At the end of each financial year, every council in Wales must publish a report about its social services.
The aim is to evaluate how well our services have been delivered, and highlight any improvements needed.
It’s also a chance to explain how we’re going to help people over the coming year – both people who need care and support, and carers who need our help.
We now need your help to complete the Director of Social Services Annual Report
The way we deliver social services has a huge impact on people’s lives, but the challenges we face are greater than ever.
So this is a really important document and we’d like to know what you think – about the things we’ve done, and the things we say we’re going to do.
It also feeds into the Well-being of Future Generations Act, which aims to improve the social, economic, environmental and cultural well-being of Wales – helping to create a place where we all want to live. Both now and in the future.
If you use our services or know someone who does (or if you’re just interested in the work we do), this is your chance to tell us what you think.
Download the draft using the link below and send us your comments or questions by email by Friday, 29 May 2020.
From tomorrow (10.6.20), we’ll be lifting the temporary trailer ban at our Brymbo recycling centre.
Wrexham’s household waste recycling centres will reopen this Friday, May 15.
The sites were closed in early April as part of the council’s response to Covid-19, and in line with government guidelines on essential travel.
Last Friday, Welsh Government confirmed plans to extend the lockdown for a further three weeks…but with small amendments, which include letting people travel to recycling sites when they reopen.
We’ve been carefully assessing the new guidance and will be reopening our three sites this Friday, May 15.
Bryn Lane – open 12noon-8pm this Friday, and then 8am-8pm daily.
Plas Madoc – open 12noon-8pm this Friday, and then 9am-8pm daily.
Brymbo – open 12noon-8pm this Friday, and then 9am-8pm daily.
We’re aware Welsh Government will publish further guidance on household recycling centres later this week. We welcome this and will build it into how we open up and operate our centres.
Follow these 10 rules to help keep everyone safe
We’ll be implementing strict conditions to ensure the safety of both staff and the public.
Please follow these 10 rules:
Don’t go to the sites if you or anyone in your household has symptoms of Covid-19, or is ‘shielding’ because of an underlying health condition.
Only bring household waste. Don’t bring commercial or business waste.
Please bring proof that you live in the county borough (e.g. a utility bill with your address on it). The sites are for Wrexham residents only. If you don’t have proof, you won’t be allowed to tip your rubbish. Please call 01978 801463 to book an appointment if you want to use the Brymbo site.
Be patient if you have to queue. A maximum of five vehicles will be allowed on site at any one time.
Make sure only one person steps outside your vehicle to unload it, and that they stick to social distancing. Note that children should stay in the car at all times, and no pets are permitted on site.
Don’t bring items that are too big or heavy to handle yourself. Our site attendants won’t be able to help you unload your car or dispose of your waste.
Sort your waste before you arrive (so you’re quicker).
Be polite. Aggressive behaviour towards staff won’t be tolerated. Site attendants will be equipped with body cameras, and any instances will be reported to the police.
Don’t touch your face on-site, and bring your own sanitiser if you can (clean your hands with sanitiser before you drive away).
The re-use shop at Bryn Lane remains closed for now, so keep your stuff for the reuse shop at home.
We’ll take enforcement action against anyone who breaks the rules or fly-tips, so please follow these instructions…and help keep everyone as safe as possible.
Remember…Welsh Government is still encouraging us to stay at home as much as we can, so don’t visit our recycling sites unless you really need to.
Where possible, use our kerbside collection services to get rid of your rubbish and recycling (make sure you put it in the right bin or container, and read our recent article on how to help us collect it safely).
Or – if you can manage it – wait until we’re in safer times before visiting our recycling sites.
You’ve been brilliant
In a joint statement, Councillor David A Bithell, Deputy Leader of Wrexham Council and Lead Member for Environment and Transport, and Darren Williams, Chief Officer for Environment and Technical, said:
“We’re pleased Welsh Government has relaxed the regulations, allowing us to reopen our sites at Bryn Lane, Plas Madoc and the Lodge at Brymbo.
“We know that coronavirus has brought huge disruption to daily life, and we’d like to thank everyone for their co-operation while the sites were closed.
“The vast majority of people have been brilliant, and have kept their excess waste at home for the time-being, and that’s really helped us.
“Now the sites are reopening, we’d like to ask for your continued co-operation in using them responsibly.
“We’re working closely with our contractor FCC Environment to make sure everything is managed carefully. So please adhere to the strict conditions…they’re there to keep you safe.
“Thank you.”
Please stick to social distancing (or we’ll have to close the sites again)
Councillor Mark Pritchard, Leader of the Council, added:
“Social distancing is crucial, and we’ll be conducting visits throughout the weekend to ensure the rules are being obeyed.
