Sion Corn gets ready for his Christmas Festival appearance

* Sion Corn tries his first trip down a chimney in Llangollen after his summer break. 

With Christmas just around the corner Sion Corn – the Welsh Santa – reckoned it was time to start practising for his busiest night of the year.

So when he dropped in to Llangollen to discuss his appearance at the town’s Christmas Festival this year he took the opportunity to scramble over a roof to the nearest chimney and take a dive down it.

“With so many chimneys to negotiate on a single night I obviously have to keep in trim and being in Llangollen to discuss their festival gave me the perfect opportunity for a little practice routine,” said the grand old man.

“I’m glad to say it went very well and I didn’t get stuck halfway down which is always a possibility if you’ve put on a few extra pounds over the summer.” 

He added: “I’ll be coming back to Llangollen shortly to practice my arrival at the festival and I’ve come up with a couple of real show-stoppers.”

Thousands of seasonal revellers are expected to come flocking to Llangollen for the annual Christmas Festival on Saturday November 30.

Kicking off at 1pm with the famous parade which sees Sion Corn being escorted into town over the historic bridge by a colourful cavalcade of entertainers and local groups, the event features children’s fairground rides, food stalls, choirs, craft stalls, circus acts and face painting.

There will also be a chance for youngsters to visit Sion Corn in his glorious grotto and put in their early requests from what they’d like to see him bring them on Christmas morning. 

During the afternoon visitors can look forward to an eclectic mix of musical entertainment from local groups on two outdoor stages and other on-street entertainment.

The fun-packed day rounds off at 5pm with the ceremonial switching on of Llangollen’s legendary Christmas lights and a firework extravaganza. 

Llangollen Christmas Festival is organised by a group of dedicated community volunteers. It costs over £4,000 to stage each year and is self-funding.

The festival aims to provide a free family-orientated event in the safety of the town centre with surplus funds being donated to Wales Air Ambulance and local community groups.

Over the last couple of years the police have estimated that the spectacular event draws over 2,000 people into town during the course of the afternoon.

For the third year the festival has teamed up with Light Up Local Food, a project aimed at promoting Llangollen-based food and drink producers.

Chairman of the festival committee Austin ‘Chem’ Cheminais, who is also the local town crier and a member of the town council, said: “With the help of the community we manage, each year, to raise just about enough to fund the event and give a little to charity.

“Last year’s festival was particularly successful thanks to the good weather and the feedback from those attending was very positive.

“The ‘market’ feel to the event provided by Light UP Local Food was particularly commented upon and helped to attract visitors from much further afield.

“Once again we’re expecting a bumper crowd to come along and help us to give a great early start to Christmas.” 

Festival organisers have also arranged for free parking throughout the day at local car parks.

Crooks’ cash used to beat drugs barons

* North Wales PCC Arfon Jones and Sacha Hatchett ( Assistant Chief Constable) promoting launch of Your Community Your Choice at Colwyn Bay police HQ.

Cash seized from crooks will be used to help children and young people escape the clutches of County Lines gangs exploiting them to sell drugs in communities across North Wales.

Tackling serious and organised crime will be a priority for the special £40,000 fund set up by North Wales and Crime Commissioner Arfon Jones with the support of North Wales Police and the North Wales Police and Crime Trust (PACT).

Half the money will be contributed by the commissioner with the rest coming from a pot of cash confiscated from criminals via the Proceeds of Crime Act.

The aim of the Your Community Your Choice scheme is to recycle the ill-gotten gains of villains for positive purposes.

As a result, two community groups in each county in North Wales will receive up to £2,500 each whilst there will be two £5,000 grants available for organisations working across three or more counties in North Wales.

The window for groups to submit applications opens for a four week period on November 11, with the winners being chosen by a public vote.

Commissioner Jones, a former police inspector, said: “The focus of this year’s Your Community Your Choice fund is to counter the threat to our communities coming from drug gangs from the urban areas, using or exploiting young people to deal drugs in our communities.

“The aim is to build up resilience in communities to resist this threat, and to resist organised crime groups infiltrating our towns and villages and exploiting and coercing vulnerable young people to deal in drugs. Essentially, we are talking about the scourge of the County Lines gangs.

“North Wales Police has taken great steps in addressing the County Lines issue, and identifying those responsible, and actually taking the gangs out. We’ve had some great successes in taking organised crime groups.

“But our communities need to play their part in reporting this to Crime Stoppers who can be contacted anonymously by ringing 0800 555 111.

“What better way than using the proceeds of crime than helping communities build resilience amongst their own young people.

“There is an element of poetic justice in using money obtained through crime to address the problem of crime in our communities.

“Addressing County Lines is one of the major priorities in my Police and Crime Plan so it all fits together. Reducing the criminal exploitation of young people is the umbrella priority in my plan and County Lines is at the centre of that.”

