Welsh Government sets out its post-pandemic vision

The Welsh Government is setting out how it will work to reconstruct and rebuild Wales’s economy in the aftermath of the pandemic, making it "more prosperous, equal and green than ever before".

The Government will today publish its Economic Resilience and Reconstruction Mission which sets out how it will work to rebuild Wales’ post-Covid economy so that it "values and prioritises wellbeing, drives prosperity, is environmentally sound, and helps every person in Wales to realise their potential".

Priorities include strengthening the everyday sectors of the Welsh economy, increasing the incidence of fair work across Wales and reinvigorating our town centres.

There is also a focus on supporting firms to innovate and diversify, speeding up business decarbonisation and investing in climate resilient infrastructure.

The Welsh Government is also announcing an additional £270m for the Development Bank of Wales’s Flexible Investment Fund, bringing the total invested through this fund to £500m by 2030. 

Boosting the fund aims to improve the supply of long-term, accessible business finance and help more firms to grow and expand. 

The fund can make debt and equity investments of between £25k and £10m, including 15 year loans, to SMEs and non-SMEs.

Economy Minister Ken Skates said: “This last year has been incredibly difficult for everyone and while our vital work to combat the virus goes on, it is important to consider what comes next.

“We have an opportunity to look to the future and reconstruct the economy with the fundamental goal of achieving long term well-being with dignity and fairness for people.

“We will do this by strengthening the everyday economy, delivering on our Covid Commitment to support people in improving skills and gaining employment, and by helping businesses meet the challenges and opportunities of today and tomorrow. We will also maximise sustainable investment in Wales and fortify our pursuit of fair work and social value with businesses and organisations who receive public funding.

“The additional £270m funding for the Development Bank will support businesses the length and breadth of Wales, creating and protecting thousands of jobs for individuals as we seek to deal with the long-term challenges of Covid and Brexit.”

As part of the mission, the Welsh Government says it will maximise future major investments through ‘magnet projects’, which will attract longer term investments and provide important employment, skills, and innovation and development opportunities.

The Economic Contract will also be refreshed and strengthened helping businesses to embed fair work, low carbon and climate resilience into their operations.

The Minister added: “We have a clear, ethical and coherent vision for economic resilience and reconstruction that is anchored on social justice and with the commitment of the people, communities and the businesses that make up our economy, I know that we can succeed in building a prosperous and fair economy and future that works better for everyone.”

Ian Price, CBI Wales Director, said: “The goal to deliver a competitive and sustainable economy that raises living standards, promotes higher pay, and delivers the revenues we need to support public priorities is the right one for Wales.

“But the Welsh Government can’t do that alone. From promoting diversity and inclusion to improving mental health, championing green behaviours to inspiring the next generation; business must continue to be a true partner of government. At its best, business is an engine of progress that will play a crucial role in overcoming the pandemic and building a better Welsh economy.

“Additional sources of accessible finance are welcome and represent an important investment in the Welsh business community, one that will be repaid through jobs, growth and, ultimately, delivering a more prosperous Wales.”

Ken Skates MS speaks out on Covid-19 vaccination supply

Following a growing number of complaints about people aged 65-69 not being offered the Covid-19 vaccine, Clwyd South MS Ken Skates has issued a statement about the situation.

It says: "After the news last week that Wales had reached its first target ahead of schedule, vaccination of the next set of priority groups is already under way locally. ​

"The First Minister has been clear that the temporary drop in UK supply had already been planned for in Wales and that the reduction will affect the whole of the UK - not just Wales or our area. 

"We have factored this into our vaccination plans - it won’t affect planned appointments and it won’t delay when people are due to get their second dose.

"The Welsh Government will continue to do everything it can to continue leading the way on vaccine roll-out and to achieve our next targets on time. 

"The well-publicised temporary supply issues affecting the UK are short-term and we will soon be able to begin ramping up the roll-out again to the kind of significant daily numbers we have been seeing regularly until recently. 

"We remain confident of similar success with the next phase of the roll-out if the UK Government is able to deliver our supplies." 

Invite goes out to online Pengwern Vale meeting

 

Natural Resources Wales and the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty are hosting an online meeting for residents and visitors to Pengwern Vale from 7-9pm on Wednesday March 10.

They want to hear people's views about how they can create a community landscape that benefits everyone’s enjoyment and wellbeing for generations to come. 

A spokesperson for the organisers said: "We want to hear your views on how we can all work together to make a positive contribution to Pengwern Vale both now and in the future.

"The area’s amazing heritage, culture and natural landscape is there for all to see - but with climate change it needs everyone's help to secure its future for residents, farmers, and wildlife."

* To register for the meeting or for more information, email: northeast.as@cyfoethnaturiolcymru.gov.uk

Hospice aims to build hot air balloon to mark 25 years of care

* Nurses at Nightingale House with their balloon messages.

Nurses at Nightingale House are getting behind the hospice’s 2021 campaign to build a hot air balloon in celebration of 25 years of patient care. 

The opportunity to sponsor a dedication or celebration on a panel of the exclusive balloon runs until the end of April, when the balloon will begin to be manufactured. 

Clinical staff have been coming up with their own ideas of what they will be putting on their panels. Some have decided on inspirational quotes, another is a celebration of the arrival of their new nephew, whereas some have decided that their pets should take centre stage. 

Kay Ryan, Day Services Lead, said: “There is quite a buzz about the Build a Balloon campaign within the clinical team. It’s something we have never seen before and believe it’s a great way to help lift the community spirits at this very challenging time. I know it will mean a great deal to our supporters to be a part of something special and that will help fund the care that we provide.” 

