Category: Featured

More than 3,000 popular magazines are now available for download through Wrexham Library service to read on any device 24/7.

Customers with a library card can read digital magazines on Libby, the award-winning reading app from OverDrive, or by visiting www.wrexham.gov.uk/libraries.

Work in social care and be the lifeline your community needs.

Top titles include Radio Times, National Geographic, Hello and many hundreds of other popular magazines from around the world previously available through the RBdigital app.

Digital magazines through Libby have no waiting lists or reservations, do not count towards checkout limits and provide readers the option to renew their selections.

Wrexham Libraries borrowers can browse lists of magazines within the app and search by format to find available titles.

If you’re looking for a new career and want to help people in your community, a job in social care could be the right move.

[button color=”” size=”large” type=”square_outlined” target=”new” link=” https://myaccount.wrexham.gov.uk/en/service/Care_Jobs_in_Wrexham”]FIND LOCAL CARE JOBS[/button]

A care leaver is a young person between the ages of 16 and 25 who has at some point been looked after away from their family.

The period between being in care and then becoming a care leaver can be a very daunting experience, especially at such a young age.

Work in social care and be the lifeline your community needs.

As part of Care leavers week we have invited some of our young care leavers to share their experiences, advice, their stories, and their plans and aspirations for the future.

We have been extremely moved by some of the young people’s accounts and other than small changes to in some cases maintain anonymity, the inspiring words spoken are by the young care leavers themselves.

All care leavers were asked the same questions, and the answers show that their personal circumstances and personalities have meant that they have all had quite different experiences to each other.

We hope that their words will offer comfort, advice and inspiration to other young adults in similar situations…

I’m a 20 year old mum  who was a LAC (Looked after child) and now under the leaving care team. Some of my hobbies and interests include, cooking, baking, drawing, and as sad as it sounds but cleaning! I’m also highly interested in history, it was my favourite subject at school and even now I still look at new areas of history!

When I first came to the care team I was 16, I had lost my job, been kicked out, and wasn’t coping mentally, I was moved in to a supported hostel to get me back on my feet. You can never listen to someone’s experience because it’s different for everyone, I had ups and downs as everyone does but the experience 9/10 times was pleasant!

Going from being in care to being on my own two feet was difficult but I was well supported, I was assisted with a move in to supported accommodation which I had my own flat, to start it was horrible but I was assured the whole time that I was doing well and eventually loved it! It was even better too being able to just relax on my own! Being a care leaver has helped me so much, I e received so much support, I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for the amazing team, I wish I could say I was exaggerating but I’m not when I say that the team has quite literally saved my life.

The whole time I’ve been shown that I’m not alone and that all I have to do is pick up the phone, I’ve been pushed in the right direction and I’m finally getting the extended help that I need which I wouldn’t get on my own in the past, but my workers have been amazing in that area, if anything they’ve been amazing in general!

Like I said at the start I’m now a mum, I introduced a little girl in to the world with my amazing partner, I was kicked out from one family, but now I’ve made my own and it’s such a blessing! I’m also a volunteer with NCT which is a team that supports families in the first 1,000 days  and it’s so wonderful!  In the future I’m looking to either go back to college and study history or possibly catering and maybe start my own baking business.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

I am 19 years old, I have been in care since I was 5 years old, I have been in 3 foster homes but the 4th one was * and * and I really enjoyed living with them they took really good care of me and I really liked staying with them until I was 18 years old and then I moved to *’s which I didn’t really got on with and it wasn’t a great experience we didn’t get on as well as I did in *’s.

My hobbies and interests are I love spending time with ** which is my new carer I always like listening to my favourite music on my Alexa, I always going to stay with my mum not that often because she lives so far away I always like  watching Tiktok on my phone and doing some of the dances.

I was 5 when I came into foster care I was taken off my real mum at 5. This was very difficult for me because my mum did everything for me and now I am doing everything myself and I am getting there but there are things that I still can’t do but we are working on them.

