Phase 1 Gathering Information About the Things That Matter to Local People and Ways to Address Them to Feed Into Wrexham’S Draft Well-Being Assessment

‘The Wrexham We Want’ – Phase 1 Gathering information about the things that matter to local people and ways to address them to feed into Wrexham’s Draft Well-Being Assessment

Effectively involving people and communities is at the heart of improving well-being now and in the future. Therefore, we have taken an ‘engagement led’ approach to producing our well-being assessment, which has enabled a rich understanding of local priorities and the options for addressing them.

Phase one – gathering evidence to feed into the draft assessment, was carried out during September and October 2016. A variety of consultation methods were used to ensure the engagement was effective, meaningful, and involved a diverse range of people interested in achieving the well-being goals in Wrexham, including people with protected characterisitcs.

 A ‘The Wrexham We Want’ webpage was set up on the PSB website and online consultation hub, ‘Your Voice Wrexham’, to provide accessible information about the Act, and explain how people could get involved and share their views on the Wrexham they want for future generations.  The engagement programme was widely promoted across PSB partner websites and buildings, via social media, through online and printed press, and where appropriate direct mail to key consultees and consultation groups.  A single survey question was used asking ‘What do you want Wrexham to be?’ – ‘I want a Wrexham where…’ to pull people into the consultation, and gather aspirations from people who don’t wish to take part in more detailed consultation.  A detailed online and paper based survey was used to find out: how well we are perceived to be performing against the Act’s seven well-being goals and five ways of working; what people’s future aspirations are for Wrexham; what they think PSB partners need to do to make them a reality; and what they and their community can contribute to make them a reality. The survey also explored what the term community means to people and which communities they feel they belong to.  Market stall events in the town centre, to gather views from the general public.  A series of focus groups for people with protected characteristics and seldom heard groups.  A professional stakeholders workshop for PSB partners, trade unions, voluntary organisations, private sector businesses, and Town and Community Councils.  An All Member Workshop for Wrexham County Borough Councillors  A young people’s participatory project designed by the Senedd yr Ifanc (Wrexham Youth Parliament) was carried out to consult with young people.

The consultation received over 1240 responses in total. The results of this phase are summarised on the following pages of this report. These findings have been woven in throughout Wrexham’s Well-Being Assessment under the heading ‘What you have told us’, to ensure a balanced and rounded assessment which reflects the things that matter to local people to improve well-being. Section 1 – Well-Being Goals

Respondents were asked to say how strongly they agree that Wrexham is a place that reflects each of the well-being goals set out in the Well-Being of Future Generations Action (Wales), on a scale 1 to 10, where 1 is Strongly Disagree and 10 is Strongly Agree.

Globally Responsible - Where when we do things to improve Wrexham, we think about the impact on other people around the 3.89 world

Prosperous - Where there is a strong economy, everyone has jobs 4.09 and there is no poverty

Healthier - Where peoples’ physical and mental well-being is 4.09 looked after and everyone is healthy

Thriving Welsh Language - Where Welsh heritage is promoted 4.36 and protected, and lots of people can speak Welsh

Cohesive Communities - Where communities are attractive, safe 4.41 and well-connected and people live happily together

More Equal - Where everyone has an equal chance whatever 4.65 their background or circumstances

Resilient - Where we look after the natural environment and are 5.17 prepared for environmental changes like floods

Vibrant Culture - Where there are lots of opportunities to take part 5.35 in different things

1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 5.00 6.00 7.00 8.00 9.00 10.00

Section 2 – Ways of Working

Respondents were asked to say how strongly they agree that Wrexham public services practice each of the ways of working set out in the Well-Being of Future Generations Act (Wales), on a scale 1 to 10, where 1 is Strongly Disagree and 10 is Strongly Agree.