It was a sentiment endorsed by Assistant Chief Constable Sacha Hatchett.

She said: “These awards are important because they involve the community and the communities decide where the money can best be spent.

“A lot of what we fund is aimed at providing something for young people to get involved with in their spare time rather than being tempted to commit crime or indulge in anti-social behaviour.

“We want to support communities so they are able to take responsibility for their own areas.

“Smaller community groups like them can do a great deal to make communities safer, reduce crime and reduce re-offending, It also sends a good message to the communities because it shows we are listening to them.

“The aim is to build up resilience in communities across North Wales to help vulnerable people combat things like County Lines.

“I think criminality sometimes cannot grow in areas where the community will not allow it to do so.

“I get particular satisfaction that part of the funding comes from the proceeds of crime, so that money is taken out of the pockets of criminals and their ill-gotten gains by the courts and is put back into community initiatives.

“It’s turning bad money into good and it’s making a real difference because it is local people who recognise and understand their local issues and how to solve them.

“This is a really positive aspect of the scheme and it helps bring us closer to those communities.”

PACT manager Dave Evans added: “The scheme has been tremendously successful over the years and I welcome the symbolism and synergy between accessing the ill-gotten gains of criminal activity in North Wales and redistributing it to communities in North Wales to support projects which will have a beneficial impact on the local population.

“The aims of the Your Community, Your Choice scheme support the objectives of the Police and Crime Commissioner’s plan so it creates a potent strategy to enhance the well-being of towns and villages across north Wales.”

“Applicants have to be a properly constituted community group or a registered charity and the main criterion is that the project helps to support the Police and Crime Plan by delivering safer neighbourhoods.

“It gives us the opportunity to engage with a wide variety of community groups and also importantly gives out local neighbourhood policing teams the opportunity to engage with those groups and support them with their projects.

“I would recommend that applicants considering a bid liaise with their local neighbourhood policing team to discuss it and make sure it is as comprehensive as possible.”

* The opening date for applications is November 11 and they must be returned by e-mail to yourcommunityyourchoice@nthwales.pnn.police.uk by 5pm on the closing date of December 6. For more information go to the North Wales Police website www.north-wales.police.uk or the commissioner’s website www.northwales-pcc.gov.uk or ring 01745 588516.

Museum to hold viewing of art contest entries

Llangollen Museum has a launch evening for its annual art competition this Wednesday from 6.30-8.30pm.

It will be a chance to enjoy a glass of wine or juice and nibbles, while viewing all of the entries in this year's competition.

Judges are town councillors Bob Lube and Sheena Grindley along with local artist Dory.

Prizes will be presented by Deputy Mayor Issy Richards.

Competition organiser Janet Wakefield said: "All are welcome with a particular invitation to all the children who will be exhibiting and their parents.

"The competition theme was to depict a song or piece of music. We have had some brilliant and innovative entries. Do come along and share the evening with us.

"All the children who entered and are there on the evening will receive a small something by way of a thank you for the effort they put into their work.

"Main winners of the children's classes will be notified through school."

Workshops planned to help volunteers

As part of Trustees’ Week 2019 which runs from November 4-8 Denbighshire Voluntary Services Council (DVSC) will be holding a series of workshops around good governance, fundraising and volunteering.

As the membership body for volunteers, voluntary and community groups, third sector organisations and social enterprises, DVSC is taking part in UK wide celebrations for Trustees’ Week which will involve a number of interesting workshops for trustees and a celebratory shout out.

Helen Wilkinson, DVSC’s chief executive, said: “Trustees' Week is an annual event to showcase the great work that trustees do and highlight opportunities for people from all walks of life to get involved and make a difference.

"Throughout the week we are hosting workshops on the NCVO Code of Good Governance and the Fundraising Code of Practice. We have partnered up with WCVA to deliver workshops on gaining the Trusted Charity Mark and the Investing in Volunteers accreditation.

"Trustees’ Week is also a great opportunity to say thank you to trustees. We encourage all our members to give a shout out to their trustees who give their time voluntarily and make an enormous contribution to the third sector in Denbighshire."

All workshops will be at the DVSC headquarters in the Naylor Leyland Centre, Well Street, Ruthin, LL15 1AF.

Workshop  Date & Time 

* The Charity Governance Code

bit.ly/CharityGovernanceCodeWorkshop2019 

Monday November 4 10.00am – 11.30am

* Fundraising Code of Practice

bit.ly/FundraisingCodeofPractice2019 

Wednesday November 6 10.00am – 11.30am

* Trusted Charity

bit.ly/TrustedCharityWorkshop 

Friday November 8 10.00am – 11.30am

* Investing in Volunteers

bit.ly/InvestingVolunteers 

Friday November 8 2.00pm – 4.00pm

DVSC is also asking people living and working in Denbighshire to think about whether they know a trustee (or group of trustees) who have made a real difference to a voluntary and community group, organisation and the community over the last year and to nominate them for a Celebratory Trustee Shout Out.