When I had to leave * was so hard because I loved it there and she did most of the things that I am now doing myself for me but now I am an adult and I am doing more things for myself.

I am currently in college in Wrexham doing a little bit of everything but in the future I would like to work with deaf people because I love practicing and learning and teaching people sign language and people think that I am amazing because I can do sign language so I would like to do something with that skill because there is not a lot of people that can sign properly and I would like to help people learn more.

I think that also more resources should be available for deaf children and deaf adults or any deaf person like if it is a child more things for them to play with to know there alphabet better or writing or even signing whist reading a book.

At the moment I am living with someone called ** and she I so lovely and sweet she makes me laugh and we have lots of fun together and go on holiday together and play games and she helps me with the things I find difficult and try and make me try and improve on those skills. My Nanna is a good help to she tried and helps me with things too like cooking my own tea and making sure I clean up after myself and wash the dishes I have used.

If you are a care leaver and would like advice please contact: The Leaving Care Team on 01978295610

If you would like more information on becoming a foster carer please contact: Taylor Downes  01978295316 , Taylor.Downes@wrexham.gov.uk

If you would like to find more information on offering supported lodgings, please contact: Sara Jones –  sara.jones@wrexham.gov.uk, 01978295320

If you’re looking for a new career and want to help people in your community, a job in social care could be the right move.

[button color=”” size=”large” type=”square_outlined” target=”new” link=” https://myaccount.wrexham.gov.uk/en/service/Care_Jobs_in_Wrexham”]FIND LOCAL CARE JOBS[/button]

Rogue Traders who leaflet residents were the target for Trading Standards and Wrexham Police officers recently as they took to the streets to speak with traders and residents during Rogue Trader Action Week.

Many legitimate traders use leaflets and welcomed the move as many “rogue traders” often from outside the Wrexham area, target areas before cold calling and pressurising people into having unnecessary work done – often of low quality with a high price tag.

Work in social care and be the lifeline your community needs.

Many of the leaflets have 0800 numbers and offer discounts such as “special rates for OAPs” or “no job too big or small” and “cooling off periods”.

The advice if you receive such leaflets is to put them in the bin – however professional they may look.

Using websites like Bark also can be risky as one local resident found out when they posted a job for a quote but found the trader began the work straight away and without issuing any documents which they’re required to do. The resident was charged a considerable amount of cash and the work was of poor quality.

Remember!

• If you do ask a trader to visit, make sure they give you a detailed quote to carry out the work and take some time to consider it. Be very wary if they are reluctant to put things in writing, a reliable trader should be happy to do this.
• The quote should include the fixed price including VAT, and breakdown of the work to be done and materials needed, details of when payment will be due, full contact details for the trader, and your rights to cancel the contract if that is applicable.
• Avoid paying large deposits upfront in cash or by bank transfer. Remember that if you hand over money in this way with no contact details for the trader, you may not be able to exercise your consumer rights or get your money back.

Here’s some tips to help you avoid a rogue trader and find the trader best suitable and qualified to do the job:

• If possible get recommendations from people you know and check examples of work they have had done.
• Be wary of online reviews that may not be genuine.
• If you use a trader approval scheme, look what checks are carried out before traders are able to join, and whether the scheme provide a redress scheme if there are problems. There are a wide variety of schemes, some with lots of checks, and some that are just advertising directories with no checks carried out on traders on the list. Trading Standards approved schemes such as Buy With Confidence have certain safeguards. Traders have to meet certain standards and are audited by their local Trading Standards before they are allowed to be included in the scheme. You can find details on their website www.buywithconfidence.gov.uk
• Interview contractors before you hire, then ask lots of questions, and give a clear and detailed description of exactly what you want done. Make sure you can communicate with them easily as this will help you sort out any problems that may arise.
•  Don’t feel pressured to agree to enter into a contract. Try to compare different traders. If you’re not comfortable, don’t hire them and find someone else.
• Check they have the required approvals for the work they are proposing to carry out e.g. Gas Safe or OFTEC registration, or are a registered electrician for installation work.

