Work begins on roof of River Lodge

These pictures taken yesterday (Thursday) by a local resident on behalf of llanblogger appear to show contractors removing tiles from the roof of the former River Lodge on the A539 in Llangollen as a prelude to demolition.

The former hotel, which has been derelict for some years, is being taken down to make way for the town's £5 million new health centre.

New scheme aims for co-ordinated health care

Denbighshire County Council and Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board are joining forces to provide co-ordinated access to community health and social care services for the residents of Denbighshire.

The Single Point of Access -  'Working Together With You' aims to ensure efficient access to information, advice and assistance to promote health, well-being and independence.

The new service will focus on identifying the needs of the caller from the initial enquiry, making sure they are signposted to other services in the local community or directed to the correct service.

It will also enable people to access the wide variety of support available in their own communities.

Councillor Bobby Feeley, Denbighshire's Cabinet Lead Member for Social Care, Adults and Children's Services,  said: "We are delighted to get this project off the ground.  

"In the past, users of our services would speak to a number of organisations and this caused confusion at times.

"We want people to receive a seamless service and this new way of working means that health and social care teams will work together to make sure that people get the right information from the right service and at the right time.''

Margaret Hanson, Vice Chair of the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, said: “This will certainly develop even closer working across health and social care in Denbighshire, improving services for our patients, their families and carers.”

“We are very much looking forward to this being replicated across all the counties in North Wales, providing a more joined up approach to services for the whole population we serve.”

The new service begins on June 30.  To contact the service, please phone 0300 456   1000

People can also access the service via e-mail: spoa@denbighshire.gov.uk

Free first aid scheme extended

An Assembly Member is offering more of his constituents the opportunity to take part in a free first aid course due to high demand.

Labour AM Ken Skates has teamed up with St John Wales to allow people in Clwyd South to attend a two-hour course which could help them save someone’s life.

The session was originally arranged to accommodate 15 people, but will now be able to cater for up to 30.

It will be held in a private room at the Wynnstay Arms pub in Ruabon from 1.30pm-3.30pm on Friday, June 27, and places – which must be booked in advance – can be secured now.

Mr Skates said: “St John Wales contacted me about hosting the event, and it’s a great idea which I’m happy to be able to extend to my constituents. We initially had to turn a few people away, but now they’re on board too and there’s still room for 10 more.

“There will be two fully qualified first aid trainers present and, whether you’re a complete novice or an experienced first aider looking to brush up, it’s a great opportunity. You could be the difference between life and death.”

If you would like to take part, email ken.skates@wales.gov.uk or call 01978 869058.

Twenty Club's next auditions

Llangollen’s Twenty Club theatre group will be holding auditions for its forthcoming production of the play Season’s Greetings, by Alan Ayckbourn, in Llangollen Town Hall  on Tuesday, July 29, starting at 7.30pm.

The play, to be directed by Natalie Evans and produced by Anna Turner, will be staged on November 6, 7 and 8.

Roles available are: Neville (35+) easy going and pleasant; Belinda (30+) highly strung and hardworking; Phyllis (35+) clumsy and zany; Harvey (65+) ex-military, who loves teasing his family; Bernard (45+) faded, touchy, with a dry sense of humour; Rachel (35+) anxious, lonely, has been single for a long time; Eddie (30-45) idiotic and professionally unsuccessful; Pattie (30+) whiney, soft and heavily pregnant; Clive (25+) shy and effeminate.

All playing ages are said to be flexible and all ages are welcomed and encouraged to try for roles.

“The most important thing is to create a realistic family structure for this show,” said a Twenty Club spokesman.

* To register your interest, contact Anna Turner on: 07971 146353, or by emailing: anna.katie@freeuk.com

Fundraiser makes £800 to help save Plas Madoc

* The Duke of Wellington, scene of Sunday's successful fundraiser.

A Father’s Day fundraiser in the sunshine saw hundreds of pounds raised for the ongoing campaign to save Plas Madoc Leisure Centre.

Organiser Greg Ogden said there was a ‘fantastic’ turnout for the Splash Community Trust even at the Duke of Wellington pub in Acrefair on Sunday, which raised vital funds for the takeover of the popular facility.

Wrexham band The New Foos played live during the afternoon, and there were also stalls, face-painting, a bouncy castle, a barbecue, stocks and a raffle – with the top prize a night’s stay in a suite at the Wild Pheasant Spa in Llangollen with dinner and breakfast.

