Wales Armed Forces Day will take place on June 18 this year and here’s a look at what in store for you to enjoy whilst we all show our support for the men and women who make up the armed forces community.
The day begins at 10am on Bodhyfryd for a march complete with marching band around the town centre! Representatives of all three forces will be marching and will be accompanied by cadets and of course veterans from across North Wales.
Following that and until 4pm There’ll be entertainment for all the family along with displays and exhibitions. Live music will be provided by The Royal Welsh Band, Ifton Colliery Band and other local music groups with The Big beat ending entertainment before the closing ceremony and there’ll be an onsite bar and refreshments.
Veterans who want to take part in the parade should form up on Bodhyfryd at 10am
Cllr David Griffiths, Armed Forces Champion, said, “We’re making these plans as we all watch and listen with horror the events that are taking place in Ukraine right now. It serves as a sad reminder of why we value our armed forces so much and just how much we owe them for their past and present service.
“I hope as many people as possible from across North Wales attend to thank them and their families for their continued service to our country.”
Due to the ongoing situation the schedule and activities may be altered and we’ll let you know if this happens.
Next week we will find out if Wrexham has been selected for the UK City of Culture 2025 shortlist. Admittedly there is a mix of excitement and nerves leading up to the announcement!
It’s been quite a journey so buckle up as we take a look back at what’s been achieved in such a short time:
Our bid was submitted last summer after a rule change meant that non cities could compete. Wrexham is competing as a county region.
On the 8th of October last year it was announced by competition organisers DCMS (the Department of Culture, Media and Sport) that Wrexham was through to the competition longlist. Later that month all regions on the longlist were invited to send delegates to Coventry (Current holder of UK City of Culture) on a fact-finding mission.
Brand development
A core team was assembled to develop our brand, communications and engagement strategies. After a short time working behind the scenes our brand and logo were developed and first shared at our initial stakeholder meeting at Moneypenny HQ.
This provided the first opportunity to share our #Wrecsam2025 logo and explain that the ‘colour splash’ represents coal dust as a nod to our industrial past, while the colours used are to represent the vibrancy and diversity of every single one of us who lives, works and plays in Wrexham.
Our logo also prominently features the Welsh spelling of ‘Wrecsam’ – We’re Welsh, we speak Welsh, and always encourage its use. Shortly after this meeting Joanna Swash, CEO of Moneypenny was appointed City of Culture steering group chair.
Covid hasn’t gone away
Planning started in late November for bid promoting events that would be held in January. Unfortunately during the later stages of planning, the emergence of the Omnicron Covid strain and subsequent re-tightening of rules meant that these plans would need to be scrapped. Still wanting to promote the bid but in a covid safe way – after a bit of head scratching and dead ends, a seed of an idea formed. Rather than asking people to come to us, can we go to them? But more on this later.
We were still able to attend a few face to face events earlier on in December such as the ever popular Victorian Market. This provided a really good insight into what people thought of the bid, and was really encouraging.
Grant funding announced
Due to the extremely tight timescales of the bid Wrexham County Borough Council have been leading on it, however the bid is for the county of Wrexham, so we were keen to get as much community involvement as possible. On 21st December we announced grant funding for communities and organisations to apply for up to £1,000 to host an event or activity promoting the City of Culture bid. Fast forward a few weeks and we had over 70 applications and awarded over 50 grants. Some events have already taken place, but there are many more to come. Keep your eyes peeled for the #Wrecsam2025 #tag for further details of upcoming events.
Culture bus
The culture bus idea came about as we wanted to engage with the entire county in a covid safe way, without encouraging mass movements and gatherings. Rather than people come to us, we would go to them. Over the course of 3 days, 60 locations were visited by 2 double decker buses with ‘flashmobs’ occurring across the county, our list of performers included megan Lee and:
Delta Academy Ladies Choir
NEW Sinfonia Brass Quintet
Coleg Cambria Musical Theatre
Luke Gallagher
Andy Hickie
Delta Academy Youth Dancers
Due to covid restrictions we were not allowed initially to advertise the buses whereabouts other than saying ‘keep an eye out.’ However half way through day 1 it was announced that limits on outside gatherings were being dropped and we were able to pre-promote the locations for the next 2 days allowing more people to get involved
Play, Welsh Language, supporting our youth and Football
As part of our bid we want Wrexham to become capital of play for the UK. We have a great history of play in Wrexham and this is something that we would like to develop further with one of Wrexham’s focus points for play being The Venture on Caia Park, an organisation that has been improving and enriching the lives of children for decades.
