AM launches free forces swimming scheme

Labour AM Ken Skates has launched a new national scheme to provide free swimming for veterans and Armed Forces personnel in Wales.  

Free Swimming for Armed Forces is the latest initiative to be launched by the Welsh Government as part of its package of support for the forces community.

The scheme is being delivered by all councils in Wales to enable and encourage veterans and serving Armed Forces personnel to enjoy swimming as a form of physical activity and in recognition of the service they have given to their country. 

Launching the £100,000 scheme, Mr Skates (pictured) said: “Like many residents in Clwyd South, I believe very strongly that we need to recognise the service of our Armed Forces personnel, both past and present.

“This scheme is another way in which the Welsh Labour Government is acknowledging their huge contribution.

“I hope serving members of the Armed Forces and veterans in Clwyd South will be able to make full use of this opportunity, and I call on Wrexham Council to ensure the scheme is offered at all public pools in the county borough.”

An Armed Forces spokesman described the scheme as ‘very pleasing and a further show of commitment from the Welsh Government towards Armed Forces personnel and veterans living in Wales’.

41 people fined for littering in county

Denbighshire County Council’s tough stance on littering in the county continues with a further  41 people receiving fines through the courts for offences.

 

The council took action through the courts against 41 individuals.

 

The courts issued a total of £8,800 in fines and ordered individuals to pay £7,380 in costs (in total).

 

The cases against a further 19 individuals were withdrawn, mostly due to the fact they had paid their fixed penalty notices prior to the court appearance.

 

Councillor David Smith, Cabinet Lead Member for Public Realm, said: “Our residents have told us they want to live in a clean environment and that is why we have made cleaner, tidy streets one of our main priorities in Denbighshire.

 

“The majority of residents in our county treat the environment with complete respect and that leads to a better quality of life and improves the visual image of the area.

 

“However, there is a minority of people that are responsible for environmental crime such as dog fouling and don’t clean the mess.  Those are the people we are targeting as part of our on-going education campaign which has received support from local communities.

 

“We will not tolerate examples where people wilfully allow their dogs to foul in public.  Enforcement action is very much a last resort and we will continue to be vigilant and work with communities to try and rid our communities of any kind of environmental crimes."

 

Cynwyd group on song for MS charity

 

 

* Helen Whittaker and Jean Hughes of the MS Society Wrexham branch receive the cheque from y Gymdeithas, Cynwyd.

Cynwyd community group Y Gymdeithas raised £543 for the MS Society following a Christmas service and carol singing in the village over the festive period.

The funds are to be split between the Wrexham MS Society branch and research into MS.

Each year the group organises a community carol singing session, with people of all ages visiting the homes of people who are housebound or lonely and singing at the village square.

The group has grown from strength to strength, and this year over 30 people took part in the singing.

They also arranged a Christmas service at Bethel Chapel, inviting each community group to attend and participate, with the aim of making sure that various village groups worked together for their common good.

This year Y Gymdeithas chose MS Society as their charity of choice.

Multiple sclerosis is an unpredictable and incurable condition that affects people’s nervous system. It can attack suddenly or progress steadily, bringing a range of symptoms which can include sight loss, incontinence, fatigue and mobility problems.

No-one with MS can be sure when or how it will affect them next.

In the UK there are more than 100,000 people living with MS. In Wales, over 4,900 people are living with the condition; 300 people are newly diagnosed with MS every year.

Helen Whittaker, representing the Wrexham Branch of the MS Society, said: “We are very grateful for this generous gift from Y Gymdeithas in Cynwyd to the MS Society.

"As a charity we depend on the generous donations of individuals, groups and societies to allow us to continue with our research nationally, and locally to fund equipment to assist people living with and affected by MS.”

Mabon ap Gwynfor, representing Y Gymdeithas, said: “Our small community has seen the effects of MS, and are grateful to the charity for the work that it is doing in helping those suffering from MS and in doing vital work to research into how to beat this disease.

"We all had a lot of fun raising the funds, signing in the rain, and bringing the Christmas cheer to those who were housebound or lonely. We’re looking forward to starting practising for next year’s carol singing.”

Curtain goes up again on New Dot cinema

* A scene from The Lobster, the film to be shown next Friday.

New Dot Cinema is back for a new season.

After a highly successful first year, a new programme of quirky, provocative and entertaining films
kicks off at the Town Hall in Llangollen with a showing of The Lobster on Friday, February 12th.

This year, New Dot will be screening temporarily as 'Micro Dot' in a smaller venue in the Town Hall council chamber.

With seating for around 35 people, organisers say screenings will be intimate (but still very charming) so tickets will be in high demand. Delicious homemade cakes, fairtrade tea and 'real' coffee will be on offer. There’s no bar, but people are welcome to BYOB.

