As Tŷ Pawb, Wrexham’s exciting new arts and markets facility nears completion, we turn our attention to the opening event, Dydd Llun Pawb, part of which will see the creation of Wrexham “souvenirs”.
During the past year stories relating to Wrexham – from the weird to the wonderful to the good and the bad – have been collected. The successful artists will each use a specific story as direct inspiration for the design of their prototype souvenir.
Six in total will be made and that means that six artists will be needed to work on them and Oriel Wrecsam is commissioning them right now.
The budget per artist is £3,000 and the deadline for proposals is 16 October with interviews taking place on 26 and 27 November. The project taking place between November 2017 and February 2018.
Applications are welcomed from artists working in any discipline across art forms. Oriel are particularly keen to hear from artists who actively engage with communities or people within their practice.
Artists at any stage in their career can apply but those currently studying will not be considered.
You can find further information about this project here
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The upcoming deadline to get rid of your old pound coins is getting closer.
We know what most people think when it comes to switching from old to new coins, and many will keep a few aside for car parking or things like lockers and vending machines.
But from October 16, all car parking machines operated by Wrexham County Borough Council will only take the new, 12-sided pound coin – meaning your old ones won’t work in them.
So make sure you get rid of your old pound coins as soon as you can – either by spending them, or exchanging them at your bank for the news coins.
Cllr David A. Bithell, Lead Member for Environment and Transport, said: “We know if people find a few pound coins down the back of the sofa or in a coat pocket, the first instinct is to keep them aside so they can conveniently pay for things like car parking.
“But from October 16, our car parking machines won’t be able to take them either – so if parking at any of our car parks and you want to pay by cash, make sure you’re using the new coins.”
Alternatively, anyone parking at a Wrexham County Borough Council car park can also use their debit or credit card, or the new JustPark app, which allows for remote payment by phone or tablet.
Setting up an account for the app takes no time at all, and it even allows you to pay more to extend your stay without having to rush back to the car park if you think you might be running late.
Senior health officials will face questions from councillors at a meeting of Wrexham Council’s Safeguarding, Communities and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee on Wednesday, October 11.
Members of the committee will put questions to representatives from Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB).
This will be one of the twice-yearly meetings that the Scrutiny Committee has with people from BCUHB.
Representing the board will be Rob Smith, Area Director (East); Gareth Bowdler, Medical Director (East) and Jon Falcus, Assistant Director for Community Services (East).
Members will put across questions on the Board’s Special Measures programme; the remodelling of Primary Care services – such as doctors’ surgeries – and the recruitment of GPs in the Wrexham area.
The meeting will start at 10.30am on Wednesday morning, and the live webcast of the meeting will be available online.
If you can’t catch the live webcast, a recording of the meeting will be available on our webcast archive.
Cllr Derek Wright, Chair of the Committee, said: “I know issues concerning the health board and the delivery of health services in Wrexham of North Wales are very much of interest to the public, and I would encourage anyone who has an interest in these matters to follow the meeting online.
“Anyone who wants to have more of an insight into how the health service works should watch the meeting – either live or recorded – and I’m sure the meeting will be an interesting one.”
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Once again, all council-owned car parks in Wrexham will be free throughout the whole of December.
Although parking will be free, time restrictions will be in place – so if you park in a short-stay car park, bear in mind that while you won’t have to pay anything, you’ll still be subject to the maximum times.
Disabled spaces will still be restricted to Blue Badge holders only.
Parking will be free at all council-owned car parks from December 1 to December 31.
Residents are urged to make good use of the free parking and come in to Wrexham to do their Christmas shopping.
Cllr David A. Bithell, Lead Member for Environment and Transport, said: “Last year’s free parking proved very popular with the public, and as such we’ve decided to offer it again this year.
“All of our car parks will be free to access throughout the month.
“But I’d remind people to keep aware of the time restrictions – those who are looking to spend the day in Wrexham should use a long-stay car park.”
