Politicians speak out about eisteddfod's financial plight

* A scene from this year's big eisteddfod parade.

Politicians have reacted to news earlier this week that Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod is facing a “dire” financial situation.

As llanblogger exclusively revealed, a crisis meeting was held at its Pavilion headquarters on Monday evening at which over 60 grassroots supporters were told by officials that last month’s 2023 festival had made a substantial loss.

This was coupled with an announcement that the executive producer, Camilla King, had been made redundant.

Ideas to secure future of the 76-year-old event were put forward at the meeting and are now being considered by trustees who are working on a survival plan which will include a fundraising campaign.

Politicians on both sides of the political divide have responded to the eisteddfod’s financial plight.

Simon Baynes, Welsh Conservative MP for Clwyd South, said: “I was saddened to hear the news from the Eisteddfod.

“ I am doing my best to help in finding ways forward for this iconic cultural event in Clwyd South.”

And Ken Skates, Welsh Labour Senedd Member for Clwyd South, said:  "This was the first completely in-person International Eisteddfod since Covid, so it was always going to be a challenge to bounce back immediately.

“Hopefully the right support will be available to help the event return to full strength and become fully sustainable."

An official statement on the executive producer’s redundancy from eisteddfod chair Sarah Ecob said: “Camilla is leaving with the thanks of all Board Members and Chairs of the Committees.  

“She has been Executive Producer since September 2021 and steered the festival since the COVID-19 pandemic.” 

And of the general financial situation she said: “The Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod has been severely impacted by the aftermath of the Covid pandemic and by the current cost of living crisis.  

“Like many other cultural organisations, the Eisteddfod is facing an extremely challenging future due to our financial situation.  

“The Board and the Committee Chairs have met to discuss emergency actions to try to stabilise our organisation.  We have taken the very sad decision to make our Executive Producer redundant and we will shortly be launching a major fundraising campaign to safeguard the Eisteddfod’s future.  

“We’d like to thank Camilla for her outstanding work at our festival and wish her well for the future.  We would like to thank our customers, volunteers, staff, competitors, performers  and funders who make the Eisteddfod such a special event every year…with their help we can ensure the Eisteddfod continues to be central to cultural life in Wales and continue its role in promoting peace in an uncertain world.” 

At Monday’s meeting eisteddfod vice-chair Chris described the financial situation as “frankly dire” with inflation, the cost of living crisis and the aftermath of the pandemic all taking their toll on last month's 2023 eisteddfod. 

He added that the people running the eisteddfod knew they must now "move very quickly" to ensure that enough money was generated to keep it trading. 

Ysgol Dinas Bran students celebrate "excellent" A-Level results

There were great scenes of happiness at Ysgol Dinas Brân today as sixth form students celebrated receiving their A-Level results. 

According to headteacher Mark Hatch, results are excellent, with early indications that nearly all have achieved their first choice in the next step of their career pathway, whether that be university or an apprenticeship scheme.  

He added: "We are extremely proud of all of the students and their achievements and I would like to wish them all the very best on their next steps. 

"We have many students going on to university, but we also have students with great apprenticeship opportunities. 

"I am just so pleased for all the students and would like to thank the staff for all their efforts and for the support of the parents."  

* Denbighshire County Council has congratulated pupils receiving their A-level results.

Councillor Gill German, Cabinet Lead Member for Education, Children and Family Services, said: “On behalf of the council I would like to congratulate all pupils that have received their A-level results.

“This cohort has faced significant challenges over the past few years. They have made a tremendous effort to achieve their results, they have worked very hard to get here and have overcome a lot of obstacles.

“There has been some fantastic partnership working to ensure students achieved the best results possible and pupils have received support from their families and schools. I would like to thank all those who have supported our hard-working students this last year.”

“We would like to wish all learners the very best in their next steps.”

* Clwyd South MP Simon Baynes has congratulated A Level students across his constituency on achieving their results today. 

Students throughout Wales have received their A Level grades this morning. Statistics from UCAS show that 72% of 18-year-olds from Wales have secured their first-choice university, up 1% on last year. In total, 15,660 students in Wales have been accepted onto university courses since results were revealed. This figure is up on the pre-pandemic figures from 2019, but down on last year’s results.

 

Mr Baynes, speaking earlier today, said: “A Level results day is often one of the most important days in a young person’s life. It is the culmination of years of hard work and dedication to studying. I congratulate all students on their results today.”

