A view from Wrexham’s Member of the Senedd

Wrexham.com has invited Wrexham & Clwyd South Members of Parliament and Members of the Senedd 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 this month’s column Wrexham’s MS writes: ‌​‌‌​​​‌‍‌​‌​‌‌‌​‍‌​‌​‌‌​​‍‌​​‌‌‌‌​‍‌​​​​‌‌​‍‌​‌​‌​‌‌‍‌​​‌​‌‌‌‍‌​​‌‌​‌​‍‌​​​​‌‌​‍‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‍‌​​​‌‌​‌‍‌​​‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌​‌​‌‌‍‌​​‌​‌‌‌‍‌​​‌​‌‌​‍‌​​‌‌​‌​‍‌​​​‌​​‌‍‌​​‌‌​‌​‍‌​​​‌‌​​

People aged 51 – 54 in Wrexham and across Wales will now automatically receive at-home bowel screening tests.

Bowel cancer is one of the most common cancers in Wales, with between 7,000 registered cases between 2018 – 2020, however, almost nine out of ten people survive bowel cancer when it is detected and treated earlier on.

This latest move is part of a phased approach to lower the screening age to 50 throughout Wales by October 2024.

I am pleased the Welsh Government is widening access to bowel cancer screening.  Treatment is more likely to be effective if cancer is detected at an early stage and offering the easy-to-use home test to more people will help identify more cases and help improve survival rates.

People aged 51–54 in #Wrexham and across Wales will now automatically receive at-home bowel screening tests every two years.

In the early stages of bowel cancer, people may feel well and have no symptoms so its vitally important people compete the test – it could save your life. https://t.co/gqElLAAybS

— Lesley Griffiths (@lesley4wrexham) October 5, 2023

This year marks Macmillan Cancer Support’s 33rd annual Coffee Morning event.

Sadly, cancer affects the lives of so many of us but Macmillan’s flagship fundraiser offers the chance for people to get together every year and collectively raise millions of pounds to help combat the disease.

In addition to attending a special event at the Senedd, I, along with Welsh Labour’s Parliamentary candidate for Wrexham, Andrew Ranger, hosted our own Macmillan Coffee Morning at Acton Community Resource Centre.

Thank you to everyone who supported and attended – we raised £238 for a very worthy cause.

Low-income families in Wrexham could be entitled to up to £200 to help with essentials like school uniform, shoes, bags, stationery, sports kit and equipment.

It’s thanks to the Welsh Labour Government’s Schools Essentials Grant and latest figures reveal over 100,000 children in Wales benefited from the scheme last year.

With the winter months drawing closer, this money could be a real lifeline, ensuring pupils have the necessary equipment to attend and enjoy school.

The grant is open until 31 May 2024 and all the information can be found via the link below.

Lower-income families can get up to £200 to help with essentials like school uniform, shoes, bags, stationery, sports kit and equipment.

The School Essentials Grant helped over 100,000 children last year. Have you checked your eligibility yet? https://t.co/fXOSUSqqNu

— Jeremy Miles (@Addysg_Cymraeg) October 16, 2023

Congratulations to everyone at The Venture.

Wales’ flagship Integrated Children’s Centre recently received excellent inspection results. I remain so proud to be a patron of this wonderful organisation and the results provide independent evidence of what an excellent and valuable service The Venture provides to children and families in Caia Park.

As well as celebrating the perfect inspection results, I was invited to The Venture to commend its ongoing relationship with Virgin Media.

Two years after the provider first connected up the children’s centre, the company has renewed its commitment to providing free ultrafast broadband services to the charity.

Access to fast, reliable broadband is essential in this day and age and I am so pleased The Venture will continue to benefit.

Two years on from providing @TheVenture78 with free ultrafast @VirginMedia broadband, we revisited the centre with @lesley4wrexham to see how the connectivity has helped the local community with digital skills & training – and to renew our commitmenthttps://t.co/EFC7rkTGHK pic.twitter.com/ZDtCZtN44d

— Virgin Media O2 News (@VMO2News) September 20, 2023

In my previous Wrexham.com column, I highlighted the work Ken Skates MS and I have been undertaking in relation to Euro Car Parks, the private firm that operates the car park at Island Green Shopping Centre.

Constituents are still contacting us complaining about unfair fines but the problems are not merely confined to Wrexham – it is a nationwide issue.

A consultation was recently launched by the UK Government which may lead to a clamp down on the unscrupulous practices of private parking firms.

My response to the consultation can be read in full below.

The unscrupulous practices of certain private car park operators, such as Euro Car Parks at Island Green, is a nationwide problem.

A UK Gov consultation was recently launched which may lead to greater regulation around these faceless companies.

Here’s my response ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/0NfRfxKBAp

— Lesley Griffiths (@lesley4wrexham) October 12, 2023

Finally, students from St Joseph’s Catholic and Anglican High School in Wrexham recently visited the Senedd. It was lovely to catch up and I hope everyone enjoyed their time down in Cardiff.

If any Wrexham school or youth group is interested in visiting the Senedd, there are travel subsidies available.  All the information can be found online or you can get in touch via the contact details below.

Great to catch up with students from @SJ_WXM at @SeneddWales pic.twitter.com/PotSnm4p1r

— Lesley Griffiths (@lesley4wrexham) September 19, 2023

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.