News Letter 245 15.10...2018

Gillian, Peter and Matthew McGivern will be presented with the:

“2018 National Welsh Pub of the Year award” by CAMRA At 4.30pm on Saturday 25th October at the Bridge End Inn, where their renown for brewing their own beer began. No doubt all their loyal customers and friends, that are able, will be joining in the celebrations, as one of our local pubs in Ruabon receives this prestigious award.

The Second Defibrillator, for use by the public in an emergency situation, is now in place on the High Street, on the wall between Mc.Calls News Agents and the Kebab Shop. This defibrillator has been funded by the who have given generously, together with donations from the pupils of Ysgol Rhiwabon and the owner of The Vaults Pub. Mc.Calls newsagents kindly agreed to supplying the electricity and its installation. Friends of Ruabon have worked with Welsh Ambulance throughout the procedure from the idea to the installation of this equipment which has become a truly “Ruabon Village Enterprise”. ** Ken Skates AM and Susan Elan Jones MP Will hold their Joint Surgeries from 3.30pm-5.30pm on the following dates on a first-come, first-served basis, so there is no need to book: Friday, 25th October : George Edwards Hall, Well Street, Mawr (LL14 3AE) Friday, 30th November: Marchwiel Village Hall, Piercy

Avenue, Marchwiel (LL13 0RH)

A controversial litter enforcement firm has been told by council that its contract will end early.

It followed the revelation that not a single fine was issued by Kingdom Services in August and September this year.

Its arrangement will end on 28 December - rather than in May next year. The firm has been asked to comment.

The council warned it meant limited litter enforcement would be carried out until new arrangements were in place.

Wrexham's head environmental officer, Lawrence Isted, said Kingdom had acknowledged receipt of the termination notice and that new enforcement activity had already stopped. Council officials said they were examining sharing the service with the neighbouring Flintshire authority, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

However, the council's executive board was also told that while the Kingdom Service contract came at no cost to the authority, any replacement service could "place a pressure on already stretched departmental and corporate budgets". . Council urged to bin litter fine firm . Half of litter firm's contracts dropped . Anger over adventure park litter fines

Complaints about Kingdom Services' approach to the £75 litter fines led to a public protest in the town in September.

A report to the council also said that while there had been a crackdown on littering in the past, Kingdom had failed to tackle dog fouling.

The cross-party committee found that only 39 fines were handed out for fouling between November 2017 and May 2018, compared to 2,267 for littering.

Plaid Cymru councillor Marc Jones said the decision was "long overdue".

"Kingdom did not ensure our streets were cleaner - they did not tackle dog fouling or flytipping," he said.

Licensing powers on „fracking‟ transferred to The Cabinet Secretary for Energy, Planning and Rural Affairs, Lesley Griffiths, has welcomed the devolution of onshore petroleum licensing to Wales from today. Sunday 30 September 2018 Environment and countryside 30 September 2018 The Cabinet Secretary set out her preferred policy in July, that the Welsh Government would not support any applications for hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking” consents, or undertake any new petroleum licensing in Wales. A consultation has since been held on petroleum extraction, which closed on 25 September. The consultation received more than 1,800 responses. The Welsh Government will now consider the feedback to the consultation before confirming its future policy by the end of the year. The Welsh Government has put a Notification Direction in place so that local authorities cannot approve planning applications for unconventional oil and gas, including fracking, without Welsh Ministers’ approval. This supports the Welsh Government’s opposition to unconventional extraction. The Welsh Government has been working with UK Government and the UK Oil & Gas Authority to ensure a smooth transfer of the powers. Lesley Griffiths said: “Burning fossil fuels is the number one contributor to global warming and there is overwhelming scientific evidence which shows how climate change is damaging our planet. Instead of exploring new ways to extract fossil fuels, we should be investing in renewable forms of energy. “As a Government, we must responsibly manage our natural resources in a way that meets the needs of the people of Wales, not just today, but into the future. “I would like to thank everyone who provided their feedback to the consultation and I expect to announce the Welsh Government’s policy by the end of the year.” The Welsh Government Onshore Petroleum Licensing web page launched on 1st October.

