Last week I took the opportunity to visit the Denbigh and Flint Show, which celebrates the best of North Wales farming and agriculture with livestock shows, horticulture talks and some great food from the region and live music. It was great to see the prize-winners and I also had the chance to catch up with North Wales Police at their stand and talk about cyber security, which can be a real issue for many older and more rural residents. I also dropped in to talk with representatives of the National Farmer’s Union Cymru and the Farmer’s Union of Wales, and I even had the chance to pour a pint at the Hafod Brewing Co bar – one of Flintshire’s success stories – and sample some of the delights at the Cariad Gin stall. It was so good to see so many Flintshire organisations represented at such a large event in North Wales.
Also last week I met with Carol Shillabeer, who was appointed the new permanent chief executive of Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) earlier this year, and it was interesting to hear her views on how the health board can move forward and deal with the challenges it has been facing in recent years. I’ve said before that our NHS is something which touches all our lives and matters so much to us – it’s literally a live-saving service for people in Flintshire – so it’s vitally important that BCUHB has a dynamic and positive leadership structure to help improve the way the NHS works across the whole of North Wales.
While out and about recently, I dropped in to Wrexham University to meet with Professor Joe Yates, the new Vice-Chancellor, in his first week in post. Professor Yates is a professor in criminology and social policy and has researched and published in the field of youth justice and he also backs the university’s approach to inclusion. The meeting was an opportunity to discuss the role the university can play in linking with other educational institutions across the area and the wider community as well as offering opportunities and supporting the economy of North East Wales.
It was also good to visit Mold Boxing Club to take a look at their facilities and to talk about what the organisation offers young people in the area. The club has only been open a year but it’s going strong and it’s a dedicated community committed to enhancing the health and mental wellbeing of their members. The boxing club recently won a Be Active Wales Fund grant, funded by the National Lottery, and plans to use that money to develop its women and girls section this year, through taster sessions and boxing fitness sessions to make boxing more accessible, and to develop more female coaches too, something which I fully support.
Mold Town Council has recently opened its 2024 Grants Programme for applications, allowing organisations and groups to apply for grants for local projects, events or activities. The grants can cover capital costs for an activity as well as any other costs associated with an event, including some costs of setting up a group or organisation, as long as the application can show how it will benefit the people of Mold and links to the Welsh Government’s seven wellbeing goals outlined in the Future Generations Act 2015. To apply, email townclerk@moldtowncouncil.org.uk for a form which must be submitted by September 4th.
In other local news, the National Lottery has awarded two Flintshire organisations with grants totalling nearly £40,000. Home-Start Flintshire in Mold, a voluntary organisation which promotes the welfare of families, is using its £19,907 grant to expand and diversify the group services in rural areas to connect communities – the project will provide outdoor sessions, make use of village halls, schools and community centres while enabling families to explore and learn more about the local area. Meanwhile, St Winefride’s Catholic Primary School in Holywell is using its £20,000 grant to build a wellbeing garden, accessible to the whole community. The National Lottery awards grants to grassroots projects, as well as making larger awards to tackle big social issues such as improving mental health, rural poverty and tackling homelessness.
As always, if you would like advice and/or support, please don’t hesitate to get in touch on any of the following contact details – 52 High Street, Mold, Flintshire, on 01352 753464 or by email hannah.blythyn@senedd.wales. You can also keep up to date via my Facebook page – www.facebook.com/HannahBlythynForDelyn. Constituents are, of course, welcome to contact my office to arrange an appointment to see me, you don’t need to wait for an advice surgery.