Tune in for some Christmas cheer this evening

* Neil Barrett and David Lyne's double act will be on the evening's bill. 

The Collen Players are to stage a special Christmas Variety show this evening.

But because they’re not yet allowed to perform for a live Llangollen audience due to social distancing rules, they will be bringing some roistering seasonal cheer through the airwaves.

The group was founded a couple of years ago by Father Lee Taylor, priest-in-charge of St Collen’s Church and a music hall enthusiast.

He said: “Collen Players have now done a number of very successful shows which attracted large and appreciative audiences.

“Unfortunately, we had to cancel one of the shows soon after the pandemic began but we were determined to go ahead with our Christmas special.

“We’ll be streaming it live on our own Facebook page observing the very strictest social distancing rules.”

He added: “Like so many other entertainers we’re having to adapt to this new way of performing but we can’t wait to be involved in the show.

“People have had such a very bad time over most of this year and we think they deserve a little cheering up in time for Christmas.

“We hope as many people as possible will watch the show which starts online at 6.30pm tonight (Friday).”

Father Lee will as usual be the evening’s chairman and the performers will be Shea Ferron, Julie Thomas and Gethin Davies, Mike Connolly, Susan Stokes, Phil Robinson, Neil Barratt and Dave Lyne.

Accompanying them on the piano will be Owen Roberts.

* To see the show being livestreamed at 6.30pm this evening, go to the Collen Players Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/collenplayers      

Entries invited to business champions awards

Clwyd South MP Simon Baynes (pictured) has shown his support for small community-based enterprises in his constituency by backing the Wrexham and Denbighshire Business Champions Awards.

The awards were launched to highlight the achievements of the UK’s very best small businesses who have shown great community spirit in their local area and are aimed at any businesses with up to 50 employees, including hairdressers, cafes, accountants, solicitors and graphic designers.

Small businesses in both Wrexham and Denbighshire have the chance to be in the regional finals, competing at town and country levels. The awards will culminate with five regional finals in Wales, Scotland Northern Ireland, Northern England and Southern England.

Simon Baynes MP said: “In Clwyd South we have so many excellent small businesses who are worthy of the Business Champions Award. 

"So it’s wonderful to see that these businesses have an opportunity to be recognised for their efforts, particularly during these challenging times. I would strongly encourage small businesses in Wrexham and Denbighshire to apply for this award and I want to wish them the very best of luck in this competition.”

Awards Director, Damian Cummins, said: “This year, more than ever, we have learned to appreciate our local independent businesses. From the local corner shop to barbers, pubs and cafes.

“Lots of these small businesses are put off by business awards as they feel they are too small to compete. We wanted to create an awards ceremony that recognised and celebrated the very best of local businesses, from the High Streets to those hidden away in the nooks and crannies of towns and villages.

“The Wrexham and Denbighshire Business Champions are all about the story. We want to know why you are the best in your area and how you support the local community. From being the latest craze or ‘go to’ restaurant in your town, to the family business that’s been going quietly for generations.

 “These are truly local, transparent awards, celebrating local success stories and are incredibly easy to enter. Just reaching the finals alone will help companies to successfully market their business and thrive.”

* For more information, or to enter the awards, you can visit www.townandcountybusinesschampions.co.uk or www.tcbchamps.co.uk.

Update on the coronavirus cases at Llangollen Fechan

According to Denbighshire County Council, latest figures available from the Coronavirus incident in the Llangollen Fechan Care Home in Llangollen show there have been five further deaths, taking the total in the last three weeks to 20.

There have been 11 new positive coronavirus tests, which include four residents and seven members of staff, resulting in a total of 60 residents and 40 staff since the start of this incident (as of 26 November)

The Incident Management Team, comprises of Denbighshire County Council, Public Health Wales and Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board

These organisations are bringing together their expertise and continue to work with the owners of the home and to co-ordinate the response. 

The IMT is taking the incident very seriously, it says.

Co-chair of the IMT, Nicola Stubbins, said: “We continue to work together closely to monitor the situation and to help the owners and staff to implement the control measures.

“We are very sad to report these further deaths and are very concerned about a number of residents who are currently very poorly.

Unfortunately, residents who are already vulnerable through their age or pre-existing conditions are more likely to suffer the worst outcomes from this deadly virus and our thoughts are with all of those affected.

