The school that does Sports Day differently

Nestled up on a hill, sitting just beneath a Medieval castle in Llangollen, Ysgol Dinas Brân’s Sports Day, which this year falls on the last day of term, is a little different than what is traditionally offered.

Arial view of part of the field on Sports Day

An assembly kicks off the day, with a presentation of the year’s achievements displayed on the Sports Hall wall, supported by a soundtrack provided by a pupil-formed band, who impressively cover a number of Oasis’ greatest hits. The presentation also included teacher’s stories of their sporting pasts, signifying the importance of sport throughout school.

Once the presentation is over, the Sports Day (which has also formerly been referred to as ‘The Dinas Brân Olympics’) commences.

Pupil-formed band playing at presentation

Setting up the day is a big task, and starts early in the day, with the Head of Department for P.E., Neil Garvey, and other staff arriving at 6am to prepare.

By 9am, set up in the middle of the school field are a number a 5-a side pitches, a mini golf course with multiple holes, and an inflatable obstacle course. Further along the field sits a massive inflatable dart board for ‘foot darts’ (played with footballs in place of the more traditional darts), a tall climbing wall, and both football and rugby target practice, respectively. Also on offer is a Tug of War contest, canoeing at the nearby canal, Just Dance sessions, and more traditional events such as running races (100m, 400m) and shotput.

Climbing Wall

An Ice Cream Van and a snack stall are the menu of the day with teachers getting to choose the soundtrack to the events. Although an element of competitiveness will always be the case with some events, this day is ultimately set up to have fun and try new experiences.

Once on the field, some pupils rush to get all geared-up to scale the climbing wall, others grasp tightly onto their putters as they traverse the mini-golf section of the field. The variety on offer means that a whole host of hobbies and activities are represented on this Sports Day.

There are no leaderboards, charts or placements for a vast majority of the activities on offer today, as participation is the aim for this sports day, with the idea being that the wide array of activities will help with pupil participation and engagement.

Year groups all take their turn throughout the day taking part in the numerous activities spread across two school fields (and part of Llangollen’s famous Canal) as they run, climb, kick, putt, paddle and jump in the name of a tweaked and different Sports Day, which feels more of a celebration than a competition.

In the afternoon, staff take their turn, with staff sack races set up, where teachers hop head-to-head to reach the finish line first, with pupils cheering them on.

Neil Garvey, Head of Department for P.E. explained:

“Our Sports Day is a little different than your traditional Sports Day. We changed our approach to Sports Day around 12 years ago to try and increase the number of pupils participating in the events.

The previous Head of Department, Helen Davies, set this up, we sat down as a team to come up with ideas to help change the whole idea of a ‘Sports Day’ to get more pupils involved. This was her idea, and is something that we have built on year on year. Each year we have added new events, and partnered up with local businesses in the area to get things such as a big inflatable obstacle course and the climbing wall.

Since we made the tweaks, the number of pupils participating have gone through the roof. You can see on their faces, the pupils really enjoy this approach to Sports Day.”

Jimi, pupil at Ysgol Dinas Brân said:

“I think Dinas Brân’s sports day is actually the best sports day you could ever have! You have all sorts of events like rock climbing and football, anything you’d want to do really.

This year I’ve most enjoyed the climbing wall, as I’d never really done it before and some of the athletics.”

Pupil tries Foot Darts

Maggie, another pupil at Ysgol Dinas Brân said:

“Ysgol Dinas Brân does an excellent Sports Day as it gives a chance to pupils who don’t usually do sports a chance to try new activities.

I’ve really enjoyed the inflatable obstacle course with my friends and the races.”

Mark Hatch, Head Teacher at Ysgol Dinas Brân said:

“The whole purpose of this format is for health and wellbeing, and getting out there. It’s an inclusive day which has everyone trying something new, being active and enjoying themselves.

It’s all about getting the pupils out there, enjoying something different and giving them a whole new set of experiences, and to create a really fun day too.”

Nature on your community doorstep

New nature sites are springing to life in the heart of Denbighshire communities as we move into warmer days.

In 2024 four new community nature spaces were created across the county to provide stronger habitats for nature and a place for local communities to enjoy the delights of the outdoors.

All are very easy to find whilst out walking and here you can find a snapshot of what each site has to offer nature lovers.

Ysgol Henllan pupils rolled up their sleeves to help create a slice of natural history for their village.

