Police boss seeks unsung heroes

* North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Winston Roddick.

A POLICE boss has launched his own awards scheme to honour the unsung crime fighting heroes of the community in the first initiative of its kind.

North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Winston Roddick CB QC and is inviting the public to help him choose one of the key winners of his new Community Awards.

The aim is to officially recognise people who help police to keep their neighbourhood or town a peaceful and safe place to live and work and who help in rehabilitating offenders..

The key accolade he will be handing out at the presentation evening next month in front of police and civic leaders is the People’s Award whose winner will be chosen from among those nominated directly by the public of North Wales.

For this award the Commissioner wants the public of North Wales to put forward the names of worthy candidates - individuals or groups who have made a major impact on cutting crime, keeping people safe or rehabilitating offenders.

Mr Roddick, who in his time has served as a police officer, a barrister and a judge, said he became convinced of the need for launching his Community Awards, which have a total of 11 categories, after seeing the great number of people in the community across North Wales who – often silently – and in partnership with their local police, work to reduce crime and its effects.

He said: “Since I became Police and Crime Commissioner for North Wales in November 2012 I have been across the length and breadth of the area meeting with people, both individuals and groups, to discuss policing and crime issues.

 It has become clear to me that there are a great number of people who do a lot of good in the community by helping North Wales Police to keep North Wales a peaceful and safe place to live and work and by helping offenders rehabilitate.

“These silent workers go way beyond anybody else to make a contribution and ensure their communities are safe. The rehabilitation of offenders also reduces crime and the tendency to commit crime.

“In the overwhelming number of cases, this a personal commitment made without expectation of any kind of reward or recognition. .

“ Having seen the value of their work, I decided that in my role as Police and Crime Commissioner, working for the people, I should devise a way of showing appreciation for all the hard work and achievements of these special people.

“With that object in mind, I have established these community-based awards.

“Their purpose is public recognition of these unsung heroes and their aim is to encourage others to emulate their good example.

“I believe I am the first Police and Crime Commissioner in England and Wales to institute such awards, so North Wales is very much leading the way with this initiative and I intend to make it an annual event.”

The Commissioner added: “One of the awards I have established this year is called the People’s Award.
“This will go to an individual or group who have made an impact in helping to keep people safe and/or to reduce crime.

“This contribution may impact the whole area, a local town, neighbourhood or even street, but it will have made a difference to the people living and working there.

“It could be someone who is working to bring communities together to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour, or is working with people to deter and reduce offending.

“While I will select most of the award recipients myself in consultation with my office, the People’s Award is special in that it is the only one which will be nominated directly by the public.

“I am therefore asking for the assistance of the people of North Wales to help me select a suitable candidate for this particular award.

“If you know someone in your community who has gone that extra mile to prevent or reduce crime, protect and support members of the community or generally helped to make North Wales a safer place to live and work, please nominate them for the People’s Award.

The Community Awards, sponsored by Police Mutual, will be handed over to recipients by the Commissioner, watched by their families and a large invited audience including the Chief Constable of North Wales, Mark Polin, Members of Parliament, Assembly Members and the High Sheriff of Clwyd, David Meredith Jones, at a presentation evening in the Kinmel Manor Hotel in Abergele on
Thursday, October 23.

Apart from the People’s Award, other 10 awards to be presented are:

* Safer Community Award in recognition of an individual, community group or organisation that has made a significant contribution towards enhancing safety in public places.

* Partnership Award for organisations which have successfully worked in partnership with others to help community safety.

* Reducing Harm Award for an individual, community group or organisation who have made efforts to prevent and tackle serious crime and/or provide support to victims of serious crime.

* Rehabilitation Award for a voluntary, social or private enterprise that works with former offenders or those at risk of offending to help them break the offending cycle, or an individual who has shown strength and determination to turn their life around, to move away from offending and contribute to society in a positive way.

* Third Sector Award for a community or voluntary group who have contributed towards personal safety and crime reduction or who have made a significant impact in helping victims of crime.