If you know someone who deserves to be recognised email - engagement@dvsc.co.uk providing name, contact details, and why (in no more than 250 words) their trustee efforts deserve to be celebrated.  If you have a photograph to share all the better. You can also fill in the form on our website here: denbighshirevolunteers.net/share-your-story/.  

* For more information on any of the above events, please call 01824 702 441, email engagement@dvsc.co.uk or visit www.dvsc.co.uk/trustees-week  

Stuart Davies celebrates success in scan campaign

* Long, hard battle: Stuart Davies.

The Llangollen man who spearheaded a campaign to have equal access to prostate cancer scanning for men in different parts of the country is celebrating its implementation in north Wales.

Former county councillor Stuart Davies, 71, paid Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) nearly £900 for a multi-parametric MRI (mpMRI) scan when a cancer that he'd beaten several years ago returned in 2017.

The mpMRI is a specific type of investigation that can give more detailed images of the prostate than a regular MRI scan.

It was recommended to Mr Davies by the health board as a way of specifically deciding upon the correct treatment for his cancer.

But after receiving the scan he was shocked to learn that it is offered for free by other health boards in Wales.

His successful petition, demanding equal access to the scan across Wales, sparked  a discussion in the Senedd in Cardiff and shortly afterwards Mr Davies marched on the capital, joined by fellow campaigners.

Before the petition was launched, just three of the seven health boards in Wales, offered mpMRI before biopsy and only one board provided it to a standard high enough to safely rule men out of biopsy.

This meant men in four health boards did not have access to mpMRI as a diagnostic test, unless they paid to have it done privately.

Mr Davies’s own health authority, the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, has just written to inform him that the new mpMRI scanning service has now been implemented in north Wales.

He said: “This is the end of a long, hard battle but now we’ve finally got things in place in north Wales and I’m really chuffed about it.

“I started my campaign after I found out that free scans were available in South Wales but not in north Wales.

“First of all we were treated with contempt by the powers that be but then we started to get their attention. The excuses were multiple but revolved a lot around costs.”

He added: “My petition got over 6,000 signatures for the Welsh Government Petitions Committee which I found out later was an unheard of number.

“It is my view that the committee along with local AMs from across the political spectrum, in particular Mark Isherwood and Rhun ap Iorwerth, were the drivers that got the attention of the Minister and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Geoff Ryall Harvey of the CHC was also indefatigable in his support.

“I am told by a high-up in the NHS that the campaign is already helping to save lives.”

Mr Davies says that although he is not aware that the scans have yet been adopted by every health board across Wales he believes this cannot now be far off.

SG Estates responds to complaints over site works

* The new housing development off Vicarage Road.

Nearby residents have been complaining about the way work is being carried out on the new housing estate in Llangollen.

But the boss of the company carrying out the work says they are doing their best "to address and alleviate local traffic issues". 

Complaints from residents centre on large HGVs and various plant driving along Vicarage Road with insufficient room to pass parked residents' vehicles. 

One resident is said to have had the wing mirrors of her car knocked off by a passing vehicle.

Also there are HGVs meeting each other at the pinch point at the top of Hill Street and said to be causing a problem for other road users, particularly pedestrians and those with wheelchairs, push-hairs and prams. 

Steve Griffin, managing director of SG Estates, which is carrying out the building project, says in a statement issued to llanblogger yesterday evening: "Just prior to commencement of the roadworks on Hall Street and Willow Street, SG Estates were approached by Hafren Dyfrdwy (HD) regarding the construction of a new reservoir off Vicarage Road, to the rear (South) of the property known as Fron Hyfryd.  

"HD told SG Estates of its need to install a main from the A5 to its site and requested that they be allowed to lay the pipe whilst SG Estates undertook our works on Hall Street and Willow Street.

"SG Estates decided that it was in the public interest to accommodate HD’s pipe laying within our works programme thereby minimising disruption in the locality (traffic/noise/access) and avoiding further road closures in the vicinity at a later date - not to mention the additional traffic and muddy roads so soon after we had completed our work.

"However, SG Estates' decision to assist with the reservoir project has come at a price. SG Estates has experienced a significant delay to its progress as a result of accommodating these 'unrelated' works, and our programme has been delayed as a result of it.

"Without this incurred delay and other unforeseen circumstances the majority of the roadworks to feed the development site would have been completed by now. 

"SG Estates are a small, local family-owned development company and our financial resources are not as endless as some of the large national companies and the resultant delay would have had a serious impact on the viability of our company proceeding with the development.

"We have had to commence works on some of the properties on phase 1 of the development out-of-sequence and prior to the roads being completed. This action has been required in order to meet our financial responsibilities and deliver the required housing to the market in a timeous manner. 