Prevention - Prevent problems happening in the first place 3.65

Involvement - Involve people in making decisions 3.99

Long Term - Think about the long-term 4.01

Integration and Collaboration - Work well together and with 4.08 others

1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 5.00 6.00 7.00 8.00 9.00 10.00

Section 3 – Future Aspirations

Respondents were asked ‘What would make Wrexham a better place for future generations?’. Overall 44 ‘future aspiration themes’ were identified across all the responses received. Those themes that came out as top priorities overall were:

Section 4 – Making Aspirations a Reality: Barriers and Solutions

For each aspiration respondents were asked about:  Barriers - ‘What do you think might stop, or get in the way of, this happening?, and;  Solutions - ‘What do you think public services, and other organisations, need to do to help make this happen?’ and ‘What do you think you, and the people in your community, could do to help make this happen?’

The following table lists the barriers and solutions that were identified for all 44 aspiration themes. The far right column also identifies where particular groups that were consulted with raised an aspiration as a key issue for them.

Aspiration Themes Count Barriers PSB Solutions Community Solutions Key groups Thriving town-centre - Poor planning - Reducing business - Continue to visit the - Physical Disability – (Regenerate town-centre, - Lack of vision and rates town and Shopmobility users reduce empty shops, innovation - Negotiating with shops/support - Informal carers group increase variety of shops, - Not listening to what landlords to reduce events - Portuguese improve layout and have a the public want rent/offer incentives - Get involved in community mixed economy) - Business rates being - Encouraging large improving the town - Health focus group – too high shops back into the centre Individuals and - Landlords not caring town-centre Friends of Ruabon shops are empty and - Turning Eagles - Stakeholder untidy Meadow into a workshop - Town image being leisure and - Wrexham County 218 deprived, depressed entertainment Borough Council and unattractive to complex rather than Members workshop businesses retail - Young people - No money and no - Working with local - Welsh Language public sector people and listening investment in the to their ideas to come town up with a long-term - People going to vision for the town neighbouring towns centre such as Chester and - Having more police Shrewsbury for a presence to make it better experience feel safer - Learning from other small towns such as Mold and Oswestry Tackle and reduce anti- - Lack of visible - Improving the - Report issues more - Informal carers group social behaviour policing in the town- balance between often - Wrexham VIVA (Including drink, drugs, centre supporting those with - Pay more Council LGBT+ begging and - Lack of resources to mental health/drug tax for more police - Young people homelessness) tackle the issues addictions and presence to help - Welsh Language - Not treating this as a meeting the needs of address this priority the general public - Other areas closing - More police presence 91 homeless shelters and more CCTV generating an influx of - Public organisations homeless people into working together to Wrexham tackle the anti-social behaviour issues - Providing support to those with mental health issues Listen to the wants and - Councillors having too - Extending decision - Get their voice heard - Alzheimer’s Society – needs of local people much power and making powers at every opportunity Dementia Friendly (Take into account the perceived negative beyond the Council’s - Vote at the elections Wrexham interests of whole County attitude Executive Board - Be more politically - BAWSO Borough, improve/change - Not providing enough - Improving political aware and hold - Stakeholder Councillors, politicians, opportunities for representation politicians to account workshop and political people to have their - Political parties - Young people structures/processes) say working more closely - Not listening to what together to benefit 77 people have to say the County as a which puts people off whole engaging again - Engaging more and - Difficulties reaching listening and acting seldom heard groups on people’s views and the - Funding for more representativeness of officers these groups - Lobbying national - Difficulties engaging Government people who don’t - A joined up approach want to engage to engagement across public organisations Make Wrexham - Lack of people and - More enforcement of - More individuals - Informal Carers