A5 at Chirk re-opens

The Daily Post has just tweeted that the A5 at Chirk is open again.

The road was closed just after 7am today (Monday) following a three-car smash.

It re-opened just after 9p - a  14-hour closure in total.

A5 at Chirk still closed

The Daily Post tweeted at 7.22pm that the A5 at Chirk was still closed after a three-vehcile accident early this morning (Monday).

Tt was due to reopen at 7pm but the Post says there is no sign of that happening yet.

A diversion is still in operation, with borthbound traffic being asked to follow the black square symbol, and southbound traffic following the black diamond symbol.

Crash bridge should re-open later

The Leader is reporting on its website that a bridge which shut in the early hours of this morning (Monday) following a car crash is expected to reopen at about 7pm tonight.
A man was taken to Wrexham Maelor Hospital with a suspected back injury following the one-vehicle collision on the viaduct between the Halton and Gledrid roundabouts on the A483 leading to the A5 near Chirk at about 12.40am today.

A temporary parapit will be installed this afternoon while structural engineers assess the damage.
Traffic is currently being diverted through the villages of Gledrid and Chirk using the B5070.

Tough new role for Operatic star Louisa

* Louisa Jones is ready to set off on her Indian adventure.

A member of Llangollen Operatic Society takes on a tough new role as she sets out on a gruelling 220-mile charity ride through India next month.

Louisa Jones, 33, who has taken many key parts for the society, is joining the Action for Charity’s Women V Cancer Cycle Challenge to raise cash for three women’s cancer charities.

The five-day challenge begins a few days after she flies out to India on November 9 and along the way will have to contend with soaring temperatures and remote, treacherous roads.

Louisa, who works as a European sales analyst for the Ruabon-based Flint Group printing and packing company, will join a group of around 100 other women from across the UK who will set out from the city of Agra – home of the iconic Taj Mahal - and pedal through the rural state of Rajasthan in north-west India, ending their momentous journey in the capital, Jaipur.

To maintain their tight schedule the intrepid cyclists, ranging in age from their twenties to sixties, will need to average around 40 miles a day.

The route followed will be far removed from the usual tourist trails and will be both on and off road.

Conditions will be challenging as the roads are mere dirt tracks in many places and the temperatures at this time of year will be around 36F in the daytime and plummeting at night.

The one consolation is that every night the riders will return to a camp set up for them in advance by challenge organisers.

In advance of her trip to the sub-continent Louisa has been raising the cash necessary to guarantee her a place on the ride.

Thanks to strong support from family, friends and work colleagues she managed to burst through the £2,800 qualifying barrier some months ago and pledges are still coming in.

She also plans to made a personal contribution of £500 towards her fundraising total, which will be distributed between Breast Cancer Care, Jo’ Cervical Cancer Trust and Ovarian Cancer Action.

To prepare for the tough physical test Louisa has been in training since January, completing rides through the countryside around her home of up to 40 miles.

She said: “I hadn’t really cycled properly since I was in my teens so the training was a bit tough at first.

“Eventually, I was doing up to 40 miles a day but I know that some of the other ladies who are going on the ride have been doing 70 miles.

“As a novice cyclist, I am aware I have a tough training regime ahead of me. However, I know it will be an amazing learning curve and a life changing experience. "

Louisa added: “I have chosen to support cancer charities because I think almost everyone knows someone who has been affected by cancer and what it can mean to them.

“In raising money I wanted to do something I have never done before.”

To make a contribution towards Louisa’s challenge go to http://www.justgiving.com/louisa-jones2012/eurl.axd/5805f2ef88f5e749aa33e11e94dbaeb7

* Louisa is hoping to keep llanblogger readers informed of her progress by sending regular daily updates of her progress on the ride.

Communications and technology permitting, we'll start bringing them to you a few days after she arrives in India on November 9.           

