GWYNEDD COUNCIL DO IT ONLINE SAFE, QUICK, EASY TO USE WASTE & RECYCLING Order new food recycling bags, make an enquiry, report and track a problem SCHOOLS Easy to set up and make primary school dinner payments at any time LEISURE CENTRES Check availability and book online at any time Gwynedd Council services online www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/myaccount safe, quick, easy to use For more information about Gwynedd Council online services and the chance to WIN A BRAND NEW iPAD see inside Newyddion inside GWYNEDD COUNCIL DO IT ONLINE SAFE, QUICK, EASY TO USE At your service 24/7 More and more Gwynedd people are As part of this change, you can now access harnessing the power of the internet to a growing range of easy to use Gwynedd make their busy lives that little bit easier. Council services at any time - night or day. No more phone calls or visits to the Council offices during office hours, no more filling paper forms, simply contact us online safely, securely and speedily by visiting: www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/myaccount Paying for school dinners just got easier For decades it’s been the same story in homes across the country, parents frantically rooting around the house on a school day morning to find the right change to pay for school dinners. But thanks to the Council’s new Do It Online service, life As well as paying for school dinners, a number of Gwynedd’s just got that little bit easier for Gwynedd parents. If your schools are also looking to use the new Do It Online child attends a primary school in Gwynedd, you can now service to allow families to pay for school trips and musical wave goodbye to the stressful weekly dinner money ritual instrument lessons. Ask your school about the extra options - no more little envelopes, no more kids forgetting to hand- you can use on the system. in dinner money, no more unopened envelopes left in the bottom of the school bag. Caroline with her son Jac With the tap of a screen or a click of a mouse parents can now pay online - it’s safe, secure and easy to use any time that suits you. Caroline Simone, from Dyffryn Ogwen who is a mother to three says that the change will make the morning routine to get to school so much easier. “I’m sure that the online system will take all the stress out of the process,” said Caroline. “You can do it when it’s convenient for you and it means you don’t have to root around to find the right change. “Scrambling about to find the correct money for school dinners used to be one of my pet hates, but the new system means you can pay for the week in no time. “The online system means I can track what I’ve paid and make the payment whenever suits me, and once I opened the Gwynedd Council account I found that I could use it for loads of other Council services.” What’s available online? The list of Gwynedd Council online services is growing every month. By now, the safe, secure and easy to use services you can access online at any time include… Rubbish and recycling Planning • Order rubbish / recycling equipment (new blue box etc) • See all planning applications in your area • Request a one-off bulky waste collection • Submit planning inquiries • Pay your annual garden waste collection fee • Report a missed rubbish collection Other council essentials • Make an enquiry or a complaint • Pay your Council Tax • See Council job vacancies & Primary schools make an application • School Dinner payments • Request a Pest Control service • School Trips • And many many more... • Musical Instrument lessons • Swimming lessons Leisure centres • Book a fitness session • Check availability for a fitness session A simple click to keep fit If you’re a member paying by Direct Debit or have a yearly ticket, you can now book a workout session at your local Gwynedd leisure centre with the tap of a screen or click of a mouse. No more phone calls during opening hours only, no more queuing at reception to book a keep-fit, zumba or yoga session. Using the new self-service option on the Council website, you can book a class or session anytime and from anywhere safely, securely, easily and when it suits you. Simply check that there’s room in the fitness class on your smart phone, tablet, laptop or PC and book your session using the secure service. The new hassle-free online service is something one regular user at the Dwyfor Leisure Centre is delighted to see introduced. Non Mererid Jones from Llwynhudol visits the leisure centre in nearby Pwllheli on a regular basis. “I visit the centre almost every day, so the leisure services on offer are important to me,” explained Non. “The staff at the leisure centre are fantastic and provide a wonderful service, but you don’t always remember to book