news.wrexham.gov.uk

Author: Ollie Williams

  • How you can learn a language absolutely free

    How you can learn a language absolutely free

    Learning new languages is something most of us have all been keen to do to broaden our minds and increase our own skills.

    Finding the time and covering the cost can be a difficult when trying to balance other aspects of our lives. However, there is a brand new way where you can finally harness the linguistic skills that you need with free informal Welsh lessons every week.

    Hosted at Tŷ Pawb at the Flexi Space, beginners to Welsh can begin their path to mastering the language without paying a penny with lessons and activities every Sunday from 10am-12pm, and 1pm-3pm.

    The session begins with an informal hour-long lesson aimed at the basics before the second hour focuses on a more relaxed vibe where you can play games or just chill with a drink from Blank Canvas to give you the opportunity to speak and listen in Welsh.

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    Being multi-lingual is a great skill to have and speaking Cymraeg in Wales is a huge advantage in regards to employment and opportunities, whilst tapping into the culture and heritage here in Wrexham and wider Wales.

    The Welsh government recently launched their ‘Cymraeg 2050’ campaign and are looking to see a rise of a million Welsh speakers in the country in the next 30 or so years. Why not tap into this amazing language and further your skills? It’s shown that bilingual people often improve their problem solving, multitasking and decision making whilst more and more people are learning – just some of the reasons to give it a go!

    So, if you fancy heading down the first session will take place on Sunday, September 2nd and run each week – if you need more information you can call 01978 292144 or e-mail TyPawb@wrexham.gov.uk

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  • Is this the most environmentally friendly store in Wrexham?

    Is this the most environmentally friendly store in Wrexham?

    In recent times, businesses have had to come up with ways of creating a more environmentally friendly way of running their operations, but one coffee shop in Wrexham is leaving other larger firms in their dust with a pioneering method.

    Blank Canvas moved into Wrexham’s multi-million pound arts hub in April having previously had a site in the town’s bus station but joint-owner Andy Gallanders believed the unit had fulfilled its potential. Now they are among one of the most exciting new projects in North Wales at Tŷ Pawb.

    “It’s been very good, the site’s slowly finding its feet I think that’s fair to say.

    “We’ve been on board since the project was announced a couple of years ago and we knew we wanted to be a part of it, we knew there were going to be challenges but at the same time we know that the facility is what Wrexham needs”.

    Many coffee outlets are spread around the town be it a small local business or a national chain, but Blank Canvas have certainly tapped into their ethical roots and made history in the process with their completely compostable coffee cups. The situation has made national headlines in recent months and now the guys from Tŷ Pawb are leading the way in helping the planet.

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    “As far as I know we’re the only coffee shop in the whole of Wrexham that does both cup and lid that’s 100% compostable” revealed Andy.

    “A lot of eco-friendly cups can only be sent to one or two factories in the UK and the likelihood of that cup being taken to the right place is a million to one, but at least [with ours] you know if you put it in a bin it’ll decompose, so once we knew it was compostable we chose these over other brands that can be recycled but still have to go to the same process”.

    It’s not just the issue of cups – which from next week will also be used in their other store – that Blank Canvas is trying to eradicate. They have also been for quite some time making sure that anything and everything is put to good use, including their old coffee beans and where they source their milk.

    “It’s [the milk] from Tomlinson’s, it’s from Minera and we’ve got a great working relationship with the team there, we went for that milk because we wanted the pouches rather than the plastic containers mainly because it’s less rubbish and less to landfill.

    “We give away our used grounds because there’s nutrients still left in the coffee so we got together one day and asked why are we doing all of that when we could be going that extra step? Since going there our customers have noticed a difference.

    “We get our coffee from a roastery called Neighborhood, they’re not Fairtrade, however, they pay the farmers directly better than Fairtrade prices which is one of the reasons we went for them”.

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    Andy and his business partner Phil are both proud to be a part of the community in Wrexham and are heavily involved amongst events in the town, and know all about the benefits of being in such a great location. North Wales has a plethora of options and opportunity, something that they are happy to thrive in.

