news.wrexham.gov.uk

Category: Council Services

Back on track with ADTRAC
She wanted to be a firefighter – that is exactly what she will be!
Nineteen year old Sophia from Wrexham, had often thought of being a firefighter but didn’t think she would ever be able to do it.
Sophia faced a lot of challenges as a young person, and the stress of this meant that she was unable to sleep and suffered back pain and nosebleeds. These issues were having a huge impact on life and her relationship with friends and family.
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It was at this point she was referred to ADTRAC and was given the chance to think about her own future without having to think about other members of her family. Her mentor provided 1-2-1 support to help her access different appointments; something Sophia was not confident to do on her own and in partnership with other services they supported Sophia to explore her options regarding college and employment.
ADTRAC supported Sophia to attend a Level 3 First Aid course and organised a tour of a local Fire Station, inspiring her to apply for the North Wales Fire and Rescue traineeship through Coleg Cambria. ADTRAC setup a meeting with Careers Wales to help her with the application and when she met with the college, she was offered a place on the spot!
Sophia has now finished her traineeship and has been accepted onto a placement following a successful interview. She spends the majority of her week on the North Wales coast, going into schools and educating young people on a variety of different issues, including the importance of staying safe on the road and the impact this has on the emergency services. She also visits elderly people in their homes, carrying out safety and welfare checks and ensuring that their homes are safe and they are far from danger.
Her ADTRAC mentor said: ‘Sophia was quiet when she initially started the project and can now hold her own in an interview and when educating young people her own age, which shows such massive improvement and growth. Sophia is really looking forward to her future in the fire service.’
Sophia has commented on the support she’s received from ADTRAC, saying that ‘it helped to improve her confidence and get her where she is today.’
What is ADTRAC?
ADTRAC is a project that supports young people 16 to 24 across North Wales and the scheme has been partially funded by the European Social Fund (ESF), through the Welsh Government. ADTRAC is helping to raise the skill set of young people in North Wales improving their lives, tackling poverty and ensuring equal opportunities for all young people the project supports.
ADTRAC is a lifeline to some young people. It offers a personalised support programme for those wanting to get into work, education or training but have real obstacles in their way. This bespoke intervention along with Mental Health support from Betsi Cadwaladwr helps young people to make positive steps towards their future.
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December 17, 2019
Ready for a great night out in Wrexham? Drink less and enjoy more!
Too much alcohol can turn a great night into a bad one. You can end up going home early. Getting into trouble. Or getting hurt. All of which could change your life for the worse.
Everyone is being encouraged to cut back on how much they drink at home before going out – so-called ‘pre-loading’ or “prinking” – as well as how much they consume when visiting bars, pubs and clubs.
Plenty of people enjoy going out and having a few drinks, but if you fail to recognise when it’s time to call it a night, a few drinks becomes too many drinks, your judgement can become skewed and you’re more likely to behave badly or get injured.
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It’s thought that alcohol consumption among the 18 to 30 age group is pretty high, and that it contributes to a lot of alcohol-related harm in the area.
This could be anything from property damage or drink driving to anti-social behaviour and sexual and violent assaults. For many of us, going out for a drink can be part of the festive season ritual. But getting drunk means you’re much more likely to harm yourself…or others.
What makes a good night out?
Inspector Vic Powell said: “The #DrinkLessEnjoyMore campaign isn’t aimed at those who drink responsibly – it’s there to help identify the minority of people who have had too much alcohol and could end up being a danger either to themselves or others.
“People need to ask themselves whether they want their night to end early because they’ve been refused entry to a bar due to them having consumed too much alcohol too early.
“Drink sensibly and enjoy your night out with friends. Otherwise, you may ruin their night out too if they have to take you home early.”
Save money by knowing the law
The initiative also aims to raise awareness of the 2003 Licensing Act, which states it is illegal to:
– Buy alcohol for someone who is clearly drunk
– For bar staff to serve someone who is clearly drunk .
Both offences are punishable with a fine of up to £1000 and premises found to be serving people who are clearly drunk are also at risk of losing their licence. However, research shows that only half of people are aware of the law.
Drunkenness can have immediate health consequences such as alcohol poisoning, and can contribute to sexual violence, accidents and violent crimes. It places a large burden on health, police and other public services.
Cllr Hugh Jones, Wrexham Council’s lead member for communities, partnerships, public protection and community safety, said: “This is about reducing the strain on public services such as the police, ambulance staff and hospital emergency departments at a time when they are already under massive pressure.
