The Leader of Denbighshire, Councillor Hugh Evans has congratulated two of the county’s headteachers for making it through to the final of the prestigious Teaching Awards 2009 where they were both awarded distinctions.
Alison Duffy, headteacher of Ysgol Dinas Bran, Llangollen was shorlisted in the Headteacher of the Year category whilst Louisa Brazier, headteacher of Ysgol y Parc, Denbigh made the final in the Teacher of the Year category. The awards ceremony took place in Cardiff yesterday (Tuesday).
Both headteachers were nominated by their schools and judges visited both locations to talk to the nominees, staff, pupils and governors prior to the awards ceremony.
Councillor Evans, who is also the Cabinet Lead Member for Lifelong Learning, said: “I am delighted that both Alison and Louisa made it through to the final.
“Both Alison and Louisa are a real credit to their schools, the Council and the teaching profession. Making it through to the final is a real testament of their commitment, professionalism and dedication and they should be truly proud of themselves.
“I look forward to meeting both Alison and Louisa to personally thank and congratulate them on their tremendous achievement.”
To find out more about the Teaching Awards 2009, visit: www.teachingawards.com
A young people’s website has teamed up with ChildLine to produce information and top tips for children and young people who are being bullied.
The pages “Help, I’m being bullied what can I do?” have been published on YouthDen.com and were created following requests from numerous young people.
Advice about bullying has been one of the highest requested subjects since YouthDen began and bullying has been the number one reason for people calling ChildLine for the past 13 years.
The idea behind the pages is to show those who are being bullied that they don’t have to suffer alone, there are things that they can do and people who can help and who will take their problem seriously. It may also show those who bully that there is help out there if they want to change their behaviour. Topics covered also include hate crime, assault and cyber bullying.
The information, which is available bilingually, can be viewed in English at www.youthden.com and in Welsh at www.difanc.com or if you would like to speak to someone in private, you can call ChildLine free on 0800 1111, 24 hours a day.
Denbighshire County Council is informing the public that Corwen‘s swimming pool will be closed from Saturday, June 6th until the end of next week.
This follows a problem with a circulation pump at the swimming pool.
The council would like to apologise about the temporary closure and is advising anyone intending to use the pool that the nearest alternative pool can be found at Ruthin Leisure Centre.
Residents are asked to keep an eye on the local press and the council’s website: www.denbighshire.gov.uk for updated information.
If your organisation works with children and young people, then you may be eligible for funding through the Small Grant Fund run by the Partnership Support Team at Denbighshire County Council.
The grant could be used to put on an event or perhaps you need funding for a particular project. To be eligible, your organisation must be working with children and young people in the areas of Upper Denbigh, Rhyl West, Rhyl South West, Meliden, Bodelwyddan, Corwen and Llangollen.
You won’t be able to use the money for capital build purposes, but it may allow you to buy IT equipment or other specific resources. Grants are available up to a maximum of £5,000 per application.
The deadline for receipt of applications is 5pm on Tuesday, 30 June 2009 for this funding round. Another opportunity to apply for funding will take place in September 2009.
For full guidance and application form, please log on to www.denbighshire.gov.uk/cypp or e-mail partnership.support@denbighshire.gov.uk
Alternatively, please call Jan Juckes-Hughes on 01824 706283
Events are taking place throughout Denbighshire to celebrate Carers Week (8-14 June).
Many people in the county care for someone they know – such a relative, friend or neighbour. They do not get paid for the care they give, and may need help or support to continue to provide care over time.
If you or someone you know is a carer and would like to find out more about services and support which is available, come along to any of the following events.
Monday 8th At Ysgol Twm o’r Nant, Denbigh, carers will be offered make-up sessions, holistic therapy treatments, clog dancing, the opportunity to have a photo portrait taken, exhibition stands, a demonstration by Wiltshire Farm Foods, a question & answer session for carers, entertainment by the school choir and a buffet.
Tuesday 9th There will be exhibition stands providing information for carers at Llangollen Library in the morning, with tea and scones being served at The Wild Pheasant Inn in the afternoon.
Wednesday 10th Exhibition stands will be on display in Denbigh Library offering information for carers.
Thursday 11th At Sainsbury’s in Rhyl, there will be exhibition stands as well as till point collecting.