The hospice has a long association with hot air balloon events in Llangollen and in recent years in Oswestry. It is hoped that the balloon will take to the skies in the summer, but no launch date has been released due to current lockdown restrictions. 

Community and Event Fundraiser, Sarah Povey said: “This is an incredibly exciting and unique campaign. To know that when we look up and see the Nightingale House balloon floating above us that we as a community have worked together to bring it to life will be a magnificent feeling.

“Build a Balloon has always been about representing our wonderful supporters and corporate partners and a celebration of the difference the hospice makes to those with life limiting illnesses within our communities or for those who use our hospice facilities on Chester Road.” 

* If you would like to sponsor a Build A Balloon panel for Nightingale House then you can do so by going on line at www.nightingalehouseco.uk/event/build-a-balloon

Care home visiting booth allows friends to reunite

* Olwen Lloyd and Janet Kenyon Thompson 

use the visiting booth.

A visiting booth has been installed at a Denbighshire care home.

The booth, at Dolwen in Denbigh which is managed by Denbighshire County Council, was designed and built by staff member Erfyl Jones, who is a support worker at the home.

The booth has allowed residents at the care home, who have been unable to mix since December, to reunite.

Once restrictions around visiting care homes have been changed, the booth can be used by families and friends visiting loved ones.

Dolwen residents Olwen Lloyd and Janet Kenyon Thompson were the first to use the booth after it was installed on February 11.

Cllr Bobby Feeley, the council’s Lead Member for Well-being and Independence, said: “I would like to thank Erfyl for his work designing and building the visiting booth which has been a great boost for residents. 

“It has helped residents interact with friends from different sections of the home, which for safety reasons have been kept separate.  I’m pleased to see how much joy this has brought to our residents.

“Once the regulations around visiting care homes change, this booth will provide friends and family the chance to visit their loved ones in a safe way.”

Latest column from Citizens Advice

Latest column from Denbighshire Citizens Advice is:

Coronavirus Scams 

Q: “I’m really worried about my elderly relatives being targeted by coronavirus scams - are there any warning signs that I can tell them to look out for? What should they do if they think that something is a scam?” 

A: Unfortunately, we’ve seen an increase in scams since the beginning of the pandemic, so it’s good to be thinking about the steps you can take to help protect friends and family. 

Common scams we’re seeing are about bogus testing kits, coronavirus vaccinations and government refunds or fines. You should watch out for messages about coronavirus from unusual email addresses or phone numbers, and shouldn’t click on any links. Be aware that you won’t be asked to pay for coronavirus vaccinations - they are provided for free by the NHS. 

Here are some general warning signs to look out for: 

●      You suspect you’re not dealing with a real company – for example, if there’s no postal address

●      You’ve been asked to transfer money quickly or to pay in an unusual way – for example, by iTunes vouchers or through a transfer service like MoneyGram or Western Union

●      You’ve been asked to give away personal information like passwords or PINs

●      You haven't had written confirmation of what's been agreed 

If you think something is a scam you should hang up the phone, close the website, or shut the front door. Never feel pressured to make a decision straight away, and don’t give out personal details or money unless you’re certain that they can trust the person. If you feel threatened or unsafe you can ring 999. 

For help with online scams, contact a Citizens Advice Scams Action adviser by calling 0808 250 5050. For more information about other types of scams, visit the Citizens Advice website.  

Young 'Uns' retro spectacular cuts through lockdown gloom

* Above and below, some scenes from last night's show.

Last night a lockdowdy, rain-soaked Llangollen got a timely reminder – as if it needed it – of what a talented bunch of performing youngsters it has right here on its doorstep.

Unable to stage one of their usual entertainment extravaganzas due to the pandemic a bunch of members from the Young ‘Uns, the Operatic Society’s junior section, took over the internet airwaves to put on a riveting retrospective of their productions ranging back over the last decade.

And it cut through the gloom of a wet February Saturday evening in style.

Behind it was one of its favourite performers of recent years, Shea Ferron, who, in the spirit of an old Hollywood movie, got some of his mates from the team – present and past – to put on the show right here.

He arranged all the pretty complex technical bits to do the live streaming on Facebook while another Young ‘Uns star, Celyn Orton-Jones, helped him anchor the all-singing, all dancing 90-minute spectacular.

Professional performer Ruby Snape appeared as a guest presenter.

The team summoned up others - like them still in their late teens or early twenties – to reprise magical musical memories from smash-hit society shows such as Annie, The Vackies, Beauty and the Beast, Oliver!, Half a Sixpence, Honk, Bugsy Malone, Joseph and his Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Grease and Wizard of Oz.

Among the cast, who had been in one or more of these productions, was  Aled Morris, Katie Clark, Kamil Grzelak, Ethan Le-Cheminant, Ethan Roberts, Grace Roberts, Heledd Edwards and Cassius Hackforth, now at drama school. 

Apart from providing the online audience with some fantastic memories of the shows many of them had been lucky enough to see live, the cast also clearly had a great time getting together with old friends to relive some of the highlights of their recent performing past.

But then having a cool time with your mates and entertaining people into the bargain is what the Young ‘Uns has always been about.

Now Shea and the team has led the way maybe the adult Llan Operatic Society should think about doing a similar thing for some of its more recent shows. Just a thought.   

* You can still catch the show, here: https://www.facebook.com/Llangollen-Operatic-Young-Uns-428765077289488/videos/123892546292344