    “We’re so lucky in North Wales that actually in ten-twenty minutes you’ve got the best of both worlds with the lovely farmlands, but then you’ve got Liverpool and Manchester on the other side, so you can get really great produce really easily.

    “We also get our hot chocolate from a lad who operates in Whitchurch which again is only down the road, it’s a great product, we know who they are, we know their family so you do feel like you’re a part of this big chain”.

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  • 5 easy ways to start using the cloud now

    5 easy ways to start using the cloud now

    You may be surprised to learn that you’re probably already using the cloud in some form within your business without actively seeking too.

    If you’re using online email communication, social media, email marketing or online file storage… Hannah Durham, Superfast Business Wales says, you’re already in the cloud!

    The cloud is vast and can be intimidating to try and get your head around. However, it doesn’t need to be that complicated. The cloud (and all its different iterations) can support businesses of any size and can offer real benefits without a huge upheaval of your business’ processes.

    Here’s a few simple ways you can use the cloud to save your business money, improve online security and boost employee productivity.

    Back up your data

    Before you make any changes to existing businesses processes, it’s worthwhile thinking about how the cloud can help protect what you are already doing. Using the cloud to back up your data can help you to keep disruption to a minimum if your systems fail or there’s a flood in the office, for example. Backing up to the cloud provides the peace of mind that you have a secure, manageable way to keep your business running, even if disaster strikes.

     

    Work wherever you are.

    You don’t need a fancy office space or individual, dedicated work set up to keep your business running effectively. Using online storage such as Dropbox or Google Cloud Storage means that all your files and documents are stored in the cloud, rather than locally on a specific computer.

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    The cloud allows you to work when inspiration strikes or when you require a flexible approach to the standard office-based, 9 to 5. Whether that’s on the go whilst travelling to a meeting, needing files for a last minute meeting with a client or when staff need to work from home, the cloud has you covered. It’s easy to access and all staff can be working on the same page with automatic syncing.

    Flexible growth plans

    Although planning for the future is important, it can be difficult to gauge exactly how quickly your growth will happen. Trying to estimate the scale of growth and balance your own aspirations with your capabilities in terms of time, space and resources can be stressful. The cloud can help reduce this stress by giving you access to tools and platforms with scalable options (to grow or contract as your needs change) and with no upfront investment.

    Simplify project management

    If you struggle to keep on top of multiple projects, the progress of different tasks or the status of different employee’s schedules, cloud-based project management platforms provide a great way to keep all this information in one easy-to-manage place. Platforms such as Basecamp are a great way to improve staff collaboration, keep an overview of tasks and help you hit your deadlines.

    Integrate your platforms

    The world is moving increasingly to the cloud, so now is a great time to get to grips and normalise using the cloud within your business. You may be surprised to learn about the different tools and systems that could be integrated to save you time in joining up different processes. Sensory resource business, LilBits, found they could save “hours and hours” of work by connecting their MailChimp, Shopify and CRM system together through the cloud. Consider how much time you could save by integrating some of your systems!

    If you want more advice to help your business move to the cloud, register with Superfast Business Wales service to access free events and one-to-one guidance from a Digital Business Adviser.

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  • The best free way to boost your business

    The best free way to boost your business

    51% of businesses grow faster with a website, so why aren’t you online yet?

    It is hard to argue with the facts, in 2018 if you want to boost your business at as little a cost as possible, you need to get yourself online.

    However, for some this can be a daunting or challenging task or perhaps you just don’t know where to start! Thankfully, Superfast Business Wales have you covered.

    Their highly regarded ‘Winning with Websites’ workshop is continuing through North Wales and will be heading to Wrexham next month.

    You’ll learn essential information from the experienced speakers from designing a website that will generate sales, writing content that stands out from the crowd and SEO tips so that you’re website appears highly in search engines.

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    “Excellent Workshop”

    Having now ran for a long while the workshop has had some good feedback from those it’s helped with one review stating that the course was “very insightful and helpful trainer”. You can see for yourself just how much you can benefit in Wrexham on June 27th at Glyndwr University.

    So if you would like to benefit and launch your business to the next level by taking the plunge online, get in contact with Superfast Business Wales or click here.

