Trio plans to bike to Thailand in aid of heart research

* The Westheads - Dyfan, Louis and James - are aiming to ride to Thailand on their bikes.

Three lads from the area are planning a marathon bike to ride across the world to raise cash for the British Heart Foundation.

Dyfan Hughes, 17, from Llangollen, Louis Dennis, 18, from Garth, and James Thomas,18, from Wrexham aim to cycle the 10,000 miles to Thailand in memory of Tony Edge, the father of a friend who died following a heart attack six months ago.

The intrepid trio, calling themselves the Westheads, are due to pedal away from Llangollen Football Club at 11am on Saturday August 2 and reckon the trip will take them around a year to complete.

But they admit the adventure will be something of a challenge as none of them has ever ridden a bike "further than the shop down the road".

In a joint statement they say: "We are three Welsh lads with a dream to travel the world.

"So we thought what better way than to cycle to Thailand? The only problem is none of us have ever really ridden a bike further than the shop down the road.

"The reason we are cycling to Thailand is because our good friend has been living out in Thailand for the past six months, shortly after his Dad sadly passed away from a heart attack, so we have decided to cycle to Thailand, raising money for the British Heart Foundation in memory of him.

"Where does the go fund me money go? This will go to help cover basic costs of the trip - bikes, gears, visas, food, repairs. We are funding most of it ourselves, but with your help we can go further, safer, and share more along the way.

"We have a separate donation page for the British Heart Foundation and any donations will be much appreciated.

"Think of this as backing three idiots on a mission. We will be sharing every pedal, every flat tyre, every breakdown, on social media and using the platform we build to point people to BHF and encourage donations directly.

"Can they actually do it? There's only one way to find out. Follow along and if you could spare a few quid to help us keep pedalling we would be forever grateful."

* Here's a link to the Westheads' socials on which you can follow their journey and make a donation if you wish: https://linktr.ee/westheads

Llangollen hosts UK's largest women's adventure festival this weekend

* A previous Camp VC.

This weekend hundreds of women and non-binary adventurers return to Camp VC, hosted in Llangollen for the UK's premier women's adventure festival, set for its most exciting year yet.

* For the full story, see the Shropshire Star at: Llangollen hosts UK's largest women's adventure festival this weekend | Shropshire Star

Fundraiser to bring sick teenager home from Greece hits target, says story

A fundraiser to bring a Garth teenager home after she contracted bacterial meningitis while on holiday has been an overwhelming success.

* For the full story, see the Denbighshire Free Press at: Target hit in effort to bring Denbighshire teen with meningitis home | Denbighshire Free Press

Llangollen to join Flying Start childcare scheme

Further areas within Denbighshire, including Llangollen, are now set to receive assistance through the Flying Start childcare scheme.

The expanded areas now cover Rhyl, Prestatyn, Meliden, Rhuddlan, Dyserth, Denbigh, Corwen, Llangollen, Llandrillo, Llanfair DC and are applicable to families who have a child who turned 2 years old between 1st September 2024 and 31st August 2025.

This expansion means that families in the new areas will be eligible for up to 12 ½ hours of funded childcare per week during term time. With more settings offering funded Flying Start Childcare, and new postcodes being added regularly, families are encouraged to check their postcode using the postcode checker on the website.

Denbighshire Flying Start is a Welsh Government funded programme. The aim of the programme is to help children to have the best possible start in life for their future growth and development.

Councillor Diane King, Lead Member for Education, Children and Families said:

“This latest expansion of the Flying Start scheme will mean that more Denbighshire families can now get access to the free childcare provision. This assistance is a massive help for parents and families.

Residents in the newly expanded areas can check if their postcode is eligible through the postcode checker.”

For more information please visit: https://www.denbighshire.gov.uk/en/childcare-and-parenting/families-first-and-flying-start/flying-start.aspx

Council introduces measures to control Llangollen summer holiday parking

 

Council officers will be monitoring parking at Llangollen’s Horseshoe falls and the surrounding area this summer holiday.

Denbighshire County Council is urging visitors to the hotspot to park responsibly this holiday and look to plan ahead to visit other nearby attractions that are available across the Dee Valley if this area is busy.

A number of preparations have already been made to manage an increase in visitors:

•  Extra countryside rangers will be on site to manage the area and provide support and information for visitors.
• Civil enforcement officers will also monitor the site and surrounding area, especially at predicated peak busy time.
• Fencing has been installed at the Horseshoe Falls car park entrance to stop parking on the grass verges which can obstruct other traffic.
• Awareness signs are prominent at the site advising drivers to park responsibly.
• The Council will also liaise with partners including North Wales Police to monitor any increased traffic issues at the site

Councillor Alan James, Denbighshire Cabinet Lead Member for Local Development and Planning, said: “We do want visitors to enjoy Horseshoe Falls and the surrounding areas but would strongly urge them that parking restrictions are important for both road safety and ensuring there is a fair turnover of parking spaces. Drivers need to be aware that while visiting, anyone not complying with parking restrictions risk receiving a Penalty Charge Notice from our civil enforcement officers.

“Our rangers are on site at Horseshoe Falls to provide advice and guidance to visitors coming to the site and I would ask that the public also respect the important role they are there to carry out.

“Please plan your day in advance and make sure you have other options planned for visiting and parking if you cannot stop at your first choice of venue as the Dee Valley has plenty of attractions to visit.

MS calls for councils not to impose 'toxic' tourist tax

Sam Rowlands, Member of the Welsh Parliament for North Wales, is urging local authorities not to introduce the controversial visitor levy in North Wales.

Earlier this month the Senedd passed a new law allowing councils to tax visitors £1.30-a-night plus VAT, for stays in hotels, B&Bs and self-catering accommodation from 2027.

People staying in hostels and campsites would pay 75p per person per night, with under-18s exempt from the lower rate of the tax.

The Welsh Government will allow local authorities to make their own decisions on whether to levy the additional charge for overnight stays in visitor accommodation.

Mr Rowlands, Chair of the Senedd’s Cross-Party Group on Tourism and a constant critic of the plan said:

“I really couldn’t believe it when this toxic tax was passed earlier this month as in this current climate the last thing we should be doing is discouraging people from visiting North Wales.

“One of the biggest employers in my region is the tourism sector, which supports around 46,000 jobs and in normal times generates over £3.5 billion annually to the local economy. We should be supporting our hospitality industry not hindering its growth.

“I have met with many hospitality businesses owners, particularly in North-East Wales and people are extremely worried about the introduction of this tax and how it will impact them.

“Tourism groups and businesses across Wales have all expressed their very real concerns but unfortunately their words fell on deaf ears.

“The Wales Tourism Alliance has said these plans would make the industry less competitive and make Wales seem more expensive.

“I really don’t think it is worth all the upheaval, bad feeling and work, to charge people a fee which will vary from 80p to £1.30 a night.

“I understand that Wrexham County Borough Council has already said it will not introduce the visitor levy and I would urge other local authorities in North Wales to do the same.

“Given the opportunity, the Welsh Conservatives will axe the toxic Tourism Tax before it comes into force.”

Town Council seeks a caretaker