Mike to run in triathlon for air ambulance

* Mike Edwards outside Chirk Leisure Centre with one of the Wales Air Ambulance mascots, Huw HEMS.



Mike Edwards of Llangollen is competing in the Chirk triathlon on April 17, raising funds for Wales Air Ambulance. 

The event starts and finishes at Chirk Leisure Centre and Mike is training at the leisure centre.

Mike, a long-term cyclist,  regularly hits the mountain bike trails at Coed Llandegla  and pounds the roads in the Wrexham and Llangollen areas.  

Following a heart attack five years ago Mike regained his fitness and took up the triathlon event. 

He is a keen supporter of  the air ambulance, being well aware of the value of a speedy response in his sport. 


* To sponsor Mike please contact him at Cittaslow Llangollen Twitter: @Mike262, @MikeBuyLocal(Buy Local Llangollen), Facebook: Michael Edwards : BuyLocalLlangollen, or LinkedIn: Michael Edwards and also on Google Hangout



Mike has so far raised £150 through Virgin Money Just Giving. To support him, follow the link:

http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserPage.action;jsessionid=zgS4DAybgD59Scs7pGQG4xgq.lgvappprod2:server-one?userUrl=MichaelEdwards262&faId=690831&isTeam=false

Low income familes could cut water bills, says AM

Many lower income households in North Wales could be eligible for savings of up to £250 on their water bills, says North Wales AM Mark Isherwood.

And he is urging local people to check whether they could benefit.

Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water has launched a special HelpU tariff for customers in households with a total annual income of no more than £15,000.

Mr Isherwood said: “Welsh Water says that many thousands of customers could benefit from HelpU - and some could see their annual water and sewerage bill cut by a half. People who qualify only have to get in touch with the company and they’ll be helped to make the switch to the HelpU tariff.

“This is an initiative that would benefit many in my constituency and I urge people to think about whether they qualify and, if so, to contact the company immediately. We know that for many the water bill exceeds five per cent of household income and so paying it can be a struggle.

“There are big savings available to those on low incomes. If you don’t qualify yourself, perhaps you know someone else who does. Please spread the word and pass on this valuable information to them.”

Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water can be contacted online at www.dwrcymru.com or by calling 0800 052 0145.

60,000 customers already benefit from Dŵr Cymru’s social tariffs for water and sewerage bills. HelpU is the company’s only social tariff based solely on household income. It has been devised after consultation with the Welsh Government, the Consumer Council for Water, and Community Housing Cymru. 

Make sure you register to vote on May 5

Denbighshire County Council is encouraging people to visit www.gov.uk/register-to-vote to register to have their say on Thursday May 5 when voters in Wales will go to the polls to elect an Assembly Member and a Police and Crime Commissioner.

The Electoral Commission has launched its major national voter registration campaign across Wales to remind people to register by the deadline of Monday April 18.

In Wales, advertising will appear across TV, radio and online on demand video services.

This is in addition to the work that is already being carried out across Wales by the Commission and partner organisations, which started earlier this year.

The public awareness campaign across Wales aims to encourage anyone not yet registered, to do so as soon as possible.  Research shows that young people, students, and recent home movers are less likely to be registered to vote.

Registering to vote is quick and easy to do online at gov.uk/register-to-vote but you only have until Monday April 18 if you want to vote in these elections in Wales this May.

Castle a popular tourist destination

A trip up to Castell Dinas Bran was a popular excursion for visitors to the town on this sunny Good Friday.

Here, one group enjoys a breather and the spectacular view after their climb to the summit.

Candidate meets mayor and other groups

Welsh Conservative candidate for Clwyd South, Simon Baynes (left), says he had a very good meeting recently at the Hand Hotel with the Mayor, Cllr Mike Adams, Fiona Maher of http://northwalesfaeryfestival.com/ and David Davies, Chairman of the Llangollen Chamber of Trade and Tourism http://www.new.llangollen.org.uk

Mr Baynes added: "This discussion produced many good ideas and points to raise at the postponed meeting with Welsh Minister Lord Bourne which will be held in Llangollen soon."

Redevelopment of old tip site gets underway

WORK to prepare for the redevelopment of the former council refuse tip on the road into Llangollen has started.

One of the area’s county councillors, Stuart Davies, said Denbighshire’s Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) team had received a Heritage Lottery grant to help create a countryside training area on the Wenffryd site off the A539.

And he says he would also like to see the inclusion of extra car parking for visitors to the town along with cycle and footpaths linking the area with the nearby Llangollen Canal towpath and the World Heritage site at Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and perhaps also a football pitch.

Cllr Davies (pictured) said: “The tip closed back in 2008 because of problems of safe access from the main A539, which is a very busy road.

“I’ve been trying for the past four years to get something done with the site and now, at last, things are happening.

“The main aim has been to create a safe access with good visibility and that is now being done as the job of clearing the area around the old tip get underway.

“The AONB people will then have a training facility for countryside maintenance, such as woodcraft, on the site.

“All this is very much a work in progress and I must stress that nothing has yet been agreed, but I’d also like to see extra car parking put in for visitors to the town and foot and cycle paths joining the area up with the nearby canal towpath and eventually the World Heritage site.

“My fellow Llangollen county councillor Rhys Hughes and I would also like to see a football pitch on the site and maybe also an area set aside for wild plants.”   

MP calls for tougher law on bank closures

Susan Elan Jones MP has urged the Government to toughen the law against 'insidious bank closures' in Parliament.

Speaking in a debate in the House of Commons on the budget yesterday (Tuesday), the MP said "It's time we looked very seriously at what happens when banks closes. This is a problem facing many communities and many people."

Ms Jones made her comments after HSBC announced they would close branches in Ruabon and Chirk.

In a separate debate on the Macur Review, the Clwyd South Labour MP, speaking in her role as Shadow Wales Office Minister, also urged judges "not to be soft in sentencing" in cases relating to historic child abuse in North Wales homes.