Railway calls for volunteers to help with re-opening

* The Austin 1 engine in its new lined-out paint scheme. An example of volunteer effort to get the loco ready for a period on hire at Somerset and Dorset Railway at Midsomer Norton. Picture by Iain Ross.

Llangollen Railway has put an urgent call for volunteers to help it re-open for business after emerging from its financial crisis.

On March 1 the railway's Public Limited Company (PLC) went into receivership with debts of around £350,000.

A number of the railway’s assets were sold off in an online auction.

But the separate Railway Trust, which remains completely solvent, has led a major fundraising campaign to buy as many of the assets as possible and get the railway up and running again. 

In a recent social media message to supporters the railway’s operations director Mike Williams said: “Our stations, yards, infrastructure and sufficient rolling stock are ready to rise back like the Phoenix."

And in a fresh message railway chairman Peter Edwards sets out the challenges facing the heritage attraction as it races to run trains again later this summer, including recruiting enough unpaid help to hit the re-opening deadline.

He said: "Summer has officially started and Llangollen Railway Trust (LRT) has the opportunity for productive outdoor work on the various sites along the railway. 

"After an eight-month shut down, the challenge to return the railway to an operational condition is immense and calls for considerable manpower resources.

"Now that the auction of PLC assets is complete and LRT has the key equipment secured, the Permanent Way team is planning the restart of work on the Dee Bridge and subsequent essential work in Berwyn Tunnel and at Glyndyfrdwy. 

"There is a three-week lead time on starting this, so work should be able to start at the end of June."

He added: "There are many other outstanding jobs to be getting on with, and in line with previous messages from board members, many of these will have to be tackled by volunteers - there’s no way we can fund staff or contractors to do them. 

"There are vacancies for key roles that need to be filled, and in the short term we are asking for volunteers to take on those responsibilities.

"Vacancies for volunteers exist in all operating departments, motive power, carriage and wagon. permanent way/signals, stations and the Trust's office all allowing for many different skills to be catered for by those with time to spare."

* New volunteers will need to be Llangollen Railway Trust members for insurance reasons and Maureen Theobald is the liaison officer c/o Llangollen station.

Welsh Government's coronavirus update

Latest coronavirus update from the Welsh Government, dated yesterday, is:

Public Health Wales has today published an update about the delta variant: https://phw.nhs.wales/news/81-new-cases-of-delta-variant-since-3-june-as-localised-community-transmission-occurs/

·         Health Minister Eluned Morgan has made a statement to the Senedd about the latest public health situation in Wales: https://record.assembly.wales/Plenary/12305#A65960

·         Latest summary report from the Technical Advisory Cell: https://gov.wales/technical-advisory-cell-summary-advice-1-june-2021

·         Social distancing guidance for everyone in Wales: https://gov.wales/coronavirus-social-distancing-guidance 

·         All over-18s will be offered a Covid vaccine by the start of next week, First Minister Mark Drakeford has confirmed as he praised the people behind Wales’ world-leading vaccination programme.

o   Wales expects to reach 75% take-up for first jabs across all priority groups and age groups a month ahead of target – the original milestone was the end of July – as the nation’s vaccination programme continues to go from strength to strength.

o   The focus will now move to maximising vaccine coverage for all by ensuring everyone is offered a second dose by the end of September and that no one is left behind.

o   https://gov.wales/no-one-left-behind-wales-incredible-vaccine-programme-moves-forward

o   Updated Vaccine Strategy: https://gov.wales/covid-19-vaccination-strategy-update-june-2021

o   Watch the First Minister’s press conference: https://twitter.com/WelshGovernment/status/1401863417980358656 

·         How to get a vaccination if you think you’ve been missed or you have changed your mind: https://gov.wales/get-your-covid-19-vaccination-if-you-think-you-have-been-missed

 

·         A new £3m fund is being set up to provide respite and short breaks for Wales’ small army of unpaid carers, Deputy Minister for Social Services Julie Morgan announced: https://gov.wales/new-ps3m-respite-fund-launched-give-unpaid-carers-well-earned-break 

Coronavirus in numbers

·         The latest figures published by Public Health Wales today show there have been 22 newly-reported cases of coronavirus, bringing the total to 212,640 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Wales since the start of the pandemic.