Nestled on land behind Meifod Road, Henllan Community Nature space was created with the help of the pupils alongside Denbighshire Countryside Service rangers.

The pupils dug deep to help plant over 1,700 trees on the site which also saw the creation of new footpaths, a pond, wildflower meadows, a recreation space and picnic area, an insect hibernaculum (aka a “bee bank”) and an outdoor classroom.

Countryside rangers also use a unique technique at the site to protect and strengthen the growing trees.

Fleece was used as a replacement for mulch around the trees as it offered an eco-friendlier and carbon neutral way to support the work at Henllan. You can still see areas covered by the fleece which helps release nitrogen into the soil as it biodegrades and holds moisture well in the soil around the trees.

Down the road on the outskirts of St Asaph another community nature space is growing strong.

Thanks to the support of the city’s football club youth teams and Elwy Care Group, Glan Elwy Community Nature Space is home to nearly 2,000 trees on the site. The area is providing stronger habitat spaces for nature to benefit from as well as community spaces for residents young and old to enjoy and learn from local wildlife.

Situated alongside the River Elwy, you can check out the wildlife of the area by hopping on the viewing platform next the land, there’s many animal residents here you may catch a glimpse of.

Ysgol Bryn Hedydd in Rhyl helped breathe life into the new Llys Brenig Community Nature Space.

Located adjacent to Ffordd Elan Park, the pupils with the help of countryside rangers helped to plant 1,885 trees, a mix of native broadleaved varieties appropriate for the local conditions.

This gem amid a bustling community also saw the creation of a pond and wetland area to support local wildlife, installation of new fences around the pond and around the site boundary, and, to allow local residents to connect with nature on their doorstep, construction of footpaths and installation of benches.

Visiting today you might catch a site of feathered friends already enjoying the new area.

And a great little community nature space with a big heart can be found just outside of Clocaenog.

The Clocaenog Community Nature Space saw 18 trees of different varieties planted on site, along with four fruit trees and boundary hedges.

Other work at the land included the installation of a footpath, fencing and an entrance gate, two benches, one picnic table and the establishment of a pond area, making it the perfect place to watch the wildlife world go by this summer, especially as colourful wildflowers planted begin to make an appearance.

The Community Nature Spaces work during 2024 to 2025 alongside woodland creation work at schools across the county received funding out of an £800,000 grant from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

All the community nature spaces are developed to create stronger species-rich habitat for nature to benefit from as well as an area for the local school pupils and residents to enjoy and learn from wildlife that will visit this land.

These areas also bring other benefits including improved air quality, urban heat cooling and opportunities to support community physical and mental wellbeing.

Nurture of nature experience brings all-round help for biodiversity

Across Denbighshire’s land and waters, work is ongoing to help nature recovery in the face of the ever-increasing pressures from man-made and climate change impacts.

County Voice sits down with Biodiversity Officer Evie Challinor to find out what has fuelled the steps to the post she holds today to support the nature we have across our county.

Evie spent the first part of her life exploring what Mid Wales outdoors had to offer for a young adventurous spirit.

She said: “Mid Wales is very agricultural; it was a bit different from up here in that way. There are conservation sites there, but not many that were local to me. However, I spent many hours of my early life adventuring, wading in ponds, climbing trees, and following rivers; wherever I could find to explore.”

Pondering her A-Levels, the prospect of taking on an outdoor career inspired by early outdoor adventuring began to form in Evie’s mind.

“I’d always loved Biology and the natural world, especially studying ecosystems and the connectivity of the natural world. I had always been academically minded up until then and the natural progression from here was to pursue Biology in some form, as a career.  

“After a bit of research, I found Zoology and decided that was the course for me. I went to Bangor University where I spent 3 years studying Zoology. It was fantastic having Eryri and Anglesey right on the doorstep for both learning and recreation… it was a brilliant Uni.”

People who love animals often tend to take on Zoology to keep their passion for conservation alight.

Evie explained: “I think it’s quite common when you get there to realise that can’t study animals in isolation. You also need to know your plants and that’s very true of what I am doing now in this role I am in. Plants underpin everything.”

“During my undergraduate, I was fascinated by comparative zoology, the study of animal’s unique adaptions, and with animal behaviour. These led me quite far down the anthropology and evolution route, including looking at how animals and plants are adapted to their surroundings. Slowly that came round to conservation, ending with my decision to stay on and do a Masters in Conservation and Land Management.”