attractive (Improve money to do this issues contributing to could do to take group appearance and - Not perceived to be a the appearance of responsibility - North Wales cleanliness) priority the town centre, such - Cleaning Regional Equality - Public disregard and as litter events/working Network – Minority motivation to make it - Pubs/landlords taking parties in the town Ethnic Elders better more responsibility and communities Advocacy for areas outside (supported by the - Welsh Language their premises Council) 62 - People doing community service/ involved with probation services/ unemployed helping - Increasing people’s sense of pride and responsibility for the area More things to do - There is not enough - Keeping facilities - People should - Informal carers group (Activities, events, money to provide such as libraries and volunteer more - Portuguese festivals, cultural activities more youth clubs open - Fundraise and community – and in particular for - Short-sighted - not - Public organisations contribute more - Wrexham VIVA children and young investing in activities supporting art and - Pay more Council LGBT+ people) for children and young culture tax to ensure - Health focus group – people - Existing facilities activities could take Individuals and 47 - Some members of the could be used to hold place Friends of Ruabon public have negative activities and ensure - Better support - Young people attitudes around they are well community activities - Welsh Language change/new things publicised - More positive - Lobbying the attitude towards new Government for more activities and events funding taking place Encourage community - Bureaucracy and - Learning from other - Volunteer more, help - Health focus group – spirit, empowerment legislation (e.g. health areas who have a out local people who Individuals and and a sense of pride and safety and people strong sense of need it (e.g. older Friends of Ruabon not knowing what community spirit people living in their - Stakeholder ‘allowed’ to do) - Providing information own homes) workshop - A feeling of general for communities on - Attend meetings to - Wrexham County apathy and lack of what they could do help develop and Borough Council 41 pride amongst people - Providing mentors deliver plans to Members workshop in Wrexham and champions in improve their areas - Welsh Language each community to - Find information, help – perhaps from help and support the PSB available to do this organisations or businesses Improve public - A lack of money to - Lobbying MPs/AMs - Use the public - Wrexham Over 50s transport (Accessibility, invest in improving for more funding transport when it forum availability and services - Private operators and was improved/ - Alzheimer’s Society – connections in and - The Council’s role in the Council working available Dementia Friendly outside Wrexham) ensuring that all areas more closely together - Attend public Wrexham of the borough are to ensure that no meeting and send - Visually Impaired connected communities are ‘cut petitions to operators Support Group off’ and the Council - Wrexham VIVA LGBT+ 41 - Health Focus group – Individuals and Friends of Ruabon - Stakeholder workshop - Wrexham County Borough Council Members Workshop - Young people - Welsh Language Improve education and - Low expectations of - Make education the - Better parenting, - Portuguese prospects Wrexham schools top priority campaign to LEA for community (Children and young - Lack of commitment, - Raise children and improvement - BAWSO people are the Future focus, long-term young people's - Support LEA - Wrexham VIVA Generation) planning and lack of aspirations improvement plans LGBT+ funding - Learn from other and projects - Stakeholder 34 - Too much focus on areas workshop Welsh Language - Accept the super- - Wrexham County school model doesn’t Borough Council work Members workshop - Young people - Welsh Language Improve car parking - Council/ private car - Revise car parking - Campaign for - Physical disability – (Cost, access, availability) park owners charges change/lower car Shopmobility users profiteering - Compare to other park charges towns and ensure - Visit town centre 32 competitive rates more - Encourage people - Use car parks more into the town centre - Revitalise the town centre More investment in - Lack of funding/ - All partners working - Have a say in - Wrexham Over 50s health services budget cuts together more consultations Forum (including social care, - Demand outstripping - Consult service users - Support health - Alzheimer’s Society – mental health and for supply on changes needed causes Dementia Friendly those in need) - Lack