We have Wales’ largest national youth organisation, the Urdd backing our bid, stating: “We believe that winning the title of City of Culture, will have an immense impact on the lives of children and young people. “It will be an opportunity to promote the Welsh language and culture to a wider audience through community, youth, sport, cultural, humanitarian, peace, and international projects. “It will also provide a platform for children and young people to amplify their aspirations and demonstrate the power of their voices.”
Football plays a big part in Wrexham’s culture, and Wrexham is the home of Welsh football. It’s no surprise then that football has played a big part in our bid engagement. On January 22nd Multi award winning Bellvue FC played the newly formed Wrexham Town Police FC (formed to break down barriers between the police and the community). We were invited to be part of this very special community game and sponsored the live stream from Colliers Park, with the commentary kindly provided by local radio station Calon FM.
During the game the City of Culture team were handed a letter from Football Association Wales (FAW) president Steve Williams announcing our national football sides backing of our bid.
Steve Willims ( President FAW)
In support of the bid Wrexham AFC have provided a statement of support alongside unveiling a 66m x 18m Wrexham City of Culture bid support banner on the Kop end of the Racecourse ground, as they work towards its re-development.
Bid films and submission
As part of the bid submission on February 2nd we invited members of the media to meet community members who have been involved in the bid. We also chose to premier our bid videos on the same day. ‘La, we are Wrecsam’ generated lots of interest as it featured the work of Wrexham poet Evrah Rose in collaboration with well-known Welsh beatboxer Mr Phormula. Both videos premiered on the day can be viewed on the links below:
Evrah and Mr Phormula
Bid video – Culture Bus
The Future
City of Culture bid events will be happening right through till the end of May so it’s worth seeing what’s on and getting involved. We’d love to make it through to the longlist and then win and become hosts in 2025. There is a real community appetite for Wrexham to host and experience the benefits of what that will bring.
Joanna Swash, CEO of Moneypenny and Chair of the City of Culture Steering Group said: “The amount of Business and Community involvement in the bid is exceptional. Wrexham really is a very special place to live, work and visit and the pride that people have for the county really shines through with the excellent levels of engagement we have had in promoting this bid.”
Hugh Jones, Lead Member for Communities, Place and Partnerships at Wrexham County Borough Council added: “It’s remarkable what has been accomplished in a few short months and we go into next week with our heads held high and proud of these achievements. “There really is a buzz in the community surrounding the bid and we are hoping to build upon that during the next round of the competition.”
The two year project was launched in March 2020 and has seen green areas in the two project areas; Caia Park and Plas Madoc improved by planting wildflower meadows, trees and bulbs by over 250 volunteers and participants.
In all over 1.2 hectares of wildflower meadow has been sown (and harvested) throughout the project areas which provides valuable havens for our wildlife, especially bees and butterflies and brightens up the areas for everyone.
A massive total of 5000 bulbs have been planted along with 200 fruit trees creating orchards and 1500 native tree species such as oak, silver birch, ash, hazel, beech, blackthorn and hawthorn planted.
3 hectares of woodland management has also taken place within Caia Park to improve access and open up areas for recreation and play.
Green Infrastructure project lead, Jacinta Challinor, said, “It’s been a fantastic effort and there’s a real community spirit in Wrexham. Its been a pleasure working with communities within Caia Park and Plas Madoc as well as our project partners, North Wales Wildlife Trust and Keep Wales Tidy.
“Not only will the areas involved be enhanced but the trees in particular will contribute to reducing our carbon footprint and contribute to help the impacts seen by climate change.”
Cllr David A Bithell, Lead Member for Environment and Transport, said, “The lasting benefits to our communities will be seen for many years to come and I’d like to thank Jacinta for all her hard and valued work over the past couple of years, even ensuring the project continued during lockdown by taking it online for a while.
“Credit must also go to the local communities for their tremendous support for the project.”
Two local tradesmen were recently invited to the Guildhall to receive a Civic Pride Award to recognise their selfless act of bravery.
Plasterers Matt Simmons and James Abbott were on their way home from work back in November 2021 when the unexpected happened.
Whilst travelling through the Pandy area of the Ceiriog Valley, they stopped the car due to a commotion and people shouting in front of them. When they looked at the cause of the scene, they were met with the sight of a house fire tearing through a property.
Immediately, James and Matt rushed into the blaze to save any occupants who may have been trapped by the flames.
A courageous act
Described by the men themselves as a sight unlike anything they had witnessed before, the building was engulfed in black smoke with only the red glow of the fire producing any source of light.