“Alcohol-fuelled anti-social behaviour makes for a poor night-time economy and pub scene. Anything we and our partners can do to look at the causes of it and encourage people to curb it before it becomes a problem is a great help.”
More Information
Anyone who wants more information about the possible harm caused by drinking can visit these websites:
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/alcohol/Pages/Alcoholhome.aspx
https://www.drinkaware.co.uk/
Anybody who is concerned about their drinking can contact the DAN 24/7 Wales Drug & Alcohol Helpline on Freephone 0808 808 2234 or www.dan247.org.uk
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December 17, 2019
Check out the bin calendar before Christmas
There’s nothing worse than missing a bin collection – especially over Christmas so we’re asking you all to check out the bin Calendar to make sure you know what to put out and when to put it out.
You can take a look at the Calendar here.
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Christmas is also a time when we have extra recycling and our operatives will take extra recycling, you can separate the extra into plastics and cans, glass, paper and cardboard and put in either clear plastic bags or plastic boxes. No black bin bags please. If you do have any extra food waste this can be put into compostable bags in your Kerbside caddy.
Any residents who need further liners can just tie a liner to the handle of the Kerbside caddy on collection day.
Alternatively you can collect further compostable liners from any of our 3 household recycling centres. Bryn Lane Wrexham Industrial Estate, the Lodge Brymbo and Wynnstay Bank Plas Madoc. Please provide proof of address at point of collection.
You can take away the need to check your calendar regularly by having an automatic email which will be sent to you the day before your bin or recycling is due to be collected. You can sign up for this here. Just enter your email address and press submit then select bin reminder.
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December 16, 2019
Healthy Schools Celebration
A healthy schools celebration took place recently and schools across Wrexham were recognised for the work they are doing to develop children and young people’s health and well-being.
Over 155 representatives from 33 schools attended to receive their awards which were presented by the Mayor, Councillor Rob Walsh.
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During the celebration Gwen Thomas of Sustrans talked about their Active Travel programme and Victoria Primary School explained how they have worked with Sustrans to improve their journey to school. Catrin Davies from Eco Schools presented awards to schools for their work on the Eco Schools Programme and St Marys Catholic Primary talked about their journey to become a Plastic Free School.
Various businesses and charities including The Dogs Trust, Active Wrexham and the NSPCC also attended and gave out information on the support schools can receive.

The morning was closed by Simon Airey from Corner Exotics who talked about fears and phobias and the environments that exotic animals come from. This which helped some pupils and teachers conquering their fears by holding snakes and spiders.
The Healthy Schools Scheme is a Public Health Wales programme to support schools to implement actions that improve the health and well-being of the whole schools community. All schools in Wrexham participate in the scheme with 11 schools having achieved the prestigious National Quality Award.
The Healthy Schools Scheme continues to help support schools to improve children’s health and wellbeing with the hope that the benefits go well beyond the classroom and into their future lives.
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December 16, 2019
Christmas: the most wasteful time of the year?
Top tips from the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Wrexham Council on being ‘food safe’ this Christmas, while reducing waste, and saving precious time and money.
Christmas and food go hand in hand. We consume approximately 10 million turkeys every Christmas and spend just over £20 per person serving up that, hopefully perfect, Christmas lunch. But food waste is rife. According to food waste prevention campaign Love Food Hate Waste, we are throwing away in excess of 100,000 tonnes of edible poultry each year alone!
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In a bid to make this Christmas less wasteful and more wonderful – while maintaining food safety practices – the FSA has teamed up with Love Food Hate Waste to compile top tips and innovative recipes so consumers’ festive feasts can go further and not result in unwelcome illness.
“When it comes to food safety, cooking, freezing and defrosting poultry can be confusing. At Christmas, turkey is still our favourite festive food, but people often throw away their leftovers, rather than using them up in a safe way,” explains David Alexander, FSA Head of General Food Hygiene Policy.
Cllr David A Bithell Lead Member Environment said he encouraged residents to use their food caddies for any leftover waste over Christmas which helps and assists our recycling targets. Over the last year we collected over 2,000 tonnes of food waste and this is collected weekly with our free disposable bags which are supplied at our 3 Household Recycling Centres or if you tie a bag to your caddy we’ll leave new ones when we empty it.”
Any residents who need further liners after the 17 weeks can just tie a liner to the handle of the kerbside caddy on collection day.
Alternatively you can collect further compostable liners from any of our 3 household recycling centres. Bryn Lane Wrexham Industrial Estate, the Lodge Brymbo and Wynnstay Bank Plas Madoc. Please provide proof of address at point of collection.
