A view from Wrexham’s Member of the Senedd

Wrexham.com has invited Wrexham & Clwyd South Members of Parliament and Assembly Members to write a monthly article with updates on their work in their respective Parliaments and closer to home – you can find them all here.

In her column for December, Wrexham’s MS writes:

t was a pleasure to welcome the Welsh Government Education Minister, Jeremy Miles to Wrexham.  The Minister spent the day in the constituency visiting All Saints’ Primary School in Gresford, Gwenfro Community Primary School and St Christopher’s School.

He also found time to visit The Venture to see its after-school provision. Thank you to all the pupils and staff for being so welcoming.

I know the Minister enjoyed his time in Wrexham.

Pleasure welcoming @Addysg_Cymraeg to #Wrexham

Thank you to all the pupils and staff at @AllSaintsCIW, @GwenfroS and @StChrisWrexham pic.twitter.com/QsZK5jX7gC

— Lesley Griffiths (@lesley4wrexham) November 16, 2022

I’m a long-time supporter of Teams4U and the charity recently launched its Christmas Shoebox Appeal.

Each year Teams4U run this nationwide initiative to provide Christmas gifts to vulnerable children and families who are unlikely to receive any presents.  People are asked to find an old shoebox, wrap it in Christmas paper and fill it with useful gifts.

Teams4U then deliver the packages to some of the most disadvantaged children in Eastern Europe. I visited the warehouse in Llay last week just as a lorry loaded up with 10,000 shoeboxes was about to leave for Ukraine.

The positive impact it has on the lives of vulnerable children and parents cannot be overstated and all information can be found online.

Great to have a visit from @lesley4wrexham MS for Wrexham at our warehouse today dropping off her shoeboxes #teams4u #shoeboxappeal pic.twitter.com/zKd6epSPIH

— Teams4u (@Teams4u) December 2, 2022

Over the weekend we marked the tenth anniversary of Small Business Saturday.  The nationwide campaign champions the high street and encourages people to shop local, not just in the lead up to Christmas but all year round.

Small businesses do so much in our community, providing jobs and driving economic growth. This year more than ever its vital we shop locally and support those businesses facing unprecedented pressures.

After a spot of Christmas shopping, I popped to To^st Café for some lunch and a cup of tea – thank you to Paul and Claire.

Earlier this year, the Welsh Government announced every household in Wales would be offered a free tree to plant as part of its commitment to tackling climate change.

Wrexham was one of the locations for the initial pilot scheme but now the My Tree Our Forest initiative is being rolled out nationwide.
Households across Wrexham and Wales can now collect their tree, free of charge, from one of 50 collection hubs that are being facilitated by Coed Cadw, the Woodland Trust in Wales.

In the Wrexham constituency, trees can be collected from the wonderful Erlas Victorian Walled Garden, Ty Pawb and Erddig.
A whopping 295,000 trees are available between now and 19th December and then from February to March 2023.

For those unable to attend a hub to collect a tree, one can be ordered online and delivered to their door. Alternatively, a tree can be planted on their behalf, helping to grow a National Forest for Wales, home by home.

Every household in Wales can collect and plant a tree as over 50 hubs open across the country. Read more 👉 https://t.co/2iaWIyGdBL

Find out where your local tree giveaway hub is 👉 https://t.co/qRjfveC0Cj#MyTreeOurForest @CoedCadw @WGClimateChange pic.twitter.com/NqkpZPZkIa

— Wrexham Council (@wrexhamcbc) November 29, 2022

Health is a subject that matters to everyone and I’ve previously highlighted in this column my ongoing work in this area to help ensure people in Wrexham receive the best possible services.

I recently met with Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board’s new Associate Director of Primary Care.

The specific focus of the meeting was on local GP services and I understand a team has begun an improvement programme at the three managed practices in Wrexham (Hillcrest Medical Centre, Borras Park Surgery and Forge Road Surgery).  This substantial piece of work is expected to take 6 months to complete.

I was also pleased to hear Health Board representatives will be meeting with partners and Practice Managers from all other practices in Wrexham to discuss concerns raised by patients, to look at all correspondence they receive and how this is managed.

These meetings are expected to take place before Christmas and I will meet with the Associate Director again in the New Year for an update, and keep constituents posted.

Finally, as this is my last Wrexham.com column of 2022, I wish all Wrexham.com readers a peaceful Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year.

If you’re a constituent in Wrexham and there is anything I could help you with, please email me: [email protected] or call 01978 355743. You can sign up to my regular e-newsletter by clicking here.