PMCF News
THE BROOK Young team of community members took on the challenge of unblocking the lower reaches of The Brook, which has been congested with rubbish and green tree waste.
Many people will be surprised to learn that this aquatic habitat is able to support a diverse range of flora and fauna and during the work a trout and several eels were found. The volunteers were working under the supervision of Plas Madoc Communities First Environmental Officer David Gittins, whose post is funded by The Big Lottery Fund. This task has involved working in conjunction with Keep Wales Tidy – ‘'Tidy Towns'' Project Officer, Shane Hughes. The aim of this is for the community to take on a greater role in caring for their own local environment, which has been highlighted by the local community as requiring attention.
In addition to this work, The Community Safety Group would like to pay tribute to the efforts of Darren Thomas, who has been undertaking clear-up work every Saturday on the stretch of The Brook running between Woodward's Walk and Marlbrook. The last Environmental Audit identified that The Brook was in a fantastically clean state and this is down to the hard work of Darren.
Training Courses Would you like to be able to come along to some informal training and have fun while learning new skills? We have free courses running for individuals and community groups ranging from confidence building and anger management to managing community projects and committee skills. For more information contact Sandra Hughes on 01978 813910 or drop in to the Opportunity Centre for a chat. Are you part of a Community Group on Plas Madoc? How about raising some funds for your group's activities? Our “ Writing Compelling Funding Bids” will help to increase your chance of a successful bid. For more information on when this free course is running contact Sandra Hughes on 01978 813910 or drop in to the Opportunity Centre for a chat.
Plas Madoc's Got Talent 08 The second Plas Madoc's Got Talent event took place at the Plas Madoc Leisure Centre and was a great success. 19 acts performed infront of a large enthusiastic crowd and of course the all important judging panel. The judges were chaired by Miriam Beard, Co-ordinator of Communities First and included actress Sinead Moynihan from Hollyoaks and model / actor Darrell Scott, along with Andrew Bunning of Communities First. The overall winner (£50 prize) was “Joy”, whose dancing and singing won all the plaudits, second place went to the Plas Madoc MCs – Cobi Ashfield and Liam Sklenar (£50); The Venue Christmas Group came third (£50). Runners up were Sophie Owen (£50), The LJs (£50), Chloe Wright (£25), “Heider & Joy” (£25), “Vanessa” (£25) and Lucy B (£25), Dionne Owen & Mia Roberts (£25). A great time was had by all and the talent on show was top notch. Thanks to James Beard, a singer who compered the night and opened the show with a spectacular interpretation of the old Johnny Preston classic “Running Bear”. Thanks to the Plas Madoc Leisure Centre and its staff for supporting the event. The event was held in memory of Danny Davies, a young man who passed away earlier this year, whose passion was the performing arts.
Do you care for a relative, friend or neighbour who may have a disability, long-term illness or be struggling with the effects of old age? Could these people manage without your help? Wrexham Carers Service is now based at AVOW (Association of Voluntary Organisation in Wrexham), but wants to support carers in their own community. Working in partnership with Plas Madoc Communities First, Wrexham Carers Service would like to deliver the service to people living in Plas Madoc. The service is developing but currently offers: Carers Information Packs
If you are a carer and would like to take advantage of this service, please contact Sian Weigh, Fitter and Trimmer Development Officer, on 01978 813910.
Healthy Living Event Wednesday 5th November saw Plas Madoc's first Healthy Living Day at the Opportunity Centre. 13 agencies in total attended the event, which around 100 people of all ages got advice, information and freebies from. The aim of the day was to support people living in Plas Madoc and surrounding areas to find out how they can lead healthy lifestyles, both physically and emotionally.
Both children and adults enjoyed the free smoothies that Clybiau Plant gave out, and many young people had a giggle when trying the beer goggles on that Inspire brought along.
In the afternoon the Diabetes XPERT programme tested people's glucose levels and provided information on diabetes. Students from college gave complimentary Indian Head Massages to people attending the event, which everyone enjoyed. Three lucky prize winners won a Jamie Oliver cookbook, a fruit hamper and a basket of healthy food toys. Due to the event being a great success, we will be holding a Men's Health Day in the new year.
