Latest news with #Andrew.Ranger.mp
Leader Live
4 days ago
- Politics
- Leader Live
Andrew Ranger MP shares details of Wrexham Pride 2025
MP for Wrexham Wrexham Pride 2025 is just under 2 weeks away on Saturday 26th July with the aim to promote Wrecsam as an LGBTQ+ friendly city and to show support and solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community. The plans for the event look fantastic with a street market starting at 10am on Queen's Square and a march beginning at 12pm from Llwyn Isaf. There will be lots of local community and information stands and you can also apply to be a volunteer. This year's shop window display competition will be judged on the 18th July with judges looking for creativity, use of ethically sourced and sustainable materials and visual impact being some of the criteria used. All shops and businesses within Wrexham County Borough are eligible and entry for this can be found on the Pride Wrecsam website. As with so many events across Wrexham, Pride Wrecsam would not be possible without volunteers giving up huge amounts of time to organise, fundraise and it, so a huge thank you to them. Check out the website for further information Pride month is in June, as that was the month when the Stonewall riots took place in the US in 1969. On 28 June 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn in New York, the second time in a week, throwing out 200 people and attacking them. The community reacted with a week of protests and riots, inspiring others round the world to do the same. A month after these the first openly gay march took place in New York with the first Pride festival in the UK in 1972. Many of us have attended pride events in Chester, Liverpool and beyond and it's great to see one here in Wrexham for its second year. As ever, if you have any queries or concerns or you have an issue that you would like me to try and assist you with, please do not hesitate to contact me on 01978 788854 or
Leader Live
01-07-2025
- Business
- Leader Live
Wrexham MP Andrew Ranger celebrates North East Wales
MP for Wrexham Last week saw the publication of the government's Industrial and Trade strategies. North-East Wales already has a huge amount to celebrate and the Industrial Strategy will promote its wide-ranging strengths to investors. For example, in Advanced Manufacturing: North-East Wales has significant strengths in Aerospace, clustered around Airbus' Broughton site, and Automotive, including Toyota's Deeside plant. Advance Manufacturing Research Centre Cymru provides a regional centre for innovation, and will complement the recently announced Advanced Manufacturing Investment Zone for Wrexham and Flintshire In terms of Clean Energy Industries, North Wales has significant assets to build on, with Crown Estate research finding that upcoming offshore wind schemes in the Celtic Sea could unlock up to 4.5GW of floating offshore wind supporting over 5,000 jobs, with the potential for up to 12GW. HyNet CCUS has the potential to generate thousands of jobs and billions in investment, including £2bn in supply chain contracts through its carbon storage and capture. The recent US trade deal is so important to Wales as the US is Wales' second biggest trade destination. The deal will enable the automotive industry and Welsh farmers to access more markets. The Free Trade Agreement with India will halve whisky tariffs from 150% to 75%. Wales has secure access for key exports such as lamb. The regeneration of Shotton Paper Mill which is within the Wrexham Flintshire Investment Zone will, thanks to investment last year, turn the area into the UK's largest paper manufacturing site. This will safeguard 147 jobs and create a further 220 when fully commissioned. Around 140 jobs will be created in North Wales after Knauf Insulation unveiled plans to invest £170 million in a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Shotton. The impact of these investments will be felt in the supply chain in Wrexham and beyond. We are seeing the benefits of two Labour governments working together to further economic growth in Wales. As ever, if you have any queries or concerns or you have an issue that you would like me to try and assist you with, please do not hesitate to contact me on 01978 788854 or
Leader Live
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Leader Live
A view from Wrexham MP, Andrew Ranger, on Armed Forces Week
This week is Armed Forces Week and a chance to show our support for the men and women who make up the Armed Forces community: from currently serving troops to Service families, veterans and cadets. The week culminates in Armed Forces Day on Saturday, June 28. Hightown Barracks is always a focal point for the history of the armed forces in Wrexham, dating back to 1877. Many people in Wrexham have links to the barracks, perhaps through relatives who enlisted for World War 1 there or through the commando unit based there in World War II. Others remember it as a battalion headquarters and Company location for the 3rd (Volunteer) Battalion of the Royal Welch Fusiliers. Today, its role is varied as I learned from my recent visit and tour with Colonel Lock and today's armed forces face real difficulties not only after years of cuts but also in the context of a rapidly changing global situation and have my full support to meet their needs. The Armed Forces Commissioner Bill continues its progress through Parliament and will establish an independent Commissioner to serve as a direct point of contact for Armed Forces personnel and their families. The Commissioner will consider, investigate and make recommendations to address welfare issues faced by serving personnel and their families during their service life. Latest