Defence personnel to support Welsh Ambulance Service

110 defence personnel will deploy to support the Welsh Ambulance Service NHS Trust (WAST) from October 14, working as non-emergency drivers, the UK Government has announced. 

The task is expected to last until the end of November.

The support from the UK Government is being provided through a Military Aid to the Civil Authorities (MACA) request. 

The task will help to ease pressures resulting from the pandemic and ensure the ambulance trust can continue to provide their essential service, including attending life-threatening calls quickly.

Defence personnel will augment the ambulance service with non-emergency drivers who will not operate under blue light conditions. 

They will attend lower priority calls to help to free up WAST resources for emergency calls where there is an immediate risk to life, such as cardiac arrests.

Personnel are deploying to regions across Wales and are from across the three services.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said: “I am proud of the tireless work of all our service personnel during this pandemic. They continue to provide important support, working alongside our dedicated emergency services across the UK.

“The deployment of 110 personnel to support the ambulance service will ensure WAST can continue to deliver their life-saving services.”

Secretary of State for Wales Simon Hart said: “Once again the UK’s armed forces are playing a key role in the fight against Covid-19 by supporting the critical work of the Welsh Ambulance Service. I am hugely grateful for their commitment and expertise.

“I would like to extend my gratitude to all those who have worked incredibly hard to ensure our public services deliver for the people of Wales throughout the pandemic.”

Chief Executive of the Welsh Ambulance Service Jason Killens said: “We’re proud and grateful to be working alongside the military once again, who did a superb job of assisting us on two occasions previously last year.

“The pandemic has presented a challenge like no other, but the last couple of months in particular have meant significant and sustained pressures on our ambulance service, including high levels of demand and an increase in Covid-19 related activity.

“Winter is our busiest time, and having military colleagues on board once more will bolster our capacity and put us in the best possible position to provide a safe service to the people of Wales.”

In addition to drivers, Defence will provide three personnel to support planning at NHS Wales.

This is the third deployment of the Armed Forces to support WAST since the pandemic began in March 2020. 

Sixty-eight personnel deployed in April 2020 and 120 personnel augmented dedicated Welsh Ambulance Service staff in December 2020, including Defence medics.

Defence also supported the vaccine rollout in Wales earlier this year and previously deployed during the pandemic to provide specialist planning advice, deliver PPE and support the community testing programme in Merthyr Tydfil.

Railway is confident about future despite another financial hitch

Llangollen Railway has run into another financial snag but its bosses say they have taken measures to overcome this and assure that the future of the heritage attraction is secure until 2023.

In an update statement key members of the trust board which oversees the railway also say they are pleased with the continuing support they are receiving from visitors but reveal they are managing with a reduced number of vital volunteers due to the pandemic.

Despite this they look forward to running their famous Christmas specials this year although this will be with a reduced number of trains.

In the statement Llangollen Railway Trust Ltd says:

The Trust has been advised by the administrators’ lawyers that the £30,000 placed in a separate bank account by the directors of the Plc trading arm, intended to cover sales of tickets, experiences, etc in advance, will have to be made available to the general body of creditors.

Whilst this is a very regrettable revelation from our viewpoint, we also have to acknowledge the administrators are only fulfilling their legal obligations.

Having made legal representations ourselves also, the administrators sought opinion from legal counsel and that opinion is unequivocal.

The administrators will now be in touch with numerous customers fairly shortly to invite them to claim in the administration.

Phil Freeth, finance director, said: “We are very disappointed with this outcome and wish to extend our sincere apologies to all those customers of Llangollen Railway Plc who will lose money over this. At the same time we also have to acknowledge the administrators are only doing their job as the law dictates.

“The directors of the PLC didn’t do anything wrong particularly, it is fairly common practice to use advance sales and customer deposits to fund working capital. However, we can’t have this situation arising again if it can be avoided.

“One of the issues were the funds were only put into the separate account, very late in the day, from an overdrawn account. The directors of the new board of the Trust have therefore created a Sales in Advance account, cash backed from an account substantially in credit, with immediate effect.

“It will therefore show in our audited accounts at the coming December year end and thereafter. This will cover advance sales at one time and hopefully this early step will prevent any similar recurrence should the Trust fall into financial difficulties in future.”