Building up her experience while at Bangor, Evie also spent some time volunteering with the North Wales Wildlife Trust and the Snowdonia Society.

“The Snowdonia Society were quite active in the area and were a really good organisation for a student to get involved with. They provided transport which was a massive help to a student without a car. I went and did a lot of practical habitat management with them as a result.

“I also had friends who were quite heavily involved in the Amphibian Reptile Conservation Trust across that way, so I did some habitat management for them on Anglesey. The other organisation I spent time with was North Wales Wildlife Trust, who I was fortunate to do some water vole survey training with. I really started leaning into the volunteering more towards the end of my Masters.”

Just before graduating with her Masters, Evie secured an all-Wales role with the National Trust.

“It was based on a strategic level; they were trying to bring together the management plans they had for all their different portfolios and begin to make the practical conservation a reality by starting to match up projects up with funding.”

“I was brought into that team to help with the co-ordination. It was a fantastic role to have, especially straight out of university - some really valuable experience.”

Unfortunately for Evie, like many thousands of people, the Covid Pandemic put an end to this part of her career after she took voluntary redundancy due to the huge impact of the time across many organisations in the UK.

However, she soon picked herself back up and joined Cheshire Wildlife Trust, working in the membership department, simultaneously picking up a role as a forest ranger with another company at the time.

Evie’s first steps into Denbighshire came shortly after when she moved into the Clwydian Range & Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty as a ranger down in the Dee Valley.

After a summer in the Dee Valley team, she spent the next nine months at Loggerheads, before moving on to working for the Canal and River Trust.

She explained: “I loved the ranger role in many ways but felt it didn’t give me enough time to dedicate to developing some of the skills that I felt I was missing. The role change to ecological advisor for the Canal and River Trust allowed me to gain some of this experience whilst supporting the restoration of the Montgomery Canal.”

Evie admits after a year with the Canal and River Trust, her ‘dream role’ appeared in the form of the job she holds now.

She said: “I had the practical habitat management experience and plenty of advisory experience, but one of the things I really wanted to get to grips with was the species and habitat surveys, which are a really rewarding part of the sector. 

“I feel like my surveying expertise has come on leaps and bounds by just spending that time out and about. You just feel so good; you come back at the end of the day and you are happy. I feel with the projects we are doing that I’m actually making a difference. I think job satisfaction wise you can’t really get much better than that.”

Highlights working as a Biodiversity officer so far for Evie include finding her first great crested newt on one of the sites she works on, and her first dormouse encounter.

“I’m also loving doing the dormouse surveys. We’ve been doing box checks, bringing all the sites up to scratch… you are just lifting the lids and peaking in, waiting to see if there’s anything there! It’s just a really nice thing to do. Especially when you get the tell-tale signs of occupation by seeing a little nose poke out”.

For the many nature supporters out there, Evie’s advice about following in her footsteps is to start ‘getting out there and volunteering’.

She explained: “That foot in the door also shows that you’ve got a passion. Building those connections with the right people will teach you a lot.”

And her ambitions whilst taking on this role?

“I’m currently working hard to get my first license in the form of a great crested newt licence. Getting my first licence under my belt will be a very big milestone for me, with hopefully more to follow in the future.

“I’m also looking to do a ponds project; I’ve got many aspirations for this one. Creating new ponds and a network of people to share knowledge with across Denbighshire and creating a propagation wing for it.

She added: “So I’m currently out doing lots of surveys, and a little digging around sites, trying to find plants to be able to bring back to the tree nursery to propagate to give us a local seed source. It’s great fun!”

Nursery nurtures strong future for local nature

A tree with a history of an old pub tipple of yesteryear and a plant so rare in Wales are elements of Denbighshire’s own nature finding new life thanks to a blossoming site.

Since 2021, roots have been put in the ground for the Council’s local provenance tree nursery at Green Gates Farm, St Asaph.

Dedicated members of the Council’s Biodiversity team alongside committed volunteers have helped produce a number of highlights at the nursery which is producing thousands of tree and wildflowers from locally sourced seeds to go back out to protect and boost county nature.

Here’s some of the successful projects the hands-on team at the site have grown to fruition.

In 2022 Hound’s tongue, a nationally declining species was found on the Prestatyn Beach Road West meadow. It was previously only recorded in Denbighshire 18 times within the last 116 years.