of shared long- - Provide good, Wrexham term vision accessible, - Health focus group – 30 - Over reliance on the appropriate services individuals and voluntary sector - Provide more friends of Ruabon preventative services - Wrexham County Borough Council Members workshop - Young people - Welsh Language A safe place - Informal carers 29 Barriers and Solutions not identified for this theme - Portuguese community - BAWSO - Wrexham VIVA LGBT+ - Welsh Language More jobs and better job - Poor economy - Attract new - Support people who - Portuguese prospects - Wrexham's reputation businesses and want to work community doesn’t attract employers to - Help improve the - Wrexham County business Wrexham image of Wrexham Borough Council - Lack of skills locally - Improve the town - Establish businesses Members workshop 29 - Lack of support for and encourage in Wrexham - Young people those looking for work people to the area - Welsh Language - Improve skills and employability - Better use of resources in this area An innovative and strategic Council that 29 Barriers and Solutions not identified for this theme puts citizens wants and needs first Preserve and invest in - Lack of consultation - Consult and involve - Get involved and - Wrexham VIVA parks, play areas and to find out what people in the give ideas for how to LGBT+ green spaces people want in parks development and use invest and improve - Welsh Language - Lack of facilities to of parks, play areas parks, play areas 28 cater for different and green spaces and green spaces ages - Lack of community pride Use empty shops for - New developments - Retain and - Support local shops something else outside town centre encourage - Promote the town to - High rents/rates businesses back to others - Private landlords the town centre - Help keep the town - Lack of money - Lower rates and clean and tidy - Poor town reputation rents - Get involved and - Poor planning - Involve and listen to give ideas decisions local people - Ensure Councillors 25 - Lack of vision for the - More innovative and public bodies town ideas to bring people take views on board to the town such as street festivals - Make the town clean and attractive - Better partnerships across public and private sector Return to market town - Lack of funding - Work together more - Get involved - Lack of vision - Involve and consult - Be supportive - Rates and rents people more - Organise events 24 - Have a long-term - Community pride vision and strategy - Improve transport to the town Support the homeless - Lack of funding - Holistic joined up - Support - Informal carers group and reduce - Homeless receiving support - Fundraise - Welsh Language homelessness negative press - More preventative - Volunteer - Lack of preventative services - Campaign 24 services - More targeted policing - Acknowledge problem and make it a priority Develop, embrace and - Funding - Work together more - Share ideas - Welsh Language promote Welsh - Lack of drive and - Draw in more funding - Encourage people to 23 language, culture and motivation to support Welsh embrace their Welsh heritage - Lack of imagination culture heritage Reduce business rates - Greed - Reduce rents and - Visit the town more - Informal carers group and rents - Increasing rates and rates - Wrexham County rents - Improve bus services Borough Council 23 - Other nearby towns to town centre Members Workshop more popular - Listen to the public - Encourage people into the town Preserve local heritage - The Council - Listen to local people - Lobby and buildings - Planning - Look how others do - Campaign preserve local - Have your say 22 buildings heritage - Highlight characterful buildings in the town More visible policing - Lack of money - More joined up work - Report crimes and - North Wales - Lack of resources between all partners anti-social behaviour Regional Equality - Cutbacks from Welsh - More vigilance - Commit less crime Network – Minority Government - Make policing the - Support additional Ethnic Elders 21 - Lack of long-term number one priority funding for policing Advocacy thinking - Resist cutbacks/ - Lobby politicians - Health Focus Group - Too much paperwork ensure funding – Individuals and Friends of Ruabon - Welsh Language Attract more businesses - Welsh Government, - Promote Wrexham - Look after the local - Portuguese the Council as a place environment community - Poor town image - Clean up the area - Be skilled employees - North Wales - Rates and rents and make it attractive - Open local Regional Equality - Economic downturn - Provide grants to businesses Network – Minority businesses Ethnic Elders 19 - Reduce business Advocacy