Further useful advice can also be found on the website citizensadvice.org.uk

You can also report problems and get consumer advice through the website or by phoning 0808 2231133.

If you’re looking for a new career and want to help people in your community, a job in social care could be the right move.

[button color=”” size=”large” type=”square_outlined” target=”new” link=” https://myaccount.wrexham.gov.uk/en/service/Care_Jobs_in_Wrexham”]FIND LOCAL CARE JOBS[/button]

We are pleased to confirm that this year’s Annual Service of Remembrance will take place with limited restrictions on Sunday November 14 2021 at the Royal Welch Fusilier Memorial in Bodhyfryd Wrexham.

The military parade will leave Hightown Barracks and will be joined on Chester Street by veteran groups, youth groups including Cubs and Brownies and other local organisations to march to the Memorial for the start of the service.

Work in social care and be the lifeline your community needs.

The service will begin at 10.55 and at 10.59 a bugler will sound the “Last Post” and the two minute silence will be observed.

You are invited to attend this very poignant event to remember those who fought and lost their lives during WW1, WW2 and subsequent conflicts.

This year, due to the ongoing pandemic we are asking everyone who attends to consider wearing a mask especially if they cannot keep socially distanced from those around them. There will also be no public access to the Memorial Hall either before or after the event as it’s currently being used as a Covid-19 testing site.

Anyone who would like to lay a wreath but who is not able or does not feel comfortable attending a large event can do so after the service when there will be less people around.

The Order of Service is available to download here, and copies will also be available on the day.

Barriers will be put in place at 10.30am at the following locations to allow the parade to pass safely and to secure the surrounding area:

• Chester Street (adjacent to the former Feathers pub)
• Holt Street (by the Welch Fusilier pub)
• Chester Road (near the Chester Road/Powell Road roundabout)

Access to the Bodhyfryd Car Park adjacent to Waterworld will therefore be available only until 10.30am.

If you’re looking for a new career and want to help people in your community, a job in social care could be the right move.

[button color=”” size=”large” type=”square_outlined” target=”new” link=” https://myaccount.wrexham.gov.uk/en/service/Care_Jobs_in_Wrexham”]FIND LOCAL CARE JOBS[/button]

During Rogue Trader Action Week North Wales Trading Standards Services joined forces to launch a project to engage with printing businesses across the region.  Those producing leaflets and flyers commonly used by traders to directly promote services on the doorstep are the main focus.

Evidence from doorstep crime victims often portrays the perpetrators as plausible and professional when soliciting for work. Criminals frequently target residential areas with leaflets or flyers before cold calling with the intent of fraud. Although a legitimate form of advertising they have been found to omit statutory business information, mislead consumers and provide no route for redress or for trading standards officers to investigate their origin.  Commonly these flyers are an A5 promotional card depicting gardening or roofing services with bold references to ‘OAP discounts’, ‘no job too big or small’ and ‘cooling off periods’.

Work in social care and be the lifeline your community needs.

Larger production runs are provided commercially by online or local printing businesses. Our engagement with local printers across our region will highlight the risk to consumers, advise businesses, encourage business compliance and is an opportunity to reduce the volume of anonymous and untraceable leaflets within communities.

Richard Powell, Chair of North Wales Trading Standards said “Rogue traders continue to cause many problems for consumers across North Wales and many try to hide behind this legitimate form of advertising.  This project is aimed at helping printing businesses understand the laws they have to comply with and at the same time make it more difficult for rogue traders to hide behind this form of advertising.”

If you’re looking for a new career and want to help people in your community, a job in social care could be the right move.

[button color=”” size=”large” type=”square_outlined” target=”new” link=” https://myaccount.wrexham.gov.uk/en/service/Care_Jobs_in_Wrexham”]FIND LOCAL CARE JOBS[/button]