news I am privileged to have been on the Bill Committee and to therefore be part of tangible and important change for our armed services and their welfare, which has been neglected for too long. The upcoming Strategic Defence Review will tackle the state of Armed Forces accommodation. Wales's 800 forces family homes are in line to benefit from the significant investment uplift, as part of an overall £7bn in funding during this parliament. According to the House of Commons Library, there are an estimated 3,450 households in Wrexham who have at least one military veteran. Veteran support is crucial, which is why the UK Government has launched the VALOUR system to ensure easier access to essential care and support. As ever, if you have any queries or concerns or you have an issue that you would like me to try and assist you with, please do not hesitate to contact me on 01978 788854 or
Leader Live
17-06-2025
- Politics
- Leader Live
Wrexham MP urges organisations to apply for funding
MP for Wrexham We are really starting to see projects connected with our 2029 City of Culture bid take shape: from the incredible Public Art Trail to the Football Museum for Wales which is due to be completed next year. The City of Culture Trust was awarded £175,000 by Wrexham County Borough Council following a recent successful grant application to the UK Government Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF). Organisations are invited to submit proposals for grants from £5,000 to £10,000 to develop test events, e.g. an artistic or cultural projects that could be part of the new Cultural Commissions Programme which ultimately supports the City of Culture bid. The test events must be completed by 31st January 2026 and the closing date for this fund is midday 1st July 2025. The idea being the test events could be scaled up to bigger projects by 2029. Being the UK City of Culture would bring significant economic and social benefits to Wrexham in terms of inward investment, job creation, increasing access to cultural activity and amplifying Wrexham's story to the whole of the UK. Whilst the formal bidding process for 2029 is yet to open, last month I asked the Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport when the guidance for would be released. The response was that it would be released in 'due course'. I will of course continue to press for this. Interestingly, as we mark Refugee Week, the theme of community, bridging divides and offering support is something that definitely resonates here in Wrexham. This Refugee Week everyone is invited to spend time with friends and build new connections in and beyond our neighbourhoods, to extend our sense of connection and build relationships across our neighbourhoods, something which I know already happens in Wrexham. It might be through an interaction, a visit to somewhere new, having time for a meaningful conversation, or volunteering. There are lots of ways to build and develop community. As ever, if you have any queries or concerns or you have an issue that you would like me to try and assist you with, please do not hesitate to contact me on 01978 788854 or
Leader Live
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Leader Live
Wrexham MP celebrates volunteers during special Week
MP for Wrexham Last week saw my Private Member's Bill on Licensing Hours Extensions pass on to the next stage following my presentation of the Bill to the committee. The Bill proposes that pubs and other licensed premises should be able to open for extended hours for significant national events. The benefit of this small change to existing legislation will mean that at short notice, such as Wales progressing in a major tournament whether it's the Rugby World Cup or the Football Euros, venues would be able to open their doors to customers at times of the day that suit the events. The important change being that they would be able to serve their full range of drinks. Ultimately if the Bill becomes law it will reduce costs, time and bureaucracy for hospitality venues, local council licensing offices and Parliament, whilst making it easier for communities to come together in pubs and bars to celebrate major national moments. The Bill now moves on to the report stage and 3rd Reading in the House of Commons. Volunteers' Week is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the incredible contribution that volunteers make to our communities. I visited CALL Mental Health Helpline which is staffed by volunteers and operators to hear about the vital support that they provide. Their service is free and confidential and listens to those who call as well as offering guidance and emotional support for people facing mental health challenges and signposting them to other relevant support services. I also visited the Venture on Caia Park to hear from Chief Officer Councillor Malcolm King about their plans for their share of the Welsh Government Child Poverty Innovation and Supporting Communities Grant. The Venture plan to use the money to build on the Children's Commissioner's 'No Wrong Door' report. This aims to reduce the effects of child poverty by helping more families access services by creating additional capacity. We also talked more widely about the range of community-based services that The Venture provides, vital to the community in Caia Park. What really shone through was the importance of working collaboratively, something which Caia does so well through its Caia Park Together initiative and this is something that other areas of Wrexham would benefit from. As ever, if you have any queries or concerns or you have an issue that you would like me to try and assist you with, please do not hesitate to contact me on 01978 788854 or