Seeds were taken from the site to the nursery and thanks to the effort of the onsite team, new plants germinated to go out to other coastal meadow sites to expand its range in Denbighshire.

During 2023 work was carried out to protect and support the future of a wise old tree in Denbighshire.

Over 15,000 acorns were gathered by the team and volunteers and planted at the tree nursery.

Oaks have an important impact on biodiversity by giving support to more life forms than any other native trees. Hundreds of insects can be hosted by the tree providing birds a rich source of food. Across autumn, squirrels, badgers and deer will also feed on acorns.

In 2024 the tree nursery turned its attention to a rare shrub in Denbighshire.

Juniper is rare in Denbighshire, known only at a location on Prestatyn hillside. The shrub is also a priority species for protection in the UK after a dramatic decline due to over grazing and loss of suitable grazing areas.

Efforts were made to protect a solitary juniper in Denbighshire in 2008 when the Council worked with Chester Zoo to put in young plants at Prestatyn hillside to encourage the existing juniper to grow.

Members of the Biodiversity Team  visited the site and harvested seeds to be taken back to the tree nursery for growing the shrub as Juniper provides valuable habitat and food for a diverse range of species, including insects, birds, and mammals.

During this year the tree nursery also raised a toast to support a rare historic tree in Denbighshire

The team at the tree nursery provided a boost for the Wild Service Tree. Over 300 out of 500 seeds collected by the team the previous year germinated at the nursery.

The wild service tree is rare across the county and historically known as the chequers tree due to the fruits that are said to taste similar to dates and given to children in the past as sweets.

Fruit from the tree was also traditionally made into a fermented beer like alcoholic drink and it is believed that this beverage influenced the naming of many ‘Chequers’ pubs and inns across the UK.

Projects this year at the nursery included producing over 1,000 elder trees from an actual elder growing on the site through cuttings. Historically, Elder which provided a source for coloured dyes, was also made to make the patterned Harris Tweed.

And a new generation of an under-threat tree is getting ready to help support a rare butterfly.

The nursery nurtured a large crop of wych elms to help the species which is under threat from Dutch elms disease. Many of the mature trees cut down due to its impact, reducing the growth and spread of younger trees.

Over 1,800 wych elm trees have been grown from seeds collected at Loggerheads Country Park last year to help the tree resurge in Denbighshire. They will be eventually planted out at the Green Gates Nature Reserve development next to the tree nursery.

Wych elms are an important larval food-plant of the rare White-Letter Hairstreak Butterfly, which was recorded at Loggerheads some years back but has since remained scarce across Denbighshire.

A tree written into Shakespeare’s musing on love is also enjoying a new chapter in Denbighshire.

Nearly 2,500 crab apple trees are telling a new story in 2025 thanks to the support of the tree nursery.

Crab apples have long had a link with love and marriage throughout history. The apple pips were thrown into fires while saying the name of your true love, if they exploded that love was true. Celts burned the tree wood during festivals and fertility rites.

And William Shakespeare continued the crab apple’s theme of love by mentioning the tree in both A Midsummers Night Dream and Love Labours Lost.

Growing up to 10metres and lasting around 100 years the crab apple leaves provide a source of food for moths including pal tussock, gen pug and the eyed hawk moth.

The tree is a massive source of food love for nature, birds love the fruits and mice, voles and badgers are also known to enjoy feasting on the apples.

Nature nurtures determination for countryside career

A long-standing love of nature has helped drive one man forward into protecting and nurturing Denbighshire’s local trees and plants.

County Voice sits down with our Tree Nursery Assistant Sam Brown to learn how since an early age, protecting nature has fashioned his outdoor career.

Born at Wrexham Maleor hospital, Sam grew up in Acrefair, a little village halfway between Llangollen and Wrexham.

Early memories include a helping hand from his parents for learning about the importance of the outdoors.

He said: “Mum and Dad brought me up to love nature, we used to go to National Trust properties, RSPB reserves, we have Erddig on the doorstep, Chirk Castle, Ty Mawr Country Park. Basically, they brought me up stomping and walking around in wellies most weekends and outside of school…loving nature was instilled in me at an early age.

“I was a junior ranger at Ty Mawr Country Park with Wrexham Council, they basically ran it as a club, I was eight when I started and around 15 when I finished. They ran it after school, so you would get changed from your school uniform, you would get down there in your wellies for four o’clock and they would run activities for you for an hour.”