o   There were no deaths reported by Public Health Wales today. The total number of deaths reported by Public Health Wales is 5,570.

o   These figures are updated daily at: https://public.tableau.com/profile/public.health.wales.health.protection#!/vizhome/RapidCOVID-19virology-Public/Headlinesummary  

·         The number of people who have received a Covid vaccine in Wales is being published every weekday by Public Health Wales.

o   The latest figures show 2,185,427 people have received their first dose.

o   And 1,270,606 people have completed their two-dose course of the vaccine.

o   https://public.tableau.com/profile/public.health.wales.health.protection#!/vizhome/RapidCOVID-19virology-Public/Headlinesummary

o   If you think you’ve been missed off the vaccine appointment list: https://gov.wales/get-your-covid-19-vaccination-if-you-think-you-have-been-missed

·         The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has today published statistics on provisional weekly deaths, including deaths involving Covid-19, for the week ending 28 May 2021. 

o   The cumulative number of deaths involving Covid-19 occurring up to the latest week was 7,892.

o   Of these, there were three deaths involving Covid-19 in the latest week. This was less than 1% of all deaths, and four fewer than the previous week. Numbers are relatively low and will be subject to fluctuation.

o   There have been a total of 4,973 excess deaths (12%) above the five-year average during the pandemic to date (since 7 March 2020).

o   The numbers reported by ONS are different from those from Public Health Wales because of different reporting methods and timing.

o   https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/bulletins/deathsregisteredweeklyinenglandandwalesprovisional/latest

What to do if you have symptoms of coronavirus

·         The symptoms of coronavirus are a high temperature, a new, continuous cough and a loss or change in smell or taste.

·         If you have symptoms of coronavirus, however mild, you must self-isolate at home for 10 days from when your symptoms started.

·         Guidance about self-isolating: https://gov.wales/self-isolation-stay-home-guidance-households-possible-coronavirus

o   Do not go to a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital.

o   You must have a test on day one and day eight if you have been told to self-isolate by NHS Wales Test Trace Protect.

o   You can book a test at https://gov.wales/apply-coronavirus-covid-19-test

o   You should continue to isolate while waiting for a test result.

·         Got a question about what to do if you’ve got coronavirus? Visit https://gov.wales/self-isolation-stay-home-guidance-households-possible-coronavirus
 

Where to find the latest information

·         Wales has moved into alert level one. More information is available at: https://gov.wales/restrictions-7-june-2021   

·         The roadmap in and out of alert levels is at: https://gov.wales/coronavirus-control-plan-alert-levels-wales

·         Information about coronavirus is available on the Welsh Government’s website at https://gov.wales/coronavirus and https://llyw.cymru/coronafeirws

·         If you think you’ve been missed off the vaccine appointment list: https://gov.wales/get-your-covid-19-vaccination-if-you-think-you-have-been-missed

·         Information about support for businesses is available at the Business Wales website https://businesswales.gov.wales/coronavirus-advice/

·         The Welsh Government holds a weekly Ministerial press conference on Mondays – these are televised on S4C and broadcast on our social media channels – this is in addition to the 21-day coronavirus regulation review press conference, which is led by the First Minister.

City status will honour Queen's 70 years on the throne

* The Denbighshire town of St Asaph gained city status in 2012.

A Civic Honours competition has been launched across the UK today to celebrate Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022.

Rare awards will grant winning towns and cities with city status and Lord Mayor or Provost status for the first time in 10 years.

Local authorities in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland can enter the competition and make a case for why its area deserves to be granted one of these honours. 

Minister of State for the Constitution & Devolution, Chloe Smith, said: "The Civic Honours competition is an opportunity to promote your hometown and win an honour for it that will last for all time. I encourage entries from local authorities in every part of the UK, from vibrant towns and cities with distinct identities, history, and sense of community.

"The brilliance of the United Kingdom is rooted in diverse and unique communities brought together by a shared sense of civic pride, so I have no doubt the competition will be fierce - but success will be a historic moment of celebration for the winners, which will take its place within Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee."

Culture Secretary, Oliver Dowden, said: "As we look forward to a year of celebration, growth and renewal in 2022, this prestigious competition will inspire civic pride in communities right across the UK.