Friday 12th At Tesco in Ruthin, an information exhibition will be taking place.
Saturday 13th Aldi in Prestatyn will be displaying an exhibition of carers services and information.
Sunday 14th A walk from Splash Point in Rhyl along the seafront to the Scala Cinema in Prestatyn will take place, with tea and scones and free tickets to view a film at the Scala on arrival. (It is not mandatory to complete the walk before going to the Scala.)
These events have been arranged in partnership between organisations which support and provide services for carers. For more information about any of these events, please contact NEWCIS (North East Wales Carers Information Service) on Tel: 01745 331181 or Email: denbighshire@newcis.org.uk
The whole of Wales is set to go wild for Wales Biodiversity Week from the 6th to the 14th of June this year and Denbighshire is no exception. A range of events are planned to celebrate the amazing variety of life found in this corner of the world so get out there, enjoy and discover our wonderful countryside and the amazing wildlife of Wales!
Thousands of people will be enjoying a fantastic week of events from small and personal guided walks to large fairs where you can learn about nature and the environment. Last year over 10,000 people, along with pupils from over 100 schools got up close and personal with Welsh wildlife in 159 dedicated events during the 9 day extravaganza.
In Denbighshire the week will be launched from our stand at the Garden Show in Llangollen and will be followed in the week and following weekend by a workshop to help you learn your basic birds, butterflies and botany; evening walks to discover the nightlife of Rhyl, Corwen and Nercwys Forest; a Barbecue and bat walk at Bontuchel to celebrate Friday night in style, a wildlife gardening workshop at Loggerheads Country Park and a family day at Plas Newydd in Llangollen to round off the festivities.
Kate Taylor, Denbighshire’s Biodiversity Officer said: “Biodiversity is the amazing variety of life on earth and we are so lucky here in Denbighshire and Wales as a whole to have such a rich cultural and natural heritage. Wales Biodiversity Week is a fantastic opportunity for everyone to get close to nature, enjoy, celebrate and go wild!”
To find out more, and to book a place on any of these events contact Kate on 01824 708234, or visit www.biodiversitywales.org.uk to see the full list of events for Wales.
As the weather looks set to get warmer, Denbighshire Community Safety Partnership is reminding people of the security issues of leaving windows and doors open and unattended.
Historically there have been incidents where opportunists have been able to enter properties whilst they had been left insecure and with personal belongings in full view.
Community Safety Acting Inspector, Jonny Hill comments: “With the weather getting warmer it is tempting for people to leave windows and doors open whilst they are in another part of the house, in their garden or have even gone out.
“Unfortunately there are people in our communities that will use this as an ideal opportunity to enter properties and steal personal belongings and valuables. As such we want to remind everyone to take precautions so that they do not become the next victims.
“Where possible ensure that windows are only left open in occupied rooms and that if windows have a lock on them that they are used when individuals leave the room. It is also good practice to shut and lock doors when you are going to be in your garden for any length of time.
“Of course we want everyone to enjoy the nice weather but to keep in the back of their minds what they are doing to secure and protect their property.
“As a Community Safety Partnership we are working together to make our communities safer. Please help us by taking the appropriate precautions”
For more information on how you can become involved in improving the safety of your community please contact the Denbighshire Community Safety Unit on 01745 588 475
An excavation within the ramparts of the Penycloddiau Iron Age hillfort has confirmed that a Bronze Age burial mound sits at the summit, dating back at least 3,500 years and pre-dating the hillfort.
Between 11th and 22nd May archaeologists from the Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust (CPAT) excavated a mound found on the northern end of hillfort. The mound had been heavily eroded by the Offa’s Dyke Path National Trail which runs through the centre of the hillfort and across the top of the mound.
In 2008 a trial excavation took place to find out if the mound was natural geology or human-made. The excavation showed the mound may have been a burial mound dating so further investigation was required.
This year, although no dating evidence was found, archaeologists could distinguish the mound as being Bronze Age by looking at how it had been constructed amongst other clues.
Other ‘finds’ included a dark layer, signifying the remnants of the vegetation layer that the mound was originally built on top of; another sign to confirm that the mound is artificial. Samples of the layer were taken, to ensure that information about the climate and vegetation at the site when the mound was built could be obtained through pollen analysis.
