A new film shot by tenants tells the story of how a housing estate has been transformed by a £4 million investment in eco-friendly improvements.

The DVD about the massive facelift on the Peulwys estate in Llysfaen was given rave reviews when it was premiered at a special screening

Housing Association Cartrefi Conwy used a pioneering type of external wall insulation to renovate and improve the appearance of 265 homes on the estate

In addition, the installation of new high efficiency boilers, loft insulation and draft proofing will help cut tenants’ fuel bills by up to £350 a year.

Video cameras recorded hundreds of hours of footage following the project’s progress – from the initial consultation with tenants, right through the programme of work until its completion.

Most of the filming was done by tenant Rob Redhead, who also chairs the Partnership Board, assisted by fellow tenants Jason Lawley and Andy Owen.

The premiere of the 20 minute DVD, Peulwys Estate to Parc Peulwys – A Journey of Change, was attended by an audience that included local councillors, council officers, tenants and partner organisations.

The DVD was produced by TAPE Community Music and Film which is based at the TAPE Community Arts Centre, Old Colwyn.

It celebrates how the work was completed on schedule, on budget and the difference it has made to the lives of tenants and residents.

Footage on the DVD shows the estate before, during and after the improvement work and shows tradesmen working on various aspects of the project.

The film shows residents taking part in a number of consultation events and how children from the estate were made aware of the dangers of playing  on building sites.

Speaking at the premiere, Cartrefi Conwy Chief Executive Andrew Bowden said: “The DVD shows what the Peulwys Estate was, what it is now and, perhaps, what it can be in the future.

“The home improvements we carried out on the estate were by Cartrefi Conwy and our partners, including G Purchase Construction and SSE (Scottish and Southern Energy).

“We wanted to record the improvements we were making and to be able to use the DVD to demonstrate the tangible changes we were able to bring about in such a short period of time.

“I’m delighted the bulk of the filming was done by one of our tenants and that we were able to work so closely with TAPE.

“The whole project has been a massive success from its conception in March right through to completion with 265 homes renovated.

“Thanks to the insulation work we have done and the new, much more efficient, boilers that have been fitted in every home, there will be up to 70,000 tons less carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere over the next 25 years.

“And we should see every household saving up to £350 a year from their heating bills. That means a considerable number of people will be moved out of fuel poverty.

“Despite the fact we had to erect 12 miles of scaffolding around the homes and working on up to 70 properties a time, our health and safety record was exemplary. The engagement with children, their parents and the wider community was key.

“This was a very positive scheme which we should all be proud of. With the tenant  survey showing a satisfaction rate of more than 90 per cent, tenants are delighted they now live on an estate that has the appearance of being newly built as opposed to something that was not designed to last.”

Rob Redhead said: “What the DVD has done is highlight just what can be done. It clearly demonstrates that you don’t need to demolish perfectly good homes even if they were built with a short-term objective in mind.

“What has happened is that Cartrefi Conwy has listened to Peulwys tenants and come up with an agreed plan. As a result we now have home that are fit for the future.

“These are homes tenants take pride in and want to live in. Residents may have had to put up with scaffolding and work going on in and around their homes but the end result has been well worth it.”

Cartrefi Conwy’s Asset and Sustainability Manager, Adrian Johnson, says the DVD has really captured the work done to improve the housing stock and the community involvement that was evident from the start.

He said: “This was a massive scheme and a first, not only for Cartrefi Conwy but also for the county as a whole.

“I cannot recall a project as big as this,  and being able to engage with owner occupiers who were able to access the scheme through 100 per cent grant funding, saving them thousands of pounds in the process if they had carried out the work themselves.

G Purchase Construction manager Steven Walker added: “The scheme has made a massive difference to the appearance of the estate and to the fuel efficiency of homes.

“The community involvement has been superb. We have not had one reported accident which shows the level of engagement from across the community and how children in particular have taken our health and safety message on board.”

“As a company we are privileged and pleased to have worked in partnership with Cartrefi Conwy on this project.

“I think it is further evidence of Cartrefi Conwy’s innovative and forward thinking methods and I look forward to working with them again in the future.”

Bill Persse, Project manager for SSE says the Peulwys project has been proved to be an absolute success.

He said: “Tens of thousands of tons of carbon dioxide, which normally would have gone into the atmosphere, have been saved through the better insulation and cladding to these homes coupled with the fitting of far more fuel-efficient boilers.

“This is important if we are to reach our targets under the Community Energy Saving Programme and, perhaps more importantly, we have helped hundreds of tenants come out of fuel poverty so they are now better able to heat their homes.”

A brave 10-year-old girl is using horse riding to battle a rare genetic condition.

Leonie Saffy, from Ruabon, loves riding at Clwyd Special Riding Centre, near Wrexham.

