Emergency Alert to be tested on April 23

At 3pm, next Sunday April 23 the Government will be testing the new Emergency Alerts system.

The system will warn people when their lives are in danger.

The alert will be a loud, siren-like sound with a message on your mobile phone screen. 

Latest local roadworks alerts

Latest local roadworks alerts from Denbighshire County Council are:

O/S GARDD GERRIG TO THE TOWER TOWER ROAD 24/04/2023 19/05/2023 Gwaith Nwy / Gas Works WALES & WEST (DCC) LLANGOLLEN Ffordd ar Gau/Road Closure .

A539 BRYN MELYN RTW SUN BANK 17/04/2023 28/04/2023 Gwaith Ar Wal Gynnal/ Retaining Wall Works DCC BRIDGES AND STRUCTURE LLANGOLLEN Ffordd ar Gau/Road Closure.

Orthopaedic hospital to stage biggest ever recruitment day

Clinical and non-clinical roles will be up for grabs when the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital hosts its biggest ever recruitment event Sunday April 16, from 10am to 2pm.

The Oswestry-based hospital ran a similar event in January that saw openings for Registered Nurses, Theatre Practitioners, Operating Department Practitioners (ODPs), Radiographers, and Physiotherapists.

The latest event will offer more of the same – but with additional stands to offer opportunities for Pharmacists, Occupational Therapists, Orthotists, Ward Housekeepers, Cleanliness Technicians and Catering Assistants.

Potential candidates can find out more about working at RJAH, as well as links to how you can apply for some of the roles right now, by visiting www.rjah.nhs.uk/work-with-us.

Attendees at the recruitment day will be greeted at the main entrance before making their way to the hospital’s new £6 million Headley Court Veterans’ Orthopaedic Centre, where they will be able to talk to staff and tour areas of the site.

The event aims to give an insight of what it is like to work in an organisation rated outstanding for care by the Care Quality Commission and delivering the best overall patient experience in the NHS, according to the latest National Adult Inpatient Survey.

Stacey Keegan, Chief Executive at RJAH, said: “This is a fantastic place to work, and I am extremely proud of the incredible feedback we get from our patients, who tell us regularly about the huge impact we make on their quality of life.

“This recruitment day is the second of four we have planned this year. RJAH is a growing hospital and we want to bring in the best people to help us on our journey.

“I was delighted by the numbers we welcomed through the door in January, and we are already seeing many of those taking up roles within our teams.

“This time around the opportunities are even greater, as we are also welcoming Pharmacists and Orthotists, and are looking to fill some non-clinical vacancies too, with some terrific openings in our award-winning Estates and Facilities teams.”

There will be the opportunity for candidates in some professions to interview on the day for a role if they wish, providing they apply via NHS Jobs so that the hospital’s People Services team can make contact in advance. For more information, or to apply, go to www.rjah.nhs.uk/work-with-us.

Candidates are also welcome to drop in and talk to hospital staff at the event about their options. 

The day is open to candidates at all stages of their career, from students in their last year who are looking to secure their first permanent role, to experienced individuals who are looking for a new and exciting challenge. The hospital will also be welcoming Nurses and Allied Health Professionals who would like to return to practice.

Shea joins line-up of all-star charity show

 

* Shea Ferron is amongst those appearing in the special charity show next month.

A young entertainer who became a local celebrity after appearing in a string of hit productions with a junior stage group is amongst the line-up of an all-star charity concert in Llangollen next month.

Shea Ferron, 20, has played leading roles in a host of musicals presented by the Young’ Uns, the junior section of Llangollen Operatic Society, including Half a Sixpence, Honk! the Musical, Bugsy Malone, Joseph, 9 to 5, Grease, Wizard of Oz and Little Shop of Horrors.

He has also been entertaining crowds with his solo performances since he was a tot, raising thousands of pounds for various charities.

And Shea, now away at college, became one of the first to sign up when three of Llangollen’s most popular amateur stage groups decided to join forces for the first time ever to present a glittering variety and music hall show in aid of the earthquake victims of Turkey and Syria.

Llangollen Operatic Society, Llangollen Twenty Club and The Collen Players are combining their considerable talents to stage Llangollen on Show for Turkey and Syria at Llangollen Town Hall over two nights on Thursday and Friday May 11 and 12.

All proceeds will go to support the Disaster Emergency Committee in which 15 of the UK’s top charities have come together to supply a lifeline to thousands of survivors of the earthquake which devastated southern and central Turkey and northern and western Syria in February.

Organisers say it will also be the perfect way to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III which will have taken place the previous weekend. 

The Llangollen entertainers have spent months planning for the big show which will see each of the groups involved showcasing their skills to audiences of up 250 on each of the two performances.

The Operatic, an all-singing and dancing outfit, will perform numbers from the smash-hit shows Hamilton, Six, Oliver Les Miserables and Half a Sixpence,  while the Twenty Club drama group will present comedy sketches – some specially written for the occasion – based on their own hilarious past hits such as Blackadder and Absolutely Fabulous.