"This site has been identified by Denbighshire County Council as being vital to meet the shortfall in available local housing and SG Estates has invested heavily in delivering this vision.

"Accordingly, we are committed to delivering the project and infrastructure as soon as possible and without further delays.

"Works continue to progress on-site, and it is anticipated that the roads shall be tarmaced to base course in approximately 6 weeks’ time.

"SG Estates has already spent almost £2 million on reconstructing and upgrading the local highway, utility and infrastructure to date, underlining our commitment to Llangollen.

"In addition we have sponsored several local events and organisations including (Llanfest / Bikefest / Christmas lights / football team etc. We are committed to helping the local community as best we can. 

"We are keen to get the roads completed as this delay is causing frustration for everyone, not least ourselves. The biggest issue that we are facing is that we can only lay a road when everything required beneath it has been laid.

"We continue to push our contractors and the utility companies to expedite the works and enable the tarmac surface to be laid as soon as possible to address and alleviate local traffic issues. 

"We are calling on relationships with the other utilities' personnel to try to keep works on track, and they are trying to help out, so hopefully the impact of events this week can be mitigated as soon as possible.

"The traffic issue on Hill Street is also being impacted as a result of plant and materials being delivered to HD. 

"We apologise to the local neighbour who has experienced inconvenience and we will ensure we expedite our final works to the highway upgrades and ensure all our resources target a timeous completion date."

Police boss backs law change on assisted dying

* North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Arfon Jones.

A police boss is calling for a change in the law to allow assisted dying.

North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Arfon Jones is one of 18 PCCs from across the UK to sign a letter to the Ministry of Justice urging reform on the right to die.

Mr Jones is supporting the campaign that’s been launched on behalf of Ron Hogg, the Police, Crime and Victims Commissioner for Durham, who has motor neurone disease and wishes for the law to be altered to allow him to end his life.

It is an incurable condition that eventually leads to muscle wasting and death.

Mr Hogg already needs help to breathe and is challenging the law banning assisted dying.

He is said to be considering going to the Dignitas suicide clinic in Switzerland to shorten the suffering his condition will lead to.

It is understood he would prefer to die in his in Scotland, where he was born, but the current ban on assisted dying means he will have to go overseas.

It could also mean ending his life earlier than he would want for fear he could be too ill to travel.

Mr Hogg said: “I think the law should allow assisted dying. Clearly you need to have safeguards. But there ought to be a clear path outlined where individuals who would want to choose that route can do so, and can do so legally within the UK.

Since being elected as North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner, Mr Jones has worked closely with Mr Hogg, who has been an innovative and passionate advocate of drug reform.

Mr Hogg has pioneered a new approach to minor offenders, including people with problematic drug use, through a successful scheme called Checkpoint.

The North Wales commissioner is about to launch a similar scheme called Checkpoint Cymru which will see low-level offenders here being given the chance to avoid a criminal record by signing up to a strict rehabilitation programme and staying out of trouble.

The letter co-signed by Mr Jones said: “Many will have experienced or heard of cases where the blanket ban on assisted dying has caused distress, confusion and pain for dying people, their loved ones, and even the investigating police officers themselves.

“Most recently, great-grandmother, Mavis Eccleston, was acquitted by a jury after being charged with murder for helping Dennis, her husband of 60 years, to end his own life rather than suffer any further agony from advanced bowel cancer.

“Earlier this year, 76-year-old Ann Whaley was investigated by police for booking travel to and accommodation in Switzerland for her husband, Geoff, who had arranged an assisted death at Dignitas in order to avoid a prolonged, traumatic end from motor neurone disease. 

“The cost of these investigations - financial, emotional and societal - cannot be easily dismissed.

“We believe it is time for a renewed look at the functioning of the existing law on assisted dying.

“While there are clearly differences of opinion as to whether or how the law should change, we contend that the law is not working as well as it could and seek an inquiry to confirm that.”

The letter has been welcomed by the Dignity Dying organisation.

Chief executive Sarah Wootton said: “It is clear that the blanket ban on assisted dying is not working for dying people, for their families, or for the dedicated public servants who must enforce it.

“We all agree that vulnerable people must be protected, but that is not happening under the status quo.

“The ban on assisted dying merely drives the practice behind closed doors and abroad, with seriously ill people often ending their lives prematurely for fear of becoming too ill to act.

“There is also a scattergun approach to enforcing the law. Either there is either no scrutiny at all, meaning potential safeguarding opportunities are being missed, or loving family members are criminalised for acts of compassion and are forced to endure distressing and intrusive investigations at great cost to the public purse.

“When half of police and crime commissioners across the country recognise that a law is not working, law-makers have a duty to listen. It is time for a Ministry of Justice-led inquiry into the blanket ban on assisted dying.”