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Take a World Heritage Site. Mix it up with some brilliant music, fireworks and a cracking festival vibe. And what do you get?
Underneath the Arches!
Tickets for this year’s concert are on sale, but if you need reminding why this is such a special event, watch these highlights from 2016…
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Fostering?
Is this something you’ve thought about but not sure if you’ve got what it takes? Why not read what one of our Foster Carers, Amy, has to say and then maybe make that first move to find out more?
We spoke at length with Amy about her experiences and in particular why she began to foster. Amy explained “Once my own family had grown up, I realised I still had a lot to give. I loved being a mum and being around teenagers so I began to think about fostering. It didn’t happen overnight and there was a lot of preparation work before my first foster placement came to me.”
Now, 7 years later, Amy is still fostering and enjoying every minute of it. She has one young person she looks after full time and also offers regular respite for other foster carers. Over the years she has had about 12 children and young people in her care and has found she much prefers the commitment of long-term fostering rather than short term or emergency care which have their own challenges.
Amy points out that one of the first things you must do when you first take on a child or young person is to make them feel at home, finding out what their favourite toys/possessions are, what they enjoy eating and what they like to watch on TV. “We all have our favourites and knowing these are still available can make a big difference to how quickly a child starts to feel at home.”
Amy told us how lovely it was having young people around the house “They have their own energy and enthusiasm and it’s great keeping up to date with things and going to the pictures, for example. It’s a lot of fun.”
We asked Amy about what support she receives and she told us that she has regular meetings with social workers and regular training for issues such as safeguarding. “A good relationship with social workers is essential for they have the knowledge of the child and can offer lots of advice and guidance if I’m unsure about anything.”
As we spoke to Amy we noticed how she always referred to “we” not “I” or “us and them” which shows how close a family relationship she has with her young charges. Amy emphasised just how much her own wider family also had accepted and welcomed the children and young people into the family circle with her foster children being asked to be bridesmaids at weddings on more than one occasion. “They really are part of the wider, extended family and we wouldn’t have it any other way.”
How long Amy will continue to foster is not something she has a set date on – “until they are ready to leave care but, as being part of our family, they can stay as long as they need to”.
In summing up, Amy described her experience of fostering as “Positive and rewarding. I thought I wouldn’t be able to reach out and help, but I was wrong. Hearing the words “I love you” for the first time is a moment I will always remember. I am making a difference and I am loving every minute of it. But it’s not for the faint hearted; there are challenges and hurdles to negotiate but with care, patience and the support of professionals it’s achievable and, most importantly, seeing the children and young people thrive and be happy is so satisfying.”
If you are interested in finding out more about being a foster carer then contact fostering@wrexham.gov.uk
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Acton Resource Centre has put together a fantastic schedule of free taster events to celebrate Adult Learners Week (18-24 June).
So, if you fancy trying something new, get yourself down to Acton…
Monday, June 18 between 4pm – 6pm
Is your little one fed up of boring hair styles? Bring your child along to this two hour workshop for lots of tips and tricks for new hair up styles. This workshop is perfect for parents of children under 10.
Tuesday, June 19 between 10am – 12pm
Come along for a free taster session during Adult Learners month to either, just learn the basics for an emergency or discover if you would like to follow a fully accredited course.
Monday, June 25 between 9.45am – 11am
Activities for Babies and Children – suitable for babies over 12 weeks old up to about 9 months old.
Adults will learn about the physical development of babies of this age and will also learn a bit about how to look after their own emotional and physical well-being.
Adults will be encouraged to do a few gentle stretches and movements and there will be time to practise quiet time at the end of the session too – instructions and explanations will be given bilingually (Welsh and English) and songs will be sung in Welsh (music helps us learn things quicker!)
Monday, June 25 between 11.30am – 12.30pm
A session offering information and support about reading Welsh books with young children.
Parents who don’t have Welsh as their first language may often feel uncertain about choosing a Welsh medium school because they don’t think they could help their child with homework and reading. We are offering a fun interactive 45 minute workshop discussing the challenges and offering solutions and guidance.
Find out more about Acton Resource Centre
Spotted a pothole? Report it easily and quickly online.
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The World Cup 2018 is just around the corner. The first match kicks off on Thursday June 14th at 4pm. You might be planning on heading to Wrexham to watch the football – which is fantastic!
Wrexham has a great selection of bars and clubs to watch the matches. We just want to ensure that everyone who does head into town has a safe and enjoyable time.
If you do over indulge and drink a bit too much alcohol, you could end up turning a great night into a bad one. You could end up cutting your night short, getting into trouble or getting hurt.
We are also encouraging people 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 in the town.
Plenty of people enjoy going out and having a few drinks, but if you don’t realise when it’s time to call it a night, a few drinks can become too many, your judgement can become skewed and you’re more likely to behave badly or get injured.
Cllr Hugh Jones, Lead Member for Communities, Partnerships, Public Protection and Community Safety, said: “We want to encourage people to come to Wrexham and support our night time economy during the World Cup. However, we also want to remind people to think before they drink too much. It’s about reducing the strain on public services such as the police, ambulance staff and hospitals at a time when they are already under massive pressure.”