The Collen Players will provide a taste of the rip-roaring Victorian music hall shows for which they have rapidly become famous, with their founder, Lee Taylor, acting as chairman for the show which starts each night at 7.30pm. 

There will be a bar and prize raffle on both nights and a number of local businesses have pledged their financial support.

Shea Ferron is currently on BA (Hons) Performing Arts course at the ICTheatre College in Manchester and is also a member of the John’s Boys Choir which recently won the male voice choir category of the Derry International Choral Festival in Northern Ireland and was the 2019 Choir of the World winners at Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod.

Shea, who will be belting out the songs on this occasion for the Collen Players, said: “The reason I signed up for Llangollen on Show for Turkey and Syria is because it’s a great opportunity to do what I absolutely love and is raising money for a fantastic cause.

“It’s also very exciting that the three main performing arts societies within the town are performing together. It’s going to be one special night indeed.”

Tracey Kempster Jones, one of the show’s organisers, said: “Llangollen is famously bursting with entertainment talent and this show will be a historic occasion because never before have all three of Llangollen’s main stage groups come together to put on such a show.

“Almost as soon as all of us heard about the dreadful earthquake in Turkey and Syria we know we had to do something.

“We’ve had some really dedicated people working on the show, both on stage and behind the scenes, and we’re counting on our respective regular audiences and others to come along to support this fantastic cause and have a great night into the bargain.”

Tickets for the show, priced at £12 (no concessions) are available online at www.ticketsource.co.uk/llangollenoperaticsociety or from Courtyard Books, Llangollen, and the Llangollen Oggie Shop in Caste Street or on the door on the night. Demand is expected to be such that organisers advise on booking early.  

Latest county council roadworks alerts

Latest roadworks alerts from Denbighshire County Council are:

O/S GARDD GERRIG TO THE TOWER TOWER ROAD 24/04/2023 19/05/2023 Gwaith Nwy / Gas Works WALES & WEST (DCC) LLANGOLLEN Ffordd ar Gau/Road Closure

BRYN MELYN RTW SUN BANK 17/04/2023 28/04/2023 Gwaith Ar Wal Gynnal/ Retaining Wall Works DCC BRIDGES AND STRUCTURE LLANGOLLEN Ffordd ar Gau/Road Closure

APPROXIMATELY 130M FROM ABBEY FARM A542 HORSESHOE PASS ROAD TO ABBEY DINGLE NURSERY 19/04/2023 19/04/2023 Gwaith Trydanol / Electrical Works AMBERON

Three Eagles named in National Pub & Bar Awards

North Wales Chronicle is reporting that The Three Eagles in Llangollen is one of two hostelries in this region named Best in County in the 2023 National Pub & Bar Awards. 

They are part of a 94 recognised in the best in list and will be up for the regional and national Pub & Bar of the Year accolade at an awards ceremony in London on June 28.

* For the full story, see: https://www.northwaleschronicle.co.uk/news/23448117.best-pubs-bars-wales-revealed-part-2023-awards/ 

Latest Citizens Advice column

Here is the latest column from Denbighshire Citizens Advice:

Q: I recently started a new job where my boss has told me I’ll have to work on bank holidays. This was never the case in my old job. Can my employer really make me work on a public holiday, and should I get paid extra if I do? 

A: Congratulations on the new job and wonderful to hear you’re enjoying the work. 

Unfortunately, when it comes to bank holidays, whether or not staff have to work is up to their employer, and you don’t have to be paid more if you do. The situation will vary from job to job and may depend on a number of factors such as whether your place of work is open on bank holidays, your hours of work and crucially, what your contract says. 

Take a look at your contract, if you have one, to find out what your personal situation is. Your contract might say you will always get bank holidays off but it might say you may sometimes be required to work them or will always be required to work. If your place of work is normally open on a bank holiday you’ll probably be asked to work at least some. But if your contract says you get bank holidays off you shouldn’t be asked to work. 

Your contract might say something like: “In addition to bank and public holidays, your annual entitlement to holidays is X days”. This means you get public holidays off in addition to your annual leave entitlement but it might not mean you’re entitled to take the specific days off. You may be required to work a bank holiday, in which case you should get another day off instead. 

Alternatively, it might say something like: “Your annual holiday entitlement (inclusive of bank and public holidays) is X days” - this means you have to take bank holidays off as part of your annual leave entitlement. Bank holidays will either be deducted from your annual leave allowance (so you’ll have to book all bank holidays as paid time off) or counted as additional holiday days. 

A common misunderstanding around bank holidays is that employers have to pay you extra for working them. This is not the case. Unless your contract says you’ll be paid extra you will just be paid your normal amount. If your contract says you are entitled to bank holidays but you’re asked to work, you should be able to take a different day off in lieu. Your employer has to follow what’s set out in your contract, if they don’t, you should raise this with them. 

If you don’t have a contract, the legal default position is that your employer can tell you when you can or can’t take time off. If you’d like to request a bank holiday off, use the normal method for requesting time off. 

If you find you need to resolve an issue with your employer, first ask for an informal chat, where you can raise your concerns. If this doesn’t get you anywhere, you may need to raise a formal grievance. If you need advice on this contact your local Citizens Advice.