Eisteddfod gets £25,000 funding boost

Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod has been selected to receive a £25,000 funding boost from the ScottishPower Foundation.

Backing charity initiatives as diverse as wildlife conservation and science-themed education to mental health awareness and theatrical productions, ScottishPower Foundation chose the festival’s Inclusion Project, which is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year.

* Music Director of the Llangollen

Eisteddfod Vicky Yannoula.

The project helps promote unity and diversity throughout North Wales, Shropshire and Cheshire.

A diverse mix of groups from the local communities will come together and perform on the main stage at the festival in July.

The £1m ScottishPower fund was announced yesterday by Trustee and Executive Officer of the ScottishPower Foundation, Ann McKechin, at the Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice in Glasgow another of the recipents. 

Each of the 17 charities to receive funding from the ScottishPower Foundation will deliver events, information or campaigns that directly benefit people living in their local communities or regions.

Other projects include a theatre production by the National Theatre of Scotland, a marine conservation initiative by RSPB Scotland and STEM learning programmes by National Museums Scotland and Dumfries House.

Ann McKechin, Trustee and Executive Officer of the ScottishPower Foundation said: “Applications for this year’s funding blew us away with the incredible and diverse work happening around the UK, and to see the effects of funding in action here today is extremely moving.

"The ScottishPower Foundation is proud to be able to support these projects by helping them to realise their vision of making a positive difference to the lives of people in their communities.”

Music Director of the Llangollen Eisteddfod Vicky Yannoula, said: “Promoting opportunities for all and reducing inequality of opportunities is core to the ethos of the International Eisteddfod.

“Thanks to the ScottishPower Foundation’s continued support and funding the Inclusion Project has been able to continue its good work and enable people from all walks of life to perform on the Eisteddfod stage."

The ScottishPower Foundation was established in 2013 with the aim of making a significant and lasting contribution to society, enhancing the lives of people living in communities throughout the UK.

It provides funding to registered charities which are involved in the advancement of education, environmental protection, citizenship and community development. The Foundation also supports non-profit organisations working in science, the arts, heritage or culture as well as the prevention of poverty and relief of disability or other disadvantage.

Man airliftted to hospital following A539 collision

The Leader is reporting that a man has been airlifted to hospital following a serious three-vehicle crash on the A539 near Llangollen.

Fire and ambulance services were called to the incident close to the Sun Trevor Inn this afternoon (Monday) while an air ambulance was also in attendance.

The collision has led to disruption to local bus services,

* For the full story see: http://www.leaderlive.co.uk/

MP welcomes GP surgery revamp

An Assembly Member has welcomed confirmation that work to revamp a town’s GP surgery will be completed this year.

Ken Skates vowed before his 2016 re-election he would help deliver increased spending on health and social services in Clwyd South and subsequently secured a promise of investment from Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board chief executive Gary Doherty.

A £1.5m project to refurbish and modernise Corwen Family Practice got under way last month and will see extra GP consultation rooms, improved waiting areas and a new dental suite created.

A range of community services will also be based in the new-look building, including health visitors and district nursing.

Mr Skates said: “I was delighted to see work on this welcome refurbishment get under way and I’m sure many of my constituents in Corwen and its surrounding communities will be pleased their surgery is seeing this significant investment.”

Mr Skates was also involved in the campaigns to bring brand new health centres to Chirk and Llangollen.

He said: “After pressing hard for these improvements for Corwen. I recently wrote again to Gary Doherty and he informed me that he anticipates the work to be completed in the autumn.

"I have previously pledged to help deliver increased health spending Clwyd South, so this investment in Corwen is particularly pleasing.”

Some services, including physiotherapy and podiatry, are currently being run from temporary accommodation on-site, while dental services will continue to be provided from the current location while refurbishment progresses.

For the duration of the building work, the pharmacist in Corwen town centre will accept repeat prescriptions, while Corwen Family Practice will accept repeat prescriptions between 8am and 6pm on Monday to Thursday and from 8am until 5pm on Fridays.

Demo greets Plaid leader's community garden visit

Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood had an unexpected reception when she visited Llangollen Community Garden yesterday (Saturday) morning.

Last week, garden supporters received the news that Denbighshire County Council has decided not to sell off the plot for housing development.

* The posters in Cllr Timms' car windows.

Ms Wood, who was in the area attending the party’s spring conference at the Pavilion, had been invited along to show her support for the project and to speak to members of the community who work on it.

But parked on the road outside the garden was the car of local Labour councillor Graham Timms displaying posters which bore the message, “Don’t  play politics with Llangollen Community Garden. I didn’t.”  

Explaining the reason behind the demonstration, Cllr Timms said: “After six months of hard work to keep the community garden open I was  delighted when the county council finally decided to keep ownership of the site they occupied.

“The garden has proved that it can bring people and communities together.

“Throughout the whole campaign I kept party politics out of the fight for the garden. I never used the small victories in council committees as a victory for Labour. It was a victory for the wellbeing of Llangollen.

“In early March, I made my final speech of a series in Denbighshire County Council’s Assets Committee that agreed to save the garden. 

“It was a great feeling to know that the garden’s future was safe and that the people who had worked so hard would have a long term future on the site.

“I am furious that two weeks after the garden has been given a secure future Plaid Cymru’s leader Leanne Wood arrives to use the garden’s campaign success for party political advantage.

“Whilst I’m delighted that Plaid Cymru have chosen Llangollen for their Spring Conference, I do not welcome their cynical attempt to claim credit for something they plainly have not done.”