Inspector Paul Wycherley said, “Wrexham is a great place to watch the football and we want to encourage people to have a great time watching the matches in the pubs and clubs here. 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.
“Drink a little less and enjoy watching the football with friends. Otherwise, you may ruin their night out too if they have to take you home early.”
Wrexham Council works in partnership with North Wales Police, Public Health Wales, the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB), the Area Planning Board, Glyndwr University and Coleg Cambria to deliver the #DrinkLessEnjoyMore campaign.
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Monday sees the start of the 20th Refugee Week and this year you are asked to take part by doing one or more of 20 simple acts.
Simple Acts are simple things everyone can do to show support for refugees, find out more about refugee experiences and make new connections in their communities. For example you mightchoose to learn a few words in another language or find out 5 facts about refugees that you can share with your friends. Find out more about 20 Simple Acts at www.refugeeweek.org.
Refugee Week is a UK-wide programme of arts, cultural and educational events that celebrate the contribution of refugees to the UK, and encourages a better understanding between communities.
Alternatively for your simple act you may want to visit Ty Pawb to view the “Objects of Meaning” photographic exhibition which will be on display throughout Refugee week. This powerful exhibition shows a series of photographs of refugees and asylum seekers here in Wrexham holding an object that has some personal significance to them and helps to tell the story of their exile.
Spotted a pothole? Report it easily and quickly online.
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So…here’s a quick rundown of some key stories on our blog over the past couple of weeks.
If you didn’t catch them the first time, take a peep. They’re still worth a read…
We’re sure you’ve noticed it, but have you ever queried it? Your children may have asked you “why are those men on a bendy pole?” or just simply “what’s that?”
The World Cup starts this Thursday and Tŷ Pawb will be joining the party!
As the summer sun starts making more and more frequent appearances, your thoughts might start turning to exercise and keeping fit.
Fifty one percent of businesses grow faster with a website, so why aren’t you online yet?
If you care for someone, and if you feel things are getting difficult, we want to be able to help you.
Did you know you can view live streams of council meetings as they happen?
Want to watch key issues being discussed without leaving your living room? https://t.co/tPQMD7auFa #wrexham pic.twitter.com/7WVZabSf0n
— Wrexham Council (@wrexhamcbc) June 5, 2018
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We’re responsible for more than 1,000km of road network across the county borough.
That requires a lot of work and maintenance to keep up to scratch – everything from resurfacing to lighting, and from improvements to Wrexham’s Town Centre Bus Station to cycle paths and walking routes.
Our Capital Works Programme for 2018/19 sets out the sort of work we’re going to do in the coming year, and when we’re going to do it.
There’s about £3m worth of works planned, covering different roadways and the type of upkeep they need.
Some of the works spelt out in the Programme line up with things where members of the public have raised concerns, such as potholes and litter clearing.
Here’s some of the things we’ve got planned…
We’ve already publicised the clearing and cutting work that have taken place along main routes in the county borough.
We’ve got further clearing work along trunk roads – namely the A483 and the A5 – coming up later on in the year.
Grass cutting along the A483 will start later this month, with cutting along the A5 planned in September and October.
We’ve organised litter clearing to take place alongside the work already scheduled, so we don’t have to shut lines twice in a short amount of time, so rest assured we’re keen to minimise disruption wherever we can.
And there’ll also be some tree maintenance and cutting to help with the visibility of road signs.
It’s no secret that the prolonged, cold winter did our roads no favours.
But we’ve got plenty of resurfacing and re-construction planned from the end of this month through to spring next year, all across the county borough.
As well as our own funding, we also received a further £1.2m from Welsh Government, specifically for the improvement of A and B roads.
And some of the funding we’ve got will also go to preventative works to make sure any further long winters don’t hit our roads as badly as the last one did.
While highways works is important, one of our main priorities is making sure people can get to where they’re going without having to use a car – and that means making roadways and routes pedestrian and cyclist-friendly.
Starting from October and running into March 2019, we’ve got Safe Routes work planned in areas of Rossett and Cefn Mawr.
This will include better links for cyclists and pedestrians, and is backed by a Welsh Government grant of £160,000.
And road safety improvements are planned for the A539 on the outskirts of Penley.
We’ve already publicised the work planned for the Wrexham Bus Station – some of which is already underway – with improvements to things like lighting, pest control, signage and painting.
And there’s an additional £243,000 in hand to provide new screens, seating and refurbished toilets at the bus station.
And we’ve also got plans to upgrade all of our street lighting to LED lamps over the next three years, with works expected to start before the end of the year.
Cllr David A Bithell, Lead Member for Environment and Transport, said: “I am pleased to announce that our programme of works will start very soon.
“£3million has been allocated by Wrexham Council’s administration, together with funding from Welsh Government.
“We will see improvements to our roads and Wrexham Bus Station, together with cyclic maintenance along the A483. Ensuring our infrastructure is maintained is a priority for the council, following a difficult winter period of ice and snow.