It was during their search that they heard a voice coming from the living room of the house. It was there that an elderly occupant was discovered in a state of confusion with singed hair and burns.
James and Matt quickly got the occupant out of the building to safety just as breathing was starting to become difficult due to the smoke.
Of the three members of the property, one was rescued by another unnamed member of the public and they were all treated in the Maelor hospital in Wrexham. Once the fire crew were on site, it took 20 firefighters to tackle the blaze.
Civic Pride recognition
Having heard of this incredible story, the Mayor of Wrexham, Councillor Ronnie Prince, was very keen to formally commend the men for their bravery.
James and Matt were invited to the Guildhall to meet the Mayor who presented them with a Civic Pride Award and thanked them for their life saving decision.
On meeting the gentlemen, the Mayor said: “As soon as I heard the phenomenal feat that James and Matt performed, I had to give my personal thanks to them. This is such a heroic and selfless act to have done and it just shows the community spirit and pride that goes on in our town. We look after each other around here and this is a prime example.”
“I give Matt and James my most sincere thanks for what they did that night. They saved a life which is incredible and it is an honour to present them both with a Civic Pride Award”.
The Mayor of Wrexham recently visited a unit on Wrexham Industrial Estate where volunteers gathered to provide much needed help to the people of Ukraine.
Whilst the time of unease continues, people from all over the UK came to Wrexham to lend a hand or provide donations for those affected by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Queues of vehicles lined the car park with items for the cause or offering to take boxes to the arranged drop off point.
Inside the unit of F. Lloyd Warehousing, volunteers were organising donations into categories and boxes. This ranged from food, clothes and toiletries, to toys for the children. Boxes were then collected by volunteers who have been delivering the supplies to the Polish border with Ukraine.
Seeing things first hand
The Mayor of Wrexham, Councillor Ronnie Prince, was invited to come and see all the tireless work the volunteers were doing in their bid to help.
He got to speak with some of the organisers bringing the humanitarian effort together just before the convoy set off for the border.
Having seen for himself the scale of the operation, he said: “It is so humbling to see so many people coming together to help those in their time of need. Of course, the reasons for this initiative beginning are devastating but it is another way in which Wrexham shows strength and support for Ukraine during these testing times.”
“I would like to thank all the people who have donated or given their time to package the supplies into boxes or transport them to the border. I also give my thanks to those who have organised all this. You are all doing such vital work and you are a credit to the community of Wrexham”.
Yesterday, we took you through the different ways food should be stored in your fridge, what to do with meat products, and which foods can be frozen and eaten at a later date. Didn’t see it first time round? You can catch up with Part 1 here.
In Part 2, we’re going to look at more of the ways to safely store food, to keep you healthy and avoid wasting food unnecessarily.
Many types of food don’t actually need to be kept in the fridge to keep them safe to eat. Examples of this include dry foods such as rice, pasta and flour, many types of drinks, tinned foods, and unopened jars, but you’ll still need to store them safely.
To store dry food safely:
keep food in sealed bags or containers – this helps keep food fresh and stops anything falling into the food by accident
don’t store food or drinks near cleaning products or other chemicals
don’t store food in containers that have been used for other purposes
only reuse undamaged plastic water bottles that you can clean
don’t store food on the floor, because this can encourage mice, ants and other pests
keep the storage area dry and not too warm
Tin cans
When you open a can of food and you’re not going to use all the food straight away, empty the food into a bowl, or another container, and put it in the fridge.
Don’t store food in an opened tin can, or re-use empty cans to cook or store food. This is because when a can has been opened and the food is open to the air, the tin from the can might transfer more quickly to the can’s contents.
This advice doesn’t apply to foods sold in cans that have resealable lids though, such as golden syrup and cocoa, because these types of food don’t react with the can.
Covering food with kitchen foil
Kitchen foil, which is made from aluminium, can be useful for wrapping and covering foods. But it’s best not to use foil or containers made from aluminium to store foods that are highly acidic, such as:
tomatoes
rhubarb
cabbage
soft fruit
Remember! You can recycle clean kitchen foil with aluminium cans.
Get to know your dates
Understanding the difference between ‘best before’ and ‘use by’ dates means you can avoid 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 looks and smells fine.
80% of people have thrown away food that was close to its use by date without realising they could freeze it and keep it for later. Remember, it’s safe to freeze food right up until the use by date!
Thanks for taking the time to read this information. Hopefully these tips will help you to get the most out of the food you buy.
