Llyr Gruffydd MS Member of the Senedd for North Wales

Recently Llyr Gruffydd called for the Welsh Government to ensure that people who have brain tumours “don’t fall through the cracks”. This echoed warnings from campaigners that more needs to be done to remove barriers that exist in the health service.

Mr Gruffydd MS recently met with representatives from The Brain Tumour Charity at Tŷ Hywel to show his support for Brain Tumour Awareness Month.

The Brain Tumour Charity says that the gaps in the health service can only be tackled through systematic change and developing a comprehensive National Brain Tumour Strategy.

People who have brain tumour can face a number of issues, including multiple misdiagnoses and trips to GPs, to undergoing harsh treatments or not having access to the support from an allocated Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS).

According to The Brain Tumour Charity, brain tumours often fall into the ‘too difficult’ pile due to the nature of the disease.

There are more than 120 different types of brain and central nervous system tumours, which can be high grade, or low grade (non-malignant). As a result the disease does not sit neatly in the cancer nor the rare disease world.

The charity also says that brain cancers are often missed by NHS cancer programmes because of the differences in how they start, develop and are tracked, compared to other cancers.

Llŷr Gruffydd MS said: “It is vital that the Welsh Government as well as governments across the UK make sure that people who have brain tumours don’t fall through the cracks in the health care system.

“There needs to be a well-thought-out strategy in place to bring this about that takes into account all of the complexities and puts the needs of patients front and centre.

“As with any disease, the faster it can be caught the more likely it is for patients to have a positive outcome.

“That’s why it is important to tackle the barriers patients can face when trying go get a diagnosis, and access care and treatment.

“Ensuring that patients are able to get a faster diagnosis can open up more options for patients and their families to receive sufficient support.

“It can also can widen the scope of research participation options, reduce the severity of symptoms, as well as help patients to better withstand harsh treatments and reduce the need for emergency, higher risk surgery.”

Llyr Gruffydd recently paid volunteer sector hub CVSC a visit and learnt that growing pressures on public services is leading to greater reliance on the network of voluntary services in Conwy.

The role of the Colwyn Bay-based Community and Voluntary Support Conwy (CVSC), which coordinates those voluntary services, was therefore even more important than ever.

Mr Gruffydd, of Plaid Cymru, said: “After a generation of public service funding, the reliance of our communities on the voluntary sector has increased substantially. The support given by CVSC across the county of Conwy to so many organisations is invaluable. In operating as a one-stop shop for so many organisations, their expertise helps with practical support as well as to give information, guidance and advice.”

Elgan Owen, Chief Executive Officer of CVSC, explained: “We operate as a pivot point in the centre of the voluntary sector in Conwy. We work with the Council, the Health Board, as well as the Private Sector. We are a link between all these organisations and the third sector (voluntary services).”

“CVSC manage several funds on behalf of the renewable energy sector that is allocated to community projects in Conwy, Denbighshire and Flintshire as well as some funds that support local businesses. A substantial amount of our work is to help team up these funds with the projects that are so reliant on this money.”

County Voluntary Councils support the sector across all of Wales but the CVSC set-up in Conwy is particularly well developed. As well as providing services for the voluntary sector, CVSC provides services that complement local authority and health services as well as reducing the significant pressure on them.

“We are quite lucky in Conwy to have access to funds from the renewable energy sector that is allocated to community projects in the area. A substantial amount of our work is to help team up these funds with the projects that are so reliant on this money.”

Many of the council areas across Wales will have similar third-sector hubs, but the CVSC set-up in Conwy is particularly well developed. As well as providing services for the volunteer sector, the CVSC provides services directly to the Council.

Llyr Gruffydd added: “One of the strengths of the set-up here in Conwy is that they’ve developed a well-oiled network of organisations that work well together. Not only do they support each other locally, but they extend across north Wales to provide strength in unity.”

Recently Llyr Gruffydd MS expressed grave concerns over extent of large-scale housing development in Flintshire.

A huge development of 300 homes that would effectively merge two villages has been condemned by Plaid Cymru's North Wales Senedd Member. 

Llyr Gruffydd MS visited the Gladstone Way site recently to see the extent of the development for himself. The proposed housing estate will join the villages of Hawarden and Mancot to create what he described as "a single sprawling conurbation.

“This development will severely impact local infrastructure. The school, local GP surgeries and the local road network are already struggling to cope. This development will only make matters worse.”

Local campaigners have already submitted 2,500 objections as the planning application comes before Flintshire Council's planning committee later this month. Mr Gruffydd met with campaigners and local councillor Sam Swash near the site to learn about their concerns.