“If there any problems relating to safety, or we find users are breaking critical social distancing rules, the sites will be closed immediately.
“We all need to look out for each other and help keep each other safe…and that’s why it’s so important that people stick to social distancing, and observe the two-metre rule at all times when they visit our sites.
“I’d like to thank everyone in advance for their co-operation…it really is appreciated, and will help ensure we can operate the recycling centres safely and effectively.”
One final thing…
There’s been a lot of ‘man with a van’ services offering to get rid of waste for people at the moment.
Some of these operators are not legitimate, and will take your rubbish and just fly-tip it anywhere…making money out of you in the process.
Be careful. You could still be held responsible if they fly-tip your waste.
If you’re paying someone to take your rubbish, always make sure they’re legit and have the right licences (e.g. a waste carrier’s licence).
Living in lockdown is bringing out the creative side of lots of us and Wrexham’s Green Infrastructure Project Officer is no exception. She has taken advantage of this difficult situation and gone online with some great activities for children and adults and it’s also very educational too 🙂
She broadcasts live via Facebook every day from her home and has a 13,000 post reach per month with her activities. That’s not bad going for just a few short weeks.
You can find out about all that’s going on in your own garden including bats and moths or you can get creative and make a green face mask with things found in your own garden.
Check out the Green Infrastructure Project Page
If you’d like to take a look at what’s going on and what you can do to entertain your children and encourage them to take an interest in our environment check out her page on Facebook.
Liven up your Land: Nominations for Caia Park and Plas Madoc welcome!
Does your neighbourhood need a new look? Is there an area of green space near you that feels neglected and deserves a makeover?
Wrexham Council, the North Wales Wildlife Trust and Keep Wales Tidy have been funded by Welsh government for the next 2 years to promote environmental improvements in Wrexham for people and nature and we want you to tell us where you would like to see these improvements.
We are keen to start planning for the Autumn/Winter time so send in those nominations.
Maybe it’s a school grounds or a patch of grass opposite your house, we want to hear all your ideas! Whatever the size, we would like you to nominate an area in Caia Park and Plas Madoc that would benefit from a burst of colourful wildflowers, nectar rich shrubs or even a fruit orchard.
Councillor David A Bithell, Deputy Leader of the Council and Lead Member for Environment and Transport, said: “The Green Infrastructure Project officer is providing us all with an opportunity to get involved with our environment from our own homes and gardens. Please, if you live in Caia Park or Plas Madoc let us have your nominations for the Liven up your Land project which will see green spaces in these areas enhanced in order to improve biodiversity in the areas.”
Please email your nominations and any requests for further information to the project officer, Jacinta Challinor: jacinta.challinor@wrexham.gov.uk.
While library buildings remain closed across the county borough, many of you are taking advantage of the free e-book and e-audiobooks that you can access using your library card.
In fact, the number of checkouts has increased by an average of 63% across the UK!
There are e-books and e-audiobooks for adults, children and teens – check out the most borrowed in Wrexham to give you some inspiration!
Wrexham’s number one e-audiobooks are: Adults: Date with Death by Julia Chapman Children: Harry Potter and the Philisopher’s Stone by J. K. Rowling Teens: Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan
Wrexham’s number one e-books are: Adults: Tell me a Lieby CJ Carver Children: Eagle Strike by Anthony Horowitz Teens: Stepsister by Jennifer Donnelly
E-books from your library are a great way to escape into a new book now you can’t browse the library shelves in person, while the e-audiobooks make a brilliant companion to your daily exercise. Both are free, easy to download and are returned automatically if you don’t renew, so you don’t have to worry about fines!
It’s another week of home schooling and we’ve brought together some tips below for you and your child to help you through the week.
Ian Roberts, Chief Education and Early Intervention Officer, said: “It’s important both you and your child stay healthy and look after your emotional and mental well-being during this difficult time. We know you are all doing a great job of home schooling so keep it up but please don’t put yourself under any undue pressure. Thank you all for supporting your children in their learning during this difficult period.”
Cllr Phil Wynn, Lead Member for Education, said: “Thank you everyone for doing a fantastic job home schooling your children. We recognise it’s not easy and want you to know how much we appreciate everything you are doing to keep your child healthy and entertained during this lockdown period. Please remember, it’s not about keeping to the school routine so don’t feel that you have to do a 9am – 3pm session with your child, take a break and enjoy plenty of non-academic activities with your child.”
Eisteddfod yr Urdd
You still have time to enter this years competitions! Find out more here.
Bitesize sessions for Welsh as a second language
BBC Bitesize has a range of sessions on Welsh language skills,that include speaking, listening, reading and writing, from Foundation Phase upt o GCSE level
Free Online Courses to North Wales Residents
Public Health Wales / BCHB are delighted to announce that staff and parents can now access an innovative ONLINE course about children, worth £39, completely free of charge.