We’ve recently been made aware of a company operating in the area “Home Rescue UK” asking tenants to get in touch if they have any repair issues such as damp and mould, leaks or plaster damage.
If they operate like other companies they’ll offer a free property survey and will ensure repairs are carried out and will use a legal company to get compensation for you.
In order to complete this survey they’ll have to access your house to take images which are then forwarded to a claims solicitor. They may also take other personal information from you and ask you to sign documents which they then take away.
Trading Standards strongly recommend that consumers DO NOT deal with cold callers on the doorstep or on the telephone regardless of what product or service they are offering.
Do not give any of your personal information to cold callers and remember if something seems too good to be true it probably is. If in doubt keep them out.
If you require any advice regarding this matter or any other consumer matter please contact Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 08082 231133.
If you have any concerns about your property please call your local estate office or the housing repairs team on 01978 298993 in the first instance to find out why a repair is taking so long to be carried out.
If you’re still not happy then you are advised to contact a solicitor.
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When you go about your weekly shop, do you think about how you’ll be storing the food you buy when you get home? Storing your food safely is very important for you and your family’s health, and it’s a great way to avoid unnecessarily wasting food.
From our Food Waste Survey, which was completed by over 1,850 residents, 45% of people told us their food goes off before the use by date/best before dates.
As well as this, just under 35% said not everyone in their household eats all their meals, just over 15% cook too much, and just over 15% said family members change their plans (e.g. don’t turn up for dinner).
So there’s definitely room for improvement.
Cllr David A Bithell, said: “Thinking about things like temperatures, the different materials you can store food in, and whether the food can be frozen are all ways that will help to keep you safe and ensure you get the most from your food items. No one wants to throw away food that they’ve paid good money for, so it’s a really good idea to try and understand the best ways to store the different types of food you buy to avoid wastage.”
Keeping food in your fridge
If the label says ‘keep refrigerated’, make sure you do keep the food in the fridge! If the food isn’t labelled with any storage instructions and it’s a type of food that goes off quickly, you should put it in the fridge and eat it within two days.
Some jars and bottles will need to be kept in the fridge once they’ve been opened too…check the label and follow storage instructions.
Some other tips for storing food in your fridge are:
when preparing food, keep it out of the fridge for the shortest time possible, especially when the weather or the room is warm
if you’ve made some food (such as a sandwich or a cold dish) and you’re not going to eat it straight away, keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to eat it
if you’re having a party or making a buffet, leave the food in the fridge until people are ready to eat (you shouldn’t leave food out of the fridge for more than four hours)
cool leftovers as quickly as possible (ideally within two hours) and then store them in the fridge
eat any leftovers within two days, except for cooked rice, which you should eat within one day to help avoid food poisoning
Meat
It’s important to store meat safely to stop bacteria from spreading and to avoid food poisoning. You should:
store raw meat and poultry in clean, sealed containers on the bottom shelf of the fridge, so they can’t touch or drip onto other food
follow any storage instructions on the label and don’t eat meat after its ‘use by’ date
when you have cooked meat and you’re not going to eat it straight away, cool it as quickly as possible and then put it in the fridge or freezer
keep cooked meat separate from raw meat
Freezing food
You can keep food safely in the freezer for years as long as it stays frozen the whole time. But the taste and texture of food changes if it’s frozen for too long, so you might well find that it’s not very nice to eat.
You can check any instructions on food labels or in your freezer’s handbook (if you don’t have this anymore, you might be able to find it online) to see how long food should be frozen.
It’s safe to freeze most raw or cooked foods providing you:
freeze it before the ‘use by’ date
follow any freezing or thawing instructions on the label
thaw it in the fridge so that it doesn’t get too warm, or, if you plan on cooking it as soon as it’s defrosted, you could defrost it in a microwave
try to use it within one to two days after it’s been defrosted – it will go off in the same way as if it were fresh
cook food until it’s steaming hot all the way through
When frozen meat and fish (and some other foods) thaw, lots of liquid can come out of them. If you’re defrosting raw meat or fish, this liquid will spread bacteria to any food, plates or surfaces that it touches. Keep the meat and fish in a sealed container at the bottom of the fridge, so that it can’t touch or drip onto other foods.
Always clean plates, utensils, surfaces and hands thoroughly, after they have touched raw or thawing meat, to stop bacteria from spreading.
If you defrost raw meat or fish and then cook it thoroughly, you can freeze it again, but remember never reheat foods more than once.
Found this information useful? Look out for Part 2 soon.
The Mayor of Wrexham recently visited a pair of young blacksmiths who are causing a stir around the UK with their creations.
