5 week Practical Conservation & Horticulture Course

Please find below dates for FREE environmental courses for unemployed women and single parents living in Denbighshire. 

Coed y Morfa Allotment, Prestatyn. Tuesdays - 29th May - 19th June. 10am - 2pm.

This course covers basics of food growing, how to maintain an allotment, use of composting, encouraging wildlife, nurturing plants, and use of crops once ready.

Eagles Hotel Community Garden, Corwen. Wednesdays - 16th May - 13th June. 10am - 2pm.

This course involves a mixture of practical conservation tasks - resurfacing footpaths, repairing beds and composters, creating wildlife areas, strimming - and horticulture tasks - clearing beds, preparing soil, composting, planting and nurturing, use of crops.

Courses are open to anyone who is unemployed (or works less than 16 hours a week) and lives in Denbighshire - as long as they are not on Work Programme.

5 week Environmental Art Course

Bodelwyddan Castle. Thursdays - 24th May - 21st June. 10am - 2pm.

This course will cover use of colour in camouflage, willow sculptures large and small, felt making, print making and natural musical instruments.

Mountwood Community Woodland, Denbigh. Fridays - 25th May - 22nd June. 10am - 2pm.

This course will cover willow sculptures, use of natural materials in painting, felt making, print making and natural musical instruments.

For more information call Alex on 07740 899540 or email a.fairclough@tcv.org.uk

All Ears - Free Counselling in Rhyl

Everyone experiences difficulties at some point in their lives, and it can be helpful to talk things through with someone who will listen and never judge you.

All Ears is based at The Hub in Rhyl and is supported by RYAG (Rhyl Youth Action Group) and Coleg Harlech.

They offer free, confidential counselling and emotional support for young people (aged 16-25).

You can make an appointment by:

• Popping into The Hub on Wellington Road, Rhyl.
• E-mailing - carl@aecs.org.uk.
• Texting Wynne Randles at RYAG on 07800 638564.
• Phoning the RYAG Office on 01745 334500.

For more information please visit their website - http://www.aecs.org.uk/

A new housing support service for older people

Denbighshire County Council Housing Services has launched a housing support service for people over 60 (or are younger but have disabilities) which is aimed at keeping residents who live in the County to stay independent in their own homes.

The service is similar to the hugely popular warden service council tenants receive in sheltered housing schemes all around Denbighshire. So, if you or someone you know can answer yes to any of the following questions then this service could be for you.

• Is this the first time you have lived alone?
• Are you lonely and need help to meet new people?
• Are you concerned about your lifestyle?
• Is your home becoming to much for you to manage
• Would it help to receive advice and assistance with benefits, budgeting or debts?
• Do you need advice or support in managing and maintaining your home?
• Do you need help and advice from other agencies but don’t know where to start?

Denbighshire has large numbers of older people, many of whom live alone. The Council’s ‘lifeline’ alarm already supplies reassurance to many and this service is available to provide that little bit of extra support to keep older people living independently in the community.

For further details contact the Housing Support Team on 01824 712939,
or by email on housing@denbighshire.gov.uk.

Or write to:
Denbighshire Housing Services,
64 Brighton Road,
Rhyl,
Denbighshire,
LL18 3HN.

Press release from BT regarding G2G Communities CIC

The Office for National Statistics announced that unemployment figures in the UK are at their highest in 17 years. This is evident in Rhyl in Wales, which was named the ‘unemployment capital of Wales’ by the Daily Post in 2011 . The issue of mass unemployment in Rhyl is being directly addressed by community organisation, G2G Communities. G2G is attempting to tackle unemployment by offering tailored ICT training to help get individuals back into jobs or even to start their own businesses.

Moira-Ann Lockitt at G2G, who appreciates employer expectations of prospective employees, said: “Nearly all employers require employees to have computer skills so ICT is high on our agenda for helping people back into employment.” This identification of the importance of computer and internet skills to job seekers led G2G to create an IT and computer training course which helps people obtain the necessary skills to help them find employment.

G2G runs IT classes and teaches everything from CV writing and basic internet skills to more advanced web-hosting and social media networking. One new, unemployed learner commented: “I first came to a training session as I knew nothing about computer skills but knew they would help me get back into employment. I have already learnt so many new skills, which I am sure have enhanced my job prospects.” A trainee getting help with a new business start-up said: “I feel much more confident on the computer after 5 lessons at G2G. I am starting my own one-to-one dog training business and feel the skills that I am learning will help me immensely especially with setting up finance systems.”

G2G received a BT Community Connections award of one years’ free broadband which allows it to continue its work. The local community in Rhyl has subsequently benefited as G2G has helped to get many local residents, addressing their skills shortages which may be preventing them from finding work.

Throughout 2011, seventy six new users were introduced to the internet for the first time, 117 people attended four or more training sessions, 56 people now use the internet regularly and 20 have installed internet at their own homes.

In return for monthly feedback and reports updating BT of its progress over the year, G2G has been chosen as the overall BT community Connections Plus winner and has received £2,000 to continue its fantastic ICT work.

The money will be used to purchase more laptops so that it can go out into the rural areas to engage with more learners and carry on addressing unemployment in Wales.