Leonie, who attends St Mary’s School, has a rare condition called Escobar Syndrome which affects the development of her muscles, bones, and ligaments.

One of the benefits of the horse-riding is that a massive operation to insert titanium rods to straighten her spine can be delayed until she is older and stronger.

Leonie’s Mum, Zara Griffiths, explained: “The signal from the brain to the muscles, the ligaments and the tissues get disrupted so the body doesn’t develop properly.

“Where as a regular baby would have a 100 per cent of the ligaments and the muscle it should she’s got about 40 per cent, so she’s got very little muscles which affects her strength and she gets fatigued very easily.

“It also affects the bone development around the ligaments because things get pulled tighter. Her feet were dislocated when she was little so she’s had a lot of operations.”

“Because the heart is a muscle she has heart issues. Her lungs are underdeveloped as well. She’s down to one lung of development at the moment.

“It mainly affects her in her range of movement, in strength, and in being able to keep up.”

“She’s also got scoliosis which is a curve in her spine and she’s looking at going into hospital to have titanium rods put in. Her spine is curving forwards and it’s pushing her lungs and her heart up against the inside of her chest.”

In the 12 months since Leonie started riding Zara has seen a measurable improvement in her condition.

She said: “It’s helped her in her fight because she’s getting stronger and her lung function is improving.

“One huge benefit we’ve seen is because she’s riding so much and she’s exerting herself she’s gone from having probably 12 to 13 chest infections a year to having just one in the year since she started riding.

“She’s a lot healthier in general and has a lot more stamina, and she’s been able to do more in school because of that.”

Not only is the horse riding improving Leonie’s stamina and strength, but it’s also postponing her impending operation.

Zara said: “She had an MRI scan eight months from when she started riding and her curve had actually gone backwards which had never happened before.

“Riding is obviously doing her the world of good so the focus for us at the moment is getting her on the horse as much as we can and keep her riding to keep her strength up.

“If we can put it off until she’s 15 or 16 all the better because once they do the operation and the drill the spine she won’t get any taller.”

“It’s a huge operation. She’s going to be in surgery for about 18 hours so the longer we can leave that for her to get stronger the better.”

The Clwyd Special Riding Centre caters for 200 riders a week and is home to 23 horses and ponies. It is run by eight members of staff as well as a dedicated group of volunteers, headed by 12
Trustees.

The Centre of Excellence has impressive facilities, including an indoor arena, an outdoor arena, a 1.5 km track, offices, staff accommodation.

Among those who use the facilities regularly are Wrexham, Dyffryn Ceiriog and Hope Mountain Riding for the Disabled Association groups.

The centre is the only one of its kind in the UK to provide holiday accommodation for disabled riders.

It has hosted groups from as far afield as Poland, Kosovo, Chernobyl, Russia and Hong Kong.

Phillip Gerrard Jones, a Trustee of the charity, said:  “We provide people with additional needs the opportunity to ride, carriage drive or equestrian vault to benefit their health and well being.

“There is a lot of work involved in ensuring that everything is good working order, and the costs have increased dramatically over the last few years.

“We need £5,000 a week just to keep going. It’s a huge amount, so every donation we receive counts.

Phillip was blown away by the way Britain’s Paralympians performed at London 2012.

He said: “I am extremely proud of our Paralympians, and the Team GB horse people were fantastic in the Olympics and the Paralympics.

“I think the London 2012 Paralympics were a huge success. I believe it will change people’s perceptions of the disabled, not only in sport, but in general as well.

Leonie has certainly been inspired by the Paralympics.

Zara said: “She’s watched it constantly and the regular Olympics. She’s enjoyed the different events like the dressage and the jumping. It’s not going to be long until she wants a little jump herself!

The Clwyd Special Riding Centre is where former Paralympic Gold Medallist Nicola Tustain honed her skills. Nicola regularly returns to her own stomping ground to give riding lessons.

According to Zara this has helped Leonie improve her riding skills.

She said: “Somebody who is a Paralympic athlete like Nicola Tustain who has got no use in one arm and limited use in one leg so knows how difficult it is to do something on a horse that an able bodied rider would just take for granted.

“She knows what adaption’s disabled riders have to make versus a regular rider.

Leonie regularly take part in competitions such as the RDA National Championships at Hartbury Equine College in Gloucestershire.

Zara said: “It gives her a lot of confidence. She doesn’t do things like sports day so to being able to take trophies rosettes that she’s won in to school and for them to make a big issue of it means an awful lot to her. It gives her a big sense of pride and achievement”

Leonie certainly enjoys horse riding.

She said: “I love spending time with the horses and learning with them, and doing well in competitions makes me feel very proud.”

Zara added: “It’s something she took to straight away and hopefully she’ll be able to do for a long time”

For more information about the  Clwyd Special Riding Centre and how to make a donation ring 01352 770446 or go to www.clwydspecialridingcentre.org.uk