Sam honed his countryside skills as a junior ranger by tackling mucking out the animals, to pond dipping to surveying butterflies at the park.

“I really got stuck into it, they instilled quite professional values into us, like how to look after the animals, being friendly chatting to people and training as well, such as a river safety course.”

At school Sam coped with a diagnosis of Dyspraxia while studying but his love for nature helped him through.

He explained: “I liked school, but I didn’t get on with the academics, I was always looking out of the window watching the sparrows and the whitetails and the pigeons outside. I was far more interested in that than the lessons.

“But a few teachers, one of them Miss Mills, my science teacher tapped into that once. When everybody else was doing another science practical she sent me and my friends out to do a bird survey on the school fields. She also ran an after-school gardening club where I got to do all sorts of things.”

Options weighed on Sam’s mind following school after he pondered the choice of a career in Mechanics or Marine Biology which had always been on his mind since a youngster, but the love of nature and the countryside always remained a driving force in the background.

“I was also a bit of a petrol head, really into engineering and cars but I couldn’t do maths very well and that took me off the engineering track because I knew I found it difficult.”

However, nature remained by his side and Sam admits the steps into the career he enjoys today happened quickly.

He explained: “We were just flicking through courses at Coleg Cambria and found a course at Llysfasi College which was Countryside Management and Conservation and Forestry was another option for me as well.”

Sam took part in an open day at the college doing some work and found he loved the activity involved. Joining the Level 2 stage of the course he spent three years at the college working through to achieve Level 3.

“I met some really good people that I'm still in touch with now. Even now sometimes I work with some of them as well. And yes I really, really enjoyed my time at the college. My tutors were really inspiring, really helpful.

One of his tutors was a botanist and helped Sam develop his knowledge of plants and another gave him the skills to work practically out in the countryside.

“When I finished College, I was in two minds as to whether to go to university, I felt I was too young even though most people went at my age… I didn’t feel very ready to move away from home.”

Sam admits he tussled with the idea of going to Aberystwyth University or Liverpool John Moores to study Marine Biology but the continuing call of the nature of the countryside gave him an opportunity that he has never looked back from.

“I ended up going to a job interview for a countryside ranger in the Dee Valley team, I didn’t get that job, but they put me on the relief ranger list. I’d do a day with them here and there, the busy seasons, tree planting, things like that, so I got a good bit of experience with them.

“I know my love was the land, the people on the land and the things on the land. I discovered I loved trees; with my Dyspraxia you do sometimes get fixated with things. I was able to memorise all the native tree species straight away and I got really good at wildflowers as well. From a young age it’s always been there in the back of my head what I really wanted to do.”

Faith is also important to Sam who is a Christian and to him, nature together with his beliefs is a big driver for his commitment and work.

“I’m really passionate about nature…I’m a Christian, I believe God created nature and it deserve respect, the animals…the plants. It’s an amazing resource for our spiritual health, our actual health, we need to recognise that and that the Earth is a precious resource, and I want to look after it.”

Becoming a passionate gardener since leaving college growing plants at home, Sam admits his happy place is in his garden.

Sam also experienced time caring for an under-threat bird at the Little Terns colony at Gronant Dunes as a warden.

“I enjoyed my time with the Little Terns. I loved looking after them, they were lovely animals.”

Following his warden duties, Sam got his current Tree Nursery Assistant role in September 2023 and has been using his skills to boost the county’s local plant and tree population ever since.

“I've been absolutely loving it. Having the opportunity to put all my skills to use here and enjoy making a positive difference to something so close to my heart is so worth it.”

And his tips for anyone wishing to follow in his footsteps?

Sam added: “What you need to do is you just need to volunteer wherever you can. No matter where you are in the country, you're going to have a local Wildlife Trust, you'll have a National Trust property nearby and you'll have a local council countryside service which may do volunteering.

“Also, when you volunteer…its showing a willingness to volunteer. I learnt a lot from volunteering. I'd say more so than any other part of my education. So volunteering is important and of course… just having that determination to keep going.”  

Discover Rhyl’s nature gems

Did you know there are a number of nature spots across Rhyl where you can put your best foot forward to explore?

From the coast to the town there are areas full of blossoming wildlife and sights to discover that can provide you also with a great drop of physical activity.

County Voice takes you on a whistle stop tour around what nature areas Rhyl has to offer.