* Equality and Diversity Award for a person or group who have supported the equality agenda and made an impact on hate crime. This is aimed at someone who has embraced community engagement to reduce tensions in communities and reduce fear of crime.

* Welsh Language Service Award for an organisation who, through the medium of Welsh, provide comprehensive victim services and/or other community services that help to reduce crime.

* Young Person of the Year Award for a young person under the age of 25 who has made a difference in their family and/or community, for example by working with the police or overcoming some adversity, contributing to awareness raising around crime prevention, public safety etc.

* Individual Endeavour Award for an individual whose endeavour and achievements towards helping prevent crime, supporting the police, helping victims, volunteering or other work stand out.

* The Police and Crime Commissioner’s Gold Award, a special award, available to a group or individual for long term contribution to public life and community, working in North Wales helping to prevent crime and support communities.

The closing date for the Community Awards is October 6 and for more information go to www.northwales-pcc.gov.uk

LimeLight to hold open evenings

After the success and good reviews of their recent comedy play Billy Liar at The Town Hall, LimeLight Productions are offering open evenings and inviting all to go along.  

Meet all the LimeLight teams, have a sing along, learn about their 2015 programme of musical theatre shows, plays and events. 

They recently held an evening at the new Acton Community Resource Centre Wrexham where many attended and showed interest in joining this wonderful successful theatre company. 

Now they are spreading the evening and will be holding one at Air Products Sports and Social Club, Bethania Road, Acrefair, on Wednesday 1^st October at 7.00pm.

Remembering a World War One soldier 100 years on

 

 

A personal story by llanblogger, Phil Robinson

 

* The poppy wreath laid at the foot of the remembrance plaques in Liverpool's Hall of Remembrance. 

I recently went over to Liverpool to complete my own small piece of First Word War remembrance.

Just a few days after the war broke out on August 4, 1914, my grandfather sailed for France with the British Expeditionary Force.

Less than six weeks later he had been killed in action at the age of just 26, leaving behind two young children and third on the way – my late father – who, of course, he never met.

Last Saturday, September 20, was the precise 100^th anniversary of his death during the Battle of the Aisne and I was determined to mark the occasion in some way.

Although I know exactly where is grave is located – a small Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery not far from where he fell in the rolling countryside of the Chemin des Dames – and have been there twice, I couldn’t make the journey back there for various reasons.

So my search began for a suitable place to lay a poppy wreath to commemorate the centenary of his death.

I began in Widnes, where my grandfather, Corporal Ernest Robinson of the 2^nd Battalion South Lancashire Regiment (pictured left) , was born in 1888. But after getting in touch with various churches over there to see if his name appeared on their war memorials I drew a blank.

I then tried churches in the Liverpool 8 area where he moved after marrying my grandmother in 1908 and lived until he marched off to war in 1914. But all attempts to find his name on their war memorials or rolls of honour proved again proved fruitless.

I was about to give up my quest when I had a flash of inspiration that he might just be mentioned in the Hall of Remembrance at Liverpool Town Hall, opened by the Prince of Wales in 1921, not long after the war ended, and details of which I found on the net.

After weeks of trying unsuccessfully to locate him I could hardly believe my luck when a search of those named in the hall on the town hall website revealed what I was looking for. There was my grandfather’s name on plaque 45.

Next step was to check if I would be able to go over to see his name for myself and lay my poppy wreath in his memory nearby.

* The Hall of Remembrance bearing hundreds of names of Liverpool's First World War dead.

I envisaged a problem as September 20 was a Saturday, when the town hall is closed, but a quick email enquiry brought a welcome response – although the building is indeed shut on Saturdays, there was a wedding on there that particular day and one of the staff would be on hand for half an hour from 12noon to let me into the remembrance hall.

With my poppy wreath in hand – bought via the internet from the Royal British Legion – I went over to Liverpool and paid my homage to Corporal Robinson 100 years to the day he gave his life for King and country.

Operatic seeks Sister Act cast

LLANGOLLEN Operatic will be amongst the first amateur societies in the UK to perform Sister Act, the stage musical based on the hit film starring Whoopi Goldberg, next year.

