MS brands lack of coeliac disease diagnosis 'unacceptable'

* Llyr Gruffydd MS with Trudy Winsper and Evelyn Altemeyer, Health Policy Lead – Coeliac UK.

After speaking to a Llangollen woman with the condition, a North Wales MS says it’s “unacceptable” that so many people living with coeliac disease aren’t receiving a diagnosis.

Llŷr Gruffydd, who represents the region in the Senedd, recently met with representatives of Coeliac UK at the Welsh Parliament to discuss the issue.

The Plaid Cymru politician also spoke with campaigner Trudy Winsper from Llangollen, who has coeliac disease.

According to research by Coeliac UK, a charity for people who need to live without gluten, over 20,000 people in Wales are living with coeliac disease without receiving a diagnosis.

Mr Gruffydd said the lack of an effective diagnosis pathway is negatively impacting the “quality of life” of people who have the condition, as well as putting “strain” on the Welsh NHS.

Though one in every 100 have Coeliac disease, figures suggest that only around 36% of them get a diagnosis. On average it takes 13 years to receive one.

Coeliac disease is a serious condition where the immune system attacks the body’s own tissues when gluten is eaten. This causes damage to the lining of the gut and means the body can’t properly absorb nutrients from food.

Because of the way that coeliac disease can affect the gut, it's frequently misdiagnosed as irritable bowel syndrome.

The symptoms range from mild to severe, and can include bloating, diarrhoea, nausea, wind, constipation, tiredness, mouth ulcers, sudden or unexpected weight loss, and anaemia.

Coeliac UK provides its 65,000 members with trustworthy advice and support. It also funds research into coeliac disease, and works with healthcare professionals to improve diagnosis and fights for better availability of gluten free food.

The charity’s mission is to ensure that one day, no one’s life will be limited by gluten.

Llŷr Gruffydd MS said: “I am grateful to have had the opportunity to speak with representatives from Coeliac UK at the Senedd.

“At the event I had the opportunity to speak with clinicians and with patients and hear about the barriers that exist to getting a diagnosis.

“I am especially grateful to have had the opportunity to speak with Trudy Winsper from Llangollen and hear about her experience with the condition.

“A significant number of people have the condition, including many constituents in North Wales.

“The research from Coeliac UK which suggests that there are over 20,000 people in Wales living with coeliac disease without receiving a diagnosis is concerning.

“It is unacceptable that people who are living with coeliac disease aren’t receiving diagnosis they need.

“Not only does this negatively impact the lives of people who have the condition and cause them more suffering, it also puts more strain on our NHS when it is already under enormous pressure.

“This is because leaving coeliac disease untreated increases the risk of developing long-term health complications.

“It seems abundantly clear that there needs to be a far more effective diagnosis pathway for people who have the condition in Wales.”

One of world’s rarest trees returned home to Llangollen

* Planting partners.

A partnership has safeguarded an extremely rare tree found in Llangollen for future generations to enjoy.

Pupils from Ysgol Dinas Bran, Gwernant and Bryn Collen have been learning all about the Llangollen Whitebeam, a very rare tree which only exists at two locations in the world.

In 2017, a project ran in partnership between the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley National Landscape, Chester Zoo and Natural Resources Wales (NRW), commissioned a detailed survey to determine the population of this species, as well as to gauge their condition.

In total, only 315 of the trees were recorded, 307 were found at Creigiau Eglwyseg Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), with an additional eight trees in Shropshire.

Berries were also carefully collected and taken to Chester Zoo where skilled botanists cultivated the plants at the zoo for several years, by recreating the unique environment of Llangollen in a behind-the-scenes plant nursery.

* The Llangollen Whitebeam.

Now, six years later, 20 of the rare trees have been replanted in several locations around Llangollen, including one at Dinas Bran this month. The reintroduction was supported by local school pupils from Ysgol Dinas Bran and volunteers.

Emlyn Jones, Head of Planning, Public Protection and Countryside Services, said: “We are so fortunate to the rich diversity of wildlife found in Denbighshire and the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley National Landscape . To think that we hold almost the entire global population of just one species is remarkable and something to cherish.”

“Given the inaccessible places these trees grow, they are easily overlooked and many people are not aware as to the importance of this species.

“By planting them with school children, future generations will have a greater appreciation as to what is on our doorstep, and people will now be able to see and appreciate the Llangollen Whitebeam as it is planted in and around the town.”

Richard May, NRW Environment Officer, said: “We are very happy to have worked on this positive project with our partners at Clwydian Range and Dee Valley National Landscape and Chester Zoo.

“We now have an up-to-date survey of the endangered Llangollen Whitebeam and we understand more about the health of the population and what conservation management it requires.

“It’s amazing to think that this tree can only be found in two places in the world, and I’ll enjoy seeing these trees restored to Castell Dinas Bran.”

Richard Hewitt, Team Manager of the Nursery team at Chester Zoo, added: “Chester Zoo is well known for its species-saving work with a variety of animals, but many maybe unaware that we’re also dedicated to saving the world’s botanical treasures, too. Our team have dedicated more than six years to nurturing this species in our nursey, starting with a mere seed and growing them right through to these magnificent trees. It’s a great feeling to now see them go on to thrive in their historical home in North Wales.

“Without the help of this partnership, this special tree could have disappeared from our planet altogether.”

Printing from Nature sessions planned for community hall

 

Outback: still pulling its weight despite its age

Subaru Outback drive by Steve Rogers

Long before we became addicted to crossover SUVs there was very little around for people wanting something more than a bog standard family estate.

