In the last few weeks we’ve seen lots of students across Flintshire receiving their A-level and GCSE results – this marks a pivotal moment for many young people as the culmination of years of hard work and dedication finally pay off. I want to extend my congratulations to all those who achieved the grades they were hoping for. Your effort and commitment deserve recognition and I hope you take the time to celebrate your successes and look forward to the next chapter – whether that involves college, sixth form, exploring apprenticeships and, for those older students, university or the world of work.
I also want to acknowledge the invaluable support of parents, carers and teachers, whose unwavering encouragement has been instrumental during this time. For those unsure of their next steps, remember that there are plenty of resources and options available, from UCAS Clearing and Careers Wales to the Welsh Government’s Working Wales website. No matter the outcome, opportunities abound for everyone to carve out their future paths. Good luck, and don’t hesitate to reach out if you need further guidance.
I was really pleased to have the chance recently to go along to a Caerwys WI meeting at the Town Hall as a guest speaker and enjoyed speaking to, taking questions and have a chat with the wonderful women of the WI. Local WI organisations across our communities and across the country are a force for good, supporting, inspiring and serving women. I have been proud to work with the WI previously at both a national and local level and I look forward to following up on what was an enjoyable summer’s evening in Caerwys!
Last week I also dropped in to a coffee morning held by the Clwydian Range Tourism Group. Tourism is so important to our area of North Wales – and especially in the Clwydian Range – so I welcomed the opportunity to hear about the issues facing businesses in the area as well as committing to work together to realise the potential of our corner of the country. Recently the Go North Wales Tourism Awards 2024 opened for nominations – the awards give us the chance to celebrate North Wales’ best tourism and hospitality businesses and the valuable contribution they make to the visitor economy.
It was also announced that nominees could also be entered into the National Tourism Awards held in 2025, so if you run or work for a tourism business it’s well worth entering – the closing date is October 7th and you can find out more at www.gonorthwalestourismawards.website/award-categories.
Wales’ food and drink industry is a real success story and in North East Wales this is reflected in our wonderful food and drink festivals held annually – overall in Wales, the sector grew by 10% last year. The food and drink supply chain employed 228,500 people in Wales in 2023, the equivalent of 17% of the total Welsh workforce, and businesses within the sector were shown to have a total turnover of £24.6bn in 2023, compared with £22.3bn in 2022. The food industry is often at the very heart of our communities and I want to help encourage the sector here in Flintshire to be sustainable, self-sufficient and develop its unique appeal across Wales – and create more local jobs in the process.
Finally, regular readers will know that I like to reward people in our communities who go above and beyond for others or make a real mark in their chosen field with my Community Champion awards, and this month I recognised 13-year-old dancer Faye Parsons from Mold. Faye started dancing at 18 months old and in August she scooped a gold medal in the children’s solo lyrical category at the Dance World Cup 2024, held in Prague. It’s such an amazing feat to win a gold medal for Team Wales at such a prestigious international event and I know that her family and friends must be so proud of her. Llongyfarchiadau Faye!
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.