"It’s a great opportunity for towns and cities in every corner of the country to showcase their heritage and tell us more about the people and places that make their local area so unique - and a fitting tribute to Her Majesty’s reign in her Platinum Jubilee year."

The competition will close on December 8, 2021 and full entry guidelines and an application form have been published on GOV.UK.

All valid entries will receive individual consideration on their merits, before recommendations will be made by ministers to Her Majesty The Queen. The number of awards made across the UK, Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies will depend on the strength of the applications received.

As part of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, four awards were made to Chelmsford, Perth, St Asaph and Armagh - one for each part of the UK. 

After five attempts, Sunderland was deservingly awarded City Status in 1992 to mark The Queen’s Ruby Jubilee, and has now been a city for 25 years. Business leaders, councillors, MPs and the whole of Wearside agreed at the time that their new prestige would mean greater prosperity.

Her Majesty The Queen will be the first British monarch to have reached 70 years on the throne. 

Church launches urgent appeal to repair its spire

* Llangollen Methodist Church from the river side.

Llangollen Methodist Church has launched an appeal to raise at least half of the cost of urgent repairs to its famous spire.

The Grade 2 Listed building in Princess Street, opened in 1904, plays a major part in the iconic river views of the town.

But an expert inspection has revealed a programme of repairs is necessary which has been costed at £20,000.

And the church’s new Spire Appeal aims to raise £10,000 towards covering the bill.

A church spokesperson said: “The preservation of this building for both the congregation and the wider community is an important responsibility.

“ The repairs are to include the replacement of the lightning protection system as the current system has been discovered to be inadequate, the restoration and renovation of stonework and mortar on the spire and the inspection and renovation of metalwork in the spire and weather vane.

“The majority of the work required has already been inspected and assessed by Rafferty's, a firm of steeplejacks.

“The report they delivered recommends urgent action. Any additional funds raised will go towards the ongoing costs of keeping the main church building and the memorial hall functional for congregation and community use.”

There are a number of ways to support the Spire Appeal, including online at: https://app.investmycommunity.com/llangollen-methodist-church-2550.

* To find out more contact go to the church’s Facebook page at: Llangollen Methodist Church

MP slams Welsh Government over flood-hit road

* The landslide in Newbridge caused by flooding as a result of
Storm Christoph earlier in the year.

Clwyd South MP Simon Baynes has criticised the Welsh Government for not providing support and funding to restore a flood-hit area close to Llangollen.

In February this year, vital infrastructure was damaged due to flooding, including on the B5605 between Newbridge and Cefn as a result of a landslide. 

This has severed the link between the two communities and the wider settlement areas of Chirk, Plas Madoc and Ruabon. 

Mr Baynes says that representatives of the Welsh Government have since confirmed that the landslide on the B5605 between Newbridge and Cefn will be ineligible for funding support, despite assurances made previously.

He claims loss of this road link has also caused distress and inconvenience to the many residents and businesses in these areas and points out that alternative routes are lengthy and inconvenient. 

This stretch of the B5605 previously provided the alternative route for the A483 trunk road.

 He said: "In the event of closures on the trunk road, whether for planned works or emergencies, alternative routes are diverted via Llangollen – a fifteen mile diversion – and this is clearly not sustainable. Particularly when emergency vehicles are taken into account, this is unacceptable. 

"I’m calling on Welsh Government Ministers to step up and take action on an issue that is seriously affecting residents in our part of Wales. 

"I’m concerned that Ministers in Cardiff Bay are turning a blind eye to the damage to our communities in Clwyd South caused by flooding. I’m willing to work with Welsh Government to ensure Wrexham Council receives the funding support they need to repair our damaged infrastructure.”

Health centre says Delta variant of Covid-19 cases are in locality

Llangollen Health Centre has just posted on its Facebook page to says: "We have been advised that there are cases of the Delta variant in the locality.

"Can we please remind everyone of the importance of following Covid-19 rules and social distancing guidelines, even for those who are fully vaccinated.

"If you have any of the three main Covid symptoms (new, continuous cough, high temperature, or loss of taste or smell) you must self-isolate and a get a test. Please see links below.