PRISON VISIT On Nov 4th along with staff from PMCF, TWL and North Wales Police 13 young people were given a tour of Altcourse prison and later shown the Choose Life play given by the prisoners themselves. Whilst there the young people were shown the booking in process that prisoners have to go through on arrival, the cells on one of the wings, a workshops where many prisoners work 8 hours a day for only £3.05 on a good day. The play that was performed by the prisoners was intended to show how easy it is for drug and alcohol misuse to end in a custodial sentence. Some of the young people had been told it was a holiday camp in prison by their mates and this trip certainly made them think differently and see the reality of prison life for themselves for a short period One of the young people that attended this visit, Kelsey Hesp said “ Going there has made me think about what I am doing now and I have thought twice before I have drink and I think it has made a difference for a lot of us that went”
Making a Difference Friday 27th June saw the third Plas Madoc Communities First Making a Difference event, which is a celebration of progress and chance to acknowledge the support provided to the Communities First Programme on the estate. Over the course of the day 193 invited from the community, partner organisations, funding bodies and local and national government witnessed presentations made by people for whom Communities First has made a difference. Many of these beneficiaries had very little or indeed no experience of speaking before an audience but they felt that their stories were so important that they were prepared to take to the stage. Deputy Minister for Regeneration Leighton Andrews said “I would like to congratulate everyone involved in the Plas Madoc Communities First Partnership. It is great to see how their efforts are delivering a wide range of activities for people of all ages The Assembly Government recognises the importance of the Communities First programme and the Plas Madoc partnership has received substantial support to assist the regeneration of this community I announced last week that the next phase of Communities First will have a sharper focus on stimulating practical improvements to tackle poverty, contribute to wider regeneration initiatives and improving employability. I want to make sure that Communities First makes a significant difference to local communities and really adds value.” The event included the annual Making a Difference Awards . The community was offered the chance to nominate people who have made significant contributions to the regeneration programme or community life in general. This year's winners were; Eric & Emily Lake, for their work in setting up a self help group for adults with mental health issues; Emlyn Rowlands, for his efforts in campaigning against the closure of the Plas Madoc Leisure Pool; Jamie Williams and Matthew Roberts won Youth Awards for their contribution to their community; The Fitter & Trimmer Club was acknowledged for their work over the last 4 years; The Flying Start Community Midwives and the Council's Streetscene Operatives based on the estate were recognised for the hard work and effort that they put in on behalf of the community. In addition, this year saw the first Making a Difference Partnership Awards, nominated by Plas Madoc Communities First and recognising the support given by professionals to the overall regeneration agenda. This year's winners were Sgt Darren Whibberley from North Wales Police, Roz Harrison who is the headteacher at Rhosymedre Community Primary School, and Mark Owens, the Plas Madoc Estate Manager. This year guests took in dance performances from LJay's and Dancing Shoes, who were featured in last November's Plas Madoc's Got Talent event, a full presentation complete with African drumming from the young people from the estate who visited Africa this year; short project reports from Little Sunflowers Childcare, The Venue Youth Club, Junior Environmental Wardens and many more volunteers and community members who had taken part in activities over the last 12 months. Guests also had the opportunity to deliver live, real-time feedback during the event using a hi-tech interactive voting system. The event now takes place at Ysgol Rhiwabon, another key partner in the Communities First Programme due to the demand for attendance. Miriam Beard, Co-ordinator of Plas Madoc Communities First said “This is probably the most important day in our calendar, when members of the community can show the organisations that have supported the Communities First Programme the reality of what has been achieved, and justify the faith and the funding that has been provided. It is fantastic that the interest in the event continues to grow as it has more than doubled in size since the first year.”
Awards Success for Communities First FC Coach
Photo of Dale Stanway nominator WayneKeefe award winner, & Sara Edwards from BBC Wales. Plas Madoc is celebrating the success of one of its residents in the annual Welsh Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA) Awards. Wayne Keefe was announced as a winner of the adult category at a special ceremony at the Norwegian Church in Cardiff Bay. This is a massive achievement for Wayne, which caps off a fantastic year for him and the community of Plas Madoc.