rates - Stakeholder - Strong public/private workshop sector partnership - Welsh Language - Pull in funding from Welsh Government Better recycling opportunities / waste 18 Barriers and Solutions not identified for this theme management Better promotion of the - Lack of funding - More funding - Stop complaining - Welsh Language town and surrounding - Lack of commitment - More publicity - Be part of the areas - Not listening to the - Capitalise on being solution 17 public the North Wales - Support local events, capital parks, beauty spots - Work together Better cycle paths and - Lack of funding, - Work together - Drive less, walk and - Stakeholder pedestrian routes vision, ambition in this - Give more cycle more workshop area responsibility to the - Create interest community groups - Put health and well- - Create community being higher up the groups agenda 17 - Enforce traffic laws and discourage car use - Invest in greener transport - Improve cycle infrastructure Improve the availability - Local health board - Attract health care - Select and access - Wrexham Over 50s and accessibility of - GPs professionals to the correct services Forum health care - A & E area - Respect and - Health focus group – - Money - Reduce waiting time appreciate services Individuals and - Have more flexible Friends of Ruabon 16 opening hours - Wrexham County - Lobby Welsh Borough Council Government for Members workshop support - Young people - Welsh Language Everyone has equal opportunities to thrive 13 Barriers and Solutions not identified for this theme Improve community - Prejudice - Be more inclusive - Be more inclusive - Portuguese cohesion and promote - Discrimination community diversity 13 - BAWSO - Wrexham VIVA LGBT+ Better roads / - Lack of investment - Review traffic - Make voices heard streetlights / verges etc - Poor planning management - Report problems - Lack of funding - Better planning 12 - More funding - Prioritise busiest areas There is more housing - - Lack of vision - Better partnerships and it is affordable - Lack of funding between public, - Prioritisation process private and third 11 sector - Put pressure on Welsh Government to help More investment in / - Central Government - Prioritise essential - Lobby government - Wrexham Over 50s across public services - Lack of money services Forum - More investment - Informal carers group - North Wales Regional Equality Network – Minority Ethnic Elders 8 Advocacy - Visually impaired support group - Health focus group – Individuals and friends of Ruabon - Stakeholder workshop Praise for the Council 8 Barriers and Solutions not identified for this theme Health - prevention and more activities / 7 Barriers and Solutions not identified for this theme opportunities to be healthy Environmentally friendly - Stakeholder 6 Barriers and Solutions not identified for this theme workshop - Welsh Language Improve strategy for - Money - Prioritise - Lobby change - Council/Councillors - Vision - Campaign 6 - Politicians/Welsh - Plan - Get involved Government/Central - Involve - Have a say Government - Invest - Support initiatives Consider Wrexham - Town centric - More independent - Be more engaged in County as a whole - Councillors focus on Councillors local politics (Not just town-centre and their own wards - Dedicated out of - Pull together and deprived areas) town representatives campaign over local 5 - Spread money and issues facilities equally - Get involved and across all areas support local community initiatives and facilities No poverty 5 Barriers and Solutions not identified for this theme Less HMOs 4 Barriers and Solutions not identified for this theme There is adequate fire - Portuguese and rescue services 4 Barriers and Solutions not identified for this theme community Encourage and support - Tendering processes - Support third sector - Volunteer - Stakeholder Third sector more workshop - More partnership - North Wales 3 working Regional Equality Network – Minority Ethnic Elders Advocacy Help Wrexham AFC 2 Barriers and Solutions not identified for this theme More integrated working - Different agendas, - Adopt common - Be involved in the - Informal Carers between public services practices, targets approach community to help Group - Work together for a relieve pressures on - BAWSO better Wrexham public services - North Wales 2 Regional Equality network – Minority Ethnic Elders Advocacy - Health focus group – Individuals and Friends of Ruabon - Stakeholder workshop - Welsh Language Should be more dog 2 Barriers and Solutions not identified for this theme friendly Other (single / unclear answers) 96 Barriers and Solutions not identified for this theme