“We still expect to see cases in a variety of settings, and we manage any clusters of Coronavirus appropriately.  This can include providing advice around infection prevention and control, and by supporting contact tracing where required.

“Anyone who meets the definition of a contact will be contacted as a routine part of theTest, Trace and Protect process and provided with additional advice for themselves, their household and other contacts.

“We remind the public that they have a vital role in preventing the spread of Coronavirus.  They can do this by adhering to Welsh Government regulations currently in place in Wales, and by observing social distancing guidelines – that’s staying two metres away from others – and washing hands regularly.”

Council reminds residents of self-isolation support payments

Denbighshire County Council is reminding the county’s residents that have been contacted by NHS Wales Test, Trace and Protect service (TTP) and told to self-isolate that they may be entitled to financial support from a package announced by Welsh Government.

The Self-Isolation Support payment is being administered by local authorities and the application process has now been implemented.

People are entitled to a Self-Isolation Payment of £500 if they meet all of the following criteria:

• They have been told to self-isolate by NHS Wales, Test, Trace, Protect service (TTP) on or after 23 October 2020
• They are employed or self-employed
• They cannot work from home and will lose income as a result
• They or your partner are currently receiving at least one of the following benefits:
  • Universal Credit
  • Working Tax Credit
  • Income-based Employment and Support Allowance
  • Income-based Job Seekers Allowance
  • Income Support
  • Housing Benefit
  • Pension Credit

A discretionary payment of £500 may be available if people meet all of the following criteria:

• You have been told to self-isolate by NHS Wales, Test, Trace, Protect service (TTP) on or after 23 October 2020
• You are employed or self-employed
• You cannot work from home and will lose income as a result
• You or your partner do not currently receive:
  • Universal Credit
  • Working Tax Credit
  • income-based Employment and Support Allowance
  • income-based Job Seekers Allowance
  • Income Support
  • Housing Benefit
  • Pension Credit
• You will face financial hardship as a result of not being able to work while you are self- isolating.

Councillor Julian Thompson-Hill, Cabinet Lead Member for Finance and Assets, said: “We fully recognise that some people will have suffered financial hardship as a result of the covid restrictions and worrying about finances only adds to people’s concerns.

“The Isolation Payment has been made available by Welsh Government to assist those that have suffered financially and the scheme is open until the New Year.   The Council has published the information on its website, on social media and through the local press, in the hope that people who may be eligible come forward to apply.

!The Council is responsible for administering the scheme in Denbighshire and information on the criteria, as well as how to apply and the application forms themselves are available on the Council’s website and we would encourage people to take a look and consider whether they are eligible for the payments.

* To apply, please visit the Council’s website: http://www.denbighshire.gov.uk/business

Flu jabs to be available for 50s and over

 Earlier this year the Welsh Government committed to the roll-out of Wales’ largest ever influenza vaccination programme to protect people from the risks of flu.

The Welsh Government secured nearly 460,000 additional vaccines for 2020/21 and these are currently being made available to all GP practices and community pharmacies in Wales. 

Those aged 50 and over should now expect to be contacted by their GP practice or can contact their local pharmacy to arrange a vaccination. 

By mid-November more than 750,000 vulnerable people, NHS staff and schoolchildren in Wales had taken up the offer of a free flu vaccine. Of those aged over 65, 70% had also been vaccinated - levels substantially higher than during the same period last year.

The Minister for Health and Social Services, Vaughan Gething, said, today:

This winter more and more people in Wales are taking-up the offer of a free flu vaccine. We have made great progress to protect the most vulnerable in our community and a further 460,000 people in Wales will now be able to benefit from the protection the vaccine offers them and our NHS services.

Extending the flu vaccine to everyone aged 50 or over will help prevent more people becoming ill and reduce pressure on the NHS this winter. I would urge anyone who is eligible to follow the example of the huge numbers of people vaccinated already and have the vaccine.

The Chief Medical Officer for Wales, Frank Atherton, said:

Everyone who is eligible for a NHS flu vaccine can be confident about having it to protect themselves and those around them this winter. Rolling-out the vaccine to all over 50s will protect them and others in our communities in every part of Wales and help protect the NHS this winter.

