Luca congratulated on his MP Christmas card success

Clwyd South MP Simon Baynes visited Ysgol Bryn Collen to congratulate pupil Luca Burgoyne on his design for his official Christmas card competition in which he was runner-up.

Luca is pictured standing at the front in the photo below between headteacher Lisa Howden and Mr Baynes.

The MP said: "I much enjoyed attending the morning assembly with all the schoolchildren and afterwards learning from Miss Howden about the plans for the school’s expansion, no surprise given that Ysgol Bryn Collen is a very successful, happy and popular school."

Service backing rights of mentally ill faces casework explosion

* CADMHAS staff at their St Asaph headquarters, from left, Louisa Moore, Lynette Viney-Passig, Elfed Williams, Director, and Kate Ross-Bowker. Picture by Rick Matthews.

An independent service which fights for the rights of Denbighshire people with severe mental health issues is taking on 15 new staff to deal with an explosion in its caseload

CADMHAS – the Conwy and Denbighshire Mental Health Advisory Service – now services a vast area covering all of North Wales and Powys, more than half of Wales.

It is part of the UK-wide independent advocate system set up in the wake of the Harold Shipman murders, the Greater Manchester GP who is estimated to have killed over 250 elderly and vulnerable patients at his practice in Hyde between 1977 and 1998.

CADMHAS deals with 1,800 cases a year with a large proportion of those for people, many elderly and suffering from dementia, who have no family and lack the capacity to make vital decisions on where and how they live, all on a budget of £1.2 million.

Its headquarters on St Asaph Business Park is the hub for network of trained advocates who act for vulnerable people can struggle to make their own health and welfare decisions and without family able to step in.

Its efforts have been praised by Lynette Viney-Passig, of leading law firm Swayne Johnson, a CADMHAS board member for over ten years who said: “The service that their dedicated team provide is so important and yet so little is known about it.

“It is a testament to the quality and dedication of their work that they have grown to cover not just Conwy and Denbighshire but such a huge area of Wales and with amazing dedication.

“Without them so many of the most vulnerable people in our society would have no-one to safeguard their interests, no-one to make sure their voice is heard and their wellbeing safeguarded.”

CADMHAS Director of Services Elfed Williams now leads a team which will have grown to 48 by the end of 2023 – in 2013 there were just six with the number up to 19 last year as their services expanded to deal with a rocketing caseload.

All advocates have to gain a Level 4 advanced qualification provided by City and Guilds for a course of a minimum of 12 months, mostly taken online, and CADMHAS are currently advertising for more advocates.

This small but growing army of dedicated professionals deal with increasingly complex and sensitive cases and he said: “As well as people suffering from dementia we also support people with anything from depression and anxiety up to those who have been sectioned under the Mental Health Act or have severe issues like schizophrenia or serious brain injury.

“The majority are those with severe learning difficulties and increasingly with dementia as people live longer but it is anything that causes them to lack or lose capacity to take care of themselves.

“We are seeing an increasing number of people being referred to us and this could also be down to Covid and the greater isolation it has imposed which has been detrimental to so many people’s mental health.

“The cost of living crisis is increasing anxiety and mental well-being has been affected by factors like the lack of medical and social services while other voluntary organisations which might have helped in the past have seen funding shrink or disappear.”

North Wales was also seen in the past as an ideal place to house young people with special needs and local authorities from across England would pay for them to be housed in residential homes across the region.

Many have been here for over 20 years but according to CADMHAS the economics of the system have changed and many local authorities are looking to save money by repatriating their former residents.

Kate Ross-Bowker, an experienced Independent Mental Capacity Advocate from Anglesey, said: “This was seen as a nice area with wide open spaces where people could be looked after in tranquil surroundings.

“But now the economics have changed and some local authorities are saying they can now look after them better themselves and more cost effectively closer to where they were brought up.

“This is where it is vital to have an advocate who can evaluate the situation and speak on behalf of the resident.

“We don’t make the final decision but we are there to be the voice for that person who doesn’t have anyone else to speak on their behalf, we are there to fight for what we think is in their best interests.

“This doesn’t just cover where they live and how they are cared for but can cover what medical treatment they receive – there may be medical reasons for a treatment but we also have to evaluate the personal circumstances of that person.”

