Scheme to help tenants affected by coronavirus launched

A new £8 million Welsh Government Tenancy Saver Loan scheme to help tenants struggling with rent arrears due to coronavirus has been announced by Minister for Housing and Local Government Julie James.

First of its kind in the UK, the Tenancy Saver Loan scheme will be open to private rented sector tenants in rent arrears and those who may also struggle to pay future months’ rent as a result of coronavirus; it will be open  until March 31^st 2021.

Paid directly to landlords or agents, the scheme will offer 1% APR loans to be repaid over a period of up to 5 years and will provide an affordable way to cover rent arrears, or future months’ rent, reducing the risk of eviction and homelessness. 

Once a tenant has applied for the loan they will be able to access support and advice services to help them manage their financial situation.

Managed by Wales Council for Voluntary Action, the loans will be provided by seven Credit Unions across Wales.

The Credit Unions will firstly work with tenants to find out whether they’re eligible for the loan scheme and how much they could afford to repay. If the scheme is suitable for the tenant, then the Credit Unions will provide them with support for the duration of the loan repayment term.

Minister for Housing and Local Government, Julie James said: “We recognise the constant pressure that the coronavirus is putting on tenants and landlords. While we have already taken steps to alleviate some of this pressure, such as extending the temporary six month notice period for eviction and funding Citizens Advice Cymru to deliver the Early Alert Scheme for rent arrears and other household debt for tenants, we want to go one step further. That’s why we’re supporting a low interest loan scheme that provides financial assistance for both tenants and their landlords.

"The Tenancy Saver Loan Scheme will directly support tenants who are struggling with their rent due to coronavirus to stay in their homes, address their debt and avoid eviction, whilst ensuring landlords receive the rent they are owed.

"We are committed to ensuring no-one is made homeless as a result of the pandemic and this scheme is part of our long term strategy to help people manage their debt, prevent homelessness and where it cannot be prevented ensure it is rare, brief and non-recurrent.”

Policy officer for Credit Unions of Wales Claire Savage said: “Seven credit unions will be providing the Tenancy Saver Loans across Wales, working with Welsh Government and the WCVA to provide a financial lifeline to those who have fallen into rent arrears due to the Covid-19 pandemic and are not able to get other forms of support.

“The loans are offered at a very low interest rate of just 1% APR and will be subject to the usual affordability checks to ensure that we are helping private sector tenants keep their homes while not building up unsustainable debt.” The launch of the new scheme comes as the Welsh Government begins the next phase of its Housing Advice digital campaign – focusing on renters who are struggling to pay their rent, at threat of eviction or at risk of redundancy."

Rebecca Woolley, Director, Citizens Advice Wales said: "We know that the Coronavirus crisis has caused financial difficulties for families across Wales, and we're pleased that the Welsh Government has recognised the importance of providing a package of support specifically for renters in the private sector to ensure that the pandemic doesn't force families from their homes.

"Any private sector tenant worried about paying their rent can contact Citizens Advice Cymru's Private Rented Sector helpline for impartial and confidential advice on 0300 330 2177."

* Regardless of circumstances, any private tenant at threat of losing their home can contact Shelter Cymru free and in confidence on 08000 495 495.”

llanblogger reviews the Old Vicarage's Lockdown Legends book

 * At the launch of the book are Old Vicarage owner Bethan Mascarenhas, Town Crier Austin 'Chem' Cheminais and storyteller Fiona Collins. 

Front: Joan Fell, 96, Jill Lidgit, 85, Ena Strange, 99, and Iola Roberts, 87.

Lockdown Legends Review

by llanblogger

When you visit a care home for the elderly and see the residents sitting comfortably in their armchairs it’s easy to get the impression, simply because they’re now getting on a bit, that they are just normal people who have lived pretty unexciting lives.

But if you take the trouble to stop and chat with them you’ll quickly discover that quite a few of them have led lives and had experiences that are far from mundane.

This is exactly the case with The Old Vicarage in Llangollen.

And the talks professional storyteller Fiona Collins had with a group of residents were so downright fascinating that they just had to be brought together in a book.

Fiona was commissioned by home owner Bethan Mascarenhas and took the opportunity of lockdown, which meant visitors weren’t allowed in, to don her PPE and speak at length to them, recording their recollections for the 132-page Lockdown Legends.

Apart from their stories it is lavishly illustrated by Peter Stevenson and contains a host of their family photos.

One of the contributions comes from Amy Lawton, who was a fiery red-headed Post Office telephonist at the time of the Second World War.

Poignantly, she recalls putting through calls to houses that sometimes weren’t there anymore because they’d been destroyed by bombing.