In consultation with the National Heritage Lottery Fund it was prudent to withdraw our application for finance to fund the post of general manager for two years. The NHLF remain supportive but we have to work on governance, organisational structure, culture, strategic plan, business development plan, documented policies and procedures so as to establish firm foundations before they will entertain a further application.

Pete Edwards, chairman, commented: “There is a lot of work to do here and most of it will be invisible. Nevertheless it is crucial to get this done so as to place the Trust on a sound operational footing.”

It is with thanks to donations from so many supporters, grants and a significant legacy that  cashflow-wise the Trust is secure through to 2023, which is not to say we can relax – cashflow will always be very important. We have no debt, it will remain that way, and creditors will continue to be paid within a few days of receipt of invoice.

September trading was around 10% over budget and, whilst the initial enthusiasm after re-opening has calmed, with are very pleased with the continuing support we are receiving from out visitors.

Looking ahead to Christmas and the Santa Mince Pie Specials, there will be fewer trains this year. In common with many other railways on other visitor attractions heavily reliant on volunteers, our volunteer cohort is much reduced since the pandemic.

We are also limited to one steam locomotive only unless we can hire another in but that is proving difficult. We have therefore taken the prudent decision to operate single train running on a total of 13 days only. Details will be published on our new website (a major challenge itself) which will hopefully be operative within the next two weeks.

Mike Williams, operations director, said: “Social distancing will need to be managed as best we can on both the platform and on the trains so we ask visitors to bear with us. Hopefully it will be unnecessary, but if we have to use diesel traction in the event of a locomotive failure the carriages will, most unfortunately, be unheated so we ask visitors to wrap up warm!”

Visitors coming by car should be aware there are works affecting traffic in Bridge Street, and reduced parking in the long stay car park, so would be well advised to allow a little extra time to find a parking space.

  

Work planned for next week on town's 2020 project

Work planned for the coming week on the 2020 project being carried out in the town centre by Denbighshire County Council's contractors includes:

Monday 11 October 2021

Bridge Street in front of Royal Hotel: finish excavating existing paving and preparing ground to the correct levels.

Castle Street (Parade Street to Market Street): finish excavating for new kerb position.

Tuesday 12 October 2021

Bridge Street in front of Royal Hotel: digging out for new drainage and installing new drainage.

Castle Street (Parade Street to Market Street): digging out for new drainage and installing new drainage.

Wednesday 13 October 2021

Bridge Street in front of Royal Hotel: continuing work for the new drainage and installing the new drainage.

Castle Street (Parade Street to Market Street): continuing work for the new drainage and installing the new drainage.

Thursday 14 October 2021

Bridge Street in front of Royal Hotel: installing new kerb line.

Castle Street (Parade Street to Market Street): installing new kerb line.

Friday 15 October 2021

Bridge Street in front of Royal Hotel: installing new kerb line.

Castle Street (Parade Street to Market Street): installing new kerb line.

* For further information go to: https://www.denbighshire.gov.uk/en/parking-roads-and-travel/roadworks/llangollen-2020.aspx

* Local roadworks notified by one.network for next week are:

Berwyn Street 11 October — 31 March   Delays likely - Traffic control (multi-way signals)   Works description: To upgrade the existing traffic signals at A5 Castle Street Junction including re-location of the Eastern Traffic Head. Works have been co-ordinated with Denbighshire County Council Castle - Street Environmental Scheme (Llangollen 2020)   Works location: A5 Junction of Berwyn Street with A539 Castle Street, Llangollen   Public facing description: one.network has automatically assigned a category of Unclassified works to this Works based on the information available. Please note: Works Descriptions are not published by Welsh Government.   Responsibility for works: Welsh Government   Current status: Planned work about to start   Works reference: PD505211069250489   Castle Street 11 October — 13 October   Delays unlikely - Some carriageway incursion   Works description: MJ QUINN ARE TO RENEW JOINT BOX IN FOOTWAY....   Works location: OS,41,CASTLE STREET, LLANGOLLEN LL2, 0 8RU...   Public facing description: one.network has automatically assigned a category of Unclassified works to this Works based on the information available. Please note: Works Descriptions are not published by BT.   Responsibility for works: BT   Current status: Advanced planning   Works reference: BC006MQONSAWN0AMWCMWGC2D

 

Llangollen drone footage used to premiere new music

* Llangollen features in the premiere of the new music. Picture: llanblogger.

* New Sinfonia conductor Robert Guy.