Elfed Williams added: “People are often unaware of the service we provide but we need more resources because the need is growing.

“That’s especially true of dementia and because economic need is affecting people’s mental health.

“The cases we are seeing now are much more serious and much more complex than they were in the past.”

Swayne Johnson is a long-established law firm which employs over 50 staff at offices at Ruthin, Denbigh, St Asaph, Llandudno and Tattenhall in Cheshire and is one of the fastest growing firms of solicitors in the region.

* For more on Swayne Johnson go to http://www.swaynejohnson.com/

Tidy Town team put in another 500+ unpaid paid hours

* Tidy Town volunteers enjoy their Christmas party at the golf club.

Despite an early setback caused by the lingering lockdown, Llangollen Tidy Town Team went on to have another highly successful year in 2022.

In his annual report David Davies, founder and co-ordinator of the voluntary group, says its members contributed over 500 hours of unpaid work on behalf of the community, taking in everything from litter picking to handling traffic for the town's  Christmas festival which returned after a three-year Covid enforced break to notch up its most successful year to date. 

He says: "Our year started with a couple of jobs deferred due to lockdown regulations.

"The stream alongside the Army Cadet HQ needed rubbish and vegetation clearance again in the absence of any maintenance by DCC.

"We also made in-roads into clearing the public footpath that runs halfway up the hillside parallel to the A5, between Fron and Llangollen. Unfortunately, our efforts to secure the younger muscle-power of the participants in the Restorative Justice system failed due to 'H&S concerns'. It would be sad to lose this path and consign walkers to the A5.

"Meeting at least once a month, we have continued our litter picking activities, Town Square maintenance duties, tidying around the Wharf area and providing help at Plas Newydd.

"The woods project, adjacent to the cemetery by St Johns Church, made a major step forward this year with renewed enthusiasm from St Collen' s Church and a substantial grant from Cadwyn Clywd.    

"This work is ongoing but has enabled expansion of the cemetery parking area, creation of a surfaced pathway into the woods, new fencing and tree clearance ready for some new planting."

He adds: "The team has assisted at town events including the new locally-inspired Garden Railway Festival at the Pavilion and at the welcome return of the Christmas Festival.  

"We took on the challenge of making provision for and putting up the town Christmas tree with help with lifting equipment from S&G Estates Ltd.

"We are grateful to AJP Couriers for stepping in to finance our insurance cost this year. Other contributions this year included those from Llangollen Town Council, Garden Railway,  Kenrick Motors, Rotary (closing fund) and an anonymous passer-by, have returned our funds to positive. Thanks to all concerned.

"Finally, a thank you to the members of the team, who once again this year have contributed over 500 hours of voluntary effort in trying to keep Llangollen a tidy town to the benefit of residents and tourists."

County council warns of impact of industrial action on schools

Denbighshire County Council is reminding parents and carers it has been notified that national strike action by members of the National Education Union (NEU) is planned to take place on February 1 and February 14.

The council says this may impact on the operation of schools within the county and that additional days are planned on March 15 and 16.

It adds: "This is anticipated to result in a significant reduction in staffing levels within schools and will affect all areas of Wales.

"All schools are currently assessing whether they can remain open or partially open on these days and if not whether the sites will need to be closed to learners on these days.

"Schools will communicate directly with parents and carers regarding individual decisions and information.

"In addition, the National Association of Headteachers have notified Denbighshire that their members will commence action short of strike action as of February 1. 

"Alternative arrangements may need to be put in place during these days should your school close or partially close."

* Llangollen county councillor Karen Edwards has been officially notified by the council that Ysgol Bryn Collen (Primary) will be closed on February 1 due to industrial action.

Headliners announced for this year's Fringe Festival

* Henge are one of the headliners at this year's Fringe.

* DJ Mr Scruff. Picture: Jake Warrington is also appearing.

The 26th Llangollen Fringe Festival takes place from July 7-15 and will feature a wide range of shows featuring comedy, music, dance, workshops and more.

Headlining acts announced include extra-terrestrial prog rock band Henge, who have been delighting audiences for the past seven years. 

Joining them is one of the most sought after rock groups Half Man Half Biscuit, described as, "Witty and dry, sardonic yet never cynical, melodically infectious yet edgy."

Producer, cartoonist and cross-genre selector Mr Scruff will also be joining the bill.  