a session in advance at the centre or over the phone. Non Mererid Jones from Llwynhudol “These days, people are so used to ordering their shopping on their phone or doing their banking online. Being able to book online in advance any time of the day or night or to see if there’s a space in a session will be so convenient.” DO IT ONLINE THREE EASY WAYS TO GET YOU STArtED 1.AT HOME 2.ON THE MOVE Visit: Visit: www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/myaccount www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/myaccount and follow the instructions to set up on you smart phone or tablet and follow your account the instructions to set up your account 3.WITH OUR HELP Visit Siop Gwynedd or one of our Digital Gwynedd drop in sessions if you need help or advice to set up your account: Caernarfon Library: Caffi Mynydd Llandygai: Neuadd Friog: 10am - 12:30pm every 10am - 12pm on 10:30am - 12:30pm every Monday in November Saturday, 25 November Thursday in November Pwllheli Library: Criccieth Library: Canolfan Tan y Maen, 1:30pm - 3:30pm every 10am - 12pm every Blaenau Ffestiniog: Monday in November Thursday in November 10am - 12pm every Porthmadog Library: Friday in November Bala Library: 2pm - 4pm every 2pm - 4pm every Monday in November Thursday in November FOR THE CHANCE TO WIN AN iPAD Simply visit www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/myaccount and set up your account before 31 January 2018. Don’t worry if you’ve already opened a Gwynedd Council online account, just log-in before 31 January and you will be automatically entered into the draw. GWYNEDD COUNCIL DO IT ONLINE SAFE, QUICK, EASY TO USE NEWYDDION Gwynedd Council News Autumn 2017 Issue 51 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru 01766 771000 @cyngorgwynedd cyngorgwyneddcouncil Major investment in schools Over recent months, school pupils in communities across Gwynedd have been making the most of new educational facilities. As part of the work of establishing a new area school in the Dolgellau area, £4 million has been invested in upgrading several sites in the catchment area of Ysgol Bro Idris which officially opened in September. Over £5 million has been invested in providing a new home for Ysgol Glancegin in Bangor. The modern new building is already proving popular with pupils. “I’m delighted that we have been able to deliver major improvements to school buildings across the county over recent years,” said Cabinet Member for Education, Councillor Gareth Thomas. “With work now completed on the new home for Ysgol Glancegin and at a number of sites at Ysgol Bro Idris, it’s fantastic to see that the pupils are making the most of the new educational facilities on-offer.” Both projects have been funded by the Council and the Welsh Government’s 21st Century Schools Programme. l Ysgol Glancegin pupils are making the most of the new school building Turn to page 3 for more details Littering clamp-down begins In this edition… In response to a clear message from local people, Gwynedd Council is launching a new county-wide initiative to tackle litter bugs and irresponsible dog owners. From January, the Council will be working with a private company to fine the small minority who litter pavements, paths and parks or who stubbornly refuse to clean up after their pets. l “Whilst annual national research carried Garden Waste Collection - Page 6 out by Keep Wales Tidy shows that street cleanliness in Gwynedd is good, time and time again local people, businesses and visitors have told us in surveys and A glossary of key words consultations that they want us to get tough used on the Welsh side of with people who drop litter and refuse to this paper can be found at clean up after their dogs,” said Gwynedd’s www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/ Highways and Municipal Cabinet Member, news If you are reading Councillor Gareth Wyn Griffith. l Eoin Henney and James Rowlands from Kingdom with Cabinet Member Newyddion online, you can Councillor Gareth Griffith and Peter Simpson, the Council’s Streetscene Manager get quick translations of key words (highlighted in yellow) by clicking on “As a Council we have listened carefully to the word itself. what people have said and we are taking During the 12-month trial that gets arrangements are already in place across a action to build on our existing zero tolerance underway in January, the Council will number of north Wales councils. approach. address local concerns by joining forces If you would like Newyddion Gwynedd with a private environmental enforcement on mp3 or in another language or “The responsible majority of people who bin contractor Kingdom, who will bring in Members of the public who want to format, please phone 01766 771000.