The pride and confidence that involvement in the team has brought to the players, their families and the wider community has been significant, and the recent successes can only enhance the role of the team within the community. A special mention must also go to Tyrone Foulkes, who has acted as Wayne's right-hand-man throughout. Just before Christmas Wayne was entered in the BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year Unsung Hero competition in which he came 3 rd out of thousands of entries. Plas Madoc Communities First Co-ordinator, Miriam Beard said “This award is fantastic recognition of the hard work that Wayne has put into the Communities First FC team. It is great seeing the changes in the lads over the last season. They are so proud to represent their estate, which gives everyone a lift. Some have even been scouted by much bigger local teams but they have opted to continue to pull on the Plas Madoc jersey. The success of the team will undoubtedly provide opportunities for future generations of players as they come through the ranks.”
DIGITAL STORIES Communities First Plas Madoc have been working alongside Yale College to produce Digital Stories, the stories started of by staff and volunteers training to use the equipment to enable them to go forward and produce stories with the local community. These stories will be played at the Plas Madoc Making A Difference day that is to be held on 27th June at Ruabon School. Steve Bellis and Gareth Taylor from Yale College in Wrexham held a special screening which included three stories from Plas Madoc. One of the stories displayed at the event was told, produced and scripted by Eddie Byrne.
A certificate from Yale College was presented to Eddie to celebrate his training and achievements. A special well done goes to Eddie from all involved in the project. FOOTBALL TEAM Saturday saw the final of the Nizam Druid Welsh National League Division 3 Cup played at Overton. Communities First FC faced Borras Park Albion in front of nearly 100 travelling supporters who made the trip from Plas Madoc.
Back row: l-r Wayne Keefe, Craig Roberts, Nicky Williams, Josh Williams, Daniel Warburton, Ryan Roberts, Gabriel Correia, Nathan Edwards, Jamie Williams, Tyrone Foulkes Front row: l-r Jamie Roberts, Chris Davies, Jonny Williams, Shaun Williams, Gomez, Michael Kirk, Charlie Davies. Despite the heat the game was hugely competitive and Communities First FC managed to stay on top for most of the first half and went into the break 1-0 thanks to a stunning strike from 25 yards from Craig Roberts. The second half was much the same and Communities First FC extended their lead with a second from Craig Roberts and one from Michael Kirk who had made a miraculous recovery from injury to come on as sub. The Cup was presented to joint captains Ryan Roberts and Daniel Warburton in front of the ecstatic Plas Madoc supporters.
This was a fantastic result to cap off a tremendous debut season in the Welsh National League, where the team is currently sitting in 5th place. A special mention must be made of the coaching team of Wayne Keefe and Tyrone Foulkes who have presided over a great campaign. Thanks also to the sponsors, TJ Crane Hire Ltd, Morton & Jones and Plas Madoc Communities First.
Communities First FC will be holding an end of season gala event at The Wild Pheasant Hotel, Llangollen on Friday 23rd May. The event is ticket only available from the Communities First FC coaching team.
Junior Environmental Wardens “Today saw the start of the new Junior Environmental Wardens project in Plas Madoc. Six year 6 pupils from Rhosymedre Community School have volunteered to work alongside Plas Madoc Communities First, North Wales Police and Wrexham County Borough Council's Public Protection Department to help make improvements to the local environment around the estate. The project is funded by the Environment Agency Wales' “Pride in Our Communities” scheme. In today's introductory session the Junior Environmental Wardens went to investigate a footpath near the railway bridge, which is the cause of some recent complaints. Litter, dog fouling, poor surfacing and potential problems with vehicles on the footpaths were identified as issues and the Wardens are now writing to the appropriate agencies to try and get things resolved. The next task is to design their new Junior Environmental Warden jackets, undertake training with the PCSOs and Public Protection Officers and work towards planning the mini-Environmental Action Day to be held on 28th May 2008.”