 

If students have narrowly missed a grade, schools and colleges will assist if they believe the results should be reviewed. In addition, those who have missed out on places at their preferred university can also make use of the Clearing system, which helps tens of thousands of students each year to find a place at a university of their choosing.

Further details of the Clearing process can be found on UCAS’ website at: https://www.ucas.com/

Official sources comment on rumours of housing asylum seekers at White Waters hotel

* The White Waters Country Hotel on the A5.

The local MP and the county council have commented on rumours that asylum seekers could be housed in Llangollen’s closed-down White Waters Country Hotel.

There has been speculation this week on social media that the UK Government might be planning to accommodate refugees in the former four-star hotel in Berwyn Street that closed in 2019.

One Facebook post suggested the building might soon be taking in “international visitors,” while another said: “Does anyone know about supposed plans for the White Waters Hotel in Llangollen regarding being used as accommodation for 'asylum seekers', please?”

It is understood that the Home Office would have to notify the local Member of Parliament well in advance if it had any plans to accommodate asylum seekers within their constituency.

But Clwyd South MP Simon Baynes said this week: “I have not been informed by the Home Office of any such proposal.”

The Home Office would also need to notify the local authority. However, a spokesperson for Denbighshire County Council said:  “The council is not aware of any hotel in Denbighshire accommodating asylum seekers and we haven’t had any notification through official channels.”

White Waters, which stands of the main A5 and has a commanding view of the River Dee, has stood empty since closing down four years ago.

In 2021 it was on the market for £1.5m.

Also in 2021 an advert appeared on social media for a chef for what seemed to indicate a take-over by new owners but which came to nothing.

Stolen beehives located just a few miles away, says story

Beehives that were stolen from a Llangollen business have been found just three miles away, according to a story in the Leader.

* For the full story, see: Stolen beehives from Llangollen business have been found | The Leader (leaderlive.co.uk)

Council slammed in row over free PPE for vulnerable people

 

* Mario Kreft, chair of Care Forum Wales. 

A council has been blasted for refusing to supply vulnerable people with free personal protective equipment even though it’s been paid for by the Welsh Government.

Denbighshire County Council has been accused of a “gross dereliction of duty” by social care champions Care Forum Wales (CFW) after it sent an email to care providers – including those in the Llangollen area - informing them it would no longer distribute PPE to them.

At a time when Covid was still a health risk with a rising number of cases again, CFW chair Mario Kreft MBE said the blatant disregard for the safeguarding of vulnerable people was a further demonstration that the authority was not fit for purpose.

Mr Kreft spoke out after the council sent a message to providers on July 25 blaming the Welsh Government for failing to fund the storage and the distribution of the PPE, including face masks, latex gloves and disposable aprons.

The message added: “On the basis that the funding has ceased and Denbighshire is experiencing significant budget pressures, we are now unable to continue with the storage and distribution of PPE and this is with immediate effect.”

The PPE is provided free by the Welsh Government to all local authorities in Wales at a time when Covid-19 is resurgent again.

Over 108 people in Wales tested positive for the virus last week when there were seven deaths linked to the disease but those figures are expected to rise in the autumn and winter.

Mr Kreft said: “Denbighshire is a council which pays the lowest residential care fees in Wales, £101.69 a day and that’s considerably less than their councillors get as a day rate for expenses.

“They’ve been given this PPE free by the Welsh Government and they’re not prepared to make any effort to get that to vulnerable people and the registered staff who are caring for them.

“Care homes and home care companies are supposed to be able to have the PPE free of charge.

“The cost of providing it themselves has not been factored into the fees they receive from Denbighshire so the council should either review the decision or recalculate fees to take account of costs of PPE. 

“It’s shocking and a dereliction of duty by the authority and they should be held to account for it.

“Local authorities have a statutory duty to provide services and here where they’re paying the lowest amount for care in Wales and they’ve got the chance to assist the private care sector they show their institutional prejudice.

“It’s just not acceptable and people are entitled to ask the question, ‘Is Denbighshire the right organisation to ensure these vulnerable people are properly protected?’.

“Whoever has made this decision needs to be held accountable if this leads to illness and death.

“We know Covid infections are going to go up and everyone over 65 is going to be offered a vaccine – that tells me this virus hasn’t gone away and it is going to kill people.