Scam Attempts - Please be Vigilant and pass information on to others Dear Watch Member,

We have been made aware of a number of scams, which we would like to advise residents of. These include:

Flintshire residents have been receiving telephone calls from persons claiming to be from HMRC (HM Customs and Revenue). The calls are automated and state that there is a ‘lawsuit’ against them and that they owe money. The calls also claim that there is an ‘arrest warrant’ for the resident. The message asks the resident to press 1 to speak with their ‘case worker’. We would like to remind residents that this is a scam. It is an attempt to steal money from you. HMRC would never contact you in this way. Please click on the link below for more information https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/alert/alert-fraudsters-claiming-to-be-from- hmrc

Wrexham Trading Standards have been made aware of a potential scam involving someone agreeing to purchase a vehicle advertised for sale on Ebay. The purchaser asks for you to pay a courier who will collect the vehicle and you will be reimbursed via paypal. An email is received from paypal confirming this payment. The courier may not exist and the paypal email may be a fake. Advice from Trading Standards is to never pay any money to anyone for something you are selling.

To help prevent others being a victim of these scam attempts please pass this information onto those who do not have access to these OWL alerts. Where possible, please encourage them to register for the OWL alerts directly.

If you need to reply regarding this message, click on this email address: [email protected]

Regards, OWL Cymru OWL Cymru Neighbourhood Watch Email: [email protected] Tel: 01352 708118

Police Contact Advice: Telephone 999 in an emergency where there is a danger to life or a crime is in progress. Telephone 101 for non-emergencies where police attendance is required, to report a crime or to report any other incidents. Calls to 101 have a fixed cost of 15p per call. If you are calling about the above, please tell us that you are responding to a message from OWL.

This was sent in by Ruabon Neighbourhood Watch Member: Yve Evans

This information was taken from Facebook Ruabon Neighbourhood Watch

Ruabon LibrarY

Books AND Far, Far More National Libraries week falls between 8th to 12th October when the library service will be

There are plans for Ruabon Library to hold a month long exhibit along the theme of ‘Health and Well-Being’

The EXHIBITION AREA AT RUABON LIBRARY IS FREE TO BOOK. IF YOU ARE AN ARTIST OR WISH TO PROMOTE A GROUP; AN INTEREST; OR JUST AN IDEA, PLEASE CONTACT A MEMBER OF STAFF FOR MORE DETAILS DURING OPENING TIMES TO OUT WHICH MONTHS ARE STILL AVAILABLE DURING 2018/2019. ** Normal opening times are: Monday-10am-6pm; Tuesday- 2-5pm; Wednesday-2-5pm; Thursday-2-5pm; Friday-10am –6pm. ** For information on all sessions, please telephone to speak to a member of staff, when the library is open, on 01978 822002, or email: [email protected]. ** Ongoing book and DVD sales of discontinued material at RUABON library: – BIG PRICE REDUCTIONS: Hardbacks £1; Paperbacks 50p and DVDs 50p

RUABON LIBRARY IS TO START A POETRY WALL. CUSTOMERS/VISITORS ARE ENCOURAGED TO ADD THEIR FAVOURITE POET OR POEM, WHETHER IT BE THE WHOLE THING OR JUST THE TITLE; OR A POEM OF THEIR OWN CREATION. WE HOPE THIS WILL BE AN ONGOING PROJECT. ** Do you enjoy playing Scrabble? The Scrabble Club takes place on the 3rd Wednesday of each month ** For those who enjoy doing Jig-Saw Puzzles, there is usually one ‘on the go’ for you to either put in a couple of pieces or finish it off altogether!

The Reading Group (Ruabon Readers) meet on the first Wednesday of the month. Members are currently reading “The Gustav Sonata by Rose Tremain” New members are always welcome but need to contact a member of staff to ensure copies of the appropriate book are available. ** On Mondays: The Welsh Group meets between 2-3pm. Family board games between 3-4pm On Tuesdays: Story Time at 2.15pm for 0-3yrs On Wednesdays: Groundwork Energy Advice at 2.15pm. : 2.30-2.45pm Songs and Rhymes : 3.30-4.30pm Paws to Read

Meets on a Thursday from 3-4pm. This activity is for 4-10yrs. 50p charge.