Helen White, from Love Food Hate Waste, adds: “We’ve all got lots on our minds during the festive season, and throwing away food can get pushed to one side by other things! The cost of binning food can add up quickly, both in terms of the money you waste and the damage this has on the environment. With these top tips, and a bit of clever planning, you can avoid throwing away hundreds of pounds of perfectly good uneaten food – and not just at Christmas.”
“Tip 1 – Keep your Christmas Cool”
Double check your fridge is set at 5°C or below and test this with a fridge thermometer; if you need help you can use Love Food Hate Waste’s fridge temperature tool.
https://www.lovefoodhatewaste.com/article/chill-fridge-out
As long as your food is within its ‘use by’ date and kept according to storage instructions, it will stay fresher for longer this way. Always store raw meats and ready-to-eat food, such as fresh fruit and cooked meat, separately to avoid cross-contamination.
“Tip 2 – Get to know your dates”
It is important to understand the difference between ‘best before’ and ‘use-by’ dates to stay food-safe and ensure you’re not throwing away good food unnecessarily. Best before is about quality: food will be safe to eat after this date, but may no longer be at its best. Use-by is about safety: food shouldn’t be eaten, cooked or frozen after this date, as it could be unsafe – even if it has been stored correctly and looks and smells fine.
“Tip 3 – Get your festive freeze on”
80% of consumers have thrown away food that was close to its use-by date without realising they could freeze it and keep it for later. It is safe to freeze food right up until the use-by date. Freezing acts as a ‘pause button’, and you can freeze pretty much everything, including raw and cooked meats, fruit, potatoes (after boiling them for five minutes first), and even eggs. Simply crack your eggs into a sealable container and freeze. You can separate yolks from whites first if you want to use them for different dishes. A big block of hard cheese can also be grated and frozen.
“Tip 4 – Love your leftovers”
There are endless ways to re-use or reinvent Christmas leftovers, from stinky stilton and brussels sprouts, to Christmas cake and bread sauce. Cool them, cover them and put them in the fridge or freezer within one to two hours. Splitting leftovers into smaller portions will help food cool quicker, then you can freeze and defrost what you need for future dishes. Turkey, the cornerstone of the Christmas meal, has a lot to give, but after your five-hundredth turkey sandwich you might feel like a bit of a change. If you’re running low on ideas to make the most of your leftovers, check out these delicious and inventive Christmas leftover recipes from Love Food Hate Waste.
https://www.lovefoodhatewaste.com/article/kitchen-creatives-christmas
“Tip 5 – Beat the bacteria”
When food defrosts, its core temperature rises providing the ideal conditions for bacteria to grow – that’s why it’s best to defrost food slowly and safely, preferably overnight in the fridge. You can also defrost food thoroughly in a microwave – make sure you re-heat until steaming hot. Once the food is defrosted, the pause button is ‘off’, so you will need to eat the food within 24 hours. Remember that previously cooked and frozen meat should only be reheated once. However, you can safely cook defrosted meat into a new meal and freeze that dish for use another day. For example, you can buy your turkey frozen, defrost it, cook it and use the leftovers in a curry, which itself can be frozen to eat and enjoy another day – when Christmas is a distant memory!
For more information, please visit the FSA’s online Christmas homepage.
https://www.food.gov.uk/safety-hygiene/christmas
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December 16, 2019
Are we looking after your money? Find out on December 19
The council spends your money…on providing services for you.
So we need to make sure tax-payers’ money is being properly managed and accounted for.
We also need to know what can get in the way of us providing services for you – the risks.
This is what our Audit Committee will be looking at when it meets on Thursday, December 19.
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Up for discussion on December 19
The committee will look at the work of our auditors – both internal and external.
It will also look at what the council does to identify and manage its risks.
The committee is chaired by Jerry O’Keeffe. He isn’t a councillor or an employee, but an independent member of the public.
He says: “Councils are complex organisations which affect us all. Effective auditing and risk management are essential to ensure controls are strong enough to protect the council from error, fraud and waste.
“We also make sure managers put into place any improvements that have been agreed.”
Come to the meeting
The meetings are open to the public, so why not go along if you get the chance?
Mr O’Keeffe says: “The committee looks at serious matters, but the meetings aren’t scary or stuffy. We welcome members of the public attending.”
Interested? The meeting takes place this Thursday, December 19 at the Guildhall in Wrexham, starting at 4pm.
View the agenda on the council’s website.
December 16, 2019
AMAZING! Reducing the number of ambulance callouts by 48 so far this year…
This article is part of our 12 days to a safer Christmas campaign
Hopefully, you will never have to use it, but if your night does end up going a bit pear shaped then the Welfare Centre is the place you can go for help.