“It’s a safeguarding matter and what Care Forum Wales will do is ensure that whoever is responsible for that decision is held accountable for not passing on vital PPE.

“If there was partnership working they would be co-operating with care providers to ensure vital, life-saving equipment was getting to where it is needed.

“This is an example of a system of social care where the Welsh Government says one thing and a local authority like Denbighshire says another and the care providers and vulnerable people are left in limbo.

“It’s an indictment of the current system and the public have a right to ask if vulnerable people are safe in the hands of a local authority which pays its councillors more in expenses than it pays for the care of vulnerable people.

“You would think people would expect local authorities would do everything they could to support the providers looking after some of the most vulnerable people in the community rather than treat them with contempt.

“It’s an example of the broken system of social care in Wales and shows it’s not safe in the hands of authorities like Denbighshire.”

Denbighshire is one of three councils in Wales to announce they can no longer afford to store and distribute PPE provided free by the Welsh Government - the others are Merthyr Tydfil and Newport.

A spokesperson for Denbighshire County Council said: "Denbighshire County Council has been involved in discussions, along with representatives from Care Forum Wales and the National Commissioning Board regarding the continued provision of PPE. 

"During those many meetings, whilst advocating for the provision of PPE, the council was very clear that continued funding would need to be provided to Local Authorities to enable them to cover the additional costs of storage and distribution. Unfortunately, Welsh Government only secured the funding for the provision of the PPE and Local Authorities were asked to cover the additional costs. 

"There is a mixed picture across the region – the other Local Authorities across North Wales are continuing to store the PPE from Welsh Government with most asking providers to collect themselves from storage facilities. Across Wales the picture is also varied with a number of Local Authorities ceasing the storage and/or distribution of PPE altogether.

"Denbighshire has taken a decision not to store and distribute PPE to its care providers based on the fact that there is no funding from Welsh Government to support this and unfortunately the financial pressures that the council is under as a local authority has led to it having to make this very difficult decision. The amount of PPE the council was delivering to care providers has reduced significantly over the last 12 months and whilst it recognises that many of its providers utilised the service, others haven’t. Without any additional Welsh Government funding Denbighshire County Council is simply not in a position to continue renting a storage unit and staffing it.

"Care providers have expressed to the council that they are disappointed that Welsh Government was unable to continue the funding for storage and onward distribution, but also added their thanks for the support they have received over the last 3 years and they have taken the opportunity to collect PPE from the amount the Council has left."

MS hits out at 'bonkers' new 20mph speed limit

Sam Rowlands, Member of the Welsh Parliament for North Wales, has added his voice to protests against the controversial blanket 20mph in his region. 

Mr Rowlands, Shadow Minister for Local Government, who has campaigned with residents in Buckley, against the proposals, said he fully understood the frustration of motorists who have started to tie red ribbons on their car bonnets and grills to protest against the soon to be imposed new speed limit. 

He said: “For the past 18 months I have been supporting campaigners in Buckley, who are totally against this scheme which comes into force across the whole of Wales on September 17.

“It is completely bonkers and will have serious consequences for people who live, work and travel in North Wales and not in a good way.

“Despite the vast majority of people being totally against the move and thousands signing a petition against it Welsh Government blithely carried on punishing motorists.

“It is a real shame that people feel they have to resort to these measures to be heard by Welsh Government and I am not surprised that drivers have become frustrated and feel they need to protest and I am sure we will see a lot more red ribbons as we approach the launch date for the blanket 20mph speed limit.

“Like most people I am not against introducing 20mph in certain areas and support letting councils put these limits outside schools, hospitals and other areas where evidence shows it’s a benefit, but a blanket 20mph speed limit across urban roads in Wales is just not right.

“I would really like to see the Welsh Labour Government  make a u-turn on this ludicrous policy but as we all know they are not interested in the views of the electorate.

“I make no apology for once again expressing my concern over the detrimental impact this default limit is going to have on people going about their daily lives and businesses.

“Instead of slowing Wales down, Labour should grip the wheel and get Wales moving again with a pro-growth, pro-business, pro-worker programme that works for those who need to drive.”

Pengwern Hub celebrates first birthday with Mexican-style fiesta

 

To mark its first birthday the Pengwern Community Hub is hosting a summer street party fiesta on Saturday, between noon and 3pm.

It will include a range of attractions plus Mexican vibes and food, including chilli and nacos.