Understanding Your Child is put together by the Solihull Approach, an accredited, evidence based approach established 20 years ago by psychologists, health visitors and other health professionals.
The course usually costs £39 per person. However using the Access Code: NWSOL (valid until November 2022) at www.inourplace.co.uk you can register for your own account and revisit the course indefinitely without paying a penny.
Understanding Your Child is for parents, carers, and professionals caring for children aged 0-18 years. It looks at brain development, play, styles of parenting, sleep, temper tantrums, communication and more and is based on the nationally and internationally acclaimed face to face course offered by the Solihull Approach.
There are 9-11 modules each taking around 20 minutes (the main screens have optional audio voice-overs) as well as interactive activities, quizzes, video clips and practical handouts.
Early Bilingualism for those considering Welsh Language education
If you’re planning on a Welsh education for your child then Cymraeg I Blant Wrecsam have some very useful advice on the advantages of early bilingualism for you:
Most children across the world speak two languages and therefore the sooner the child hears Welsh the better
Every child in Wales has the right to speak Welsh and to be able to take advantage of the benefits of being bilingual through Welsh medium education
The Welsh language is less likely to be transmitted to children where only one parent speaks Welsh. Only 45% in this group will transmit the language to their children.
The transmission of Welsh from parent to child is fundamental to the longevity of the Welsh language.
For the moment, the message in Wales hasn’t changed – stay at home, save lives, protect the NHS.
On Friday, Welsh Government announced the ‘stay at home’ message would remain in force in Wales for at least another three weeks.
The UK Government shared a slightly different message yesterday – ‘stay alert’ – with people allowed to drive to other places to go for a walk, for example. But this will only apply in England.
So please…continue to stick to social distancing, only make essential journeys for food etc, and exercise locally.
Although you can now leave home to exercise more than once a day, Welsh Government has made it clear that people should continue to exercise in their local area.
So please don’t be tempted to jump in a car and drive to one of our parks. It’s still not ok to do that.
Stay at home. Save lives.
Bins and recycling
Household waste recycling centres
On Friday, Welsh Government announced that councils can begin planning to re-open household waste recycling sites.
We’re carefully assessing the new guidance and – along with other councils in Wales – will be looking at how to manage staffing levels and health and safety compliance, before confirming when and how our sites in Wrexham will reopen.
We’ll update you as soon as we know more.
Please park carefully
No-one wants to be the cause of their entire street not having their bins emptied, so please…if you park your car on the road, make sure there’s enough room for our bin wagons to get past.
Every day 55,000 foster families across the UK are giving 65,000 fostered children and young people a loving, secure and stable home, and this commitment from foster families is ongoing during the coronavirus outbreak.
The UK’s leading fostering charity, The Fostering Network, is using this year’s Foster Care Fortnight to raise awareness of the extraordinary dedication and work of foster carers at this time, while calling for more people to come forward to foster.
The charity’s campaign to raise the profile of foster carers and the vital role they play in society is the largest of its kind in the UK and runs from 11-24 May.
Foster carers accomplish incredible things every day, even in the face of a global crisis that has affected every one of us and impacted all aspects of our society. Despite the practical and emotional challenges that the coronavirus is bringing, foster carers continue to provide day-to-day support, love and stability to children and young people who can’t live with their birth families.
They support children and young people’s education, health, and social wellbeing, and also help to maintain the children’s relationship with the people who are important to them but who they cannot currently see in person.
Every year thousands more foster carers are needed across the UK to make sure fostered children can live with the right foster carer for them. Despite the coronavirus, this year is no different, so anyone who thinks they might have the skills and experience to become a foster carer is urged to contact their local fostering services.
Currently in Wrexham we have 120 foster families looking after 149 children, but we need more families to come forward. Even with the current circumstances, we are still recruiting foster carers, using digital methods and meeting virtually with the panel to discuss applications.
Cllr Andrew Atkinson, Lead Member for Children’s Services said, “Foster care transforms the lives of children and young people as well as those of the foster carers and their families. This has never been more important. Foster carers help children and young people flourish and fulfil their potential, as well as provide a vital service to our society. Because this happens mainly in the privacy of their own homes – especially at the moment – their contributions too often go unnoticed.”
“Foster Care Fortnight is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the work of foster carers and their families as well as recognising how transformational foster care can be for the children and young people who need it.”
Wrexham’s Armed Forces Champion, Cllr David Griffiths has paid tribute to all those who served and sacrificed during World War 2 as Wrexham commemorates and celebrates the 75 year anniversary since the end of that global conflict.