"Please remember that lateral flow testing is only for those with no symptoms. If you have symptoms you must get a PCR test.

Self isolation info:

https://gov.wales/self-isolation

How to get a test:

https://gov.wales/getting-tested-coronavirus-covid-19..."

Meanwhile, all over-18s will be offered a Covid vaccine by the start of next week, according to First Minister Mark Drakeford.

Wales expects to reach 75% take-up for first jabs across all priority groups and age groups a month ahead of target – the original milestone was the end of July – as the nation’s vaccination programme continues to go from strength to strength.

The focus will now move to maximising vaccine coverage for all by ensuring everyone is offered a second dose by the end of September and that no one is left behind.

Mark Drakeford said: "I am very proud to say that Wales has one of the best Covid vaccination programmes in the world.

"We will make the offer of vaccination to all eligible adults six weeks ahead of schedule and we expect to reach 75% take-up across all priority groups and age groups a month ahead of target.

"This is a remarkable achievement and a tribute to the hard work of all those involved in the programme – to all those doing the complex work of planning behind the scenes and to the thousands of people vaccinating and helping to run the clinics across the country.

"You are doing a fantastic job. I am incredibly proud and thankful for everything you are doing to help protect Wales from this awful virus."

The very latest figures, published today, show 2.18m people, or 86% of the adult population, have had a first dose and almost 1.25m people have had a second dose.  

Take-up is higher than 90% for first doses in all people over 60; in healthcare workers; care home residents and staff and all those who are extremely clinically vulnerable.

An updated Vaccine Strategy is being published today, which sets out the next steps for the vaccination programme, including minimising inequalities and ensuring no one is left behind.

It highlights the importance of second doses, especially as the new delta variant is spreading in parts of the UK.

It also sets out the steps Wales is taking to prepare for any decisions by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) about booster jabs and vaccinating children – the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) last week approved a vaccine for use in children over 12.

Health Minister Eluned Morgan added: "The success of our programme in Wales lies in the supply arrangements we have developed; in our determination to use every drop of vaccine – not to waste any and to store the vaccine in people’s arms, rather than in fridges.

"As we complete first doses, we will be re-doubling our efforts to make sure no one is left behind.

"Subject to vaccine supply, we are confident the delivery of second doses will continue to be as fast and successful as first doses.

"We expect all those who have come forward for their first dose to be offered a second dose by the end of September."

£3m fund set up to provide breaks for unpaid carers

 

A new £3m fund is being set up to provide respite and short breaks for Wales’ small army of unpaid carers, Deputy Minister for Social Services Julie Morgan announced.

Speaking during Carers Week, Julie Morgan said the new fund will extend and improve the availability and quality of respite services, helping to support the valuable work unpaid carers do every day. With no one-size-fits-all form of respite, the fund will be available for flexible support to meet the needs of individual carers through a range of person-centred and innovative options, including face-to-face support and short breaks, helping unpaid carers have regular periods away from their caring routines or responsibilities. Julie Morgan said: “The physical and emotional impact of caring can be overwhelming. Unpaid carers across Wales play a vital role in our society – and their contribution to the pandemic has been immense, often taking on greater responsibilities with fewer breaks. “Respite services can be a lifeline and this new fund will make sure unpaid carers have a short break from their caring responsibilities. "Unpaid carers are some of society’s unsung heroes and it is essential we help them look after their own health and wellbeing.” Around 12% of people in Wales have caring responsibilities – many do not receive any support. Respondents to the Welsh Government’s Strategy for Unpaid Carers consultation, said their levels of stress and anxiety had increased because they could not access respite services; go on a daytrip or even leave their home for a couple of hours, during the height of the pandemic. The £3m fund will be split into two phases – local authorities will be allocated £1.75m in the first phase to meet an anticipated surge in demand for respite services. In the second phase, £1.25m will fund a new Wales-wide short breaks fund. Simon Hatch, director of Carers Trust Wales said: “This funding is very welcome, particularly given the significant impact the pandemic has had on thousands of unpaid carers. Carers have been highlighting for many years that the amount and flexibility of respite care support needs greatly improving. This is an important start in developing the respite support which carers in Wales deserve.”