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  • Wrexham’s Hockey Aces Aiming for Commonwealth Success

    Wrexham’s Hockey Aces Aiming for Commonwealth Success

    Over the years Wrexham has been responsible for producing some of the best Welsh talent ever seen in sport, and in 2018 it’s been no different.

    This week sees the beginning of the 21st annual Commonwealth Games get underway on the beautiful Gold Coast of Australia, where two competitors from Wrexham will be representing Wales on the world stage.

    The seasoned Xenna Hughes and newcomer Izzie Howell have already made an impact against India in the opening match with a shock 3-2 victory.

    “It feels pretty special and I’m really proud to represent Wrexham”

    Young Izzie Howell is just 18-years old and has made her Welsh debut at the games this week. Wrexham born and bred, Howell could have a big future in hockey having spent the last three years in Neston.

    “From about 12 years old I was part of Wrexham hockey club who supported me all through my junior training and into Ladies training and playing” said Howell.

    “As a junior I remember going to loads of mini tournaments and competitions and such competitive opportunities were also offered by the North Wales Team which I was a part of for a number of years.

    “Playing for various age groups and regional teams kept me really busy but gave me the experience I needed to progress and I’m grateful for all that was offered to me”.

    The life of a sporting star can be on the face of it quite glamorous but these Hockey stars know that they’ve had to work hard, putting the game first and sacrifice so much in order to reach the Gold Coast.

    With training in South Wales and long journey’s faced each week just to get out on the pitch, these woman are some of the most dedicated athletes in the country.

    “I’m really proud to represent Wrexham as there are a lot of people around there who supported me and continue to support me, so I’d really like to do them proud and show that whilst travelling to Cardiff to train can be tough, it is extremely rewarding when that commitment and hard work pays off.

    “My aspirations for this games I feel are quite realistic in that I just want to play good hockey and learn as much as I can tactically and gain as much international experience as possible.

    “My focus is to not get overwhelmed and just play the hockey I know I can play, contributing to the team in a positive way”.

    Howell’s debut came against India and she could go on to face Malaysia, South Africa or border rivals England in the preliminary stage, but no matter the result, it will be a fantastic achievement for a young woman from Wrexham.

    “I have to remind myself to take in and enjoy every moment”.

    25-year old Xenna made her debut seven years ago for her country and will be competing at her second games, but insists that this is the highlight.

    “The Gold Coast commonwealth Games is possibly ranked as the top of my career, even though it is my second games I remember hearing at Glasgow 2014 that the next games was in Australia and set a goal that I would be there with the Welsh team” said Hughes.

    “Knowing that I have had a goal that I have been working towards for four years makes all the hard work and hours of training even more worth it”.

    Having competed in Glasgow where Wales finished 9th with a win over Trinidad & Tobago, Hughes will be looking to better that but remain focused on the task at hand.

    “My aspirations for this games is to focus on the here and now by ensuring I perform to the best of my ability and stick to the game plan.

    “Within the whole experience I have to remind myself to take in and enjoy every moment of being here as it’s an incredible opportunity for us to show other countries what we can do, and understand how far we have come as a team.

    Wales as mentioned have come a long way but so has Xenna herself. Coming from a sporting background she’s the daughter of Wrexham-born footballing legend Mark Hughes, but she’s shaken that tag and proved to be a hockey heavyweight and inspiration to young woman in Wrexham.

    “In the early years of my hockey career I was invited to train once a week at Wrexham with others, both boys and girls – [they were] international players and [I] was amazed by the Wrexham pitch, as I was so use to sand based pitches – I used to love training as it meant I could then stay over at my grandparents house which was just a short drive away”.

    “I’m ecstatic to be able to represent my country as a player from North Wales as there are few of us, I am proud to be able to represent those from my birthplace as well as my country”.

    Everyone at Wrexham County Borough Council wishes Izzie and Xenna all the best of luck at this years games.

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  • Wrexham Make World Cup Bid

    Wrexham Make World Cup Bid

    We are set to make a bid. With our partners, to bring the world’s best athletes to the region, as we plan to bring the 2021 Rugby League World Cup to Wrexham.