Section 5 – Protected Groups

A series of focus groups were held for people with protected characteristics and seldom heard groups to ensure we involved the diverse range of people interested in achieving the well-being goals in Wrexham. The following table lists the aspirations, barriers and solutions identified by each of these groups:

Group/Workshop Aspirations Barriers PSB Solutions Community Solutions Wrexham Over 50s - Better support/social care - Funding/budget cuts - Organisations should - People and communities Forum (12 attendees) for those in need - more - Not listening to residents listen more and be more should be more active, support services and views transparent volunteer, lobby, feedback, activities, especially for - Digital exclusion - Encourage more people be open to new ideas and those with mobility issues - Lack of communication to volunteer try more to involve - Improved public transport across public services and - Allow their employees to everyone (especially young to rural areas with the public participate in community people) in community - More respite to relieve projects during work events and plans

carers hours

- Adequate emergency

services Physical disability – - Town-centre –more shops - The Council - Organisations could - Individuals need to make Shopmobility users that are easily accessible - The high business rates provide more bus their views known more (9 attendees) from the Shopmobility and rents on shops services and be allowed to speak at centre location - Make it easier to get bus Council meetings

- More disabled parking is passes/blue badges needed Informal carers - The town-centre - Short-sightedness by the - The Council should think - Communities/individuals group appearance and lack of Council longer-term should get involved more (6 attendees) shops needs to be - Lack of funding - Public services and - Help the third sector be improved - Rents being too high on organisations should more involved - More things for families to shops work better together and - Help to change people’s do involve communities perceptions of - Less crime homelessness - More opportunities for the homeless - A better public sector infrastructure Portuguese - More jobs need to be - Impact of Brexit on - Organisations make sure - Individuals and community available immigrants’ future and they treat and support communities should join (60 attendees) - Supporting young people especially an increase in people equally up, support, cooperate and to access jobs racism and hate crime. - Do more to create more help each other more - Having information and - Lack of tolerance of other jobs - People should be more support available to set up people - Offer better support for tolerant and understanding businesses working parents - Having more shops and - Have better translation them being open later facilities available - More things to do – - Information in a variety of especially in the evenings languages on public - Language - not much services information translated into Portuguese and more accessible and frequent English lessons - Everyone should have equal opportunities to thrive and migrants should not be discriminated against - More support to firefighters - More stadiums - More arts schools Alzheimer’s Society - People should be more - Organisations should – Dementia Friendly aware of dementia as this improve signposting and Wrexham would enable people to signage (particularly in (5 attendees) help and treat people with the town-centre) this illness in the right way - Ensure transport services - Public transport - villages / are dementia aware rural areas should not be - Facilitate dementia isolated training for staff who work - More support / respite in public organisations, should be available for shops and restaurants. carers - Health professionals need to be more aware of memory loss issues when working with people with dementia BAWSO - Eradicate discrimination, - Brexit - Organisations should - Individuals and (18 attendees) harassment and racism, - Discrimination work more in partnership communities should particularly in schools. - Language issues - The needs of BME encourage each other to - Everyone should be people should be more be more involved and be treated the same and have recognised in policies more active and involved equal opportunities to - Training for staff on themselves thrive regardless of their attitudes/ behaviours and ethnic origin cultural differences - Children in schools should be provided receiving support North Wales Deaf - Deaf awareness - Lack of information - Organisations should - Deaf community work Association - British Sign Language - Groups working in isolation invest more money (e.g. together, share ideas and (5 attendees) (BSL) to be more visible - Money for training and to teach support each other - More information available children in schools BSL) to them in their own - Have greater deaf language or interpreters awareness for public organisations North Wales - Keeping the environment - Budget cuts/lack of funding - More joined up work with - People should be more Regional Equality clean and tidy - Public attitudes third sector organisations community minded Network – Minority - New local businesses - Unhealthy behaviours - Engage more with - They could set up Ethnic Elders should be supported - Lack of respect communities neighbourhood watch Advocacy - More police presence - Lack of police - Frontline staff should ask schemes (30 attendees) if people need translation - Unemployed people should do voluntary work Visually impaired - Being able to go out alone - Services are not joined up - Organisations should - Communities could look support group to socialise / work - Limited access to health- provide more local after a network of public (15 attendees) - Better availability of public care facilities (e.g. health toilets transport and public - Lack of funding services) - Use community facilities facilities - People are not treated as - Provide better/more more in order to sustain - Awareness-raising of the individuals accessible information on them needs of visually impaired public transport - Run more befriending people - Do more to understand schemes the range of support needs Wrexham VIVA - Bigots - Schools need to deal with - Young people have a part LGBT+ (8 - Money bullying properly to play in educating each - More things to do for young attendees) - Religion - Better support for other - they could be peer people - especially in the - Ideology transgender young educators/mentors evenings, as without it - People not understanding people, young people tend to ‘get the need to change / not - More awareness from into trouble’ wanting to change health professionals of - Safe activities/space for how to support them young people - especially - More Child and at night and in particular for Adolescent Mental Health young LGBT people Services (CAMHS) - Awareness in schools of available LGBT issues - All organisations should - Public transport needs to ‘chip in’ to pay for youth be cheaper centres to prevent young - There needs to be better people being involved in employment opportunities anti-social behaviour and