He said: “Tomorrow is a special day for Wrexham as we take time to reflect on the terrible human toll WW2 took on our men, women and children who bravely answered the call to protect and serve their country. Whether it was service to country by working in factories and on the land, bringing up small children during the days of rationing or by fighting overseas, everyone during that time played their part and we remember them all on this special anniversary and thank them for what they did.
“Once again we are all asked to protect our country but this time from an invisible enemy – the virus, Coronavirus – which had claimed many, many lives across the UK and which remains a threat to us all. We are being asked to sacrifice our liberties for all but essential journeys and for those who are key workers. But we are not being asked to fight but to stay at home. I urge each and every one of you commemorate and celebrate VE Day 2020 by staying at home and remembering that we are not the only generation to have our freedom restricted. Thank you all for taking the time to remember from the comfort of your home.”
VE Day in Wrexham 1945
When Germany surrendered on May 8 1945 news travelled fast and in Wrexham it was received with joy and sadness. At last the war was over but so many would not return to their families and loved ones. Soldiers remained overseas and it would be many weeks and months before they could return.
Nevertheless, celebrations started and street parties were organised across the county borough. Here’s a photo from Erw Las kindly provided by Wrexham History Group – who run a very interesting facebook page if you want to check them out.
And one of Jarman Avenue and Bennions Road from Sheila Reynolds, who’s also a member of the Wrexham History Facebook group.
For many children it would have been the first party they’d ever been to!
The Memorial Hall – VE Day tribute to all those who fell
The Memorial Hall is a rare example of a local memorial that was inspired by the feeling that the town should commemorate those who had been killed in WW2.
In fact initially it was referred to as the ‘Victory Commemoration Hall’ and a considerable sum was raised for the tribute. The original plans were very grand involving art gallery, concert hall, dance hall, meeting room and shrine set in gardens. However, the problem was the challenge of getting the project started when there were building restrictions, material shortages and unrealistic expectations on what money could be raised and how much such a hall would cost.
Initially the plan was to build the hall roughly where the post office sorting office now is, with good access to the railway station; but the opening of the Technical College and the William Aston Hall meant that couldn’t go ahead. There were also conflicting opinions over whether it was right to spend money on a hall when ex-servicemen needed housing and whether funding should be accepted from the council to bridge the gap between the money raised and the money required. Eventually the initial grand plans had to be downsized to meet reality and finally in late September 1957 the hall was officially opened. the RWF memorial was moved to its vicinity two years later.
Here’s the memorial inside the hall to all those fell in WW2.
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The hall is still very much in use today and in 2018 had a makeover to mark the 100 anniversary of the end of WW1.
All across the borough memorial were raised in tribute and here’s a few of them:
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There’s a lot going on across the country to celebrate and commemorate VE Day and here’s 10 ways you can take part from the safety of your own home. (taken from Chris’ article)
Take part in the two-minute silence (11am)
There will be a nationwide two-minute silence at 11am to remember those who lost their lives or lived through the war.
Many of us at Wrexham Council will be taking part. Please take part if you can.
Have a VE Day themed victory party with members of your household
The UK Government has created a useful and fun guide, which includes recipes, games, posters, bunting and other creative activities!
Join the Royal British Legion live stream (11.15am)
Grab a cup of tea and join the RBL for an 80-minute stream – sharing stories and memories from those who served and sacrificed during the war, as well as recognising the difficulties people are experiencing today.
Listen to Churchill’s original address to the nation, which is being broadcast on the BBC at 3pm on Friday. Raise a glass or a cuppa to mark the occasion!
Take a look at the Imperial War Museums (IWM) website
The IWM Victory Hub features fascinating content about the events of the summer of 1945 and beyond – including personal recollections of VE Day from people who were there.
We’re supporting our colleagues in North Wales Fire and Rescue Service and asking you to avoid having bonfires to protect your and your neighbour’s health during the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
As we all know, smoke from bonfires can affect our breathing and this can be worse for those with respiratory conditions. As Covid-19 is known to affect peoples breathing, having to inhale smoke whilst suffering with this may lead to further, potentially serious, complications.
We’ve previously released a statement that the charge for green bin collections has been postponed during the pandemic and the green bins will continue to be collected:
We are asking you to make use of your green bin for your garden waste rather than burning it. It is no longer possible to take green waste to the Council’s waste recycling centres as these have been closed for the duration due to the Coronavirus outbreak.
Avoid having bonfires
The North Wales Fire and Rescue Service is also calling on households to avoid having bonfires so as to reduce demand on their services at this time.
As well as the health implications, smoke from regular bonfires may also be a statutory nuisance which can result in the service of an abatement notice under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. Failing to comply with an abatement notice can lead to an unlimited fine on prosecution.