In the east of Rhyl nestles a young nature reserve in easy reach of the local community. Maes Gwilym Nature Reserve was created as part of the Council's Woodland creation project. There’s over 2,500 trees growing at the site and the existing woodland was enhanced to improve the habitat for nature.

Paths that will take you into the reserve were constructed using recycled material and finished with limestone dust.

A special sight at Maes Gwiliym nature reserve is the wetland area containing an Ephemeral wildlife pond, which is designed to hold a low level of water providing a great habitat for many species.

You can also stop off at the bird hide on the site enabling visitors to enjoy the local wildlife in the area which includes several red and amber listed bird species.

Hedgerows planted are growing strong at the site alongside colourful wildflower meadows. Walking around you can take advantage of seating areas introduced in the area.

Hedgerows were also planted alongside encouraging existing and new areas for wildflower meadows. Seating areas were introduced and damaged fencing and gates were replaced.

A short hop up the road is the new Llys Brenig Community Nature Space, nestled in the Pak View Estate. Created in 2024, 1,885 trees were planted on site along with the creation of a pond and wetland area to support local wildlife, installation of new fences around the pond and around the site boundary, and, to allow local residents to connect with nature on their doorstep, construction of footpaths and installation of benches.

It’s a great small area to visit on a sunny day, you might catch a sight or two of the feathered friends that have taken up home in the ponds on the site.

Bruton Park Nature Reserve offers a good chance to stretch your legs around a circle route or exploring paths cutting through the lands while enjoying great views of the Clwydian Range.

You will find a diverse landscape of woodland, hedgerows, wildflower meadows and even fruit trees while exploring this great gem and alongside the varied plant and trees, keep an eye out for the many local wildlife members.

Another great circular walk to sample nature can be found by visiting Brickfield Pond Nature Reserve.

Countryside rangers and volunteers supported by Nature for Health have carried out work that has seen a community orchard and pond opened up with a new path and bridge leading to this site in the quit corner of the reserve.

The team has carried out improvements to the walkways, removal of dead trees and the tidying up of the viewpoints around the main waters.

And you could catch site of a rare UK mammal whilst walking as areas have also been improved around the nature reserve to encourage more water voles to make their home at the site.

This summer more colour will be on offer around the in the area next to the cycle path leading into the nature reserve from the Ysgol Tir Morfa side.

During autumn and winter, work has taken place to clear bramble. Dead trees were removed to allow more light into the area to support the surviving nature, new spindle and lime trees were planted and a mix of yellow rattle, red bartsia and woodland wild flower mix seeds were sown to support pollinators.

Best of all to soak up the sights of the wildlife on the waters new viewpoints have been opened up along the circular route, some including newly created hazel hurdles as fencing, allowing visitors the time to stop and take in life on Brickfield Pond.

Take your EV around Denbighshire’s attractions

Spring and summer days are upon us, providing the perfect opportunity through more daylight to explore the best that Denbighshire has to offer.

Travelling by vehicle in modern times has seen the addition of hybrid engines and electric powered motors to help get you to locations with less impact on our climate.

Since the first Council Public Electric Vehicles (EV) chargers went live in summer 2022 over 1.5million miles of travelling have been provided through more than 22,000 charging sessions.

For all local EV owners and those further afield, County Voice takes you on a whistle stop tour of where the Council’s own public charging EV stations are there to help you plan your trip around the county to see the sights.

The public network provides a great opportunity to travel around Denbighshire to sample the many attractions the county has to offer while charging your vehicle at one of the sites.

Want to check out bygone travel at Llangollen Railway? You can kick off your experience at Corwen’s Green Lane car park next to the town’s station have five operational EV chargers which you can plug into, enjoy the trip to yesteryear up and down the line and sample Corwen and Llangollen towns whilst your car is topped up.

Coming at the railway from Llangollen, chargers are available at Market Street car park and also the Pavilion car park. These handy locations also give you time around Llangollen to check out attractions such as the Llangollen Wharf, a hike up to Dinas Bran or just to enjoy the sites of the River Dee running through the town.

Jumping in your car and moving up to Ruthin , you can find EV chargers at Cae Ddol car parkm which puts you in stepping distance of learning all about the Ruthin Gaol, And a five minute walk can take you to another historic location in the form of Nant Clwyd y Dre.

But if you are interested in arts and crafts, public charging facilities are also available at Ruthin Craft Centre to allow you to browse the delights on offer at the site while putting charge into your car for your next trip.