Ollie and Harvey of O & H Metal Designs from Wrexham are cousins who took up their family tradition 18 months ago during the lockdown and became seventh generation blacksmiths.
Starting out making items such as small keyrings and bottle holders, they honed their craft under the guidance of their grandfather, Tony Roberts, to more complex designs such as metal roses, daffodils and daisies.
A media sensation
Due to their young age (Ollie, 14, Harvey, 13), the local press ran a story detailing the talent of the boys, which soon gained them recognition far and wide.
It was not long before television was calling with offers from ITV news and Channel 4. It was during their coverage on ITV Wales and National news that they were dubbed “Britain’s Youngest Blacksmiths”.
Their ongoing success and charity work led to two commission pieces from Acton Community Council. They first made a four-foot fish entirely out of spoons, which is situated in Acton Park Lake. The second creation was a ten-foot horseshoe, which comprises of horseshoes. This is displayed in Acton Smithy where their family originate.
High profile clients
The boys have enjoyed a successful 18 months. They have expanded their business and are taking orders all over the UK and overseas.
The hard work and talent has been recognised by some high profile figures. Ollie and Harvey have received letters from Downing Street and the Queen praising their unique gift. This led to the boys sending a piece of their work to the Prime Minister himself.
Their proud grandfather, Tony, said: “At the age they’re at now and the interest and enthusiasm the boys are showing to the craft, when the time comes for them to leave school, I hope all this work and experience serves them well for a good start in life and puts them in good stead.”
“They’re still as enthusiastic now as they were when they first started this nearly two years ago. It helps to keep the enthusiasm going by just letting them be as creative as they want and trying new and different designs”.
A civic visitor drops by
The Mayor of Wrexham, Councillor Ronnie Prince, was invited to pay Ollie and Harvey a visit. He dropped by at the workshop where the ideas come to life.
During his visit, he had a tour of the workshop and got to see some items that were in the making. He also got to see some finished pieces that were ready to be shipped to new homes.
After a chat with the boys, the Mayor said: “It is so wonderful to see such talent hailing from Wrexham. The recent recognition Ollie and Harvey have received is definitely well deserved.”
“It has been a real honour to come here today and see how the magic is made. I have to say that it is also very lovely to see such a traditional trade being continued by the young generation. I wish the boys all the best for their continued success in the future”.
Children, young people and volunteers joined together to create new art work to brighten up child health clinic rooms at Wrexham Maelor Hospital.
The volunteering day, held at Wrexham Child Health Centre, was run in partnership between Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board’s Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), and Senedd yr Ifanc, run by Wrexham County Council.
The volunteers’ new art works have been hung up along new freshly painted feature walls in the Child Health Centre’s clinic rooms.
Senedd yr Ifanc is Wrexham’s Youth Parliament, and is made up of young people aged 11-25 who work on the issues that matter to the young people of Wrexham.
The event is part of a wide range of activities being run following feedback from young people. A focus group was created to hear young people’s opinions of the CAMHS environment and what they would suggest to improve the service for the children and young people attending appointments.
The survey, led by Senedd yr Ifanc, reached a total of 947 children and young people aged 10-25, who lived, worked, socialised or were educated in Wrexham.
Following a report being published in April 2021, CAMHS and the Senedd yr Ifanc have taken a number of actions forward, including improvements to the webpages, clinic rooms, outdoor areas, information and resources for children and young people.
Wendy Pinder, Head of Nursing for Children and Young People, East CAMHS, Neurodevelopmental Services and Learning Disabilities, said: “It was a pleasure to spend the day volunteering with other organisations, along with the children and young people who use our services, creating some art work to improve and add some colour to the clinics. It was such a positive experience for everyone involved, and I’m looking forward to continuing to hold activity events like this in the future.
“Following the feedback we’ve received from the 2021 report, we have developed an action plan which is ongoing and we will continue to implement recommendations.”
CAMHS focus on helping children and young people who experience emotional, behavioural and other psychological difficulties. CAMHS supports families and their children from birth to 18 years and is staffed by multi-disciplinary teams which include CAMHS Practitioners, Nurses, Child Psychiatrists, Clinical Psychologists, and other professionals who work with children and young people.
Caroline Bennett, Participation Coordinator for the Senedd yr Ifanc, said: “It was a lovely session and great to see the young people’s creative sides produce two fantastic pieces of art work. It’s encouraging to see the results of the Senedd yr Ifanc’s consultation and the voice of Wrexham young people start to take shape, thank you to all the staff and young people involved, looking forward to the next volunteering day.”