** The Knit and Natter Group meets regularly once a week on Fridays between 2.15-3.15pm and they always welcome new members. ** Also on a Friday, a computer „Drop-in Service‟ is available between 4 and 5pm.

Ruabon Churches’ News

St Mary’s Shared Church – General Information:

For Children:

Toddler Praise for pre-school children on Tuesday mornings in the church hall from 10.30am to 12 noon

Messy Church and Holiday Club please check website for details. Youth Group is on Sunday evenings 5pm-6.30pm. All Age Worship: The 1st Sunday in the month is a Family Communion Service at 9.30am. On the 2nd and 4th Sundays of the month there is the JIGSAW service: informal worship for all ages. ** The Church Hall is open to all on the 1st Saturday of the month for coffee from 10am to 12noon. ** The Choir practices on Tuesday evenings in the Church Hall at 7.15pm and sings at the 9.30am service every Sunday. **

The Bell Ringers practice weekly and ring for weddings when requested. Details from Gordon Richardson: [email protected] phone: 07970 140004. ** To hire the Church Hall please contact: Janet Roberts 01978 810039/email [email protected] ** For wedding or baptism enquiries please contact: The Rev‟d Kate Tiltman, The Vicarage, Church Street, , LL14 3EA. Phone: 01978 824087, [email protected] / www.stmarysruabon.org.uk. St Mary‟s Church; St John‟s Church and St Mary‟s Youth Group also have a facebook page. ** St John‟s has a website www.stjohnsrhosymedre.org.uk ** For Catholic weddings, baptisms and confessions in Ruabon, and Llangollen: Rev‟d Fr. Anthony Nnamah MSP email: [email protected]. Ruabon and district Church Services At St Mary‟s Church on Tuesday 16th October at 10.30am:Toddler Group

On Sunday 21st October at 8am: Holy Communion; at 9.30am: Morning Prayer, and at 4pm: Pizza Church ** The Catholic Church‟s celebration of the Eucharist at St Mary‟s shared Church in Ruabon, will take place on Sunday at 11am. ** At Ruabon Methodist Church On Sunday 21st October at 10.30am, The Rev‟d Marian J Jones will lead the congregation.

** At Ruabon Congregational Church (The Chapel on the Hill) on Sunday 21st October at 11am, David Becker Jones will take the service

** At All Saints‟ Church, Penylan on Sunday 21st October at 11am: a service of Morning Prayer. ** At St John‟s Church, Rhosymedre on Wednesday 17th October at 10am, a service of Morning Prayer and at 11.30am: The Funeral of Hazel Evans. On Sunday 21st October at 11am, Holy Communion.

** CHURCH NEWS:  The next meeting of 'Time well spent' will start on Friday 19th October. Coffee and chat from 11am, a cooked lunch and relax with friends. The planning meeting will be on Monday 15th October at 2.30pm.  The next Fish and Chips and Bingo at St John’s Church is on Tuesday 9th October at 12.30pm. Please let Beulah or the Vicar know if you wish to attend, all are welcome.  The next Fellowship group is in St Mary’s on Wednesday October 17th, 12.30-1.30pm. All welcome to explore a different passage from the bible each week.  The next Pizza Church will be on Sunday 21st October at 4pm. This is an informal session of worship and discussion in the church hall. Any and all ages are welcome to come and eat pizza and to explore their faith.

