Vale of Grwyney Community Council

The Priority Services Register is a free support service that makes sure extra help is available to people in vulnerable situations.

You are eligible for support if you:

• have reached your state pension age
• are disabled or have a long-term medical condition
• are recovering from an injury
• have a hearing or sight condition
• have a mental health condition
• are pregnant or have young children
• have extra communication needs (such as if you don’t speak or read English well)
• need to use medical equipment that requires a power supply
• have poor or no sense of smell
• would struggle to answer the door or get help in an emergency.

You might still be able to register for other reasons if your situation isn’t listed. For example, if you need short-term support after a stay in hospital. 

Get help from your supplier – Priority Services Register | Ofgem

There is also a Priority Services Register maintained by Welsh Water so make sure to contact them.

https://contact.dwrcymru.com/en/priority-services-register

A directory that lists places that can offer Powys people a warm welcome this winter has been launched by the county council.

Powys County Council’s Warm Spaces Directory is made up of libraries, community centres, churches and other places that are opening their doors to anyone who needs them.

The council has worked together with its partners as well as community groups and other organisations across the county to provide this network of warm spaces, which can offer Powys people a warm welcome this winter and a chance to socialise, work or take part in activities whilst keeping warm.

The directory can be found by visiting www.powys.gov.uk/costofliving – the council’s cost of living information hub. The warm spaces directory will be available in Welsh shortly.

The information hub, which was launched in October, has a wide range of information in one place to ensure people know what help is already available and how to access it.

Cllr Matthew Dorrance, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for a Fairer Powys, said: “The cost of living crisis that the UK is experiencing is putting unprecedented pressures on people, who will be forced to make tough decisions about when and what they eat, what they can do in life, and when they can afford to heat their home.

“The warm space network can offer Powys people a warm welcome this winter and a chance to socialise, work or take part in activities whilst keeping warm.

“I would like to thank those organisations that have come forward to provide a warm space this winter.  They will be making a positive difference to our communities and will be helping Powys people during this crisis.”

Community groups and other organisations in Powys who are willing to provide a warm space can still fill in an Expression of Interest form by visiting www.powys.gov.uk/costofliving and clicking Creating warm spaces for Powys.

The launch of a new green guide for Powys residents and businesses will be a ‘go to’ place for environmentally friendly suppliers, and a range of actions to take part in to create a greener, more cohesive and more prosperous Powys.#

After much preparation and expert input, Powys Action on the Climate Emergency (PACE) has produced an interactive website for people and organisations across the county. It will enable anyone to get involved and share ideas on how individuals can make small but significant contributions to helping fight the crisis affecting the climate and nature.

“From taking easy steps to make sure your bank or pension fund is not investing your money in planet wrecking business, to knowing which phone to buy to minimise its environmental footprint, we want all to share ideas and experiences” said the project coordinator Diana Allen.

“Wherever you live in the county, there are simple, small, low or no cost tweaks people can make, and the more that follow your example, the more effect it has. Powys is a big county, and this website aims to bring people and communities together, as ‘Team Powys’.

“Green community organisations and businesses can list on the site and create their own page. Organisers of environment friendly events can post here – all for free. Online is a great way to network every corner of our large County”.

PICTURE OF POWYS LANDSCAPE

Powys based green businesses are encouraged to list themselves on the guide, so residents can easily find them, buy local and ‘greenswap’ – that is, swapping your usual brand for an environmentally friendly version. The aim is to help the entire county community to work together for the planet, the local economy and the future, creating a greener and more prosperous Powys.

Cllr Charlton said “We all know that the worlds temperature is rising, we all know we have a climate emergency on our hands, but that doesn’t mean to say that we can’t do something about it.”

She continued, “There has never been a better time for young and old, town and country, to come together and join forces to secure a sustainable and prosperous future. The Green Guide is here to help all of us do just that.”