Heading to Denbigh, the town’s Post Office Lane provides chargers, giving you the perfect chance to check out the remains of Denbigh Castle which is still standing proudly overlooking the town.

A short hop to St Asaph takes you to the Bowling Green car park at the city which is the perfect starting point to enjoy a scenic walk along the River Elwy or check out the stunning architecture of St Asaph Cathedral.

Travelling to the coast, Rhyl has the perfect place to top up and charge, West Kinmel car park has a number of chargers including rapid facilities for a quick boost. From here you can take a walk through the centre of town to the prom to enjoy Rhyl’s golden sands, or check out the harbour area and Marine Lake complete with the world’s oldest smallest railway. Charging facilities are also available at Morley Road car park.

And a final trip into Prestatyn can find you chargers (including rapids) at Fern Avenue and Kings Avenue car parks, allowing you time to enjoy Prestatyn’s town centre or if feeling brave take a walk down to the seafront to enjoy the attractions awaiting you.

The EV public network is a part the Council’s overall action to tackle climate change following the declaration of a Climate and Ecological Emergency in 2019 by reducing the county’s carbon footprint.

To check out more information on these locations visit our website.

Teachers take on Africa charity trip

Three teachers from Denbighshire recently swapped South Denbighshire for Southern Africa as they embarked on a journey to support children with additional needs in a remote mountain village.

Rachel Costeloe, Tina Hughes, and Kathryn Packer are qualified teachers who work for Denbighshire County Council’s inclusion team and took the 8,000-mile trip from Denbighshire to Lesotho, a landlocked country in Southern Africa earlier this year.

Rachel Costeloe, Tina Hughes, and Kathryn Packer

The three teachers took the trip in their spare time for the ‘One Day’ charity.

As part of a volunteer delegation for charity, the three teachers helped children who are orphaned, some of whom have additional learning needs and require a level of care that is difficult to provide locally without support. During their two weeks, Rachel, Tina, and Kathryn delivered training to a local school and two special schools. They also held an outreach programme for the community, delivering support to those who are vulnerable and those with additional learning needs.

Whilst visiting one of the special schools, they teamed up with the Lesotho Sport and Recreation Commission and provided play and sports activities including some sensory play. 

As Lesotho is twinned with Wales, the team held a cultural day, where the trio held a mini-Eisteddfod which included Dawnsio Gwerin and dancing to Welsh music by the band The Candelas. 

Rachel Costeloe, Additional Learning Needs Advisory Teacher said:

“I truly feel privileged to have been part of this team. I delivered Trauma Training to the teachers in the schools that we visited and to the house parents of the orphans.

I can’t thank my friends and family enough for all the support they have given me.

The whole experience has been life changing and I’m already planning my next trip to Lesotho, and this time I will be taking my daughter with me.”

Tina Hughes, Additional Learning Needs Advisory Teacher said:

“We were fortunate to visit two special schools during our visit, one in Buthe Butha and the other in Leribe.

We worked alongside the Lesotho Sports Academy and some of the international rugby players to promote disability sports sessions.

We also worked alongside teaching staff, delivering training, and sharing techniques on how to develop communication with the use of core boards.”

Kathryn Packer, Behaviour Support Outreach Teacher said:

“I took my knowledge and resources to Lesotho to deliver the 6 Bricks training to the teachers, children, and the house parents.

The games and activities work on memory, motor skills, problem solving, creativity and cognitive flexibility.

It was an amazing experience, a privilege and joy.”

Since returning home, the three colleagues have continued to support the cause from afar, but all three have plans to return to Lesotho in the future, to continue to support the work that is going on there.

In-house EV training electrifies efficiency

An in-house driver training programme is helping 100s of staff embrace non fossil fuel vehicles. 

Denbighshire County Council’s Electric Vehicle (EV) Fleet training programme has so far trained over 500 staff.

The Council’s fleet is continuing to undergo a transition to zero emission tail pipe vehicles to help reduce carbon emission to address the Climate and Nature emergency declared by the local authority in 2019.

In comparison to all Welsh local authorities the Council has one of the highest figures in Wales for the proportion of zero emission vehicles (ZEVs) as a percentage of their fleet, at over 20 percent.

To support the transition the Fleet team devised an EV training package for all Council staff who would need to use electric vehicles during work time to help them operate vehicles safely and efficiently.