After the war she and her husband of eventually 65 years quite fancied starting a new life in Canada but their dream was dashed when his dad refused to allow him to go.

However, the couple made up for it later in life when they went globe-trotting on frequent foreign holidays. They also lived in many place during their life together but eventually made their home in Llangollen.

Sad to record that Amy died peacefully at the Old Vic in August at the grand old age of 99.

Then there’s Bill Gosson who remembers his early years growing up on Merseyside – and being bombed by the Luftwaffe almost every night for six or seven months during the war.

His family home was eventually destroyed by a bomb which fell nearby and killed a number of his neighbours. Bill had to be dug out of rubble by a rescue party and was evacuated to Llangollen.

Sadly, there was more tragedy in store for him when a fellow young evacuee drowned on his first day in the area after falling into the river.

Later in life Bill lived in Scotland where he did up his own house and, along with his wife, became part of a Scottish country dancing team.

Ena Strange was born in Liverpool and brought up in Manchester. She recalled being a sickly child whose family doctor advised her mother to take her to north Wales to “run with the sheep”.

They took a cottage on Sun Bank, just outside Llangollen, which she reckons saved her life.

It’s a good thing she became strong because as a teenager during the war she served as an officer in the National Fire Service dealing with the dreadful aftermath of bombing raids on Salford Docks.

In December Ena is due to celebrate her 100^th birthday.

In the book we also learn the story of 87-year-old Iola Roberts, who was born in Acrefair and became a well-known mainstay of many local organisations including the eisteddfod and the Twenty Club dramatic group.

One of her outstanding early memories is how she began driving at the tender age of nine.

“My grandfather had the undertaker and building business. The men in the business taught me to drive in the yard – in the hearse.”

Jill Lidgit, 85, was born in London and, unusually for those days just, she and a friend hitch-hiked across a Europe that was still recovering from the war.

They ended up in Italy where she recalls seeing Leonardo’s The Last Supper at a gallery in Milan, being lucky enough to get tickets to enjoy a concert by the great soprano Maria Callas, climbing Vesuvius  and joining the crowds in St Peter’s Square to hear the Pope deliver his Easter message.

Many other tales featured in this delightful book are equally enthralling.

* Lockdown Legends, priced at £9.99, is available from Courtyard Books who are currently taking pre-orders for a print run with all proceeds going to the residents’ fund at the Old Vic..

Orders and payments must be made before 2pm on Monday October 19.

The shop will be open from 10am-2pm, or you can contact them on the Courtyard Books Llangollen Facebook page, or on courtyardbooksllangollen@gmail.com 

They are able to post worldwide for an extra postage fee.

County demands urgent support for businesses in local restriction areas

Denbighshire County Council has called on Welsh Government for an urgent update on the £60 million lockdown fund being made available to support businesses in Wales affected by the impact of local restrictions due to covid.  

Councillor Hugh Evans OBE, who is also the Cabinet Lead Member for the Economy has written to Ken Skates, Minister for Economy, Transport and North Wales this week, expressing his concern that local authorities have still not received guidance and application forms for this funding which could help businesses in areas affected by local restrictions.

The council has called on Welsh Government to be more innovative in its approach to businesses during lockdown and to extend the exemptions to allow certain businesses to survive, to consider how it can provide practical support and reduce dependency on public funding.   

As a number of Denbighshire businesses are under pressure, the council has also called for a debate on how the economy can survive whilst the battle against covid continues.

Councillor Evans said: “We fully recognise the need for the restrictions in our counties due to the increasing numbers of coronavirus cases and have worked closely with Welsh Government and Public Health Wales to implement the local restrictions.

“However, we have received many messages from businesses who have been severely disrupted by the decision and the funding pot for areas under restriction could assist businesses affected.

“However, for local authorities to implement such funding schemes successfully we need clear guidance issued in a timely manner, together with the date that applications for funding can be made so we can inform and offer support to businesses.

“There is also concern that as the grant is thought to be based on a first come first serve basis, and that the figures being talked about would not cover all those businesses that satisfy the basic eligibility criteria.

“We’re also concerned that businesses who may have issues in completing the application forms will simply miss out because of timing.

“This could be perceived as unfair and unsupportive of all businesses."

Appeal to students by contact tracing team

Students from Denbighshire studying and living outside of the county are asked to provide their college or university addresses if they request or take a Covid test, to ensure contacts are traced as quickly and efficiently as possible.

The TTP team in Denbighshire have been contacting students from the county that have tested positive for coronavirus, with a view to tracing any contacts that may have been in close contact to the individual, only to be informed they are living outside of the county.  The contact tracing needs to be carried out by the local TTP team.