The launch will be online on Monday 5th December at 7.30pm. Information at www.pacepowys.cymru/Powys-Green-Guide-Launch

An information hub with advice and support about dealing with the cost of living has been launched, the county council has said.

Powys County Council has worked closely with local partner organisations to pull together a wide range of information in one place to ensure people know what help is already available and how to access it.

The online hub, which can be found at www.powys.gov.uk/costofliving, has been created to offer as much advice as possible to those in Powys who may need it during this time.

The hub has also been divided into sections for ease of access to information.  Those sections are:

Each section has useful information, guidance and advice that may help with a cost of living related problem. Phone numbers and webpage links to other services across Powys and the UK that may be able to help should you need more information on a specific issue are also available.

The council is also creating a network of warm spaces across Powys. These are places that can offer Powys people a warm welcome this winter and a chance to socialise, work or take part in activities whilst keeping warm. Details of these spaces will be added to the online cost of living hub shortly.

Cllr Matthew Dorrance, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for a Fairer Powys, said: “As the cold winter months get closer, the impact of the cost of living crisis will be felt more now than before.

“Our new hub has been created to provide residents and communities with the latest information and advice to help them get through this difficult period.

“We want to make sure people in Powys can get the most up to date information about help, support and funding easily and quickly.  Our hub will be updated regularly, and we will continue to work with residents and our communities to mitigate the impacts of the cost of living crisis.”

To find out more about what help is available, visit www.powys.gov.uk/costofliving

Powys County Council is carrying out an area review of education in the Crickhowell catchment to identify how education will be delivered in the catchment in the future

As part of the area review, Powys County Council would be grateful if you could complete this initial questionnaire which will help it identify ideas for how to improve provision in the catchment in the future. The questionnaire will be open for 4 weeks.

After the 4 week period has ended, Powys County Council will prepare a report outlining the feedback received, and will develop a paper on the preferred way forward for the catchment, which will be considered by Powys County Council’s Cabinet early in 2023.

Following this, there will be further opportunities for stakeholders to give their views on the plans, either through further engagement, or through formal consultation processes, depending on the outcome of the first part of this work.

A link to the questionnaire can be found here: https://www.haveyoursaypowys.wales/crickhowell-area-review

Further information about the questionnaire is available by emailing transforming.education@powys.gov.uk or phoning 01597 826618.  

All responses must be received by Thursday 10^th November 2022

Llanbedr School is looking for a part-time cleaner – 15 hours per week (3 hours a day after school).  

To apply please contact the school – 01873 810619.   

Calling all lovers of cake. The Great British Bake Off kneads you!

Applications for the Great British Bake Off series 14 are now open! Please apply using the link below.

www.applyforbakeoff.co.uk

Dyfed-Powys Police is warning people to be on their guard after an increase in reports of attempted scams in recent days.

DC Gareth Jordan from Dyfed-Powys Police’s Economic Crime Team said: “We have seen a spike in reports saying they have received phone calls from people pretending to be police officers and telling them that their credit card has been cloned.

“We’ve had 11 such calls in the past two days and they appear to be targeting the Ceredigion area.

“So far no-one has reported any losses but we may only be hearing from those that recognise this is a scam.

“Often the realisation of these crimes may come weeks later – when the criminal has been successful.”

DC Jordan said the caller tells the potential victim they are from Paddington or Paddington Green Police Station Specialist Fraud Team.

If they are calling a landline, they tell the recipient to dial 999 to confirm it is the police, but the line is kept open by the caller.

The aim is to get the victim to either part with their credit card details, or possibly to get them to withdraw money and have it picked up by courier (Courier Fraud).

Remember:

• The police will not phone you and ask you to convey details of your debit or credit card
• The police will not contact you to tell you your debit or credit card has been cloned.
• The police, or your bank, will never ask you to withdraw money or transfer it to a different account
• They will also never ask you to reveal your full banking password or PIN
• Phone a family member or friend to make sure the line has cleared
  and then phone 101 to report to police