Producer Tracey Rawlinson said: “We have been granted one of the recently released licences to put on the show, which means we’ll be one of the first to do it – and we can’t wait to bring it to the stage at Llangollen Town Hall from Tuesday-Saturday, April 21-25 2015.

“Before then we are holding open auditions for the show at the Hand Hotel in Llangollen on Sunday, October 12, from 10am, and everyone is welcome.

“We’re assembling a strong cast of about 30, which means there are plenty of opportunities for characterful chorus members as well as the main parts of nuns, gangsters and American cops.”

Amongst the principal roles up for grabs are:

Deloris – an over-the-top singer who has been doing the circuit for many years but finds herself in a convent where she is placed for safety reasons

 

Michelle and Tina – Deloris’s backing singers and good time girls

Curtis -  a gangster who is hunting Deloris down

Mother Superior – who has a hard exterior but a warm heart

Monsigneur – A flamboyant priest

The show features some real toe-tapping numbers including Take Me to Heaven, Raise Your Voice and Spread The Love Around.

The production team also includes Chris Dukes as artistic director and Elen Mair Roberts as musical director.

Producer Tracey added:  “Audition day will comprise of registration to begin with then workshop-style introductions to parts and music followed by specific cast auditions throughout the day.

“The idea is for everyone to relax and mingle, have coffee, grab lunch and get to know one another.

“I’m keen to make people aware that this is not just a show for ladies dressed as nuns – there’s lots of things for the men to do too.

“We are a very friendly group and we’re looking for lots of new members to have fun with this great show.”

 

·        For more information, contact Tracey on 07875 639533, or email traceyrawlinson@btinternet.com.

Young chef to bite into Big Apple

* Young chef Joe Clifford is heading for the States.

A young chef is aiming to take a bite out of the Big Apple by showing a foodie film shot in Llangollen.

Joe Clifford, who once worked at the Corn Mill in the town, is a film-maker as well as a cook.

 

One of his films is shortly to be screened at the New York City Film Festival and also at a similar event in Chicago.

 

Joe, who lives in St Martin’s, said: “I’m a past student at Yale  College and graduate of The University for the Creative Arts , (UCA)  in Surrey.  I grew up in the area, and attended Maelor School, Penley.

 

“I am a film maker and a chef - passionate about both - and one of my films has just been confirmed for screening at both the New York City Food Film Festival at the end of October,  which I will be attending, and the Chicago Food Film Festival in late November.

* Joe's lamb and pea stew featured in the film. 

“The film, which I have called simply Food, Family & Friends, was shot in the beautiful surroundings of Valle Crucis Abbey, just outside Llangollen.   

 

“It's a short film which brings together those three vital concepts. The ingredients were all sourced locally -  lamb from Lewis’s Farm shop near the Plassey, Eyton, and home grown vegetables - producing a delectable lamb and pea stew,  over an open fire, washed down with a seasonally sweet spiced cider from Rosies  at Llandegla.”

Joe added: “I have been a chef for a number of years at various establishments around the Wrexham area, from  the Corn Mill in Llangollen  to The Tyn Y Capel, Minera.

“I have a real passion for locally sourced, seasonal food and find the produce from around Wrexham and the surrounding areas second to none.

“I am currently trying to set up a North Wales based online food channel and there is plenty more in the pipeline.” 

Work progresses on new health centre

Latest pictures by llanblogger's local correspondent Phil Meyers shows construction work progressing on Llangollen's new £5 million health centre being built on the site of the demolished River Lodge off Mill Lane.

Row over ambulance response times

The Welsh Liberal Democrats have said that the Welsh ambulance services are “in crisis” as figures published today show yet another decline in ambulance response times, despite pledges by the Welsh Labour Health Minister to improve the service in three months.

 

The figures show that 56.9% of emergency responses to Category A (immediately life-threatening) ambulance calls arrived at the scene within the target time of 8 minutes – down from 58.3% in July 2014 and down from 61.8% in August 2013 – and well below the target of 65%. In England and Scotland the same target is 75%.