“As well as resurfacing and clearing, the Capital Works Programme outlines a fairly broad range of improvements, and more details of the individual works will be available in the near future.”
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There’s some great news in store for Wrexham town centre.
A while back, we announced work on a National Lottery funding bid with the aim of regenerating some of Wrexham’s older buildings, inside the town centre Conservation Area.
It would focus on some of the key historical assets in the Conservation Area, including the Butchers Market and some of the older properties on Hope Street and High Street.
The great news is – we got it!
We have been awarded initial support of £65k with an opportunity to apply for a further £1.52m once we have developed the plans further.
As well as looking at the physical regeneration of some of the buildings in the town centre, the plans will link up with ongoing training for traditional building skills – things like plastering using hot lime mixes, using traditional joinery techniques and generally taking care of historically important features in listed or important buildings.
It won’t all kick off straight away, though. We still need to prepare a second round funding bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), which – if successful – would mean we could really get our teeth into the work.
The scheme would give building owners the chance to significantly improve the look and usefulness of their properties through alteration work, reinstating lost traditional features and carrying out essential repairs – and it could even help bring vacant and under-used buildings and upper floors into new use.
It would also work alongside other ongoing programmes which are looking to regenerate the town centre.
Cllr Terry Evans, Lead Member for Economic Performance and Regeneration, said: “This is great news, and I’m very pleased to hear we’ve been successful in our efforts.
“I’d like to thank the National Lottery players, by playing the Lottery they are making a huge difference to towns like ours.
“Thanks to the Heritage Lottery Fund for approving our bid, and thanks also go to officers for all the hard work they put into the bid – there’s never a guarantee that we get something like this when putting a bid forward, so their hard work and effort deserves recognition.
“This won’t all happen in one go – if all goes well with the Round 2 bid, work won’t commence until next year, so there’s still everything to play for.
“But it’s still very promising, and if successful, this work would fit in with a lot of other regeneration work going on in Wrexham Town Centre.”
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You’d better have your spare clothes at the ready as Wrexham Playday is back and it promises to be a rip-roaring success.
Over 3,000 people came along to last year’s event and this time it’s aiming to be even bigger and better.
The fun packed event will be in Wrexham town centre on Wednesday, August 1 between 12pm and 4pm. All ages are welcome so grab your children, sisters, mothers, brothers and grannies and get stuck in!
This is a free event but you are asked to bring along a smile, a playful attitude and obviously some clothes that you don’t mind getting messy.
The event comes as part of our continued commitment to ensure all children across the county borough have enough time, space and permission to play and it takes place on National Playday.
Cllr William Baldwin, Lead member for Children’s Services, said: “The absolute pleasure the children get from this day is a joy to behold. Hundreds of children doing what children want to do: getting messy and having fun.
“It always lifts the spirits to see them all without a care in the world.”
All your favourite events will return such as the giant sandpit, water slide, junk play and rope swings. Picnics proved a hit last year, but there is bound to be something to suit you.
So come along and make some memories this summer holiday. Further information can be found on the council website, where there is also a gallery from last year’s event.
See you there!
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The World Cup starts this Thursday and Tŷ Pawb will be joining the party!
Over the next month, 32 countries will take part in 65 matches played at venues across Russia, the hosts of the tournament. It promises to be a festival of colour and culture with some exciting games and some of the best footballers in the world taking part.
Tŷ Pawb will be celebrating this carnival atmosphere with a whole host of World Cup themed events taking place over the next month.
We will be showing selected games on the big screen in our People’s Square. This will be a family friendly space to come and enjoy the games. The markets, bar and food court will all be open as usual so you’ll be able to drop in and watch the games with a drink or a bite to eat.
Starting from this Saturday, 10am-12pm our friends at Plât Bach will be holding a sticker swapshop! Bring your albums and stickers and see what deals there are to be made! This activity is suitable for any age. We get the feeling it might not just be children who’ll be taking part!
Also on Saturday, there will be a flag making activity for children and a World Cup themed treasure hunt which you’ll be able to take part in throughout the tournament.
Member for People – Communities, Partnerships Public Protection and Community Safety, Cllr Hugh Jones, said: “The World Cup is a huge international sporting event that celebrates cultures from all over the world so I’m delighted that Tŷ Pawb is getting involved with this.
“Our aim is to make Tŷ Pawb a unique, family friendly space to come and enjoy the tournament. With a range of related activities and events taking place throughout the month of the tournament, I hope this will create a real buzz and an inclusive carnival atmosphere that everyone will be able to enjoy.”
Thursday
World Cup opening ceremony and first game – Russia V Saudi Arabia – (2pm-5pm)
Friday
Egypt V Uruguay (1pm)
Morocco V Iran (4pm)
Portugal V Spain (7pm)
Saturday
France V Australia (11am)
Argentina V Iceland (2pm)
Peru V Denmark (5pm)
Croatia V Nigeria (8pm)
Sunday
Costa Rica v Serbia (1pm)
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