news.wrexham.gov.uk

Category: People & Place

Take a look at what these young women did on International Women’s Day
You might remember the series of events that took place earlier in March as part of International Women’s Day (IWD).
As well as a series of events throughout Wrexham town centre, the day also saw young women from throughout the county borough shadowing women in public service and political roles during their day – giving them an insight into public life they might not otherwise have had the chance to get.
Here’s what a few of those who took part had to say about their experiences of the day.
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Behind the scenes at the NHS
14-year-old Emilia Mandyna spent the day shadowing Amanda Lonsdale, the NHS Assistant Area Director for Community Services.
She had the chance to sit in on behind-the-scenes meetings at the NHS, including those covering budgets and consultation, and spoke to female staff within the senior teams on their day-to-day roles and how they got their jobs.
She was keen to take part in the day’s events, having taken part in shadowing work for International Women’s Day in 2018.
Emilia said: “I saw behind the scenes at the Maelor and the number of different roles that are not front line.
“Doctors and nurses get a lot of credit for the great work they do, but the staff behind the scenes need more credit as the NHS would not run without them.”
She added that she would recommend IWD and similar events to young women interested in public life.
Insight into youth services
Jessie Hack, also aged 14, shadowed Donna Dickenson, the service manager for prevention and support in the education department here at Wrexham Council.
During the day, Jessie shadowed Donna at a number of different council settings, including the Info Shop on Lambpit Street and the Youth Justice Service. She also spoke to Donna about how she became service manager and her career to date.
Jessie added that she would recommend the event to other young women, and said: “I enjoyed the day so much, and would love this to be a representative day for in which other organisations might take part.”
“Pleased to see the level of involvement”
Cllr Andrew Atkinson, Lead Member for Youth Services and Anti-Poverty, said: “It’s so important that we do everything possible to mark International Women’s Day – not just with events, but by giving young women who might be considering a career in politics or public service the chance to see what takes place behind the scenes.
“As such, I’m very pleased to see the level of involvement on International Women’s Day earlier this month, and I’m especially pleased to see comments from young women like Emilia and Jessie who clearly benefited from their experiences during the day.”
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April 1, 2019
The Trials of Cato – second date announced
A popular band has announced a second date at Tŷ Pawb after their first concert sold out!
The Trials of Cato, very popular on the UK folk scene are originally from North Wales and Yorkshire and whilst, living in Lebanon, they spent a year boiling down the roots of their sound into a hybrid of traditional influences that intrigued Lebanese audiences in the country’s biggest venues.
Their second date is April 19 with tickets costing £8. The event starts at 7.30pm
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“Real discoveries on the folk circuit”
Since they moved back to the UK they have been performing tirelessly up and down the country, leading to BBC Radio 2’s Mark Radcliffe hailing them as “one of the real discoveries on the folk circuit in recent times.” Their musical development in the run up to their debut album proper has been swift and sure, winning much praise for Hide and Hair and receiving national airplay on BBC Radio 2 and Radio 6.
Praised for the diversity of their material and influences, The Trials of Cato live show “invariably stuns audience wherever they play.” Whether plying their trade busking, performing in front of thousands at festivals across Europe, or frequently selling out their own club shows, The Trials of Cato have the wind behind them.
“One of the real discoveries on the folk circuit in recent times” – Mark Radcliffe, BBC Radio 2
“Fascinating stuff” – Cerys Matthews, BBC Radio 6
“Swaggering and glossy” – The Guardian
“If there’s a more exciting debut album from a folk band this year, I haven’t heard it” – Folk Radio UK
“They’re like The Sex Pistols of folk” – John Davis, Metropolis Studios (Led Zeppelin Mothership, Royal Blood)
This will be a fully seated show in Tŷ Pawb’s Performance Space.
Don’t forget the date: April 19 with tickets costing £8. The event starts at 7.30pm
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April 1, 2019
Underneath the Arches is back, bigger and better than before!