His DJ sets can range from deep soul/funk/reggae/afro/jazz/latin/hip-hop to harder edged electro/house/new wave/techno/electronic, often all in the same night.

Paul Keddie, chairperson of the Llangollen Fringe, said: “It’s always a hugely exciting moment when the first set of Fringe shows are announced, and this year, it feels more important than ever to celebrate."

* Tickets for these headline shows are on sale now, as well as festival passes. Priced at just £70 the pass allows access to all of the main events across the nine days. 

Festival tickets and dates and times for all concerts and events are available from www.llangollenfringe.co.uk or by calling the Fringe box office: 0800 1455 779.

New hourly T8 bus service begins

Transport for Wales and Denbighshire County Council have announced a new hourly TrawsCymru T8 bus service between Corwen, Ruthin, Mold and Chester.

Starting earlier this week, the new T8 bus will offer more frequent and faster services, improving connectivity in the region and enabling passengers to travel without changing buses.

Transport for Wales is investing in public transport throughout Wales and the Borders and the TrawsCymru network is expanding and becoming more connected.

As part of these improvements, the new T8 will connect at Corwen with the T10 (Corwen - Betws y Coed - Bangor) and with more journeys on the T3 (Wrexham - Corwen - Bala - Dolgellau - Barmouth), creating a travelling interchange for customers.

The new bus service will be operated by M&H Coaches. The new TrawsCymru app and website provide customers with the ability to purchase mobile tickets, get up-to-date information, track services and the opportunity to see carbon savings from using public transport.

New timetables are available on Traveline and the TrawsCymru website.

Deputy Minister for Climate Change, with a responsibility for transport, Lee Waters said: “An hourly bus service will make a real difference to bus users in the area and will help to encourage more people to use public transport to get about. This is part of the Welsh Government’s investment in north Wales and future developments are being looked at by our North Wales Transport Commission led by Lord Burns.”

Lee Robinson, Development Director Mid, North and Rural Wales said: "The T8 is the latest in a number of improvements to regional bus services across Wales. TfW is committed to improving accessibility and connectivity for Wales’ country towns that are not on the rail network and we look forward to all the benefits the new T8 will bring."

Denbighshire County Council’s Lead Member for Environment and Transport, Cllr Barry Mellor, said: "The T8 represents a remarkable opportunity to improve the travel opportunities for residents in south Denbighshire. In future, they will benefit not just from an increase in frequency but improved through-services and connections. It will also allow those travelling from England to access leisure and visitor opportunities in Wales."

Wales walking book launched at Plas Newydd

* Howard Sutcliffe of the AONB, author Julie Brominicks, and Sian from Courtyard Books, Llangollen

A new walking book exploring Wales was recently launched at Plas Newydd, Llangollen.

Author Julie Brominicks, of Machynlleth, travelled to Llangollen to treat visitors to Plas Newydd with snippets of her new adventure filled book, ‘The Edge of Cymru’.

Having left her job as a teacher, in the course of a year Julie Brominicks walked around the edge of Wales via the Wales Coastal Path and Offas Dyke path.

As an English incomer and a Welsh learner with a long association with the country, she was interested in what Wales meant, and how she did, or didn’t, fit.

Julie, who is also a regular contributor to BBC Countryfile Magazine, said: “The book is a travel narrative, detailing encounters with the people, landscape and wildlife I met. At the same time, it traces a journey back through time, from Devolution to Evolution, because I was feeling uneasy about being an English incomer, and wanted to find out more about Cymru's language, culture, natural and social history.”

Howard Sutcliffe, Clwydian Range and Dee Valley AONB Officer and Ranger Service Manager, said: “I loved the day, it is the first time we have promoted an author and somewhat of a learning curve, we will definitely do it again for Welsh Authors who explore and celebrate our landscape. Especially pleasing was a couple of the Friends of the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley who travelled all the way from Liverpool to the launch!”

Cllr Win-Mullen James, Lead Member for Local Development and Planning, said: “The AONB were delighted to host the launch of book which was held at Plas Newydd Historic House & Gardens, Llangollen. Julie provided some very interesting background information before signing copies of the book for attendees.”

Visitors to Loggerheads Country Park Visitor Centre or Courtyard Books in Llangollen can purchase a copy of ‘The Edge of Cymru’.