 

Kirsty Williams AM, Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, said: “Labour’s Health Minister pleaded to be given three months to improve these terrible ambulance response times. Three months later, and ambulance response times are worsening again. How much more time do Labour Ministers need before they’ll admit that they just can’t run our health service?

 

“These figures are unacceptable. To have only half of immediately life-threatening calls responded to within the 8 minute target time is absolutely unacceptable, and are the mark of an ambulance service in crisis.

 

“With so many problems like stroke and heart attacks, time is absolutely crucial in ensuring the best possible recovery. By failing to buck up on poor ambulance response times, the Welsh Labour Government is draining our NHS by spending money on treatments that could otherwise be avoided.

 

“The Welsh Labour Government’s own target is unambitious and is considerably lower than the equivalent targets in England and Scotland, yet it is still routinely missed.

 

“Ambulance staff work incredibly hard and do an extremely difficult job, but even they privately admit that they’re not being given the resources they need to serve the people of Wales. The threats of a strike show how they are at the end of their tether. The Welsh Labour Government ran out of second chances long ago – we need to see improvement now, as it’s the people of Wales that are suffering under Labour’s watch.”

Mike Collins, Director of Service Delivery at the Welsh Ambulance Service, said: “The service took 36,101 calls during August, up by 494 calls from the same period last year but down by 1,971 calls from the previous month. Of these calls, 14,067 were assessed and categorised as serious and immediately life-threatening.

“Since April the Trust has recruited 79 extra staff into its workforce across Wales, including 21 Paramedics, nine of whom went operational in July and 12 of whom went operational on Monday, plus 12 HEI (Higher Education Institute) Paramedics who are expected to be operational from December. The Trust has also recruited 46 staff into its Urgent Care Service, all of whom will be operational in mid November.

“In addition, a further 21 Paramedics will be appointed in the coming weeks and are expected to be operational by February, and 48 Emergency Medical Technicians will also be officially appointed, some of whom will be operational by December and the remainder by next April. We anticipate that these extra staff will help us to improve our performance and provide a first rate ambulance service for the people of Wales.

“August was the month in which we launched a brand new initiative which allows low acuity patients to access alternative transport to hospital if indeed a hospital visit is required, rather than travel by Emergency Ambulance. The aim is to ensure our emergency crews and vehicles are more readily available to attend immediately life-threatening calls. Since its launch, more than 40 patients who were deemed clinically safe and suitable have travelled to hospital by a taxi in some parts of Wales.

“The Trust is continuing to use other methods of care where possible to reduce unnecessary hospital admissions including Alternative Care Pathways, a system designed to support care closer to patients’ homes. Instead of taking them to hospital, Paramedics can refer patients to their GP or an identified community team using a 24/7 internal telephone service operated by our care coordination staff. More than 5,900 patients have been referred on these Alternative Care Pathways since the scheme launched in September 2012.

“Advanced Paramedic Practitioners also provide a wider range of specialist healthcare at the scene of an incident or at a patient’s home. In addition, the Trust supports the discharge and transfer of patients out-of-hours to release beds in hospitals which, in turn, supports the improvement of patient flow in the emergency departments.

“Resolving handover delays remains our top priority and we are working with all Local Health Boards in Wales to minimise these where possible. Over the summer months we have increased our use of HALOs (Hospital Ambulance Liaison Officers), clinicians and non-clinicians employed by the Trust to ensure individual handover delays are escalated to senior managers at all affected hospitals and that plans are in place to ensure delays are minimised.

“The emergency healthcare system across Wales is under significant pressure and demand for our service remains very high. We recognise that on occasion we fall short of the eight-minute target but are working as hard as we possibly can to get to patients as quickly as possible.

“Once again we urge the public to ‘Choose Well’ and use NHS services appropriately; NHS Direct Wales, out-of-hour GP services and pharmacies are all available for healthcare and advice for minor illnesses and injuries. Please remember only to dial 999 if someone is seriously ill or injured, or their life is at risk.”