Congratulations Plas Madoc Communities First would like to say a special well done to Jamie Williams . Jamie has recently started working at The Venue youth club, he is undertaking various courses in relation to his new role. Jamie has just passed the Child Protection course, so on behalf of the young people attending The Venue and all the Staff at Communties First well done
National No Smoking Day Plas Madoc Communities First and Wrexham Fire Brigade marked this year National No Smoking Day on Wednesday the 12th of March by targeting parents picking up their children from Rhosymdre Primary School . Staff from Communities First and The fire Men from Wrexham station handed out leaflets highlighting the dangers of smoking, and providing advice on how to quit. A carbon Monoxide monitor was also available for use so residents could see the levels of Carbon Monoxide in their blood. Smokers have a higher level of Carbon Monoxide than non smokers, which causes greater risks of suffering breathing difficulties and in the long term could lead to lung Cancer . As a non smoker event organizer Jenny Biesty Regeneration Officer for Communities First used the Carbon Monoxide Monitor, it measured 1% which indicates a non smoker living in an unpolluted area. Development Officer Dale Stanway who is a medium smoker measured 5% levels of Carbon Monoxide, this indicates that his red blood cells carry less Oxygen than the body needs, the heart must work harder and with less oxygen to help. Dale Stanway said “I have been smoking for years I am aware that it is bad for me, however, you just shut it out of your mind. Seeing the levels of Carbon Monoxide in my blood has really brought it home to me the damage that I am doing to my body, I am more determined to quit now.” Dale really got into the spirit of the day by dressing up as a giant Cigarette, the children loved this and it gained everyone's attention.
Jenny Biesty Regeneration Officer said” The aim of the event was to highlight the dangers of smoking, unfortunately many people choose to ignore the dangers, we hope that the information provided might have spurred some people on to quit.” A Special thank you to Caxton Surgery Oswestry for the use of the Carbon Monoxide monitor and to Wrexham Fire Brigade for their involvement in the event.
Teddy Bears Picnic
On Thursday 6th March children who attend the Little Sunflowers Child Care group and the Early Years classes at Rhosymedre Community Primary School took part in a teddy bears picnic party. The event was to celebrate World Book Day which aims to promote literacy in children by encouraging them to read and learn in a fun and exciting way. The event was a huge success with staff and children all dressing up in fancy dress and bringing in their favourite teddy bears to join in the fun. The children enjoyed an afternoon of dancing and games and a picnic lunch, with the event finishing with year six pupils reading stories to the younger children. Many parents also took part with the celebration helping with food and the party games. Each child also received a book discount gift voucher to encourage them to continue their learning, enabling parents and children to read together at home. Little Sunflowers Child Care is run by Plas Madoc Communities First and provides several different child care sessions for children from 2 to 11 years and is based at Rhosymedre Community Primary School during school term times. The group also run the Welsh Assembly Governments Flying Start programme which provides free child care to eligible children aged 2-3, living in Plas Madoc. If you would like more information please contact Lee Marsh or Sharon Bellingham on 01978 – 813910.
Plas Madoc Mini Olympics 2008 Due to last years succesfull mini olympics, Plas Madoc Communities First are planning to deliver the project again during the summer holidays.
The event last year was organized by Plas Madoc Communities First and was held on Rhosymedre school field over the first 5 days of the school holidays. There were many different events available and children from as young as 4 through to 18 took part. Events included: 100m race, hurdles, football, basketball, rounder's, tug of war, sack race and many more, even the staff from Communities First dusted off their trainers for a race. The children proved to be excellent athletes and competitors and really got into the spirit of the Olympics. All the children received a participating medal and all 1st 2nd and 3rd places won a gold, silver or bronze medal, many children went home with several medals around their necks.
We now want to continue with our drive for active living and aim to set up regular sports on the estate. If anyone is good at a sport and wishes to volunteer their time for the children of Plas Madoc please contact Jenny Biesty or Dale Stanway at the Opportunity Centre on 01978 813910.
Plas Madoc in The Gambia !
On January 14th , the Plas Madoc Gunjur Project left for a week in West Africa . The group of eight 15-18 year olds took part in The Gunjur Project – a cultural/educational programme looking at Gambian life – and have come back with so much experience, enthusiasm and ambition, that Communities First are planning a return trip for a new group later this year! Some things the young people did:
As well as seeing the difficulties of life in a country where the average yearly wage is £200, the group were also forced to realise just how many opportunities they have back home…
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