I want to start this week’s column with Storm Darragh, which had a devastating impact on many properties across Wales. The damage caused to people’s homes is heartbreaking and the stress and upset is unimaginable and I know that many people will have suffered powercuts, which for many vulnerable people can be devastating. The wind and rain was terrible and a lot of Flintshire residents will have been affected by flooding due to the heavy rain and fallen trees have caused havoc across the area. I am grateful to the emergency services who kept us updated on social media with what was happening across the constituency, from fallen trees to flooding on streets in Mold and Holywell – we all really rely on our brilliant emergency services at times like this and many other individuals who also go above and beyond to help out.

I will be raising issues of flooding with Natural Resources Wales and at meetings with the Deputy First Minister Huw Irranca-Davies as flooding has been a real issue in North East Wales. If you’re affected by flooding, you can report it on the Floodline on 0345 988 1188 or use the Streetscene number on 01352 701234.

In happier news, it’s that time of year again where festive trees go up and advent calendars are opened and the countdown to Christmas has well and truly begun. I have been doing much of my Christmas shopping as locally as possible. Shopping local and supporting our town centres is not simply a political priority to me, it’s personal too – I grew up in a town and live in a town. I want to see our town centres not just survive but thrive and I will continue to do this in practice. We have lots of arts and crafts, jewellery and book shops across the constituency, which all sell ideal gifts for this time of year. As I said in my column last week, the weekend saw Small Business Saturday – it’s so important to support our local businesses as they not only provide employment and contribute to the local economy, but they play a pivotal role when it comes to our sense of place.

Back in the Senedd, the Welsh Government’s announcement of £157m in funding marks a significant investment in the priorities that matter most to us all. A large portion of this, £57m, will go to health and social care, with £21m for NHS diagnostic equipment and £19m for the 50-day challenge to improve hospital discharges and community care. These funds will help reduce waiting times and ease pressures on our healthcare system, benefiting patients across BCUHB and the rest of Wales. Another £95m will focus on education, housing and supporting families, including £20m for vital repairs and maintenance in schools and colleges. This broad package of support reflects the Welsh Government’s commitment to deliver for Wales. It’s a positive step forward, but there’s still much work to be done to ensure these funds are used effectively and bring long-term benefits to our communities.

Recently, the charity Trussell Trust, which runs foodbanks across the UK, announced that it’s given out 1.4 million emergency food parcels across the country since April this year, 4,555 in Flintshire alone. Many of these food parcels offer a real lifeline to local families and, here in North East Wales, Flintshire Foodbank – run by the Trussell Trust – has appealed for specific items it needs as the weather gets colder in the run-up to Christmas. You can find out how to help at https://flintshire.foodbank.org.uk/give-help. And if you need help with everyday essentials, you’ll need to get hold of foodbank vouchers – you can see how to get help in this way at https://flintshire.foodbank.org.uk/get-help/how-to-get-help. In the run-up to the festive period, I will be giving out my Christmas cheer boxes to help vulnerable families as I do every year – Christmas can be a difficult time for a lot of people so it’s important to do everything we can to help.

Finally, last week also saw some great news for women’s football in Wales as the national team qualified for the women’s Euros next year after beating the Republic of Ireland 2-1 – and it really is history in the making as it’s the first time they have qualified for a major tournament. I’ll be watching the Euros avidly next year and I’d like to offer my congratulations to the team, the coach and to the staff – Cymru am byth! Closer to home, three fantastic Flintshire boys were selected to play for the Welsh Schools FA National U16 Representative Team last week – Gethin Roberts, Levi Morrison and Henri Austin. The team will take on Australia in January so I’d like to wish them the best of luck and well done for making the team.

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.