crime and therefore save money in the long-run Health focus group – - More community work and - Too much housing planned - More funding is required - A collective community is Individuals and projects for the infrastructure to - Better planning is needed needed Friends of Ruabon - More visible support this - Public services should - Community Councils could (7 attendees) policing/PCSOs. Better - Health service costly and communicate more with join up with each other to public transport wasted money through each other do this - More things to do misdiagnosis and free - Organisations should only - Contact the local - Health services outside prescriptions consult if they are going newspaper to raise issues normal working hours - Shops were not in the to act on and respond to - Keep the volunteer-run - More local shops in the town-centre the queries local newsletter going town-centre Welsh Language - Accessible Welsh - Lack of money - Stop changing targets - Volunteering Focus Group language education for all - Poverty - Look at the reasons why - Standing as councillors (9 attendees) ages - Lack of long term planning things aren’t working (AMs MPs) - Childcare available through based on demand - More freedom to plan - Looking after the medium of Welsh - Lack of planning around budgets locally - Bilingual Services individuals - More money going to the environment (e.g. litter - Bilingual signs – Welsh first - Lack of cooperation right place picking groups) - Local businesses and between services - Improved partnership - Starting local businesses companies promote - Competing priorities working between public - Use of social media to ‘Welshness’ - Lack of preventative bodies promote collaboration - Live life through the services - Public bodies pooling - Develop communities that medium of Welsh - Lack of Welsh Language budgets and planning look out for each other - Wrexham a prominent support for learners and over the long-term town in North Wales and children - Employers and education - Create communities that popular tourist destination - Lack of Welsh speakers work together to prepare utilise people’s skills to - S4C and others coming to applying for jobs people for work help others to learn Wrexham - Lack of public awareness - More apprenticeship - Comic Con – brings people - More large scale events of Welsh culture and opportunities into the town helping to - More shops and local language - Create exciting and raise its profile and boost businesses in the town - Lack of true meaning of attractive identity for the economy - Plenty of jobs bilingualism Wrexham - Good local transport - Welsh language not - Make Wrexham North - Community Councils (e.g. network mainstreamed Wales’s premier town needs fed to the Council - A safe place and - Bilingualism not the ‘norm’ who then share them with communities – sufficient - Lean towards the English other partners in order to police and reduced border rather than into plan and deliver) homelessness and drug Wales - Create a situation where use - Lack of awareness of - Equal access to best statutory requirements the community’s aims are health care - Negative town image heard by the Council - A healthy, green, tidy - Crime – punishment over - Take part in Council and environment encouragement other consultations - Pollution - Vote Stakeholder - Attracting more businesses - Overarching funding issue - Better coordination of workshop (33 - A thriving town-centre - No overarching strategy for activities across all attendees) - A sense of community and the area / public sectors – private, public, pride organisations third and communities Representatives from - Good quality education and - Not being aware of - Better coordination of Community Councils, opportunities for young conflicts or opportunities to funding / reduction in Trade Unions, Town- people when they leave better join things up grant limitations Centre Forum, school - Lack of time for - PSB to look at how to Wrexham Industrial - A cohesive provision of organisations to think and pool some resources to Estate Forum and services discover what others are do targeted work / Wrexham PSB - A focus on prevention / doing prevention / early early intervention - Difficulties of data sharing intervention / sustain - Engagement with across organisations successful short-term communities - Too influenced by PIs and projects - Green travel national targets - Better communication - Reducing the carbon - Encouraging local people with the public footprint to be active - Celebrate / promote what - Self-reliance – people - Consulting with people who we are good at and the taking responsibility for do not want to be benefits of the County themselves consulted with Borough - Integration and better - Engaging young people partnership working - Getting people to take responsibility for themselves and their communities - Austerity hitting poorest people the hardest - Demographics – aging population – less people contributing financially Wrexham County - Attract more businesses - Government policy / Welsh - Lobby Welsh - People to take personal Borough Council and create more Government detached from Government – longer- responsibility Members Workshop employment opportunities local opinion term funding - Volunteer (26 attendees) for local people Ensure that - Financial restraints – commitments / to be - Lobby Welsh Government training/courses were uncertainty of financial strategic and not interfere - Be community champions available to give people the settlement with local delivery - Share best practice right skills - Negative attitude of AMs - Develop Wrexham’s self- amongst communities / - Health services should be - Clash of each partner confidence Community Councils more accessible at a local organisations priorities - Give power to level for people and when - Town- centre shops owned communities / encourage villages expand the health by distant landlords / myth community ownership / provision should do so too the Council own them all enable local delivery and - Improving public transport - Business rates are too high action to be taken and ensuring all areas - Low wages paid - Deliver on the town- have connections to the - For jobs based at the centre masterplan town/hospital etc. industrial estate you need - Gain buy-in and - Good quality education a car to get to them commitment from private - A sense of community - Hard to retain quality sector to improve the - More and better housing Heads in schools town - A thriving town-centre - College admissions focus - Bring policy to stop the on academic qualifications dissolution of and not vocational communities - Not spending enough on health prevention - People expecting public services to do everything for them