male voice choir are holding a concert at All Saints’ on Sunday October 28th at 7pm. Tickets will be available at the door but please let us know in advance if you would like to come as we will be serving light refreshments during the interval and we want to have enough! Tickets are £12.50 which include a glass of wine and refreshments.  Christmas Cards. This year the Church Committee at St Mary’s are asking that, instead of buying large numbers of cards for the congregation, you sign the large card that will be at the back of church. Any money saved we ask you to donate to the church. Thank you.  If you know of anybody who needs a mobility scooter I know of one on offer to a good home. Please see the vicar for details.  LyCiG Taster Day: Saturday 3rd November 10am – 3.30pm at The Pavilion, Llangollen An opportunity for those unable to attend the full Leading your Church into Growth course to be inspired and hear some of the main teaching points.  St Asaph Diocesan LyCiG Course: Friday 8th March 2019 – Sunday 10th March 2019 at The Hayes Conference Centre, Swanwick, Nr Derby For almost 25 years the Leading your Church into Growth team have been serving the local church across the UK. Their vision is to encourage and equip churches to grow both numerically and spiritually. Spend three days focusing on simple techniques anyone can use to grow their church. ** „What‟s On‟ in and around Wrexham: This information has recently been updated, and is now available. Where there are no contact details or for more information on the following items: please contact: 01978 292000. Room Hire Are you struggling to find a venue for your meeting? Wrexham Library has two rooms which they can hire out to members of the public at a reasonable rate. There is a small meeting room which holds a maximum of eight people and a larger meeting room which will hold up to 25 people. The large room also has a projector and screen for presentation use plus access to eight networked computers. Charges are based on the number of sessions booked, for example, morning, afternoon or evening. If you would like to hire one of these rooms please call the library on 01978 292090. School Visits Did you know Wrexham Libraries are happy to welcome all schools from nursery, infants, junior, and secondary for a school visit to any one of their local libraries? This service is offered free of charge, all you need do is either contact the local library of your choice or contact Wrexham library on 01978 292060

The schools on-line admissions service for Secondary school places for entry in 2019 is now open. Please apply using the On-line Admissions Service @ www.wrexham.gov.uk The closing date for Secondary School is 9 November 2018 "Famous People of Wrexham" (18/10/2018) The Wrexham Area Civic Society is presenting a talk entitled "FAMOUS PEOPLE OF WREXHAM", to be given by Joy Thomas. The meeting will take place at Tŷ AVOW, 21 Egerton Street, Wrexham from 7.00pm to about 9.00pm. All are welcome, admission is free. The Society will be pleased to welcome you. For more information about the activities of the society please come to the meeting, or visit www.facebook.com/wrexhamcivic. Darganfod // Discover (26/10/2018) A weekend of scientific discovery is coming to Wrexham. A weekend filled with lectures, performances, demonstrations and hands-on activities celebrating the wonders of science. DARGANFOD//DISCOVER will take place at venues across Wrexham town centre from Friday 26th to Sunday 28th October. With a mixture of morning, afternoon, evening and late-night events, it aims to offer something for everyone, from children and families to amateurs and experts with interests in all aspects of the sciences. The event, kindly sponsored by Wockhardt UK, is being organised by the volunteers of the British Science Association - North Wales Branch alongside delivery partners Techniquest Glyndŵr, Tŷ Pawb, Undegun, Wrexham Glyndŵr University and the Town Sq Wrexham Enterprise Hub. Meditation Mondays (22/10/2018) Meditation Mondays 6pm-7pm at Creuynni Complementary Healthcare Starting the week with a fresh perspective. Meditation Mondays is a weekly meditation practice together in a small group. A collective of meditations that are guided, this is suitable for all ages and experiences of meditation, beginner, medium and advanced. To confirm booking, please contact Creuynni Complementary Healthcare facebook page and/or Whatsapp/Signal 07472266952 Suggested donation is £5 or more. Booking essential, otherwise numbers are first come first served, pre-payment secures place on night. You might like to bring a notepad and pencil, to jot down, to write, to draw any insights, images, feelings that may come from the meditation. If you prefer to sit on the floor, you might like to bring a cushion or mat. For more information: https://www.meetup.com/Meditation-Meetups- Wrexham/events/wrsghqyxnbtb/ ** If you know of anyone who would like to receive the Ruabon News Letter each week by email (free of charge). Please contact: [email protected]. ** This News Letter is only as good as the items received for publication. Please keep sending in your news and thank you. Sybil Bremner.