The in-house training includes:

• How to safely and efficiently utilise the EV charging infrastructure
• Effective use of regenerative braking systems
• Correct selection of ‘driving mode’ for varying conditions / pay loads

And there are four different levels of qualification available to staff (Training is CBTM 1877 certified):

• Level 1 Bronze – Cars & Small vans
• Level 2 Silver – As level 1 + LGVs such as refuse recycling vehicles
• Level 3 Gold – As level 2 + Buses & Plant / Machinery
• Level 4 Platinum – As Level 3 + Instructor qualification

Martin Griffiths, Fleet Mobility Lead Officer, Denbighshire County Council, explained: “As part of our Council Climate Change and Nature Recovery strategy we are committed to reducing carbon emissions across the local authority, which includes our Fleet.

“We have been transitioning our end of live fossil fuel powered vehicles over to electric with significant support from Welsh and UK Government departments to help us cut down on emissions produced and also reduce long term costs for miles and maintenance across all services our Fleet supplies to.

David Baker, Senior Driver Training & Assessment Officer said “A key part of this is helping staff actually learn more about what an EV can do positively for travel and for the environment and coaching them to get the best out of this equipment.

“Our inhouse trainer supports with getting to grips with how regenerative braking works to extend range and reduce conventional wear and tear on normal brakes. They look at how to smooth out driving to avoid harsh acceleration which impacts on battery performance.

“Other elements taught can include how to route plan to use the vehicle effectively, getting used to the instant torque of the vehicles for safety and increased awareness of surroundings due to the low noise of EVs.

“Effectively the training helps maximise the ability of these cars driven by staff to increase vehicle efficiency and reduce long term costs. It’s also good to help individual staff as well to make their own decisions regarding moving to an EV for personal use.”

The success of the Fleet team’s EV  in-house training has caught the eye of other Welsh local authorities working to reduce their own vehicle carbon emissions.

Martin added: “We are sharing our good practice and experiences with other Welsh Council’s and Public Sector Bodies to help them with their own transition to zero emission.

 “Being able to carry the training out in house and learn from the experiences of our own staff using the EVs has been a massive bonus for how we continue to shape our fleet to tackle carbon emissions in the future.”

A new mural on its way to Rhyl

Artists are putting the final touches to a striking new mural along Rhyl’s coastal defences – a powerful visual tribute to the town’s ongoing regeneration.

Led by artist and facilitator Ffion Pritchard, the project invited creatives from across Denbighshire to contribute to the Ein Rhyl/Our Rhyl campaign.

Supported by Rhyl Neighbourhood Board – an independent collective made up of residents, business owners, politicians, council officers and grassroots organisations - and Balfour Beatty, the mural aims to showcase the heart and heritage of the beloved seaside resort, leaving a lasting legacy for future generations.

“The response has been incredible,” said Ffion, from Bangor.

“We’ve worked with a wide range of amazing community groups and seen just how much creativity and pride exists here.

“From young people to older residents, everyone has had something valuable to share. This project has brought people together in a powerful way, allowing them to express their vision of Rhyl - what it means to them, where it’s been, and where it’s going. It’s been a joy to help guide that process.”

The mural will span up to 60 pre-cast units and be printed on durable materials such as aluminium.

Alongside the main installation, workshops with local schools, youth groups and families have helped shape a vibrant mural trail reflecting Rhyl’s past, present and future.

Craig Sparrow, Chair of Rhyl Neighbourhood Board, added: “We’re incredibly grateful for the dedication and creativity that’s gone into this project. It’s been fantastic to see the community come together, from third sector groups to individual artists, everyone has played a part.

“Projects like this show just how much talent there is in Rhyl, and how art can help tell our story in such a meaningful and lasting way. I’m really looking forward to seeing the completed mural.

“It’s going to be something we can all be proud of and will showcase the very best of Rhyl, both for residents and visitors.”

Participants have included Ysgol Tir Morfa, West Rhyl Young People’s Project, Viva LGBT Youth Cymru, Brighter Futures, Willow Collective, Ysgol Bryn Hedydd, and families through workshops at the town library. The project is on course to be completed in August.

Working on behalf of Denbighshire County Council, Balfour Beatty’s redevelopment of the East Parade included removing the old promenade and sea walls, widening and raising the new promenade for improved pedestrian and cyclist access, and constructing a concrete-stepped revetment to reduce flooding risk — protecting over 600 properties in Central Rhyl.