Last week was half term recess in the Senedd so members haven’t been sitting, but it was also St David’s Day – our national day here in Wales and one that I celebrated at the event in Daniel Owen Square in Mold. The Welsh Government has made it clear it wants to make March 1 a national holiday in Wales, but as this isn’t devolved we need the UK Government to make it a priority in Parliament – St Andrew’s Day has been a bank holiday in Scotland since 2006, St Patrick’s Day is a holiday in Northern Ireland as well as in the Republic, but here in Wales (and for St George’s Day in England too!) our national day is not treated with the same respect – it’s time that changed.
It was recently announced that there has been significant progress made on the Wrexham and Flintshire Investment Zone, which is a project expected to attract £1bn of private sector investment and create 6,000 new jobs. It’s backed by £160m in funding from the Welsh Government and UK Government and will focus primarily on advanced manufacturing, with a particular emphasis on innovation skills and transport challenges. Investment at this level is good for our corner of North East Wales and will help to deliver new opportunities and investment for our communities, as well as helping to grow both local and regional economies.
Wales’ ‘circular economy’ is one of our nation’s success stories – Wales is now second in the world for recycling. The Welsh Government has invested £13m from the Circular Economy Fund to establish 81 repair and re-use hubs across the whole of Wales. And there is now a network of repair cafés in 126 communities, delivered by Repair Café Wales – including two in Mold, one in Flint and one in Bagillt. I’ve always supported repairing and reusing rather than discarding – back in 2017 when I was Minister for Environment, I kicked off the policy of banning single-use plastics and creating a circular economy, so I’m proud of the recycling nation that Wales has become since.
I was sad last week to hear of the death of Alison Halford, one of my predecessors as Member of the Senedd for Delyn. Alison was the first woman to lead a police division in the UK before becoming assistant chief constable of Merseyside Police – at the time Britain’s most-senior female police officer – and then standing in the then National Assembly for Wales elections in 1999, winning the seat of Delyn for Labour, which she held until 2003. My thoughts are with her family at this time.
Last week I spoke at the Flintshire Unison Retired Members Group, where I talked about the work being undertaken in my role as chair of the Senedd Standards Committee – this is an excellent opportunity for us in Wales to create a system in which constituents can ‘remove and replace’ their representatives who have breached the code of conduct and will strengthen our democracy by providing the electorate with a greater say. I also spoke about local government and the services provided by our councils, and how vital these services are to our committees.
Residents might be interesting to note that Transport for Wales is offering special rates for selected weekend journeys across the network throughout March. Every Thursday until March 31, TfW will be releasing a limited number of Advance tickets at a special rate for travel that weekend. It’s worth checking https://tfw.wales on a Thursday to see if you can grab a bargain.
Finally, I’ve heard about two new funds which could provide financial help to groups or organisations working with young people. The Asda Foundation’s Young Futures Fund provides grants worth between £500 and £1,000 and are aimed at helping grassroots groups support young people between the ages of 13 and 21. Up to £500,000 is available across the UK and organisations can find more information on how to apply at https://asdafoundation.org/our-grants/young-futures-fund. There’s also still time to apply for the FAW’s PAWB Fund, which closes tomorrow (March 7) – the fund is aimed at making football more accessible for young people across Wales and last year 339 families received more than £50,000 in support. The fund will support children and families most in need and if you wish to apply the player must be nominated by a club, school or organisation – more details at https://faw.cymru/pawb/pawb-fund.
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.