Young people - An improved town centre, n/a n/a n/a (340 responses) with better facilities for young people - Education which teaches - Teaching standards and n/a young people more methods practical skills and financial education for their future - More job opportunities and - Limited funding to train for - Improving education will promotion of opportunities chosen career improve employment for those aged under 25, and better careers advice - Substance misuse, anti- and guidance in schools social behaviour, - Better security in bus - A bus station where they cleanliness station feel safe - More reliable and n/a affordable public transport - More events and facilities n/a n/a for young people within their communities - More awareness and n/a - Improved PSE teaching education about the in schools UNCRC n/a n/a - More involvement of young people in formal and informal decision making.

Section 6: Communities

Respondents were asked what the term ‘community’ means to them. The diagram below summaries the responses received:

A community is: A collective Where you of people live

It encompasses:

Coming together Helping, Being diverse, Being friendly, and getting supporting, inclusive, neighbourly, involved caring harmonious socialising

It has a purpose:

Sharing Sharing Improving common Sharing values and something interests common goals beliefs

The strongest themes that came across in respondents’ answers were ‘a collective of people’, ‘people coming together and getting involved’ and ‘the area close to where they live’. Some respondents also associated ‘Wrexham’ with the term community, but to a lesser extent. Interestingly ‘helping, supporting, caring and looking after one another’, ‘being diverse, inclusive, cohesive and harmonious’ and ‘being friendly, neighbourly and socialising and taking part in activities’ were cited as important facets of a community, along with ‘sharing common interests’, ‘sharing common goals’, ‘sharing similar values, and beliefs’ and ‘wanting to improve something’.

Respondents were also asked which communities they feel they belong to. This question also allowed an open answer. The strongest theme that came across in respondents answers was the ‘village’ where they lived and other nearby villages. A large number of respondents also felt they belonged to ‘Wrexham’ as a whole. On the other hand a smaller number of respondents felt more of a sense of community with their ‘immediate neighbourhood/neighbours’. It is important to note that a large number of respondents also said that they didn’t feel they belonged to any community, as they felt the sense of community has been lost. Interestingly some respondents also cited ‘work’ and ‘clubs and associations’ they are part of, as types of communities they feel they belong to.