Cllr Terry Evans, Lead Member for Economic Performance and Regeneration, said: “I’d like to thank Cllr Bithell for making December free parking available again for the 2017 Christmas season – I’m sure the offer will be very much appreciated by Christmas shoppers and town centre businesses alike.
“I’d encourage residents and those from further afield to take advantage of the free parking while it’s on and do their Christmas shopping in Wrexham.
“As we’ve shown throughout the year, as well as the shopping precincts at Eagles Meadow, Island Green and Border Retail Park, we’ve also got a fantastic range of independent businesses in the heart of the town, many of whom will be able to cater to your Christmas shopping needs.”
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Senedd yr Ifanc, Wrexham’s Youth Parliament, is looking for more members.
You don’t already have to be politically involved, on a school council or anything similar to join Senedd yr Ifanc.
All you need is the drive to represent young people in politics, and politics among young people.
Governments – at the local, devolved and national level – are always going to have important and complex changes lined up; but sometimes, the views of young people and how they can be affected by these changes aren’t taken into consideration.
Senedd yr Ifanc is there to make sure young people have a place at the debating table when it comes to the big changes which could affect the rest of their lives.
“The more representation we get, the better”
We at news.wrexham.gov.uk had the chance to speak to members of Senedd yr Ifanc at one of their meetings.
Toby Jones, Chair of Senedd yr Ifanc, explained the group’s role and what it does to help young people have their voices heard.
Recent work by Senedd yr Ifanc has involved responding to consultation set out by Wrexham Council on behalf of young people in the area, and speaking directly to councillors and council staff on issues such as mental health support, bullying and inequality.
Toby said: “Our aim is to give the young people of Wrexham a voice.
“Politics and Parliament can be seen as things that aren’t for young people, but they can involve things that matter to everybody in the local area.
“The more representation we can get, the better.”
Amy Lloyd, another member of Senedd yr Ifanc, added: “We’ve been able to see the end results of the changes we’ve been able to make. And we’ve seen those changes happen in such a short amount of time.
“Young people might think that they can’t vote, so how can they make a change?
“It’s not just about voting – it’s about involvement.”
“Ensures young people are aware of public affairs”
Cllr Paul Rogers, Lead Member for Youth Services and Anti-Poverty, said: “Senedd yr Ifanc does a lot of incredible work when it comes to putting across the views and opinions of young people, and also in ensuring young people are aware of what’s going on in terms of public affairs locally.
“Anyone who might be interested in taking on a role at Senedd yr Ifanc should certainly get in touch.”
If you are interested in joining the Senedd or would like any further information please call 01978 317961.
Council houses in Brymbo are set to be the latest to receive improvement work as part of a major modernisation project.
Properties on Offa Street are currently being re-roofed and homes at Bryn-Y-Ffynnon are receiving external improvements such as new fencing, footpaths and walls.
The work is part of Wrexham Council’s extensive improvements project to ensure council owned homes achieve the Welsh Housing Quality Standard.
This is the new standard for the quality and condition of social housing, set by the Welsh Government, which all homes in Wales are required to meet by 2020.
Re-roofing work in Brymbo is being carried out by G Roberts Builders and the external improvements are being carried out by Gelli Civil Engineering.
Local Member for Brymbo, Cllr Paul Rogers, said, “I’m delighted to see that the latest stage of the housing modernisation programme has now reached Brymbo and that tenants here will soon be able to see the benefits of the improvements being carried out to their homes.
“Kitchens and Bathrooms have already been replaced in council owned homes here and plenty of other external work has also been carried out in the area.
“It’s important that we ensure our tenants homes are fit for the future. Essential maintenance and improvement work such as reroofing, new paths and fences will help keep the properties in good condition and we will continue to work closely with the contractors to ensure tenants are happy with the completed work.”