    The Racecourse Ground on Mold Road could once again be home to the biggest matches in the prestigious competition which is watched the world over, after it was agreed by all parties involved to go ahead.

    We will lead the bid alongside the Racecourse’s Wrexham AFC and Glyndwr University whilst the North Wales Crusaders, Rugby Wales, Ian Lucas, MP, Lesley Griffiths, AM, the Ramada Plaza and Grosvenor Pulford are also going to be backing the bid.

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    Lead Member with responsibility for Leisure Cllr Andrew Atkinson has praised the bid stating, “I believe it’s an excellent idea to bring such a wonderful sporting event to Wrexham. We saw a fantastic occasion when it came here in 2013 with everyone getting behind the event, and I hope to see the great and good of Rugby League back in the region.

    “The economic and sporting benefits would be a great boost for the county and we believe that a real legacy could be left here”.

    The Racecourse Ground was used in the 2013 tournament where a pool match and a Quarter-Final both took place and amplified the sport in the region. It saw Wales face the USA and the latter facing the giants Australia in front of over 5,000 supporters.

    A wonderful festival of rugby that brings tourism to the region in droves, this could be a massive boost for the local economy and tie together the community through sport. The 2013 tournament totalled over 18million viewers worldwide and put Wrexham on the Rugby League map.

    More on the bid going forward soon.

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  • How to win with SEO

    How to win with SEO

    75% of internet users don’t scroll past the first page of a search, so why risk entering the search engine abyss?

    One of the most important parts of being online as a business is actually being found, the more visible you are and the higher you appear in your search engine the more traffic you will generate to the site.

    This is a vital part of your marketing strategy but to many – especially those unsure when launching themselves online – this can seem a little daunting.

    However in April you can join Superfast Business Wales’ Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) workshop to access practical, expert advice designed to help you understand how to use SEO to get your business at the top of search engine rankings here in Wrexham.

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    This workshop will give you an understanding of how search engines rank your web pages, why it is so important you use SEO best practice, and how to implement an SEO plan using both on and off page techniques.

    You will learn:

    • How search engines rank your website
    • Basic tools to monitor and improve your SEO activities
    • How to identify the best keywords/phrases for your business
    • How to create an SEO action plan and long term strategy
    • Effective tips and techniques to improve your SEO
    • How to measure what works and what doesn’t

    So take advantage of this superb opportunity delivered by those in the know to get the best out of your online presence and unlock the endless potential.

    For more information click here.

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  • Leading environmentalist launches networking event

    Leading environmentalist launches networking event

    Professor Chris Baines, one of the UK’s leading independent environmentalists and Vice President of the Wildlife Trusts, launched the new Wrexham Business Environment Network on Wrexham Industrial Estate on 9th February.

    With an audience of more than 50 people from over 30 organisations across the Wrexham area, Professor Baines outlined the business case for preserving nature on our doorsteps.

    He commented: “This Industrial Estate is one of the largest in Europe but amazingly it also contains an important network of wildlife habitats that support a diverse range of wildlife. Important species found here include water vole, otter, various bat species, Grizzled Skipper and Dingy Skipper butterflies, great crested newt, barn owl and kingfisher. Lapwings are even nesting on the roof tops of industrial units.”

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    Makena Lohr, of the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare also spoke at the event explaining how green spaces can improve workplace wellbeing and showcasing the NHS Forest project that is gaining momentum across the UK: “There is a wealth of evidence linking green spaces with better health and wellbeing. The NHS Forest works with healthcare organisations to open up their green spaces to local communities and to promote better use of the natural environment by staff and patients.”

    On a more local level, Jonathan Hulson from the North Wales Wildlife Trust (NWWT) told the audience about the Wrexham Industrial Estate Living Landscapes Project: “The Wrexham Industrial Estate offers a great opportunity to properly integrate business, industry and people with wildlife in a working landscape and has the potential to become an exemplar site for the successful integration of the three pillars of sustainable development: Social, Economic and Environment and could help place Wales at the forefront of such sustainable development within Europe.”

    Kieran Foody, Environmental Manager at Rowan Foods on the industrial estate explained how their company has benefitted from working with NWWT on the project and Ed Lawrance of United Utilities outlined the support available for businesses to help them protect water quality.