He added: “Leanne Wood managed to squeeze past into the garden and spoke to a number of people involved with it.

“I interrupted her TV interview to explain that party politics shouldn't be involved and put my point of view over.”

Plaid Cymru county councillor Mabon ap Gwynfor said: "Plaid Cymru were holding their spring conference in Llangollen and as such Leanne took the opportunity to visit businesses and projects in the area.

"On Saturday she visited the community garden in Llangollen. Leanne wrote a booklet, Greenprint For The Valleys, which discussed how communities should get together to develop projects which were community focussed, environmentally beneficial and sustainable.

"The Llangollen Community Garden Project is exactly the kind of thing that Leanne has been championing.

"The garden was threatened recently and Cllr Times, to his credit, did a lot to assist them.

"Leanne visited to learn from the garden - sharing best practice is essential. But also to congratulate them on their successful campaign.

"As a councillor in Denbighshire I'm certainly inspired by the garden, and am looking at ways to emulate them.

"They're an example to follow and should be celebrated as such. It's a shame that the visit was misconstrued by Graham. Personally I looking forward to continuing to work with Graham on DCC in order to achieve our common goal of improving the lives of people living in Denbighshire."

* Leanne Wood (centre) meets members of the community garden group.

Town Council replies to social media comments

In response to various matters being debated on social media, Llangollen Town Council has issued the following statement on its own Facebook page:

"The Town Council would like to correct several inaccuracies which have been posted on Facebook regarding Town Council expenditure.

"Members of the Town Council are not supplied with mobile phones or tablets. Members are however able to claim allowances for expenses incurred in pursuant of their duties.

"These allowances are determined by the Independent Remuneration Panel for Wales which is responsible for determining the allowances payable to elected members of principal councils, national park authorities, fire and rescue authorities, and community and town councils in Wales.

"The decision to retire the old Chain of Office, which dates form 1974, was following an assessment by Thomas Fattorini, Designer-Makers and Artist-Craftsmen, who have for over 100 years designed and manufactured pendants, chains of office and fine regalia such as maces, staffs and various civic gifts for parish, town, city and district councils, associations, and universities.

"The Chain was deemed beyond economic repair with broken clasps, the loss of gilding and the complete obliteration of some names due to wear and tear. Continued use of the old Chain of Office would have caused further damage and the potential loss of elements through further wear and tear.

"The cost of the replacement was borne out of Town Council reserves."

Tory AM slams council merger plans

North Wales Assembly Member Mark Isherwood has slammed Welsh Government plans to merge councils in Wales, stating that “Big is not always more beautiful, cost-effective or efficient”.    

A statement earlier this week by the Cabinet Secretary for Local Government and Public Services on ‘Local Government’,  resurrected Welsh Government plans that could see Wales' 22 councils merged to as few as 10.

The proposals are Isle of Anglesey & Gwynedd; Conwy & Denbighshire; Flintshire & Wrexham; Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire & Carmarthenshire; Swansea & Neath Port Talbot; Bridgend, Rhondda Cynon Taf & Merthyr Tydfil; Vale of Glamorgan & Cardiff; Newport & Caerphilly; Torfaen, Blaenau Gwent & Monmouthshire.

Responding to the Statement in the Chamber, Mr Isherwood (pictured), said:  “Well, we've heard much of your general thrust, including your acknowledgement that we need devolution of powers within Wales, which is precisely what the North Wales Economic Ambition Board is calling for in its Growth Bid. Could I suggest that an alternative model might be the collaborative regional approach developed in North Wales by the North Wales Economic Ambition Board, working together on strategy, prioritisation and, increasingly in the future, delivery, where we know the evidence from mergers in all the sectors is that big is not always more beautiful, cost-effective or efficient?”

Speaking outside the Chamber, Mr Isherwood added: “Last time they tried this, I was a member of the Assembly Committee which scrutinised what they were up to. The evidence we received showed that they were ignoring the analysis which local authorities must undertake to show that the benefits outweigh the costs before committing to any expenditure alone or with other authorities.

“It is scandalous that the Welsh Government considers that such financial discipline with public money should not apply to itself.  As the Welsh Local Government Association said “this announcement has caused disquiet and confusion” and “the proposals are yet to be fully costed and most academic analysis concludes that such reform programmes rarely deliver the savings or changes in performance that were hoped."

Students debate future of minority languages

* Students gather for the debate.

The future of minority languages across Europe was the subject of debate for  25 students from Europe during a week long stay in Denbighshire.
 
The visit to Llangollen,  hosted by Ysgol Dinas Bran as part of the Erasmus Project, was set up to understand the importance of minority languages across Europe.  
 
Ysgol Dinas Bran has been involved in the project for two years, with representatives having visited a number of European countries.  

This month it was the school’s turn to host a week-long visit for pupils from Poland, Italy, Switzerland, Germany and Scotland.
 
Students stayed with host families in the Dee Valley as part of the exchange visit.
 
Ifor Phillips, Head of Welsh at Ysgol Dinas Bran, said: “The school has been extremely fortunate to be involved in such an important project. Students from across Europe have been given opportunities to learn about the minority languages and to hear what steps are being taken to promote and protect their future.
 
“During the week, we offered the European students a real taste of Welsh Language and culture. They attended a Noson Lawen and a real life Welsh language gig. We have also shown them the sights of Llangollen and Denbighshire, as well as a visit to Snowdon and Llanberis.
 
“It has been an extremely worthwhile initiative and we have been delighted to promote the Welsh Language and culture through our activities during the week."