Summer is fast approaching – which means a few things. Sunny weather, ice-cream, BBQ’s… the list goes on. But more importantly it marks the return of Underneath the Arches!
Now in its eighth year, the open-air concert held at the foot of the World Heritage Site, Pontcysyllte Aqueduct is looking to put on its biggest show to date, so it definitely isn’t to be missed.
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The annual event was also named the Best Visitor Event (under 7.5k) at the 2017 North Wales Tourism Awards as well as the second best in the whole of Wales (coming second to the Champion’s league final at the Millennium Stadium!) so you can be certain that tickets are in high demand for this hugely popular event.
If you need a reminder of what makes Underneath the Arches such a special event, take a look at this:
For more information and updates on the event follow Underneath the Arches on Facebook
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March 29, 2019
Subbuteo is coming to Tŷ Pawb!
A classic table top soccer game is coming to Tŷ Pawb this April for a day of free family friendly fun and games!
This will be a chance to rekindle your own childhood and maybe even introduce some younger ones to this highly collectable competitive game!
Watch the experts and have a go!
There will be games taking place on several tables throughout the day, featuring international Subbuteo players.
The UK’s under-12’s no.1 player, Ruby Matthews will also be there!
There will also be a children’s workshops and learn to play sessions.
If you’ve never played before, come and join in – you might discover a whole new hobby!
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An event organised by one of Tŷ Pawb’s traders
The event is being hosted by London Road Subbuteo Club and presented by Tŷ Pawb’s comics and collectables trader, BCCM Boarder Collectables, owned by Val and Al Gilpin.
Al Gilpin said: “We’re delighted to be able to bring this event to Tŷ Pawb. The People’s Square (Flexible Space) here is an ideal space with the lighting and tech equipment available.
There be lots to do for all ages and the intention is to make it fun and accessible for everyone – especially those who’ve never played the game!”
BCCM Boarder Collectables is a treasure trove of comics, mini-figures and collectable items.
They can even produce personalised items like this lego Wrexham AFC player and Subbuteo team….
Come and enjoy
- The Subbuteo Fun Day takes place on Saturday April 13, 10am-3pm
- FREE entry for everyone!
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March 29, 2019
Help available for you to find the right job
Finding the right job is a different experience for everyone.
Whether you are looking for your first job, a move into a new industry or to fit work around family life, My Way In can help you.
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My Way in shares stories and advice from people in work and employers all across the UK.
You’ll find tips to help you broaden your experience and the number of jobs you have access to, as well as information about the industries which are likely to have vacancies in the future.
If you are inspired by one of the stories you can apply for a job on ‘Find a Job’.
Thinking of taking on a new job? #MyWayIn can help you prepare
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March 29, 2019
Withnail and I on screen in Tŷ Pawb
There’s a chance to catch the 1987 classic British black comedy ‘Withnail and I’ at Tŷ Pawb on March 29 at 7.pm
The film is set in 1969, and features two substance-abusing, unemployed actors who retreat to the countryside for a holiday that proves disastrous.
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It stars Richard E. Grant, Paul McGann and Richard Griffiths.
Don’t forget the date – March 29 at 7pm with tickets at £4 each.
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March 28, 2019
Festival talent at Tŷ Pawb
This Easter holiday the NEW Wrexham Music Festival comes to Tŷ Pawb! So you will be able to call in to Tŷ Pawb and listen to some great music by Wrexham’s young musicians.
From April 15 to April 18, students, pupils and school children from across the County Borough will be showing off their musical talent at a festival hosted by Tŷ Pawb.
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Two age groups (under 12 and 13-18 years) will compete for the Wrexham Music Festival Trophy, each group having six categories – keyboard, brass, woodwind, vocal, strings and percussion.
The winner from each category in both age groups will then compete for the main prize.
As an added festival bonus, you can also come to a performance by one of Wrexham’s most accomplished young musicians, 18-year-old Elias Ackerley from Coedpoeth.
Elias was a category finalist in the 2018 BBC Young Musician of the Year competition and will be performing a recital during the Festival on Thursday, April 18.