The Wrexham Welfare Project has been running from Hafan Y Dref, in Wrexham town centre since December 2015. Red Cross volunteers work in partnership with many different organisations including Wrexham Street Pastors, local businesses, the police and health services to ensure those experiencing the nightlife of Wrexham have a safe and enjoyable night out. They provide emotional support and first aid to all who come to the centre without passing judgement on how people came to be in the circumstances they are in.
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48 ambulances cancelled
48 ambulances have been cancelled so far this year with more appropriate alternatives to 999 being found.
Lost your friends? No battery on your phone to call them? Too, drunk to get home?
The centre is there to help.
Michelle McBurnie, British Red Cross Volunteer said, “The centre is there to help anybody that needs it whilst on a night out in Wrexham. It ensures that Wrexham is a safe place for a night out as well as reducing the strain on other partner organisations in the town centre.”
The shift runs from 10.30pm to 4.30am overnight and sometimes-extra shifts are laid on for Christmas and bank holiday weekends, when most people would want to enjoy themselves with family; yet a regular group of volunteers willingly go out and ensure that the shifts are covered.
Between July and September this year, 95% of people who attended the welfare centre were treated for less than 30 mins before going on to enjoy the rest of their night or being taken home by a relative or friend.
If you would like to find out more about the Welfare Centre you can get in touch with the team on 01745 828330 or email NorthWales@redcross.org.uk
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December 16, 2019
Caring, Listening, Helping. Meet Wrexham’s Street Pastors
This article is written as part of our 12 days to a safer Christmas campaign.
Have you been on a night out in Wrexham and noticed people in blue uniforms handing out flip flops and sweets? These are Wrexham’s street pastors and they are volunteers who want to make our streets a safer place for a night out.
They are trained volunteers from local churches that care about the local community. All street pastors will have completed 12 training sessions spread over a year covering subjects including conflict management, counselling and basic first aid.
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Practical Help
Providing a reassuring presence, street pastors listen to and talk with people, provide information on local agencies and aim to discourage anti-social behaviour.
Practical help provided by street pastors include handing out blankets, giving flip flops to clubbers unable to walk home in their high heeled footwear, giving out water, chocolate or sweets for energy and ensuring the safety of anyone feeling vulnerable. Street pastors remove bottles and other potential weapons from the streets, in order to discourage violence and vandalism.
Working in Partnership
They are led by a local coordinator and have support from local churches and community groups in partnership with WCBC, NW Police, CCTV staff, Door staff/Security, Paramedics, Welfare Centre and Red Cross Volunteers.
There are a total of 36 street pastors in Wrexham and they operate every Saturday night from 10.30pm until around 3am as well as every 2nd and 4th Friday of the month.
Want to volunteer?
Currently over 300 towns and cities across the UK have a street pastors team. There are also a growing number of street pastor teams overseas.
If you are interested in finding out more about the Street Pastors work, or are interested in becoming a Street Pastor yourself, please contact them here.
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December 14, 2019
Wrexham’s pubs support ‘Ask for Angela’ campaign
Bars across Wrexham are supporting the Ask for Angela campaign, which encourages people to discreetly ask for help if they feel unsafe on a date or a night out.
If you are feeling vulnerable, all you have to do is approach the bar and ask for Angela, the staff are then alerted to the situation and can help.
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The initiative aims to reduce sexual violence and vulnerability by providing customers with a discreet way to gain assistance from staff in order to get help when they feel unsafe due to a person’s actions, words or behaviour.
Once alerted, staff can then offer to call a taxi or contact their friends or family.
‘Simple yet effective’
Ian Bancroft, Chief Executive, “This is a simple yet effective scheme which empowers members of the public to seek help if they are feeling vulnerable, by allowing them to raise concerns with staff. It may be that they are in the company of someone who is not what they seemed and they want to get away safely and with minimum fuss. This initiative will facilitate this and hopefully prevent situations from escalating into something more serious. Of course, where scenarios do develop we know bar staff will contact police to attend the scene“
Available at participating venues across Wrexham, look out for the ‘Ask for Angela’ posters or ask bar staff.
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December 14, 2019
A483 roadworks
Road users are advised of disruption on the A483 Junction 1 at Ruabon north bound as works start for up to 4 days from Monday, December 16 between 9.30am and 3.30pm.
The North and Mid Wales Trunk Road Agency are undertaking essential tree maintenance works. The slip road heading north at junction 1 will be shut to traffic with diversions in place.
Traffic heading north from Chirk on the A483 will remain in a single lane for a short distance.
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December 13, 2019