Dramatic drone footage shot high above Llangollen will be projected on three giant screens during the world premiere of a new piece of music to celebrate the 10^th anniversary of a flagship orchestra.

Wrexham and St Asaph-based NEW Sinfonia was established in 2011 by two talented brothers, Robert and Jonathan Guy, who will be marking the orchestra’s birthday with a series of 10 performances, Ten4Ten on the weekend of November 26-28.

Events are planned at St Giles’ Parish Church in Wrexham and at the town’s award winning community arts hub Tŷ Pawb.

Among the highlights will be the first of the orchestra’s new Great Sound Exhibition performances at St Giles’ Church, funded by the Arts Council of Wales and in partnership with Disability Arts Cymru.

The drone images will be projected onto the massive transparent screens – the largest of which will be the central screen standing eight metres high and six metres wide. It will be flanked by two slightly smaller screens.

Jonathan Guy has written new music for the concert called Where Light Meets Dark while the footage was filmed by Llangollen-based visual artist Ant Dickinson who spent much of lockdown flying the drone above the Dee Valley.

“Audiences will be able to see through the screen as the orchestra is playing but at times we will be able to transmit associated digital images and films on it which will intrinsically link up with the music being played. We want to immerse people’s senses in the music,” said Jonathon.

The 10-year milestone follows hot on the heels of momentous developments for the orchestra which recently became a registered charity with a board of trustees appointed

It has also launched a re-designed and updated website, on which it has put out a call for patrons and supporters to help it achieve a three-year strategy to take the orchestra successfully into the mid-2020s.

NEW Sinfonia is also the resident orchestra of the North Wales International Music Festival which has been able to return to St Asaph Cathedral this year with a hybrid event featuring online concerts as well.

The brothers, who have both also forged successful individual careers, say they are enormously proud of what the 40-strong orchestra has accomplished over the past decade, and it has far exceeded the original expectations.

Robert is now based in Manchester where he is Director of the University of Manchester’s elite undergraduate conducting programme, Head of Choral Programmes and Director of Ensembles.

He said: “It’s incredible really when we reflect on how NEW Sinfonia has developed. I sometimes have to pinch myself to make sure I’ve not dreamed it all.

“We’re so proud of all our fellow musicians and hugely thankful to everyone who has supported us over the last ten years.

“We started as a relatively young orchestra simply with the aim of providing an outlet for talented young musicians from around North Wales to get together and perform great music together. But it’s phenomenal how we’ve grown beyond that as individuals and as an orchestra.

“Many of our members are now much in demand for their instrumental skills and they play with renowned orchestras worldwide. But amazingly they still come back home to NEW Sinfonia when we have a concert on. They make strenuous efforts to get here and play together no matter what.

“We’re a close-knit musical family and now we all want to nurture and help develop the next generation of young North Wales classical musicians. We want to offer them a chance to perform with a full orchestra, just like we had that chance.”

Jonathan added: “As an orchestra we’ve had outstanding opportunities and we now want to enable other young musicians to have similar opportunities in their up-and-coming careers. A big goal is to engage more with the communities in which we work, to inspire people to listen to and enjoy more classical music in all its many forms.

“We are also keen to introduce family friendly events into our repertoire, concerts where parents can come along with their young children.

Among the new trustees is Ruth Evans is Head of Artistic Planning and Participation at the National Youth Choirs Great Britain.

She said: “What NEW Sinfonia has achieved is remarkable especially when you consider that they were such a young orchestra when starting out.

“But in a way I am not surprised, Rob and Jon are both brilliant musicians with so much natural musical talent. They’re passionate about what they do.

“They are both committed to making the orchestra a vital part of the community where it has its roots.

“They reach out and bring classical music to some people who may never have heard it before, and they are fervent believers in the power music has to improve people’s well-being.

“More than ever, I think, they have proven this during recent lockdowns when they have worked so hard to keep music alive and relevant, despite the constraints of social distancing and so many closed venues.

“There are great plans ahead and we’re all truly excited to see how much more NEW Sinfonia develops over the next 10 years.”

* For full details about the 10th anniversary concerts programme visit the NEW Sinfonia website at: www.newsinfonia.org.uk

Wrexham reaches longlist for UK City of Culture 2025

Wrexham has reached the long list for the accolade of being the UK City of Culture in 2025.

Wales’ Deputy Minister for Arts and Sport, Dawn Bowden said: “I’m delighted Wrexham County Borough has reached the UK City of Culture 2025 longlist.