He will be joined by fellow students from Chethams School of Music in Manchester.
This is sure to be a memorable recital and Elias and his friends will be sharing how music inspires them.
Derek Jones, festival co-ordinator, said: “Since the cessation of funding for the schools’ music service was announced in 2018, the Wrexham Symphony Orchestra and Wrexham Glyndŵr University have been exploring ways to support live music in Wrexham and offer school pupils and students the opportunity to demonstrate their musicianship and support their continuing development.
“The Orchestra has benefited enormously from the excellent work of the Wrexham Music Service over many years and several former youth members are performing with some of the country’s leading orchestral ensembles.
“The Wrexham Music Festival signifies the Orchestra’s ongoing commitment to our school pupils and students in the Borough.
“The weekly Live Music Showcase concerts in Tŷ Pawb are proving to be very popular, regularly attracting audiences numbering between 60 and 90, and we have been encouraged by the number of young musicians who are willing to perform in them.
“We are really excited by the potential this Festival will offer our young musicians, and we consider this as a first, positive step to the re-establishment of a NEW Wrexham Arts Festival in 2020, which will seek to support the excellent work in the arts, culture and communities by the Tŷ Pawb team.”
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March 26, 2019
Spring Clean Cymru has kicked off – here’s how you can be #LitterHeroes
Spring Clean Cymru kicked off on Friday, March 22, as part of the larger Great British Spring Clean.
Clean-ups are taking place all over the UK between March 22 and April 23, as Keep Britain Tidy and Keep Wales Tidy are looking to bring ‘Litter Heroes’ together to collect and safely dispose of litter from our streets, parks and beaches…with the intention of recycling as much of this as possible 🙂
Several meet-ups have already been planned across the Wrexham area, which you can find details of on the Keep Wales Tidy website – three of these are taking place in our country parks (Stryt Las on April 3 at 1.30pm, Moss Valley on April 7 at 10am, and Acton Park on April 9 at 10am).
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Those taking part will be #LitterHeroes for 2019…last year, more than 13,000 events took place across the UK with 371,556 people taking part, and the aim is for the spring clean to be even “bigger and better” this time around.
If you need a little bit of inspiration to get involved, how about Wrexham locals Brian Phillips and his granddaughter Isla Phillips-Jenkins, who collected rubbish as they walked to school over the space of a week. You can see their fantastic results in the picture below 🙂
The RSPCA recorded more than 7,000 incidents of animals being injured as a result of litter last year, and tellingly 80 per-cent of litter that finds its way into the sea is actually dropped on land.
How this happens is shown beautifully in a video by Keep Britain Tidy of a poem by Steve Backshall, called Jemima Glitter and the voyage of Bob the Bottle.
“If only I’d known she too late reflected,
Everything on our planet is all connected,
And now our seas have been infected.”
With plastics as a main culprit of these problems, we’re making some small but important changes at Wrexham Council as part of our pledge to cut our use of single-use plastics.
Cllr David A Bithell, Lead Member for Environment and Transport says: “We’ve introduced a number of changes to reduce single-use plastics across the whole of the county borough – with a large emphasis on cutting the amount we use in our schools and other council buildings and facilities.
“We want to lead by example, and we’re encouraging everyone in Wrexham – from households to businesses – to get involved by reducing their own use of single-use plastics.
“People in Wrexham are doing a really good job with their recycling, and this is another step they can take with us to help the environment, and create a better future for everyone going forwards.”
Want to learn more about single-use plastics? Take our quiz to see how much you know…
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March 26, 2019
Bus changes “could leave communities disconnected”
Arriva Buses Wales are due to implement a series of planned changes to a number of services throughout the County Borough, which are due to come into effect at the end of March.
The impacts of these changes will be felt by a number of communities throughout the County Borough, with planned changes to the routing and frequency of services.
In a few cases, services are to be completely withdrawn.