Llyr Gruffydd to fight Clwyd South Senedd seat for Plaid

Plaid Cymru's current Member of the Senedd for North Wales has been chosen to fight to represent the Clwyd South constituency.

Llyr Gruffydd (pictured) has been the North Wales MS for the past nine years and is the party's shadow minister for Energy, the Environment and Rural Affairs.

The Clwyd South constituency has been represented since 2011 by Labour's Ken Skates, who is also the Welsh Government's Minister for Economy, Transport and North Wales.

Mr Gruffydd, a father of four, has been at the forefront of campaigns to defend nurses facing extra unpaid shifts at Betsi Cadwaladr health board, plans to privatise dialysis services and also been a fierce critic of the over-use of management consultants by the NHS.

Mr Gruffydd said: "I'm grateful that the local party membership has chosen me. Clwyd South is a microcosm of Wales - rural communities, towns, urban villages and a very varied economy that is a mix of industry, public services, farming and tourism. It stretches from the border near Whitchurch to Llandrillo near Bala and includes Llangollen and the urban villages of Wrexham.

"This part of Wales desperately needs fresh vision for the coming five years, so that we can recover and succeed despite the full impact of the Covid pandemic and Brexit shambles hitting the local economy and hard-pressed local services.

"These communities have had it hard - Brymbo for example lost a steelworks in 1990 and it's taken decades to recover. Many others have suffered a decade of cuts and austerity only to find that the Tories have belatedly found a magic money tree when it comes to dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic. That's come too late for many self-employed and small businesses that have fallen through the net and also many workers who have sadly lost their jobs as a result of the situation. My priority is to work with my Plaid Cymru colleagues to build a stronger Welsh economy that will offer people fresh hope after so many setbacks and uncertainty."

Mr Gruffydd added: "I'm passionate about ensuring a better future for our children. That means a greener, cleaner future for Wales and the world. The growth in renewable energy - much of it community owned such as Corwen Hydro - points in the right direction and Wales can lead the way on this.

"The environment also impacts our health and well-being - the fires earlier this year at Kronospan and the Hafod tip have both been wake-up calls about ensuring our health is at the heart of our priorities.

"That's why I've also been campaigning with local residents to improve healthcare in the rural South Maelor area around Hanmer, where a cross-party campaign seems to be bearing fruit after years of neglect."

Until recently, Clwyd South had been a Labour stronghold both in Cardiff and Westminster.

But Welsh Conservative Simon Baynes was elected as the area's MP in 2019 bringing to an end 22 years under Labour.

The Senedd Election is due to take place on May 6, 2021.

Health board taken out of special measures

This afternoon, Health Minister Vaughan Gething announced that the Health Board would be de-escalated from Special Measures with immediate effect.  

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board Chairman Mark Polin and Acting Chief Executive Gill Harris said in a joint statement:

“We welcome this significant announcement and continued support from Welsh Government.  We are encouraged by the growing confidence in our plans to make strategic longer term improvements while acknowledging that there is much more to do.

“The package of support recently announced by Welsh Government will help us to build on work to develop transformational and sustainable solutions to long term challenges in unscheduled care, diagnostics, planned care and mental health services.

“We are confident that our ambitious plans for the future will improve patient experience and waiting times. These include the establishment of Diagnostic and Treatment Centres and driving forward the business case for a North Wales Medical and Health Science School.

“We are hugely proud that colleagues across the organisation have risen to the challenge of COVID-19 and have displayed positivity, resilience and a commitment to patients in the most difficult of circumstances. We thank them for everything they have done to care for patients and keep our communities safe.

“There is a lot more work ahead but we are confident that with the support of our staff, partners, and public, the much-needed transformation of health services across North Wales will be achieved.”

In a joint statement Welsh Labour elected members said:

“Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, NHS staff in North Wales have worked heroically to help protect people.

“Today’s welcome news that BCUHB has come out of special measures is recognition of how the health board has managed the pandemic and implemented significant improvements.

“The work of improving health services in North Wales will continue and today’s announcement will provide very welcome assurance to patients and staff that Betsi Cadwaladr is heading in the right direction.”

Hannah Blythyn MS, Lesley Griffiths MS, Ann Jones MS, Eluned Morgan MS, Jack Sargeant MS, Ken Skates MS, Mark Tami MP and Joyce Watson MS