“We have a unique and wonderful culture here in Wales, which we’re all incredibly proud of. I want the world to know how wonderful it is too.

“Being named UK City of Culture 2025 would be truly transformational for Wrexham, and would be a real boost as we look forward to a brighter, more prosperous future. Congratulations to all at Team Wrexham, and the best of luck for the next stages of the competition."

The longlist, unveiled by new Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries today, also includes Cornwall, Southampton, Derby and Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon, Bradford, County Durham and Stirling.

The winning city, which will succeed Coventry, will be announced in spring next year.

For the first time, each listee will receive £40,000 worth of investment.

They will all work with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to finalise their bids before the shortlist is announced early next year.

Skates raises broadband connectivity in Senedd

The issue of broadband connectivity in North Wales has been raised in the Senedd.  

Clwyd South MS Ken Skates asked for an update on how the Welsh Government is helping to connect more businesses and homes across the region yesterday (Wednesday).  

Mr Skates said: “I share people’s frustration about areas of Clwyd South which struggle to get a decent broadband connection. Broadband should be seen as a key piece of modern infrastructure, and everyone should be able to access it.  

“The UK Government is responsible for telecommunications, including broadband, but the Welsh Government is having to use funds set aside for areas it is responsible for to step in where the market and the UK Government have failed to act.”  

In the Senedd, Mr Skates asked: “What is the Welsh Government doing to help connect more properties in north Wales to superfast broadband?”  

Minister Lee Waters responded: “Responsibility for connectivity lies with the UK Government, but we continue to step in to provide connectivity. 7,508 premises have now been given access to full fibre in north Wales under the Welsh Government's £56m full fibre roll-out. We continue to provide connectivity solutions through our local broadband fund and our access-to-broadband scheme.”   

Mr Skates then asked: “Given the Welsh Government's commitment to combating the climate emergency, and also given the huge rise in the number of people who are working remotely and working from home as a result of coronavirus, would you agree with me that broadband should be regarded as a universal service, like the Royal Mail, and should be available to all?”   

The Minister agreed, telling the Clwyd South Member: “That is the key point in the debate that we need to keep emphasising. This is now an essential utility service. I hear from Members across the Chamber about difficulties their constituents have getting connected, and it is a real impediment to being able to carry out essential functions in society.   

“But the UK Government, who have responsibility for broadband, refuse either through ideology or through inertia to take the action necessary to make sure everybody has a right to be connected. So, as a result, we see a hodgepodge of pragmatic schemes being devised to try and get round what is essentially a structural flaw. And, as you say, Royal Mail, a privately-run company, has a legal obligation to deliver for the same cost a universal service, and the same must apply for broadband.” 

After the session in the Senedd, Mr Skates said: “While telecommunications is not devolved, the Welsh Government has helped connect 95% of properties in Wales.  

“The Welsh Government has to comply with competition law, so cannot stipulate which properties should be connected, and OpenReach determines which premises they cover based on multiple factors including value for public money.  

“I believe OpenReach should have to connect all homes as a cost of business, and I know the Minister will continue to press the UK Government to class broadband as a universal service.” 

Custodians of Dee Valley are celebrated at Wenffrwd

* The Custodians exhibition at Wenffrwd pocket park.

A group of people dedicated to preserving the Dee Valley's cultural and natural heritage are being celebrated in pictures and words at the new pocket park just outside Llangollen.

As part of the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty's Picturesque Landscape project it is working with a number of artists in residence.

Amongst them are husband and wife Jessica and Philip Hatcher-Moore who currently have an exhibition of their work at the Wenffrwd site off the A539.

Entitled Custodians, it profiles a number of people who are involved in preserving the valley’s heritage. So far, they have done five characters, and we will be adding to the exhibition in the coming months.     

The Hatcher-Moores are based in the Dee Valley. 

Jessica is an award-winning journalist, author and travel writer who worked for the Guardian in East Africa for five years before making a home in North Wales.

Her storytelling is characterised by unheard voices and improbable things.

Jessica’s first book, After Birth, about postnatal recovery, was published by Profile in May 2021. 

Husband Philip is a photographer living on a hillside in North Wales. 

His work, which has been recognised by several international awards and exhibitions, explores society’s relationship with the landscape and environment, and spans more than a decade of reportage from across the globe.