Charcoal remains were also found, indicating burning at the mound. Soil samples were taken which can be radio carbon dated.
One of the most obvious discoveries of the excavation was the ‘robbers’ trench’ (i.e. a large hole where the burial should have been!), including a rectangular shape cut into the bedrock directly underneath the trench. This suggests that this is where a burial once was, but all original evidence has been removed at an earlier stage but never recorded.
Samantha Williams, Hillforts Conservation Officer said, “This rectangular cut, along with large stones extracted from the backfill of the robber trench, suggests that this was where a burial once was, although the robbers have taken everything. Unfortunately for us they were really good and took everything away rather than looking simply for treasure.”
Penycloddiau hillfort, which lies between the villages of Llandyrnog and Nannerch, is the largest and most visited of all of the Iron Age hillforts found on the Clwydian Range. The excavation was organised by the Heather and Hillforts Project, a Landscape Partnership Scheme.
If you would like to find out more about the excavation at Penycloddiau, please visit heatherandhillforts.co.uk where you can follow the excavation blog by Samantha Williams.
Clwyd Powys Archaeological Trust are currently working on an archaeological report for the excavation which will be published on the Heather and Hillforts website in the coming months.
The three year Heather and Hillforts Project is developing a £2.3 million initiative for upland conservation work and has received a grant of £1.5 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Denbighshire County Council is calling for an urgent meeting with the owners of Dairy Farmers of Britain, as well as Elin Jones, the Assembly’s Minister for Agriculture, following news that the company has gone into administration.
The co-operative, which employs over 2,200 staff, runs a number of sites across the country, including a cheese factory at Llandyrnog in the Vale of Clwyd.
Councillor David Thomas, Cabinet Lead Member for Regeneration, said: “Yet again today we are having to deal with another major blow to the county’s economy.
“Only yesterday the county was dealing with news that Indesit was to close its Bodelwyddan plant with the loss of over 300 jobs. Now the region is having to come to terms with the uncertain future of this cheese making plant at Llandyrnog.
“Not only could the news affect quality jobs at the site but will also affect many farmers who sell their milk to the company”.
The Council, together with Councillor Gwilym C Evans who represents Llandyrnog, will be asking the company and the administrators for an urgent meeting to discuss the latest developments, to see what support can be offered to workers and local farmers during this very difficult time.”
Your vote for Ruthin Craft Centre will count !
Ruthin Craft Centre’s campaign to win the prestigious Art Fund Prize award for museums and galleries is entering its final few weeks and Denbighshire County Council is asking people to get online and vote.
The Art Fund Prize recognises and stimulates originality and excellence in museums and galleries in the UK, and aims to increase public appreciation and enjoyment of all they have to offer.
A single award of £100,000 is presented to a museum or gallery whose entry best meets the Prize criteria through a project completed or mainly undertaken in the previous calendar year.
To vote for Ruthin Craft Centre, please visit: www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign or www.ruthincraftcentre.org.uk The winner will be announced on June 18th.
Denbighshire County Council invites you to attend a special presentation of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) award for architectural excellence, which is being made to Ruthin Craft Centre tomorrow at 4.30pm.
The Ruthin Craft Centre was one of only two winners in Wales and the presentation will be attended by Chair of Denbighshire County Council, Councillor Joan Butterfield, representatives from architects Sergison Bates and Gavin Harris, Mayor of Ruthin Town Council.
The new Centre, which is all on the ground level, is set around a courtyard and gives Ruthin Craft Centre three new galleries, a substantial retail gallery, a café, six artist studios and educational and residency facilities.This innovative building, designed by the award-winning architects Sergison Bates, is itself an example of the finest craftsmanship and puts Ruthin yet more firmly at the centre of contemporary applied art.
Ruthin Craft Centre received a £3.15 million Capital Lottery Grant from the Arts Council of Wales, one of the largest grants of its kind in North Wales. The other funders are: the Welsh Assembly Government (Department of Economy and Transport), Denbighshire County Council, Ruthin Town Council and Cadwyn Clwyd.
We look forward to seeing you there.
Karen Allen
Swyddog Cyfarthrebiadau Corfforaethol / Corporate Communications Officer