 

 

AM raises end-of-life care with Minister

NORTH Wales Assembly Member Mark Isherwood  says he is keen to ensure that in making changes to end-of-life health care in North Wales, the Welsh NHS listens to charitable and independent hospices who have shown great success in delivering more for the resources available.

Raising the issue in the Assembly Chamber with the Health Minister last week, Mr Isherwood, who is Chair of the Cross Party Group on Hospices and Palliative Care, said: “Under the heading ‘Enhanced care at home’, the Betsi Cadwaladr University Local Health Board document, ‘Healthcare in North Wales is Changing’, states that it would ensure consistent delivery of end-of-life care, connecting primary care, community services, hospice support and specialist palliative care teams to support people to die at home, in accordance with their wishes and those of their families.

“However, there is no reference to what the Welsh NHS could learn from our charitable hospices about the integration of care services in the home, community hospitals and hospices. How will the Welsh Government ensure that charitable and independent hospices across Wales will be given the opportunity to help NHS and social service home-care providers to deliver more for the resources available?”

The Minister, Lesley Griffiths, agreed that the need for integrated services is key to the way forward.

She said: “The Social Services Bill will show us the way forward on that. Having said that, I am also aware that there are excellent examples of integrated care at the end of life in people’s homes. I am sure that you would want to join with me in acknowledging the role of the voluntary sector in providing this.”

In an Assembly Debate on Hospices and Palliative Care earlier this year, Mr Isherwood described hospice care as “one of Wales’ greatest success stories” and emphasised that across Wales, local charitable hospices care for more than 5,000 people affected by terminal illness each year.

Main A5 closed near Chirk after three-vehicle accident

The A5 in Chirk has been closed in both directions between Gledrid Roundabout and Halton Roundabout this morning (Monday), because of an accident involving three vehicles.

 

It is understand the bridge of the river at that point is being checked by engineers for structural damage.

Endowment fund for local groups launched

 * At the launch of the new fund at Ruthin Craft Centre are, from left, Cllr Hugh Evans, leader of Denbighshire, Tom Barham from the Community Foundation in Wales, Councillor Jeanette Chamberlain Jones (chair of Denbighshire), Hywyn Williams, Corporate Director - Communities Denbighshire County Council and Lisa Kellett, Chief Executive of the Community Foundation in Wales.

Community and charitable groups in Llangollen and the rest of Denbighshire are being invited to bid for a share of a new £280,000 endowment fund.

The Denbighshire Community Endowment Fund will award around £10,000 in education grants each year.

The funding comes from dormant funds identified by the county council, which has asked the Community Foundation in Wales to identify how the cash can be used locally.

The foundation will work with local people to advise on grant making decisions, and support the education of young people.

The fund will provide a long-term source of funding for community and charitable groups across the county and will gather donations from people wishing to top it up.

Grants will be made under five broad themes - enabling young people and promoting education, enterprise and lifelong learning; building cohesion and confidence in communities; improving physical and mental health; nurturing heritage and culture and protecting our environment.

Liza Kellett, chief executive of the Community Foundation in Wales, said: "We are delighted to be working in partnership with Denbighshire County Council.

“By working together, we can make sure that the funding is targeted effectively but we also the fund to grow so more local groups can benefit in the future.

“We invite people living in the county to consider gifting a donation to their communities. Local giving for local action really does make a difference.”

Councillor Hugh Evans, leader of Denbighshire County Council, said: "In an exercise to review the education budget line by line, we realised that we had 57 dormant charitable funds, some of them small.

“The total fund value amounted to about £280k. Making much better use of such a substantial fund is critically important to us, and leaving such funds dormant was not an option.

"When we were contacted by the Community Foundation in Wales, we became really enthusiastic about contributing the monies to create this education -focussed fund for Denbighshire.

“We now have a very good way forward, the money available is going to be invested well, funding will be released to just causes within our communities, and that will, hopefully, reap benefits to our residents, now and for years to come.”

Anyone interested in donating to the fund should phone the Community Foundation in Wales on 02920 536 590.or visit WWW.CFIW.ORG.UK