Cllr Swash said:  "The campaign against this housing development has been the biggest of its kind in Flintshire's recent history. In spite of that, it has still been put forward as an allocated site in Flintshire's Local Development Plan, leading to the submission of this planning application. It represents the culmination of landowners, private developers, the County Council, and the Welsh Government teaming up in the interests of private profit at the expense of the residents of Hawarden and Mancot.

We very much welcome Llyr Gruffydd's support for our campaign in opposing this recklessly irresponsible scheme, as well as Llyr and his colleagues efforts in the Senedd to expose the anti-democratic nature of Local Development Plans in North Wales, from Flintshire to Wrexham."

Mr Gruffydd added: “Flintshire County Council planning department must take into consideration the local concerns over the development. Although there is need for new homes in the area, this development is far from being suitable for a community like Hawarden.”

“Planning policy needs to be far more empathetic to local needs when considering housing developments. We need more housing provision, but the need to be the right homes in the right places. I'm also concerned about the loss of prime agricultural land at a time when we need to consider food security. It's ironic, isn't it, that the Labour Welsh Government is insisting that farmers put aside agricultural land for trees and wildlife habitat while on the other hand enabling large housing developers to Tarmac over swathes of open countryside."

An MS has welcomed a group of “enthusiastic” school pupils from Flintshire to the Senedd.

Today we were paid a visit to the Senedd by Ysgol Pen Barras primary school.

Having year 5 and 6 pupils from the school, which is a stone's throw from my office in Ruthin here to learn about the workings of the Senedd was amazing.  Learning about the work of organisations such as the Senedd is extremely important, and to be able to explain what the central role of the institution is in the landscape of Welsh governance is always gratifying.

I hope that today's visit will stimulate this generation of pupils to take an interest in the work of the Senedd, and also to show an interest in politics.

Good luck to the future Ysgol Pen Barras, and thank you for listening to the presentation and for the fun questions!

Llyr Gruffydd was lucky enough recently to be invited to visit Caernarfon Youth Tennis Club to learn about how they work. 

“The work that the coaching staff do with the youth of the area is phenomenal” said Mr Gruffydd,

The club now attracts more than a hundred school-aged children to play tennis every week in the purpose built Arfon Tennis Centre in the town, and has recently attracted funding from Sport Wales to improve facilities.

Osian Williams, who is head-coach at the club said-

“Thanks to the £200k funding, we’ve been able to secure the future of the club here in Caernarfon. We’ve invested in new lights, new court surfaces and much more”

“Although tennis at the centre had been in decline since its heyday in the 1990s, this funding has supported the continued revival of tennis in the Caernarfon area in recent years.”

“We are an unique tennis club in a way. We are the only Welsh language medium youth tennis club in the world, which is something special we think.”

Mr Gruffydd added-

“Tennis in the Gwynedd area is up against other popular sports when it comes to attracting youth players, but the achievement of the staff and volunteers here in Caernarfon is amazing. Attracting so many young players to the sport is quite an achievement.”

“Maybe we’ll see the tennis stars of the future emerging from the club – with the facilities available to them here, there’s nothing to prevent them from achieving greatness.”

An MS has congratulated Denbighshire school pupils for winning an active travel award.

Llŷr Gruffydd, who represents North Wales in the Senedd, described Ysgol Llywelyn’s achievement of becoming the first school in the region to win a Sustrans Cymru Gold Award as “hugely impressive”.

Mr Gruffydd, of Plaid Cymru, recently visited to school to hear about the work children have been doing to change the way they travel to school so that it’s healthier and more environmentally friendly.

Sustrans Cymru is a charity that is on a mission to help communities come to life though walking, wheeling and cycling to create healthier places and happier lives for everyone.

Llŷr Gruffydd said: “It was an absolute pleasure to meet staff and pupils at Ysgol Llywelyn, and I would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to them for their warm welcome.

“It’s a hugely impressive achievement to become the first school in the north of Wales to be awarded Sustrans Cymru Gold Award for promoting active travel.

“The pupils have clearly gone above and beyond in making active travel an everyday part of school life, and have made it fun at the same time.

“They are a great example to other pupils across the region of what can be achieved and of how schools can be proactive, challenge travel behaviours and change them for everyone’s benefit.

“This award isn’t just a wonderful accomplishment for the school. It’s also a wonderful accomplishment for the local community.

“I want to see active travel become the norm in Wales where that’s possible. Walking, cycling or scooting to school should be a safe, easy and accessible option for all children in Wales.

“Changing the way we travel to school is an effective way of increasing activity levels amongst children, and it is also key if we are going to tackle air pollution. Sustrans Cymru is making a vital contribution to bring this about.”

A North Wales MS has marked Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month by praising a charity for its “important” work supporting children and their families.

An MS has backed a call for a banking hub to be created in Denbigh after a series of branch closures.

Keir Starmer has been condemned after he refused to commit to giving Wales its fair share of HS2 if he becomes Prime Minister.