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    This new networking group has been set up by Wrexham County Borough Council’s Business & Investment Team in partnership with the North Wales Wildlife Trust and has received funding for this project through the Welsh Government Rural Communities – Rural Development Programme 2014-2020, which is funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the Welsh Government.

    The next event will be taking place in September for more information on this and other business networks taking place across Wrexham please contact the Business & Investment Team on 01978 667300 or email business@wrexham.gov.uk

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  • Take Your Business to the Next Level

    Take Your Business to the Next Level

    Are you an Small to Medium business in Wrexham? Want to enhance to the next level? We might just have the thing for you.

    If you want to win with your Digital Marketing by reaching untapped customers and clients you never thought were possible, then Business Wales’ free workshop at Moneypenny this month is the thing for you.

    Running from January to March with limited availability at some locations, you can learn to get the best out of your marketing strategy and squeeze all the potential possible out of your audience.

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    At these workshops you’ll learn how digital marketing tools will help engage your target market, how to develop a strategy that will generate sales and know what works and what doesn’t.

    A tried and tested workshop that has had success throughout its run, 97% of attendees came away from it stating that it was beneficial with some adding that they “enjoyed and took a lot from the course” and it was “very informative, great content and delivery”.

    As long as your business is registered with companies house or HMRC then you are able to access tailored one to one support where you will receive a custom-made plan, a website review and pointers on where to improve and increase it’s visibility. You will also receive advice on the tools and technology that can give you quick wins and show early signs of vast improvement.

    In an ever changing world marketing is always changing, so keep on top and keep engaging your audience whilst picking up expert advice completely free! For more information just click here.

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  • The Wrexham Football Coach Looking to Tackle Anti-Social Behaviour

    The Wrexham Football Coach Looking to Tackle Anti-Social Behaviour

    Preventing anti-social behaviour is important in any town or city, but in Wrexham one football coach is looking to help address the issue through sport.

    Andrew Ruscoe is an award-winning football coach whose helped lift Wrexham-based Brickfield Rangers and its BR in the Community scheme from humble beginnings into a real power in North-East Wales.

    The 31-year old is Wrexham born and bred, and played for Brickfield, Cefn Druids and the old Chester City during his playing days.

    He feels that sport can play a crucial role in steering young people away from anti-social behaviour, and – as part of BR in the Community – is delivering a football project for schools

    “It’s nobody’s fault, but I think sometimes children get led into anti-social behaviour”, said Andrew.

    “So I think it’s the perfect time to start delivering this kind of work within local schools.

    “If it can steer some children by engaging them in football activities, then I’m prepared to do that. I’ll be doing that for schools for free.”

    A great way to engage children

    Brynteg Primary School in Wrexham is just one of the schools taking part.

    Year Six teacher Shaun Valentine said: “This must be the third or fourth time we’ve had Andy in school now and he’s always fantastic, but it was great to have him in the classroom too for part of the session this time.

    “We’re really excited to be part of the project and feel that utilising interest in football is a great way to engage children on the topic of anti-social behaviour, as it’s not something we would naturally cover in too much depth within the curriculum.

    “The session was interactive and held the children’s interest throughout, while delivering important messages – not only in terms of what anti-social behaviour is – but also its potential effects on the community.”

    Community roots

    It’s not the first time Andrew has used the power of football to help people and communities.

    As well helping to prevent anti-social behaviour, Andrew runs projects to help tackle health issues, promote girls’ football, walking football and lots more.

    And there’s now a whopping 32 teams representing Brickfield. Although it didn’t come without some adversity, admits the Wrexham AFC supporter.

    “Clubs like Brickfield Rangers can provide a lot”, said Andrew.

    “I was told at first that a ‘football in the community’ scheme in a third tier amateur team would never work, but I said it would and I’ve proved it would.

    “My passion is to give back to people and the community.”

    Brickfield has won the Welsh Community Club of the Year in the past, while Andrew won the Coach of the Year award at Wrexham Council’s sports awards in 2016, along with Gemma Owen from Wrexham AFC’s Racecourse Foundation.

    Want to know more about BR in the Community? Click here.