Hauling a horsebox, pulling a trailer, or just towing a caravan off a muddy field, the answer was a big old 4x4, capable but noisy, and uncomfortable on the open road.

Or....you could buy a Subaru Outback, the car that looked like a normal family estate but with a secret stash of hardware. Twenty five years ago Outback was no ordinary estate. It had the company's renowned permanent all wheel drive system, raised suspension and bits of plastic body armour. It could paddle through streams and tackle the same off-road challenges normally the domain of Land Rover and the like.

I'll bet you didn't know that Subaru, a company fairly anonymous on our roads, is a world leader in all wheel drive sales. Good pub quiz question that.

Outback started a trend and big hitters followed with Audi's Allroad, Volvo's Cross Country, Volkswagen's Alltrack and Skoda's Scout.

They have all faded, replaced by SUVs, but the Outback is fighting on and made a comeback with a big upgrade last year. It got a new platform to improve ride and handling and a bunch of tech upgrades, yet it is difficult to place Outback in today's world of motoring.

Marketing speak would say Outback does not fit today's customer profile, and it doesn't.

In fact it is all wrong. It is not the SUV everyone wants, it has an ageing petrol engine with high exhaust emissions, lousy economy and is bereft of hybrid technology.

It was for those reasons that my expectations for Outback were in the medium to low region.

If you are expecting me to say how could I be so wrong, forget it. But I was pleasantly surprised, it exceded expectations and any notion that Outback is just hanging on like an ageing sportsman living only on past glories can be kicked right out of the park.

The facelift breathed new life into the old girl, a freshened up front grille and headlight signature giving it a bit more street cred while inside is even more impressive. There is nothing to make you shout wow, it is still a bit old style with good old fashioned needles in the speedo and rev counter dials, but trim and build quality are high grade giving the cabin a real classy feel.

What does provide a fashionable lift is the near 12in high portrait style touchscreen. Not my favourite piece of new world tech but this one is actually easy to use with helpful quick keys to get to the 11 menus. They open in a flash to reveal clear directions in big type. Nothing is difficult to find which is as well because getting into the menu to activate auto brake hold and turn off lane departure for every journey is annoying.

Outback does redeem itself with no fuss voice control, responding easily to commands to adjust heating, radio selections and navigation destinations.

As a forerunner to the sports utility Outback is a substantial family car with plenty of legroom front and back. The transmission hump is a bit of a nuisance but three adults across the back is a given. The boot is cavernous and stretches to around 1700 litres with the seats folded flat.

Compared to speedster hybrid rivals Outback is a bit of a plodder but with enough grunt for safe overtaking and smooth motorway cruising. The less said about economy the better, mid thirties on a good day, otherwise be happy to get past 30mpg.

The photograph shows Outback doing something it does best; this is a safe as houses towcar and hovered between 24-25mpg on a 400 mile round trip which is surprisingly efficient.

Subaru offers three trim levels and has thrown just about everything at the entry Limited, even powered front seats, and heated seats in the back as well as the front. Extras for my top of the range Touring include nappa leather seats, memory function for the driver seat, sunroof, deafening 11 speaker quality audio, hands free powered tailgate, and digital all round camera with jet wash.

All models get the Eyesight safety system which is world beating and with more improvements is about as good as it gets.

What does the future hold for Outback? There are no immediate plans to replace it so it has to keep plugging away and hope that substance over modern day styling wins the day.

Fast facts

Outback Touring AWD

£42,595 (starts £36,990)

2.5 litre petrol; 8sp automatic

166bhp

0-62mph 10.2secs; 120mph

32.8mpg combined

193g/km. 1st tax £1,650

Boot: 561 litres

Insurance group 30

New martial arts club opens at Llan Leisure Centre

A new martial arts club has recently opened at Llangollen Leisure Centre.

Llangollen Kickboxing Club meets on Monday nights from 7 to 8pm (£6). 

It is run by Steve Stockdale, a current World Kickboxing Champion who has over 30 years martial arts experience and has fought his way to many titles over the years.

Steve is an additional needs teacher at St Christopher’s School in Wrexham and is also a qualified personal trainer and martial arts instructor. 

Having taught small groups and individuals for many years, he was persuaded by his students to open up the club to others after taking the over-35s kickboxing World Championship in Greece last year.

The club is affiliated to the World United Martial Arts Organisation (WUMA) and students follow a certified syllabus. 

Focusing on fitness, flexibility and sparring, members can also compete and many have already been successful in tournaments around the country.

Steve says the club has a friendly, supportive and positive atmosphere but it is also one where you are pushed to be your best. 

"The doors are always open to new members and if you are interested in more information see llangollenkickboxingclub.co.uk," he added.

Repair cafe to hold its first session this Saturday

Llangollen's first repair café session will be held this Saturday, May 18, at St Collen's Community Hall, from 11am-2pm.

Repair cafés are pop-up events held on regular dates where the local community can get their broken household items repaired for free by volunteers.

The types of things fixed include clothes, household electrics, technology, woodwork, children’s toys, furniture and bikes.

The new Llangollen cafe is part of the Repair Café Wales movement.

* If you'd like to bring a thing to mend or be mended, you can book it in at https://repaircafewales.org/what-are-you-having-repaired.../

If you'd like to volunteer to help repair, you can sign up as a volunteer at https://repaircafewales.org/volunteer-form/

Recycling information session today at the Town Hall until 7pm

 

Denbighshire County Council is holding a series of drop-in sessions to answer questions about its new recycling service which comes into effect on June 3.

One of these is being held today (Wednesday) at Llangollen Town Hall, between 2 and 7pm.

* There is also comprehensive information about the new service in the FAQs on the website: https://bit.ly/4aBpRGA