens Advice Bureau representative Robert Butterton, David Sheil from the Area of Outstanding National Beauty, local county councillor Karen Edwards and many more.  

"We had an impressive display of the ongoing Hanes Pentredwr project by David Crane of Llangollen Museum and a display of Alternative Uses for Wool by Gill Britten of Gwlângollen.

"Sian Hughes gave a vote of thanks and showed the recently completed short film made at Hwb Pentredwr showing the hard work which goes into producing wool. 

"Howe’s That 3D felting company provided a felting demonstration and Jane, Jan and Terry who attend Gill’s weekly Maker Day sessions were demonstrating their spinning, weaving and knitting skills. 

"Tom Parry entertained on his harp and Marian Morris of Ceiriog Catering provided a wonderful buffet for all to enjoy. 

"The name Hwb Pentredŵr will not be disappearing, however, as Pentredwr and District Community Association have renamed the Community Centre building, Hwb Pentredŵr, so the name lives on."

Llangollen 20 Club names its play for November

Llangollen 20 Club drama group has announced the play it will be presenting this November.

Members have chosen A Bunch of Amateurs, written by Ian Hislop and Nick Newman.

It's a modern-day comedy set in rural England where a struggling drama society seeks sponsorship and a has-been Hollywood actor arrives to take on the play's leading role 

The 20 Club's Chrissie Ashworth said: "Unfortunately, it's not all plain sailing and the eccentric, diverse characters of the amateurs all add to the complexity and humour of this lovely play.

"However, the 20 Club is anything but amateurish and we welcome new members both on stage and backstage for this production."

Open auditions are set to take place at 7.30pm on Tuesdays August 1 and 8 at the RAFA Club in Llangollen.

* Anyone interested should just turn up or contact the director on 07970 449843.

Simon Baynes MP to fight North Shropshire at general election

* Simon Baynes MP celebrates his new candidature with Conservatives in North Shropshire (from his Facebook page).

Clwyd South MP Simon Baynes has been selected to fight the neighbouring seat of North Shropshire for the Conservatives at the next general election. 

Mr Baynes is hoping to move on as his present constituency, which he took from Labour’s Susan Elan Jones in 2019 with a majority of 1,239, will disappear under boundary changes before in time for the election. 

Over the weekend he was selected as candidate for North Shropshire, just across the border in England. 

The seat had been held for the Conservatives by Owen Paterson who left the House of Commons in November 2021 after being found by the standards authority to have broken rules on paid advocacy.

The episode threw Boris Johnson's government into turmoil, as the then-prime minister tried to overhaul the misconduct system to save his MP from suspension.

At the subsequent by-election North Shropshire was taken for the Liberal Democrats by Helen Morgan with a majority of 5,925, which indicated a swing of 34.2% away from the Conservatives.

Announcing his new candidature on his Facebook page, Mr Baynes said: “I am very honoured to have been selected as the Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for North Shropshire given that, under the boundary changes, my Clwyd South constituency will cease to exist at the next general election.

“Having grown up on the Welsh borders at Lake Vyrnwy, been to school in Shrewsbury and through my work as the neighbouring MP, I know North Shropshire very well. 

“I will continue to represent Clwyd South as the MP and then look forward to being the Conservative candidate at the next general election for North Shropshire.”

Sale of popular field sparks concern on social media

* One of the agents' pictures of the field which is up for sale.

The proposed sale of a popular field close to the town has caused concern amongst local people on social media.

A post appeared last Saturday revealing that agents J.J Dell & Co of Oswestry were offering “a very rare opportunity to acquire approximately one acre or thereabouts of pasture land with road frontage situated in the town of Llangollen."

Comments about this on Facebook have identified the plot as what is known locally as Sara’s Field or Cae Hir.

The agents’ description says there is a public footpath running the full length of the land, which is being sold freehold with vacant possession through informal tender.

It goes on: “Use of land is restricted to pasture. Clawback – there is an expired Planning Permission to develop for housing. If development shall become possible within the next 20 years the purchaser will be obliged to pay a quarter of the increase in value to the seller.”

Another Facebook post giving background on the field quotes an article from the Daily Post, originally published in 2005, which says: “An action group yesterday called for the public to come up with memories of a field to save it from developers' bulldozers.

“Cae Hir, a long narrow field which overlooks the town of Llangollen, was left for the use of local people by writer Sara Pugh Jones.

“Plans to build houses on it have been thrown out, but the Cae Hir Action Group fears there could be an appeal.

“John Fowles, a member of the action group, said: ‘Before Sarah Pugh Jones died, she tried to ensure that the field would be kept for pastoral purposes. She offered it to the National Trust and to the then Llangollen Council, but they were not prepared to take it on.

"’She then left it to three local men, with a covenant that it should not be built on. The field has, however, been sold and the new owner wants to build houses on it.’”

A number of those who commented on Saturday’s post were opposed to any development of the field.

One said: “No more houses please,” and another, “they might as well take all the beauty of our fantastic town,” while another asked, “could a village green application be put on it?”

There was also talk of an action group being set up to purchase the field to save it from any future development, with one suggestion of a Just Giving page being set up to finance this.

Roadworks alerts from one.network and council

Latest local roadworks alerts from one.network are:

Willow Street, Llangollen, Denbighshire 26 July - 27 July   Roadworks, Delays possible   Traffic management: Traffic control (two-way signals)   Description: TM PURPOSES ONLY. POLE IN PRIVATE   Works location: WILLOW STREET OUTSIDE 5   Public facing description: one.network has automatically assigned a category of Unclassified works to this Works based on the information available. Please note: Works Descriptions are not published by Openreach.   Responsibility for works: Openreach   Current status: Advanced planning   Works reference: BC006MQONSAWN0KFWF3M348Y   Aber Adda, Llangollen, Denbighshire 26 July - 27 July   Roadworks, Delays unlikely   Traffic management: Some carriageway incursion   Description: MJ QUINN TO CARRY OUT THE FOLLOWING:: RENEW JOINT BOX FRAME AND COVER FOOTWAY   Works location: OPPOSITE ADJACENT BELLA VISTA ABER ADDA   Public facing description: one.network has automatically assigned a category of Unclassified works to this Works based on the information available. Please note: Works Descriptions are not published by Openreach.   Responsibility for works: Openreach   Current status: Advanced planning   Works reference: BC006MQONSAWN0POWF2T724G  * Local roadworks update from Denbighshire County Council is: A542 Abbey Road ABBEY ROAD until 30/09/2023 Ailwynebu/ Resurfacing DCC WORKS UNIT 10 mya/10 mph Convoy  PENGWERN COMMUNITY CENTRE CAR PARK LINK ROAD BETWEEN PENGWERN AND MAES PENGWERN 01/08/2023 03/08/2023 Gwaith Trydanol / Electrical Works O'CONNOR UTILITIES Ffordd ar Gau/Road Closure  OPPOSITE BUILDING KNOWN AS GLAN YR AFON BROOK STREET 21/08/2023 25/08/2023 Gwaith Dwr / Water Works HAFREN DYFRDWY (DCC) LLANGOLLEN Ffordd ar Gau/Road Closure.