Those services affected include:
- Service 4: Wrexham – Rhos – Pen-y-Cae
- Service 4A: Wrexham – Johnstown – Afoneitha
- Service 4B: Wrexham – Rhos – Afoneitha
- Service 12: Wrexham – Brymbo
- Service 26/27: Wrexham – Mold
- Service 33: Wrexham – Llay
- Service 42: Wrexham – Hightown (Service Withdrawn)
- Service 44: Wrexham – Barkers Lane (Service Withdrawn)
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“Many people could be completely cut off”
Cllr David A. Bithell, Lead Member for Environment and Transport, has written to Arriva Buses asking them to reconsider their decision with regards these services.
Cllr Bithell said: “I would urge Arriva Buses to reconsider their plans for these services.
“I have consulted on these changes with elected members and many residents have raised have voiced their concerns as to how these changes could leave their communities disconnected.
“Many of the changes proposed would leave residential estates currently served by buses cut off, meaning elderly, vulnerable or mobility-impaired individuals would have much further to travel before they reached a serviced bus stop.
“For many people, that would be the equivalent of completely cutting them off from bus travel, meaning they could no longer rely on the transport links they need in order to maintain their independence and day-to-day lives.”
Cllr Bithell added “While I understand these are commercial decisions of Arriva they also have to consider the impact that these planned changes will have on many of our communities.
“Even if the reductions resulted in a skeleton or reduced service this would still provide links for those people who rely on them.”
He added: “The Welsh Government is currently consulting on plans to improve public transport in Wales.
“Whilst I am fully supportive of the White Paper, it is my view that it does not go far enough and will not deliver the necessary improvements required to reverse the worrying decline in the Local Bus industry across Wales.”
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March 26, 2019
Take a look at what we’ve done with these empty homes
Are you one of the tenants who’s moved into one of our formerly empty council homes?
If so, you’ll have noticed the amount of work we’ve put into upgrading and updating them.
If not – read on!
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We’ve recently changed the way we update our empty homes, meaning that rather than just giving them a basic refurbishment, we update them inside and out.
That means things like new fittings and features – such as a fresh lick of paint, re-plastering exteriors or improvements to kitchen and bathrooms.
It’s now a wholesale job, rather than just a few quick bits of work here and there. So the work takes longer than it used to, but it gets a lot more done.
We spoke to one tenant after they moved into an empty council home which we’ve updated.
“Very pleased with the standard of work”
Jacqueline Fisher, who formerly lived at a council property on Oak Drive, Acton, decided to make the move to a smaller home on neighbouring Derwent Close after she and her husband retired, and found themselves with a larger home than they needed.
The property on Derwent Close was refurbished and upgraded by our housing team shortly before Mrs Fisher moved in at the end of February.

She said: “When I first saw the building from the outside, I thought it would be pokey, but when I went in I realised how large the rooms were – I was quite pleasantly surprised. I was very pleased with the standard of work undertaken as well.
“The move was quite easy because it was close, and things have been so well done it was just a matter of putting things in place. The council have been very helpful – they’ve listened to what I wanted.”
Mrs Fisher added if any council tenants were considering moving to a smaller property, they should certainly consider getting in touch with the housing team.
“Moving to a smaller property has been so convenient and easy to manage. It can be a big thing, but everything fell into place.
“And there’s an upside to the council as well, in that they’re getting a three-bed house back for a family
“The improvements really do speak for themselves”
Cllr David Griffiths, Lead Member for Housing, said: “It’s wonderful to hear from those tenants who’ve moved into formerly empty properties and benefited from the amount of work we’ve put into them.
“The level of work we have to carry out now is much more comprehensive than the amount required in the past, and the improvements put in place at our empty properties really do speak for themselves – especially when we’ve got such satisfied tenants.”
Who can sign up for a council property?
It’s a fairly common myth that only people on a certain income, or in receipt of benefits, can register their interest for a council home.
But that’s not the case at all – anyone can apply for a council home.
Obviously, we have to prioritise in accordance with need, and that has to line up with certain criteria, such as living situation, benefits, income &c.
To add your name to the waiting list, just apply via our website.
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March 26, 2019