New Dot Cinema co-founder Jen Sandiford explained: “We had such a fantastic response to our first season, we wanted to keep up the momentum. Using this smaller venue gives us a chance to experiment with quirkier films that people might not otherwise get a chance to see.”

Already lined up for the new season are: Tulpan, a funny and moving film set in the stunning Kazakh steppes, about a young man who dreams of being a shepherd; the gentle Oscar-winning Czech film, Closely Observed Trains, in which an apprentice train dispatcher working at a sleepy train depot during WW2, pines for Máša, a pretty train conductor; and Dear White People, an American satire of race relations on an elite university campus.

More films will be added to the programme very soon, including a gala film to be shown as part of the Llangollen Fringe so sign up for New Dot Cinema’s email at the facebook page or at NewDotCinema.org.

Tickets are priced at £5 and are available at Baileys Deli and online at: http://tiny.cc/grds8x

New Dot Cinema is entirely volunteer-led. If you’d like to get involved in any way from programming to being an usher for an evening, please contact the team at: http://newdotcinema.org/dot/contact/

More information: www.NewDotCinema.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/newdotcinema
Twitter: www.twitter.com/newdotcinema

MP pays call on Splash Magic

 

* From left: Craig Williams MP, Claire Duffy,

manager of Splash Magic, Simon Baynes and Shaun Roberts.

 

Cardiff North Tory MP Craig Williams and Simon Baynes, Welsh Conservative Assembly Candidate for Clwyd South, visited the Splash Magic Leisure Centre at Plas Madoc.

 

The leisure centre was saved from closure by Wrexham Council in 2014 by a local community group, which has since formed Splash Community Trust, a charitable organisation.

 

The Trust has been running the centre since December 2014.

 

Craig Williams and Simon Baynes were accompanied by local resident Shaun Roberts and were given a full tour of the centre by the manager Claire Duffy.

 

Craig Williams MP said: “I used to come to the leisure centre as a child as I grew up in Welshpool and Plas Madoc was the place to come for a great day out.

 

"I was very impressed by all the improvements that Claire Duffy and her team have made and by the exciting plans for the future.

 

"In my view, Splash Magic is the most family friendly leisure centre in Wales and it has a great future as an independent trust.

 

"I will keep in touch on developments and will always be available to provide any advice and support in the future.”

 

Simon Baynes said: “Splash Magic was buzzing when we went round it and the recent improvements, like the café and the soft play area, are proving an immediate success, resulting in increased visitors for the centre.

 

"We were particularly impressed by Claire Duffy, who brings a wealth of experience from her previous job as manager of the Beatles’ Story in Liverpool, and by the commitment of all the staff and the many volunteers who help out at the centre.

 

"The potential to develop this amazing building is enormous and the trust can be nimble on its feet because it is independent and has plenty of expertise to draw on.

 

"I will do everything I can to support it and I know the local community will continue to vote with its feet by using Splash Magic and its great facilities in ever increasing numbers in the future.” 

MP demands probe into bank closures

 

* From left: Julia Glover, manager of The Hair Shop,

Chirk, Susan Elan Jones MP and staff and customers at The Hair Shop.

Susan Elan Jones MP has visited 55 small and medium-sized businesses in Chirk and Ruabon to discuss the impact of local bank closures with business owners and customers.

The Clwyd South MP said: "Since HSBC decided it was going to close its Chirk and Ruabon bank branches, we've all been working very hard to try and keep cash-points open and free and sort out other practical things, like paying-in arrangements at local Post Offices.

 

"However, as local MP, I'm also committed to taking things further in Parliament.

 

"What we're seeing in our area is happening right across the UK. Most small towns and villages in this country don't have high street banks any more.

 

"It's totally unacceptable and a very different set-up from the USA and many other Western countries where regional banks with high street branches are the norm. It will be a long and hard campaign, but we need a big change in banking in our country."    

 

As part of her campaign, Susan Elan Jones MP has already met with Iain Wright MP, Chair of Parliament's Business, Innovation and Skills Select Committee, who has agreed to her request for a full national inquiry into bank closures, and access to finance for small and medium-sized companies. 

 

 

Theft from van in Berwyn Street

North Wales Police are appealing for information following theft from a vehicle in Llangollen. 
                                                     
Sometime overnight between last Tuesday and Wednesday unknown offenders forced entry into a van parked at a location close to Berwyn Street.

If you noticed anything suspicious, or have any information relating to this incident, contact North Wales Police by dialling 101 quoting reference U016631. 

Alternatively, you can provide information anonymously by calling Crimestoppers Wales on 0800 555 111.

North Wales Police would like to urge residents to always report suspicious activity to them at the earliest opportunity.