Councillor Mark Young, Cabinet Lead Member for Planning, Public Protection and Safer Communities, said: “The Test, Trace and Protect service in Denbighshire and across North Wales are running efficiently and effectively and they are playing an important role in our efforts to identify who may have come into contact with positive cases.

“The support of residents has been vital of the success of the service to date and we thank people that have already co-operated with our teams. 

“The information people provide needs to be as accurate as it can possibly be but recently we have noticed examples where students studying outside of the region have given their home addresses rather than their college or university address. This means that the case is handed to Denbighshire’s TTP team, only for us then to find out the real address and need to pass on the case to the relevant authority.

“We recognise it’s a real and understandable mistake, but it’s a duplication of efforts which can easily be avoided."

Ysgol Dinas Bran to stage virtual open day

Ysgol Dinas Bran is to stage a virtual open day on Monday October 19.

For further details go to the school's website at: www.dinasbran.co.uk

Tribute to the Rev Charles Stallard who died recently

* This drawing of Charles Stallard is by his granddaughter Carys.

* Charles meets Terry Waite at a Llangollen Eisteddfod gathering. Picture by Mike Connolly. 

The Rev John Charles Stallard, who was well known in Llangollen where he lived for 10 years, died recently at the age of 85 in Llandudno.

The father of the Venerable Mary Stallard and her husband the Rev Andrew Sully, he had moved with his wife Daphne to the seaside town to be near them when they went there two years ago.

While Andrew became the vicar and ministry area leader of Llandudno, Mary, then the new Archdeacon of Bangor, became an associate vicar in Llandudno.  

Charles attended Whitgift School in Croydon and after National Service he read English and Theology at Selwyn College Cambridge. 

It was during his time at University that his vocation to the priesthood was nurtured, and there he also met his future wife Daphne.

After finishing his degree, Charles trained as a teacher before ordination training at Ripon College, Cuddesdon. 

He and Daphne moved to the Diocese of Birmingham where he served curacies in Sutton Coldfield and Hall Green before taking on his first parish at St Bede’s in Brandwood. 

Charles drew on his drama skills as a priest and became known for his plays, sacred and secular, and for the pantomimes which drew all kinds of people into the life of the church. 

He was always keenly involved with ministry to youngsters, he was a scout-leader and wherever he served he made sure there were youth clubs and Sunday schools. 

In the various dioceses in which he worked -  Birmingham, Newcastle and Worcester - in the parishes of St James and St Basil Fenham, St Hilda’s Warley Woods, Droitwich Spa and Pensnett, he used his gifts of liturgy, drama and education to enrich the life of  communities and to draw fellow clerics together at diocesan events.

In Newcastle, Charles had a school ministry as a chaplain and teacher. He served at Dame Allan’s school.

In retirement Charles continued to offer an active ministry, serving in St David’s, St Asaph, the Diocese of Truro (on the Scilly Isles) and latterly in Bangor Diocese. 

He was a lover of words and always read widely, keeping up a keen interest in theology, history, literature and politics throughout his life. 

He wrote throughout his ministry and had a book published of his reflections from the viewpoint of the rectory dachshund.

Bishop John Stewart Davies, former Bishop of St Asaph, wrote of him: “He seemed to me to possess all the best virtues of an old school parish priest - prayerfulness, intelligence, kindness, dedication. accessibility, that rare quality of 'stabilitas', and much much more. 

"I considered it a privilege to have him in the diocese and was always glad to see him. He came across as ever cheerful and attentive."

Charles had three children, Mary, Andrew and John, and four grandchildren - Mary's daughters Jo and Carys, and also Harry and George.

Mary said: "Dad loved the time that he and Mum spent in Llangollen. 

"They were so happy in the town and Dad loved being an active part of the community. 

"He had many friends in the town and enjoyed continuing to serve in the Church, taking part in Rotary Club meetings, visiting some of the residential homes, being part of various drama societies and volunteering at the Eisteddfod. 

"The family are all so grateful for the many messages of sympathy and shared memories of him that we have received.

"He and Mum both moved to Llandudno two years ago when Andrew and I moved. They came to be near us." 

Old Vicarage finds local distributor for its book

* Bill Gosson, 90, with the book Lockdown Legends. 

Courtyard Books in Llangollen has come to the aid of residents at The Old Vicarage care home after an overwhelming response to their book Lockdown Legends.

Sian from Courtyard books has said that they will be taking pre-orders for a print run, the book will be £9.99 and any proceeds will go to the residents' fund. Orders and payments must be made before 2pm on Monday October 19.

The shop will be open from 10am-2pm, or you can contact them on the Courtyard Books Llangollen Facebook page, or on courtyardbooksllangollen@gmail.com

They are able to post worldwide for an extra postage fee.