Daniel Roberts (G Roberts Builders), Daniel Jones (G Roberts Builders), Mike Hughes (G Roberts Builders), Tom Barnes (WCBC Tenant Liaison Officer), Eddie Roberts (G Roberts Builders), Cllr Paul Rogers (Local Councillor for Brymbo)
A third year of record investment
Wrexham Council is investing a record £56.4m on housing improvement work in 2017/18. This is the third consecutive year the record has been broken.
The investment includes a £7.5m Major Repairs Grant, which the Welsh Government awards to local authorities to support them achieving the Welsh Housing Quality Standard.
Cllr David Griffiths, Wrexham Council’s Lead Member for Housing, said: “We’ve come a long way now with our housing improvements programme and I’m pleased to see we are on track to achieve the standard.
“Thousands of council owned homes across the county borough have now received improvement work, including new kitchens, bathrooms, central heating systems and other internal and external work. It’s improved the quality of life for many tenants and it’s made a visible difference to our communities.”
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As a result there will be some disruption to the car park on Market Street from the evening of Saturday 7 October up to and including Friday 13 October. Which means some spaces will not be in use. Access will be maintained throughout the works and disruption will be kept to a minimum.
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As we recently noted library services in Wrexham cost just £10.20 per year at Band D Council Tax.
And to celebrate libraries and the contribution they can make to the community and services, Wrexham Library will take part in Libraries Week – replacing the former National Library Day.
To celebrate National Libraries Week, which runs from Monday, October 9 until Saturday, October 14, the library will host a series of events – including an evening with two noted crime writers.
Paul Finch and Neil White will be at the library from 7pm on Tuesday, October 10, going behind the scenes of real-life murder investigations and giving an insight into writing prime-time crime dramas for television, followed by a Q&A session and book signing.
Paul Finch is a former policeman and journalist, and is now full-time crime writer who cut his teeth writing for the long-running police series The Bill.
Neil White is a criminal lawyer by day and crime fiction writer by night.
Tickets for the evening cost £5 each (£4 concessions), and are available from Wrexham Library.
Find out what you can do at your library
During the week, members of the public will be encouraged to discover the range of things they can do at their local libraries – from play and learning for children, to managing your health, to accessing Wi-Fi and games, to finding a job, a hobby or starting a business.
Cllr Mark Pritchard, Leader of Wrexham Council, said: “Libraries play a much-valued role in our communities, and the services they can provide are invaluable to the thousands of people who use them each year.
“As such, I would encourage the residents of Wrexham to visit their library during Libraries Week – they offer far more services than people think.”
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Staff and children at Caego Day Nursery in Wrexham have plenty to smile about after hearing the news that they have received the Healthy and Sustainable Pre-School Scheme National Award from the Welsh Government.
The award means they have successfully shown that they have put in place actions that cover a wide range of health issues including nutrition and oral health, physical activity, active play, mental and emotional health, wellbeing and relationships, environment, safety, hygiene and workplace health and wellbeing.
As a bonus they also gained the “Tiny Tums Award” in recognition of the food that is served at the nursery. They have a fantastic outdoor space for children to play and learn as well as high standards for safety and hygiene.
Nerys Bennion, Healthy Pre-Schools Officer for Wrexham Council said:
“Caego Day Nursery has shown that the general health and wellbeing of children and staff is at the top of the agenda. The environment of the nursery is lovely both indoors and outdoors. They have welcomed every initiative available to improve the health and wellbeing of the nursery to make the experience for staff and children extra special. I am sure they will continue to promote a healthy and happy environment for the children that pass through their care in the future.”
Gemma Walsh, Nrusery Supervisor said:
“We have found this scheme to be very beneficial to both staff and children in bringing all this information together. We are very proud of this achievement and want to say thank you to Nerys Bennion for her support throughout.”
There’s a taster session to learn about Guides and the older section – Rangers for girls aged 14 – 25 at Johnstown Community Centre, LL14 2BD on Wednesday 11 October between 7.00 and 8.00 pm
For further information please contact Cath Moore 07867 812751 or visit Girlguiding.org.uk
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