Trust director Greg, who lives in Trevor, said: “It was a very successful and fun event for all the family. There was a fantastic turnout – I have never seen the place so busy! There was a great atmosphere and really good music, the barbecue went down very well and everyone seemed to have a great time.”

The event raised approximately £800 – making it the most successful Plas Madoc fundraiser so far. A cheque of £100 was also passed on by Clwyd South Assembly Member Ken Skates from a generous mystery donor.

Greg added: “We have to say a massive thank you to the pub’s landlady Shauny for hosting the event, and also to everyone who continues to support us for being so generous with their time and money. It’s great to be part of such an optimistic, enthusiastic project.”

The Splash Community Trust’s next fundraiser is a race night at the Old Black Horse in Rhostyllen on Friday, June 27, from 8pm. To sponsor a race or buy a horse for the night, contact Jenny Miller on 07921 659099.

The Trust now has a PayPal account through which donations can be made. If you want to contribute, visit https://t.co/VlqCYUVROU or contact Jenny direct. The group’s website, which will include a ‘donate’ button, is coming soon.

Young drivers safety course launched

North Wales Fire and Rescue Service and North Wales Police has launched a new and innovative two day course aimed at educating young drivers across the region.

 

‘Revolution’, which has been described as ‘a new, proactive approach to road safety education’, is aimed at 16 – 25 year olds who have been involved in or subject to driving offences in their area. The Welsh Government provided £118, 809 to fund the course over 2014 and 2015.

 

The course has been launched at Coleg Cambria, Wrexham, as a part of a week of multi agency activities to mark UK Road Safety Week.

 

The interactive course, which has received funding from Welsh Government, will cover various aspects such as the consequences of fatal or serious injury road traffic collisions on the drivers, their passengers and their family and friends as well as the type of psychological, punitive and financial impacts being involved in a road traffic collision can bring.

 

Each event will also include engagement with a family member of someone killed in a road traffic collision as well as close quarter engagement with a realistic road traffic collision scene and measures taken to extricate a person from it. Attendees will also be given a project to complete as a team over the two days of the course.

 

A number of agencies will be inputting into the course with much of the learning based around the five main causes of fatal road traffic collisions in Wales, known as the ‘Fatal 5’ - speeding, alcohol and drugs, mobile phones, seat belts and dangerous and antisocial driving.

 

The courses will be based at various fire stations across North Wales, with the first course scheduled to be held in Prestatyn next month.

 

Simon Smith, Chief Fire Officer for North Wales Fire and Rescue Service, said: “We’re thrilled to be working in partnership with North Wales Police and the Welsh Government on this new course which looks at engaging with our young people in a proactive way to help them realise the consequences of their actions behind the wheel.

 

“We attend countless tragedies involving young drivers every year – road traffic collisions are the biggest cause of death among young people, so looking at new ways of raising awareness of road safety is vital.”

 

Chief Inspector Darren Wareing, Roads Policing Unit, North Wales Police: "By working closely with our colleagues at the Fire and Rescue Service we welcome the opportunity to help  address the issue of road safety and try to improve road user behaviour.

"All too often, both the Police and Fire and Rescue Service have witness the carnage on our roads when lives are completely destroyed following a serious road traffic collision.

"The pain and avoidable deaths such as those on our roads touch family, friends and communities right across North Wales. By working together we hope to raise awareness and educate drivers of the consequences of poor behaviour behind the wheel."

 

Local Government and Government Business Minister, Lesley Griffiths AM said: “In Wales, young drivers make up 12% of the population, but in 2012 they accounted for 24% of killed or seriously injured casualties.

 

“Fatal accidents are a tragedy for so many families and the larger communities, but when they are caused by collisions which could have been avoided, they seem all the more tragic.

 

“I am pleased the three Welsh Fire and Rescue Authorities planned events to mark Road Safety Week. This new course expands on the education of our young drivers, focussing on the five main causes of fatal traffic accidents and has the potential to save hundreds of lives.”

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Health chiefs reject calls for beds at new health centre

The latest edition of the Denbighshire Free Press carries a story that the local health board has rejected calls for beds to be included in Llangollen's health centre.

For the full story see:
http://www.newsnorthwales.co.uk/news/134690/health-board-rejects-plea-for-beds-at-new-llangollen-medical-centre.aspx